Home by Christmas Early Great War German Corps

[Bernie]

This is the first completed corps on a new project on the opening phase of the Great War.

Home by Christmas/ Home before the Leaves Fall period is very well covered by Pendraken and the new early war stuff will only make the range even better.

I also wanted to use the laser cut mdf bases from Leon as well, which I found to be excellent and enhanced the flocking aswell

http://s1213.photobucket.com/user/BernardGanley/library/Home%20by%20Christmas%20Early%20WWI%20Armies%20in%2010mm

To follow after this month will be a French corps, British corps, Belgian division as well as a second German corps and of course lots of industrial buildings

[Steve J]

Looking good Bernie and a nice period of the war to game, with plenty of colourful options re: troops etc.

[mollinary]

Hi Bernie,

If you are doing the first few months of 1914, do not forget that about two thirds of German  battalions carried their colours into action In this period.  I could probably provide details of individual regiments from Fiebig if it would be helpful.

Regards,

Mollinary

[Leman]

Looking very good for 2014 Bernie.

[Techno]

Good stuff Bernie.
Cheers - Phil.

[nikharwood]

Very nice, Bernie - especially like those Hussars 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Really nice

[Shecky]

What timing. I just received my small order of early war French, British and Germans today. It looks like you are basing the units similar to TTLGB, correct? I want to do corps vs. corps action (and larger) and plan to modify TTLGB. However I'd also like to be flexible for Square Bashing or Playing Leap Frog. I figure the 30mm x 20mm bases would work fine for all my needs.

Hope to see more pix soon.

Tom

[Malbork]

Great stuff Bernie.

This will inspire me to get back on trcak with my Tannenberg project which has slid into the doldrums.

@ Mollinary

Could you maybe point me in the right direction for flag information for the Tannenberg campaign?

TIA

[mollinary]

Malbork,

If you can tell me which regiments fought in the campaign, I can tell you something about which ones carried their flags, and the basic types you want.

Mollinary

[moocifer]

Lovely stuff.   

[Malbork]

Hi Mollinary,

i'm working on I Corps and AFAIK this comprised/

Ist E. Prussian Grenadiers
41st Infantry
3rd Grenadiers
43 Infantry
rd E. Prussian Cuirassiers
si Lithuanian Dragoons.

Any info/corrections gratefully received

[mollinary]

Hi Malbork,

What you describe is the peacetime organisation of the 1st Division, containing Infantry Brigades 1 and 2 and the 1st Cavalry Brigade.   As far as I can see, on mobilisation the 1st Cavalry Brigade were removed, along with 2nd Division's 2nd Cavalry Brigade, to form part of the 1st Cavalry Diviison.  The first Infantry  division received the 8th Uhlans from the 43rd Cavalry Brigade, while the second division got the 9th Jäger zu Pferde from the same source.  For  completeness sake the 1st Corps' 2nd Division contained the 4th Grenadiers and 44th inf regt in 3 Brigade, and the 33rd Fusiliers and 45th inf regt in 4 Brigade.  All the above info from Wikipedia, although the regiments listed all match those set out in Fiebig's book on Flags.  All these regiments carried their flags into the field in 1914, and they were of a number of different patterns. I hope to get some time tomorrow to give some detail, and there is a website with some splendid illustrations from cigarette cards which I need to track down.  More later.

Mollinary

[Malbork]

Thanks for the correction Mollinary.

Think I got my original OOB from Wiki and my good intentions of cross-checking with a couple of weightier tomes have sadly remained good intentions

Have to say I wasn't aware that they carried their flags with them; Should certainly brighten the table a bit if I can manage to do some

[Steve J]

Flags on the table would look great IMHO . They certainly add a certain something to our AVBCW games.

[mollinary]

Found the website, and it contains much more than when I last looked, including a link to Lezius' book with illustrations of all the types. The forum is:

www.flagsforum.com

I went into it, chose "European" from the menu, and then searched for "Imperial German Army". The thread that comes up has almost all you need, but I am happy to answer questions.  In the Lezius book you will see the designs are set out for the grenadier regiments, of which 1st corps has three (1,3,4).  There are then some designs which are labelled as for regiments with that colour "achselklappen".  Regiments 33, 41, 43, and 45 all have white as the ground colour, Regiment 44 has yellow. Each regiment had three battalions, and they all carried a flag.

Hope this helps,

Mollinary

[Malbork]

Great stuff. Many thanks

Will check the link out at home as office firewall doesn't like it too much.  A Flag per battalion may be a bit too much, but one per regiment certainly has an appeal.

[Bernie]

Hi Shecky & Mollinary

Yep using 30 x 20mm for infantry coys bases, 15mm circular for officers, 20 x 20mm for HMG sections, 20mm circle for Jaegers, 30 x 30mm for cavalry squadron or field battery, 30mm x 40mm for Heavy Field battery, 30mm Hexagon for howitzer battery (thus you can spot howitzer battery easily amongst my amateurish painting!), 30mm Hexagon for Heavy Howitzers, 50 x 25mm for limbers, 40mm circle for Brigade HQ, 50mm circle for Div HQ and 70mm circle for Corps HQ. But of course use whatever is convenient and available.

As Brigade, Division and Corps are not directing the battle they will be used for other things in the game. From my reading it is the battalion and especially the regimental CO's that are directing the fight and the key command element. Pendraken (look away now) do not do WWI standard bearers so I am ordering from Irregular Miniatures their early war mounted officers and standard bearers to represent this command level. Just downloaded the flags from Mollinary's source and will resize and double them up to make 8 pretty flag bases per corps to present this command level when come back from hols.   

[Hertsblue]

If you need cavalry standards I have the old Almark books that give most of them.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

German cavalry stopped carrying standards after 1866 didn't they?

I may be wrong, I usually am...