And now a Brazilian gunboat.

 

Here is the latest and perhaps final addition to the Brazilian fleet, in this scale at any rate. This is the same sidewheel gunboat I used for the Paraguayans but I’ve added a mast and removed the stern deck house. It has a 32pdr carbonate on the bow and a 24pdr SB mounted on a swivel at the stern. The crew are Britannia Miniatures ACW Union sailors. No real difference in uniforms.

I’m quite pleased with this fine vessel. Now I can get back to finishing the actual land forces and a Paraguayan secret weapon.

The War of the Triple Alliance - A Brazilian Monitor

I found an old Sarissa MDF kit of the USS Monitor so I decided to ‘disguise’ it or jazz it up a bit to serve as a Brazilian monitor. Now it looks nothing like the one pictured as it has a turret whereas the one in the picture has a fixed casemate by the looks of it. Most of the Brazilian monitors I have seen photos of seem to be sort of hybrid, with a turret or central casemate but built up stuff fore and aft and in the middle. Anyway it has been a sunny few days so I’ve been sitting in the garden where I added an extra gun port in the turret, gave it a new pilot house and ships boat, and the deck at the stern is covered with an awning, new funnels and a couple of masts. Yes they did have masts - presumably they’d unship them before action? 

This project has really given my mojo a massive boost. Building balloons, making or converting several ships, and getting lots of miniatures on the table. I only have maybe eight units to finish, a couple of Paraguayans but mainly Brazilians. They should take me about a fortnight to get finished. 

What I really need are some nondescript miniatures rowing canoes (but without having to buy the canoes as I have several already) who can be converted into Paraguayans.  They made at least one attempt to board Brazilian ships - great idea but never going to work. 

Anyway, here it is.

I’m happy with the monitor, even if its construction is almost wholly out of my imagination. I would say not my best work but as I’ve never done anything like this before then this IS my best work! 🤣  

I have also almost completed a Brazilian side-wheel gunboat to add to the fleet. Then the madness will I hope stop. I ought to get it done this week.

Apparently Paraguay had a small functioning (?) railway network of sorts so there is a definite idea in the embryonic stage…….

Naval activities off Le Croisac

The Republican frigate 'Paravente' offshore at Le Croisac, seeking shelter in the bay under the cover of the fort's cannon.

The Royal Navy looks to be seriously outgunned as the Paravente prepares to open fire on HMS Bludgeon.

His Majesty's Armed Cutter Bludgeon

I have almost completed my first ship from Games of War, an unrated RN cutter. The cannon are from Arcane Scenery and the crew are a mix of old Redoubt and Britannia I think. I doubt such a small ship would have any marines in its complement but they add a splash of colour. I have a couple more crewmen to finish and I'm going to try and fit it with some furled sails. I have some swivel guns to mount, but my priority was to get this one table ready for Wednesdays game.

Once I have enough troops and a couple more vessels such as these then they can also be used for my War of 1812 project if it gets going this year.

Royal Navy boats

I picked these up off eBay months ago. Several of the oarsmen need adjusting as they appear to be 'catching a crab'! I think they are old Britannia Miniatures figures and boats. The big gunboat is rather wonderful I think. Accompanying the above were around 40 sailors (gun crews, ships crews and shore party) and another 30 or so Marines that I plan to use to crew my other Revolutionary War/Napoleonic vessels once I have finished them. The uniforms for the Marines is a year or too late for my 'period' but they would do nicely for Egypt or maybe even North America in the War of 1812.......Mmmmm? No! I have the hull of another of the gunboats that is slightly damaged but should be easy enough to patch up to add to the 'fleet', which is now getting rather large and just what I need for several ongoing projects and games I have in the pipeline.