Monday, April 12, 2010

IR13 Itzenplitz Regiment


IR13 Itzenplitz regiment - first battalion, with two Minden 3-pound artillery in support. The gun models are from RSM95. Flags are from GMB Designs.

I was going to post some of these pictures last night, but my camera battery died and needed to be recharged. This is the first battalion of the Itzenplitz Regiment, numbered IR13 in the Prussian establishment. This was a Brandenbourg regiment and Frederick the Great rated it as one of the best regiments in the army. During the Seven Years War, the regiment was usually a part of "the King's Army" and thus fought at Lobositz, Prague (it missed Kolin), Rossbach, Leuthen (where it distinguished itself as part of the spear-point of the attack as part of Wedell's advance guard), Hochirch , Kunersdorf, Liegnitz, Torgau and Burkersdorf.


Minden's new casualty figures are shown in front of IR13. Please leave a comment in the Comment section at the end of this entry and let me know which wooden stand looks best for the casualty figures: (1) large rectangle, (2) small circle, or (3) narrow rectangle. I am trying to decide which size stand to use with this collection. Each time a stand is removed from the game, due to casualties, I will place a casualty stand on the table.

Christopher Duffy states that it was a tightly run regiment, known as the "Donner und Blitzen" regiment under the regime of Major General August Friedrich von Itzenplitz, who was mortally wounded at Kunersdorf. In 1768 it was given the unique privilege of being rated immediately below the Garde and number one among the senior regiments of the army, regardless of the seniority of its chef.

Tsar Peter III was briefly made the regiment's honorary inhaber in 1762, until his demise in a palace coup orchestrated by his wife, the future Catherine the Great of Russia. The regiment's station was in Berlin. It wore a blue uniform with white facings (cuffs and lapels and collar). Duffy gives the regiment straw colored waistcoat and breeches, but Bleckwenn and Dorn & Englemann depict the regiment wearing white breeches and waistcoat. I have chosen to use all white in my version of the regiment. In my mind, Hans Bleckwenn trumps all other sources.

3-Pound Battalion Guns


3-pound battalion guns and crew

I plan to have one battalion gun with each regiment of two battalions in my Minden army. The artillery crew men are Minden Prussians and the 3-pounder is from RSM. RSM sells them as 3-pounders, but in fact they are really 20mm French Napoleonic 12-pounders. You can tell by the extra notch in the trail, which was used to reposition the gun tube when the cannon was travelling attached to the limber. The stand is the same size as my infantry battalions: 40mm wide by 60mm deep. The infantry stands are turned with the long 60mm edge facing front and thus having a 40mm depth when used for infantry. I also have a stand that is 40mm wide by 80mm deep that I will probably use for limber teams. There seems to be a certain consistency using the 40mm measurement that sort of ties everything together quite nicely.

Casualty Stands
One of the pictures above features three of the new Minden generic casualty figures on three different stands: rectangle- large, circle, or small and thin rectangle. I cannot set up a poll in this blog, so please kindly click on the comments box below and cast your vote or opinion as to which size stand you think looks best for the casualty figures. I will eventually terrain and grass these bases, but for now I wanted viewers to see the choices before I made a decision.

22 comments:

  1. If the casualty stands are to follow the regiment as it fights on table, I'd use the narrow rectangle. My reason is it is closest to the stand size removed. If the casualties are not meant to occupy the space in the regiment of the missing stand, then the round is best as it is easy to grasp.
    Love the look of those Mindens!

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  2. The casualty stand is only placed on the field at the spot where the stand is removed. That way we can follow the course of action by seeing where the dead stands are. They do not follow the unit around the field nor are they meant to occuppy the same frontage as the stand.

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  3. I like the casualty figure on the round base best. The contrast between the "inactive" circles and the "active" rectangular blocks of marching infantry seems sensible.

    Well - it does to me, anyway!

    Very nice work on the battalion and guns.

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  4. Well then, I agree with Gallowglass' sentiments.

