Tuchkov III

The first of my brigade commanders is that of the 1st Brigade in 3rd Infantry Division, Pavel Alekseyevich Tuchkov. He is represented here by a Perry mounted officer in conversation with to a colleague by Foundry.

Pavel Tuchkov was born in Vyborg in 1776. He followed his two elder brothers in the army to serve as a sergeant in the Bombardier Regiment in 1785, quickly rising to serve as his father’s adjutant. He became a shtyk-junker in 1788, a captain in the 2^nd Bombardier Regiment in 1791, and gained his majority in early 1797. A year later he was elevated to Lieutenant Colonel and took command of the Life Guard Artillery Regiment, picking up the Order of St. Anna around the same time. He joined the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in 1799 as a full Colonel and was made a Major General the next year. He retired in November 1803 whilst commander of the 9^th Aetillery Regiment, but returned to the colours in 1807 to command the Wilmandstand Musketeer Regiment.

He led 1^st Brigade of 17^th Division in 1807, but did not participate in the campaign of that year. In 1808, he was in Finland and, after holding Sandö and Kimitoön, joined Bagration for his advance on the Åland Islands in 1809. Tuchkov retained his brigade in 17^th Division in 1810 when it formed part of the 1^st Western Army, but in early 1812, his had command of a brigade in 3 Infantry Division within his brother, Nikolay’s III Infantry corps. In the face of the French invasion, he commanded 1^st Western Army’s rearguard as it withdrew to Smolensk and was dispatched to hold the critical road junction at Valutina Gora (Lubino). He was captured late in the day whilst leading a counter attack by the Ekaterinoslav Grenadier Regiment, having received a bayonet wound to the abdomen and a number of sword cuts to the head.

Bonaparte interviewed Tuchkov on 25 August 1812, and tried to persuade him to take a peace proposal to the Tzar. An offer he declined, but he did agree to write to his elder brother. He was finally released in 1814 and, after a six-month leave, joined the army for its advance into France in 1815. He finally retired on 21 February 1819 after twenty-five years service and entered the Senate. He became a Privy Councillor in 1840 and died on 5 February 1858, in St. Petersburg.

Taken from the Russian Officer Corps of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1795-1815, by Alexander Mikaberidze.

Skirmishing Jägers

The last of the figures I completed in Aarhus before to moving to Odense were some skirmish stands.

These are based on Foundry's firing line in forage caps, but with the odd head swap and the grenades filed off the ammo pouches. Unlike that of line battalions, jäger webbing was black, including the sling, and the have green trousers to match their coats. Facing are also green, discretely piped in red with a line red strip down the outside of their trousers - as per this image:

They are painted up to represent the 8th and 9th companies (i.e. 3rd battalion) of 20th Jägers in winter dress and their sister skirmishing companies from the 1st battalion will be following the next line battalion. So their pompoms are red with a yellow centre and forage caps have blue piping on the crown.

As the senior of the two jäger regiment, they sport yellow epaulettes.

If better organised, I'd have got a gold pen to write the unit number on the rear of the pouch. Instead, I had to do it with a brush - so some are better than others.

3rd Battalion, The Reval Infantry Regiment

As many will be aware, by 1812 Russian Infantry Regiments consisted of three battalions: two field battalions (1st and 3rd) and a depot battalion (2nd). The elite companies from a division's various 2nd battalions were sometimes also mobilised to form composite grenadier battalions. In the case of the 3rd Infantry Division, these served with the division, but more on that another day.

Next up is the 3rd battalion of the Reval Regiment, sometimes referred to as the 2nd field battalion.

Unlike 1st battalions, 3rd battalions carried two 'coloured' flags. The other main distinctions were the colouring of the shako pompoms, sword knots, and banding on field caps. The latter had white bands on the crown in 1st battalions, but sky blue in the 3rd. I'll save pompoms and sword knots for a later post.

Although I've been sticking with Black Powder of late, these are based according to Peter Gilder's Grand Manner Rules, which would also allow them to be used in General de Brigade etc. As you can see, the four companies each consist of eight figures, but the two platoons of the elite company have been based separately to allow them to form up on either flank when in line. This also allows the command company to sit squarely in the centre when in column.

Whilst I painted the first and elite companies, the second and third companies were beautifully painted by Steve Hall of Hallmark Figure Painting

Finally, a rear shot of the first and elite companies:

Grave Wardens

In way of a break of all things Napoleonic, I squeezed in some Grave Wardens for my ever growing Death Guard.

