More S2G Cavalry

Or you could start you're own Kings German Legion - volunteer Germans fighting for friends and families in USA. Those A7Vs look great for transports by the way - you could always include one 'gunned' version for support as well. Drew is wise beyond his years. Next week I can finally place my order & am looking forward to it. Can't wait to see you're paint job on those fellows.
Chaaarrrrrgeeee!

Lol, you are one crazy guy!

Awesome as usual. I'll work up something for my S2G units as well; the idea of 'dismounting' the MG for two further on the ground squads is good. Of coarse, my S2G are much harder hitting with their 'Mars Pattern' weapons, but is yet another great idea for S2Gs wonderful figures.
I'll have another look at my S2G units and the possible 'upgrade' to full 15 man squads as you noted.
Fun, Fun - just makes my end-of-month order get larger

After finding a lot of info about Canadian cavalry units pre-1914 this week I think the S2G cavalry figures are best used for regular forces a few years after Martians cross the Canadian border (which was in 1911 according to the 'fluff'). With their gas masks, steel helmets and shoulder, elbow and knee armour they are too well equipped to be Canadian militia cavalry units when the Martians first arrive.

The militia cavalry units had essentially the same uniforms as British cavalry and those did not change much from the 1880s until WWI. All Canadian hussar regiments copied the British 13th Hussars uniform and did not have unique facing colours - all were supposed to be buff but in fact looked white and were officially changed to white in 1909. Facing colour was on jacket cuffs, and from 1909 on collars and shoulder straps too. Uniforms were dark blue with gold (officer) or yellow (enlisted) lace, and white stripes (sometimes 2 thin ones) on the trouser legs. Boots were black. Dress uniform hat was a white pith helmet and non-dress a dark blue pill-box hat.

Dragoon regiments also copied British uniforms, all having scarlet tunics (dress and field) with dark blue cuffs and collars, and later (early 1900s) blue shoulder straps. Blue collars and shoulder straps had yellow borders. Pants were dark blue with a wide yellow stripe. Dress helmets were white pith helmets; some dress helmets had different coloured plumes specific to the regiment (usually a coloured plume over a white one). Boots were black and sword scabbards plain steel. Belt pouches, sword slings, belts and gauntlets were brown leather. Non-dress hats were dark blue pill-boxes like the hussars'.

Interestingly there's a pre-1914 photo of the Royal Canadian Dragoons carrying lances. The text states lances were carried "on some occasions, although not normally a weapon for dragoons".

The North West Mounted Police (later RCMP) had uniforms very similar to the dragoon regiments but gave up the white pith dress helmet around 1904. They usually wore stetson-like hats in the field and by the early 1900s those resembled the current Mountie, US Park Ranger and State Police hats.

The only 18mm cavalry suitable for representing Canadian cavalry in 1911 are made by Blue Moon. Their Colonial range contains both lancers and Dragoons with uniforms like the Canadian Dragoons pre-1914. The exceptions are that they are wearing leggings and pith helmets, but the latter would be more practical in the field than the tiny pill-box hats; all hussars and dragoons can be assumed to have been issued pith helmets for the Martian War, until later issue of steel infantry helmets and gas masks as worn by S2G cavalry.

The  Blue Moon lancers and dragoons are in the Sudan Campaign section; suitable mounted officers are in that range and the Northwest Campaign (India) range. The sword-armed dragoons could be painted as hussars with dark blue instead of scarlet tunics.

The historical articles I found confirmed there were Gatling guns in western Canada in the 1880s but doesn't mention when they were withdrawn from service. This would be an opportunity to add some Black Hat Martian Empires 18mm Gatling guns to western Canadian militia units.

For now I'll use the S2G cavalry in early battles in the prairies but will replace them with Blue Moon cavalry to more accurately represent militia cavalry units in 1911. The S2G cavalry could then represent later Canadian or BEF cavalry units.

Finally took some photos of S2G cavalry after adding Silfor grass tufts to the bases (737-22: 4mm tall, summer 2-colour):



3 units of lancers with command unit leading. The figures in scarlet tunics and blue trousers are Royal Canadian Dragoons (who did use lances at times - confirmed by early 1900s photo). The other two units are western Canadian militia cavalry.





3 units of dragoons with command unit. All have sabres and rifles and are painted like WWI British/Canadian infantry. These are militia units.






Massed dragoons.





Dragoons at the charge.





Lancers again.