Dean West, RIP

Dean West explains the rules at Nashcon
(photo courtesy of Cory Ring)

I heard the very sad news yesterday that Dean West had passed away. Dean was one of the nicest person that I ever met and ranks in my top ten list of students of history. I would always learn something new about history every time I talked to him. 

Seven Years War Association Conventions

Dean was devoted to the Seven Years War Association and for quite awhile he organized the annual convention in South Bend and sought out game judges to run convention games. Dean was a master of herding cats as nearly every dealer and game judge had his own particular needs at the convention and somehow Dean came up trumps in attending to everyone's needs.

A Master of Terrain

Dean always had some the most beautiful looking terrain at the convention and he did it all without the fancy terrain boards, which seem to be the rage in this day and age. He did extensive research on the battle that he was going to host, right down to terrain elevations, etc. Dean used a simple outdoor carpet for each unique battle (i.e each battle had its own bespoke terrain mat) and permanently marked the streams and roads on the map. However, it was the terrascaping that really brought his game table to light. Dean downsized the building by one size, so if he was using 15mm figures, the buildings would be those made for 10mm figure. 

His forests were probably the best that I've ever seen. Dean told me that the key to a realistic forested area was to use different sizes and brands of trees with a few non-green colors added in here and there. This created a realistic diversity of trees that really made the scene POP.

It sounds obvious, but too many of us go another way with our terrain. Below is a picture of Dean West's game at the 2009 SYWA convention.

Dean West (center, with beard) at the 2009 Seven Years War Association convention.

American Civil War

Dean was well versed in the American Civil War, in addition to his knowledge of 18th Century warfare. In recent years Dean was a member of an ACW cavalry reenactment group that portrayed both Union and Confederate regiments at events. Dean introduced the concept of actually using cavalry tactics in the reenactment events. You would think that the reenactors would already know cavalry tactics, but they didn't so Dean taught them and made them better performers. 

Dean also developed the Johnny Reb set of wargame rules along with John Hill. The rules were very popular with the gaming public. He also created a set of SYW rules called "the Final Argument of Kings" and he would stage historical battles every year at the SYWA  convention.

Dean West (left) at the 2010 SYWA convention.

My Favorite Dean West Story

I can't recall the exact year, but it was the first year that Dr. Christopher Duffy visited the United States to attend a wargame show, this one being at GenCon in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Naturally we were all thrilled at the prospect of meeting Duffy and asking him questions about 18th Century military history. We had arranged for a banquet dinner in Duffy's honor at a nearby restaurant and he gave a speech after dinner.

During the speech there was a fellow at the back of the room heckling Dr. Duffy. He was obviously in his cups and he was ruining the evening for everyone at the banquet. At one point, the heckler shouted, "what about Bosnia?" 

That was enough for Dean. He walked up to the heckler, really got into his face, and said something along the lines of:

"If you don't shut the f*** up I'm going to grab you by the nostrils and drag you out into the street."

Dean might have been short in stature, but he was clearly someone that you wouldn't want to mess with regardless of your own size. When he was really mad (and that didn't happen very often), you could almost see the hair on the back of his neck stand up and his face would get really red. You would know that you were in for some "hurtin' " if Dean ever got to Defcon 4.

The heckler left immediately and vanished into the night.

The audience gave Dean a standing ovation.

I'm sure that Dean probably felt a little embarrased by all the attention; he was that kind of guy.

Conclusion

It goes without saying that we will all miss Dean very much. I think about the vast storehouse of knowledge in Dean that has gone away forever. He could spin a story about some of the most obscure people in history. Above all though, Dean was a leader and a true gentleman and he will be sorely missed by all of us.

Strike the tent, Dean.

Ewald von Kleist & IR55

The death of Ewald von Kleist by the hands of Cossacks at the Battle of Kunersdorf in August 1759

Ewald Christian von Kleist(1715 - 1759) was considered the "poet of the Prussian army" and one of the small  cadre of literary men in the officer corps during the late 1750s. You can read his Wikipedia biography by clicking the link below:

Ewald Christian von Kleist Biography

Ewald Christian von Kleist

Ewald von Kleist was a major in the Hauss fusilier regiment (IR55), which was one of the few Saxon regiments , from the mass forced conscription of all Saxon regiments captured at Pirna in 1756, that remained in service. Christopher Duffy describes the regiment as a fusilier regiment wearing fusilier mitres. Kronoskaf illustrates the uniform with a tricorn hat rather than a fusilier mitre.

