Monday 16 January 2017

From TamsinP - 15mm Russian SYW Hussars (144 points)

I'm sure that most Challengers are only too aware of my megalomaniac plan to paint up representations of every regiment of the Russian army that fought in the Seven Years War (1760 onwards to avoid having to paint Observation Corps!). At the start of the Challenge I already had 4 regiments of grenadiers, 12 of line infantry, 4 of cuirassiers, 3 of dragoons, 3 of horse grenadiers and 6 of hussars.

Eight hussar regiments (possibly ten - see later notes) took part in the war, so here are the remaining two (or four) - the Novoserbskiy and Slavianoserbskiy regiments.



Each regiment was double-strength (10 squadrons rather than the 5 of other Russian cavalry). To complicate matters further there were two Novoserbskiy and two Slavianoserbskiy hussar regiments. It's not entirely clear whether (and which) one of each fought or whether they all fought but with half their squadrons. Or all of them. Confused? Good!



The troops were recruited from Serbia which rather upset the Austrians (Serbia was part of their empire after all). In fact, at least one of the colonels was arrested and imprisoned for his recruitment efforts. The Russians wanted them to settle in the Ukraine and provide an effective light cavalry force for dealing with Turkish and Tatar raids, thinking that they might be a bit more reliable than the Cossacks. They were certainly more reliable on the battlefield than the Cossacks, but on the march were (like the other Russian hussars) pretty unruly and useless.


As they were slightly less regular than the other Russian hussars, I wanted them to look a bit less regular, so I went for a mix of Prussian and Austrian hussar figures (Essex only do Russian hussars in Mirlitons). That is why you will see some of them with pelisses slung over the shoulder and others wearing them as a jacket.


Novoserbskiy Hussars






Slavianoserbskiy Hussars

The uniform colours I've used for these are conjectural (I followed the Osprey listing but there is no confirmatory listing on Kronoskaf). And before some pedant points it out, yes, the edging on the shabraques should be hounds tooth rather than solid but I've never been able to get it to look right freehand.






A bit later in the Challenge you should see me complete the remaining regular Russian cavalry (1 cuirassier regiment and 2 of horse grenadiers) but you'll see the first few regiments of Cossacks before that - I started painting them after the hussars but realised they wouldn't be complete for this week and switched to something else.


For points, there are 36 cavalry in 15mm which at 4 points each should give me a handy 144 points.

MilesR: what a wonderful calvary block - Your detail painting on 15mm sized figures is most impressive

23 comments:

  1. 700 camels from Dave and another Tamsin points bomb - now THAT is the Monday I am expecting...

    Excellent painting Tamsin.

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  2. fantastic work, these are beautiful

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  3. Cracking bit of work Tamsin.

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  4. great work I loved painting these in 28mm you have done a fantastic job on them

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  5. Excellent painting girl. I am sure I could paint that well and that fast I would. But alas back on earth and in reality I know I am beaten.

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  6. Houndstooth smoundstooth, that is an impressive mob of donkey-wallopers. Great stuff Tamsin!

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  7. Fantastic! All that massed colour looks fantastic and the history behind it clinches it for me.

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  8. So let me get this straight, I drop two standard regiments and think I did alright then you do this to me? !!!!!

    Not only double the number but hussars to boot. Fantastic looking, could easily be 28's, looking forward to yet more from you :-)

    Ian

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  9. I absolutely love these Tamsin. Your 15s are superb.

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  10. Great stuff Tamsin, hotting up the SYW side challenge !

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  11. Very fine looking Hussars Tamsin!

    Christopher

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  12. Again with the 15s! my hat's off to you, Tamsin, no way could I manage anything that small, and certainly nowhere near as well as you've done it!

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  13. fantastic detail and such crisp colours on figures so small.

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  14. Gorgeous looking gallant hussars! Fantastic painting on 15mm figures.
    Best Iain

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  15. @ Greg - thanks! As you are probably aware, the Monday Mob don't do things by halves! :)

    @ Martin C - cheers! :)

    @ Dave D - thanks! :)

    @ James B - cheers! They were fun to paint :)

    @ Clint - thanks! :)

    @ Ray - cheers m'dear! :)

    @ Curt - donkey whallopers? Surely those are dragoons? Hussars are the Pony Club boys ;)


    @ Paul O'G - thanks! It's always fun finding out things like that :)

    @ Ken R - cheers! The side duel is indeed starting to look interesting :)

    @ Christopher - thanks! :)

    @ Ian - cheers! It's not double - 36 figures vs your 28 . OK, they are hussars with all the fiddly lace and stuff to paint, I'll give you that... :)

    @ Peter D - thanks! :)

    @ Evan - cheers! I'm sure you could paint 15s quite happily :)

    @ Rod - thanks! :)

    @ Jamie M - cheers! :)

    @ Iain - thanks! :)

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  16. Urrah! I love the work on the horses especially. You go from strength to strength!

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  17. Really nice Hussars. Your blog is want made me try for the challenge this year. So thanks for that (I think?) GrahameH

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  18. @ Michael P - thank you Padre! :)

    @ Sado Sid - cheers! Glad my blog has been of (dis)service to you! :)

    @ Barks - thanks! :)

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  19. Cracking stuff Tamsin! And definitely an impressive project collecting the whole force!

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  20. I'm certainly not into the minutiae of the Russian horse during that period, but I can assure you to me they look absolutely splendid.

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