WIP Attack on La Haye Sainte at Waterloo in 28mm

[Nap]

Hi W

Blimey you don't make it easy for yourself ! ......nice bit of conversion work on the cuirassier

Thanks for updates

Have fun

Nap

 

[The Riveteer]

Hi W
,Sorry to come to the party late. Excellent work I don't mean to criticize your progress so far but though a couple of points might be of help.
The model of La Haye you have used does not appear to have a dor between the orchard and the courtyard near the pond, Without this the defenders of the orchard would have no direct access.
You have not shown the barn door on the east side but it should not be used - it was torn down for firewood the night before and the resultant 2gaping hole" had to be defended throughout the day. Dead French troops eventually formed an obstacle for those following on.
The outhouse in the cottage garden was used throughout the battle as a makeshift casualty station.
The following illustrations from Brendan Sims' "The Longest Afternoon" show some of these features.

Simms' book also mentions that the barricade was formed of half a wagon, farmyard implements, three spiked French canon, some tree trunks and foliage. It was so flimsy some freindly Draggons passed through easily and it had to be rebuilt.

I'm not sure how extensive you final baseboard is intended to be, but by your inclusion of hussars I expect some of the land to the north and east is to be included. The main error made in most Dioramas is the failure to depict the topography of the day. the road out ide the main gate on the other side was quite raised 9this explains why the barricade could not just simply be circumnavigated. The road further south also passed through a raised ravine. The land to the north of the Garden also rose very steeply towards the Elm tree at the crossroads and the road from those crossroads toward Hougoumont had very high banks on both sides (in which the 5th took refuge).

Here are some relatively contemporary prints showing these details, although the one showing th wall plaque is obviously a little later. On the first picture, notice the elevation of the couple standing on the bank overlooking the farmhouse - maybe a littl exaggerated , but not by too much.

Hope this is of some use.

David

 

[Waterlooman]

Hi W

Blimey you don't make it easy for yourself ! ......nice bit of conversion work on the cuirassier

Thanks for updates

Have fun

Nap

Thank you kindly Nap.

W.

 

[Waterlooman]

@David

Thank you kindly for the thorough viewpoints I am in agreement with you over most of your observations, my overall diorama is Seriously impacted by the size of my case thats all ready made as shown, when I was first assembling the ground plan for the farm building and courtyard I was aware that the kit was the wrong size - Too long and Too narrow, my only way to correct this was to reduce the length by cutting out the courtyard to orchard door and at the same time cut down the length and amount of stables. This gave me a more realistic ground plan shape for the courtyard.

In relation to the Barn doors that where torn down and burned - after doing much research and discussing with some historians - I was under the impression it was the outside doors that where missing and where the mound of dead French built up.
After reading letters from some of the 2nd KGL who where in the courtyard my understanding is that they ran back into the courtyard by clambering over both hedgerows and back in by means of the open Barn entrance (where the doors where made into fire wood) and the main roadway entrance.

The British Hussars (I will display Three of them) will be shown charging down the front roadway to the Right close to the kitchen garden building.

I have about a Two Inch strip on the other side towards the back level with the hedge and rear barn, here I will display the few French Cuirassiers and on the Right hand side near the kitchen garden hedge - will be the Ill fated Luneburg survivors.

Its quite a task to stay historically accurate within the size limitations that I have - but I think i'm doing not so bad.

W.

 

[The Riveteer]

@David

Its quite a task to stay historically accurate within the size limitations that I have - but I think i'm doing not so bad.
W.

W
I agree whole heartedly.
I did mean the outer door of the barn. (which is why I said you hadn't shown it on your photographs). I thought you were incorporating 3rd KGL Hussars who appeared immediately after the disintegration of the 5th line formation and made an attack on the cuirassiers to the west of the farm.
I have tried to find photographic evidence of the orchard door (which has been depicted in other kits). That is not easy to find but if you have a copy of Waterloo, Battle of Three Armies by Lord Chalfont, page 138 has a modern Ariel view of the farm showing it right up against the barn wall as per the diagram I posted. It could be a later addition; but as the wall itself seems in some considerable disrepair that hasn't been attended too, I'm inclined to think it was there originally. I'm not trying to press the point; maybe cause for some additional research.
As long as you are informed, it is up to you what compromises you make. I have seen many dioramas including Sibourne's, and even that is open to criticism, so you'll be in good company.
Whatever you choose, I look forward to seeing the completed project which I'm sure will be an impressive show piece.

David

 

[Waterlooman]

@David here a couple of pics first one showing the kit part in the instructions, I had to trim away the wall with the door to meet my size layout of the correct scale courtyard, and also a pic showing how my wall looked after the cut.

And also the outside end of the Barn showing it with out doors.

W.

