DANISH HUSSARS (CHOCOLATE BOX WARS): A RETURN TO THE PAINTING DESK

 

Danish Guard Hussars of the 1st Schleswig-Holstein. 

Image References Johs. Nielsen The Schleswig Holstein Revolt 1848-50,  Ralph Weaver, The Armies of the First Schleswig Holstein War 1848-51; and Nick Svendsen, The First Schleswig-Holstein War 1848-50.

Followers (long suffering) of this blog may recall that I basically hung up my paint brushes back in March 2022 with the completion of my Prussian Cuirassiers.  I have done some painting since then, but as planned, it has been small "round out" projects and nothing regular (or major).  Recently, I had reason to unbox my paints and make a mess again after a long hiatus, which is the subject of this post. As usual, you may clix pix for BIG PIX. 

The Danes of the 1st Schleswig-Holstein War were the first contingent I completed for my Chocolate Box Wars (and VnB Continental Mid Century Wars Variant) project.  I have since expanded upon the units in the above photo, but they remain the smaller of my forces. Still, they are the senior contingent, and  as such, they hold a special place in the CBW establishment here in Meanderer Barracks. 

Followers of this blog may also be aware of the conversions and repurposing of figures I've done to complete the various CBW contingents. This was particularly so when I started, and with the Danes in particular. Casting about for figures to represent the Danish cavalry, I used Northstar Austrian 1866 Dragoons for the Danish Dragoons and Horse Guards (more on that in a bit), and the closest fit I could find for the Danish Guard Hussars (pictured at the top of this post) were in the Irregular Miniatures 28mm line...

...the Irregular Miniatures Wars of Italian Unification Austrian Hussar 

I put these Austrian hussars on the Irregular Miniatures Prussian Hussar horses/horse furniture, and then free handed the details to represent the Danish Kit. Not a bad result, I think. As new figures became available, however, I found myself "upgrading" my original CBW contingents...

...for instance, my initial Prussian cavalry contingent were all Foundry figures (above). But as Northstar expanded their line, I went with more contemporary figures...

...painting up new Dragoons, Cuirassiers, and Hussars (also uhlans, but those were new and not upgrades). 

Eventually, Northstar produced some Danish Dragoons (left most unit in the above), and I added them to the Danish horse. So, three out of four of these units were contemporary figs (the red coated dragoons and the yellow coated horse guards are the conversions of Northstar 1866 Dragoons). Thus, I thought it was time to cast about to see if I could upgrade the Danish Guard Hussars to better fit in with the others. And so I began to look about...

...and I found some additional information and references (first of all). The above images come from a Danish Website (worth a look).   According to one source, I  read (I forget where) that on campaign the Danish Hussars wore either the Attila (the blue jacket in the top picture) or the Pelisses (the red fur lined jacket in the below), but they did not wear the pelisse draped over the shoulder in the Napoleonic style. Thus, if I could find hussars wearing the pelisse, my upgraded hussars would look very much like the trumpeter above: red coat, blue trousers, bold horse furniture, very cool. Now, to see if I could find figures (because nobody makes these, of course)...

...and checking into the Perry Metal Napoleonic figures, I found these Danish Hussars (1813/14) wearing pelisse in the  Danish Norwegian Army. The shako is not quite right, and a bit busy, but otherwise, close enough to work with. Here's what I did...

I picked up the command and trooper attacking packs, and I snipped off the plume, leaving just a bump there, upon which I then sculpted a pom pom out of green stuff.

To get the lines of the mid century trousers, I shaved off the buttons on the coveralls and smoothed the legs.  

For the officer, I clipped the plume a bit, and then added the hanging plume using green stuff (something I got plenty of practice with when doing my Russian Uhlan conversions). And here is the outcome...

The stand with the Officer and trooper. 

I brought out my Hungarian Knot shortcut to add a sleeve loop to the officer. 

A few detail shots for anyone who is interested in these figures. I must say that in naked metal, I had to study them for several days to understand what I was looking at and how to approach them.

To bring out and make distinct the complex lines of the strapping, shako cords, flounders, buckles, buttons, and braiding, and to help the white stripe on the light blue trousers stand out, I used my underpainting method (also known as "lazy man's blacklining"). I first painted these details black and then went over them in white or metallic,  leaving a bit of the outline to delineate the features from one another. The pom poms are actually light gray as opposed to white: not something you notice explicitly, but something that helps with the look of the figure. On the shako, I only painted the long cording consistent with the latter uniform white, leaving the other cords black with the shako. There is also a thin wash of black and a drybrush of lighter red and lighter blue over the uniforms and saddle blankets (again, not heavily done, but enough that they don't look block painted). The fur edging on the pelisse, the officer's hanging plume, and the horse tails and manes are black with a drybrush of "gunship gray." The horses were done first in burnt umber then drybrushed with burnt sienna--and then given a light blackwash and drybrushed lightly with burnt sienna again.  All paints are flat enamels (Model Master, Testors, Humbrols, and True North). 

The Unit:

Getting a consistent look across the sabreteches and the edging on the shabraques took some doing. I spent as much time painting the horses/horse furniture as I did the riders. But the small figure count of the Chocolate Box Wars system allows for this kind of attention: I don't think I could have maintained this level of control for 24 figures!

A set of non close up views: what the unit looks like when seen at gaming distance.

A demonstration of the difference between the contemporary Perry figures (left) and the original Irregulars--for which I still maintain a soft spot. They will assume their proper place of honor alongside the other figures I've retired. 

Being the senior contingent in my CBW forces, I added a separate trumpeter command figure, something I have done for my Prussians, Austrians, and Russians. 

The new Guard Hussars take their place alongside the Horse Guards in the Danish Cavalry Division, now led by a trumpeter command figure.

Now the Danes have a hussar unit with figures that can stand up to their Prussian counterparts on the table. 

Excelsior!