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"Major Pelham’s Battery" by Redoubt Enterprises
Reviewed by Fusilier Roly Hermans (first published on Spanner and the Yank's Wargames Review website in 2002)
It was the action poses of the gunners in an advertising image of Redoubt's American Civil War "Pelham's Battery" set (ACX 53) that first caught my eye. So often miniature artillery units have their gunners in very static poses, or in a mix of action poses that are not coordinated together to show a particular part of the gun drill. These Redoubt teams, however, all appear to be working together. One team is positioning a Napoleonic 6-pounder ready to fire, while the other team is lifting a 3" Rifle by the trail, ready to swing it around to a new firing angle.
So I decided to order my first American Civil War unit. I’ve now completed them, and can say that Redoubt have really captured the look and feel of a Civil War artillery unit very well.
The Figures
The
set comes with eight figures. These are on the larger end of the scale,
measuring 28mm from the sole of the foot to the eyes. To my eye they seem
fairly anatomically correct (but I am known for favouring the chunkier
style of figures, so my eye may be out a bit!).
The figures are cast with separate heads, which locate easily in a hole on the top of the torso. I had to trim a small piece off the lug at the bottom of the heads, otherwise they stuck up too high like very scrawny necks. But this was a very easy operation, and the end result of the differently positioned heads adds real variety to the figures.
The heads are all wearing unadorned kepis. I would have liked a little more variety in headgear - maybe a slouch hat or two, and definitely an officer’s kepi or hat for Major Pelham himself. But if this really worries you, it is possible to buy separate packs of heads.
The faces are smaller than the Front Ranks I am used to. They have a range of facial hair (beards, van dykes, moustache and sideburns, clean-shaven, and that kind of hillbilly chin beard without a moustache). I found them somewhat harder to paint than the larger faces from other manufacturers.
The figures themselves are beautifully cast and very well animated. My only criticism is that there is no information given as to who is who, and how they should be arranged.
The figures include:
Major Pelham himself. He wears tall riding boots, and is standing with his arm held up behind him, as if to say "hold it there, guys!". His shell jacket is secured only by the top button. On his belt is a pistol holster and a cartridge pouch. I chose a clean-shaven head for him (photos of Pelham show a young clean-shaven man with blonde hair) and had to carefully paint the braid on his hat.
Two men holding the trail of one of the guns. Very cleverly animated - you can just feel them heaving the weight of the gun. One is in a shell jacket, while the other is stripped down to his shirt and braces. You’ll have to think very carefully about the head positioning on these two figures, so that they are facing the right way.
Two figures pushing the wheels. One is really exerting himself. He is wearing a shell jacket and long baggy trousers. The other is a bit more subdued in his efforts, pushing with one hand on top of the other. His shell jacket is nicely cast falling open.
One figure levering the gun round. The bar he is using has to be glued into his hands. He is leaning forwards very realistically. Once again, he is wearing a shell jacket and baggy trousers.
A gunner standing with his hands down by his sides. This fellow adds a bit of variety, as he is wearing a waistcoat and trousers. I wasn’t really too sure what he was supposed to be doing. It might even be that he is supposed to be holding something, though without instructions, this is just a guess. However, he looks OK just standing there, waiting to do whatever he has to. He could also be a gun-corporal, ordering his men to push harder.
Another gunner in a pose that could be used in several ways. I have him sighting along the barrel of his gun, with his hand out behind him, indicating to his men "this way a bit more!". However, you could also glue a sponge-rod in his outstretched hand.
The Guns
The
carriages of both guns are the same. They are very tidily cast, and each
comprises of the carriage itself, the axle, and the two wheels. I was
very impressed with the detail, especially the prolong rope, which looks
incredibly real.
The barrels come separate. Two different barrels are enclosed, one being a Napoleon, the other a Rifle. The barrels appear to have been drilled out a little, as the hole is very smooth. There is also a nice little touch-hole on top.
Each gun also comes with three tools: a sponge-rod, a trail spike, and a bucket. Bearing in mind the pose of these guns being pushed into action, I chose to glue them onto the guns in their carrying positions. There are no lugs on the models to allow this, so it entailed judicious use of super-glue!
Summary
Redoubt don’t specifically say so in their advertisement, but I suspect they were modelling the moment at the battle of Fredericksburg in 1862, when ‘the gallant Pelham‘ used two guns (a Napoleon and a Blakeley rifle) to great effect against the Federal flank. Certainly the models and the poses of the figures lend themselves to recreating this event.
Pros: excellent animation, excellent coordination, excellent casting, excellent uniforms and detailing.
Cons: lack of instructions, faces a little hard to paint, no officer’s hat.
Cost: $US37.50 or £GB15.00
