India: Encounter at Nellipore

The british have learnt the french are sending a small force to take control of Bijapur on the border of the Bhaji of Bhovindi's territory; in response to this the british have sent some troops to take control of Nellipore on the main road to Bijapur

Each side has a troop of dragoons, 1 company of europeans, 3 companies of sepoys and a light gun.

---oXo---

 The french on the march, not far from Nellipore .....

 The british column nears Nellipore ...

the french dragoons have pushed forward as the head of both columns enters the small town

 the french and british deploy, some fire from the british cannon encourages the french dragoons to fall back

The british cavalry charged the french sepoys to the north of the town, but were repulsed with heavy casualties; continuing fire from the british cannon is too much for the french dragoons who fall back in total disorder

the french dragoons rally near a clump of trees

firefight in progress between the british and french europeans in the town....

on the british right flank the sepoys rout after coming under fire from french cannon and the advancing french sepoys...

the french dragoons have worked their way round and have come up behind the british left flank

the british position is now untenable, as dusk approaches they manage to withdraw leaving the french in control of Nellipore.

India: Battalion of French Sepoys

 

[Figs: Sepoys from Parkfield Miniatures,  drummer Foundry, french officers Front Rank and Old Glory]

India: French Sepoys

[small unit on single bases for skirmish games, sepoy figures from Parkfield Minaitures]

French Marines

A group of french marines on patrol ....

[small unit on single bases for skirmish games, useable in the Carribean as well. Figs are Old Glory]

India: British command stands and some more sepoys

Command stands in East India company uniforms, for use in future games...

 Another command stand and some more sepoys (singly based, for skirmish games)

[figs: Command stands: Mostly Old Glory, with Jacdaw, Front rank; Sepoys: advancing pose from Parkfield Miniatures]

India: British Sepoys ...

Lord Clove and his aide review the first battalion of sepoys ...

[figs; sepoy battalion composed of Parkfield Miniatures, a couple of RSM officers, converted old glory french officer with sepoy head, converted RSM drummer with sepoy head.]

India - the big gun .....

The Bhaji of Bhovindi has come to see his grandfather's great gun, recently refurbished , being fired - however there is some delay as the gun crew try to work out how to load and fire it .....

[new item: gun scratchbuilt from a toy plastic medieval cannon, some cardboard and plastic wheels.]

India: Bataillon de l'Inde

At Pondicherry the french Bataillon de l'Inde has turned out for a parade...

[New unit: comprising a mix of Foundry, Crusader, Front Rank figures]

India: French Governor's Guard

A company of Topas originally raised by Dupleix as his body guard, has been increased to 3cys by de Lally.

[New unit: comprising Old Glory french marines and FIW officers figures, the flag is conjectural]

India: IR Lorraine

French IR Lorraine has arrived and is seen here marching in the vicinity of Pondicherry...

[unit info: these are a re-purposed unit comprising Jacdaw 30mm french figures from my Monrovian imagi-nation army, these chaps have had a minor repaint - just facings changed to white and a touch-in plus the musicians repainted completely - the whole regiment has been re-based.]

India: Moving the cannon ....

At Madras a cannon is moved up to Fort St George ...

[new item(s): completed draught elephant]

India: On the workbench ....

a few things have been accumlating on the modelling desk:

- draft elephant, have to finish the harness
- a unit of sepoys
- some indian lightly armed infantry
- 3 light indian cavalry

these need getting ready for painting.

India: Rocketmen ....

The India project is progressing slowly, still thinking about basing and unit sizes. So while doing this I decided to concentrate on some smaller items to keep me going.

Just finished indian rocketmen, 

Next thing on the modelling desk is a draft elephant, using an old toy elephant and a modified Front Rank limber.

Quick Figure comparison ...

I've been buying a few figures from a couple of ranges to get some idea on how they'll mix together;  a quick comparison shot

 Left to right: 1st Corps british sepoy, Essex officer, Indus Miniatures Baluchi officer, Redoubt (two), Indus artillery man, foundry artillery man.

The Redoubt figures are nice sculpts but are 30mm and won't mix in with the others in close proximity; in units on their own with some careful basing they could be alright.
 
I've been musing on unit sizes and trying to come up with an overall 'look and feel'. I'm not going to try and re-fight the big battles,  instead I will be aiming for something smaller with little armies composed of companies of european troops and sepoys with some indian allies either fighting each other or maybe taking on a 'small' indian army.

Indian Artillery - refurbished, and command vignette

Indian artillery refurbished,

Plus a new small on foot command vignette using Redoubt figures

India: European Horse and Artillery - refurbished

For the british .... ... dragoons mostly using Irregular Miniautures marlburians with some modified to be holding swords ....

artillery crew using a mix of Perry AWI plastics and some Front Rank...

 For the french .... dragoons using Irregular Miniatures marlburians with some head swaps for variety

artillery crew using Jacdaw figures

India: European Command - refurbished

I'm in the process of tidying up, reworking and refurbishing any units I had for the India project. First up are the European command. I've added a mounted standard bearer and redone the bases for the rest.

The british...

 The french ....

I'm working on the European artillery and cavalry at the moment.

Hindu Temple (completed)

All finished with some walls for the temple precinct,

for sculpture detail I stuck on some suitable images and gave them a wash of paint ...a view from the side...

Hindu Temple - WIP

Some in progress shots of work on the Hindu Temple, constructed with various thicknesses of card and some foamboard.

Phase1: firstly I made up a base and sourced some bits to help with the 'tower' (or vimana) and columns...

Phase 2: - the basic building structure (the roof sections come off to help with storage)

Phase 3: final detailing and some knobbly bits on the 'tower' - ready for a its base coat of paint

I plan to use some images of indian sculptures to finish it off.....

Attack on the pirates nest at Claremont .....

Captain 'Peg-leg' Johnson and his crew have taken over Claremont on the island of St Bernard, they hold a number captives for hostage. The governor of Jumeida has sent a detachment of troops by sea on HMS Prince Albert to root out the pirates and secure the release of the hostages.

---oXo---

A number of boats have been seen approaching the shore via the small islands to the north of the harbour,  Captain 'Peg-leg' Johnson organizes his men ....

The british landing party is on the beach .....

The british regulars form up, coming under fire from pirates in the house; while some of the ships crew work their way through the palm trees ....

the british regulars advance stalls, the pirates have attacked them in the flank and are keeping up steady musket fire from behind the wall

british regulars and pirate exchange fire, the pirate flank attack has fizzle out

the pirates have had enough after stiff vollies from the british and are hurrying back inland to the town .....

the british advance slowly ....

the marines move towards the road as the naval crew skirmishes with the pirates at the edge of the town ...

the pirates fire their concealed cannon (to little effect) ...

Captain 'Peg-leg' Johnson directs his men to reinforce their right rank ....

The british charge in before the pirates can use their cannon again .....

After a hard fought melee the pirates have routed are running for the interior of the island; 'Peg-leg' Johnson lays dead in the middle of the square killed by a stray shot ....

The hostages realising their captors are no longer about,  emerge into the square to thank the british officers for their release ...