In the pipeline is a Russian Lancer unit and a Turkish artillery battery.
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Sunday, 22 March 2015
More Russian Line Infantry
Over the past few weeks I have been slowly working on another Douglas Miniatures Russian Line Infantry Battalion. These are the advancing figure in soft caps. The officer and standard bearer are conversions from the helmeted originals by swapping heads. The colour is from Adolfo Ramos, which required the removal of the original flag and pole and replacing it with a slightly longer one made from a large paper clip.
In the pipeline is a Russian Lancer unit and a Turkish artillery battery.
In the pipeline is a Russian Lancer unit and a Turkish artillery battery.
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And very purposeful they look too. Althgough the Russian parade uniform was rather silly with long narrow coat tails and a cool looking but heavy helmet , the combination of boots, trousers overcoat and mutze style cap they wore in the field was very practical. they only did badly because they had such terrible commanders who appear to have had little idea of manoeuvring to bring fire to bear or extend beyond an opponent's flank
ReplyDeleteI think you are right, as the odds were stacked against the poor Russian soldiers. They were completely outgunned having Napoleonic style smoothbore muskets, many that did not work, compared to the Rifled Muskets of the Allies. Thus Russian doctrine was based upon massed columns striking the enemy whereby the tough Russian soldiers would try to engage with the bayonet - the problem was with the more modern weaponry of the allies getting close without being shot to pieces was a real challenge.
DeleteIndeed the Minie rifle is deadly at more than twice the range of the smoothbore, but the arussian skirmishers did quite well and had the Russian columns gone in aggressively they would have reached the thin lines of the British and French. Bayonet attacks were what the French used on the Austrians in Italy in 59 and were the conclusion that the Austrians drew and used sadly in 1866. What the experience of French charges 1859 shows is that the attacker can cross the beaten zone of the Minie if they move fast enough. If, however, like the Russians you stand in front of the Minie its death....which it was. Of course, in a wargame we have all learnt the lessons of the past:-))
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