Translate

Sunday 18 August 2013

More early war German armour

WARNING:  The images on this post include my poor attempt at representing flags of the Nazi regime (1933-45) ruling in Germany.  These are included purely in the interests of historical accuracy.  If you are located in a region where viewing this material is illegal, please do not proceed any further!

Another Panzer Battalion for early war BKCII, this time of Pz38ts.  Three light kompanies, each of one Pz II platoon and 2 Pz38t platoons, and one depleted heavy kompanie of one (should be two at full strength but I don't have enough models) Pz IV and one Pz II.  Also a Pz II recce platoon and an HQ stand with Pz II, kubelwagen and kettenkrad.
One of the light kompanies, with Pz II at the back and Pz 38ts in the foreground.
 Heavy kompanie with Pz IV platoon at the back and Pz II in front.  I need to get another Pz IV from Heroics and Ros to complete the kompanie.
 The HQ stand with Pz II, Kettenkrad and Kubelwagen, and the Pz II recce stand.

Need to get some more Pz IIs and IVs and I've got enough for another similar battalion.

As ever, thanks for looking.


Early War British Armour

This is a British Tank Battalion, suitable for the Arras based game we are planning for next week.  It's a mixed Matilda I and II infantry tank battalion, three squadrons, each of two Matilda Is and one Matilda II and an HQ of a Matilda I and Daimler Scout Car.
 One of the squadrons, based for BKCII (one stand equals a platoon), a mixed Matilda I and II platoon.  Now where is Rommel and where are those 88s?
 The HQ stand, a Matilda I and Daimler Scout Car.

Next up Pz38ts.

Thanks for looking!

Saturday 17 August 2013

Early War German Armour

WARNING:  The images on this post include my poor attempt at representing flags of the Nazi regime (1933-45) ruling in Germany.  These are included purely in the interests of historical accuracy.  If you are located in a region where viewing this material is illegal, please do not proceed any further! 

My first efforts at early war vehicles, I have put together a Panzer Battalion.  I was aiming to use these in a France 1940 game at the Defenders next week, but have just realised that the light companies should be predominantly Pz Is, but here I have used PzIIIs, which, I think makes them more suitable for Barbarossa a year later.  They are painted in a white acrylic gesso undercoat and a diluted Vallejo Black Grey.  Tracks are picked out in oily steel and air recognition flags are black, white and flat red.  Flags are painted on aluminium foil, which is draped over the model and glued in place (see "First Post" for origin of this idea).

The whole battalion, 4 light companies, one heavy company, a recce stand and HQ.
 

Two light companies from the front, each has a PzII on the left and three PzIIIs.

And from the back, showing the air recognition flags draped over the real engine hatches.  Never sure what the impact was of these flags on air circulation and engine cooling, or even potentially catching fire on hot exhausts - assuming they were cloth flags.

The heavy company, on the left a PzII and on the right two Pz IVs.

The recce stand and HQ.

Recce stand is an Sdkfz231-6 RAD, again with air recognition flag - especially important for recce units operation well to the front of regular forces in 1940.

 HQ stand, consisting of a PzII tank for security, Kubelwagen for the CO and Sdzfz231-6 RAD

So, perhaps better suited to taking on Soviets in 1941 rather than trading shots with Matildas at Arras - might have to pretend the PzIIIs are Is for the upcoming game.

Thanks for looking.

US 1985 odds and ends

I'd painted up a company of M1 Abrams in MERDC some time ago and I finally got around to basing them today as part of my plan to clear the painting table (my kitchen table actually) ready for my 1985 French Armoured Division project.  For MERDC I have used Vallejo Russian Green, Iraqi Sand and Dark Earth with Tamiya NATO Black.  I should be able to use these for early M1s issued as replacements for M60s to either the USMC or US Army in Europe.  Not sure of the manufacturer, I think Heroics and Ros, but am not sure, the turrets are slightly longer than the Scotia models I already have.


 I have also used up several packs of US Infantry and Infantry Support in Fritz helmets from Heroics and Ros for my USMC force and was left with a handful of infantry, a stands worth of HMGs and 4 stands worth of TOWs, so I decided to base up the HMGs and TOWs as a start on my longer term project of putting together some US armoured and mech infantry for the 1985 period.  1985 is an interesting time as I think it's still possible to use MERDC scheme M60s and M113s, M1s and Bradleys in MERDC and in three colour schemes, which then lets you model older and younger units from the same basic models.

Next up, early WW2 British and German armour and some late war Brits.

Thanks for looking.

Monday 12 August 2013

Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders vs US Army

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d0SEbqURSQ

I was shown this over the weekend and think it's superb.  It's a comparison of the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders video cover of "Call Me Maybe" and a parody video by US troops in Afghanistan.  It's brilliant and the cheerleaders are really cute!

Enjoy!

