The Brunswickers didn`t arrive in the Peninsular until 1812, but my Officer and his men start in the 60th Rifles during the 1808 campaign. The 60th had emigre Germans in the ranks, and the experienced Hauptmann von Weißmehr has been fighting Napoleon since 1805.
LIGHT COLUMN FORCE 60th Rifles
Captain Quitte Von Weißmehr Leader, Status III (9)
Wachtmiester Feuct Leader, Status II (6)
Lt Binky Snetterton-Lewis Leader, Status I (3)
Four Groups of 6 95th Rifles, Rifles (12)
Point Value: 66
The Rifles have four groups of six skirmishers, with a Captain, Lieutenant and Sergeant. The Lieutenant is Binky, and since the men have little respect for him he is only Status I. Sergeant Feuct, who also holds the traditional Bruswick rank of Wachtmiester is a much more respectable level II
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| I did some work on my buildings this week too. Only an old wooden barn to complete now... (and painting that roof on the house in the far left) |
I built some flexibility into the Company despite its small size. On table forces cannot change between Line and Skirmisher, but Skirmish units would use formed up supports, so the rifles have the option of deploying up to two of the Skirmish groups as Line, effectively adding four men (who will be re-used Portuguese cacadores, but note my comments on troops appearance and supply above.) This would alter the points cost for the company to 58pts. (Most of my Peninsular War Companies are costed at 60 points.)
Having fought through the Vimeiro Campaign I have a detailed background for the Company, and its usual choice of supports...
#1 Hauptmann Quitte Von Weißmehr.
Captain Quitte von Weißmehr is a native of Duisburg in the old Duchy of Cleves. Once Baron of the Schloss Weißmehr, before the unfortunate affair at Austerlitz he is now exiled to serve in the Britsh Army. He is a great friend of the Duke of Brunswick as well as the inventor Bartholomäus Girandoni, and has a custom made Girandoni Air Rifle, also known as the Windbüchse ("wind rifle") which he used at Austerlitz, just before everyone else ran away. This remarkable weapon fires 12 shots in rapid succession, and is reloaded with a magazine tube of 20 bullets. It accounts for the Captains nickname in the rifles “Old Windy.”
Famous for his service with The Oels Jager during the later part of the Peninsular war, few realise that the Captain actually served in the 60th Rifles before his transfer to the Portuguese Cacadores after Corunna. With the arrival of the Duke of Brunswick in the Peninsular von Weißmehr was quickly offered a post in the Black Band, where he served famously until his death defending the Duke at Quatre Bras.
#2 Lieutenant Charles "Binky" Snetterton-Lewis, commission purchased by pater and in bright new boots and uniform. Binky is a little dim.
#3 Sergeant Otto "Wachtmeister" Feuct, the captain's butler at Schloss Weißmehr. He is prim and proper, and the ladies swoon for his bristling moustaches.
Physic – 1pt aka Dr Gordon Ottershaw, dentist, freemason and ferret wrangler
Musician – 1pt aka young William Elliot, bugler and company dancer
Level 1 officer – 3pts aka Sergeant Harold Lime, procurer of sundries and rarities. (Killed at Vimeiro)
Scout – 3pts aka The Masked Shadow
von Weißmehr's Pocket Book
- Bodo Von Wiessmehr, the Captain's evil brother. Serves the French as a Dragoon Officer.
- His Excellency The Count of Pantalones, Portuguese Colonel
- Mrs Needle. Spanish Guerilla leader.
- Tyrolian inventor Bartholomäus Girandoni.
- The sickly Leutnant Christoph von Wankendorf,
- The youthful Oberfähnrich Botho Feuchtwangen,
- The notorious Hauptgefreiter Norbert Kotzen
- and his partner in crime Gefreiter Dolf Rimsting.
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| The Wachtmeister, directing his "Kinder" towards the enemy. |
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