111e Ligne - Wagram - 1809

Regiment of the Day

Today we have 111e Ligne regiment, which fought as part of III Corps, 2nd Division at Wagram 1809.

French Artillery - Medium Foot, Light Horse - Wagram - 1809

Regiment of the Day

Today we have a couple of batteries of French artillery to round out III Corps, 1st Division, at Wagram 1809.

This Division gets 1 battery of medium foot artillery, and 1 battery of light horse artillery.

For this battle, III Corps was strengthened by several elements from the Army level Cavalry Reserve, and so it gets a few more horse batteries than normal.

44eme Ligne - Jena Auerstadt 1806

Regiment of the Day

Today we have some earlier French line infantry in pre-shako times.

The 44eme Ligne, which fought as part of Augereau's VII Corps at the battle of Jena-Auerstadt.

Also useful for all campaigns prior to 1809 - Marengo, Austerlitz, Eylau, etc, etc.

Whilst the typical sight of a 'Napoleonic French Soldier' is common shako wearing troops seen in most collections, this bicorne wearing troop captures  the look of French army that first won glory for Napoleon I, and created the French Empire.

The South Australian Schnargle-Nosed Sand Fly

Monstrosity of the Day

 

The South Australian Schnargle-Nosed Sand Fly.

Scientific Name: Bussirundicus Persistentium

First discovered by in 1824 by Sir Wilfred Carruthers, resident natural scientist on the ship HMS Indulgent. Approaching the Bay of Glenelg, the deck of the HMS Indulgent was set upon by a swarm of Bussirundicus Persistentium, shortly leading to the first recorded fatality from this intriguing insect.

The feature that makes this species of sand fly unique is the very prominent schnargle shaped rotating nose piece. Made from a tough layer of exoskeletal chitin, this unique adaption can rotate independently from the head of the creature, allowing it to bore holes through wood, stone, leather and even tough bone. 

Life sized super sculpy model of the sand fly, showing the schnargle shaped nose attachment distinctive to this species of flying pest.

Since the Schnagle-Nosed Sand Fly only eats dirt and detritus typically found around human settlements, scientists were at first baffled as to what function this unique rotating schnargle shaped nose offered the insect. Whilst the creature routinely drills holes in just about anything it can lay its shnargle shaped nose on, it never uses this for procuring food or assisting in the breeding cycle.

This life-sized model of the sand fly is then painted to match the actual creature, and based on a 40x30mm base to act as a flyer element for a HoTT army.

After many years of intensive study, it was concluded that the function of this biological adaption purely serves to make the insect even more annoying than is usual for a fly.

Like all native Australian insects, the South Australian Schnargle-Nosed Sand Fly is deadly poisonous, and immune to all known insecticides.

A rare Hi-Speed video capture of the Schnargle Nosed sand fly in flight. (Click the image to play the video)

Famous Archers

Horde of the Day

Its always useful to have a few extra figures sitting in the odds and ends pile to experiment with and try out new ideas.

This is a batch of archers that I have had sitting in the queue for months now, gathering dust, which I thought it would be time to finish off.

Regiment Picardie - France - Seven Years War

Regiment of the Day

Today we have another Seven Years War regiment - this time the French.  Starting from the list on Kronoskaf, No.1 French regiment is Picardie, so Picardie it is !

Prussian IR 2 - Von Kanitz - Seven Years War

Regiment of the Day

Today we have another Seven Years War unit - Prussian IR 2, Von Kanitz.