Saturday 3 August 2013

ACW Black Powder Gettysburg - afternoon July1st.

This week at the club (Deeside Defenders) we played a Black Powder ACW scenario, based on an article in Miniature Wargames magazine back in 2002/3.  Will came up with the scenario, which was the federal defence of Oak Ridge and Blochers Knoll on the afternoon of the 1st July 1863 (Gettysburg first day).  It's a massive scenario, involving two corps on each side although the union are up against it as the confederates have better commanders and significantly more infantry.

The terrain set up.  Oak Ridge is the line of woods running upper left to lower right in the foreground.  Blochers Knoll is at the far end of the table, more or less in the centre.
 Same view as before with federal and confederate initial deployments.  The map gives an idea of the scope of the initial deployment.  More confederate reserve brigades come on from this table edge and behind the woods to the left.
 The view from the opposite end of the table showing Blochers Knoll between the two roads.  Large volumes of confederate reserves (3 brigades worth) come on from this edge and the right hand edge as far as the river.  Another confederate reserve brigade comes on at the right hand table edge along the road running across the table,

Unfortunately, this is where my photography stopped as, with so many forces on the table, the commanders had their work cut out trying to get enough turns in the evening.  Will agreed to act as umpire, leaving me to command the confederate left flank and Dave the right.  Paul (a thousand apologies for calling you Phil) commanded the union right opposite me and Rick the left opposite Dave.

Rick's union forces on Oak Ridge decided to try and break the on table confederate brigade, so advanced on the rebel lines in force, while the rebels pushed their forces forward in the centre.  On the confederate left flank, my on table brigade started the long job of pushing back the federal skirmish screen in front of Blochers Knoll.

The union forces off Oak Ridge met some withering fire from the confederate right, which thwarted their plans for glory, although the lines traded volleys and casualties.  Progress was mixed in the confederate centre, although the federal skirmisher screen was pushed back behind the formed troops.  Long range artillery duels were coming off best for the union.  On the confederate left, my reserves advanced slowly, while the ond board forces were still trying to push back the union skirmish line (their evade ability is a real pain as charge after charge was evaded).

The decisive moment on the confederate right was the arrival of a brigade on the union flank, which quickly broke the federal brigades in front of Oak Ridge, with most federal regiments broken, shaken or disrupted.  In the centre, union and confederate regiments traded volleys, while over on the left my forces had pushed across Rock Creek and were almost within range of the federal lines around Blochers Knoll, with a fresh brigade coming on table to follow up.  The union had deployed two reserve brigades that were rushing forward towards their centre to fill the lines.

Unfortunately, this represented over three hours of play and it was time to call it a night.  This was unfortunate, to say the least, as the game was still largely in the balance.  The confederates had more or less broken the union forces in front of Oak Ridge, although there was still a union brigade, possibly two, moving to fill gaps in the line.  On the left flank, I had three brigades as yet unengaged, facing two brigades of federal troops so had an advantage in numbers.  This scenario is crying out for more time to reach a conclusion, at least a day to play, possibly two for a full weekend (if a full weekend, it might be possible to add the earlier morning confrontations further south as well.  All in all a great game and lots of fun.  The more I play Black Powder the more I like it and it's always a pleasure to play using Will's 20mm collection - so much so that I'm seriously thinking of adding some 20mm plastics to my own collection to supplement Will's collection - although as his run into thousands, mine will be small potatoes.  I;ll have to kep watching e-bay.  Thanks again to Will for organising the scenario and loaning out his superb forces.

Will has posted on his blog some useful background to how he organised the forces employed for the scenario and his sources, plus how he converted them into Black Powder.

http://willwarweb.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/defence-of-oak-ridge-and-blochers-knoll.html

Thanks for looking.

6mm ACW Command

Alongside what I plan to be a steady stream of confederate infantry regiments, I've been working on some command stands, based on the Black Powder rules.

Two divisional or corps commanders flanking an army or corps commander,  The figures are Baccus and come from their Confederate Generals pack, which includes assorted commander figures (one at least seems to represent Lee and, I suspect, Longstreet) and some cavalrymen bearing standards.  For the army/corps commander I added a couple of spare cavalrymen representing the commanders escort plus an extra CO figure.
 Cavalry brigade commanders - actually spare cavalry command strips from the routine cavalry pack.
 Infantry brigade commanders, two commanders figures from the generals pack.
 An infantry brigade formed in line with one unit forming a skirmish screen to the front.
 A full division, regiments in column, two brigades up front each with two regiments up and two behind, and a third brigade in the rear with 3 regiments in column abreast.
 Closer view of the confederate right flank brigade and assorted command stands.
 More detailed view of the confederate left flank brigade, in this case of zouaves.

I have another regiment on the painting table and at least half a dozen more waiting to be painted, plus more cavalry and artillery.  Looking forward to getting these guys on the table!

Thanks for looking.