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| Prussian Jager zu Pferde delivering message. A private commission from a Minden customer. |
Last week I received a batch of 16 new Minden figures from sculptor Richard Ansell and I think that you will enjoy the goodies that are headed towards the production pipeline.
The new additions to the Minden Miniatures figure range includes French Cavalrie in bearskin hats, French foot grenadiers in bearskin hats, a French kettle drummer, Austrian horse grenadiers and finally, two French personality figures: Marshal de Broglie and Lt. General Chevert. It's a tough day if you are a bear, but a very exciting day here at Minden/Fife & Drum headquarters.
The new greens fill in some major holes in the SYW French range of figures and include some personality figures to command your French armies. I think that Broglie was one of the best French marshals during the SYW and showed competance and professionalism in all of his campaigns. The Battle of Bergen was probably his signature victory over Ferdinand of Brunswick. I also like Chevert as he seemed to display "outside the box thinking", notably at Hastenbeck where his attack on the flank and rear of the Hanoverian army led to a French victory.
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| Marshal de Broglie (left) and Lt. General Chevert (right - pointing) |
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| Chevert (left) and Broglie (right) |
The Minden French cavalry needed a kettle drummer and so we have added one to the Minden range:
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| French kettle drummer (left) and Prussian Jager zu Pferde (right) |
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| An earlier version of the Jager, before a mail pouch was added to his right side. The other side of the French kettle drummer is on the right. |
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| French grenadiers wearing bearskin hats. Bearskins were worn by the Swiss and German troops in the French army and after 1759 they became widespread among the French line regiments, often on the whim of the regiment's colonel. |
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| Rear view of the French Grenadiers |
I will post pictures of the French cavalrie in bearskins and the Austrian horse grenadiers within another day or two as this post is getting rather picture heavy.
The greens are being sent to Griffin Moulds this week and the normal turn-around time for making moulds and spinning new production castings takes approximately 4 weeks. Alas, probably not in time for Christmas purchases, but you will certainly be able to start off the new year with some French and Austrian heavy cavalry, etc.
Absolutely gorgeous! Kettle Drummers are very hard to find! This one is top shelf quality! Thanks for investing in these sculpts.
ReplyDeleteSome wonderful sculpts there, which are great to see.
ReplyDeleteOh dear Jim, why the French? The grenadiers are wonderful...damn.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather add more Prussians, but the French are one of the biggest sellers in the range and they have more troop types that are missing. I will be adding the Gensdarmerie de France in the future. I want to get back to the Prussians and add the three battalions of the Prussian Guard, Bosniaken and some freikorps,troops.
DeleteJim, These are brilliant, and they all are must have items!! I particularly like the Grenadier officer...I wonder if there is any chance of you and Andy liaising with Graham C to modify this to a second "green" with a fusilier cap to create a Saxon grenadier officer as illustrated in Summerfield Vol 2 on the Saxons - labelled Grenadier Battalion Bellegarde officer..These may also double as Hessian Fusilier officers perhaps? Cheers, Rohan.
ReplyDeleteI will leave the Saxons to Graham, but I want to add French, Hanoverian and British officers with fusils since they abandoned pole arms during the mid-war period. Some Prussian Grenadier NCOS with rifles are being considered too.
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