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.

The British army at Brandywine 1777 in 20mm

Once again something started many years ago and finished last year. The figures are based for the great Will McNally´s rules (available on its Fire at Will blog) with an eye on the newer Live Free or Die by Little Wars TV with each base worth 100 men. Brandywine is the biggest battle of the AWI and another British victory but then Saratoga follows and everything started to change.

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 33) - Sir John Vaughn´s Brigade

Brandywine's British army is closing completion with this last brigade of infantry. Now, only 5 guns, a few command bases and the two stands of Ferguson´s rifles are missing which is something I hope to have finished in the next post. Then of course still plenty of American brigades, mainly Militia, have to be built and painted and that will take much more time and probably a skip to other periods in between.

Vaughn's Brigade had three regiments of Infantry ( 4th, 28th and 49th foot) and one of Fusiliers (23rd foot). The Fusiliers are Airfix from the Grenadier box but the rest of the infantry is a mix of the usual Accurate and Revell but introducing the lovely PSC designed miniatures of the Hold the Line French and Indian Wars expansion set. 

The Hold the Line mounted officer is a one piece gem and it really plays the part of a British gentleman on horse. In fact the figure comes in white plastic and, as all in this post, is intended to be a game piece for the French but all bicorne figures in all sets of Hold the Line can be used in any army.  I really pity not being able to get the initial game as it brings 200 figures in different poses compared to this expansion set which carries half of that number.

I placed Hold the line infantry in the front rank of all the three infantry regiment. They are true 1/72 figures and the same height as the Accurate/Revell figures even if a bit more beefed up. The bases are too big so I cut them for three figures to fit in line. 

All blurry flag bearers are also Hold the Line figures. By 1777 the 23rd had already stored the bearskins with which they arrived to the American colonies but that headdress makes them distinguishable.  

The brigade's artillery is a mix pot. The limber's horse and driver is 7YW Revell with a scratch built carriage on Napoleonic wheels, the gun is Hold the Line and the crew is Italeri, Airfix and Accurate. 

Next: the last few stands for the British at Brandywine 1777.

Will McNally's Rules - AWI and the battle of Brandywine 1777 in 20mm (part 32) - The 71st Highland regiment

The 71st Highland Regiment was present at Brandywine with three battalions totaling around 1200 men. It was thus the biggest regiment at the battle and it was kept as the reserve of Knyphausen Division and as train guards. 

The figures are in fact plastic game pieces in 1/72nd scale from the Hold The Line boardgame by Worthington Publishing and PSC. I lost my mojo for AWI a bit before the release of the original game with had some 200 beautiful figures inside. Later when the mojo came back I could only find in PSC the separate bags of  Scots and Hessians. Now finding Hold the Line figures after all this "post July" s##### is very difficult which is really a pity as they are really great. 

As you can see they go very well along Esci and Airfix pipers and they could go even better if  instead of clipping the base I had just cut a part of it. The figures were glued with hot glue and then with cheap super glue. The bond made by the two materials is extremely strong. 

All the figures are the same but with the colorful uniforms of the Scots the single pose gets lots of life. 

Most of them got red hair, of course! And they should have white trousers by the time of Brandywine but they also look much more Scottish like this. 

Two other poses were made from the original: officers and the flag bearers, using Greenstuff for new arms.

These three command stands are the ones with pipers and changed poses. I used wire for the first time for the arms of the officers waving the claymore sword which made some of them too long. Then laziness prevented me from changing them.

Next: France 1940.

Will McNally's Rules - AWI and the battle of Brandywine 1777 in 20mm (part 31) - Cavalry for both sides

A flank attack by the British 16th Light Dragoons catches off guard two regiments of American cavalry, the 3rd Continental Light Dragoons and the South Carolina State Light Dragoons. 
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All figures are Italeri from their generous cavalry set with 16 figures plus one Airfix conversion and a ACTA figure. The only addition to the Italeri figures was some short cavalry rifles that were missing.

                            

The figures are beautifully sculpted and reasonably accurate but as usual with Italeri most of them are looking sidewards which is not the better position for wargames figures.

The British 16th Light Dragoons. Some sources say that the Tarleton helmet would be more accurate for these units and that includes the 16th LD reconstitution group.

Next: Scottish for France 1940 or more Hungarians for Mohacs 1526.

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.

Will MacNally's rules - Brandywine 1777 revisited for the last time (?)

My wargames table is about to leave the rolling hills of Pennsylvania to give way to the Bekaa valley or the Georgian landscape or even the necessary space to build my two Pacific WWII aircraft carriers in 1/72nd scale. But before that happens I took some photos to show the many units and terrain features I built since the table was last pictured.

