French 12pdr Artillery - Victrix/Perry 28mm

Week 9 of backlog and a smaller post this time, a couple of French 12 pounders. These were made using some spare metal 12 pounders from Perry French Limbers, and spare plastic crew from Victrix kits. Helpful to have a couple more French heavy artillery from these spare bits!

Austrian Pontonniers - Victrix & Perry 28mm

Week 8 of the backlog, and something a bit more unusual this time. Here we have a couple of detachments of Austrian Pontonniers. These are made from a combination of bits from Victrix Austrian Landwehr figures, and Perry Austrians (the two figures with aprons), plus some axes and plumes from the Victrix French Line Infantry set.  The plumes were glued to the Landwehr heads which was an easy conversion with plastic figures.

The role of Pontonniers was making pontoons and supporting other water crossing operations, which was pretty important given all the rivers in the Austrian Empire (and generally for that matter). 

In some Napoleonic rules, including my own quick play ones, engineering units like this can build or destroy bridges, and help in defending and attacking obstacles like built up areas. Quite necessary rules to have if you are refighting some historical battles.

Below are some reference pictures of Pontonniers, from the now sadly unavailable Rawkins book (EDIT: I've just learned Anschluss Publishing is rereleasing this series, which is good news, though the Austrian one has not yet been released). Coats varied from Licht-Kornblume or Light Cornblue (which I have used to distinguish them from more common darker blue uniforms) to darker shades, and breeches were often the same colour, or white for dress uniform, or whatever was locally available.

For reference also, the Sappeurs and Miners wore a similar uniform, and carried similar equipment, but the jacket was a Eisengrau or Iron Grey as below. I considered painting one of the sections like this, but this scheme resembles Landwehr which could be confusing so I stuck with the Potonniers.

Thanks for looking and more next Friday! :)

Austrian Landwehr - Victrix 28mm

Week 7 of backlog posting, and here are two Austrian Landwehr battalions. These are made from the Victrix Austrian Landwehr kit. This is just the Austrian Infantry with Corsehut headgear instead of helment or shako, that I mentioned last week is one of my favourites.

I've painted these ones up in earlier 1809 colours, with green jackets, and red facings (Duchy of Kärnten Landwehr) for one unit, and yellow facings (Duchy of Salzburg Landwehr) for the other. 

I've just kept the standard Landwehr Corsehut headgear these figures come with. Some pictures show a variety of headgear like tophats but not game to try that conversion!

These join my other six Landwehr battalions which are Perry and done in the later 1813 grey uniform (though facing colours vary). They can be seen here.
Next week, a more unusual Austrian unit... ;)