B is for Big Buggers Booming Belligerently in the Background

The soundtrack to modern war (or all war once gunpowder enters use) is the artillery, and Spencer Smith had a gun for every occasion, well; they had a gun for each range and a few other bits - as we shall see.

The picture is not as clear as it looks, there are two carriages for the AWI piece and no real clue as to why, the spare wheels, also called 'Limber Wheels' at some time are smaller than either of the gun-wheels, so presumably were intended for grebauvaille-system type limbers, not the full sit-on, storage-box types?

The Naval gun can cross periods as it's a pretty basic model of a weapon whose visual (at this level of detail) appearance changed little for a couple [several?] hundred-years. Then there are the two question marks, one of which appears to be a smaller naval gun calibre, but fits all three mountings, the other is very odd and we'll look at it again from a better angle in a minute.

The contents of a single 'set' to the left with a few colour variants and a made-up gun to the right. The far right cartridge is a mould-purge mix of blue and dark brown, the grey ones come with the black barrels and the brown one is the different carriage with a longer division between the trails - and a bit of 'old school' painting!

Differences between the two versions of the AWI carriage, the grey one appears lighter with more gaps in the 'ladder' between the trails, yet is actually a heavier moulding with deeper trails compared to the brown one.

The grey one is a tad longer too. I think the grey (and blue ones in the other shots) are later versions, with the brown one being a Camberley original and can only guess at why it needed re-tooling or even replacing with a near-duplicate?

With the two barrel types, originally sold in larger quantities with four guns (two field and two howitzers) and 30 crew, by the time I was purchasing these from Peter Johnson (from the ads in Plastic Warrior magazine!), they were sold separately as a pair with one of each barrel - although I dare say if you'd asked for two of the same; you would have got them.

The ACW gun is pretty straightforward as seen here (a crude'ish 'Parrot Rifle'?), but I think the smaller 'naval' barrel may be designed to convert this into a Napoleonic 9-lbr, but as most lists suggest an ACW pair of field-piece and howitzer, with similar pieces in use as Napoleonic artillery it's still not clear [to me].

Speaking of naval guns; 'The Naval Gun' (for which there were never offered sailors or marines?) is a large looking thing from a big ship's main gun-deck, indeed it is the biggest barrel of all the samples in my collection, by quite a margin.

As with the ACW photograph, this represents one complete set from the mid-years, one disassembled, the other ready for action and with both I only got two identical barrels?

So we come to the two question marks, they are definitely Spencer smith, same 30mm+/- size, same chocolate soft ethylene polymer, same drilled-out ends (nice touch) the one on the left could be the ACW/Nappy 'howitzer' or the Nappy 9-lbr conversion of the ACW carriage?

The one on the right could be a 6-lbr, appearing on some early lists? Or something for fitting to a ships deck? Or something missing its carriage? Or something . . . ?

So looking at the line-up again; AWI with a long barreled filed-gun and short barrel which may also be the Napoleonic and/or ACW howitzer barrel

Then the ACW which is also the Mapoleonic carriage, both possibly taking the larger (parrot) gun as a 12-16-lbr, and the smaller question mark as a 6-9-lbr? And/or taking the AWI howitzer barrel - as same?

The naval gun which may take the smaller question mark, the 'spare' or 'limber' wheels, to which were added larger metal ones in the later years and then the question marks themselves, both of which remain questions marks!

This won't help . . .

Listing - Artillery Only

Mid 1970’s Production (approximately 1974)

Standard Range

Napoleonic

- Bag of 4 Cannon (2 field & 2 howitzer)

American War of Independence (suitable for conversion to 7 Years War)

- Bag of 30 Artillerymen and 4 Cannon (2 field & 2 howitzers)

- Bag of 4 Cannon (2 field & 2 howitzer)

American Civil War

- Bag of 30 Artillerymen (officers, buglers and gunners)

Early 1980’s Production (approximately 1981)

Standard Range (1980’s)

Napoleonic

- Bag of 2 Cannon (field)

- Bag of 2 Cannon (howitzer)

American War of Independence (suitable for conversion to 7 Years War)

- Bag of 30 Artillerymen and 4 Cannon (2 field & 2 howitzers)

- Bag of 2 Cannon (field)

- Bag of 2 Cannon (howitzer)

American Civil War

- Bag of 30 Artillerymen (officers, buglers and gunners)

- Bag of 2 Cannon (field)

- Bag of 2 Cannon (howitzer)

Additional Items

- Bag of 2 Naval Cannon (24-lbr.)