Colonel's flag of the Hauss regiment - Kronoskaf

IR55 Hauss fusilier regiment uniform - Kronoskaf

Regimental flag of Hauss regiment - Kronoskaf

He died from wounds received at the battle of Kunersdorf (actually some ten days after the battle) and Alfred Rambaud (The Russians and Prussians in the Seven Years War, translated by George Nafziger, 2013).

Among the Prussian officers who fell at Kunersdorf, was one who was mourned in all of Europe's newspapers: it was Ewald von Kleist, major of the Hausen Regiment (IR55), the poet who wrote "Printemps", the author of so many other energetic and gracious pieces. Kleist, aged 44, found a glorious and cruel death. Frederick had drawn this regiment from the army of Prince Henry (serving in Saxony). With Finck's infantry he attacked the Russian positions. He already had a dozen contusions and two fingers  of his right hand were cut. His saber in hand, he charged an Austrian battalion and received a ball in his left hand. Taking  his saber from his mutilated right hand, he continued to fight. A canister shot broke his right arm and knocked him from his horse.

Two of his soldiers carried him to the ambulance, where a surgeon began the necessary amputations. The surgeon was killed by a ball. Some Cossacks came up, robbed him, took his hat, his wig, his shirt. They would have killed him had he not spoken to them in Polish. Taking him for a Pole, they contented themselves with throwing him naked into the swamp. During the night he was saved by some Russian hussars, who dried him off, gave him an old coat and a hat; they warmed him at a camp fire, giving him some bread and water. One of them offered Kleist an 8 Groschen piece, and he refused it.

The Cossacks returned, taking from him everything the hussars had given him. The next morning a Russian officer named Stackelberg, a cavalry captain, found him and had him taken to Frankfurt. Professor Nicolai received him at his house and cared for him. A number of Russian officers came to visit Kleist and offer their services. However, the care arrived too late and on August 24, 12 days after the battle, Kleist died of his wounds. The Russian commander of Frankfurt, Chettnov, rendered him military honors. The body was carried by a dozen grenadiers and the funeral procession was followed by the principal officers of the garrison.

It is obvious that Ewald von Kleist was well-known throughout Europe for his poetry and other literary works, noting the extraordinary care and attention that he received after the battle.

I find the von Kleist story very interesting and having some background on the person makes his regiment more interesting to me. As a consequence, I plan on painting the regiment and adding it to my Prussian Pomeranian Corps army. I note that the uniform has the Swedish cuffs rather than the smaller Prussian style cuffs, so this should add some variety to the uniforms in my army.

Von Kanitz Regiment Completed

The second battalion of IR2 von Kanitz
(one stand of 8 figures has been removed from the picture in order to get a close up view of the battalion).

PLEASE CLICK ON ALL PIX TO ENLARGE

Today the second battalion of IR2 von Kanitz musketeer regiment went into service in my Pomeranian Corps of Prussian troops.

The flags were painted by hand using the Kronoskaf flag for the regiment as a template.

Flags for the second battalion of IR2

Here is a picture of the completed regiment von Kanitz with both battalions:

IR2 von Kanitz musketeer regiment. Prussian regiments had two battalions.

I use 32-figure battalions in my new organization for the Pomeranian Corps and I paint both battalions of a regiment. This gives me a complete regiment of 64 figures. Just for grins, I borrowed an extra 8-figure stand from the first battalion and placed it in the second battalion in order to see what a 40-figure battalion might look like. The reason for this would be to give the unit an better appearance of "balance" with a flag stand in the center and two stands on each side of it.

Here is what a 40-figure battalion looks like:

This is what the battalion would look like with 40 figures.

Here is a picture of my standard 32-figure battalion on four stands. It is sort of out of balance since the command stand is a little off center. However, my current solution is to attach a battalion gun stand to the left side of the battalion to give it that 5 stand balance.

My standard 32-figure battalion organization

Which battalion organization looks better to you? Please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page. I would like to hear your opinions.

My New Old School Word Processor

Royal typewriter, circa the 1930s.

Yesterday I received the 1930s era Royal typewriter that I purchased off of eBay several days ago. I eagerly unwrapped it, put a sheet of paper in the platen, and ripped off a few "the quick red fox..." lines to give it a test drive.

It took me less time than it took to type the two sentences above to recall that sometimes the Good Old Days are not as good as we remember them to be. Some of the keys require more fingertip pressure on them than other keys, so sometimes you will type some words and a few of the letters will look lighter or be completely missing when you are finished typing. We don't have such problems with modern word processors on our computers.

