Here I am again with news from the bench,
This time we are looking at one of many releases in a flush of Autumn resin from the prolific company from Russia called Altores Studio ( YES I will be doing more in the very near future).
In this visit to them we will be travelling back to the French Indian Wars and a regiment that fought at the Battle of Ticonderoga on July 8th 1758....The Black Watch
Battle of Carillon (later known as Ticonderoga).
For over four hours during the afternoon of July 8, 1758, British and French forces ruthlessly clashed in upstate New York atop the heights west of Fort Carillon, producing over 2,400 casualties – nearly 2,000 of them English. In a year of such memorable British triumphs this was truly an incredible and most tragic disaster. By nightfall, Major General James Abercromby’s army was in full retreat up Lake George, and the Marquis de Montcalm’s courageous Frenchmen remained behind their earthworks, celebrating a victory.
On July 8, 1758, the 80th Light Infantry, Rogers’ Rangers, and a battalion of Massachusetts light infantrymen advanced forward in a long skirmish line, driving the French pickets before them back to the earthworks. With the ground in front of the French position clear it was time to launch the grand European-style assault. Stepping out from the tree line at the base of the heights, over six-thousand men garbed in scarlet red moved forward in a line three ranks deep. The beating of drums and the shrill of the fifes pierced the air, and the shrill of Scottish bagpipes reverberated from the musicians amongst the 42nd Regiment of Foot – the “Black Watch” – near the center of the line. Forward they went with undaunted courage only to be cut to pieces by French small arms fire upon reaching their target .There the dead and dying lay tangled amidst the branches as their comrades struggled to press forward.
Again and again the regulars were ordered to advance, only to be met with the same result each attempt. Nearly four hours had passed since the initial line had stepped off and the situation was beginning to become desperate. In a last-ditch effort to pierce the French earthworks and turn the tide of the battle, the 42nd Regiment of Foot emerged and with a terrible cry the “Ladies from Hell,” charged forward.
"With a mixture of esteem, grief, and envy, I am penetrated by the great loss and immortal glory acquired by the Highlanders engaged in the late bloody affair. Impatient for the fray, they rushed forward to the entrenchments, which many of them actually mounted. Their intrepidity was rather animated and damped by witnessing their comrades fall on every side. They seemed more anxious to avenge the fate of their deceased friends than careful to avoid a like death"
The Regiment had established itself with glory but at a heavy cost .
The regiments colours were changed in 1759 from the 1756 stand
to
Books are available here are a few I would recommend
And some reference pictures for you:
Continued in next post
Nap
This time we are looking at one of many releases in a flush of Autumn resin from the prolific company from Russia called Altores Studio ( YES I will be doing more in the very near future).
Altores have established themselves with many releases in all scales ranging from 54mm to 1/10th busts , single figures and vignettes all covering a wide variety of historical periods and subject matter.In this visit to them we will be travelling back to the French Indian Wars and a regiment that fought at the Battle of Ticonderoga on July 8th 1758....The Black Watch
The release:
Battle of Carillon (later known as Ticonderoga).
For over four hours during the afternoon of July 8, 1758, British and French forces ruthlessly clashed in upstate New York atop the heights west of Fort Carillon, producing over 2,400 casualties – nearly 2,000 of them English. In a year of such memorable British triumphs this was truly an incredible and most tragic disaster. By nightfall, Major General James Abercromby’s army was in full retreat up Lake George, and the Marquis de Montcalm’s courageous Frenchmen remained behind their earthworks, celebrating a victory.
On July 8, 1758, the 80th Light Infantry, Rogers’ Rangers, and a battalion of Massachusetts light infantrymen advanced forward in a long skirmish line, driving the French pickets before them back to the earthworks. With the ground in front of the French position clear it was time to launch the grand European-style assault. Stepping out from the tree line at the base of the heights, over six-thousand men garbed in scarlet red moved forward in a line three ranks deep. The beating of drums and the shrill of the fifes pierced the air, and the shrill of Scottish bagpipes reverberated from the musicians amongst the 42nd Regiment of Foot – the “Black Watch” – near the center of the line. Forward they went with undaunted courage only to be cut to pieces by French small arms fire upon reaching their target .There the dead and dying lay tangled amidst the branches as their comrades struggled to press forward.
Again and again the regulars were ordered to advance, only to be met with the same result each attempt. Nearly four hours had passed since the initial line had stepped off and the situation was beginning to become desperate. In a last-ditch effort to pierce the French earthworks and turn the tide of the battle, the 42nd Regiment of Foot emerged and with a terrible cry the “Ladies from Hell,” charged forward.
As the “Black Watch” advanced up the heights, an officer of the 55th Regiment of Foot watched in admiration and said:"With a mixture of esteem, grief, and envy, I am penetrated by the great loss and immortal glory acquired by the Highlanders engaged in the late bloody affair. Impatient for the fray, they rushed forward to the entrenchments, which many of them actually mounted. Their intrepidity was rather animated and damped by witnessing their comrades fall on every side. They seemed more anxious to avenge the fate of their deceased friends than careful to avoid a like death"
The “intrepidity” of the 42nd Regiment was not enough to carry the works. Their dedication and valour that day cost them dearly . Of the 900 or so men that the regiment took into the field with them that bloody day, 647 were casualties – 314 of that number dead on the field.The Regiment had established itself with glory but at a heavy cost .
The regiments colours were changed in 1759 from the 1756 stand
to
Books are available here are a few I would recommend
And some reference pictures for you:
Continued in next post
Nap
