It's Time To Get Back To My Minden Austrian SYW Army

Esterhazy Hussars in Austrian service - not my favorite regiment. Minden Miniatures painted on commission.

I have been rather AWI-centric on this blog over the past year or two due to the need to build up armies for participation games at conventions. The best way to show off a range of figures is to see them in a tabletop battle. Now that Historicon is over, and now that both AWI armies are built up to a core level, I now have time to return to the Seven Years War.

Austrian Army Command Stand: Marshal Leopold von Daun and staff.

My Minden Miniatures Austrian army currently includes 5 battalions (30 figures each) of musketeers, 2 battalions of converged grenadiers (10 stands of 6 figures each) and two battalions of Croats (30 figures each) in its infantry component. The first thing is to paint the second battalion of the Josef Esterhazy regiment of Hungarians. Damn those Esterhazys! They are on my black list because they wouldn't let our tour group into Forschstenstein Castle to see their magnificent display of SYW Austrian uniforms and equipment and the vast collection of Prussian uniforms, flags, equipment (all captured at Maxen in 1759). Back in 2005 when we visited the castle, we were told that most of the uniform collection was not on display and they would not let us go into the secret rooms to see them. Imagine travelling across the pond to see the exhibit and to get turned away. Thus, whenever I see any of the Esterhazy units on my wargame table (or any other table for that matter), I will stop at nothing to destroy that wargame unit with all the artillery and musketry that I can muster and throw at those naer-do-wells. :)

I need to add a pair of limber teams to my 6-pounder battery. Perhaps a couple of supply wagons too.

The Austrian artillery park is in pretty good shape. I have two 12-pounders with limber teams already painted (they still need two ammo wagons) and two 6-pounders that are missing their limber teams and ammo wagons.

The Josef Esterhazy Regiment needs its second battalion painted.

Grrr, Esterhazys (above). Ooooh, I really hate those guys, as Indiana Jones might say.

Austrian Cuirassier Regiment "Portugal" needs at least a dozen more troopers to bring the regiment up to 24 figures (actually, it should be more like 36 figures, but putting them all out on the table shows me what I need and what I need to order in the way of new figures).

The Austrian cavalry establishment needs a lot of work. I have one regiment of Sachsen-Gotha Dragoons completed and only a dozen of the Portugal Curassiers. Everyone has this regiment in their Austrian army because it is the only regiment that does NOT have red facings, i.e. it is the only regiment that has blue facings. Putting the figures on the table shows me that I probably need to order another dozen Austrian cuirassiers, as I would like the regiment to have 36 figures (720 troopers at my 1:20 ratio that I use for this army).

I am contemplating the need to paint Austrian hussars, noting that they generally were not used by the Austrians on battlefields. They stayed on the perifery of the field, guarding the flanks and scouting the opposing army's lines, etc. I could paint one of those damn Esterhazy hussar regiments (light blue dolman and pelisse, red breeches and yellow boots), but more likely, I will go with the Baranyay Hussar regiment (green dolman and pelisse, tan or buff breeches, and red facings) which is a spectacular uniform to behold.

I think that I would rather paint some more cuirassiers in red facings, though.