Reviewing New Recruits (3) : Infantry, part 2

Without further ado, let's show some more of my recently acquired vintage Minifigs 25mm 7YW/AWI figures.  Having presented boxes 1 to 4 of infantry last time, now I'll show the next  three, box numbers  5 to 7 of foot units.    

Box no. 5  brings us a new nation into the frame - Russians!  These consist of: 

 Two battalions of Line Infantry (Musketeers) : 

It appears that all units had basically the same uniform, with different regiments distinguished by their flags. There are no flags here, so I have no regimental identification - which means I can choose!  Just need to make or buy some standards.

Grenadiers: a full battalion-size unit at the back and a 'company' (or maybe two)  of 8 figures with slightly different detail colours.  I wonder if the latter ar meant to be added, 4 figures each, to the above 'Line' battalions? 

 and finally Pandours: one battalion-sized unit.

 So, with 'four and a bit' foot units, and some cavalry ( Cossacks and Hussars, see earlier post ), I have a reasonable Russian contingent  - perhaps not being a 'main army' but a useful allied force  for one of the larger armies (which look likely to be Prussians, Austrians and French ).   

Box 6 takes us back to the French - the most significant outcome of buying this collection has been I have  acquired quite a large French army! We start with some 'Wild Geese' - Irish in French service: 

First, Regiment Dillon : 

 and Regiment Bulkely : 

 Next, a couple of battalions of 'Grenadiers de France' : 

 

Interesting units; it seems that after the peace of  1748, many French line regiments were disbanded. But 48 of their Grenadier companies were retained, and grouped into the four 'brigades' of 'Grenadiers De France' - each of 12 companies of about 60 men (it seems  that each 'brigade' may have had 12 colonels too!) . And it seems that everyone doing an army for the period wants a unit of them, including the various gens who painted these..     

Now for a bit of a mystery unit: I am assumng also French, because they came from a box full of French.. 

 Looking at Kronoskaf , my best guess is  the Volontaires de Kerjean, part of the Compagnie des Indes based in French India.  Kronoskaf has this image:

which doesn't seem too far off, but if anyone has other suggestions, I'd be interested to hear them. Does this open up a whole new front - India! Not sure I can afford to recruit Moghuls! 

And finally from this box, another nice group of mounted officers 

 

I'm really pleased that there are plenty of these coming up, I am going to need  Generals, Brigadiers etc, and they are nicely painted. 

OK, on to Box no.7, and it's yet more French, and some more  Americans. first, the only unpainted troops in the whole collection  

 described by the seller as 'French Light Infantry' - I admit I have not yet managed to decipher the maker's code on the bases, which should  give a big clue ( though plenty of the other figures are not painted as their code numbers would indicate, sometimes not even the same nation!). My assumption is that they will be more 'AWI' than '7YW', as specifically  'Light' infantry really only got going in the later conflict. 

Another unusual group - sold as 'French Light Fusilier' 

 Again, I  think these are more likely to be from the  AWI -  though I rather think they might be snuck into the 7YW as some sort of 'Imagi-nation' unit, perhaps representing some small principality whose ruler had somewhat advanced ideas on new infantry tactics.. They do look nice! 

Next and well well, what a surprise, another unit of Grenadiers de France! 

Looks like every club member was determined to have a unit of these - it's like King Tigers in WW2! Nicely done though, and the flag is good. If there are too many of these, I suppose  the other units might become Grenadiers of some other blue-coated nation, real  or imaginary. 

And finally for today,  back to the Americans themselves, with a unit conveniently labelled '4th Massachusets'

  and a slightly rag-tag bunch described as 'US Continentals' 

 

That's enough for now, though I have another two boxes of infantry to show, this time with a dstinctly Germanic flavour..  I will save them for another time.  I continue to enjoy sorting through all these and mulling over how they can be used, they are nearly all nicely painted and will look great en masse on the table. In particular, it looks like we have a powerful French army in the making! If I'm not boring my readers  to distraction with these, I'll show the final batch of infantry next time. Until then keep well, everyone.