The Battle of Quatre Bras 16th June 1815

[C M Dodson]

The Battle of Quatre Bras 16th June 1815

Timeline 3.40PM


French 9th Infantry Division, Lieutenant-general Maximillien-Sebastien Foy commanding is approaching the Allied position anchored on the Ferme La Bergerie.



The French Divisional and Corps artillery, having re-deployed by Ferme Gemioncourt. display their professionalism by subjecting the Allied troops to a devastatingly effective bombardment.



5th Dutch Militia., Lieutenant-Colonel Jan Westernburg commanding are pinned by French lancers in square and are being subjected to a lethal tiralleurade from voltigeurs in the Gemioncourt stream.



His Grace, The Duke of Wellington has returned from his unexpected detour and is now back in command.



The British 5th Infantry Brigade , Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton commanding, continues its deployment.



Contemporaneously, 6th British Infantry Division, Colonel Carl Best commanding, begins to deploy en potence on theAllied left flank using the Vallee des vaches stream in order to confront the the French advance.



Elements from 2nd Legere Colonel Pierre-Antoine Husson, scout the Thyle watermill and the approach to Bois de Censes for Allied troops.



The Dutch 6th Hussars, Lieutenant - Colonel Willem Boreel commanding, along with Major-General Baron Jean-Baptiste van Merlen charge the unformed French 6th Regiment de Chevau-Leger Lanciers.



Their colleagues from the 5th Belgian light dragoons, Lieutenant-Colonel Edouard de Merx are simultaneously engaging the French 1st Chasseurs a cheval under the command of Colonel Pierre Joseph Simonneau.



Meanwhile in the Bois de Bossau the French 1st Legere, Colonel Amedee-Louis Cubieres commanding is heavily engaged by the Gemioncourt stream. This Nassau line of resistance is currently the last obstacle to the French advance through the wood.





The Anglo Dutch force is now seriously threatened but welcome reinforcements in the form of the Brunswick Corps, General Fredrich Wilhelm, Duke of Brunswick commanding, are fast approaching Quatre Bras.





The sands of time are running out, but for whom?

[Bluefalchion]

How big is this display? In these photographs, it seems it would need a small concert hall or a large gymnasium...

[C M Dodson]

Hi.

The table is approximately 4.5 by 2 metres.

Best wishes,

Chris

[Marvin]

Hi.

The table is approximately 4.5 by 2 metres.

Best wishes,

Chris

Astonishingly good - better than a movie!

[sberry]

This is really world class stuff: the sheer size, the quality of the paint job, the many details and the realistic landscape ... and in addition to all this the photography is excellent, too. Everything is just perfect!

[Graeme]

Astonishingly good - better than a movie!

Exactly, my first thought when I saw the aerial shot of Picton's Division deploying was "Better than De Laurentiis". The landscapes are totally real and the figures seem to come to life inside them.

I think we're getting a real feel for this battle here; the refight seems to have been on a knife edge the whole way through. The original battle must been like that.

[Susofrick]

This is the best!!!

[Bramble15]

Amazing effort indeed! Wonderful painting. display work and overall passion for this project!

[Beano Boy]

Wonderful Display. :Bravo!
I can almost smell the gun powder. BB

[C M Dodson]

THE BATTLE OF QUATRE BRAS JUNE 16th 1815


Timeline 4PM

The Dutch 6th Hussars, Lieutenant-Colonel William Boreel commanding are engaging the French 6th Regiment de Chevau-Leger lanciers under Colonel Nicholas-Marie de Galbois.



The French 1st Brigade, Marechall de camp Baron Jean-Joseph Gauthier is now engaged in a fire fight with the Nassau infantry by the Ferme de la Bergerie. Marshall Ney, the bravest of the brave leads by example.




His Majesty's 79th Regiment of foot, the Cameron highlanders, have formed square in order to repel an unformed attack by chasseurs a cheval from the 6th Regiment, led by Colonel Paul-Eugene de Faudouas.




The French flanking attack down the Namur Nivelles road continues with the support of the 2nd French cavalry's Divisions horse artillery.



