RUSSIAN LINE INFANTRY: RUSSO TURKISH WAR ERA

Completed Russian Infantry Project: 58 figures. 

 

Returning to the subject of my ongoing Russo-Turkish War era Russian Army project, in this post, I am happy to report the completion of the largest stage of the exercise: the Line Infantry.  I started these upon completion of the independent rifle battalions, and have been soldiering away at these daily since about July 5.  So the entire project took me roughly 3 weeks, from prep to basing (taking 3 days off for a hiking trip)--at 58, this is the largest batch of figs I've done since my "shut in" Romanian infantry project (51 figures).  I can't say that this has made me a convert to the Hal Thinglum school of mass painting.  However, I felt that I needed to do these all in one batch so that the results would be consistent (that's my story and I'm sticking with it). As is my usual, dear readers, I'll bore you with some historical details that informed my approach and then provide a study of how I rendered the figures.  You've been warned: for those with the endurance to continue, you may clix pix for BIG PIX in this post.

Image from The Apricity

 

At the time of the Russo Turkish War, The Russian infantry was moving to a "square"* organization: each corps consisted of two infantry divisions; each infantry division consisted of two infantry brigades; each infantry brigade consisted of two infantry regiments; each infantry regiment consisted of four battalions (three line and one rifle), with each battalion consisting of four companies. Each company was organized into two half companies, each of two sub units (in today's parlance, we would call these platoons).  However, this reorganization had not been completed, so the earlier, "triangular" organization was still in place in many formations, the only difference being that a regiment would have three battalions, with each infantry battalion consisting of five companies (four line and one rifle). For a complete description of the organization of the Russian Army (and much else!), I highly recommend flipping to pages 20 and 21 of F.V. Greens's The Russian Army and Its Campaigns in Turkey (available online in the Internet Archive at the previous link). Greene was a US Army Officer who was an observer with the Russian Army, and the text is his official report.  *The terms "triangular" and "square" are contemporary terms of art to characterize organizations based on even vs odd structures, in case you were wondering.

 

Daniel Vierge, Infantry Attack, Battle of Plevna, Natonal Gallery of Art.

 

When I embarked upon this project, I based my approach on the Lucas article on the Russian Army in Miniature Wargames #20 which said that the three battalion regiment was the standard and four the exception. Based on the sources, it seems that the operational difference between the two would be of no matter, really.  In the three battalion regiment, each infantry battalion had five companies, four line and one rifle (light). In practice, the light companies were converged and operated together. In a four battalion regiment, there was a separate, standing rifle (light) battalion and three line battalions of four companies each (no longer including a light company). 

 

Schematic of a Russian Five-Company Infantry Battalion In The Attack

 

Like many other armies of the period, the Russian army mixed columns and firing/skirmish lines. In A History of Tactics, Capt H.M. Johnstone describes a five company Russian infantry battalion attack formation used in the first assault at the battle of Plevna (on page 140), which I've depicted above: the rifle (light) company is in skirmish ahead of the four line companies, which are deployed in two lines of company columns (each component column being of a "quarter company"--ie platoon column). He adds that this was faulty in that the skirmish line was not "thick" enough and that the columns followed too closely (and eventually caught up to in the firing line--even worse).  A three battalion regimental attack formation consisted of two battalions deployed abreast in the above manner followed by the third battalion in "mass" formation. Despite the assessment of the inadequacy of this employment in the case study, this does provide a useful window on the Russian Army doctrine of the time.  

Russian Infantry: (Left) image from Pinterest; (Right) detail from The Spy by Vasily Vereschagin (public Domain).

Getting to the figures and how I rendered them (for those who are actually still reading this), I once again went with the green over green of the winter uniform.  I pulled inspiration from multiple sources, the usual suspect Osprey (of marginal value), the every useful Mollo, the very useful aforementioned Lucas piece on the Armies of the Russo Turkish War from Miniature Wargamer #20, and a variety of prints, paintings, and uniform databases, such as the New York Public Library Vinkhijzen Collection and the above illustrations. The Russian infantry were distinguished based on the regiment and brigade within the division. The first brigade had red epaulettes and the second blue. The first regiment (in the first brigade) had red hat bands. The second had blue hat bands. The third regiment (first in the second  brigade) had white hat bands, and the fourth regiment (in the second brigade) had black hatbands.  More on how I dealt with these later...

