This product has 3 moulds that can cast 3 separate 54mm scale metal soldiers. Some assembly may be required. Assembly can either require soldering or gluing parts together. Glue is not included.
PA80-15 Painting Guide
Until 1805, the 27th was a 2 battalion regiment, but during the last part of that year a third battalion, nicknamed "the Young Inniskillings" was formed in Scotland. It was this newest battalion which was to have the most active part in the Peninsula campaign. The Battalion reached Corunna in October 1808 and was sent south to join forces with the army of Lieutenant General Craddock which was protecting Lisbon against threatened French attack. The attack failed to materialise but after news reached Craddock of the British defeat at Corunna 10/01/1809), the 3rd Battalion, the Inniskillings was sent as part of a strong brigade under Mackenzie to Cadiz to help the Spanish to defend the city against the French. Contray to the friendly reception that he expected, the city refused entry to the troops and after a month of fruitless negotiations, the waiting troops were recalled to Lisbon and in February 1810 the 3rd/27th was incorporated into Anson's brigade which formed part of the famous 4th division commanded by Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole. The regiment took part in the battle of Busaco 27/09/1810, but were hardly engaged and lost only two men. The rest of the year was spent in Portugal behind the fortified lines of Torres Vedras with the bulk of Wellington's army. In March 1811, the French army under Massena, plagued by lack of supplies, decided to withdraw into Spain. The 4th division took part in the first phase of the pursuit but was then ordered by Beresford who was investing the frontier fortress of Badajoz. The division reached the fortress in early May just in time to take part in preparations for the siege. The forces available were not enough for such a task and although the 3rd/27th fought with distinction, suffering 10 dead and 170 men wounded, the siege was raised on 12th because of the immanent approach of the French General Soult from the south. After the raising of the siege the 3rd/27th was left to protect the commissariat which was removing stores and so missed the battle of Albuera by one day.
The battalion was involved in the last stage of the the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (January 1812) but was hardly involved in any serious fighting and suffered no casualties.
In March 1812 the 4th division, together with the 3rd and light divisions took part in the third siege of Badajoz, this time under the command of Wellington himself. At last the walls in the south-eastern corner of the city were breached and on 6th April a general assault was launched. The 4th division was directed to a breach in the La Trinidad fort and although the assault started well the troops lost their bearings in the noise and confusion and attacked the unbreeched part of the wall. They found themselves separated from the correct attacking point by a deep chasm with defenders pouring down musket fire upon them. To make things worse, troops from the light division had also made the same mistake and elements of the two divisions found themselves hopelessly mixed up. After two hours of confusion the attack faltered, but refusing to retreat, the remnants of the attackers remained in the ditch under heavy fire, until finally ordered to do so by Wellington himself.
The survivors were formed into a second assault group, whose next attempt met with success. A diversionary attack was mounted on the San Vincente bastion in the French rear, which caused the French commander to remove some of the defenders from those points under attack from the second assault group. When the renewed attack occurred the 3rd/27th were in the thickest of the fighting, losing 5 officers and 37 men dead, and 11 officers and 132 men wounded. After the fighting, in which Badajoz was finally taken, it was discovered that only 10 officers and 414 men were fit for duty (out of an original total of 920).
After Badajoz the Battalion was rested until June when the 4th division was on the march once, this time directed towards Salamanca. After a week of marching and counter-marching by both French and British, Wellington managed to smash marshal Marmont's army in a two hour engagement. Anson's brigade was involved in all the important phases of the battle, but the 3rd/27th suffered little during the combat losing only 1 officer and 7 men wounded.
After Salamanca 3rd/27th marched with the rest of Wellington's army to Madrid and entered the City on the 12th August 1812. After some rest and recuperation, the battalion took part in an unsuccessful campaign against Marshal Soult and rejoined the rest of the army only after a near disastrous retreat from Burgos.
In the spring of the next year, 1813, the 3rd/27th, together with the rest of Wellington's army advanced once more into Spain from its winter quarters, and engaged and defeated the army of Joseph Bonaparte at Vitoria, a battle which signaled the end of the Napoleonic presence in Spain. The main French forces were driven over the Pyrenees leaving only the troops of marshal Soult on Spanish soil, on the eastern coast. Soult attempted to counter-attack the British in the Pyrenees but failed opening the way for Wellington and his army to finally cross the French border on the 7th October.
This product is not suitable for children under the age of 14.
Bibliography
- A History of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Regimental Museum,
The Castle,
Enniskillen,
Co. Fermanagh.
BT74 7BB
Tel: +44 (0) 1365-323142
Fax:+44 (0) 1365-320359
Regimental Museum
- THE ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS
Regimental historical records committee
Publ: Constable & co, London 1928.
- AN OUTLINE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL IRISH RANGERS
Corbally Publ: London (own) 1970.
- SALAMANCA 1812
Ian Fletcher
Publ. Osprey publishing 1997
- THE ROYAL IRISH REGIMENT 1689 - 1881
Regiment magazine October 1999
- NAPOLEON'S CAMPAIGNS IN MINIATRURE
Bruce Quarrie
Publ: Patrick Stephens 1977.
