Sikh infantry for the Sudan

More paint brush butchery... 😏



This is what I was trying to represent this time..

35th Sikhs - later period Sudan (approx 1896) from Wikipedia

Though this is more representative - the following is a picture of the 15th Sikh's (Ludiana) - not sure where but the time is correct for their deployment to the Sudan - you'll note the lighter puttee's/gaiters...  all leather equipment is brown, uniforms khaki, officers are European (typical at the time), weaponry would have been the Snider rifle (precursor to the Martin Henry in the British Army, but foreign troops always had one level of equipment older, either for financial or safety reasons - memories of the mutiny were still strong) - details from the wonderful Perry Miniatures page [clicky]

15th Ludhiana Sikhs at Suakin in the Sudan - 1885

The 15th were one of three Sikh regiments (if my research is right) raised just before the Second Sikh War (the British clearly understood the fighting qualities of the Sikh's!), and the present day 15th is the most highly decorated regiment in the Indian Army. They took part in the Battle of Tofrek (where they won the battle honour "Tofrek") and throughout both Suakin campaigns - the earlier 1885 campaign, and the later 1890 Omdurman campaign...

When I ordered the figures I should have got three packs so I was short of figures to make my usual 4th base...  three will do for now and I'll pick up another pack at Salute if Caliver are there..  I boosted numbers with a couple of European figures - the officers head gear is incorrect, but whose to say he didn't win it in a game of whist after arriving in Suakin?

The figures are 15mm from Minifigs and are 'passable' - no excuse for my paint butchery other than that it's been a while and I find it takes a few units to get my poor hand back in to the groove..



Other references:

http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/archivedf/feature-june2001.html

Bengal Lancers in the Sudan

..wonders will never cease - he's finally lifted a paint brush on something other than the boat... 😏

The Minifigs figures I bought have finally seen some paint applied by something other than a spray can (ie. the undercoat)!

This is what I was trying to represent..

Caton-Woodville (of course!) - illustrated London News 1882 - 13th Bengal Lancers in the Sudan showing campaign dress/equipment

This is how they came out..

My research would indicate that three regiments of Bengal Lancer/Cavalry served in the Sudan at various times - there were thirteen or fourteen regiments of them in total but the rest served in either Afghanistan/Peking or locally in India...

• the 9th [clicky] - in 1885 which was the year they became Lancers - there is an excellent regimental history of their time in the Sudan on this page and I recommend it highly - fascinating reading...  I painted mine to represent this regiment using the excellent Perry Miniatures uniform guide [clicky]..  I'll be honest and say I picked them purely because the turban looked to be the least complex to paint!

• the 10th [clicky] - in 1885 at Suakin

• the 13th ( (Duke of Connaught’s) [clicky] -  in 1882 they served at Tel-el-Kebir where they impressed the aforesaid Duke so much that he asked the his mother (who happened to be Queen Victoria!) for the honour of being their Colonel in Chief.

Given they were my first painted figures in some considerable time (the first three or four units after a hiatus* are always troublesome, and then you kind of get into the swing..  which isn't to say they get any better painted, just a little quicker..! )

So eight figures, Minifgs, 15mm, painted with Vallejo and Games Workshop paints, and Rowney inks (turban, puttees and lance pennant).. 2 pts a figure on the Olley scale, 16 points to add to my pitiful yearly score...  

* from here on defined as any period long enough for your water jar/mug/beaker/receptacle to completely dry out...  clearly this doesn't apply to those still on the Humbrol dark side...  

More transport - Zvezda Matadors

Some of you may remember this from your youth.. 😀

Back in this post I mentioned that I'd just completed some transport for my then nascent British Army skirmish force for 1940.. I've now completed a couple more to provide the complete transport for the force...

The AEC Matador was an artillery tractor (OK, already...  so my guys have to ride in something..😏) built by the Associated Equipment Company for British and Commonwealth forces during the Second World War. The Matador was distinctive with its flat fronted cab with gently curved roof, wheels at the corners and a flat load carrying area covered by a canvas or tarpaulin tilt. The cab was made from ash and clad in steel. It was equipped with a winch (7-ton load in its case) like all artillery tractors.

The entire transport, with a Vickers tank for scale - these were big trucks!

..and in comparison to the German Opal Blitz...

