W. Britain Limber and two-man crew #17431

Happy is the boy who gets that distinctive scarlet and gold box in the mail that epitomizes excellence in toy soldiery.  I purchased, from the fine folks at Crown Military Miniatures, the W. Britain set 17431, two-man limber and crew from 2003.

(the same scene in 1:1 scale at Antietam National Battlefield's Artillery Weekend)

It's a peach of a set and just the sort of thing I'm looking for my next big series of scenarios focusing on Battery B 4th US Artillery at Antietam.

The project is slowly but surely coming together, I'm assembling guns, horses, limbers, caissons and artillerymen to tell the story of Battery B on the morning of September 17th, 1862 when fate reunited them with their former commander - General John Gibbon.

For the next few weeks I'll be painting artillerymen, many of which are conversions.  For unique poses I looked outward toward W. Britain (the maker of all my guns) for some really great artillerymen.  This two-man limber set is very much a welcome addition to the battery.

My six horse-drawn limbers for the battery are the classic Britain's Deetail models from the late sixties, some of which I've featured in earlier battle scenarios (go here).

Those venerable Deetail limbers compared to the metal 2003 version demonstrate the difference between "toys" and "miniatures"....though please note, on my table everything, no matter how upscale, is a toy meant for playing with.  I'm very happy to find that there's a whole lot of nine-year-old left in me.

The detail is wonderful, including the Table of Fire for a Napoleon affixed to the inside of the limber lid, in the regulation manner.

These guys are from the 2003 generation of W. Britian's figures.

The attention to detail has come a very long way in the past fifteen years.

2016

2003

Compared to the 2016 figures the 2003 guys look cartoonish.

The scenario presented by this three-piece set is a welcome one on the table top battlefield.  With the limber lid raised and the projectiles visible, the limber man is passing a ball into the gunner's haversack to be taken up to the waiting gun.

A disapproving Dunker (Anabaptist) Mrs. Mumma looks on skeptically.

I have advance-ordered the yet to be released 2018 Britian's three piece limber kit, and the photos on the W. Britain website demonstrate again that the detail in the intervening fifteen years has improved exponentially.

I'm watching my mailbox, and will post an entry when it finally shows up, which may not be for a while yet.

Really nice model, and really nice people at Crown Military Miniatures.

Soldier on!

Mannie