Monday 25 October 2021

Prussian Army 1806 ready for action

Elite Miniatures 1806 Prussian Musketeers with Jagers in support

We have a battle between the Early Prussians and Saxons taking on the French in Prussian 1806 on the table ready to rumble over the next few weeks. As most followers of the blog realise, I do love the 1805-07 period, and any chance to get these lads out is a bonus.


Saxon artillery with Saxon Musketeers in the background supported by Prussians

Quite a few photos already taken which I’ll share in the coming posts. 

24 comments:

  1. Great looking units, easy to see the attraction.

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  2. Excellent. Really like your early Prussians. If I was going to go Prussia it would be the same period.

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    1. Thanks so much Greg and greatly appreciated.

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  3. They look superb, love the early Prussians!

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  4. Very pretty indeed…

    All the best. Aly

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  5. Lovely army but why are they in columns with skirmishers deplyed ahead? I too like the 1806 Prussian Army but can't bring myself to invest in it as any result other than a defeat would feel wrong to me - yes I know there's not much, if anything, wrong with the troops, it's just how poorly they were employed. So if anything I would be tempted to go for the 1806/7 campaign against the Russians (also my favourite period for Russian uniforms) but too much to get on with before starting another project.

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    1. I’m confused Rob. The columns are columns as the troops are yet yo engage. Prussians did manouver in 1806 in columns of companies as well. The skirmishers are in fact schutzen companies and are much weaker than their French counterparts.
      Infantry Regiment Prince of Hohenlohe (No 32) (Report by its commander, Colonel von Kalkreuth)
      "Right in front of the position which the regiment had now taken, to our right was the expansive Isserstedt Forest and to the left and somewhat nearer another wood; both were held in strength by enemy skirmishers. The 'Schuetzen' of the regiment soon dislodged the enemy from the smaller wood; however, the Isserstedt Forest could not be entirely cleared of the enemy because it spread as far as the enemy position."

      “ This is a good example of how the skirmish sections of the companies were used - when there was a need for light troops in difficult terrain, then the skirmish sections were deployed and used with effect.”
      I love the period and the uniforms. In a ar game that is balanced, each side should have the opportunity to win and we certainly find that with General D’Armee.

      I also have 1805-07/Russian and yes, they are delightful.

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  6. Since I don't have a Napoleonic army I will just enjoy looking at yours as they are always beautiful and entertaining whatever campaign. Chris

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  7. Ausgezeichnet! I do love this early period, so much more attractive than the very drab later uniforms... rvrn if all of my own Prussians are so attired! Same for the Russians, actually

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    1. Thankyou so much Peter. It’s a great period of the Napoleonic wars too often overlooked by gamers.

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  8. I wasn't implying they should have no skirmishers, just that if they were deployed ahead it suggested a tactical deployment by when I would expect the Prussians to have shaken themselves out into a line. IMO it is their fixation on aligning all their units in line of battle before advancing into combat that so delayed the various brigades getting into the fight and allowed them to be beaten piecemeal. At least that's my reading of Bressonnet's Tactical Studies from Napoleon's Apogee (the book that inspired me to visit Jena and Auerstadt).

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    1. No problems at all Rob and absolutely no offence taken. You are most fortunate to have visited the battlefields as I was so close on a business trip to Osterode and unfortunately with the several non- historians with no desire to divert when I passed the signed turn-offs…sigh!

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  9. Hello General Carlo

    Outstanding visions. I've always thought the 1806 Prussians to be an army of great beauty, especially the cavalry.

    Salute
    von Peter himself, hardly biased at all

    vonpeterhimself.wordpress.com

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    1. Greetings Feld Marshall Von Peter! Yes it’s an attractive army yo field and the Elite Miniatures are a pleasure to paint. The Saxons were painted by John D in the UK, the Prussians by myself and Nathan. The sculpts in the earlier periods are really quite magnificent.

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  10. Fascinating period- great figures! Very nice Carlo. The early Prussians do have a certain charm!

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  11. Beautiful early Prussians Carlo.
    It's interesting. I am reading Boycott-Brown's "Road to Rivoli" and Austrians deployed grenz ahead of their line troops all the time (not to mention being in a less formed state in general due to the nature of the terrain).
    The mechanic of a skirmisher screen of different size/effectiveness, which began with Empire's skirmish combat phase, and has become a 'thing' in many derivative sets such as March Attack, Lasalle, Napoleon's Rules of War, General d'Armee and so on... seems a good way of abstracting it as a simplified mechanic where abstraction is desired/needed.
    Regards, James

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    1. Hi Fish and thanks got the comment. I agree, any set of rules which do not correctly capture and place the importance of the skirmish combat as part of the tactical doctrine of the time misses the mark.

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  12. 1806 Prussians certainly look so much nicer than they're later compatriots even if they don't fight as well! One could also argue which of these 2 aspects is the most important!

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    1. So true Kerry though one can certainly also add that the command constraints as well as the organisational and formation restrictions should make the early model harder to organise despite good quality troops.

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