The machine has been restored and doesn't appear to have any mechanical issues. It also looks really really cool!

The front view of the typewriter, which displays nicely infront of a collection of 1930s detective novels.

I simply like the retro look of the Royal typewriter as shown in the close up view of the keyboard below.

Close up view of the keyboard. The key characters are enclosed in glass with nickel plated keys.

The Royal 1930 typewriter will probably be used only as a decorative display piece in my wargame room, but you never know. I might feel the urge, once in awhile, to break out some paper and click and clack off a few paragraphs.

I suppose that I could go back further than Old School and get a colonial printing press, but that is an entirely different hobby than what I am doing with my writing these days.

Fritz suppervises young Igor as he prepares the pages
for tomorrow's edition of the Der Alte Fritz Journal.

Readers eagerly look forward to reading the latest post on the Der Alte Fritz Journal.

East Prussian Infantry and Cavalry Regiments

Frederick grabs the colours of the IR46 von Bulow regiment at Zorndorf.

Here is a listing of all Prussian infantry and cavalry regiments that were from East Prussia. The "record" comments are taken from Christopher Duffy in "The Army of Frederick the Great". I am using this information in the construction and painting of my Pomeranian Corps of Prussian troops that largely fought in the eastern theater against the Russians.

IR2  von Kanitz

Station: Rastenburg (East Prussia)

Record: Unusually hard fighting regiment (especially for an East Prussian regiment) with consistently high casualties. One battalion captured at Maxen.

Grenadier battalion: with Garrison Regt. No. 2 Manstein, Nesse (1758), Natalis (1760)

IR4  Rautter (1757), Kleist (1758), Thadden (1761)

Station: Prussian Holland (East Prussia)

Record: Badly knocked about at Gross Jagersdorf and behaved badly at Zorndorf. One of its Chefs, Rautter, was disgraced for his performance at Zorndorf, while Thadden was known as a drunkard.

Grenadier battalion: with IR16: Polentz, Kleist (1757), Willemy (1758), Thielau (1762). Severe losses at Zorndorf. Captured after fighting bravely at Maxen.

IR11  Below, Rebentisch (1758)

Station: Koenigsberg

Record: Large numbers of Austrian and Russian prisoners were incorporated in the Seven Years War. The regiment did notably badly at Zorndorf, and at Maxen, where it broke up before being captured with the rest.

Grenadier battalion: with IR14: Gohr, Petersdorf (1757), Beyer (1759), Oppen (1760). A generally reliable battalion.

IR14  Lehwaldt

Station: Friedland and Bartenstein (East Prussia)

Record: Suffered heavily at Gross Jagersdorf and Kunersdorf, and lost one battalion at Maxen.

Grenadier battalion: served with IR11

IR16  Dohna, Syburg (1760)

Station: Koenigsberg

Record: Heavy losses at Zorndorf and Kunersdorf. A middling East Prussian regiment, disliked intensely by Frederick.

Standing Grenadier Battalion 4 (Koenigsbergisches Grenadier-Battalion)

Record: raised from grenadiers of Garrison 1 and Garrison 13

Garrison 1 Puttkamer

Station: based at Memel in East Prussia

Grenadier battalion: with Garrison 11: Langenau

Garrison 2 Sydow, Alt-Sydow (1759)

Station: based at Pillau in East Prussia

Record: heavy losses at Gross Jagersdorf. At Torgau and Freiburg

Garrison 11 Manteuffel, Mellin (1760)

Station: based in East Prussia

Record: heavy losses at Gross Jagersdorf. The component battalions captured at Landeshut (1760) and Colberg (1761).

Grenadier battalion: with Garrison 1, formed an independent battalion Bahr.

New Garrison Regiment 2 

Station: Koenigsburg
Record: raised in the 1740s and again in 1756. Disbanded in 1757.

East Prussia Land Militia Battalion  von Katrezinsky
Station: Memel and Pillau
Record: the battalion was initially posted on the border. It was no match for the Russian regular and irregular troops in direct confrontation so it was used mainly in ambushes along the Russian communication lines and raids on baggage trains. It also had to stop Cossack incursions. In one engagement, supporting 200 hussars, it managed to prevent a landing of 2,000 Russian troops at Schaaken in the Curonian Lagoon. In January 1758 the battalion was disbanded to prevent its capture by the Russian army.

Uniform: the Lithuanian companies it had a unique grey coat with no lapels or collar, but blue Prussian style cuffs. The coat resembles a sleeved waistcoat in the French or Russian style. Waistcoat and breeches were supplied by the indivual militia man. Gaitors were grey. Grey gaitors. Black tricorn without hat lace.

