Naval Officer

From a distance

I had picked up a Naval Brigade Gardner gun with some HAT figures last year, but they'd sat in a corner unused for the last while.  Our Afghan adventures do not have much call for Naval Brigades.  But I needed some extra officers and managed to pick this fella up without realising.

Up close

Having started him and realised that he was not the infantry officer I was looking for, it seemed a shame not to finish him. So the latest addition to the Crown forces is this naval looking character from Hat Gardner gun set. And what is he exactly, well I'm not sure.  I think I shall leave it to no less an authority than H Rider Haggard, describing his first encounter with Captain Good in "King Solomon's Mines", to explain. 

"The other man, who stood talking to Sir Henry, was stout and dark, and of quite a different cut. I suspected at once that he was a naval officer; I don't know why, but it is difficult to mistake a navy man. I have gone shooting trips with several of them in the course of my life, and they have always proved themselves the best and bravest and nicest fellows I ever met, though sadly given, some of them, to the use of profane language. I asked a page or two back, what is a gentleman? I'll answer the question now: A Royal Naval officer is, in a general sort of way, though of course there may be a black sheep among them here and there. I fancy it is just the wide seas and the breath of God's winds that wash their hearts and blow the bitterness out of their minds and make them what men ought to be."

From the rear

I shall have to wait until we reach the Sudan, before I make much use of him - but in the mean time, painting him was a pleasent way to spend an hour. 

And who wouldn't want to make the acquaintance of one of Natures Gentlemen?

I am a basing fool

More French infantry, ready for varnish. 

The death march of rebasing continues, but the end is inching closer. I'm about half way through a batch of 100 French infantry. The cavalry are pretty much done, though I've a few stray figures to paint in order to finish off two units of French hussars. There will probably be more stragglers, but really I'm actually in a pretty good position - being able to add whole units to the order of battle without too much work.  Might be time for a new muster photo series?

I'm also not the only one that has been basing, I would urge you to go have a look at Unfashionably Shiny, where DC has been expounding on how he bases.  It's pretty thorough and well worth alook.

The Mad Minute

The Mad Minute is an exercise used in the British Army prior to the Great War which each rifleman had to attempt each year. 

From wikipedia, 

"The Mad Minute is best known as a bolt-rifle speed shooting event, which was derived from a pre-World War I rapid-fire exercise used by British Army riflemen, using the Lee–Enfield service rifle. The exercise (Practice number 22, Rapid Fire, ‘The Musketry Regulations, Part I, 1909) required the rifleman to fire 15 rounds at a “Second Class Figure” target at 300 yards. The practice was described as ; “Lying. Rifle to be loaded and 4 rounds in the magazine before the target appears. Loading to be from the pouch or bandolier by 5 rounds afterwards. One minute allowed”."

I note the unusual grip of the bolt and the use of the middle finger to fire, which I haven't seen replicated in any Great War figures. The Mad Minute was most famously used in the early border battles of the Great War. 

The video above is from a YouTube channel called "BritishMuzzleLoaders".  The author is a Canadian re-enactor and firearms enthusiast and has plenty of videos that are well worth looking at. Proving  yet again that our cousins in the terrifying reaches of the Great White North can not only fend off venomous beavers and savage man eating moose, but still manage to find the time to put together truly polished YouTube content. 

Highly recommended. 

Muskets at the Movies: Black powder battle on film - Part Three - The Final Countdown

Kinch has 'is popcorn and is ready to go

Unlike Bob or Foy, I am really terrible at maintaining blog posts that are series. Not for me Hoopdoodle #241 or "I have been to...", I tend to get distracted by something shiny and forget to do anything further. So in the interests of breaking that particular habit, here is the final post in the series "Muskets at the movies."

4.War & Peace 

To be honest, this is on the list for the sheer mass and scale of humanity that are present in the battle scenes. I haven't watched it since I read the book, but my overwhelming  memory of the film was spectacle. Particularly in these CGI days, it is worth noting that those are real men and real things happening on screen. 

The Russians certainly do things in a grand style. 