 

[Waterlooman]

@David here is a written piece from Rifleman Freidrich Lindau, 2nd KGL Light Battalion who was staioned at LHS -

The French halted for a moment; they then opened a fire that did us great harm. My friend Harz fell down by my side from a ball through his body. Captain Schaumann of the 2nd [Light] Battalion was also killed; my brother had carried him on his back to the farm where he laid him down, but by then he was already dead.
We still did not give up our position. But as soon as the column on the right advanced to the gate of the barn and threatened to cut off our retreat to its entrance, we slowly fell back, firing all the time. Meanwhile our Major Bosewiel had also been wounded. I saw him lying on the ground; he raised himself one more time, but then fell on his face and expired.
The enemy stood already at the entrance of the barn. But we drove him back and were able to enter, although at heavy loss. We then loosed off such a violent fire down the barn towards the open entrance, where the French stood in a dense crowd that they did not dare to enter. I had been at this spot for about half an hour. Then I went to a loophole next to the locked gate that faced the highway. Here, the French were so tightly packed that I often saw three to four enemies felled by a single bullet.

W.

 

[Waterlooman]

And this is one of my 2nd KGL charges as accounted -

A short time later, our Captain Graeme had the gate opened, and we stormed with levelled bayonets against the tightly packed enemy. He did not resist because we pushed ahead with irresistible fury. I stabbed and hit into that mass like a blind man in a rage. We pursued the enemy beyond the barricade, when English hussars suddenly appeared close to us. They cut so mercilessly into the enemy that a large crowd returned without arms to us and asked for pardon. Upon the hussars’ return from the pursuit, they led the prisoners away.

W.

 

[Nap]

Very interesting posts by both David and W

So much great info and good to read about

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[NigelR]

Excellent discussion. This is part of the "fun" for me - building models of a historical event prompts informed discussion about what actually happened. Keep going with the good work W!

 

[Waterlooman]

Very interesting posts by both David and W

So much great info and good to read about

Happy benchtime

Nap

Thank you so much Nap.

W.

 

[Waterlooman]

Excellent discussion. This is part of the "fun" for me - building models of a historical event prompts informed discussion about what actually happened. Keep going with the good work W!

Thank you kindly, its part of the experience researching and building - the Two go hand in hand.

W.

 

[Waterlooman]

After doing lots of research and agreeing with David, in hindsight and honesty I should have cut out and fitted a gate by the pond leading into the orchard, trouble is its too late now as it will be Impossible for me to cut out that area to make up a scale gate, the closest I could have done was to have made a painted/weathered thin paper gate and glued this in place both sides of the wall - but this would look unnatural as the wall is Two bricks thick allowing for a gap makes the wall about Ten Inches thick, a gate would not have been made using Ten Inch (plus) thick, so it would look very odd.

So I have to mark that down to my mistake.

W.

 

[The Riveteer]

Hi W
Good discussion. Thank you for expressing your change of opinion. I get no satisfaction from the "I told you so" attitude but it is a pleasant change for someone to consider the evidence I provide with such an open mind. I did, after your answer to my last post, think to myself (after some doubts) "why would anyone build a walled farm and orchard without any direct access between the two". That would mean leaving the courtyard by having to open the very large main gates, going through the barn or making a long detour through the small gate to the road by the side of the house. It also makes sense that if you wanted to water the orchard it would be easier to carry buckets through a small entrance near the pond. Sometimes it's a bit of logical thinking that makes the decision for you.
I agree with you that your wall should probably be left as it is. As a suggestion though, could you not simulate a door in thin plastic card with a faux wooden frame around it to "sell the illusion"; and fix it to the wall after painting. It might not be 100% accurate but could prove a more three dimensional compromise.
Just one more suggestion - as I stated in my first post here the garden outhouse was used as a casualty station. Is it too late to open the door and have a few casualties placed around it to illustrate that function being carried out?

Whatever you do it will still be an impressive achievement, I don't want to dishearten you.
During my mulling over these point's I did think that after you finish this project you could start all this over again and this time depict the Household brigade surging around the farm to repel D'Erlon's attack..

keep the good work coming.
David

 

[Waterlooman]

I have decided (at some point) to attempt making and fitting a faux gate and frame into the orchard from the pond area, as suggested it could give a part 3d look.

W.

 

[Steve Ski]

Build looks good!

 

[Waterlooman]

Build looks good!

Thank you kindly.

W.

 

[Waterlooman]

Evening all, starting to add some colour to my Two Cuirassiers -

W.

 

[Nap]

Hi W

Good to see the cuirassier's being progressed

Look forward to seeing the faux gate when you can.......as I said before interesting posts and great responses from both you and David

Looking forward to seeing more

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[Waterlooman]

Hi W

Good to see the cuirassier's being progressed

Look forward to seeing the faux gate when you can.......as I said before interesting posts and great responses from both you and David

Looking forward to seeing more

Happy benchtime

Nap

Thank you kindly Nap.

W.