- Bag of 2 Cannon (6-lbr.)

The 'Old Rectory' Years (circa 1992)

Plastic Range

American Civil War

P6 - 24 Artillerymen

P7 - 2 Guns (1 each of 2 designs? Can be used as Napoleonic Howitzers and Field-guns)

P10 - 4 limber wheels (all one size, smaller than all gun wheels)

Metal Additions to ACW Range

P11 - 4 Wagon Wheels (2 large, 2 small)

American War of Independence

P17 - 21 Artillerymen

P18 - 2 guns (1 Howitzer, 1 Field-gun)

Napoleonic War

P25 - 2 Guns (6-lbr’s)

Plastic Sample Packs (contents differ)

SP1 - Standard - 18th Century (15 foot, 2 mounted, 1 gun)
SP2 - Standard - Napoleonic (8 foot, 2 mounted, 1 gun)
SP3 - Standard - American Civil War (11 foot, 1 mounted, 1 gun)
Other Items

P26 - Naval Cannons (2)

P28 - ACW Beginners Pack (270 foot, inc. gunners, 66 mounted, 4 guns, rules, some metal)

Metal Range

American War of Independence/Severn Years War

AR1 - Artillerymen (pack of 3)

AR2 - Howitzer

AR3 - Field-gun

American Civil War

CR1 Artilleryman (pack of 3)

CR2 Cannon (duplicates as Napoleonic British 9-lbr.)

Internet Era Plastic/Metal Changeover Years

Standard Range

AR1 - Artillerymen (pack of 3)

AR2 - Howitzer

AR3 - Field gun (12-16-lbr. barrel)

AR3 - Field gun (6-lbr. barrel)

AR4 - Wagon wheels (4)

Civil War Range

CR1 - Artillerymen (pack of 3)

CR2 - Cannon (duplicates as Napoleonic British 9-lbr.)

Current (June 2017)

Spencer Smith 30mm 18th Century Figures

AR1 - Artillerymen (pack of 3)

AR2 - Howitzer

AR3 - Field gun (12-16 pdr barrel)

AR3 - Field gun (6 pdr barrel)

AR4 - Wagon wheels (4)

Spencer Smith 30mm American Civil War Figures

CR1 - Artillerymen (pack of 3)

CR2 - Cannon (duplicates as Nap. Brit. 9 pounder)

Eriksson/Tradition Range (sold by agreement with Tradition of Sweden)

Swedish Artillery 1700 – 1750 (Charles XII)

41A - Officer

41E1 - Gunner with match

41E2 - Gunner with rammer

41E3 - Gunner with ball

41E4 - Gunner, aiming

41E5 - Gunner with lever

41E6 - Gunner with powder trowel

41K - Driver

41SHv - Artillery Horse, left

41SHh - Artillery Horse, right

TK1 - Light Artillery gun

TK2 - Heavy Artillery Gun

TK3 - ?

TK4 - Limber

TK5 - Traditional Charles XII gun

This was found in the Spencer Smith folder while preparing these articles, I don't know where it came from or when (2014?), it could be a feeBay lot, it could be from someone called Clive, it's been cleaned and cropped but if you recognise it and want it removed, it's no problem; just eMail me.

It helps to illustrate how large the guns are in comparison with the figures - useful - as I for some reason decided to divorce all the artillery from the crew-figures in these posts . . . Doh!

R is for the Rest of the Rabble Regularly Re-Registering

The bulk of the Connoisseur Range designed by Barry Minot for Ron Spencer Smith (see Wednesday's post for the Napoleonic quad) were aimed at the American War of Independence, although they covered other conflicts of the era; the Seven Years War, 'French & Indian' wars etc.

