Stuart III light tanks of ‘B’ Squadron, Indian 7th Light Cavalry
For those who are still awake, here’s the next instalment of my series on the XIVth Army and specifically Commonwealth armoured units of the Burma Campaign. What was originally going to be one simple article and then expanded to become two articles, is now about to become five articles… Please try to control excitement…
In the last part I looked at the XV Corps Armoured Group, which was a temporary grouping of armoured, armoured recce and supporting units that fought during the 2nd Arakan Campaign of 1944. This time I’m looking at one of the main permanent armoured formations, which fought from the Battle of Imphal in 1944 to the Battle of Mandalay and the final defeat of the Japanese Army in Burma in 1945. The 254th Indian Tank Brigade was continually in combat for far longer than the other two tank brigades in Burma, so I’ve split this article into two: this part will deal with the Battle of Imphal and its immediate aftermath and Part 8 will deal with the 254th Indian Tank Brigade’s part in the final destruction of the Japanese armies in Burma. Lastly, Part 9 will discuss the 255th Indian Tank Brigade.
254th Indian Tank Brigade
254th Indian Tank Brigade started life in April 1941 as the 4th Indian Armoured Brigade, assigned to 2nd Indian Armoured Division at Risalpur. A short time later, the Indian Armoured Brigades and Divisions were re-numbered, partly to avoid confusion with British formations of the same number and partly as a counter-intelligence measure. It therefore became the 254th Indian Armoured Brigade, assigned to the 32nd Indian Armoured Division. In September 1942 the brigade moved to 44th Indian Armoured Division at Ranchi and the title changed again in October 1942, when it was re-designated as a Tank Brigade. This subtle difference in title indicated that their primary role was now one of close infantry support rather than massed armoured exploitation. Tank Brigades would ordinarily be equipped with ‘Infantry Tanks‘, but following the disastrous 1st Arakan Campaign of 1942-43, the Valentine was judged unsuitable for jungle warfare and the Churchill was simply not available due to the build-up in preparation for the Normandy Landings. Consequently, the Indian Tank Brigades were in the process of replacing their Valentines with US-built medium tanks (Lee, Grant and Sherman) and light tanks (Stuart III).
In November 1943 the brigade became independent as it was placed in the reserve of Lieutenant General Bill Slim‘s XIVth Army. The brigade had three armoured regiments; the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales’ Own Dragoon Guards) and the 25th Dragoons were equipped with Lee medium tanks, while the Indian 7th Light Cavalry were equipped with Stuart III (M3A1) light tanks. In addition there were the motorised infantry of the 3/4th Bombay Grenadiers, the engineers of 401st Field Squadron, Royal Bombay Sappers & Miners, a troop of Valentine bridgelayers crewed by the Royal Armoured Corps (RAC) and other supporting elements. The armoured regiments were at full strength (plus roughly a squadron’s worth of spare tanks in reserve for each regiment) and were organised along the following lines:
Stuart-equipped regiments in India/Burma now had a 3-inch Mortar Troop to partly make up for the lack of heavy HE capability. They were also well furnished with 37mm HE and Canister rounds, which were simply unavailable to the Stuarts of 7th Armoured Brigade in 1942. The 37mm Canister rounds proved particularly deadly against infantry in the open and also proved effective at clearing vegetation to open lines of fire and expose hidden bunkers.
The 3rd Carabiniers were completely equipped with Lee medium tanks and had no Grants or Shermans. Their Recce Troop was equipped with Daimler Dingo Scout Cars. Like the Stuarts of the 7th Light Cavalry, the Lees had HE and Canister rounds for their 37mm turret gun, but it’s not clear if their 75mm sponson guns were also furnished with 75mm Canister round. Such a round was certainly manufactured and its use by US troops in the Pacific is well documented, but I’ve not found a specific reference to 75mm Canister rounds being used in Burma (accounts of canister fire from Lee/Grants could simply be 37mm Canister).
However, as described last time, the 25th Dragoons (along with ‘A’ Company of the 3/4th Bombay Grenadiers and a troop of the 401st Field Squadron, Royal Bombay Sappers & Miners) were almost immediately sent to form the core of the XV Corps Armoured Group in the Arakan, leaving the 254th Tank Brigade with a reduced establishment of only one regiment each of Lee and Stuart.
Lees of ‘C’ Squadron 3rd Carabiniers
The Battle of Imphal
In December 1943 the 254th Indian Tank Brigade was sent to Imphal in Manipur province, which was being defended by Lieutenant General Geoffry Scoones‘ IV Corps (the brigade was commanded by General Scoones’ younger brother, Brigadier Reginald Scoones). In February 1944 the Japanese HA-GO Offensive erupted in the Arakan and correctly anticipating a further offensive against Manipur, Slim placed 254th Indian Tank Brigade directly under IV Corps command.
By the end of February it was clear from reports by Z-Force covert recce parties, allied native irregular units and signals intelligence that the Japanese were massing just across the Indian-Burmese border from Imphal. IV Corps assessed that the more exposed Commonwealth formations (20th Indian Division in the Kabaw Valley to the east and 17th Indian Division at Tiddim to the south) would probably benefit from armoured support if they had to make a fighting withdrawal back to the Imphal Plain, so ‘A’ Squadron of the 3rd Carabiniers was sent east to 20th Division and ‘A’ Squadron of the 7th Light Cavalry was sent south to 17th Division.
The Japanese Operation U-GO offensive began in earnest on 6th March 1944. The Japanese 15th Army launched three infantry divisions over the border to surround and besiege the Commonwealth IV Corps at Imphal; The 33rd Division, with 14th Tank Regiment under command, would advance from Kalemyo to take Tiddim and advance up the Manipur Valley to Imphal, detaching one regiment to cut the Silchar Track (a minor supply route to the west of Imphal). The 31st Division would cross the border north of Imphal and drive west to take Kohima, thus cutting the main supply route to the railhead at Dimapur. The 15th Division would advance in the centre, to directly assault Imphal.
‘A’ Squadron 3rd Carabiniers spent the first two weeks of March with 20th Indian Division seeing no sign at all of the enemy. However, that all changed on the 16th, when one of its troops supported two companies of Gurkhas in repelling an attack by the Japanese 213th Infantry Regiment, inflicting heavy losses. On the 18th a second major attack was similarly beaten off with help from the Carabiniers. With the offensive only just started, the advance of the Japanese 213th Infantry Regiment was already stalling due to the presence of just a single squadron of tanks! In exasperation, the Japanese commander ordered forward two platoons of the 1st Company of the 14th Tank Regiment, consisting of six Type 95 Ha-Go Light Tanks in an attempt to ambush the Lees.
The Japanese commander chose his ground carefully; attacking the Lees from the flank, where the armour would be thinnest and where the Lees’ 75mm guns would be slow to bear. Six Japanese tanks attacked six British tanks and the result was annihilation… for the Japanese. Five Type 95 were destroyed outright and one was captured intact (and duly driven back to Imphal, to be later presented to Slim). ‘A’ Squadron’s losses were light; no tanks were lost, though the Squadron Sergeant-Major was killed by fire when he exposed his head above the rim of his hatch. Thanks to the efforts of ‘A’ Squadron 3rd Carabiniers, the 20th Indian Division was able to fall back unmolested from the Kabaw Valley and establish defensive positions on the Shenam Saddle and the mountains either side, thus blocking the eastern approaches to Palel and Imphal.
However, the situation in the south had not gone as smoothly. The order for the 17th Indian Division to withdraw from its exposed forward positions beyond Fort White had arrived too late and they were already under strong attack by the Japanese 215th Infantry Regiment, while the 214th Infantry Regiment was moving around their flank to take Tiddim and attack them from the rear. ‘A’ Squadron 7th Light Cavalry arrived in the midst of this deteriorating situation and on 18th March a single troop was rushed forward to make contact with 17th Division. This was to be the very first time that an Indian tank unit had gone into action. However, that troop found the road blocked in the area of Milestone 99 and they were soon under strong infantry attack. With one tank becoming bogged and the other two tanks being knocked out one by one, the crews fought on foot, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy with the dismounted AAMGs until being finally overwhelmed. Only one survivor escaping to tell the tale.
On 22nd March, ‘A’ Squadron got its revenge as it supported an infantry attack on the same area, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. A further attack succeeded in recovering the three tanks lost in the first engagement at Milestone 99, though the Japanese had in the meantime succeeded in getting behind them and cutting the road at Milestone 96. An attack by Stuarts and infantry from both sides of the roadblock put the enemy to flight and then the entire squadron spent the next week supporting the 17th Division’s rearguard as it successfully disengaged and re-established defensive positions on the Imphal Plain.
On 29th March the main road from Imphal, north to Kohima and Dimapur was cut by the Japanese 15th Division and IV Corps was officially under siege. However, reinforcements from 5th Indian Division (fresh from the fighting in the Arakan) had already made it through just before the road was cut and among them were the men of ‘C’ Squadron 150th RAC, from 50th Indian Tank Brigade. With their tanks still stuck at the Dimapur railhead, the squadron was allocated sixteen Lee medium tanks from 254th Tank Brigade’s reserve stocks (some sources say that these were ALL of the reserve Lees at Imphal) and was then assigned to the 3rd Carabiniers as their fourth armoured squadron, designated ‘YL’ Squadron (for Yorks & Lancs – the origin of 150th RAC). Back at Dimapur, the rest of the squadron crewed five more reserve Lees (also dragooning some Gunners, Signallers and REME fitters in as tank crew) and went into action in support of 2nd Division at Kohima. Thus ‘C’ Squadron 150th RAC was the only armoured unit to fight both in the siege AND in the relief force!
The fighting intensified in the mountains all around Imphal and most critically, elements of the Japanese 15th Division had managed to take the Nunshigum Ridge, which is an isolated feature, rising 1,000 feet above the Imphal Plain, only a short distance to the north of Imphal and directly overlooking the northern roads and IV Corps’ critical airfields. There was absolutely no way that continued Japanese occupation of Nunshigum could be tolerated and the 1/7th Dogras were tasked with taking it back, supported by ‘B’ Squadron 3rd Carabiniers.
