NAPOLEONIC CONVERSION: PRUSSIAN GRENADIERS

Victrix Early Russian Grenadiers as Prussians

Switching gears (this blog ain't called "Meanderings" for nothin'), here is another conversion, this time Napoleonic. I haven't posted much about my Napoleonic collection to date, but our group has quite a pile of Napoleonics in both 28mm and 15mm. In this post, we're talking 28mm. Most of us have French (quite a few!), and there are those who also specialize in one or more of the allies. My allied contribution is the Prussian Army of the Befreiungskriege (the War of Liberation--the post-1812 Prussian Army). I very much like the business-like look of this army. Nevertheless, I wanted my grenadiers to stand out, despite the fact that in reality they were garbed in oilskin covered shakos like the other infantry. This is not a problem in 15mm, where you can actually get Prussian grenadiers in the busch plume. In 28mm, however, not so much (well, not at all, actually). Thus, I turned to Victrix early Russian Grenadiers, which are rather stately and fit the Prussian part, both in appearance and bearing (these are metal figures, not plastics--which I don't believe are being made any longer, but you can still find sets of these on ebay).  What makes these figures particularly suitable for alternate use is the clean headgear without the very distinctive Russian shako cords. Although I acquired many of my Napoleonics as painted figs, these are among those that I painted myself.  The rest of my Prussians are the excellent Calpe figures, and I find that these Victrix figs fit in well with those--as separate units. As usual, you may clix pix for BIG PIX.

                             1st Ost Prussian  Grenadiers                      Leib Grenadiers
Each of the regular regiments of the reorganized Prussian army had three battalions and two grenadier companies, except for the Leib Regiment, which had four grenadier companies. The grenadier companies were converged to form standing four-company grenadier battalions (the four companies of the Leib Regiment formed the Leib Grenadier Battalion on their own). These were fighting units, to be sure. During the Befreiungskriege period, the Leib Grenadier Battalion was engaged in combat in 16 battles and the 1st Ost Prussian in 23.

The cylindrical pack isn't right, but most would probably not notice, especially from the French side of the table.  The figures were configured such that I was able to have one battalion (1 Ost Prussian) in rolled greatcoats and the other (Leib) without. 

The superb GMB Flags really finish the look of any unit.

Front Rank Russian Grenadier Officers

The Victrix officers were in bicornes (very 1806), so I turned to Front Rank's "Mixed Russian Grenadier / Carabinier Command in 1809 shako with busch plume" for my battalion officers (we'll overlook the Russian shako cords).

With this conversion, the Prussians, too, have a shock element that looks the part.