Laselle: Thoughts on a Prussian Army

Hey Folks,

Pooch has lent me the Laselle book, and that along with Craig and Kent's excellent blogs and progress has tipped me over the edge into playing Laselle...

I am thinking Prussians. Lintmans awesome Prussians are really quite inspiring and after I have done some research they really sound like my sort of army.  Or it could be that I am a "Germanocentric" wargamer, as I will now have Ancient Germans, Thirty Years War Germans, Napoleonic Germans and World War II Germans...

So, this is pretty cool:

I have decided to do the Prussian IV Army Corps at Waterloo and the first storming of Plancenoit.  This was an epic battle that saw the town change hands five times...here is some info on it from the Battlefield-Tour.com

The Battle of Waterloo - Plancenoit



The first Prussians to arrive in the vicinity of the Waterloo battlefield was General Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Bülow's Prussian IV Army Corps. Their objective was Plancenoit that they were to secure in order for Field Marshal Blücher to launch an attack into the French right rear. It was Blücher's intention to secure his left upon Frichermont using the Bois de Paris road. It had been agreed between Blücher and Wellington that if the Anglo-Dutch centre was under attack the Prussians would advance on Frichermont.


On learning of the Prussians approach Napoleon sent Lieutenant General Lobau's French VI Army Corps to oppose them. The Prussian 15th Brigade of von Losthin attacked the French deployed in Frichermont with a detemined bayonet charge and pushed them out. They pushed on to attack the French cavalry and artillery on the heights. The Prussian 16th Brigade of von Hiller pushed forward to take possession of Plancenoit at 16:30 hrs pushing Lieutenant General Lobau's Frenchmen out. With General von Bülow's men in Plancenoit their 15th Brigade linked up with the Nassau Brigade which was on Wellington's extreme left.


Lieutenant General Lobau's French VI Army Corps counterattacked at Plancenoit in an effort to dislodge the Prussians. Napoleon on learning that Plancenoit had been taken sent his 10 Battalions of the Young Guard to reinforce the French VI Army Corps and beat the Prussians back. After some very fierce fighting the Young Guard managed to recapture Plancenoit only to be counterattacked and driven out. Napoleon sent 2 battalions of his Old Guard to stabilise the situation. They attacked with their bayonet and after a ferocious fight when they did not fire a single shot the Old Guard recaptured the village.


The Prussians were still not to be beaten however, and a combined grouping of approximately 30,000 troops under General von Bülow and General Pirch I attacked Plancenoit again. 20,000 Frenchmen were in and around the village. The Old Guard and other supporting troops were able to hold on for about one hour before a massive Prussian counterattack evicted them after some ferocious and bloody street fighting. The last to leave was the Old Guard who defended the church and cemetery. The French casualties were horrific; for example the 1st Tirailleurs of the Young Guard suffered from 92% losses.

So it was Savage.

Using this Order of Battle I have broken down what units I will be doing;

In the Laselle Army Builder list this is the Infantry Brigade + Organic (starts on table) Cavalry Abeitlung choice.  This is because from what I understand, why wouldn't you take the organic Cav? (unless you don't want to paint 40+ horse!)
Each "block' of foot/ horse will be one Laselle Unit.

The Silesian Landwher Cavalry wore Polish lancers' "chapkas", so I will be on the hunt for Polish Lancer models for them.

I am thinking the Perry Prussian Line Infantry plastic box set will be the bulk of the "Line" and "Reserve" units (which at this stage of the "Hundred Days" are rated the same as the Line units anyway) while I might get a box of Warlord plastic Landwher to bulk out the three units I will need.

At some point when I can amass the funds I will be doing a Calpe Miniatures order to get all the Cavalry, Horse and extra Command Figures I will need.  This will be ruinously expensive, but Calpe miniatures are really second to none.

So that's my next project planned out :)

I should REALLY assemble and paint the Thirty Years War/ ECW army I have on the sprue at home first though...

Cheers
Jason

Para Painting Challenge: Day 6 - Finished!

Hey Folks,

Done!

FJ ready to close Hells Highway...

Big FJ Platoon

HQ Teams

HMG's and Mortars

Now I wont be doing another one of these mad challenges in awhile I think, but I have painted more FOW infantry in these 6 days then I have in the last 6 months!