3. Glory 

I love this film and there is a lot to love about it. It has an intense evocation of time and place, a powerful ensemble cast, a brilliant score and great script.  I was surprised that Denzel Washington got the Oscar, not that his performance wasn't good, I just thought that Freeman and Broderick were better. But disregarding it's value as a very fine film, Glory does seem to me to be a convincing portrayal of black powder combat in American Civil War.  The general amateurishness of the armies, the long range fire fights, the sudden and brutal hand to hand combat are all captured perfectly on film. 

But the stand out moment for me in Glory is a scene in a hospital where the action isn't shown. It's all done in closeup and I really captures to my mind the horror of the pre-chloroform surgery.  The story is told entirely through Mathew Broderick's face and the dialogue. It would have been easy to have done this gratuitously, but everything about this particular piece of cinema is perfect.  I have not been able to find a better quality recording of the clip, but there is a clip below. Be warned, it is not for the faint of heart or the easily upset. 

2. Barry Lyndon

Barry Lyndon is a film like Glory - it's just a great show.  The acting, the music (I can't hear Sarabande without getting chills), the sets, the whole thing is just fantastic.  But in addition to being a great film which you should see regardless, it does get a lot of things right in it's portrayal of black powder battle. The stand out scene for this is the "nameless skirmish" where British and French infantry face off against each other during the Seven Years War.

There's a lot to like in this scene, but the fact that they have the appropriate number of men, performing (to my inexperienced eye) the appropriate evolutions at the appropriate pace and you get to see it up close and in long shot is worth the price of entry alone. The stately pace of 18th century battle along with its gruesome aftermath are enough to stir the blood of any wargamer.

1. Waterloo

The scene above is the most extraordinary depictions of black powder battle I have ever seen. War and Peace may have had similar scale, but the tidal wave of horseflesh washing around the infantry squares is simply breath taking. The battle scenes are excellent, the acting is top notch and the casting is second to none.

In as much as a film can, I also think that Waterloo also manages to give some sense of what occurs when a general is commanding, the decisions that he makes and the agony of making hard choices with limited information under time pressure. Steiger is a marvelous Napoleon, Dan O'Herlihy is superb as Ney and I will always have a soft spot for Christopher Plummer (Wellington) and Jack Hawkins (Picton).

The shots of the attack on Hougomont are particularly good.  The action fills the frame in the foreground, but you can still see the reserves moving up in the background.  To have accomplished such a thing in a time before CGI is an extraordinary achievement.

I can't say enough good things about this film to be honest.

So there you have it.  A short and very subjective whistle stop tour of black powder battle on screen.

Any glaring ommissions?

Lazing on a sunny afternoon

Mrs. Kinch and I were away for a few days in the country.  It was a blissful holiday, which mainly involved sleeping for forteen hours a day and sitting in the garden, reading and drinking gin and tonic.  

While we were away I finished "Imperial Sunset", RF Delderfelds account of the final years of Bonaparte's Empire.  It was very readable and delightfully gossipy in much the same way as his March of the Twenty Six. It's always intriguing to read a book written by someone who disagrees with you on a fundamental level. Delderfeld is very much an advocate of Bonaparte and distributes praise or blame based on loyalty to him. He is also good at giving a sense of the social side of the Napoleonic Empire, though I'm skeptical of his analysis. Something I've noticed that when trying to get a series of events in history straight in my head is that it is often the lighter books that help me remember.  I am much better at remembering a constructed narrative even if I think part of it is wrong.  It is easier to account for a slanted narrative than to try and remember a series of events dispassionately recorded. The authors skill as a novelist is used to good effect. 

Good light reading.   Recommended. 

Not quite as impressive as Stryker's collection of cavalry - but getting there

Hobby wise, there hasn't been much going on.  I've set up the great basing project in one corner of The War Room.  A couple of this years Ebay purchases and other bargains have been sitting in boxes for a while and need to be converted to the Kinch house style. 

So there will be lots of little painted me being glued to bits of MDF, their bases covered in filler and painted and then hit with a spot of static grass.  It's not a bad complaint to have to be honest, but it's not the most lively hobby activity either.  I shall have to find something suitably riveting in the audiobook line. 