Welcome news for the Allies arrives in the form of elements of the Brunswick Corps led by their commanding officer, General Friedrich Wilhelm, Herzog von Braunchweig-Luneburg and also the 2nd Hanoverian Foot Artillery, Captain Carl von Rettburg commanding.







His Grace, The Duke of Wellington is comforted by the arrival of reinforcements but is acutely aware that the full weight of the French advance will shortly be upon him. His line of communication with Field Marshall Blucher has been severed and neither ally is now capable of offering support.

Avant mes braves!

[Konrad]

Fantastic!
Simply fantastic!

[Paul]

Fantastic!
Simply fantastic!

I´ll second that
Your eye for composition and creating action scenes is , IMHO, second to None.

[Rich W]

As always, wonderful stuff!

[Graeme]

Excellent work once again. The melee scenes are fabulous and so is the scene of the gunners putting their shoulders to the wheels of the gun and amunition carriage. The casualty figures in the second pic are very realistic.

Brunswick looks cool and I really like the lancers with him, I do like that uniform.

[Susofrick]

Wow! Much better than anything on the telly (no, not Savalas! That square thing with a glass front!)

[C M Dodson]

Thank you to everyone for their very kind comments.

It is the support and suggestions of members that help to keep raising the bar.

My special thanks to Grahame for not only his lovely thoughts but also for S uggesting the Herzog pipe theme. I pinched his from the Itallieri ACW artillery limber rider.

The French have now crossed the obstacle course of their approach and are about to get to grips with Picton’s division.

Will history repeat itself?

Happy modelling,

Chris

[C M Dodson]

The Battle of Quatre Bras 16th June 1815


Timeline 4.20PM

1st French Brigade, Marechal-de-camp Baron Pierre-Francois Bauduin commanding, is making good progress against a faltering resistance in the Bois de Bossau.



Brunswickers from the Avantgarde, under Major Adolf von Rauschenplatt comprising Gelernte-Jager and Light Infantry deploy in support of their Nassau and Belgian comrades.



French artillery assembled on the Heights of Gemioncourt are engaging the British infantry of Picton's 5th British Infantry Division.



British and Hanoverian artillery units are now in action giving the Duke some much needed artillery support.




Having routed the initial Nassau opposition, the French 1st Infantry Brigade, Marechal-de-camp Baron Jean-Joseph Gauthier is now confronted by His Britannic Majesty's 42nd Regiment of foot, The Black Watch, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Robert Macara, commanding.

This unit is supported by 44th Regiment of foot, the East Essex, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel John Hammerton.




Contemporaneously, Marechal Ney, is located by an aide de camp from 2nd Brigade 11th French Cavalry Division and informed that Lieutenant-general Samuel-Francois, Baron L'Heritier is awaiting orders.



Meanwhile, French 2nd Infantry Brigade, Marechal-de-camp Baron Jean-Louis Soye is advancing rapidly down the Brussels road towards the crossroads in support.



The Duke is heartened by the arrival of the Brunswick Hussars, Major Frederich von Cramm in command.



On the Allied left the 6th Dutch Hussars, Lieutenant-Colonel Willem Boreel having seen off the French 6th Chevau-Legers-Lanciers are assailed by by their comrades from the 5th, Colonel Jean-Francois Jacqueminot comanding.



French 5th Infantry Division, Lieutenant-general Baron Gilbert-Desiree Bachelu has now crossed the Gemioncourt stream and is attacking 8th British Infantry Brigade, Major-General Sir James Kempt.










The Allies are now engaged along their whole front as well as their left flank on the Namur road.

3rd British Infantry Division, Lieutenant-General Count Carl von Alten, the nearest reinforcement is nearly an hours march distant.

For England and St. George. Advance!

[ells10]

Brilliant, lost for words, you are a true master, well done.

[Wiking]

Your work is unbelivable.


The pic with the window is a nice well done idea.

[GumSmith]

Hi CMD,
very impressive display, my highest respect for the overall display. Great !

cheers Oke