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  5. Based on your plan of replacing a removed stand where it falls, I'd go with the larger rectangle and perhaps add a second casualty figure on several of the stands. The larger stand also gives you some space to add a loose musket or other details.

    If you had the casualty following the unit I'd have opted for the round choice.

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  6. I agree with Gallowglass. I do the same as well. It makes it easier to differentiate between 'srands' which affect game play versus 'markers' and vingettes which do not.

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  7. Personally since they are intended to "lie where they fall", I would not base them at all . . . but just place them on the table at various different angles.

    It they were to follow the unit, I'd suggest a rectangle for ease of movement . . . but since they do not need to do so, I wouldn't base them at all, but just leave the dead lying flat on the table top . . . besides I think that this would enhance the dioramic look of the battlefield.

    Will you be painting them differently for cavalry and dragoons?


    -- Jeff

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  8. Jeff: I need to base the casualties because the paint will begin to wear off from handling. I've found this to be true with my artillery pieces in my SYW BAR armies.

    I like Gallowglass's rationale for using the round bases for casualties. They are large enough that I can make more of a vignette with the round bases by adding hats, muskets, drums , rocks or water. I'm leaning towards round at this moment.

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  9. I would vote for the long rectangle bases, but the large round does give you the space for another figure, dropped weapon,etc.

    Great paint jobs as well!

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  10. If you are leaving them where they fell I would opt for the round base for the reasons above. Also the round base is less obtrusive than the square cornered ones.

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  11. Rectangular looks good to my eye, especially if you later have round/oval vignettes (which seems to be the main way people base vignettes). That's keep them separate.

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  12. The long rectangular bases meet with my tastes best, especially since they seem to they take up less space and this becomes a premium in areas of a battlefield where the conflict locks down into a slugging match.

    Earl

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  13. I rather like the first casualty figure. The base seems to match the regular bases of the units. Your battalion is just excellent as usual, however, I would prefer to see the officer standing between the two flags. Somehow that seems to satisfy the symmetrical side of my personality. The 3#'ers are also a nice touch...

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  14. Another vote for the round casualty base, for all the reasons stated. Frank very kindly included a casualty figure in my last parcel - now I'm leaning towards following your example and marking the course of battle!

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  15. Will you make casualty markers for each battalion so that the uniforms are consistent or will they be more generic?
    I am basing my army in exactly the same manner, including my battalion guns. From what little I know, it appears that half of each gun crew for the battalion guns were made up of men from the regiment, so I paint one of the crewmen in the regimental uniform.
    I was leaning towards the thin rectangle, but am converted to the circle based on the posted ideas. I will base my casualties that way too.
    Love this site and as always your pictures are inspiring.
    Thanks,
    Chris

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  16. Fantastic paint jobs as usual Jim, they truly are inspirational and make me very proud to know they are my figures . . . errrr well your figures, but you know what I mean :-)

    I have used the plastic Rendera bases and use the 45mm x 20mm ones for casualties. This is my preference, but mine are being based for Black Powder, which will follow the units around.

    I like the idea of casualty vignettes though, with more than one figure and various other bits like muskets etc on the base too. Just go with what appeals to you at the end of the day, as they are your toys Jim :-)

    Keep up the good work.

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  17. If you are planning to use vignettes for your casualty markers the round bases would work better IMHO. If you are just going to plop them down and move on, then the small, thin rectangle might work better (less clutter and smaller table imprint). Personally, I like the round vignette idea.

    These figures look fantastic and are inspirational.

    Thanks,

    Bill.

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  18. Jim,

    I would go with round stands for the casualties to, as others have said, differentiate them from the combat stands.

    Jim

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  19. Could you use different base shapes to indicate different numbers of casualties?

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  20. Yet more lovely looking units, Jim...Round gets my vote, flocked in with the odd bit of detritus they will look excellent.

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  21. I would say round as well, for a bit of variety from the regular bases!

    Craig

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