The right pauldron is bare in anticipation of the new transfer sheet having destroyer symbols, but the sergeant is good to go.

I've another five to do, but will probably do something else after completing the next batch of Russians...

Marshal Durak Rask, Siegemaster of the Death Guard Legion II

As part of my on-going re-basing programme came the turn of the (not so) good marshall. So it seemed only right to give him a bit of a touch-up:

Some deal on my Moritat:

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.

Project 2016

With the French heavies safely out of the way, I can now turn my attention to my major project for 2016: A Russian Infantry Division c.1812. Again in 28mm, but as the Perry infantry are in plastic, I've reverted to the miniatures they did for foundry for my foot. Artillery and cavalry, however, will come from Perry Miniatures. Flags from GMB and mounted on Warbases as usual.

Given that my French Infantry are based on Ledru's 10th Infantry Division, now supported by the cuirassiers of 1st Heavy Cavalry Division, it may not come as a surprise to learn that I have chosen Russian 3rd Infantry Division: their main opponents at the Battle of Valutina Hill, aka Loubino, fought on 18th August 1812.

Battle of Valutina Hill by Peter von Hess

Considered the model division of the Imperial Russian army of 1812, Pyotr Konovnitsen's force followed the usual pattern of four infantry regiments and two rifle regiments, supported by a large field artillery brigade. Unusually, the two infantry brigades were reinforced by the division's combined grenadier battalions, which were formed from the elite companies of the depot battalions of each regiment. However, in Kickstarter parlance, they are one of my stretch goals. Frankly, even the basic twelve battalions plus command and skirmishers looked beyond me. So Steve Hall of Hallmark Figure Painting Services has kindly agreed to paint the line companies of each battalion, leaving me to crack the command and elite companies, artillery, command, and cavalry. Here's a link to his website: Hallmark

Mounted support will come from half a regiment of hussars with another stretch goal of doing the whole regiment, i.e. eight squadrons, plus a regiment of dragoons.

If I (or indeed Steve) still have any energy left after that then there is always the option of adding an elite brigade from the other division in 3rd Infantry Corps - 1st Grenadier Division.

Near Valutina Hill by Faber du Faur

So no photos of painted toys today, just the orbat, and painted totals reset to zero:

Battle of Valutina Hill (Loubino), 18^th August 1812

3rd Infantry Division (Pyotr Konovnitsen)

1st Brigade (Tuchkov III)

Murom Regiment

Revel Regiment

1^st Combined Grenadier battalion

2nd Brigade (Voeikov)

Tchernigov Regiment

Selenguisk/Kapor Regiment

2^nd Combined Grenadier Battalion

3rd Brigade (Prince Chakoffski)

20th Rifle Regiment

21st Rifle Regtiment

3rd Divisional Artillery (Tornov)

III Positional Battery

V Light Battery

VI Light Battery

1st Grenadier Brigade (Tsvilenev) from 1^st Grenadier Division

Life Grenadier Regiment

Count Arackcheiev Grenadier Regiment

Brigade from I Cavalry Corps (Uvarov)

Nizhinsk Dragoon

Elizabethgrad Hussar Regiment

Big Brothers XV

At last, rounds complete on my 2015 project: 1st Heavy Cavalry Division c.1812.

Three, single regiment brigades of cuirassiers, with supporting horse artillery and light horse lancers.

All the figures are 28mm metals from Perry Miniatures with flags by GMB.

The odd unit and even two brigades have seen some action, but I hope to have the whole division in play in February, after our move to Odense.

1er regiment de chevau-legers lanciers

1er régiment de chevau-legers lanciers were formed by Imperial decree on 18 June 1811 from 1er régiment de dragons, then stationed in Iberia. It joined five other dragoon regiments that converted to lancers, along with two existing lancer regiments from the Vistula Legion and 30e régiment de chasseurs á cheval (formerly the Hamburg Dragoons).

The regiment joined 9e régiment de cuirassiers to form the 3rd brigade of the 1er division de cuirassiers de 1er corps de cavalerie de la grande armée, providing the division with a well-needed reconnaissance capability for the invasion of Russia.

Information is mixed on the strength of the unit in Russia with only a squadron or even company being listed in some sources at Borodino. However, it seems that the full regiment of three squadrons had successfully converted to its new role prior to the campaign, but it is possible that, having been instructed to leave their existing mounts in Iberia, the replacements were not all battle ready in time. 

To this end, I have stuck with my original plan to portray them as a small unit, but I do have another twelve ready for undercoating in case I ever get around to doing the whole lot.