As sculpts they have carried at least four sets of stock codes, so they are not the easiest to label-up, either for the collection, or for this post, so bear with me. The figure pictures following have a large-font code which is the code given me when I ordered some from the maker in 1996, and a small-font code which is the code they now carry as metal castings on the old metal website.

There are also three generations of material, not including the current white-metal; the early figures (red and blue here) were in a quite tough polymer, which could be soft polystyrene or a harder polyethylene, intermediate production after the move to Norfolk was shot with a more brittle material which could be an ethylene, polypropylene or even a nylon/rayon type, they would have been buying relatively small quantities, and price would have been key, those figures are the white, fawn and neutral/granule colours above, while the grey ones (late production) are in a pretty standard polyethylene of the same soapy softness as current Russian/Ukrainian figure production, think Strellets*R or Orion.

When I ordered the figures back in 1996 I asked Peter Johnson (who inherited the range) if he would label the figures, which he kindly did, but there is now one glaring difference between those late plastic numberings and the extant metal versions; B3 vs. B6 who have apparently been switched? I don't know if this was a kind of 'typo' or just 'one of those things', given some of the other number-changes over the years, it doesn't really matter, but the annotation above is how they've 'happened' to me!

Other than that, the numbering for the metal range is the same as the late plastic range up to B5, then there is the B6 query, B7-metal is another switch (see below), but from B7-plastic, the metal version is one digit higher . . .

. . . through to B15-plastic/B16-metal. I have yet to find a B14 in plastic but he is listed as B15 in metal, and I guess he was around - you just can't have everything! Again, the red and yellow are early, the grey is late, the rest intermediate production.

The last figure is the other query, he is now listed as B7-metal (American Light Infantry Firing), but was never apparently in the listing of the late plastic range, however, there is a 'missing' figure or two from the original 1970's listings, one of which is 'German Fusilier' - as I have a picture of a Hesse-Cassel fusilier in similar head-gear; I wonder if the current B7 is he? And might he have been B16, given that he was clearly made in plastic?

However the preceding was only half the confusion and Wednesday's table with the arrows was cropped from this larger table, where the arrows for the AWI are a lot busier!

[And it's only a few days since I stated "I don't usually obsess to this level"! But then these aren't modern, contract-manufactured,  mass-produced vinyl crap from the world's biggest toy-seller; they are vintage, collectable and an important part of war-gaming history - a whole different kettle of ball-game fish!]

This table will get worse before it gets better! Most of the arrows from the left-hand (pink) column to the next (raspberry, early 1990's) have yet to be worked-out, I could add a few from the descriptions, but that's not empirical research! I'm hoping that when I get my Military Modelling magazines out of storage there will be a few more illustrated in the review sections of the older issues, from which I can work out a few more of the connections.

Likewise there is a hope that the early-90's column can be more closely tied to the later 90's column (mauve), and I can then move stuff around in the first two columns to run back from the current metal designations (green) - simple!

The other 'missing' figure (I think the rest in the first two columns will 'shake-out' eventually) is the German with espontoon/M-figure (sergeant with halberd) who seems to have been lost in the mid-1990's - tearful emoticon!

Note also that I was - in the 1996 purchase - also sold B13 (what is now B14-metal) as B1-plastic, this points to a possible/similar 'typo' with the 3/6 thing, but also; in John Mollo's Uniforms of the American Revolution, (Blandford - Macmillan 1975 then Stirling 1991) it's clear that different regiments have similar headdress, while headdress' differ between companies, or troop types, or are the same between different troop types, so they were always going to be open to interpretation and remain open to future re-numbering . . . nooooooooo!

The point is that most of the figures can be painted-up for all sides or all of the figures can be painted-up for most sides - in several wars!

Indeed - sticking with the old Blandford for a second; although I've never been - particularly -an aficionado of the period, it's arguable that the uniforms of the later period (the earlier 'Marlborough' seems to have been all about facings with Infantry and Cavalry otherwise similarly clothed?) are actually more colourful than the following Napoleonic period? Is that anathema to the nappy-fans?