 

Outpost Wargame Service Russo Turkish War Figures.

 

I used the Outpost Wargame Service Russo Turkish line (which I also used for the Rifles of the previous post).  Something I had noticed about Outpost figures earlier was that there was/is some differentiation in size in the line (first noticed with the Dorobanti Militia: the marching figure is smaller than the aggressive advance).  Up until now, this difference has been between sets (the Bulgarian Legion figures being particularly large, for instance)--but so far I have not had to mix these figures in units, so the effect has been immaterial.  With the Russian Line Infantry Aggressive Advance, however, there is differentiation within the set: it is composed of three poses, with one of them being a "chunky" figure and two of them being of the slighter variety. For comparison, I would class the slighter in the same category as Perry figures and the chunky fellow just short of the Front Rank category. 

 

 The Outpost command sets

 

The line infantry command set (above left) had a flag bearer, and officer in kepi, and a drummer in furashka (the visored cap--the same as the drummer in the guards set, above right).  Given that my Guards will be in furashkas, I didn't want to mix these in with my line. I also am not bothering with flags (except for my HQ stands), so didn't have a use for the officer posed holding a flag.  Happily, Outpost Wargame services is most accommodating when it comes to figure selection--I simply ordered three sets of the line infantry command, but with each consisting of three officers with sword.  I highly recommend their services!

 

A stand with the officer along with two "slighter" advancing figures.

Stands with a mix of the "chunky" and "slight" advancing figures. I decided to mix the larger and smaller figures rather than try to separate them out into different units. I think this worked out fine. If you are looking for it, you can see that there are larger and smaller figs, but it isn't something that jumps out at you. 

 

An infantry battalion composed of one stand with officer and one stand with advancing infantry figures. 

 

Three battalion regiment advancing in columns and in lines. I'm satisfied with the dynamic look the combination of these poses (and even sizes) renders.  Note that I didn't try to represent the formations described in the references for these shots: just wanted to capture the images.

Three line battalions preceded by a rifle battalion. Given the similarities in uniform, I use the poses to help differentiate rifle battalions (firing) from the line battalions (advancing), as illustrated above.

 

As usual, I did a few figures on individual bases: these come in handy for various purposes. I originally painted the different hat bands and epaulettes on these units, but they wound up looking wrong--as if the figures were unfinished in some way.   Unlike the units with red, which looked "finished" and just much smarter. So I repainted them all in red.  This way, I can reconfigure them as needed without concern for mixing distinctions, and they just look right to me--and I rather doubt that anyone stepping up to the table would know the difference. On the off chance that I do get an expert on the Russian Army of the era involved in a game, we'll have other things to talk about, anyway!

 

Three New Regminents (Nine Battalions) of Russian Line Infantry on Parade. Next up, the Guards. 

 

Excelsior!

A WHITE MOUNTAIN INTERLUDE

 

The Meanderer at the "Last" Summit

In this week's post, we meander into a diversion.  Taking me away from hobby activities was a brief sojourn to the White Mountains here in New Hampshire in honor of the recent milestone of my early retirement--a return to hiking the White Mountains (after a four year hiatus) combined with a stay at our favorite resort (mixing luxury with hiking: much better than camping!).  So, if you have the patience, dear reader, here is a "trip report" on the experience that I hope will prove both informative and diverting (as usual, you may clix pix for BIG PIX). 

We stayed at the historic Mount Washington Hotel, a place that we have become familiar with since it is only a 2.5 hour drive away (although it feels like another planet when you get there). In my professional life, I had been arranging an offsite faculty development retreat at this venue since 2015, so I have developed connections with the staff and enrolled in the select guest program, which allows us to take advantage of special offers and packages.  On this occasion, we took advantage of a summer stay package and also received an amazing room upgrade to a suite with a mountain view. 

 

The Mount Washington Hotel's Grand Lobby was inspired by the Grand Lobbies of the Whitestar Ocean Liners, which it evokes.  The hotel now belongs to the Omni hotel chain: they have updated it and restored it to its original grandeur.

Among many of the historic and artistic touches, the transoms and glasswork are Tiffany. 

The 1944 Bretton Woods Conference that established the IMF (International Monetary Fund and World Bank) was held at the Mount Washington Hotel: the conference room is maintained as an historic exhibit.

