Crazy Platen Command Base

After taking a break from Napoleonic figure painting with the Xyston ancients I decided I would finish off a couple of long neglected projects. The 1st is a Prussian command base inspired by a famous painting of an officer from the Lithuanian dragoons (Crazy Platen) and his trumpeter during the battle of Mockern in 1813.

As usual I have made a small video on youtube if anyone is interested.

The story goes that Major Crazy Platen of the Lithuanian dragoons was attack and wounded by a (French) uhlan, fighting back Platen failed to unhorse the enemy horseman when his trumpeter took matters into his own hands. The rest as they say is history. . .

I was quite inspired by the painting and thought I would recreate it in 18mm for my own 1813 Prussian army. The uhlan is actually a Polish uhlan from the AB range with his Czapka removed and placed on the ground plus hair added with green stuff and he was forced back in his saddle with his head forced back further.

An energetic horse was selected and was forced a little into a stressed position and supported on the base.

Crazy Platen started life as a Russian AB figure, had his head removed and replaced with a Prussian head pinned in place. He also had a stray gauntlet removed from 1 hand and his body repositioned a little plus lance freed from its foot holding.

The trumpeter is a Prussian trooper with his hand drilled out and a trumpet taken from a French trumpeter (if you know the AB range then you'll know were it came from). I also added wings to the musician that are missing in the painting (I figured is he was hanging around with a Major than he had to look the part). I also selected another energetic horse and messed around with the position and raised them a little as the Prussian dragoon is a smaller style figure than the other 2. All that was left to do was to paint them.

This is the picture that inspired me to make the little scene.

So not perfect but I did enjoy completing them in the end. It took me so long to finish them as I already had a dragoon command, and my mind set pushes me to paint things I need on the battlefield.

I went with an often discussed lighter blue for the dragoon coat only because that was the colour of coat I had used on my already completed Lithuanian dragoon regiment. The uhlan I copied from the painting is a trooper of the 7th however with a little discussion on the OOB with my good friend John S should probably have been from the 8th? It's been so long since I started them I had forgotten.

Anyway I hope you have enjoyed my little scene and next up some more Prussian foot soldiers.

Happy Wargaming!!!