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Thursday, 3 August 2023

20mm WW1 Turks in green

 Will offered to share the excess WW1 Ottoman Turks from his ebay win, so I took up his offer.  These are Hat figures painted up in green, using a recipe from Mark Hargreaves book.


I am quite pleased with the faded look and will probably have at least enough to do another 3 or 4 similar groups, although I'm tempted to try some of the other recipes in the book.

Nearly finished the 28mm DAK infantry and then on to their vehicles and some support weapons.

Thanks for looking.

Thursday, 6 July 2023

Some 20mm WW1 and RCW progress

Trying to sort out some of the projects that have stalled and make some progress, I dug out various bits and pieces to complete.

First up, a bargain bits box miscast from Early War Miniatures at one of the shows.  It's a Mk 9 troop carrier - plenty of space on top to add some stowage at some point.



Also from EWM, this mounted Hotchkiss LMG team with crew in Solar helmets for the Middle East.




And the dismounted LMG team.



And finally, some Strelets dismounted Australian cavalry ready to do service as dismounted Camel Corps troopers.


I've got a couple of bags of assorted Turkish WW1 infantry in kolpaks and arab headress, an ebay win split with Will, with some Turks in green uniforms next off the table.

Thanks for looking. 


Wednesday, 14 June 2023

3D printing 28mm kit for DAK Attack.

 The heat over the last few days in Cheshire has meant that painting is nigh on impossible - paints drying on the brush faster than it can be applied.  However, temperatures over 25C mean it's perfect conditions for the 3D printer.  The grey resin Opel Britz truck with tilt is next to an open topped SPA AS.37 Italian light truck, mounting an LMG.  Next to that is an Autosahariana with twin LMGs (looking suspicously like Vickers K guns), a Breda 20mm autocanon and possibly a Breda M37 HMG. 


Two open topped Opel Blitz trucks and a version with canvas tilt.  Seated troops are generic seated figures from Wargaming3D. 


A very poor Opel Blitz tanker print - the last before the uv polarizer on the printer failed - so very much in need of a reprint.  Next to it an SdKfz 222 armoured car, one of the first to be printed after I replaced the polarizer.


Motor cycle and sidecar riders for Kradschutzen teams.


More sidecar teams base coated, with some Perry DAK figures sneaking into shot.


A set of 6 motorcyclists painted as DAK.  Motorcycles and sidecars are also downloads from Wargaming3D.


By the time I've finished the figures in the pipeline, I should have a platoon of DAK, extra platoon of DAK veterans, 2 or 3 Kradschutzen sections, three Opel Blitz and a tanker, an SdKfz 222, AB41, Autosahariana and AS.37.  I've also got a half squad of Italian infantry, but might add some 3D printed figures to bring them up to a platoon.  Might also add some Pz IIIs and L3s or 6s, just in case we do larger scale Battlegroup games as well.

Thanks for looking.

Wednesday, 31 May 2023

Progress update May 2023

Varied progress over the bank holiday weekend.

Nine of the Perry 28mm Afrika Korps figures painted and based, photographed here drying in the sunshine.  As an added bonus, I was rummaging through the stash and came across a sprue of Warlord DAK figures - I think from a copy of Wargames Illustrated.  Bonus additional 6 figures, which I've assembled and started to paint (no photos as yet).


With the 3D printer behaving itself at the moment, I scaled up some Bergmann jeeps from 15mm to 20mm and added some SHQ crews.  Two US recce jeeps with .50 cals.  One British para recce jeep and a para transport jeep.  Still have another para recce jeep and regular British jeep crew to work on.

Started back before Christmas, these 15mm M151 jeeps from QRF just needed varnish and basing.  Dried in a matter of minutes in the afternoon sun and simple static grass on base.  Two recoilless rifles and two TOW armed jeeps.  Suitable for 60's through 80's.  I just need some M151s with a recce HMG variant.  They might even make it on the table in AK47 games, or as Indo-Pak or Arab-Israeli wars forces.




Finally, for now, I got around to finishing the batch of 20mm figures I ordered at Christmas during the Elhiem sale.  These are a pack of random Middle Eastern insurgents and a pack of RPG armed insurgents.