Having nearly three complete sets of B15-plastic (40+ figures), I may paint a bunch of them up in a variety of the nations/units one day, one of each - Yankee insurgents, Minutemen, Mountain Boys (lovely green & cream combo.) Provincials, Loyalists, Saxons, Hessians, Brunswickers, French and the Brits; line and marines!

Comparing B4 (plastic and metal) with the B7-metal, the figure with a pack makes sense for the German, as he has to carry his home around with him, the terrorist insurgent can go home occasionally (or raid a farmstead - I know; they all raided farmsteads!), so only needs a blanket-roll for short-term comfort.

These seem (from the website pictures) to be the original infantry from the non-Connoisseur range of Spencer Smith, which we will look at shortly. Taken from Holgar Eriksson (Comet/Authenticast, SAE and Tradition) sculpts, now sold individually in metal, the image is included here for completion; just in case you're copying the tables into your own files.

Listing - Connoisseur AWI-SYW Only

Mid 1970’s Production (approximately 1974)

- Bag of 48 American War of Independence

Early 1980’s Production (approximately 1981)

- Bag of 30 American War of Independence

Press Listings

AWI1 - Staff Officer

AWI2 - British Grenadier Officer

AWI3 - British Light Infantry Officer

AWI4 - Company Officer

AWI5 - American La Fayette’s D.I. (?) Officer [L.I.?]

AWI6 - Loyalist Light Infantry Officer

AWI7 - British Grenadier Private

AWI8 - British Light Infantry Private

AWI9 - British battalion Company Private

AWI10            - Loyalist Light Infantry Private

AWI11            - American L.I. La Fayette’s Private

AWI12            - American Ranger in Hunting Shirt

? - German Officer with Espontoon

? - German Fusilier

The 'Old Rectory' Years (circa 1992)

Plastic Sample Packs (contents differ)
SP5 - Connoisseur - American War of Independence/Napoleonic (10 AWI, 4 Napoleonic, all foot)

1^st listing, 1991/2

D - Officer in Advance Position

E - Officer with Sword and Pistol

F - Private in Firing Position

G - Officer with Sword

H - Private at Ease

J - Private in Firing Position

K - Officer with Sword in Air (became B11)

L - Private Advancing (became B15)

M - Sergeant with Halberd

N - Officer with Cloak (became B7)

O - Private with Slope Arms

2^nd listing, 1995/6

B1 - British Grenadier Private Firing

B2 - British Grenadier Officer

B3 - British Light Infantry Officer

B4 - British Light Infantry Firing

B5 - British Battalion Company Private Firing

B6 - American Light Infantry Officer

B7 - Staff Officer in Cloak (was N)

B8 - American La Fayette’s Regiment, Light Infantry Firing

B9 - American La Fayette’s Regiment, Light Infantry Officer

B10 - American Ranger in Hunting Shirt

B11 - French Officer Sword Raised (was K)

B12 - Company Officer [any army]

B13 - German Grenadier Firing

B14 - German Grenadier Standing at the Ready

B15 - French Infantryman Standing at the Ready (was L)

Internet Era Plastic/Metal Changeover Years

B1 - British Grenadier, private firing

B2 - British Grenadier, officer

B3 - British Light Infantry officer

B4 - British Light Infantry firing

B5 - British battalion Co. private firing

B6 - American Light Infantry Officer

B7 - American Light Infantry firing

B8 - Staff Officer (in cloak)

B9 - American La Fayette’s Light Infantry firing

B10 - American La Fayette’s Light infantry Officer

B11 - American Ranger in hunting shirt

B12 - French Officer, sword raised

B13 - Company Officer (any army)

B14 - German Grenadier firing

B15 - German Musketeer, standing at the ready

B16 - French Infantryman, standing at the ready

Current (June 2017)

B1 - British Grenadier, private firing

B2 - British Grenadier, officer

B3 - British Light Infantry officer

B4 - British Light Infantry firing

B5 - British battalion Co. private firing

B6 - American Light Infantry Officer

B7 - American Light Infantry firing

B8 - Staff Officer (in cloak)

