The American army at Brandywine 1777 in 20mm

This is the second part of the Brandywine series, after the British army video. It's still a bit incomplete but you can see the way an American independence army can be made using 20mm plastics. The usual Airfix, Revell, Italeri, Accurate and PSC gaming pieces makes the bulk of this one with the also usual conversions, specially in the making of round hats which are rare in 20mm plastics.

Will McNally's Rules - AWI and the battle of Brandywine 1777 in 20mm (part 34) - Last few bits for the British

 

This another nostalgic post in which another army is finished. Can't be sure but probably my first British for the AWI were made around some 20 years ago and these were the last missing stands and figures at least for Brandywine in a collection of around 1000 figures. Still to be made are some 300 figures for the larger Washington's army at the same battle. 

 

These Ferguson rifles are converted figures from both Airfix bodies and Revell heads with some Milliput tufts on the headdress. 

Like this these little Ferguson men became quite reasonable. Very hard to make is unique fire mechanism of the Ferguson rifle and these poses were also chosen because they hide the missing details. 

The two last command stands missing were Howe's and Cornwallys themselves. The figures used were Hold the Line and Revell. 

Along a bulky General Sir William Howe rides a 16th Light Dragoon trooper both Hold the Line figures. The Revell figures to the right aren't true British with the Cornwallys figure on horse coming from the Prussian box and the foot officer from the Austrian box. 

 

More work with these ones. The last few batteries of artillery were made with some Revell Austrian and Airfix figures but most with converted infantry from Revell's box of British infantry. The limbers came from 30YW Revell horses whose harness didn't change that much along the years. 

And here they are. The guns are from Hold the Line and probably if you ever painted Revell British infantry from the AWI you probably recognize most of the figures. 

Next: a return for WWII or more Americans for Brandywine. Also a Pirrhic army is not out of the question as my Republican Romans are tired of calling names from their shelves to the Carthaginians on the other side of the basement.  

Will McNally's Rules - AWI and the battle of Brandywine 1777 in 20mm (part 30) - More artillery and a few more bits

While looking for something else in my basement I found a box of primed and based stands for AWI. I made them some 2 or 3 years ago and this time of less work is an opportunity to reduce the stash. When I left Brandywine I only have to make for the British the Vaughn and Leslie's Brigades, two regiments of Hessians, the  three squadrons of cavalry and six artillery pieces (batteries). For the American side the situation was worse with  seven brigades missing and six batteries. Also a number of command stands are still missing for both sides. With this post at least the American artillery for Brandywine 1777 is finished. 

As usual the figures will be mostly Revell and Airfix with converted Airfix limbers.

                 

All the American artillery stands have pre-1179 uniforms so no blue and red for Continental Artillery but green, black and brown with various and made up facings. Figures are from three sets, two from Revell and one from Airfix. The limber is the body of the Airfix Napoleonic French gun stretched, burned and bent to look like a 3pdr AWI limber.

                 

Two more Brigade commanders for the American made from the Revell Austrian Train Drivers. 

                       

Same story for this 3lbr British stand.

                        

Finally a Horse Holder stand for the Hessian Jaegers. The figure is Revell Austrian Artillery and the horses are from the Revell British Napoleonic infantry set. 

Next: I don´t know but it won't take long.

American War of Independence - Will McNally's rules - 12 pdr artillery for both sides

There were a few 12 pdr artillery guns on both sides of the Brandywine river. They are bigger pieces than other present but after looking at the plastic market... nothing.

So once again some improvisation was required.

The Revell 30 YW artillery set has some large caliber guns which seem very close to XVIII century ones. Only the wheels are too small.

So some ESCI and Revell Napoleonic wheels were pressed into servive and here they are looking pretty close to the 12 pdr used in the American War of Independence by both sides. As Service Ration Distribution once pointed out, if you use new wheels on old carriages everything becomes more lively as he did with the old Airfix French artillery.

After painting they look the part.

 

The carriages used are straight from the box Austrian Revell. I presume they would be pulled by at least four horses.

 



 

Once again I used black coats for some of the American artillerymen which apparently was a popular colour for artillery before the later more uniform blue.

 

Next I'll show you my new way of producing trees. And I warn you that it will change your life... forever... :D

American War of Independence - Will McNally's rules - Hessian Artillery painted.

The Hessian artillery in America consisted apparently of 4 pdr guns of Swedish origin and the Revell artillery is a close match. The figures are in my opinion some of the best ever and in order to have Hessians I just placed a pom-pom in the tricorne and used a paint job that somehow showed lapels in the coats.

The wheels were also glued two milimeters or so apart from the carriage.

- Herr capitan... can we stay here after zee war?

- Hmm... Ok, it's better, we may be ruled in zee future by an Austrian who vill kill us all or by a voman ...

- Ja! Vitch is zee worse?...

The horse holders should be civilians and are conversions from figures holding ramrods and spikes.

You can see the previous post for the carriage making based on the Airfix Napoleonic French artillery.

American War of Independence - Will McNally's rules - Modelling AWIArtillery

The PSR site is a normal way for us to find useful information on our beloved plastic figures. It also help us save some unuseful buyings like in my opinion with AWI artillery. This is the case of the IMEX artillery, the only company that produces plastic boxes on the subject. The IMEX  figures shown in the PSR site are absolute beauties but the problem comes with the artillery pieces themselves. They are small and without the usual side box between barrel and wheel. Besides no limber or news about it in the future.


So the solution came from the old 7YW Austrian box of artillery. Plenty of poses (15!!!), good barrels and carriages, plenty of horses and riders, everything you need to portray AWI artillery. Of course the uniform is Austrian but it can be adapted easily to all beligerants of this war.The rest is some imagination and a few hours of work.

What you loose from not using the IMEX items are the figures who are real AWI figures while these ones are designed (and well) to the 7 YW which happened in the previous decade. So the uniforms are not the exact ones but they can be changed with a proper paint job.

The Airfix and Esci French or British  Napoleonic artillery will also be useful as you will see.

  

The 3pdr is made from Airfix French  guncarriages, Revell barrel and styrene stowage boxes.

The 5.5 inch Howitzer barrel  comes from ESCI on a Revell carriage. I didn't completely plugged the wheels into the axis as the gun would be too narrow.

 The 6 pdr are a marriage between Esci and Revell.

The Hessian 4 pdr are the original Revell models without the two connections at the end of the carriage which were typical of the Austrian Flying artillery of the 7YW.

The limbers for the 3/4 pdr are Airfix carriages turned upside down and glued to the horse. The pintle was cut from the part that enters the unecessary wheel.

This time wheels were necessary. The 6 pdr limbers  are again made from Airfix parts that all of us over 30 YO will recognize.

Don't forget to search the Web for good information. Can't remember the site of this page, as I Google for images sometimes and loose track of their origin, but you can see (Left  to Right) the French 4 pdr; the American 6 pdr; the British 6 pdr and the 3 pdr. Also some limbers at the bottom right.