Open Book Martin Hille's Sailor of the Royal Navy, Prussia 1866

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Watford

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May 6, 2009
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Here is one of the figures from Martin Hille which I purchased via Sockel and Bases with Ulrich's kind help.




The figures is nicely sculpted with minimum moulding lines to file off - as you can see from the picture the Jolly Jack Tar (sorry I don't know the German equivalent) is armed to the teeth and comes with a bases that looks like the deck of a ship.

I am interested in the European Armies from 1850 to 1918 but what I found interesting about this Sailor figure is he is depicted as a Sailor of the Royal Navy (direct translation) Prussia 1866. I know that the Austro-Prussian Navy saw action against the Danish Navy during the Second Schleswig-Holstein War of 1864 but I was intrigued about the 1866 date. However following a conversation I had with the Secretary of the Continental War Society, he informed me that Prussian sailors were in action in 1866, against the garrisons of some Hanoverian coastal forts. Hanover sided with Austrian and entered the War of 1866 against Prussia and her Allies. This resulted in an engagement at Emden on the North Sea coast were the Prussian gunboat "Tiger" threatened to bombard the town. However Naval Lieutenant Stenzel accepted the surrender of Emden without a shot being fired because due to Hanoverian Government cut backs there were no ramrods for the shore batteries!! However during the withdrawal of the Hanoverian troops Stenzel took care not to overplay his victory and this chivalrous act won him high esteem in the old Ems town. Stenzel's ship the Tiger was a 'Crocodile Class' vessel built in 1860 of 240 tons, armed with a 24 pounder and 2 twelve pounders guns and a compliment of 40.
 
I have never heard of this company before... thanks for sharing as the subject is certainly different than most we usually see.
 
Perhaps you know him better under "Kellerkind Miniatures" and his range of fantasy figures and figures from WW1. Jolly Jack Tar = I think there is no german equivalent. I know only Seemänner, Seeleute, Matrosen
 
Finally got round to painting this figure, here's hoping more figures for this period make their way on to the market :)
Cheers
Roy
 

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