The latest: Steve Barber Polish Legion Advancing (and Officer)
This brief post, dear readers, is a delayed update on the recent completion of a contingent in my Hungarian Revolt forces: the Polish Legion (infantry). These fellows actually marched onto the table with the Hungarian flanking force in the Battle of Hatvan game, but did not see any action.
Earlier Polish Legion (Converted Murawski Napoleonic Poles)
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Long time readers of this blog may recall that prior to these figures being available in the Steve Barber Hungarian Revolt line, I had done this unit by converting Murawski Napoleonic Poles. Although I was happy with that conversion, I could not resist adding the actual Polish Legion figs to the force once they became available. The proportions of the SB are more consistent with the remainder of my Hungarians (and I'll admit, because I liked the look of them). As usual, in this post you may clix pix for BIG PIX.
These were fairly straightforward figures and uniforms: very business like and utilitarian...
...except for the splendid low-form red czapka, of course, which makes the unit really stand out on the table. After much research, I decided to not embellish the czapka top with the usual crossed white lines. References indicate that the artillerists had a black "box" on the czapka top, but there are no specific references to any embellishment of the infantry czapka. From what I gleaned from images, none of which explicitly detail the top of the headgear, there is little or no indication of anything that would stand out. So I decided that the plain caps work well with the overall look of the uniform, with the unadorned red rectangular shape still giving quite an impression.
The early Polish Legion White Uniform (Figure at left)
Polish Legion in Later Blue Uniform from The Honved Army 1848-49 Gyozo Smogyi
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response to such appearances, someone in our group will usually quip, "They look pretty, but can they
fight?" I think the below excerpts about facing the Poles from Scenes Of The Civil War in Hungary in 1848 and 1849: Personal Adventures of an Austrian Officer answer that question:
Excelsior!
Your Poles look sharp!
ReplyDeleteThankee, Jonathan.
DeleteNice work on the piping and the eagles on the hats!
ReplyDeleteThanks, AJ. I underpainted the piping in white before doing it over in red in order for it to stand out better.
DeleteSo they are pretty AND dangerous...kinda like a forest fire. And some women I’ve known. 😀
ReplyDeleteNice painting on these figures.
I think I'll keep myself out of hot water and agree with your forest fire analogy :)
DeleteOoooo very nice!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ray: I'm pretty happy with them!
DeleteLovely looking Polish legion, I think one thing of the Poles down the years is that they can fight!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thanks, Iain. Interesting point about the Poles. I think most people only know of the Polish defeat in 1939 and have no idea of the impressive combat history of the Poles over the centuries.
Delete