Wargames show at the KMK Scaleworld in Geel, Belgium

 On the 2nd of June the modellers show Scaleworld 2024 was held at Geel, Belgium. But most important for us, for the first time a group of wargamers presented their wargames.

We were there with our French Revolutionary game with underneath some pictures we took:

KMK Scaleworld, Geel Belgium

 

As Alde Garde we will be there with a French Revolution Game.

Various Belgian clubs will also be there to present a wargame. 
of course a lot of modellers will also present their  models.

Hope to see you there

A French Revolutionary balloon

First, an apology is due as I haven't posted for some time about our beloved period.

but I wasn't idle this period as a long time wish came true: adding a balloon to the French Revolutionary army.

The ready product is here; hovering about the great defenders of the revolutionary ideas! The pictures are taken at home and are not the best!

As always I tried to use things at hand to make the balloon; so some pictures how I made it:

First I took an styreen ball of 15cm diamter and a net from mandarins. A small basket was made by a friend (in fact it is crochet - is that the correct word?) and connect the basket with some strings to the netting.

 
Of course the balloon needs to hang in the air so I had to make a hook which in fact is a plastic rod for closing and  openings curtains which with a candleflame was bent.

And of course it need a stand which was made of leftover plastic sheet, a piece of wood in which I drilled a hole as wide as the rod was, plaster etc

And at last making the terrain of the stand:

Et voila, a balloon is ready

On the terrain and in the balloon basket, Victrix 1804-1812 artillerymen in various poses; maybe not totally correct for this period but the possibility to change armpositions was very usefull.

New Page: the history of the Dutch army in the French Revolutionary Wars

On the old website of the Alde Garde, we had information about the history of the Dutch army in the FR period.

As the website isn't operational anymore, we will try to put the info on the blog starting with a short history of the 1792-1815 period.

My first 28mm Dutch heavy cavalry: the Karabiniers Oranje-Friesland

  I have finished the first Dutch heavy cavalry regiment. It is a special unit as it consisted in fact of two smaller regiments

Normally the Dutch cavalry (heavy cavalry and dragoons) consisted of 4 squadrons but the Karabiniers Oranje-Friesland consisted of two two squadron strong regiments: 

- the Orange Carabiniers van zijne Hoogheid (payed by the province of Holland) and
- Orange-Vriesland (payed by the province of Friesland)

By the way, the above mentioned names come from the officer register of 1790 (Naamregister der Heeren militaire officieren....)

The uniform was according to the "Jassenboekje" white with blue facings but with gold buttons for the Orange-Vriesland and silver for the Orange Carabiniers. There were also other, smaller, differences in the dress of both regiments.

But unlike the "Jassenboekje" the plates by Coopmans (see underneath) and also by Duncan Macalester Loup show the Orange-Vriesland in a darker blue (gold buttons) and the Orange Carabiniers in a lighter blue (with silver buttons).

  

So I painted my regiments in two different colours.

As it was a heavy cavalry regiment it of course should have a flag but no flags of Dutch cavalry are known; only one plate show a vague orange coloured cavalry flag.

So onto the drawing board and I used as backgroundcolour Orange with on one side the heraldic sign of Stadtholder William V (which was the owner for both regiments) and on the other side the well known armoured arm with sword coming out of a cloud (used by a lot for Dutch regiments in te past).

As I don't know how to make these on the computer itself, I copied the two pictures and handpainted the flag.
So underneath some pictures of the regiment (or better two regiments). Sadly my standard bearer was glued not totally straight on the horse and I was afraid that I would damage the figure when I would correct that.

The miniatures are of course by Emperor Toad but now sold by Skytrex.

On this moment the unit consists of 8 figures but as I am going to a standard unit strength of 12 figures for a cavalry unit; the last four are on the painting desk. 

As in fact the unit are made of two regiments it will receive two flags. As the  already painted Orange flag would be more suited the Orange-Vriesland regiment, the other flag will be white with on one side the heraldic sign of Stadtholder William V and on the other side the provincial ornaments of the Province of Holland (paymaster of the regiment).

Vicomte Grouvel - Les Corps de Troupe de l'Émigration Francaise (1789-1815)

 Thanks to Markus Stein a great book can now be downloaded on his Napoleon-online site:
goto  https://www.napoleon-online.de/

It is the first part of  Vicomte Grouvel - Les Corps de Troupe de l'Émigration Francaise (1789-1815). This first part has the information of emigré troops serving in British and Dutch pay.

Much recommended and I hope that the other two parts will be published soon.

Trying out "Shadow of the Eagles" for our FR battle

 We came across new Napoleonic rules by Keith Flint called "Shadow of the Eagles". 

As we use his SYW rules already for our 15mm figures of the WAS period we thought about trying out these for our 28mm French Revolutionary figures and our 15mm napoleonic ones.

So yesterday evening we cobbled together a small scenario and tried out various events of our miniatures battle.
We must say we like the rules but as these SotE rules are of the simpler kind there will of course rise some questions or there will be situations which are not covered but, to be honest, with our first use we didn't have a lot. 

As our tabletop wasn't big we used the suggested organisation of 16 infantry and 8 cavalry figures and liked that scale so maybe we will rebase (or reduce permanently) our 28mm units to that scale even when using other Napoleonic rules. 
As we were used to different strength units (according to OOB of real battles/campaigns) it was  strange to see the units all of the same strength but this has its advantages. 
What is great imho is, that Keith tries to explain his line of thinking as the background of his rules in the rulebook together with campaign notes from French Revolution up to 1815 plus adds some scenarios.

And when that isn't enough, there is always the possibility to ask questions at his forum. 

We will try the rules some more but as said we like them. Great job done.

Some (telephone) pictures of yesterday's refight.

Historic one Editions French Revolution books

  Historic'one Editions has a serie called "Les Batailles oubliées" in which three French Revolution titles has appeared some time back.

      

Although in French, imho they are very good and give information about battles of 1793/1794 period.
For those, who like the Napoleon campaign in the east, there are two titles.

  

Historic'one has also other titles in eg Medieval, Renaissance, Napoleonic and 1870 period; take a look. 

Ca-Ira will be alive again.

Just a short notice that I will add new posts to ca-ira in the coming period. Some how I missed this specific period blog!

I will copy French Revolutionary blog posts which I put on the Alde Garde blog over to this Ca-Ira blog.
Also I will try to put the information of the Dutch army in the French Revolutionary period that was on the now non-functional Alde Garde site on this blog.

And of course, information on books, miniatures etc which are on the blog will be updated.

Hope you enjoy.

And let me know what you miss or which information about the Dutch army of this period you want to see.

And: a great 2024 to all readers!!

A French Revolution Austrian advance guard

Well, most of the figures were already painted but never on the blog so now, here they are. 

I think you could see them as an advance guard of the Austrian army circa 1793. 

The brigade consists of
- a light infantry component (Tyrolan Jägers and the Slavonisch-Croatisches Freikorps),
- a line infantry component consisting of the 1st and 2nd battalion of the Wenzel Kaunitz Regiment and the grenadier battalion Bardodetzky (combined out of the 2nd, 32nd and 34th line regiments),
- the Karaiczay Cheveau Leger regiment and 
- a battery of field artillery

Figures are mostly by Eureka miniatures; the Freikorps and artillery are by Wargames Foundry.