The attack was launched up two narrow spurs (the only routes up the mountain that tanks could traverse) and each spur would be scaled by a troop of Lees. The resistance was furious as the Japanese infantry threw themselves in suicidal attacks with lunge-mines and satchel-charges in desperate attempts to destroy the tanks. The tank commanders were forced to defend their tanks from the turret with Tommy-guns, pistols and grenades and casualties were horrific, with both Troop Commanders and the Squadron OC, as well as all of the infantry KCOs being killed or wounded. In many cases the tank turret crews also became casualties as they took over the commander’s seat and tanks were commanded by drivers, who directed the fire of the 75mm gun crew from their driver’s hatch! With the attack stalling and virtually leaderless, the Squadron Sergeant-Major took control of ‘B’ Squadron, while the Dogras were rallied by a junior Subedar (the lowest rank of VCO). Working their way along the ridge, bunker by bunker, the remaining Carabiniers and Dogras finally silenced the last enemy position and Nunshigum was taken, never to fall again.
Lees of ‘B’ Sqn 3rd Carabiniers and infantry of 1/7th Dogras advance on the Nunshigum Ridge
On 20th April, ‘YL’ Squadron was sent into action on the southern sector, supporting elements of 17th & 20th Indian Divisions in the fighting for a succession of villages on the open paddy to the west of Logtak Lake. These villages were thickly vegetated and surrounded by earth banks and thick hedges and the Japanese quickly turned them into fortified ‘islands’ among the dry paddy. Key among these were the villages of Bishenpur (which marked the point at which the Silchar track emerged from the western mountains and joined the main Imphal-Tiddim road), Ningthoukong and Potsangbam. Bishenpur was strongly held by British and Indian forces, but the other villages changed hands several times in bitter fighting over the following three months. ‘YL’ Squadron’s baptism of fire was a hard one, as the Japanese managed to bring their new Type 01 47mm Anti-Tank Gun, which while obsolete by European standards, was more than capable of knocking out a Lee or Stuart and represented a considerable threat in the open paddy fields (I have a scenario for one of the early battles for Ningthoukong here).
‘A’ Squadron 3rd Carabiniers and a troop from the 7th Light Cavalry were also committed to the Bishenpur sector 0n 25th April, though in that disastrous action, ‘A’ Squadron was reduced to just three tanks still in action, with one tank even being knocked out by a very lucky direct hit from a 320mm spigot-mortar (which had been brought to the battle on the back of an elephant)! Nevertheless, most of the tanks were able to be repaired and were quickly back in action within a few days. One Lee was even recovered and repaired by the Japanese, who added it to the strength of 6th Company, 14th Tank Regiment. This battle is the subject of another scenario here and I have another scenario for a battle fought over the same ground on 8th May 1944 here (this last scenario formed the basis for our 2011 Bovington demo-game).
Meanwhile, in the north-eastern corner of the Imphal Perimeter, most of the 7th Light Cavalry were now in the hills, supporting 23rd Indian Division on the Ukhrul Track, particularly where it crossed a key terrain feature called the Litan Saddle. In front of the 7th Light Cavalry was the newly-arrived 50th Indian Parachute Brigade. However, the Paras’ defensive box at Sangshak was quickly surrounded and eventually overwhelmed by the rapid Japanese advance, leaving a gaping hole through which the Japanese poured, capturing the critical Litan Saddle! A counter-attack was immediately organised with 7th Light Cavalry and part of ‘A’ Squadron 3rd Carabiniers in support. This counter-attack cleared the saddle of Japanese and that sector remained quiet for several weeks. However, on 10th June the Japanese launched another strong attack and took several features overlooking the Ukhrul road, known as the Turret, the Bastion and the Beacon. Hard fighting by the infantry, supported by ‘B’ Squadron 7th Light Cavalry soon regained the Turret and Bastion, though the Beacon was too steep for the Stuarts to climb. The solution was found in a bulldozer equipped with a winch; the (unarmoured) bulldozer was able to climb the slope and then winch the Stuarts up the hill, allowing them to join the attack.
On the eastern side of the perimeter, the 23rd Indian Division, frequently supported by ‘A’ Squadron 3rd Carabiniers, was fighting hard to maintain control of the Shenam Saddle, once again fighting over dominant mountain peaks and high ridges, the most critical of which was known as ‘Scraggy’. Again, the tanks were critical to the defence and the Japanese couldn’t counter them. The Japanese army commander had originally sent the 14th Tank Regiment to that sector, hoping to break through the pass and smash the enemy’s centre using his tanks. However, following the earlier disastrous encounter with British tanks and with the defenders of the Shenam Saddle unwilling to budge, the 14th Tank Regiment was ordered to make its way back south and then to follow the Tiddim road to join the battle at Bishenpur, where the more open terrain would theoretically be more suitable for the tanks. This manoeuvre would take the best part of a month to complete.
North of Imphal, the Japanese units on the Kohima/Dimapur road had got closest to Imphal and had established a strongpoint straddling the road at Kanglatongbi. 123 Brigade, with ‘C’ Squadron 3rd Carabiniers and ‘C’ Squadron 7th Light Cavalry fought almost continuously from late April onwards to clear the road and on 25th May finally recaptured Kanglantongbi.
A Valentine Bridgelayer deploys its bridge, allowing the Lees of 3rd Carabiniers to bypass Japanese defences near Bishenpur.
The fighting around Bishenpur in the southern sector continued to swing back and forth several times during April and May. ‘YL’ Squadron were in the thick of the action in the hills west of Bishenpur and on the Silchar Track, while ‘A’ Squadron 3rd Carabiniers, along with a troop of the 7th Light Cavalry, were fighting among the paddy fields and villages alongside Logtak Lake. The Valentine Bridgelayers of 2nd Independent Bridging Troop RAC made themselves invaluable as they bridged the deep ‘nullahs’ that cut across the plain between the mountains and the lake, thus allowing the tanks to bypass fortified villages and attack from the flank. Having been in action every day since their arrival at Imphal, on 23rd May the personnel of ‘YL’ Squadron were flown out to rejoin 150th RAC and their tanks were redistributed to 3rd Carabiniers, which was now reduced to three weak squadrons.
A Lee of 254th Indian Tank Brigade. This one has the long 75mm gun and Sherman-style cupola. Note the two holes low on the glacis plate: these are twin .30 Cal MG ports and some tanks of 3rd Carabiniers were actually fitted with the MGs at Imphal.
In late May, with the monsoon having begun, the Japanese 214th Regiment circled around Bishenpur via the western mountains, to get behind that fortified town and cut the main road to Imphal at the village of Marbam. They also seized the isolated, steep-sided peak of ‘Red Hill’ (Point 2926, which overlooks Marbam at the northern end of Logtak Lake) and even came within a whisker of capturing 17th Indian Division Headquarters! This new incursion was very close to Imphal itself and General ‘Punch’ Cowan, GOC 17th Division immediately organised a counter-attack.
With the tanks of 254th Tank Brigade being run ragged all around the Imphal perimeter, numbers were starting to get critical. The only uncommitted armoured reserve left to IV Corps was just two troops of Stuarts belonging to the 7th Light Cavalry and these were now sent to Cowan’s aid, along with an understrength Carabinier troop of two Lee tanks that were sent back from ‘A’ Squadron at Bishenpur. After several days of fighting, the Carabiniers once again proved their mettle as ‘mountain troops’, as one of the Lees fought its way up the precipitous slope, onto the very peak of Red Hill (shortly before losing control and careering all the way down the other side)! The back of the Japanese defence of Marbam and Red Hill had been broken and would completely collapse two days later on 29th May. Of the 400 or so Japanese troops sent to Marbam, only 40 survived the battle.
In the north, the Japanese 31st Division was being ground down around Kohima by the leading elements of XXXIII Corps; principally the British 2nd Division, the 28th East African Brigade and the 7th Indian Division. As mentioned above, the only armoured support available to the leading elements of XXXIII Corps was initially formed by five reserve Lees, crewed by the ‘rear party’ of ‘C’ Squadron 150th RAC (50th Tank Brigade), who had been left behind at Dimapur when the rest of the squadron went forward to form ‘YL’ Squadron at Imphal.
Lees of ‘C’ Squadron 150th RAC laager in jungle somewhere near Kohima. the Sherman V is an attached OP tank belonging to 18th Field Regiment RA, which was otherwise equipped with Priest self-propelled 105mm guns. It’s difficult to see here, but the Sherman has the circular form of the XIVth Army badge painted centrally on the transmission housing.
After a few days, ‘C’ Squadron 150th RAC were joined at Kohima by 149th RAC (also from 50th Tank Brigade), equipped with Grant tanks, though minus its ‘C’ Squadron, which was operating Shermans in the Arakan. Further armoured support soon arrived in the form of the 45th Light Cavalry equipped with Stuart III and the armoured cars of Prince Albert Victor’s Own (11th Frontier Force) Cavalry (or ‘PAVO’ for short). These latter two regiments belonged to XXXIII Corps Troops and were primarily involved in keeping the route back to Dimapur open and clear of Japanese road-blocks.
Fox Armoured Car
The PAVO were mostly equipped with Daimler Armoured Cars and Dingo Scout Cars, though also included motorised infantry, 3-inch mortars mounted in India Pattern Wheeled Carriers and MG-armed ‘Humber’ Armoured Cars in the Regiment HQ and Squadron HQs. The ‘Humbers’ had a three-man turret, which allowed room for a radio operator, making them ideal HQ cars. From the description, these would initially appear to have been Humber Mk III Armoured Cars, though photographic evidence actually reveals them to have been Fox Armoured Cars, which were Canadian-built copies of the Humber Mk III, being identical in terms of bodywork, but mechanically different and armed with Browning .50-cal and .30-cal MGs instead of Besa 15mm and 7.92mm. The regiment’s ‘Dingos’ may also actually have been Canadian-built Lynx Scout Cars.
The fighting at Kohima was almost certainly some of the most intense and brutal close-quarter fighting of the war and casualties were heavy on both sides. However, over two months of bitter combat XXXIII Corps had managed to steadily lever the Japanese out of their deeply fortified positions around the town. As at Imphal, the tanks seemed to be everywhere, providing intimate close support to the infantry. At last on 31st May, the starving and shattered survivors of the Japanese 31st Division began to pull back from Kohima and this withdrawal soon turned into a rout. As the 7th Indian Division pursued the Japanese up into the mountains and over the border into Burma, the 2nd Division, with 149th RAC at the fore, pushed on down the Imphal road, tackling numerous Japanese road-blocks and strongpoints along the way.