I also think I have finished first...as I got an email from Pooch saying his last unit was drying in the Hot Water cylinder...tardy Americans :P

Now to see if they can hold of the Guards Armour (or Rifles) of 30 Corps.

Cheers
Jason

6 Day Para Painting Challenge: Day 5

Hey Folks,

Just like Pooch I haven't had a chance to upload pics but I did get quite a bit done last night:

• Finished painting the HMG's and Mortars, but have yet to flock the bases
• Blocked in and washed the rest of the HQ, Panzerschreks, Stummel and Panzerfaust Trap teams

So this just leaves the Big FJ Platoon and HQ Sections to finish painting, and then flock all the bases. Alas I have a work thing on tonight, so I wont be home till 9ish :(

So I am a bit behind Pooch...I blame the Camo :P

Teams Finished:  14

Teams WIP:       24
Teams to Start:   0

Cheers
Jason

6 Day Para Painting Challenge: Day 4

He Folks,

A Marathon painting session this night has seen some good progress on the Fallschirmjager;

Progress so far!

FJ Platoon blocked in and ink washed

Mortars and HMG's Blocked in an Ink Washed

Sweet. I'll block in the remaining Command Teams tomorrow night then work on finishing the HMG's and Mortars...the end is in sight!

Teams Finished:   14
Teams WIP:        17
Teams to Start     7

Cheers
Jason

6 Day Para Painting Challenge: Day 3

Hey Folks,

Got some good painting done last night and actually finished two platoons!

I have also started to block in the Mortars and HMG's

Pooch is making Beep Beep noises...

Here is the state of it so far;

Panzerfaust equipped FJ platoon all finished and based.

PaK's good to go.

This was a Panzerfaust trap team, but as I only need two trap teams and he is standing I reckon he will do for the big FJ's platoon command.

Vondy.  Alas his Luger's barrel snapped off so he now has a smaller pistol...

So we are at:

Teams Finished:   14
Teams WIP:         7
Teams to Start:     17

Right, back to work...

Cheers
Jason

6 Day Para Painting Challenge: Day 2

Hey Folks,

Day 2 was quite productive in the Para Painting Challenge.  So far I have;

• Undercoated Everything
• Almost finished the "Panzerfausts out the Wazoo" FJ platoon.  Just have touch ups, some final detail work and basing to do. 
• Almost finished Vondy and a Panzerfaust Trap Team
• Blocked in and Ink Washed the PaK 40 platoon.

First  fully Panzerfaust equipped Platoon almost done

State of Progress Day 2

WIP PaK's

God knows why I chose and army with Camo to paint to a ridiculous timeframe!

Pooch is coming round tonight for a combined painting marathon.  I plan to get the first platoon and PaKs finished and hopefully make a start on blocking in another platoon.

Teams Finished:     0
Teams WIP:          14
Teams to Start:      23

Cheers
Jason

6 Day Para Painting Challenge: Day 1

Hey Folks,

Simon is hosting a Market Garden Total War game soon and next Thursday we are running a trail game at the Cavaliers.  It was in discussion about forces available that we realised that apart from Stephen S's new British Para's there are very few finished Paratrooper armies around!  You cant have Market Garden without paras...so Pooch and I threw down a crazy challenge, paint 1200pts of Para's by next Thursday!

Pooch is doing the US 82nd Airborne (he had an army in his drawer...) while I managed to scrounge and trade stuff to get enough models for a 6th Fallschirmjager Kompanie...

6th FJ for Market Garden

• Kompanie HQ with CiC PzFaust, 1 Stummelwerfer 42, 3 Panzerschrecks
• Von Der Hydte with 2 Panzerfuast Trap Teams
• Full Fallschirmjager Platoon with CMD SMG Panzerfuast 
• 2/3 Fallschirmjager Paltoon, all with Panzerfausts
• Machine Gun Platoon with 2 MG42 HMG's
• Mortar Platoon with 2 Stummelwerfer 42's
• Anti-Tank Platoon with 4 PaK 40's

So as you can see above today I based everything and under coated the first platoon...so lots more to go!

Cheers
Jason

Snow Challenge: Winter Panzers Update Three - But Where has the Snow Gone?