B9 - American La Fayette’s Light Infantry firing

B10 - American La Fayette’s Light infantry Officer

B11 - American Ranger in hunting shirt

B12 - French Officer, sword raised

B13 - Company Officer (any army)

B14 - German Grenadier firing

B15 - German Musketeer, standing at the ready

B16 - French Infantryman, standing at the ready

B17 - Private advancing (AWI)

B18 - Grenadier advancing (AWI)

B19 - Light Infantry advancing (AWI)

B20 - Hessian advancing (AWI)

B21 - Highlander advancing 

F is for Four Fine Fusilier Fellows Fearlessly Fighting the French!

Although the core of the problem was a Corsican, and there's clearly eight here!

A Quick box-ticker today; we will be looking at the whole Spencer Smith range over the next week or two, intermittently with other things, and these are the easiest to study, so they were ready first!

Designed by Barry Minot (Greenwood & Ball, Under Two Flags, et al), there are only the four 30mm figure poses in the Napoleonic section of what Spencer Smith called the 'Connoisseur Range', and these are they! Also; I believe these are all mid/late-1990's examples from Peter Johnson in Norfolk rather than the Camberley, Surrey-manufactured originals.

They've changed title or code several times over the many-years of their existence, one disappeared for a while and all four weren't in the current white-metal range, the last time I looked? The significance of the arrows will be clearer in a following post.

Later the same day - Actually they are in metal and now carry a longer code with an 'NPC' prefix, but with three and four having swapped-round! So the above are now NPC1, NPC2, NPC4 and NPC3 standing firing. I'll re-do the table and post it later in this series of articles. Also - Stadden 'junior' [Andrew] had added two new poses depicting the 9th East Norfolk Regiment 1813!

An hour later - No they're not! I've got my numbering wrong on the photo - I'll re do all the images and post correctly tomorrow!

The following day and it's not as bad as it looked for a moment yesterday - that's the trouble with all this re-numbering, it confuses! Anyway; here's an updated image, which now won't tack-on to the AWI one as it has an extra column! I had not angled two arrows correctly, or to the right place, solid-lines are re-numbering from generation to generation, dotted-lines are jumps over generations!

Crude - the officer seems to be wielding a captured Claymore and a carved-wooden pistol! -  but with charm - box-ticked, Evilentity Man signing-off 'till tomorrow!

Listing - Connoisseur Napoleonics Only

Mid 1970’s Production (approximately 1974)

- Bag of 48 Napoleonic British Infantry

Early 1980’s Production (approximately 1981)

- Bag of 30 Napoleonic British Infantry

Press Listings

NB1 - British Battalion Company Officer

NB2 - British Battalion Company Sergeant

NB3 - British Battalion Company Private Standing Firing

NB4 - British Battalion Company Private Standing at the Ready

The 'Old Rectory' Years (circa 1992-96)

Plastic Sample Packs (contents differ)
SP5 - Connoisseur - American War of Independence/Napoleonic (10 AWI, 4 Napoleonic, all foot)

1^st listing, 1991/2

A - Officer, Sword on Hip and Pistol Drawn (Napoleonic British, became N1)

B - Sergeant (Napoleonic British, became N2)

C - Rifleman, Rifle at Waist Level (Napoleonic British, became N3)

2^nd listing, 1995/6

N1 - Officer, Sword on Hip and Pistol Drawn (was A)

N2 - Sergeant (was B)

N3 - Rifleman standing at the Ready (was C, became NPC4)

N4 - Rifleman Standing Firing (became NPC3)

Internet Era Plastic/Metal Changeover Years - 2000's

[Not listed for a decade or so]

Current - June 2017

Metal Only

NPC1 - British infantry officer

NPC2 - British sergeant with half-pike

NPC3 - British infantry firing (was N4)

NPC4 - British infantry standing at the ready (was N3)

Connoisseur Range Specials (designed by Andrew Stadden)

NPC5 - British infantry ensign bearing regimental colours

NPC6 - British colour sergeant with half-pike

Three days after loading it; 'quick box-ticker' my arse!