American War of Independence Conversions from Austria

Dated: July 06, 2000.

Here are some American War of Independence conversions sent in by Mr. Werner Kattinger of Austria. These conversions are notable for several things. First, AWI contributions are rare, even coming from British or American collectors. Secondly, the scope of the figures are broad, covering all the participants, from the usual US and British, to the rarer French, Hessians and Native Americans. Thirdly, the conversions are imaginative. These figures show a lot of knowledge of the war, and a keen sense of imagination and innovation.

"In order to have realistic battles with not too many figures I do - besides Victorian colonial wars - American War of Independence, of which I want to show some figures.

1) The Americans: there are the well known Airfix and Revell sets, here an officer of the 2nd Canadians, then a trooper of the corps of light infantry (a former Austrian Napoleonic infantryman), a member of a woodmen rifle company (from the IMEX Alamo defenders) and a US dragoon (Napoleonic dragoon with cuirassier helmet, now the excellent HäT Napoleonic French dragoons would be available);


2) The French: from the Revell AWI Brits set an infantryman of the Royal Deux Ponts Regt, Comte de Rochambeau and a hussar of Lauzun's legion (from a short lived set of 7 years war Prussian hussars);


3) The British: 5th fusiliers from the old Airfix grenadiers, a light infantryman (former Italeri Napoleonic Austrian), an artillerist (from a 7 years war Austrian artillery set);


4) More Brits: Butler's rangers (from the American militia set with altered cap), Tarleton's dragoon (former 7 yeras war Austrian dragoon with a colpack from a light brigade trooper), 16th British light dragoons (Austrian dragoon with new cap);


5) The Hessians: 2nd Brandenburg-Ansbach Regt. (former Austrian Grenadier), colour-bearer of Regt. von Mirbach (7 years war Prussians), Hessian Jaeger (AWI set, only a paint-job);


6) Finally, the Indians: one from the excellent IMEX Sioux, the other one has - as you might have reckognised - been teleported from his native Zululand."


"My knowledge is based on literature collected over time, the uniforms mainly from the excellent and extensive "Uniforms of the American Revolution" by John Mollo and illustrated by Malcolm McGregor, Sterling Publishing Co.Inc., NY."

Many thanks to Mr. Werner Kattinger (Vienna, Austria) for sending in his conversions.

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