Back at Imphal, the Japanese 33rd Division, despite having taken horrific casualties from three months of continuous attacks plus starvation and disease, now renewed their attacks around Binshenpur. At long last, the Japanese 14th Tank Regiment was to be committed en masse to the battle. This unit had started the campaign with 66 tanks; mostly Type 97 Shinhoto Ch-Ha Medium Tanks, with a company of Type 95 Ha-Go Light Tanks, a company of Type 01 Ho-Ni 1 75mm Tank Destroyers and a platoon-sized company of M3 Stuarts, captured from the British 7th Armoured Brigade in 1942. The regiment had initially accompanied the 213th Infantry Regiment to the Shenam Saddle, though as described above, had lost six tanks while trying to ambush the 3rd Carabiniers and following further attempts to support the fruitless attacks in the Shenam Saddle, had then been withdrawn from that sector to support the main advance up the Tiddim Road. The regiment was already down to 40 tanks by this point. The Ho-Ni 1 tank destroyers (the regiment’s 5th Company) were then for some reason left behind at Fort White and the regiment then lost another six tanks in combat at Torbung. A steady trickle of breakdowns and combat-losses continued to whittle down the regiment’s strength until they were finally committed to combat in early June, by which time they had been reduced to only three light tanks and eleven medium tanks.
At dawn on 8th June, the Ha-Go light tanks of 1st Company 14th Tank Regiment, with the mediums in overwatch support, led yet another assault on Ningthoukong. Only one Ha-Go managed to cross the stream, yet it gave valuable support and the Japanese managed to establish a toe-hold within the village despite strong resistance from the 1st West Yorks (with Sgt Harold Turner of the 1st West Yorks earning a posthumous VC). The 3rd Carabiniers were unable to intervene, as the paddies were now flooded and the only approach to Ningthoukong from the north was along the embanked main road, which was covered by Japanese anti-tank guns.
The Japanese 14th Tank Regiment arrives!
Preceded by a massive artillery barrage, an even stronger Japanese attack erupted on the 12th and the rest of 14th Tank Regiment joined the general assault in an effort to eject the British and Gurkha infantry from Ningthoukong. The 3rd Carabiniers attempted to intervene along the embanked road, but the leading tank was knocked out and the rest of the troop withdrew. Nevertheless, most of the Japanese tanks had bogged down and the surviving 2pdr anti-tank gun claimed two of them. A third tank was destroyed by a PIAT wielded by a Gurkha officer. Three more bogged tanks were attacked by Gurkha Rifleman Ganju Lama, who had already won the MM a few weeks earlier for destroying two tanks on the Tiddim Road. He now destroyed all three tanks with a PIAT and despite serious wounds, killed the crews as they attempted to escape. Lama was awarded the VC.
A 3rd Carabiniers Lee at Imphal.
The ‘Third Battle of Bishenpur’ proved to be the last major attempt by the Japanese 33rd Division to push forward across the plain toward Bishenpur and Imphal. Many of their battalions were now reduced to the strength of strong platoons and the survivors were starving. On 14th June the monsoon intensified and it rained solidly for several days, flooding the plain around Ningthoukong to a depth of two feet and making offensive movement virtually impossible for either side. However, the Japanese were still attempting to attack in the hills to the west of Bishenpur and along the Silchar Track and would continue attacking in that sector right through to the end of June.
However, events in the north were very much going the way of the Allies. On 22nd June, at Milestone 109 on the Imphal-Dimapur road, a patrol from the 1/17th Dogras, together with tanks from the 3rd Carabiniers and 7th Light Cavalry were pushing north when they met a patrol from the 1st DLI, accompanied by tanks from 149th RAC pushing south. With the Japanese 31st Division already broken in the north and 33rd Division starting to break in the south, only the weakened 15th Division remained fully in action, still fighting with 23rd Indian Division for control of the Shenam Saddle. However, with the road to Dimapur finally re-opened, the Siege of Imphal was finally over.
Relief, Reorganisation and Pursuit
Slim declared his intention to continue fighting through the monsoon. The XIVth Army would not let up for a single moment in its pursuit and destruction of the defeated Japanese 15th Army. Although reinforcements and replacements had once again started to flow into Imphal, there was very little opportunity for rest and reorganisation in 254th Tank Brigade. The 3rd Carabiners pursued the defeated 33rd Division down the Tiddim road and eventually reached the 9,000 foot Kennedy Peak, thereby breaking the world altitude record for armoured warfare! ‘C’ Squadron of 7th Light Cavalry meanwhile, was attached to 11th (East African) Division for the pursuit of the defeated 31st Division over the mountains and into the Kabaw Valley, even reaching the River Chindwin.
A Lee of 3rd Carabiniers at Fort White, near Kennedy Peak, during the pursuit of the Japanese 33rd Division. The original photo mistakenly identifies this as a tank of the 25th Dragoons, but that regiment was already back in India, having fought in the Arakan with XV Corps, when this photo was taken. I’m no expert, but the deleted side-doors and riveted hull would suggest that this is a Lee Mk VI (M3A4). Note the long 75mm gun and Sherman-style cupola.
The detachment of engineers and Bombay Grenadiers who had been detached to XV Corps in the Arakan now finally rejoined the brigade and 149th RAC was permanently transferred in from 50th Tank Brigade, thereby bringing the brigade back to full strength. 149th RAC had also been reunited with its ‘C’ Squadron, which had been operating Sherman tanks with XV Corps, but which now was equipped with Lees (the rest of the 149th RAC was equipped with Grants). 149th RAC were now sent to the Shenam Saddle, to assist 23rd Indian Division in finally pushing the Japanese 15th Division out of the mountains and back into the Kabaw Valley. However, 149th RAC weren’t at Imphal for very long, as they were withdrawn in August to India, to re-equip with Churchill infantry tanks. Although they remained on the strength of 254th Tank Brigade, they wouldn’t see front-line service again.
150th RAC (whose ‘C’ Squadron had seen action at both Imphal and Kohima) was also being formally transferred from 50th Tank Brigade to 254th Tank Brigade at this time, though their move to Imphal was delayed first by the need to fully re-equip from Valentine infantry tanks to Lee medium tanks and also by the monsoon. They would finally join 254th Tank Brigade on a permanent basis in November 1944, thus bringing the brigade’s front-line strength back up to three armoured regiments; 3rd Carabiniers, 150th RAC and 7th Light Cavalry in Burma, with 149th RAC in India.
There was a further boost to the forward-deployed armoured strength of XIVth Army with the arrival at Imphal of 255th Indian Tank Brigade, which was powerfully-equipped with three regiments of Sherman V (M4A4) medium tanks. With 254th Tank Brigade still in action, the 255th spent its time at Imphal wisely learning the lessons of the recent battles and training intensively in infantry/artillery/air cooperation and combined-arms battlegroup tactics. This intensive period of training would reap dividends during the coming offensive, but I’ll talk more about the 255th Tank Brigade in Part 9.
There is one curious footnote to this period of reorganisation; The excellent ‘Warwheels‘ website lists 13x Daimler Armoured Cars, 18x Fox Armoured Cars and 4x Lynx Scout Cars as being on the strength of the 7th Light Cavalry at Imphal during this time. The document even lists all their registration numbers and gives their Arm-of-Service serial marking as ‘7’, which is the correct serial for 7th Light Cavalry after the reorganisation, so this seems to be based on solid evidence. However, apart from a few Dingo or Lynx scout cars with the Recce Troop, I can find no evidence that the 7th Light Cavalry ever used armoured cars and every scrap of evidence right up to the end of the war mentions (or photographs) Stuart light tanks. It’s possible that these were part of a planned (though cancelled) reorganisation, such as that being undertaken by 11th (East African) Recce Regiment in India at this time, who were reorganising as a mixed regiment of Stuart light tanks, Universal Carriers and Fox armoured cars. Or perhaps they were already in storage at Imphal before the siege started and were being maintained as reserve vehicles? Alternatively, perhaps they were being held administratively by HQ 7th Light Cavalry for an armoured car regiment such as the 16th Light Cavalry, pending the arrival of personnel? Or perhaps the author has simply mis-identified the regiment? It’s something of a puzzler.
As the XIVth Army pushed deeper into Burma, the 254th Indian Tank Brigade passed to the control of Lieutenant General Montagu Stopford‘s XXXIII Corps, with whom it would fight for the rest of the war. Their role as the armoured element of IV Corps was taken by the newly-arrived 255th Indian Tank Brigade. Next time I’ll look at the battles of 254th Indian Tank Brigade as they fought with XXXIII Corps to finally destroy the Imperial Japanese Army in Burma.
Models, Painting and Markings
The models shown nere are 15mm (1:100th) models from my own collection, painted by me. The Lees are by Battlefront Miniatures/Flames of War, while the Stuarts are by Forged in Battle Miniatures. I tried to get US Lee models, as they lack the sand-skirts of the British models (though I did also end up getting some British ones with sand-skirts, due to problems of availability). The supporting infantry are XIVth Army infantry by Peter Pig.
I discussed the various types of tank and paint colours in Part 5. The tanks at Imphal would have been almost universally painted in S.C.C. 13 ‘Jungle Green’. The Stuarts of 7th Light Cavalry were all Stuart Mk III (M3A1), while the Lees and Grants of the other regiments were a mix of marks. Most seem to have been fitted with long M3 75mm guns, with the remainder having the short M2 75mm gun. Some of the latter were fitted with muzzle-counterweights. The distribution of Lee to Grant is mentioned above, though some Lees may have been fitted with Grant turrets, which muddies the waters somewhat! Of those with Lee turrets, most seem to have been fitted with Sherman-style cupolas with a split hatch, while the remainder still had their old miniature turret-like cupolas (though I’ve never seen a photo of one fitted with the MG originally installed in the cupola by the American manufacturers).