Hey Folks,

The Snow has gone now...and so has the Winter whitewash;

Tried my hand at the license plate...note sure if this is exactly where it went?

And with my StuG's I did for the Autumn Sperrverband. I am stoked  that I remembered the way to paint them so they match!

I decided to go back to weathered and chipped three tone camo as it really is more versatile then the winter wash. White Panzers look cool, but don't fit anything other then winter and it means I am really restricted is say someone wants to do Normandy or Italy for example. I am going to stick to the Autumn colouring from now on :)

Yes this means have to re-paint the Hornisse :P

Got a painting evening coming up soon, so might do some Hummels next.

Cheers
Jason

Snow Challenge: Winter Panzers Update Two

Hey Folks,

The Snow Challenge continues with Pooch slogging through his rifle company and Craig getting some French Guns for Laselle done.

I have been a bit slack but have managed to get a game in vs Pooch's Vet US Rifles.  It was a road block as apparently he had never played it before!  After all his years of Flames of War.  I quite like Road Block as while it costs you a unit you would like to keep (in my case the Hummels) it forces the "defender" to attack to grab the objectives the attacker can usually mass to defend fairly easily.

I got distracted by the late arrive of Pooch's reserves and the massed infantry attack on one of my objectives and left the other one poorly defended...and it cost me the game.  Overall a fun mission, and one I would suggest people give a run more often.

I have been painting as well, and people on the Battlefront forums have requested a step by step of my white wash technique.  Its really easy :)

Step 1: Just paint on streaks of watered down white.  I try not to get it in any cranny's

Step 2: paint a few streaks of GW Gryphon Sepia Ink along the panels and into the nooks and cranny's , just dont overdo it!

Step 3: Go back over with more white in streaks, but over less of the surface area to give a more layered effect.  I left any areas the crew might grab (like hatch cover edges) clear as the whitewash would wear off.  I did paint the top edges of the armour as while this would wear it helps to highlight the model.

Almost finished Hornisse's, just need Balkenkrauz, unit markings and mud

IS-2's Beware :)

Next up is a Platoon of Panzer IV's. These are still work in progress but are at the first stage of whitewashing.

So hoping to finish these off tomorrow, and then do some conversion work on the Command Panzer IV

Cheers
Jason

Snow Challenge: Winter Panzers Update Number One

Hey Folks,

So its snowing...time to get started on Pooch's Snow Challenge

My Backyard

 Given that its snowing, and that I already have a Winter table and that my Cossacks are a winter force...Winter Panzers were inevitable...

Tried my hand at some whitewashing.  Its standard Dunkelgelb/ Rott Braun/ Green  base colours then with  multiple washes of white, some white with chestnut mixed in and then a white glaze. 

Still have to add the Balkenkruz

And a better close up shot. 

More panzers base coated (though I cheated as I bought them this way...)

And more Panzers, Mobelwagons, a Hummel/ Hornisse (I magnetised the barrel so I could swap it out) and a few Hummels to finish building.  I'm going on the record that while the new plastic Schurzen looks great, its a pain in the ass to build!

So no work today as its "essential travel only". I plan to get cracking on the other 3 Tanks and the 2iC that are base coated.

Cheers
Jason

Flames of War Panzerkompanie for Conquest

Hey Folks,

Real Life has been a tad nuts recently, so I have been especially crap at blogging.

Not much progress has been made in all my various projects :(  I have however committed to doing a German Panzerkompanie for Conquest.  Its probably going to look like this:

1750pts Panzerkompanie (Fortress Europe)

• HQ Panzer IV's
• 4 Panzer IV's
• 4 Panzer IV's
• 2 Mobelwagons
• Full Panzerpioneers
• 3 Hornisse
• Some sort of Recon

The Panzer IV's and Panzerpioneers are the core of the list, while I have been trying out various support units to see what works.  It looks like the Hornisse might be the go, though I did like the Hummels in a game I played vs Pooch the other night...

What I like is that the army is all Panzer IV Chassis...cause while the Panthers, Tigers and Tiger II's got all the glory it was the Panzer IV that was the workhorse.  Its a cool tank and looks awesome "en masse"

Hope to get some Project work up soon, especially as its about to snow in Christchurch again and Pooch is muttering something about a "Snow Challenge" :)

Cheers
Jason