A grand porch wraps around the hotel, front and back, where you can be seated and served drinks and meals while you enjoy the views. Speaking of views, when we arrived on Monday, the ceiling was low, draping the Presidential range in clouds...

View to the Northeast...

...to the East...

...to the South (including our destination for the next day's hike).

While I was out on the "Alpine Garden" terrace (taking these pictures), I turned about and saw this group of Mennonite ladies. They were there only briefly and then they were gone: must have been just been passing through on a side trip to see the sights. I include this photo not only for it's own interest but because it gives a good sense of perspective: the mountain range in the distance compared to the human figures in the foreground.

The Presidential Range as seen from the hotel when the view is more clear, to include Mount Washington, highest peak in the Northeast (6,288 ft) and location of the highest windspeed ever recorded over land (231 mph).  

A video panorama taken later in the evening after the ceiling had lifted.

The view from our window to the south: the next day's destination, Mount Jackson near the "Crawford Notch" In these parts, a "notch" is what would be termed a "gap" or "pass" in other parts.  Looking at this image, you can tell how they came to be called "notches" given their steepness and shape.

Mrs Meanderer, lifting a gin and tonic during a hearty dinner at Stickney's Restaurant in the hotel--fortifying ourselves for the rigors of the next day's hike: an important part of our regimen (beats the hell out of camping!). 

One of my ongoing ambitions has been to do the so-called "48": the 48, 4,000 (+) foot mountains in New Hampshire/the White Mountains.  I have already done Mounts Washington (twice), Clay, Monroe, Jefferson, Madison, Pierce, and Eisenhower.  Having not hiked for some time, I decided that on this return to the Whites (post-retirement) we would hit the southern most peak on the Presidential range: Mount Jackson. I charted a loop that would take us up the Jackson-Webster trail and return via the Mitzpah hut (where we would have a break) and then down the Crawford path to the AMC Highland Center, just north of where we parked: a 6.7 mile loop. We have done longer loops in the past, to higher elevations, so this was not out of our range (but more on this anon, dear reader). 

The meanderer, still fresh, gearing up at the parking area across the highway from Saco Lake. Following the summer hiking rule of thumb of "up by 10 and down by 2" to avoid being caught at elevation by blow-up thunderstorms, we were on the trail by 7 a.m.  So far, so good...

A stretch of the "path" of the Jackson-Webster trail. This ruggedness is typical of most of the trails in the White Mountains--and part of the reason why many who are not familiar with the region are taken by surprise given its apparently modest elevations.  I have found that most trail descriptions for the White Mountains are deceptive: ratings differ, but what they generally call "moderate" I think any normal person would call "difficult." Most ratings for the Jackson-Webster trail called it "moderate," with only one rating it as "difficult/strenuous" (I would agree with the latter).  My first foray into the Whites taught me to respect them: it was June 6th, and we were going up Mount Washington to the Lake of the Clouds AMC hut (more on these facilities later).  It was a summer day at the trailhead, but half way up we ran into high winds, snow and sleet, and the ceiling closed down, dropping visibility to near zero (and then darkness started to fall as we progressed, making things even more interesting). Fortunately, we were prepared with the necessary gear and had researched the route ahead of time in order to continue on to the shelter.   And so this, plus the habits from my time in the Army, taught me to always have a pack with contingency kit when heading up the trails in the White Mountains.

Mrs. Meanderer taking in the view from Bugle Cliff, an early pause along our route. Saco Lake, where we started from,  can be seen in the distance.

Crossing the Silver Cascade. Things really start to get steep after this...

The Meanderer, contemplating how to navigate a "scramble" over a "small" sheer rock face (aka, "slide") on the Jackson-Webster Trail. This pictures is characteristic of the last mile of the ascent to the summit, which is increasingly steep and rugged. A "scramble" (by the way) is an ambiguous term in trail descriptions used for any place where you would need to either crawl,  use hand holds, or do something akin to rock-climbing in order to get across an obstacle, usually vertical, or where walking would not be possible. You can also see in this picture that the rock was wet after days of rain, making all the footing slippery to complicate matters.   

