More Anglo-Zulu War Bases

Here's the latest set of bases starting with No. 1 Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Natal Native Contingent. The majority of men in this company came from the amaThembu (meaning people of the Thembu), they provided all of the rank and file along with a much smaller number of NCO's (usually 10). The company also had a few European officers and NCO's who were nominally in charge but often didn't speak the language of those they commanded! The Europeans themselves often came from different countries so communication between Europeans must of been somewhat difficult as well! (The Regiments European Officers and NCO's were English, Irish, French, German, Danish, Swiss, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Belgian and American).








Note the two Rifle armed figures standing out in front of the rest of the company - these are the amaThembu NCO's, being the only Africans in the company with fire arms they were sent out in front to engage the enemy with rifle fire. I presume that they would fall back within the company as the enemy approached. The Rifles were probably Enfield Breach Loading Rifles though some Martini-Henry Rifles were issued to the 3rd NNC they mostly ended up with the Europeans or with the second battalion. The companies firepower is diminished by the lack of training and the small issue of firearms.

Next up is A Company 1st Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot. This battalion had been in Africa for many years by 1879 so probably didn't look quite as smart as they do here. A Company was commanded by Captain William Degacher (modelled with a blue coat which many officers wore in preference to red) and was probably about 80 strong when it crossed the frontier in to the Zulu Kingdom. Unfortunately none of the officers and men survived iSandlwana.








Finally these are the first pair of Zulu "brigade" command stands. Each features a couple of Indana's (leaders) and a couple of Zulu Warriors acting as bodyguards.





All figures are Baccus from packs CBR8 (mounted officers), CBR9 (Natal Native Contingent and European NCO), CBR2 (British Regulars), CZU1 (Zulu Warriors) and CZU3 (Zulu Command). Bases are all by Minibits.

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AZW British Infantry

Still no sign of any bases yet but I have been working my way through the first batch of British Regulars. Admittedly I did find these hard going but they did come together in the end which is good considering I have another 174 more to do.....

Here's the first 18:


A close up of one of the 8 figure painting strips:


The command strip including a Colour Sergeant at the end (you might just be able to pick out my attempt at a sergeants stripes on his right arm):


The other end of the painting strip:


I'm toying with the idea of using these across 2 bases rather than just one as I originally planned (and also increasing the number of bases that make up a Zulu "unit"), each base would represent a half company (2 sections) which coincidentally was a real sub-division of a British Company in 1879. The two bases would, of course, operate as one unit.

Having 9 figures (8 privates and 1 officer or NCO) per half company might make the base appear underpopulated in comparison to the 24 figure Zulu bases but a British infantry company would of been deployed in a very open skirmish order with up to 3 yards between men (they don't call it the thin red line for nothing!). So there's historical support for my basing ideas.

All figures are Baccus from pack CBR2.

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Natal Carabineers

Another re-based unit. These are the Natal Carabineers who took part in the first invasion of Zululand in January 1879. Part of this unit fought (and died) at iSandlwana.

First up we have the mounted version of the unit:








Finally we have the dismounted version of the unit:








All figures are Baccus from packs CBR12 (mounted figures) & 13 (dismounted figures).

That's it for now on the re-basing front as I've run out of bases till the next batch arrives from Minibits. Time to paint some more figures....

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AZW WIP - British Camp

The first part of my British camp is now well underway:


I Didn't quite get the light right in this picture as they are all the same colour (same as the top one). I have a load more tents, cattle, wagons and other camp/supply column models to do and I'd like to get hold of some Zulu huts if I can find some in resin or metal (I think Irregular Miniatures do them?). Wargaming the Zulu War doesn't feel right without having some sort of camp to defend, a supply column to escort or a scattering of Zulu homesteads across the table.

The tents are all resin models from the Baccus equipment range.

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AZW WIP

Undercoated the first company (yes there's more than one!) of the 1/24th Foot along with some Zulu commanders. The Zulus are quite nice figures actually and there's 6 different variants in each pack which isn't bad for 6mm. I need to do some more research before painting them as I want to get the headdresses and other apparel right.

That's about it for this week as I'm out for a few nights and have the parents here this weekend.

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Natal Mounted Police Completed

I've just finished off the final bases for the NMP:







The next batch of Zulus are now undercoated, hopefully they'll get finished this weekend then its time to do some Zulu command so I can have a try with the rules.