The markings for 254th Tank Brigade are something of a nightmare to exactly pin down. To start with, the brigade sign is not visible in any photograph or film that I’ve examined. This may be because the colours are impossible to see in black & white photography (exacerbated by layers of crud on the tanks), or it may simply be because they didn’t paint them on the vehicles. We know that the brigade patch was a red inverted triangle, with a tank-track in black, somewhat macabrely dripping black drops of blood. This was a pictorial representation of the brigade’s motto ‘Blood on the Tracks’. This badge was certainly used as a uniform patch, though often with the ‘drops of blood’ cut off. However, it wasn’t unusual for a formation’s vehicle-sign to differ from the patch worn by the men; 255th Indian Tank Brigade were one such example, so it’s possible that the ‘Blood on the Tracks’ badge was not used as a vehicle sign…
But I’ve painted it anyway… 🙂
There is also evidence to suggest that the brigade applied for permission to use the XIVth Army badge, though there is no evidence that they received permission. However, according to a book by Bryan Perrett, one veteran officer of the 7th Light Cavalry described his tank as bearing the ‘shield-shaped’ XIVth Army badge (which is doubly curious, as the XIVth Army badge was usually shown in circular form when painted on vehicles).
The waters are muddied even further by Sandhu’s official history of the Indian Armoured Corps, which shows the brigade’s badge (minus the blood drops) upside-down and with a yellow/orange, not red backing. I can only assume that his only reference was a faded cloth patch that he was viewing upside-down? Sandhu’s version is shown on the right.
The brigade’s AoS markings from December 1943 onwards (following the departure of 25th Dragoons) are shown below. Note that I’ve only listed the brigade’s main combat units, as I simply have no idea regarding the serial numbers for the various supporting elements:
I’ve shown the brigade badge above both with and without the ‘drops’, as well as the XIVth Army badge in its shield form. As discussed above, the brigade’s tanks might have carried any one (or none) of these badges.
A Lee of 3rd Carabiniers. Note the cupola, short 75mm gun with muzzle counterweight and ‘4’ AoS serial painted centrally on the transmission housing.
There are plenty of photos showing 3rd Carabiniers Lees with the ‘4’ AoS serial, as well as dark-coloured (presumably regulation red) squadron signs on the turret sides (and sometimes on the turret rear and upper hull front). The squadron signs were sometimes filled with black and invariably contained a number – either white or black. I’d originally thought that these were troop numbers (e.g. a ‘C’ Squadron tank with ’12’), but I now thing that these must have been tank numbers (1 to 16) within each squadron. for example, the ‘C’ Squadron Commander’s tank had ‘1’ and a ‘B’ Squadron tank was pictured with ’14’, which rules out the troop number idea.
‘C’ Squadron Commander’s tank, 3rd Carabiniers, photographed in 1945. Note the black-filled circular squadron sign with ‘1’, signifying the 1st tank in the squadron. Note also the large, wonky Allied star that was applied in 1945.
The only markings visible on tanks of the 7th Light Cavalry are the squadron signs, which were painted on the turret sides. I’ve not found any with visible brigade signs or AoS signs, which is a shame, though not surprising as the tanks were usually liberally covered in stowage. I decided to paint the XIVth Army shield on mine, in line with Bryan Perrett’s veteran description. The AoS sign was red-over-yellow in accordance with Indian Armoured Corps regulations (Perrett shows it as yellow-over-red, but I’m not convinced, as the other regiments all definitely had red-over-yellow) and should have had the ‘5’ serial as the 2nd regiment of the brigade, changing to ‘7’ following the arrival of the 149th and 150th RAC. However, Bryan Perrett’s veteran account describes the serial as ’37’, so I’ve gone with that.
A Stuart of ‘B’ Squadron, 7th Light Cavalry
The squadron signs appear in black and white photographs as being pale coloured, though not as pale as the (presumably) white numbers within. This would make sense, as according to regulations the squadron signs would have been changed from light blue to yellow when they became the brigade’s 2nd regiment in December 1943. This is confirmed by Bryan Perrett’s interview with a veteran who stated that as the second most-senior regiment of the brigade, the 7th Light Cavalry had yellow squadron signs. However, they don’t appear to have changed the colour following the arrival of 149th RAC and 150th RAC (they should then have switched to bright green signs as the 4th regiment), but that’s hardly surprising, as they were then in near-constant combat throughout the period and probably simply didn’t have time to repaint. The squadron signs were invariably filled with black, with white numbers; e.g. ’32’ on a ‘B’ Squadron tank and ’37’ on a ‘C’ Squadron tank. This numbering system makes sense if they were individual tank numbers as counted through the entire regiment (e.g. 1-4 for the RHQ, 5 to 20 for ‘A’ Squadron, 21 to 36 for ‘B’ Squadron and 37 to 52 for ‘C’ Squadron). This style of numbering system was actually quite common among British regiments in NW Europe).
I’ve no idea what tank or troop numbering systems were used by 149th RAC and 150th RAC. they may have used one of the systems described for 3rd Carabiniers or 7th Light Cavalry or they may have alternatively used troop numbers (e.g. 1-4 for ‘A’ Squadron, 5-8 for ‘B’ Squadron and 9-12 for ‘C’ Squadron, with ‘HQ’ painted for the HQ Troops) or they may have numbered the troops within each squadron (i.e. HQ, 1, 2, 3 or 4).
The brigade’s AoS markings changed in late 1944 to the scheme shown below. Note that 7th Light Cavalry were now bumped down the seniority list. While in 50th Indian Tank Brigade, 149th and 150th RAC actually held the same seniority positions, so didn’t need to change their markings when they transferred to the 254th, other than paint out the old brigade sign and (perhaps) paint the new one:
In 1945 all vehicles were painted with large white Allied stars. The Lees had ENORMOUS stars on the side of the hull, which actually wrapped around the front-left corner of the hull. The Stuarts of 7th Light Cavalry had stars either on the hull sides or turret sides. All tanks were also required to paint a circled star on the turret roof or engine-deck, though I’ve never seen any photos taken from above to confirm this.
Anyway, that’s enough for now. Next time I’ll follow the 254th Indian Tank Brigade on the Road to Mandalay (and Rangoon).
As discussed in 
Following the defeat of the
As mentioned above, the only ‘armoured’ unit initially under the command of XV Corps Headquarters was the Mechanised Wing of the 3rd Gwalior Lancers. This regiment belonged to the ‘
As the 81st (West African) Division had been sent to the dense jungle of the Kaladan Valley, the division’s heavier elements were largely left behind with XV Corps. 81 WA Recce Regiment was therefore adopted to supplement the 3rd Gwalior Lancers in the Corps Recce role. The regiment comprised three squadrons; ‘A’ Squadron being Nigerian, ‘B’ Squadron being from the Gold Coast and ‘C’ Squadron from Sierra Leone. 
XV Corps slowly built up the pressure on the Japanese 55th Division in the Mayu Peninsula through November and December 1943 into January 1944. 81st (West African) Division had crossed over the mountains into the Kaladan Valley, where it was steadily advancing on Kyauktaw, meeting only light resistance, building roads and airstrips as it went. 7th Indian Division by contrast, was meeting stiff resistance in the Kalapanzin Valley, though was making reasonable progress. 5th Indian Division advanced down the western side of the Mayu Range until it reached the Maungdaw-Buthindaung road, facing the ‘Razabil Fortress’ which had proved to be an insurmountable obstacle 12 months previously. During this period, the 81st West African Recce Regt had one squadron guarding the Naf Peninsula west of the Naf river, while the rest of the regiment patrolled the western side of the Mayu Range from Maungdaw to Bawli Bazaar, watching for Japanese infiltration in concert with covert recce parties from ‘Z Force’. The 3rd Gwalior Lancers did likewise east of the Mayu Range, with some patrols east of the Kalapanzin River.
Operation HA-GO struck 7th Indian Division with thunderclap surprise on 4th February 1944. Sakurai-Butai, being the main attack force consisting of a heavily reinforced infantry regimental group, struck north up the eastern side of the Kalapanzin Valley, infiltrating 114 Brigade’s lines to capture Taung Bazaar. It then crossed over the Kalapanzin and attacked the main body of 7th Division from the rear. One battalion group, designated Kubo-Butai also passed west over the Mayu Range on the 5th, to cut the main Maungdaw to Bowli Bazaar road at Briasco Bridge on the 6th. The main part of Sakurai-Butai struck southward, cutting the Ngakyedauk Pass on the 6th and linking up on the 7th with Doi-Butai, advancing from the south. A wedge had now been driven into the heart of XV Corps, separating the 5th & 7th Indian Divisions. 
The village of Sinzweya sits at the eastern end of strategically-critical Ngakyedauk Pass and housed the XV Corps ‘Admin Area’. This location contained the bulk of the corps’ forward logistical, medical, engineering and administrative elements, as well as a number of field, medium, light AA, heavy AA and anti-tank artillery batteries. It also had the misfortune to be the convergence point for Sakurai’s and Doi’s columns.
The recent 75th anniversary of VJ Day and conversations with our friend Olivia on the 
The first Allied armoured formation to arrive in Burma was the British 7th Armoured Brigade, which was originally ordered to reinforce Singapore (from North Africa), but was diverted to Burma, where it would come under the command of Eastern Army (the precursor to XIVth Army). The brigade consisted of two regiments, the 7th Hussars and 2nd RTR, each with 52 
7th Armoured Brigade arrived in Rangoon in late February 1942, in the midst of the Japanese invasion and two days before 
With the departure of the 7th Armoured Brigade from the theatre, 
The organisation of these three tank regiments was very much the same as the regimental organisation used by 7th Armoured Brigade, with 52 tanks per regiment, though with two significant differences. First, instead of the more commonly-used 
Armoured crew were initially dressed in Khaki Drill (‘KD’) tropical uniforms, for which I use a Humbrol 72 Khaki Drill with a heavy highlight. Uniforms gradually changed to Jungle Green (‘JG’) from late 1943 onwards, for which I use Humbrol 116 US Army Green with a heavy highlight. However, tank crew seem to have continued to wear KD long after the infantry had universally adopted JG (see photo above of a tank commander in KD talking to Indian infantry in JG). Berets were black for all regiments, though crewmen could also wear the RAC helmet, US tank crew helmet or for Sikhs, the traditional turban in KD or JG.
Note that I have not included the full array of support units, as I’ve no idea what their AoS serials would have been. Note that when the 149th RAC and 150th RAC were transferred to 254th Indian Tank Brigade, their seniority would have been unchanged, so would have simply carried on with the same markings, just changing the formation sign (if it were painted at all).