The Birmingham meeting house is placed at last and the Gettysburg buildings that replaced it can go back to the shelves.  Top right you can see the Hessian Jägers crossing Street Road. 

The Benjamin Ring House is already set...

 ... as well as Chad's house.

The Hessians wait patiently to cross the Brandywine maneuvering back and forth in the Knyphausen sector to create the illusion of numbers.

In front of them the Americans aren't less nervous.  

Here it is the awkward outmaneuver of De Borre which placed the entire American line out of balance.

At the same time close to Benjamin Ring's House, G. Washington looks at this maneuver thinking:"What kind of sawdust De Borre's head is made of ?..."

West part of the battlefield. 

Queen's Rangers preparing to ford...

Already in battle position, all units of Cornwallys flanking maneuver can be seen (if badly...).

Dilworth before the storm of fleeing Continentals.

And a general view. There are some units to be made mostly Continentals, the cavalry and some artillery but for the moment I'm having great fun with moderns so more Brandywine only in a few months.

American war of Independence - Will Mcnally's rules - 3rd Pennsylvania Brigade, Brandywine 1777

Last unit for Stirling's Division, the 3rd Penn. Bgde of General Thomas Conway.

Once again I had to beef up the numbers with some coated infantry as my numbers of uniformed AWI infantry is dwindling day by day. Coats in September are not very logical but they give a certain rag-tag looks to American infantry of 1777. 

The flags came from a nice page of generical flags I found in the net as Pennsylvania flags are rare to find. But if you look for AWI flags you will find plenty more. These are just cool as they are conjectural.

American War of Independence - Will McNally's rules - 42nd Royal Highlanders Regiment of Foot, Brandywine 1777

 

 

First of all another big compliment to the big winner of the last poll, that is the mighty JMM from Brigada Tripeira who erased from the map all competition with his wisdom and scientific knowledge beneffiting also from the fact that he was the only one who entered this challenge.

 

The 42nd Highlanders picked my imagination since the TV series from the 80ies  'George Washington'. The 42nd fought in the major engagements of the AWI and distinguished itself in most of them. At Brandywine they were kept in reserve and only the flank companies fought and suffered a few casualties.

 

 

 

The figures are all Revell 7YW Austrian, including the officer that comes from the artillery box. Only the Piper is half Napoleonic ESCI with legs from another ESCI French figure.

 

I chose these Austrians because they have a Mitre cap tall enough to be modelled, each figure has a waist cartridge box like the Highlanders did and all wear trousers as they abandoned the kilt quickly for service in America.

 

The Mitre caps were heated with a lighter and squashed until the shape of the Scotish cap was obtained. The black feather in a small piece of GreenStuff.

 

 

 

 

The back part of the coat was shortened and with all these transformations they became quite close to the original, which by the way doesn't exist for sale in plastic.

 

 

American War of Independence - Will McNally's rules - New Jersey brigade

 

These 7 stands represent the New Jersey brigade of Col. Matthias Ogden from Stirling Division during the Brandywine battle. 

 

The uniforms are for the 3rd New Jersey, the famous 'New Jersey Blues' but represent the entire brigade.

Here you can see the round hats I showed you two posts ago already painted. 

The shouting figure to the left has a different head and the ones sporting the hunting shirt have the new round hats.  The old Airfix officer still fits nicely in the middle of more recent figures. 

 

 

Next we ( I mean me and Google blogger) will unveil the secret regarding the misterious figures from last post. JMM already got there and inspite of the usual lousy photograph he is the big winner of this great contest!

 

Congratulations JMM! Your name is in the history of the Hobby!!!

 

 

American War of Independence - Will McNally's rules - One secret unveiled and another to come, Brandywine 1777

And here they are. After filling the comment box with hundreds of messages, which I could not read all,  none of you was right.

The many thousands who didn't have the courage for expressing themselves (for fear of being mistaken, l'm sure) might be right, but no one will ever know.

The Queen's  Rangers (this was the right answer...) were a loyalist unit who became famous in many actions of the AWI, including Brandywine were they suffered heavy casualties on the Chad's ford sector. 

They are converted grenadier figures from the Revell Austrian infantry.

Only the coat tails were erased with a X-Acto so they can sport the short coat that made them famous and also the cloth bag hanging from  the helmet was also taken out.

And now a new challenge: can any one guess what is coming?

Please don't answer all at the same time, keep calm and everybody will have his chance.

The usual fantastic prizes are available!

Good luck!!