General George Washimelon

               George Washimelon

Mrs. Kinch are away for a few days - but we spent a very pleasant afternoon last weekend with some expatriate American friends at an early 4th July BBQ. 

The above was my contribution to the communal pot - General George Washimelon; pre painted, scale uncertain, antecedents doubtful, limited edition one of one. 

But more on him anon. 

Airfix French Foreign Legion

What was his name again? I forget. 

Another offering from our mysterious friend in Budapest.  This time a hardened veteran of the North African deserts. 

Heavily laden fellow

Like every man of a certain age, I immediately associate the above with PC Wren's heroes in Beau Geste and Beau Sabreau. I read Beau Sabreau first, in a slightly ragged edition that had a green dragon on the spine, I think they were meant for young readers - I'm not sure I ever saw another.  I would struggle to tell you what the plot was, to be honest Conan Doyle, Rider Haggard and Stevenson made a much greater impression on me, but I can recall certain scenes. There is a siege and a bazaar mob running amok that is led astray by a disguised Frenchman. 

March or die!

I may go back to PC Wren - I have Beau Sabreur and The Wages of Virtue (which I've never read) on my shelf, purchased on a whim. This chap is guarding them at present. He's a grim looking character. The dusty effect on his boots and coat and the furniture on his 8mm Lebel are well done to my mind at least. The Legions uniform does not offer the same opportunities as lets say the Napoleonic era, but our mystery man has captured the folds and drapes of the fabric simply and effectively. Long may he guard the upper borders of my book shelves. 

(click to embiggen)

On a slightly less grim note - I came across this happy little family while walking along the canal the other day.  I've been watching them carefully for quite some time, lest some drunken jerk do something stupid, but over the days and weeks the great Irish public have pleasently surprised me and nothing untoward happened to the little family of Swans. You may have to enlarge the picture to see the cygnets.

And if that doesn't gladden the heart, I don't know what will. 

Waterloo Day - 20th June

The boys ponder how they are going to take Quatre Bras while General Villainous LeGlace of the Dutch army checks his phone for cheap flights out of here...

This will be a short post as I have quite a few photos and to be honest, it was such a good days gaming it deserves a full report.  Suffice to say - there was a gathering on Saturday and we played my Quatre Bras scenario and Waterloo.  A great time was had by all - many thanks to all that attended. For all my worrying about how I was going to tackle Quatre Bras - the inspiration provided by last minute panic did the job. 

Marshall Von Casey looking like the sassiest French general there is.

I was actually quite happy with how the scenario turned out. Most of the things I was worried about didn't occur, though the game dragged on longer than I had anticipated (three hours, which is very long for a CNN game) - I put this down to a number of factors. The reinforcements that needed to be deployed took some time, but I think the major factor was that I included too many troops in the order of battle. Having realised my mistake, I reduced both sides by a third.

And then promptly forgot to reduce the victory conditions in accordance with the new troops numbers. That's something I'll bear in mind for the next version.

General Von Kerrigan looking pleased as yet more French cavalry hove into view

Man of the match has to go to General Von Kerrigan, who took on the role of General Picton with hard charging vigour.  Absolutely unflappable in the face of imminent destruction. Well done that man. 

The field of Waterloo

After we finished Quatre Bras, General Von Casey had to womble off as he has recently become a father and had to go look after his new charge. It was great to see him, but a higher duty calls.

The light drawing in, it was nearly five before we finished Quatre Bras, and the Prussians getting nearer, we reset the battlefield for Waterloo and dived in with a will. I shall leave the account (and who won) for the full report. 

Team picture - care to guess who won?

We finished around half seven and stayed for a few drinks afterwards. General Von Kerrigan (on the right with top hat) did excellent duty as General Picton having grasped the fundamental truth of good generalship which is SHOUTING! And hat waving - excellent hat waving on that man. 

Many thanks to all that attended, Marshall Terens, The Villainous LeGlace, General Von Kerrigan, the Unlikely Douglas McKenzie and General Du Gourmand. And a big welcome to newcomer, Marshall McShannon - who took to the whole enterprise like a duck to water and earned immortal fame by out Du Gourmanding Du Gourmand in his first battle. 

More in the days to come.