Some markings were meant to be universal to all vehicles, but were not always painted. Yellow ‘bridging discs’, with weight-class in black were almost always seen painted at the front-right of the glacis plate. War Department registration numbers were painted on the tank sides. From mid-1944 onwards, white Allied stars were meant to be painted on the sides and top of all AFVs and this order was enthusiastically obeyed by the 254th and 255th Tank Brigades, but seemingly not by the 50th Tank Brigade. It’s been suggested that tanks in Burma, like most in NW Europe, did have a circled star painted on the turret-top or engine deck, even though no star was visible at the sides.
Game Sequence
Players deploy their divisions alternately in any order, starting with the Austrian player. However, the 62e de Ligne (Colonel Petit’s command) must be the last French formation to be placed.
The Austrian Army of Italy Order of Battle
Players deploy their divisions alternately in any order, starting with the Austrian player. 
Terrain Notes
Special Scenario Rules
As Mrs Fawr will tell you, there’s nothing I like better than sitting around at home playing with myself and the lockdown has given me ample opportunity! Last month I thought I’d set up something a bit bigger and better than another solo game of X-Wing, but my dining-room table isn’t all that big (3 feet by 5 feet), so I had to find a scenario that would fit the available space, or at least have a map that could be ‘trimmed to fit’ and which would also fit my collection of models. The scenario ideally needed to be an assault on a fairly static defensive position, as those tend to work best for solo play, as you can play the attacker ‘against the scenario’. Freewheeling encounter battles like the 
Above: Here’s how it looked on my dining-table!
Above: An overview of the starting positions, looking from the Reb side toward the Union side. Apologies, but for some reason all my small ‘orchard’ trees are in autumnal colours and therefore look a little out of place for July.
Above: In the centre of the Union III Corps salient is the Peach Orchard Knoll, which is occupied by Graham’s Brigade of Birney’s Division, reinforced by two batteries of artillery. Graham’s Brigade included the very snazzily-dressed 114th Pennsylvania Infantry, otherwise known as the Zouaves d’Afrique, which I just so happen to have painted! 🙂 
Above: Aligned along the Emmitsburg Road north of the Peach Orchard is Humphrey’s Division. Carr’s Brigade, reinforced by two batteries, is deployed along the road itself with Brewster’s Brigade in reserve and Burling’s Brigade deployed behind the Trostle Farm. Note that I haven’t painted any specific commanders for this battle, so the HQ flags have the XII Corps star badge instead of the III Corps diamond. 
Above: Aligned along the low Cemetery Ridge to Sickles’ right-rear is the left-hand division of Hancock’s II Corps, namely Caldwell’s Division. Note that the HQ flag here should be the shamrock badge of II Corps, not the crescent of XI Corps. A battery of reserve artillery is also deployed forward near the Codori Hose.
Above: South of the Peach Orchard, Barnes’s Division of Sykes’ V Corps had been inserted into the centre of Birney’s Division, in order to defend the Wheatfield position. Tilton’s very weak brigade is deployed along the edge of woodland, on the bank of the West Plum Run, with his left flank linking with De Trobriand’s Brigade, whose line follows the river for a short distance before turning left to follow the line of the stone wall along the southern edge of the Wheatfield. Sweitzer’s Brigade is in reserve at the Wheatfield, along with another battery. Note also that I’ve used I Corps HQ flags for V Corps, so they have the I Corps disc badge instead of the V Corps ‘iron cross’.
Above: On Tilton’s right, three batteries of artillery sweep the gap between Tilton and Graham. 
Above: The left of Sickles’ line is formed by Ward’s Brigade of Birney’s Division, which is deployed at right-angles to De Trobriand and whose flank is protected by the rocks of The Devil’s Den.
Above: To Ward’s rear, Vincent’s Brigade of Barnes’ Division (Sykes’ V Corps) has taken up a strong position on the commanding rocky heights of the Little Round Top and has spent its time wisely, building some hasty breastworks from the abundant lumber and boulders around the position. An artillery battery is negotiating the steep, rocky and wooded slopes to join Vincent in his eyrie. The single officer figure on a circular base indicates Vincent’s status as an ‘Exceptional’ brigade leader.
Above: The right wing of Longstreet’s Confederate I Corps is formed by Hood’s Division, which is ideally placed to roll up Sickles’ isolated corps.
Above: Law’s Brigade, on the right flank of Hood’s Division, has seized the Big Round Top without opposition and is preparing to launch an assault on Vincent’s Little Round Top. In Fire & Fury game terms, Law can just reach Vincent in a single move from his starting position if he rolls a ‘Double Quick’ on the Manoeuvre Table. I decided that as the Rebel commander, I would have one attempt at seizing the Little Round Top with Law’s Brigade, in the hope of capturing it ‘on the bounce’. After that I would not commit any more resources to its capture and would instead concentrate on the other two objectives – the Wheatfield and the Peach Orchard/Emmitsburg Road.
Above: Hood’s remaining three brigades; GT Anderson on the left, Robertson on the right and Benning in reserve, move forward from the Slyder Farm to assault the Devil’s Den and the Wheatfield. 
Above: On the left of Longstreet’s I Corps, McLaws’ Division is arranged in two lines, two brigades forward and two back, supported by seven artillery batteries, with the intention of launching a direct assault on the salient. Here’s Barkshaw’s Brigade, deployed to the left of the Warfield House. Wofford’s Brigade is coming up in reserve. To the right of the road is Kershaw’s Brigade, with Semmes’ Brigade in reserve. Just visible on the left of the picture, near the Spangler Farm, is Wilcox’s Brigade. This is the right-flank brigade of RH Anderson’s Division of AP Hill’s III Corps.
Above: Another view of the opening positions.
Above: Longstreet’s assault is preceded by a massive cannonade by seven batteries of Confederate artillery. In terms of numbers, the Union side has more guns, but the Rebels are able to concentrate all their guns on to a small number of targets. Very quickly, the Rebel gunners damage and silence the two Union batteries on the Peach Orchard Knoll, aiding McLaws’ assault enormously. 
Above: However, the Rebs don’t get it all their own way, as one of their batteries is silenced and driven off by Union counter-battery fire. Additionally, in something of an own-goal, two Rebel batteries are temporarily forced to withdraw to replenish their ammunition limbers following the intense bombardment.
Above: Union guns also put an end to poor Dobbin, loyal steed of General Hood. Enraged by the death of his faithful four-legged companion, Hood (now on foot) attaches himself to Law’s Brigade and orders the charge! The ‘Rebel Yell’ is heard for the first time this day, as Law’s men sweep down into the saddle and up the other side to assault Vincent’s breastwork’s. Astonishingly, Vincent’s men fire high and do no damage whatsoever to the Rebel charge! The returning Rebel volley however, is the very model of military efficiency, as dozens of Union soldiers are snatched back from the breastwork’s by Rebel Minié bullets! [in game terms. this really was the epitome of unlucky/lucky dice-rolling, with the Rebels inflicting suffering no loss and then inflicting Withering Fire on the defenders! But worse was to come…]
Above: Whooping in triumph, the Rebels swarm over the breastworks and get to work with their bayonets. Vincent’s men are no match for the Rebels and are driven back from the Little Round Top with heavy losses. The Union battery commander is shocked to see the infantry streaming down the hill towards him and frantically orders the drivers to turn their limbers around!
Above: The rest of Hood’s Division pushes forward against Ward’s Union Brigade at the Devil’s Den. Ward is occupying a strong position, but the sheer weight of enemy fire soon whittles down his strength.
Above: Even though his artillery support has been silenced, Graham’s Brigade gives a bloody nose to Barksdale’s Rebels as they cross the valley in front of the Peach Orchard. 
Above: Humphreys attempts to move one of his two remaining batteries to Carr’s left, in order to better support the Peach Orchard position, but the watchful Rebel gunners quickly destroy the Union battery as it attempts to unlimber. 
Above: The fall of the Little Round Top triggers a scenario rule, allowing Caldwell’s Division to be released. Historically Caldwell counter-attacked down the valley of the East Plum Run and fought over the Wheatfield. On this occasion however, Caldwell advances past the Codori House to reinforce Sickles’ right flank , with the intention of eliminating the threat posed by Anderson’s Confederate Division and then rolling up Longstreet’s left.
Above: With the Little Round Top having fallen and with Ward’s Brigade in the Devil’s Den being hard pressed and outnumbered 3:1, Barnes pulls Sweitzer’s Brigade back to cover the left flank and counter any advance by Law’s Rebel Brigade from the Little Round Top. The battery in the Wheatfield also slews its guns around to face the new threat to the rear.
Above: Sykes’ reserve battery meanwhile has narrowly escaped capture at the Little round Top and unlimbers at a safe distance to bombard Law’s exposed brigade. This single battery was to be a constant thorn in Law’s side throughout the day, inflicting a constant stream of casualties and disorder.
Above: The Rebels had been hoping for Graham’s Brigade at the Peach Orchard to be quickly swept away by the volume of fire directed at them. However, with one Confederate battery silenced, two batteries withdrawn to replenish ammunition and most of the remaining Rebel artillery concentrating on counter-battery fire, Graham proves to be remarkably resilient. The firefight for the Peach Orchard soon degrades into a battle of attrition, which is the last thing that the Rebels, with inferior numbers, want to get into. Both Graham’s and Barksdale’s Brigades quickly become worn and both have depleted ammunition. The Rebels suffer further woe as Barksdale (an Exceptional brigade leader) is mortally wounded by a Minié ball.
Above: Behind the Peach Orchard, three Union batteries make like miserable for the Confederate gunners, successfully knocking out one of the batteries on the Seminary Ridge. However, they are forced to switch their attention to Kershaw’s approaching infantry and the Rebel gunners renew their counter-battery fire, damaging and/or silencing off all three Union batteries in succession.
Above: Ward’s Brigade, isolated and unsupported among the rocks of the Devil’s Den. is coming under intense pressure from Hood’s Rebels. He decides that it would be better if his brigade were to fall back from the rocks and align with de Trobriand’s Brigade at the Wheatfield. However, Hood isn’t going to let him escape so easily and orders an immediate assault on the Devil’s Den. GT Anderson’s Brigade doesn’t receive the order and remains stationary, though Robertson, accompanied by Hood himself (who has now found himself a new horse) leads his men into the rocks. Benning meanwhile, reforms his brigade into a column, with the intention of by-passing the Devil’s Den and attacking the Wheatfield from the rear.