About 9,000 Matadors were built during the war, so it isn't too much of a stretch to assume that the army may have "progged" some during the campaign.... 😏  

 

So, two Matadors, 15mm scale by Zvezda to add to the 2015 paint tally..

Dervish

"The term 'Dervish' is used to describe the Mahdi's followers, although he preferred the name 'ansar'.'Ansar' means 'helper' or 'follower'. It is used in the Koran to describe the people of Medina who helped the Prophet Mohammed when he was in exile. It conveyed the meaning of 'disciple', and implied a reward in after-life. 'Dervish' is a much wider term and describes a variety of Moslem friars. The word literally means 'poor' (from the Persian word, 'darvesh') and all dervishes were supposed to have taken vows of poverty and austerity".

From "Dervish: The Rise and Fall of an African Empire" by Philip Warner [clicky]

..at last some time to get up into my (freezing) loft and get some pictures.. I've threatened to play DG but the cold up there is positively disincentivising, so many apologies for the delay, matey!

Herewith another couple of bases of ansar for the Colonial project..

According to Warner, the Dervish army comprised four main elements; the cavalry, the camelry, the Jehadia (these were the rifle armed foot soldiers, who were grouped together in specific units), and lasty, and most prolifically, the 'sword and spear men' (who these guys represent).

My research indicates that they were grouped into "rubs", or battalions, armed with swords, spears and some rifles, and were commanded by Emirs.

Dervish Emir..

They were composed of Baggara's (an Arab tribe from the southern Darfur/Kordofan region of central Sudan, and also the tribe of Abdallahi ibn Muhammad the Mahdi's second in command/planner), Ja'alin's (an Arab tribe from around Khartoum), or Danagla's (the Mahdi's own tribe, from Dongola), and my understanding is that the units could be a  mixture of all those tribes, even though my further understanding is that the Ja'alin and Danagla didn't get on well..  it seems to have been a strength of the Mahdi (or Muhammad Ahmad ibn as Sayyid Abd Allah to give him his full name) that like some great leaders he seemed to be able to persuade peoples who traditionally disliked each other, to forget their differences.

In his book Slatin [clicky] said there were about 7000 cavalry, 34000 Jehadia, and 64000 sword and spear men, so these guys form the majority of  my Dervish force (this would have been around the time of the siege of Khartoum)..

An Emir of the Baggara tribe

 ...and last of all a shot of the Dervish force to date.. artillery top right (an old muzzle loader), ten bases of "Arab" foot (plus the two above), four of Hadendoah (Bejah, the "fuzzy wuzzy" of Rudyard Kipling renown), two bases of cavalry, and two of camelry, plus a few casualty bases... these are based Gilder style with 8 to 10 figures per base, but where the number of bases is the important factor...

So..  two bases of Dervish foot, 19 figures, Peter Pig, 15mm..

More British Army Rifle Platoon 1940.. Third Section

Happy New Year to all!

Onwards and upwards a new year betokens a new look for the blog, so we'll see how I get on with this one for a while...

Back in 2013 (blimey....  really????! 😁) I posted the start of my painting efforts to build a British 15mm skirmish force [clicky] specifically a rifle platoon with all supports, some transport, and a little armour

I've now painted up the third squad with their LMG support.. in fact I finished these in December but just haven't had time to post them up until now..

Rifle Platoon (3 of these make a company)

Platoon Headquarters

• 1 x .38 cal Pistol (previously completed)
• 1 x 2" light mortar (previously completed)
• 1 x .303 cal Rifle (Assistant MTR Gunner) (previously completed)
• 1 x .55 cal AT Rifle (39-42), or 1 x PIAT (42-45) 
• 2 x .303 cal Rifle (Assistant ATR/PIAT Gunner)

3 x Rifle Squads

• 1 .45 cal SMG (40-41), or 1 x 9mm SMG (41-45) 
• 1 x 7.7mm LMG
• 1 x .303 cal Rifle (Assistant LMG Gunners)
• 6 x .303 cal Rifle

Still to do:

• HQ Section needs a anti-tank team (at this stage of the war an anti-tank rifle)
• All three sections probably need an SMG figure (probably with a Thompson a la Frank in Dad's Army! 😁) though I may just pretend that the command figure already has one..
• 2nd Rifle Section needs a Bren Team..

That kicks off the painting total for this year!