Looking up at a blue trail blaze marker in the last 1/8 mile or so leading to the summit: the trail goes up.  Some trail descriptions describe the last segment leading to this summit along this route as a "fun" scramble.  My experience suggests that any trail description that characterizes a scramble as "fun" should be read to mean, "terrifying" and this proved true here. I found that for segments approaching the summit I was doing something more akin to rock climbing than hiking. Much more so than I have on any other ascent I have done in the Whites, to include those rated as "difficult" (as opposed to this route, which some ratings deem "moderate").  For anyone who stumbles across this blog who is researching this route, it has been compared to the Ammoonusuc Ravine Trail, suggesting that this route is less demanding. Having done both, it is my estimate, that the Jackson-Webster route, particularly the last mile, is much more difficult than the Ammoonusuc. Take it for what it's worth. 

Made it: the summit of Mount Jackson. We met a family there who had come via the Webster Cliff Trail. The views from Mount Jackson are spectacular--when it's clear. It was in the clouds with high winds when we were here (we arrived at 10 a.m. by the way, on schedule, despite the route being more challenging than anticipated). Some folks are disappointed when they don't get a "payoff" view at a summit. I don't particularly mind.  In part this is because we are local, so it's not a high stakes investment in time and travel to get there (or come back another day).  I also find that these sorts of conditions provide another kind of payoff that is worth every bit of the effort; to me, it feels as if you had stepped out of a plane and into the clouds. 

Looking back at the summit of Mount Jackson in the clouds shortly after coming down and making our way north along the ridge enroute to the Mitzpah Hut.

Mrs Meanderer moving ahead on a relatively level segment of the Webster Cliff Trail.  In this photo you can see the wetness of the trail conditions.  It was on one of the ups-and-downs along this route that my legs went out from under me on a slick, uneven rock.  Although I avoided a major injury, I landed hard--and felt as if I had cracked a rib, which made every step from then onwards an experience (if you have every had a rib injury, you'll understand what I mean). 

Mrs Meanderer outside the Mitzpah Spring AMC Hut. We reached the Mitzpah Hut and had a welcome break, enjoying a bit of coffee cake, lemonade, and coffee, before heading out on the final leg of our route: the 2.4 mile descent along the Mitzpah Cutoff to the Crawford Path and down to the AMC Highland Center at the end of the trail. Given that I was dealing with other things, I didn't bother with any further pictures. Even given the slippery trail conditions and my rib-hobbled progress, we were back at the car by around 2 pm, completing the loop in the estimated "official" time. A decent performance, all things considered.  

We drove the short distance back to the Mount Washington Hotel, where I loaded up on Motrins to damp the rib discomfort: we cleaned up, had restorative gin and tonics, a hearty dinner, and then turned in for the night. On our last day, having arranged for a late checkout,  we breakfasted in the main dining room and spent the rest of the morning with coffee and books on the verandah (above) before making our way home in the early afternoon. 

 

This hike brought me to some new realizations. I can certainly feel a sense of accomplishment that staring at 62 next month I am still fit enough to complete a hike like this. However, I also came to recognize that it has been something like five years since I last tackled a 4,000 footer, and those intervening years are more significant than they would have been in my younger days. Furthermore, I had sustained a back injury during that time. Although I am functional in "normal" things, I found out on this hike that I can no longer manage the full range of bending, twisting, and pushing off and other physical challenges that these outings present--particularly when carrying a pack and water to get through a 7 or 8 hour trek (water is heavy!).   So, I am taking a lesson from this hike to acknowledge the limitations that Father Time has imposed. I will keep on being active, but will recalibrate and seek out hikes and experiences that don't involve these physical challenges and risks. Put another way, time to spend time on outings that don't require carrying a load and that don't hurt.  I think I can adjust to these criteria pretty easily--sort of like leaving "work" behind, I'll also be leaving "work-like" recreations behind. 

 

Of course, stays at the Mount Washington Hotel will certainly fit into these new "outdoor" parameters!

 

Excelsior!

BATTLE OF COACHING HOUSE CROSSING: PIKEMAN'S LAMENT

The Meanderer's dragoons and trotters facing off against Byron's pikes on the edge of town.

In this post, dear readers, we provide a modest battle report on a recent game of Pikeman's Lament hosted by friend and fellow club-member Ralph.  This was a smallish game intended as another learning affair.  Our group discovered--and had much discussed--Pikeman's Lament during the pandemic.  Given that several of us already had healthy pike and shot/ 17th century collections on hand, we were primed and ready to give PL a go.  With us now emerging from lockdown and doing face to face gaming again (huzzah!), we are moving ahead with those plans. 

