1st Battalion, The Reval Infantry Regiment

I'm launching my 2016 project with 1st Battalion, Reval Infantry Regiment; 28mm metal miniatures by Wargames Foundry, flags by GMB, and mounted on Warbases. Organised in four companies of eight figures, the elite company has been slit into two half bases to allow them to form on the flanks in line. The second and third companies have been beautifully painted by Steve Hall of Hallmark Figure Painting Service.

Reval was the old germanic name for modern-day Tallinn, which is Estonian for either Danish castle (Tanni-linna) or Winter castle (Tali-linna).

During the campaign of 1812, a solder of the Reval Regiment captured the fanion of 1st Voltigeurs of the (Young) Guard at the Battle of Krasnoi (17 November 1812). Some four weeks into the retreat from Moscow, Kutuzov caught the French Grande Armée as Napoleon sought to withdraw through Krasnoi towards Orsha.

Un-nerved by a French rearguard made up of the Imperial Guard, Kutuzov allowed the bulk of the French force to escape. Massively outgunned and outnumbered, some 6,000 young guardsmen held for the better part of a day. Acting on Bennigsen's orders, a combined arms Russian attack caught the 1st Regiment of Voltigeurs as they launched a counter attack from Uvarovo. Forced into square, the Young Guard battalions held off two attacks by Russian cuirassiers only to succumb to a third assault, which included the Reval Regiment.