Above: Already weakened by fire, Ward’s brigade simply disintegrates and is soon fleeing in disorder up the East Plum Run!
Above: Hot in pursuit of the defeated foe, Hood urges Robertson on through the Rose Woods and soon comes up against de Trobriand’s Brigade, which is strongly emplaced along the stone wall bordering the Wheatfield.
Above: Ward somehow manages to rally the shattered remnants of his brigade and they take shelter behind a stone wall, alongside Vincent’s demoralised command.
Above: Meanwhile, back at the Peach Orchard, Humphreys has inserted Burling’s Brigade into the line on Graham’s right and has thickened Carr’s line, ready for a left-wheel against McLaws, in concert with Caldwell’s attack on the right. Brewster’s Brigade has also been shifted to the left, to replace Burling in reserve behind the Peach Orchard.
Above: And not a moment too soon, as McLaws finally manages to coordinate a major assault on the Peach Orchard! The remains of Barksdale’s Brigade charges across the road in concert with Kershaw’s fresh brigade from the right. The silenced Union artillery and Tilton’s tiny Union brigade are unable to disrupt Kershaw’s charge. Wofford’s Rebel Brigade meanwhile, shifts to the left to counter the growing threat from Humphreys’ Division.
Above: After a long and dogged resistance, Graham is finally ejected from the Peach Orchard and the Rebels break through! Kershaw captures a battery and Barksdale pushes back Burling’s Brigade. However, Brewster’s Brigade, waiting in reserve behind the Peach Orchard, pours a withering fire into Kershaw’s men. Kershaw himself almost becomes a casualty statistic as his ADC takes the bullet meant for him.
Above: General Hood seems unstoppable this day, as sword in hand, he leads Robertson’s Brigade through the Rose Woods, in a charge to seize the Wheatfield! De Trobriand’s Brigade lays down withering fire, which manages to kill Hood’s second horse, but the return volley is just as telling and is quickly followed up by the Rebel Yell as for the third time today, Hood puts an enemy brigade to flight!
Above: As de Trobriand’s men scatter, Robertson’s Brigade breaks through to capture a Federal battery and the Wheatfield! With two objectives now in Rebel hands, the Union forces now suffer a permanent manoeuvre penalty until they can seize them back. That might not actually take too long, as Robertson is weakened and Sweitzer’s Union Brigade is in the ideal position to mount an immediate counter-attack. However, the Union’s ability to launch charges is severely restricted in this scenario (they have to roll a ‘Double-Quick’ on the Manoeuvre Table) and that is now increasingly difficult.
Above: Tilton’s tiny brigade, still positioned just west of the Wheatfield, is now completely surrounded by Rebel forces and Tilton wonders how he’s ever going to extricate his command. His dilemma is resolved in short order, as his brigade is annihilated by a sudden storm of Rebel fire…
Above: On Sickles’ right, Caldwell’s Division is advancing past the Warfield House with the intention of knocking out RH Anderson’s Division and rolling up Longstreet’s left flank. Caldwell isn’t restricted by the Union scenario rule regarding charges, so should be able to launch an immediate assault. However, Wilcox’s Rebel Brigade falls back from its advance position at the Warfield House and crosses back over the stream to take position behind a stone wall (here represented by a fence, because I’d run out of stone walls!), thus forcing Caldwell to come into the Confederate artillery’s killing ground. RH Anderson meanwhile, narrowly escapes death as Union artillery kills his horse with a long-range shot (the Rebels are losing a lot of horse-flesh!). Lang’s tiny Rebel brigade meanwhile (at the lower-right corner of the photo), comes under long-range musketry from Brooke’s Brigade and immediately suffers losses.
Above: Back at the Peach Orchard, Burling’s Union Brigade manages to launch an assault on the remnants of the late General Barksdale’s Brigade and completely annihilates it. Brewster was meant to follow this up with a charge on Kershaw to re-take the Peach Orchard, but refuses to advance, despite remonstrations from both Sickles and Humphreys. Carr however, with his right flank covered by Caldwell’s Division, wheels his brigade forward to threaten Wofford’s flank.
Above: With his flank being turned by Carr’s Brigade, Wooford has no choice but to withdraw his brigade back to the foot of Seminary Ridge, falling in with Semmes’ fresh brigade on his right and Wilcox on his left. However, this now means that Kershaw is on his own at the Peach Orchard.
Above: Help for Kershaw is soon at hand, as GT Anderson’s Brigade suddenly emerges from the woods , bypasses Sweitzer at the Wheatfield and hits Brewster in the flank!
Above: Somewhat unsurprisingly, Brewster’s outflanked Brigade is defeated by Anderson’s charge and retreats to the Trostle Farm.
Above: Caldwell commences his assault on the Rebel left: Zook’s Brigade is making slow progress as he comes under long-range musketry from Wilcox’s Brigade, though Kelly’s Irish Brigade manages to circumvent the stream and aims for Wilcox’s right flank.
Above: Brooke’s Brigade, on Caldwell’s right flank, comprehensively smashes Lang’s Rebels and sweeps them from the field! Breaking through, Brooke drives on to cross the stream and threaten Wilcox’s left flank.
Above: On Caldwell’s left, Cross’ Union brigade assaults Wofford’s flank as he withdraws, though somewhat astonishingly is comprehensively beaten off and retreats back behind the Warfield House!
Above: Shockingly, Sickles’ III Corps has now reached its Heavy Casualties threshold and all units in Sickles’ III Corps (and Caldwell’s Division from II Corps) will now have an additional penalty applied to their manoeuvre rolls in addition to the penalty already incurred by losing key objective locations. Nevertheless, Brewster’s Brigade rallies and is soon advancing once again, to exact revenge upon GT Anderson at the Peach Orchard.
Above: Speaking of revenge… Despite the loss of general army morale, Sweitzer’s Brigade manages to roll a ‘Double-Quick’ and launches a charge against Robertson in the Wheatfield.
Above: Robertson may have won a stunning string of victories earlier in the battle, but his men are now worn and disordered, while Sweitzer is fresh. Robertson is soon ejected from the Wheatfield and Sweitzer takes control of that key location! However, Benning’s Rebel Brigade has now arrived and quickly deploys to outflank Sweitzer.
Above: Benning’s manoeuvre is not without risk however, as de Trobriand has rallied near the Weikart Farm and threatens to outflank Benning in turn.
Above: Not too far away, Vincent’s shattered brigade decides that they have had enough and shamefully flee the field. Ward’s and Graham’s similarly-wrecked brigades also falls back, though rally at the Weikart Farm. However, they will play no further part in the battle.
Above: On the other side of the battlefield, Caldwell’s Division is building up to mount a three-pronged assault on Wilcox’s Brigade, just west of the Spangler Farm. Wilcox (with RH Anderson in attendance) is positioned solidly behind a stone wall, though Brooke, having defeated Lang on the Confederate left, is now threatening to outflank Wilcox. Wilcox has no choice but to refuse his left flank to face the new threat.
Above: Caldwell’s assault finally erupts, with Zook attacking frontally as Kelly and Brooke take the flanks. However, Wilcox’s refused flank somehow manages to halt Brooke’s charge by fire, while Kelly’s Irish Brigade is utterly destroyed by supporting fire from Wofford and canister fire from a battery on Seminary Ridge. That leaves only Zook’s Brigade to assault the stone wall alone… Zook is handsomely repulsed with very heavy casualties!
Above: Meanwhile, Humphreys and Sickles personally encourage Burling and Brewster to push the Rebels back out of the Peach Orchard. Both brigades roll the required ‘Double-Quick’ manoeuvre and launch their assaults – Burling against Kershaw and Brewster against GT Anderson (who has in the meantime extended his line in order to maximise firepower). Burling is comprehensively defeated by Kershaw in the Peach Orchard and retreats back to the Trostle Farm. Brewster is also beaten off and grudgingly falls back from Anderson’s line. However, despite these Union setbacks, the Rebels have also now reached their Heavy Casualties threshold!
Above: At the Wheatfield, Benning halts his column and forms line to the flank. His men pour a withering volley into Sweitzer’s flank, inflicting very heavy casualties. Sweitzer’s men have had enough and retreat to the relative safety of the Trostle Woods.
Above: However, Benning is himself outflanked as de Trobriand re-enters the battle! Nevertheless, the Union musketry proves ineffective and they inflict only light casualties on Benning’s Rebels. De Trobriand tries to persuade his men to close with the bayonet, but they’re not having any of it.
Above: Thanking his lucky stars, Benning wheels his brigade back from the renewed threat of de Trobriand while the ragged remnants of Robertson’s Brigade recapture the Wheatfield. However, a brand-new threat has just appeared on the crest of the ridge!
Above: At long last, Union reinforcements have arrived from Sykes’ V Corps! General Sykes himself appears, along with Weed’s and Day’s Brigades from Ayres’ Division. The situation at the Wheatfield and on the Little Round Top is about to get interesting…
Above: General Ayres meanwhile, appears at the Weikart Farm, along with Burbank’s Brigade and a fresh battery of artillery.
Above: Seeing the fresh Bluecoats massing at the foot of the Little Round Top, Law starts to worry. His brigade has continued to suffer a constant trickle of casualties from Union artillery and his men are starting to lose confidence.
Above: While things may be looking up for the Union on the eastern flank of the battle, in the centre and west they are going from bad to worse. Having been repulsed, Brewster’s Brigade is now being shot to pieces by the Rebel infantry around the Peach Orchard.
Above: The rest of Humphreys’ Division is also collapsing. As Semmes’ and Wofford’s Rebel Brigades resume the advance, Carr and Burling fall back in front of them as the broken remnants of Caldwell’s Division flee past their flank. 
Above: The view from behind Carr’s Brigade as it all goes to rat-poo around them. 
Above: Having comprehensively repulsed the rest of Caldwell’s Division, RH Anderson joins Wilcox in destroying the remnants of Brooke’s Brigade. Caldwell, watching from the Spangler Farm, can only look on in despair, before spurring his horse for the relative safety of Cemetery Ridge.
Above: Having destroyed Caldwell’s Bluebellies, Wilcox’s Brigade forms up on the left of McLaws’ Division and joins the general advance. Behind them, the Rebel guns pound the last visible Union targets into submission.