 I finished these pretty much as my Not Going to Salute sale order from Elhiem arrived on the doorstep.

As ever, thanks for looking.

Wednesday, 24 May 2023

28mm Afrika Korps test figure

 DAK Attack has become very popular at the club at the moment with people assembling vast quantities of 28mm LRDG vehicles and figures.  I thought I might build up a DAK force to provide some opposition.  I enjoyed painting the 20mm DAK figures that I have, so decided to give it a go with some Perry infantry and Warlord support pack.  While perusing the table top sales at Hammerhead, I spotted a pack of sentry figures, one DAK, one 8th Army and a WW1 Tommy or Doughboy.  I got the two figures for N Africa mounted and painted them up.  Tommy is taking a crafty drag from a cigarette, while Fritz is lighting his own.  Both these figures were marked Warlord Games on the base, but no sign of them on the current Warlord website.

Tommy's greatcoat is khaki, shorts, shirt and helmet are Iraqi Sand.  Fritz greatcoat is US Tan and helmet desert yellow.  Figures were washed in Agrax Earthshade, base colours touched up and highlighted with base colour with a little Iraqi Sand or pale sand.  Faces are light brown with pale flesh highlights washed with Reikland flesh wash.




Nice figures, should do the job of sentries quite nicely.  Now on with assembling and painting the Perry DAK infantry.

Thanks for looking.

Wednesday, 3 May 2023

28mm Late War German Infantry

Since last summer, we've been playing WW2 Chain of Command, mainly pitting Owain's US paratroopers against Late War German panzergrenadiers.  I've steadily worked through boxes of Warlord panzergrenadiers and support weapons, as well as picking up some unpainted figures at various bring and buys.  These metal Warlord Volksturm were picked up at the Penkridge table top sale back in September, a pack of 16 figures, just 4 missing from a complete box.

First up a unit of 5 tank hunter types armed with panzerfausts and mainly dressed as Hitler Youth or DBM.



Next, a group of 6 factory workers or similar with various small arms, a panzerfaust and an improvised Molotov cocktail.




The remainder of the set, 4 tough looking veterans and a "Golden Pheasant" SA officer.


Sniper with bendy barrel for shooting round corners - not seen any rules for this particular weapon, so probably just use him as a sniper or rifleman.


Three veterans, the guy on the left has put on a little weight since his last physical and carries a mine and panzerfaust.  Centre guy wears a reed green tunic and carries a late war improvised SMG, while the guy on the right, in addition to an assault rifle, carries a fliegerfaust hand held AA rocket launcher.  I'm not sure the Volksturm would have been issued with this wonder weapon, but I guess anything could happen in the last days of the Reich.  Wiki suggests a photo from Berlin in 1945 shows several of these weapons expended and lying in the street.




The SA officer or "Golden Pheasant" if I remember correctly from extensive reading of Sven Hassel novels in my youth.


Nice castings, very little to clean up and they have lots of detail that rewards some painting time.  I'm not sure when/where I'll be able to get them on the tabletop, but I did enjoy painting them.

Thanks for looking! 

Thursday, 27 April 2023

15mm Cold War Special Forces

 Battlegroup Northag and the Centag supplement both have roles for small special forces detachments.  I painted up a pack of Peterpig SAS from their modern African Wars range and a pack of Spetsnaz from Quickreactionforce.

Below are the QRF Spetsnaz in their Sun Bunny all in one hooded suits in faded green with sand coloured blebs.  Variously armed with AKs, RPGs and PKMs, they look the part when painted up.


I'm not sure what the chap rear right is doing, but his comrades are using their AK, PKM and sniper rifle.


More AKs, PKMs and an RPG.


Then from Peterpig, some western special forces.  I've painted these as SAS, although they work fine as Marine Force Recon, Green Berets, or any other NATO recce unit.  Difficult to be sure at this scale, but they look to be armed with M16s for the most part with assorted UGLs




I have some 3D printed Volkswagen camper vans and assorted Gaz jeeps or minibuses to carry the Spetsnaz into battle or Landrovers for the SAS, Hum-Vees or M151s for the US, assuming they arrive by road - airdropped and they have to hike into position.

Thanks for looking.