The Last Thing...

Editorial

by Dave Watkins

The First Shot 'Rushed to the front the conscript was handed a musket and shown how to load it, no ammunition, just what motions to go through. Two hours later, issued with cartridge, he finds himself in line waiting the advance of the enemy. They are about 80 yards away. The orders are given to load, our man getting everything out of sequence, opens the priming pan, nearly drops his 1777 pattern Charleville, and struggles to get his hand into his cartridge pouch, scrabbling around he finds a cartridge. Panic sets in as his more experienced neighbour is already pouring powder down the barrel. The enemy are getting closer. Nervously he bites the cartridge, recoils at his first taste of powder, and pours a little into the pan. Is it enough? "Yes that should do it now close the pan!". His near neighbours are getting understandably irate with our conscript, nobody can fire until they are all ready. Rest of powder down the tube, ram... everything now seems easy... can't get the rammer back into it's ridiculously small tube... scrabble about... done it. Musket moves onto his left shoulder - just like everybody else, he hasn't got a clue now what is going on - trying not to look stupid is more important than anything else. "Present!", as the order is barked out our man takes aim at the advancing foe, even remembering to pull back the hammer. "Fire!", "Boom - click" - Click! What the... It didn't go off! Embarrassment floods over the novice as does the deafening roar and smoke from the rest of the volley, a friendly hand reaches over and wipes some grunge off the flint. The pan is closed and determined to let at least one fly at the enemy, he takes aim again. Realising now that this weapon is a very unpredictable beast, his eyes no longer look down the barrel, whilst trying to remain dignified his head is now as far away as possible from the flint and pan - still attempting to aim he pulls on the trigger. A loud snap is instantaneously followed by an explo-sion, the Charleville kicks into the shoulder, smoke and burning paper shroud our man. He'd done it, the elation of firing for the first time was quickly tempered by the realisation that he had fired high and wide to the left. The smoke still hadn't cleared when he remembered how close the enemy were before he fired. He just hoped that nobody would be daft enough to ask him to go through that again before they got too close - surely it would be better to fix bayonets or perhaps retire a little , rather quickly, so that he could try again...' Well gentlemen, the above tale relates to the recent adventure of conscript Watkins, temporarily of the 21st Ligne, at the Press Publicity day at Weston Park, four days before the advertised 'Battle Spectacular'. Obviously, I have taken a little licence with the above - all the actions described, however, were carried out by me, but fired by conversations with Richard 'Rifleman' Moore, apologies to whom are due for all the questions asked that he had no doubt had to answer many times before, I decided that to get the most out of it I should try to visualise the scene as described above. A tree marked the enemy position and I called on my experiences gained in my previous profession of deployment and charging angry mobs to fill in the gaps. All I can say is that it is an experience that I will never forget and hope to repeat. All Napoleonic enthusiasts should endeavour to try this just once. It will change your perception of musketry and Napoleonic conflict forever. Thanks to Mike Freeman of the Napoleonic Association for training and weapon use. Sharpe Competition The answers to the SHARPE Competition in Issue 16 were as follows 1. The rifleman at the head of the Forlorn Hope carried the Baker cavalry carbine of 1807, and also wore his forage cap. 2. The officer leading the 21eme Infanterie received a bullet wound in the stomach. 3. Sergeant Harper received his volley-gun at Vittoria from the hands of Rifleman Moore. All the entries will be placed in a hat (or shako!) at the NA event at Weston Park, and the winner drawn.Should you require any answers to any queries on the series please forward them to me. At the moment we have had excellent reviews and some very complimentary criticisms. Rifleman Moore will march again! Figure Review Recently arrived at the office are some new releases from Falcon Figures (see their ad. page 25). A variety of Saxon, Baden and Russian figures were in the bags, and at first look it would appear that Barry Hill is setting a new standard for low cost high quality figures. 32 pence is the retail price per figure a bargain if ever there was one. Of the Russian samples supplied two were variants of a Russian Musketeer March Attack. Both bare-headed, one with a bandage across his right eye - I assume they are new releases as I couldn't find them listed in the smart catalogue supplied -, next up were two drummers, one line and one grenadier. The Grenadier appears to be an old casting/mould. Detail was fair and the casting adequate, however the line drummer was excellent, well moulded with good definition, even down to the cross strap in-denting the rolled great coat and actually looking right! An excellent model of Kutusov was in the next bag together with a well detailed dead Infantryman, gunner with rammer, and grenadier standing and firing. Best of this bunch is the great man. Great indeed, the legendary proportions (i.e. short & fat) of this aged veteran are carried through to the model. The facial detail is an excellent portrait of the original, resplendent with cape and cap, you only buy one Kutusov figure and this could well be the one to go for. Space precludes me from going into too much detail, but the Saxon and Baden figures were also of a commendable standard, bar one. This was a Baden fusilier marching, with the musket carried over his right shoulder and held in place at the lock by the finger nails of his right hand. As you all know, now being an expert in the carrying of muskets this just isn't on. As for dimensions of the figures supplied the march attack infantry above stand 27mm from the soles of their feet to the tops of their heads - no shako remember. The drummer - in shakos - are both 30mm, soles of feet to highest point of Kiwer. If I were a 25mm man I think that a good part of my collection would contain Falcon 25's. But don't take my word for it send for a sample figure and judge for yourself. Good quality wargaming figures at a reasonable price. Can't be bad can it? Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire #18 Back to First Empire List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1998 by First Empire. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com