Above: Humphreys’ Division disintegrates in front of them! Brewster’s Brigade, shot to pieces by GT Anderson’s Rebels, staggers back to the Trostle Farm, where they find Sickles standing around, wondering where his corps went…
Above: While Burling’s brigade heads for the hills along with the remnants of Caldwell’s Division, Carr, Graham and a gaggle of damaged batteries attempt to make a stand along the banks of the East Plum Run. However, some Bluebellies still have fight in them, as Burbank’s freshly-arrived brigade (at the right of the picture) crosses the river and plunges into the Trostle Woods, with the intention of attacking GT Anderson.
Above: Back at the Wheatfield, Benning manoeuvres his brigade into position along the stone wall. Robertson falls back behind the wall and forms up on Benning’s left. A pair of Rebel batteries also unlimbers at the western edge of the Wheatfield, creating a lethal killing-ground among the trampled wheat-stalks. The first victim is de Trobriand, who approaches too closely and who is then put to flight for a second time, this time carrying away General Birney with him! 
Above: De Trobriand’s men this time don’t stop running, but Union forces continue to build up in this corner of the battlefield. Ayres’ Division forms up for the assault (all the time under fire from long-range Rebel artillery) and he is now joined by Crawford’s Division.
Above: Back at the Peach Orchard, McLaws and RH Anderson have now completely cleared the Emmitsburg Road of Union forces and claim it as their third captured objective!
Above: With the infantry having taken the objective, Rebel batteries move forward to take up position on the Peach Orchard Knoll, from where they can better sweep the approaches to the Wheatfield and the slopes of the Little Round Top.
Above: Back at the Wheatfield, Benning has reached the cover of the stone wall, but is taking heavy fire from several freshly-arrived Union batteries. Day’s Union Brigade has formed line in preparation for an assault on the Wheatfield, but has been stalled by Rebel artillery fire and the general loss of confidence that is infecting the Union side. Impatient at the delay, Fisher (from Crawford’s Division) orders his brigade to remain in column and bypasses Day, aiming to outflank Benning.
Above: On the Little Round Top meanwhile, Weed’s Brigade is pushing forward and inflicting casualties on Law’s Rebels, though suffers losses in turn. These casualties tip Sykes’ V Corps over their Heavy Casualties threshold. Weed loses momentum at the critical moment and fails to press home the attack. Law’s men use the opportunity to fall back to cover among the trees on the southern side of the crest.
Above: Seeing Weed’s assault stall on the crest of the Little Round Top, Crawford sends McCandless’ Brigade up the slope in column, with orders to take the heights or die trying! General Ayres also spurs up the slope in an attempt to get Weed moving.
Above: Despite the support of McCandless’ fresh brigade and the personal intervention of General Ayres, Weed still fails to press home his attack. McCandless however, is made of sterner stuff and his brigade column sweeps over the crest, taking back the objective and charging over Vincent’s former breastworks to utterly crush Law’s Rebels! General Hood can only watch in despair from his position at the foot of the hill as Law’s Brigade is scattered to the four winds. With one of the three key objectives now back in Union hands, it is imperative now that he maintains control of the Wheatfield! The sun is now setting and he prays for God to bring him night!
Above: Sadly for Hood, the Bluebellies are certain to arrive at the Wheatfield before nightfall! Covered by four artillery batteries, Day’s Brigade has deployed into line and is about to assault across the East Plum Run. Fisher’s column meanwhile, is marching to outflank the Wheatfield position, forcing Benning’s Rebels to wheel back away from the Wheatfield, in order to face the new threat. Two more brigades (Wheaton’s and Bartlett’s) have also arrived as reinforcements from VI Corps, but are probably too late to achieve anything meaningful before nightfall.
Above: GT Anderson’s Brigade once again becomes the focus of Union counter-attacks as Ayres’ Division launches its assault. Day charges across the Wheatfield and Burbank emerges from the Trostle Wood. Ayres also sends a battery forward with Day, in the hope that they will be able to assist him in defending the captured objective.
Above: However, Day’s Brigade and the supporting Union guns are hammered by the Rebel artillery – two batteries firing canister across the Wheatfield, plus a third battery behind Anderson and another two batteries on the Peach Orchard Knoll. Burbank, despite his covered approach through Trostle Woods, suffers losses to Anderson’s rifles and the Union assault is beaten off. The two Union brigades retreat back across the East Plum Run.
Above: With the latest assault beaten off, the Rebel artillery concentrates its efforts on counter-battery fire, as it’s unable to spot Fisher’s Brigade approaching through the Rose Woods. However, night is starting to fall and the longer-ranged guns start to fall silent.
Above: Shattered remnants of Sickles’ III Corps mill around the Weikart Farm.
Above: Some remnants still hold a line along the East Plum Run, though luckily for them, McLaws is content to hold the line of the Emmitsburg Road and has no interest in hunting down the last of Sickles’ men.
Above: Ayres’ Division soon rallies, but shows little interest in renewing the assault. Thanks to long-range Rebel artillery, the two brigades from VI Corps are also slow to march into danger. As the sun sets below the horizon, the Rebels start to breathe a sigh of relief, as they still have control of two of the three objectives; the Wheatfield and the Emmitsburg Road/Peach Orchard line.
Above: Suddenly, a loud “Hurrah!” is heard as Fisher’s Brigade bursts from the Rose Woods and storms across the Wheatfield! Longstreet is astonished at this last-ditch attempt by those Blue-bellied rascals to steal a victory point in the very last turn of the game!
Above: Fisher’s column is utterly shredded by close-range musketry from Benning’s Robertson’s and Kershaw’s brigades firing into the flank, as well as two batteries firing point-blank canister immediately to his front and another four batteries firing shot and shell from the direction of the Peach Orchard!
Above: However, there is no Rebel unit actually ON the Wheatfield and despite taking maximum casualties, there is nothing to actually stop Fisher’s Brigade from seizing the objecting for the Union! “Christ on a velocipede!” rages Longstreet, as he realises to his horror that this is the last turn of the game and there is no way to get back that Victory Point! 
This is the last part of my series on my 15mm Army of the Duchy of Warsaw. In 
1st Chasseurs à Cheval (Strzelcy Konni)
Breeches were dark green with a wide facing-coloured stripe at the side and worn with hussar-style boots, edged in facing-coloured lace and tassels. On campaign green overalls were worn, again with a stripe or double-stripe in the facing colour. Grey overalls were also used.
Horse furniture was a dark green shabraque and round valise, edged in scarlet lace. Officers’ shabraques were edged with a double row of gold lace. Saddle-covers were white sheepskins, edged in scarlet dog-toothed cloth and as with the French, the sheepskin saddle-cover was often used on its own, with the shabraque saved for parade order. Some sources show black sheepskins for officers, or none at all, just the shabraque.
Trumpeters of the 1st Chasseurs wore a white habit-kinski with brass buttons and scarlet facings as for the rest of the regiment. Epaulettes were the same as the rest of the regiment, with the addition of a mixed green & yellow aiguillette in full dress. White colpacks were worn by the trumpeters of all companies. These were decorated with a scarlet bag and cords, with scarlet-over-green plume or a scarlet pompom. Breeches were initially green with scarlet stripes, though may have later changed to scarlet breeches with gold stripes and Hungarian knots. Overalls were dark green with a double scarlet stripe. Had I waited for the Rawkins book to arrive, I would have discovered that the trumpeters of the 1st Chasseurs typically had the same shabraques as the rest of the regiment, with black sheepskins (possibly having white shabraques edged red at some point). However, I followed an internet source which suggested reversed colours of scarlet with a green edge… sigh…
As with their French figures, AB Figures don’t produce any Polish light cavalry standard-bearers, due to a general order from Napoleon, banning light cavalry regiments from carrying their standards on campaign. However, Polish standards do look pretty spiffing and emphasise their ‘Polishness’, without which these chaps could easily be mistaken for French, Italian or even flippin’ Neapolitan Chasseurs! So I made my own Chasseur Eaglebearer from a spare trumpeter figure, utilising a Polish Eagle taken from an old Battle Honours figure (also sculpted by Tony Barton back in the day). 
3rd Uhlans (Ulani)
The czapka was made of black leather with a blue cloth-covered ‘box’ and brass fittings. The black lower part was separated from the blue upper box by a band of white lace. The box was originally edged with white piping, plus a white ‘X’ across the square top, but this had changed by 1809 to black piping. I actually painted the czapka top in a very slightly lighter shade of blue to make the black piping stand out. The front of the czapka was decorated with a white metal eagle, standing on a brass crescent, on which was enameled the number ‘3’ in black. A white cockade was worn on the front-left face of the box and was fixed in place with a brass button and white or brass cross. Above the cockade was a black pompom or full-dress plume. Full-dress cords were white. 
Officers had gold lace and piping on the ‘box’, silver cords and a gold cross on the cockade. Plumes and pompoms were black for junior officer ranks and white for senior ranks. After 1811 all officers’ pompoms were gold.
Horse furniture consisted of a blue full-dress shabraque and round valise, edged crimson (gold for officers) and a white sheepskin saddle-cover, edged with crimson dog-toothed cloth. As with the Chasseurs, it was often only the sheepskin that was worn on campaign. 
The elite company trumpeters are recorded as having white kurtkas with crimson facings and piping, with white fringed epaulettes. Trousers are recorded as either dark blue with crimson stripes or the reverse, crimson with dark blue stripes (I opted for the latter). Headgear for the elite company was a ‘proper’ colpack of white fur with crimson bag and white cords and plume. Headgear for the other companies isn’t recorded, so I’ve opted for the most common pattern for trumpeters, which was a white-topped czapka, with scarlet lace and piping and a scarlet pompom.
Again, I converted some Uhlan Eaglebearers (and a Cuirassier Eaglebearer) from other figures and some donated Polish Eagles. Fighting 15s don’t produce a 3rd Uhlans standard, but they do include some generic Polish standards without regimental numbers, so I used one of those and added a yellow Roman numeral III in the bottom corner of the fly, as that was a common way of indicating the regimental number. I did the same for the 7th (VII) Uhlans and the 14th (XIV) Cuirassiers. 
