Hesse Darmstadt infantry in Spain

[fsn]

Gentlemen. I am dismayed.

As I anticipated, I am not enjoying painting French infantry, so I thought I'd liven up the painting table with some Hesse-Darmstadt infantry (Spain, 1809).

As you know, the Gross und Erbprinz ...let's call it a regiment ... served in Spain. At the time of it's introduction into Spain, it had three battalions -two of line and one of fusiliers. The line wore blue and the fusiliers green. All good so far.

However, the Gross und Erbprinz was reorganised on French lines, 4 centre companies, one grenadier and one light, and the dirty rotten so-and-so's did it by height. Tall - Grenadier. Short - voltigeur, with the inevitable consequence that for a while the Gross und Erbprinz presented a mix of blue and green uniforms in each battalion.

This, gentlemen can not to be tolerated on my table. Therefore, I am going to constitute the Gross und Erbprinz as one battalion of fusiliers and one of line. I just hope my conscience can be salved with pleasing uniformity.

[paulr]

  

[DHautpol]

Why not have both.

Blue coated fusiliers in the main battalion with some green coated skirmishers out front.

[fsn]

Hmm. That actually sounds sensible. 

Thank you.

[Last Hussar]

Hmm. That actually sounds sensible. 

I think you've broken him.

[fsn]

Yes ... well, regrettably I've already done a fusilier battalion in green. 

[fsn]

OK ... so my options are ...

• Ignore DHautpol's sensible suggestion and just do the second battalion in blue
• Strip and repaint 2/3 battalion
• Ignore Nafzinger and field all three battalions (instead of the 2 I have planned)... which means buying another Hesse Darmstadt battalion
• Concede that by 1810 they all had French shakoes and sideline what I've done for ... something else

Well it's me, so obviously, I need to get that 3rd battalion.

 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

While understanding the annoyance, I personally would repaint just enough figures to fill battalion ratios.

Stupid questions:
Does 3rd Battalion mean you can extend their operational range into other theatres?
Can you just buy enough to expand batt 1&2 to have correct ratios?
Or was third battalion a garrison force?

[fsn]

I did think about repainting, I'd need to repaint 4 companies, 48 figures.

Buuuttt ... I have a cunning plan.


My understanding is that the regiment had 3 fighting battalions - 2 line, 1 fusilier. If I model all 3 I can either play the regiment as it was originally founded or (and this is the cunning bit) I can mix and match, and swap 2 companies of the fusiliers into the other battalions and play with 3 "mixed" battalions. It may cause Nafziger a little distress, but I think it gives me options.