The Prussian and Polish companies had a blue coat, similar to the description of the Lithuanian companies. Individual companies had different cuff colors.

Freibattalione - none are recorded as raised in East Prussia

Cavalry Regiments

Charge of the Black Hussars at Gross Jagersdorf - by Carl Rochling

DR6 Schorlemer, Meier (1760) - 10 Squadrons strong

Station: East Prussia

Record: The "Porzellan Regiment" taken from Saxon service in 1717. Heavily engaged at Zorndorf and Kunersdorf

DR7  Plettenberg

Station: East Prussia

Record: Highly distinguished at Zorndorf

DR8 Platen, Alt-Platen (1758)

Station: East Prussia

Record: distinguished at Gross Jagersdorf and Zorndorf.

DR9  Holstein-Gottorp, Pomeisske (1761)

Station: East Prussia

Record: lightly engaged until 1761, when destroyed in the campaign around Colberg.

DR10  Finck

Station: East Prussia

Record: at Gross Jagersdorf. In western Germany 1758-59 with Prinz Ferdinand's army, where it fought at Minden. Highly esteemed by Frederick.

HR5 (Black Hussars) Reusch, Lossow (1760)

Station: various, but recruited from East Prussia.

Record: renowned for the wealth of its officers and the ferocity of its hussars. Three squadrons distinguished in western Germany in Prinz Ferdinand' army.

HR7 (Second, formerly HR8 Gelbe Hussaren) Malachowsky

Station: varioius, but recruited from East Prussia.

Record: Distinguished at Zorndorf, lost six squadrons at Landshut. After peace it took the number of the disbanded HR7. Frederick specifically exempted it from criticism.

von Kanitz Musketeer Regiment

IR2 - von Kanitz musketeer regiment. Minden Miniatures and GMB Designs flags.

I have finished painting and basing the first battalion of the Prussian von Kanitz (IR2) musketeer regiment in Prussian service. The regiment will be part of my Pomeranian Corps army that will fight the Russians in tabletop battles. I am starting work on the second battalion today and should have it finished within a week's time.

The figures are Minden Miniatures Prussian musketeers with Prussian cuffs.

A close up photo of the command stand and some rank and file soldiers.

Frederick the Great had a very low opinion of the East Prussian regiments in his army, however, he considered the von Kanitz regiment as one of the better fighting units in his army. However, the regiment was rather unlucky, suffering high losses in a number of battles against the Russians.

You can learn more about the regiment by clicking on the link below, which takes you to the Kronoskaf web site

Kronoskaf history of von Kanitz Regiment

The regiment fought in Lehwald's army at Gross Jagersdorf and suffered heavy losses. It also fought at Zorndorf, Paltzig and finally at Kunersdorf. The Kunersdorf losses were so great that the regiment was reduced to a single battalion. Since the regiment's recruiting grounds in East Prussia were occupied by the Russian army, the von Kanitz regiment could not replenish its losses after Kunersdorf.

The battalion was then captured by the Austrians at Meissen, where it was part of Diericke's small force that got stranded on the wrong side of the Elbe River. With nowhere to retreat, the whole command surrendered. The regiment was reraised in 1760 with unfortunates who were press-ganged into the Prussian army.

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The Great $5 Book Sale

SALE UPDATE: I HAVE MARKED "SOLD" NEXT TO ANY BOOK THAT HAS BEEN SOLD

Der Alte Fritz needs to cull some books (62 in all) from his personal library to save space and is offering nearly everything for a rock bottom price of $5.00 per book. There are a couple of items that are so good that I am pricing them at $10.00 per book.

The total lot of 62 books prices out around $310.00 plus applicable postage so if anyone was interested in buying everything at once, then I'd offer the lot at $200.00 plus applicable shipping.

