Today, we are mainly presenting Russians and mostly cavalry.
Caucasian Lancers from Minifigs.
Cossacks from the same outfit
Hussars from Irregular.
Russian regimental commanders liked to deploy skirmishers. Despite being smoothbore armed they seem to have been effective. I've seen it noted that some British units began not to carry their Colours in the field as they attracted concentrated Russian skirmisher fire. Thus increasing officer casulaties. These ones are Minifig.
Caucasian Rifles from Irregular. The officer is a Minifig.
The last of the Highland Brigade here.
Minifigs again.
The last unit of my Light Brigade too. Irregular figures.
Soon, I'll tackle the infantry both British and Russian. The Russians need only their flags. Then it is on to the French and Turks.
Republic to Empire continues to repay study. So far I think only minor ammendments are needed to suit it for the Crimean War. Most obviously the addition of the Minie Rifle, the dash of the British cavalry and the tenacity of the Russian infantry.
More nice stuff OB. I will be interested to see how you treat the Minie rifles. Our house rules give them an extra 100mm over the Russian muskets, but given move distances, this is AT MOST one extra round of firing - and often makes no practical difference at all, whereas, I am pretty sure I read their effective range was 1000 yards as compared to 200 yards or less for a Russian musket - so the Brits and French could get multiple extra shots in before the Russian infantry got within range to fire back - sometimes, I don't think they ever made it, they were so depleted by fire they didn't advance into range of their own weapons, and never fired back at all....
ReplyDeleteThanks Keith.
ReplyDeleteIt is a hugely interesting question.
The Minie was hugely appreciated by the rank and file. The officers not so much. The preferred to stick with the old a volley or two and close.
The soldiers knew better and blazed away at effective range. Eventually it caught on with the younger officers. Colin Campbell never changed his mind or his tactics.
Cathcart's 4th Division didn't have the Minie. Most of the French didn't either.
I'm still thinking about how to cature all of this. I'll report back when I get there.
Interesting.....I actually added reference to the French to my comment as an after thought...I assumed they had it, as I believe it was a French weapon?!
ReplyDeleteYes, a French invention. The Chasseurs carried it. Some say the Guard and the Zouaves did too. The rest did not.
ReplyDeleteA solid bit of kit commissioning for the British Government of the time then. Cathcart's Division didn't get the Minie due to time constraints I think rather than availibility. If I recall that right.
We can recall that it is Cathcart's Division that gets into trouble at Inkerman and has to be rescued by the French.
Also it occurs to me that the advantage of the Minie was great at the Alma when line of sight was easy but not so much when line of sight was poor.
I find the whole thing fascinating.
Yes.....I think our group is driven by a desire to make things " a fair and balanced game" and as such, some of the genuine, historical advantages one side or the other had, are discounted or minimised....which is OK to make an enjoyable game for everyone but kind of sucks at the same time!
ReplyDeleteI think if you want to have a fair and balanced Crimean game you have to field Cathcart's with their smoothbores as part of the British force. Or, use some imagination with the terrain and line of sight. Otherwise it isn't much of a game for the Russian player.
ReplyDeleteRussell thought the Minie a great advantage and I think we should reflect that. Like you I prefer to go with the history where I can.
I could wish we knew more about the Crimean War. There's all sorts of interesting things that happened.
Colin Campbell who had a good war suggested the British Guards should be shot for running away.
He also made very little of the thin red line incident. It was Russell who mythologised the thing in the Times. Campbell wasn't being modest it was just that he hadn't faced a serious attack there.
There must be French, Italian and Russian accounts that would greatly increase our understanding of the war.
A fine mix of figures there OB. Personally I like to see the differences between weapons etc, so you get a better feel for the period and tactics etc.
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve.
ReplyDeleteI quite agree. If we aren't doing that what is the point?
Nice figures OB. The 2nd half of the century saw real changes to small arms that do need reflecting in rules as they impacted on tactics. Good luck with your amendments.
ReplyDeleteThanks Richard.
ReplyDeleteThat is the important point, tactics did change.