German Cavalry


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    With WW1 Russian troops on the horizon, now might be a great time to come out with WW1 German Cavalry to be their foils.

    Cavalry generally had an active role on the Western front during the first and last year of war.  On the Eastern Front the deadlock of the trenches never developed and cavalry played a major role the entire war.

    Perhaps the kit could have seperate legs and two sets of torsos. 

    Double breasted "Uhlan" torsos for the early war.  (Young Richthofen in the cavalry anyone?):

    And single breasted tunics for the rest of the war:

    A mix of pickelhaube, stahlhelm, and stahlhelm with gas masks would be welcome.

    Reasons to do this kit:

    1.  Supports WGA's WW1 line and upcoming rules set.

    2.  Could easily become a Death Fields faction.

    3.  Would be very popular with 40K players.

    4.  Most importantly these guys are awesome.  

         Look at these guys.  Look at them.  

    You know you would start WW1 gaming just to justify getting these guys.

     



  • The "Uhlan" double breasted bodies would be awesome for steampunk conversions.  

    Would probably be useful for Turnip28 and a lot of other games.

    Would provide a decent base for conversions for many countries WW2 cavalry (certainly better than starting with 28mm plastic Napoleonic or ACW cavalry).  

     


  • Interesting read on German Cavalry on the Eastern Front in WW1:

    https://www.google.com/amp/s/weaponsandwarfare.com/2020/07/05/wwi-german-cavalry-on-the-eastern-front/amp/

    More early war pictures:

    More gas mask pictures:

     


  • @JTam cavalry releases could be reeeeaaally cool,  Russian, German and French really come in mind, Russians and Germans extensively used it in the east, while the French, past the 1914 failures, used it really well in the balkans, with one big cavalry offensive piercing the Austrian lines and causing havoc behind them, some major fortification network surrendered to the French cavalry men of the south army, thinking they were the avant garde when they were out of com range with their hq, this reddition fastened even more the austrian collapse after the defeat on the alps. The cavalry men where informed of the end of the war like a week after it as they were on their own (the general in charge of the south army was sure they had died) 


  • @Charles Berque 

    Concur.

    That's an interesting action you describe the French cavalry executing.  Off to research.  Thanks!

     


  • @JTam it is called "Manœuvre d'Uskub" however I did some mistakes by writing from vague memory, the initial fight, the battle of Dobro Polje was against Bulgaria, the breach made here was then exploited by the cavalry maneuver of the 1st and 4th chasseurs d'Afrique led by Jouinot Gambetta, they should have just continued a little to the north, they disobeyed and went to capture Uskub that was the main fortress of Macedonia, causing the collapse of the Bulgarian army cut in half and leading to an armistice on September 29 1918, they then went 800km further north, into Hungarian territory. Their action played a great role in the collapse off the Balkan front, and was seen by their hq as a miracle, considering their initial orders were already seen as impossible to fulfill. 


  • @Charles Berque 

    Really interesting stuff.  Was completely unfamiliar with that campaign.

    https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man%C5%93uvre_d%27Uskub

    (Wiki article for those who want to read more.  I couldn't find the English language version, but Google translate does fine with it.)

    Not the last time speed and massive audacity by a "cavalry" element would achieve great things in the Balkans:

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Klingenberg


  • From Stephen Bull's "Trench":


  • This kit would also be useful for representing Polish cavalry in the Polish Soviet War.

    (Kapral, 4th Lancer Regiment, Polish Army, April 1919)

     


  • I  have got some Polish heads from Siberian Miniatures. My order got shipped just before it all kick off in Ukraine & I received it this week.

     I'm making my Polish Infantry using the the aforementioned heads & WA WW1 Germans this weekend.


  • @Christopher Tyrer 

    Awesome project.

    I want to try the same thing.  I got a test frame of WGA Germans from Ebay that arrived yesterday.

    Thanks for the source of appropriate Polish heads.  I couldn't find any.  Evidently your GoogleFu is superior to mine.

    I hope you will be able to post pics of your results after the weekend.

    Are you painting them with the gray-green uniform?  Or the more khaki 1919 uniform?


  • @JTam  I honestly haven't made my mind up yet. To tell you the truth, my first thought was the late war khaki uniform but the idea of basing the figures on the early war army with all of their improvisations is very tempting! 
     I have a few spare sprues of WA French so  I am thinking about kit bashing. Maybe some Adrian helmets & the odd Chauchat is in my planning. 
     I will post some pics.


  • @Christopher Tyrer 

    What references are you using?

    I too am going back and forth on the uniform.  The early gray/green may win out as I understand many troops ended the war still wearing it.  Making it suitable for the entirety of the war.


  • I am using my copy of the osprey MAA Armies of the Russo-Polish war 1919-21.

     I may also dig my copy of an encyclopaedia of WW1 uniforms which I have somewhere in my attic.

     The good thing about doing Polish forces is the different amount of kit that they used. Old German, Austro-Hungarian, French & even American. 
      Grey/green may just edge it for me too as my Bolshivks are light khaki so I like to have contrast with opponents.


  • @Christopher Tyrer 

    If you mean this Encyclopedia of WW1 Uniforms let me save you a trip to the attic.

    I looked through it last night and there's nothing on Poles in the post WW1 period.  (It does cover Russian forces in the Civil War though.)


  • That volume does have material relevant to WW1 German cavalry:

     

     

     


  • @JTam It's a top book! I just wish it went upto 1923.


  • @Christopher Tyrer 

    It really is.  I have the WW1 and Roman World one.  I need to hunt down the rest.


  • As well as the WW1 book, I have both the 19th century one, which is good but I feel it gives too much attention to the US civil war & Zulu wars. Also, the Napoleonic wars one, which is possibly the best one of the lot.


  • @Christopher Tyrer 

    I know which one to aim for first than, Thanks!

     


  • Osprey has a new relevant reference on preorder:


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