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Mounted Natal Mounted Police WIP

This weekend I've also managed to complete the 17 mounted figures needed to finish off the Natal Mounted Police (NMP), they just need flocking:









I found the first batch of mounted figures (the Carbineers) quite hard going but the second larger batch for the NMP was much much easier. I think this has something to do with having to work out how to paint a model the first time you do it and then once you know what you have to do it becomes easier.

Next up, more Zulus (48 in all):




And here's the completed figure box which is filling up nicely:



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Natal Carbineers

The mounted versions of the Natal Carbineers are now flocked and finished:









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Quick Update

Just a quick update, no photos this time I'm afraid (camera problems). I've finally gotten around to completing the mounted versions of the Natal Carbineers which look quite good even if their unit is quite a small one. I have also finished painting and varnishing the 17 mounted versions of the Natal Mounted Police, they just need some bases preparing which should happen sometime this week. Once they're based that will bring me to a grand total of 7 companies completed (3 British and 4 Zulu) so I suppose I ought to start thinking about the rules in more detail.

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Mounted Natal Carbineers WIP 2

Finally got around to attaching the mounted Natal Carbineers to their bases, just the flock to do now:


The command stand is the one on the right, I have dismounted versions of each of the normal stands.


From above


Natal Mounted Police undercoated.

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Mounted Natal Carbineers WIP

I've just finished varnishing the latest batch of Anglo-Zulu War figures, these are the mounted versions of the Natal Carbineers. This unit will consist of 1 HQ (2 mounted figures), 3 mounted, 3 dismounted and 1 horse holder stand. Hopefully I'll get time to base these up tomorrow:

Mounted Infantry Horse Holders

Just completed the horse holder stands for my Natal Mounted Police and Natal Carbineers:

The first batch of Mounted Natal Carbineers has been started and can be seen in the background. Oddly I get better photos with my phone camera than with my 14.2MP camera (the above photo is from this camera)? I must need more practice to use the camera correctly.

amaThembu (No. 1 Company 1/3rd NNC)

Tonight I completed No. 1 Company 1/3rd NNC, this is a company made up of men from the amaThembu people in Natal. The shield colours are conjectural so I picked a set of colours for each of the different tribes that make up the battalion. The first 4 companies were all amaThembu, the 5th and 7th were made up of late comers so will have mixed shield colours, the 6th company is amaBele which will have black shields as will the final 3 companies that are made up of isiGqosa - I will vary the markings on the shields to make the companies look distictive. Incidentally the isiGqosa were Zulus that had left the Zulu kingdom some years before, they were probably the best troops in the battalion and were highly rated by the battalions commander Commandant G. Hamilton-Brown (his book A Lost Legionary in South Africa is available online - be warned that although of historical value it, along with other books written at the time, isn't very PC).

The full company including its command stand:

A close up of the NNC bases:

1st AZW NNC Company WIP

Some work in progress pictures of No. 1 Company 1/3rd NNC:

First Anglo-Zulu War Companies Finished (well nearly anyway!)

The first 6 companies for my Anglo-Zulu War Project have now been flocked, heres some close ups:

Two Zulu Companies

Zulus, Natal Carbineers and Natal Mounted Police

These bases are complete now but the Mounted Infantry need a troop HQ each and mounted versions of each base (the troop HQ's will not need dismounted versions). 

Anglo-Zulu War WIP

Over the last two nights I managed to base up 23 stands for my AZW project - 15 stands of Zulus and 8 of dismounted "cavalrymen" (Natal Carbineers and Natal Mounted Police (NMP) both of which were more mounted infantry than true cavalry). I still have some work to do on the bases including flocking them but thought it was high time I posted some pictures (one of these days I'll figure out how to have clickable images):

Here are 5 companies of Zulus and the NMP, each unit of the NMP will have a horse holder stand representing the 1 in 4 men that would be left to hold the horses (this is why there are only 3 figures per dismounted base). The after the Imperial Mounted Infantry the NMP were the 2nd largest "cavalry" force available to No.3 Column until the Natal Native Mounted Contingent (NNMC) joined the column camp at iSandlwana.

Here's another view of the NMP also showing the Natal Carbineers who were a volunteer corps that had agreed to serve in Zululand. Painting the leg stripes on the Natal Carbineers was actually quite a challenge!

I'm actually quite pleased with how these Baccus figures have come out.