 

The premise for this particular game was a fight for control over a small town at an important crossroads. This game also provided a kick start to the in-game careers of the respective player/officers involved.  My PL alter ego, Hauptman Angus Carling-Grolsch (hats off to Ray for the inspiration for the moniker), is a martial adventurer of mixed lineage, with appropriately mixed loyalties, who has an old wound which gives him a head start on honour points but makes him vulnerable to getting clocked by a "lucky blow."  The two sides contesting the town of Coaching House Crossing this day were composed of two companies per side, each led by an officer/player and consisting of 14 points. George and I found ourselves in Catholic pay opposite the (ostensibly) Protestant companies of Byron and host Ralph. Questionable allegiance to respective dogmas aside, our worship of the Thaler and theirs of the Guilder gave us reason enough to shoot at one another.  As an added bit of flavor, there was a notary to the Saxon Elector quartered in one of the town buildings--the officers of the winning side would get to pick buildings to search, with the one finding him gaining extra honour points. In this post, as usual, you may clix pix for BIG PIX.

 

On the Imperial left, George's "dragoon" company consisted of two units of Croats and one of veteran Croats (three "Dragoon" unit types in PL parlance).  He was opposed by Ralph's "shot" company consisting of three shot and one commanded shot units. So this wing presented an interesting experiment in single unit-type companies. Early on, George's veteran croat failed a morale test (his morale check die rolling was atrocious all night), which wrong-footed his maneuvers from then onwards. For his part, Ralph skillfully held off George's flanking attempts, using the range and firepower of his shot to keep the Croats at bay.  His commanded shot unit, however, had taken up an advanced post and found out the hard way what kind of damage the Croats can dish out if within striking distance. 

In contrast to the single unit-type companies of Ralph and George, on the Imperial right, I had put together a mixed company of veteran dragoons, trotters, and two units of commanded shot. I was opposed by Byron's company consisting of a balanced force of two raw pike and two shot units.  Byron's officer had the "Lion of the North" trait, which would have allowed him to re-roll two failed attack dice--which neither of us recalled until after the game (hence the "would have").  We did not play with the random events table (I should add)--we found that the activation tests (along with ending a player's phase when failing) and other variables in the system (like the chance for low morale rolls to cause units to go "poof"--which did happen--and of lucky blows offing officers) provided more than enough variability without adding another layer of foolery. I don't have many pictures of the action (I wound up playing vs picturing), but in summary, my commanded shot skirmished back and forth with Byron's shot units while my dragoons and trotters whittled down Byron's pike with fire. In the mid game, Byron did hit my trotters in melee after one of my early caracole attempts left it standing within striking distance of one of his pike blocks (we both passed morale and bounced).  I have to say that General Dice was with neither of us on this wing, each of us having our share of failed activations and low-result combats. 

 

My Scottish commanded shot skirmishing against Byron's advancing shot. I brought my own figures to the game, which are individually mounted. The rest were from Ralph's superb Thirty Years War collection, which are mounted on unit bases. We found that the mounting conventions were irrelevant to game play.

 

Some of Ralph's splendid figures: Scottish shot (in Protestant pay) making their way into the town. Ralph made good use of the lockdown by producing an extensive set of stunning period buildings and town features (many of them scratch built). The town of Coaching House in this game represents but a few of them.

Having held off George's Croats, Ralph's shot company starts to slide across to put pressure on the Catholic right wing (ie, Moi!).  In the picture can be seen a few of the good burghers of Coaching House who turned out to watch the action (it being a long time since Fasching and there not being much else to do).

 

My dragoons, having received a saddle-emptying "salute" from Ralph's approaching shot, skirmish themselves backwards to shelter in the lee of the building (uncovering the trotters to the enemy line of fire: they don't call 'em "mercenaries" for nothin'). 

 

To complete the story, eventually, Byron sent one of my commanded shot to Valhalla, but in turn had a series of wretched morale checks which saw his pike units, which had been whittled down by fire, rout out of existence--and with them his officer. I was able to then send my trotters forward to follow up with a caracole that took off one of his two remaining shot units, which effectively ended the action (end game pictured above). So, this affair went to the "Catholics"--and I was fortunate enough to have searched out and discovered the Saxon registrar.  We are all looking forward to the next installment in our respective careers.

 

 Thanks to our congenial host, Ralph, and his magnificent terrain and figures, which always make for a quality gaming experience--something to savor even more so as we resume face to face gaming!

 

Excelsior!