My thoughts on Using Big Base Liberators Figures of 1817-18 for 1815 highlighted a few gaps that I needed to fill before I could refight Sipe Sipe. I could use some figures from my Royalists of 1817 and 1818 but there were a fair few units that didn’t have a direct equivalent. That gave me an excuse to get some more. Okay, it isn’t hard to convince me to get more figures – in this case it just took some fancy uniforms that aren’t seen in other years of the Wars of South American Liberation.
General
The Spanish commander at Sipe Sipe was Brigadier General Joaquin de la Pezuela. An elderly but able commander. The Pezuela pack from Grenadier Productions comes up nicely when painted.
Cavalry
There wasn’t much Royalist cavalry at Sipe Sipe and most of it I have figures for or approximations. There is only one exception.
Guardia del General Cavalry
The General’s bodyguard squadron wore the normal Blue Royalist uniform but with a helmet. I haven’t had an excuse to buy the helmeted cavalry figures from Grenadier Productions before so grabbed the chance.
Infantry
The infantry is where most of the new units appear. Quite a few units break the shako with blue uniform and red facings of most Royalist infantry of the period.
General’s Battalion – Fusiliers
Weirdly the General’s Battalion contained two battalions: Fusiliers and Grenadiers. And I couldn’t resist getting both because of their uniform. Green jacket and purple trousers no less! The officers wore white trousers. The Fusiliers are distinguished by a green pompom on their shako.
The figures are Grenadier Productions Royalist elite infantry of 1817-18.
General’s Battalion – Grenadiers
This is the other battalion of the two battalion General’s Battalion (weird I know). Same great uniform – Green jacket and purple trousers – but the Grenadiers are distinguished by a red pompom on their shako. The officers wore white trousers.
The figures are Grenadier Productions Royalist elite infantry of 1817-18.
Fernando VII Regiment
The Fernando VII Regiment wore a green jacket and white trousers. The shako has the normal company distinctions. The figures are the Grenadier Productions Royalist infantry of 1817-18.
Royalist Reserve Grenadiers
Proper Grenadiers in proper bearskins! Otherwise the normal Royalist blue uniform with red facings.
The figures are Spanish Grenadiers from Fantassin/War Modelling.
Partidario Battalion
This unit has a blue uniform – both jacket and trousers. The shako is unusual because of the colpak.
I used Argentine Grenadier figures of 1817-18 from Grenadier Productions. These are the only figures I know of with the correct shako. The command figures are the normal Royalist figures.
Cazadore Battalion
The Royalist Cazadore Battalion in 1815 had a distinctive uniform – green with red facings (collar, cuffs, turn backs) and white braid across the chest of the single breasted coat. It is the coat that is posing the challenge for me when thinking about wargaming figures. That combination of turn backs, single breasted and braid. To get the correct shako and jacket I used Chilean Cazadore figures from Grenadier Productions.
Artillery
I’ve already got some Royalist artillery in my 1817-18 army but I need more 4 pounder guns.
Acknowledgements
Martin Boulter from Silurian Wargames Limited painted the Royalists of 1815. He uses a style that is similar to the Black Undercoat Method of painting but uses more shades. I based them using Sand, Flat Earth paint, and Dry Brushing on Big Bases.
Most figures are the 15mm range from Grenadier Productions. The exception are the Reserve Grenadiers; they are from Fantassin/War Modelling.
Generic Spanish Flags are from War Flag.
Uniform guides were the books by John Fletcher of Grenadier Productions (Fletcher, 2005, 2006) in particular the illustrations by Prof. Julio Luqui Lagleyze and Cesar Puliafito that appear in Fletcher (2005, p. 28 – 36) and the various books by Pedrazzoli (2009, 2010, 2011).
References
Fletcher, J. (2005). Liberators! Volume 1: The War in the South. Grenadier Productions.
Fletcher, J. (2006). Liberators! Supplement 1: The War in the South. Grenadier Productions.
Liberators 1810-1830 Yahoo Discussion Forum
Luqui Lagleyze, J. M., and Manzano Lahoz, A. (1998). «Los Realistas» (1810-1826): Virreinatos del Perú y del Rio de la Plata, y Capitanía General de Chile [Hombres en Uniforme No 5]. Quiron Ediciones. [Spanish]
Pedrazzoli, F. D. (2009). Viluma 1815: The revolution beheaded. Madrid, Spain: Regimentos de America.
Pedrazzoli, F. D. (2010). Uniforms of the Northern Army: Infantry – Upper Peru 1814-15. Madrid, Spain: Regimentos de America.
Pedrazzoli, F. D. (2011). Pezuela’s Army Uniforms: Infantry – Upper Peru 1813-15. Madrid, Spain: Regimentos de America.