Contact me by e-mail at:  altefritz1740@yahoo.com

First come, first serve on all titles, so act fast if you see something that you like. I have placed an asterix next to the book titles that I think are very well written-presented

Seven Years War & Other 18th Century Books (all $5.00 each)

The Coward of Minden   - Piers Mackesy (1979)SOLD

Frederick the Great   - Pierre Gaxotte (1941)

Prince of Europe, The Life of Charles-Joseph de Ligne   - Philip Mansel (2003) SOLD

Warfare in the Eighteenth Centruy   - Jeremy Black (1999)

*The French Army Before Napoleon  - Spencer Wilkinson (1915) SOLD

Roots of Conflict - British Armed Forces & Colonial America   - Douglas Lead (1986) SOLD

The Art of Warfare on Land    - David Chandler (1974) SOLD

The Revolutionary War   - Gail Stewart (1991)

Frie's Rebellion  - Paul Douglas Newman (2004)

Battlefields of Britain  - David Smurthwaite (1991)

Napoleonic Era

Regiments of Waterloo (Almark)  - Rene North (1977) SOLD

Borodino (Knight's Battles for Wargamers series)  - Peter Young (1971) SOLD

The Years of Napoleon (Almark)  - Hunt & Embleton (1972) SOLD

Flags and Standards of the Napoleonic Wars - Keith Over (1976)

*The Armies of 1812  - Otto von Pivka (1977) SOLD

The Causes of the War of 1812 (in America)  - Bradford Perkins (1962)

*L'Armee Francaise 1790 - 1865  - Edouard Detaille (1992) SOLD

Napoleon - The Last Campaigns  - James Lawford (1977) SOLD

Napoleon's Military Machine  - Philip Haythornthwaite (1988) SOLD

Wellington's Military Machine  - Philip Haythornthwaite (1989) SOLD

*Hougoumont  - Julian Paget (1992) SOLD

The Rise of General Bonaparte  - Spencer Wilkinson (1930 reprint 1952) SOLD

The Napoleonic Wars  - Michael Glover (1979)

Napoleon's Enemies  - Richard Warner (1977) SOLD

Austerlitz   - Claude Manceron (1966)

Waterloo New Perspectives - David Hamilton-Williams (1993)

Napoleon 1812  - Nigel Nicolson (1985)

*Napoleon's Grand Army 1813  - Scot Bowden (1990) SOLD

With Moore at Corunna  - G.A. Henty (date?)

Napoleon's Art of War (Maxims) - Napoleon (1995)

*1815 Armies of Waterloo  - Ugo Percoli (1979) SOLD

Discovering Famous Battles , The Peninsular War  - RJ Wilkinson (date?)

American Civil War

The Civil War Source Book  - Philip Katcher (1992)

Chicago Battery Boys, Chicago Mercantile Battery  - Richard Barclay Williams (2007)

  (includes Ed Bearss autograph) SOLD

*Don Troiani's Civil War - Don Troiani & Brian Pohanka (1995) SOLD

ECW & 17th Century

Killiecrankie 1689  - Stuart Reid (1989) SOLD

Scots Armies of the 17th Century (date ?) SOLD

The English Civil War (Almark)  - Potter & Embleton (1973) SOLD

General Topics

*Firepower   - B.P. Hughes (1974)

Great Battles of Military History  - Cyril Falls (1964)  - includes Fontenoy, Rossbach, Poltava

The Armies of the First Schleswig Holstein War 1848 - 1851   - Ralph Weaver (2007) SOLD

*Simken's Uniforms of the British Army - Cavalry  (1982) SOLD

*Simken's Uniforms of the British Army - Infantry  (1982) SOLD

British Infantry Uniforms since 1688  - Michael Barthorp (1982)

$10 Bargain Book

*The War in Mexico - Tony Adams (1998) - SOLD 

Osprey Books

The Indian Mutiny (#67)  - Christopher Wilkinson-Latham (1977)

Scots Armies of the ECW  - Stuart Reid (1999)

Louis XIV's Army  - Rene Chartrand (1986) SOLD

Marlborough's Army - Michael Barthorp (1980) SOLD

The American War 1812-1815  - Philip Katcher (1990) SOLD

  

*The Jacobite Army 1745-1746 (Elite series)  - Stuart Reid (2006) SOLD

Soldiers of the English Civil War (Elite series) - Infantry, 2 copies available,  - Keith Roberts

Soldier of the English Civil War (Elite series) - Cavalry, 2 copies available, - John Tincey

Matchlock Musketeers (Warrior series) 1588-1688   - Keith Roberts (2002) SOLD

Ironsidees ECW Cavalry (Warrior series) 1588-1688  - John Tincey (2002) SOLD

Osprey Campaign Series

Marston Moor 1644  - John Tincey (2003) SOLD

First Newbury 1643  - John Tincey (2003)

Auldearn 1645  - Stuart Reid (2003) SOLD

Dunbar 1650  - Stuart Reid (2003)

The English Civil Wars (Essential Histories series)  - Peter Gaunt (2003)

*Normandy 1944 - Stephen Badsey (1990)

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