The Leib Regiment (sometimes called du Corps) was one of the first Hessian battalions to arrive in America. The Landgraf himself was the regiment's chief until March 1783, when command passed to the Landgraf's son, Erbprinz Wilhelm. Colonel Friedrich von Wurmb was the regiment's commanding officer, by all acocunts one of the army's better officers. Major Mackenzie of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers wrote that Wurmb was "clear headed and cool" and that his regiment was "the best discipled in the Hessian Corps." With the ruler of Hesse-Kassel as it's head, the regiment was a favoured unit in the Hessian army. Apparently it consisted of taller and fitter men than the other line regiments. It certainly seems to have performed more than adequately in the AWI.
The regiment fought at White Plains, Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth. From 1778 to 1783 is was on garrison duty in New York. The "British Grenadier!" scenarios require this unit to have 18 figures for White Plains and 24 figures for Brandywine. I painted the first 18 back in 2005 and finally finished the remaining 6 figures last week. I found these charging Perry figures quite tricky to paint. The poses mean that there is a large amount of "filing" and the position of the muskets carried by the figures in the second row means that the figures' faces are difficult to reach. So not one of my tidier units, to be honest. Later in the week will be some Conquest Miniatures settlers and after that Lord Dunmore's Ethiopians! My next Hessian regiment, to be painted at Christmas, will be the von Bose Musketeers for Guilford Courthouse.
24 figures. Painted 2005 and October 2007. Flags by GMB.
6 comments:
Good Morning Giles,
Now your talking! Nothing like 18th century Germanic infantry! Looking very forward to your completed Von Bose regiment.
Best Regards,
Stokes
Look pretty tidy to me!
very good as always, a pleasure to see how the AWI is coming along
giles,
My aged copy of Lefferts says that the Du Corps was a fusilier regiment and Dittfurth a musketeer reg. Meanwhile, Mollo says that Dittfurth (or Ditfurth) is a fusilier reg.
I'm interested in doing the 1777 OoB for some Hessians, including the brigade with Leib, von Donop, and von Mirbach; then either the combined Grenadier Brigade of von Linsing, Minnegerode and Lengerke.
Also toying of doing the seperate regiments of gren von Rall, fus von Knyphausen and fus von Lossberg since they can be both used to fight trenton or their remnants used at Brandywine. Any thoughts and help appreciated.
alex
oh, meant to ask what sources you used to establish Du Corps as musketeer, thanks!
a.
I don't have Lefferts but every source i have seen has Leib as a musketeer regiment. Also, given that Fusileers were originally seen as second class infantry (at least in Prussian/German circles) it's hard to imagine the royal regiment being fusileers.
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