6th Uhlans
The uniform is basically the same as the 3rd Uhlans mentioned above, except that these are in campaign dress, so they’ve covered their czapkas with linen covers (black waxed covers were also common), have removed their pompoms and epaulettes and have reversed their lapels to reveal the dark blue reverse side (the lapels were completely detachable and could be reversed like this to protect the coloured facings).
Regimental distinctions for the 6th Uhlans were a white collar piped crimson, crimson lapels and cuffs piped white, dark blue turnbacks piped crimson and crimson piping on the rear of the kurtka. Trouser stripes were crimson, as was the shabraque-edging. Elite company headgear is not certain, though was probably a Chasseur-style fur colpack. A trumpeter of the 6th Uhlans is described as having a white kurtka with light blue facings and no piping (I clearly didn’t know this when I painted mine!). One other mistake I made is that the piping around the reversed lapels should probably be white, not crimson.
Lance-pennants are recorded as either scarlet-over-white or as scarlet-over-blue-over-white. All other details were as for the 3rd Uhlans. The officer is wearing a crimson Morocco-leather cover over his cross-belt in order to save the expensive gold trimmings from the elements. This was a very common item among cavalry officers of the Napoleonic Empire. 
7th Uhlans
Shabraques were edged yellow, as were the sheepskin saddle-covers. Officers are shown as having black sheepskins.
There are no specifics recorded for the uniform of the elite company. Lance-pennants are recorded as being either scarlet-over-blue-over-white, or as yellow-over-blue-over-scarlet. I’ve opted for the latter version, as it fits with the yellow theme.
Trumpeters are described as wearing a white kurtka with yellow collar and cuffs piped scarlet, scarlet lapels and turnbacks without piping and all other piping scarlet. Epaulettes were scarlet with yellow crescents and brass scales. The czapka had a white ‘box’ with scarlet lace, piping and cords and a scarlet plume or pompom. Overalls were dark blue with a double yellow stripe. Saddle-covers were made of black sheepskin with a yellow cloth edge. Trumpet cords were mixed scarlet and white or mixed scarlet and yellow.
14th Cuirassiers (Kirasjersky)
However, the regiment had suffered grievous losses at Borodino and worse was to come during the long retreat back to Poland. Nevertheless, the survivors, amounting to 20 officers and 77 men, finally made it back to Warsaw and joined with their depot squadron and new recruits to rebuild the regiment. However, as Poniatowski rebuilt his army during the first half of 1813 it was clear that the regiment could not reform as Cuirassiers. It kept the title, though lost the iconic steel cuirass and was now classed as a regiment of light horse, being brigaded under General Uminski alongside the newly-raised regiment of Krakusi. Uminski’s Brigade would form the cavalry element of Poniatowski’s VIII Corps for the coming campaign. 
AB’s new(ish) range of Late Cuirassiers are perfect for the 14th Cuirassiers, as they’re wearing the shorter-tailed coat. However, they don’t do a late Cuirassier standard-bearer, so I’ve used an Early Cuirassier figure for that job (again modified with a Polish Eagle).
Thus far they looked just like French Cuirassiers, though there were some significant differences. To start, the ‘metal’ colour of Polish Cuirassiers was yellow, whereas the French had white metal. Thus the Poles had brass buttons and gold officers’ epaulettes, as well as yellow edging and grenade badges on their blue square shabraques and the number ’14’ in yellow, within a box of yellow lace on the ends of the square valises. They also had brass scaling on the straps of their epaulettes. Most unusually, officers had shabraques and holster-covers of a completely different colour; namely crimson, edged with gold. As discussed above, they lost the cuirasses in 1813, though kept the other uniform details, including the helmets.
Right, that’s it! My next post will be an American Civil War after-action report for a solo game I played recently of ‘Sickles’ Salient’ during the Battle of Gettysburg. I never knew that playing with myself could be so much fun…
Equipment consisted of two white cross-belts, supporting a sabre-briquet and a black cartouche decorated with a brass grenade badge.
Horse Artillery
Headgear was initially a black uhlan-style czapka with white piping and cockade, scarlet cords, scarlet pompom, scarlet full-dress plume and badges very similar to those of the Foot Artillery. This was changed in 1810 to a black fur colpack with green bag piped scarlet, scarlet cords, white cockade and scarlet pompom, topped off with a scarlet plume in full dress.
Poniatowski’s ADCs wore a unique hussar-style uniform in crimson, sky-blue and silver, as shown above. Other Polish ADCs wore a far plainer uniform, as modelled alongside Kellermann and shown in the background of the General of Brigade painting above. This was a relatively plain uniform in Chasseur à Cheval style, consisting of a dark blue habit-kinski with sky-blue collar and crimson piping down the front and around cuffs and turnbacks. Buttons and epaulettes were silver. This was worn over a crimson waistcoat, decorated with silver hussar-lace. Trousers were dark blue with crimson side-stripes and the shabraque was dark blue, edged crimson. Belts were black, edged silver. this was topped off with a black fur colpack with crimson bag and sky-blue pompom. The AB Figures Polish Chasseur à Cheval officer figure is perfect for as an ADC.
Enough for now! Polish artillery next time and then the cavalry. 🙂 Oh go on then, have some more generals…
Here’s a close-up of the 1st Infantry, showing the post-1810 regulation uniform in detail: The half-lapels and turnbacks were white, while the collar and shoulder-straps were dark blue, all edged with crimson piping. The crimson piping also extended down the front seam of the coat below the half-lapels. Cuffs were crimson with white cuff-flaps and may or may not have been piped white. Buttons were brass. 
The infantry-pattern czapka headdress was essentially just a squared-off black felt shako, unlike the cavalry czapka, which was a heavier leather helmet topped with a cloth-covered square ‘box’. All regiments had a brass band just above the brim, pierced with the regimental number. This was then surmounted by a white metal eagle and a white cockade. Centre company pompoms were sky-blue for most regiments and white cords were worn in full dress.
The Grenadiers wore scarlet fringed epaulettes (some had white crescents or even white epaulettes with scarlet crescents) and bearskins with brass plates and scarlet rear-patches, decorated with a white lace cross. White or scarlet cords and scarlet plumes were also added in full dress.
Some sources show the 8th Infantry as adopting the 1810 regulation uniform or a variant using rose-pink instead of crimson. While that would certainly add a splash of colour, I wonder if the pink is a mis-translation of crimson from a faded picture or faded survivng uniform?
While I haven’t painted any of these regiments, the 9th to 12th Infantry Regiments originally wore uniforms with white facings with scarlet piping and brass buttons, though again, most adopted the 1810 regulation uniform or other oddities of their own making.
When a 13th Infantry Regiment was raised in 1809, it wore an esoteric uniform made from captured Austrian uniform cloth, being white with sky-blue facings. I did want to paint this unit, but it doesn’t appear to have been reformed following the 1812 campaign and wasn’t therefore at Leipzig (the remnants ended up as a fortress garrison). Nevertheless, I think I might have to paint the 13th one day, as it’s such a spectacular uniform.
One notable feature of the 14th to 17th Regiments is that their centre companies are recorded as having pompoms coloured by company as per French regulations: 1st – green, 2nd – sky-blue, 3rd – aurore (orange) and 4th lie-de-vin (violet). Sky-blue pompoms with company-coloured tufts are also recorded. Some of the 1st to 13th Regiments may also have used company-coloured pompoms.
In the 1st Edition of Mr Rawkins’ Army of the Duchy of Warsaw book, he stated that the tops of infantry czapkas were decorated with a box of lace tape around the edge and an ‘X’ of lace across the centre, very much like cavalry czapkas. However, in the latest edition, he has revised this to ‘infantry regiments may have decorated the tops with piping or lace’. However, give me an inch and I’ll take a mile… I like the look of the ‘X’ and it makes them stand out as being Poles not French, so I’ve painted it on all my infantry.
Following the disastrous 
As the war went on beyond Normandy, some of the division’s sub-units were converted to amphibious vehicles such as the 
Instead of the usual main gun, a highly unusual 
In addition to the Spigot Mortar, the AVRE retained the hull MG for self-defence and the crew would also often carry other engineering stores such as demolition charges, wire-cutters and Bangalore Torpedoes. To use these, the AVRE would drive up to the obstacle and a crewman would crawl out of one of the hatches (usually the floor-hatch) and use the vehicle as cover as he place the charges. He would then crawl back in and the vehicle would reverse before detonation of the charges. A variety of demolition charges were also developed that could be mounted on frames at the front of the AVRE, which would drive up and push the charge against the obstacle to be demolished and hold it in place as it was detonated (I presume that the crew were also issued with ear-plugs).
Other kit commonly carried included the Small Box Girder (SBG) Bridge (which was useful for ramping sea-walls or bridging anti-tank ditches), Fascines (which were huge bundles of chestnut palings, used to fill smaller trenches and craters) and Bobbins (which were huge reels of matting that would be laid out onto soft mud, to provide a more solid roadway for following vehicles).
Another element of the 1st Assault Brigade RE was the 87th Assault Dozer Squadron RE, equipped with armoured versions of the Caterpillar D7 Dozer. Their unit serial was ‘819’, again on a cobalt-blue backing. This is a lovely model by Skytrex.
The 
Another vehicle used by 1st Assault Brigade RE was the Churchill ARK Mk I (Armoured Ramp Carrier, abbreviated by a dyslexic). This was a turretless Churchill hull, designed as a quick and easy way to place a ramp against a sea wall. It had two treadway-decks added on top, plus two matching ramps at the rear. They would usually carry a fascine at the front, in order to create another ramp at the front of the vehicle. I’m not sure which unit(s) within the brigade operated these, so I’ve marked it as belonging to the 149th Assault Park Squadron RE, whose serial was ‘1236’. This lovely model was converted for me from a Flames of War hull by the supremely talented Martin Small.
The ARK Mk II was developed in Italy, which had matching ramps at front and rear. If trying to bridge particularly deep ditches, ARKs could also be stacked! 🙂
As mentioned above, the 30th Armoured Brigade operated Sherman Mk V Crab flail tanks. This is a lovely Skytrex model, modified by Martin Small with ‘flails’ made from wire.
Here an AVRE belonging to 5th ARRE follows a 22nd Dragoons Crab. A dispenser on each side of the hull dropped a trail of white chalk-dust to mark the cleared path for following vehicles. At night, following vehicles used the array of four small red guide-lights (each mounted in the centre of a white disc) to keep station directly behind the Crab. 
