Turkish mechanised brigade

Currently working up the 4th Turkish Corps for games set in eastern Turkey during a Soviet invasion in the late 80's/early 90's.  I've been experimenting with various camouflage schemes and finished up with the schemes below, mainly for the 20th Mechanised Brigade.  Rear left is a 1st Batt Leopard 1A5 (H&R GM21) painted in standard NATO green, black and brown.  Rear centre is a 2nd Batt M48A5T1 (H&R USM07) painted in yellow ochre with NATO green, black and brown disruptive patterns.  Rear right is an M60A3 (H&R USM05), actually from the 4th Armoured Brigade, in US dark green, with NATO black and orange brown disruptive patterns.  Front left is an M113 from 3rd Batt (H&R USM 11) painted to match the Leopard scheme, while front right is a similar M113 from 4th Batt in the Leopard scheme with added Iraqi sand streaks.  The 2nd and 4th Batts are assumed to have hastily deployed back with the 20th Brigade, having been in action in the south east of Turkey along the Syrian and Iranian borders, hence the more arid cammo scheme.

The same from a slightly different angle.

2/20 Battalion in M48A5T1s.

1/20 Battalion in Leopard 1A5s.

4/20th Battalion in M113s.

3/20th Battalion again in M113s.

20th Mechanised support companies.  At rear Hummer Stinger carriers (H&R USM 42 with a small square of business card to represent the rook hatch), doubling as Redeye carriers.  Middle left are M113s for the engineering company (the AVLB is still on the painting to do list).  Middle right are three M113 TOW carriers (H&R USM 16).  Front left is a M577 (H&R USM14) with Irregular Vietnam US infantry command group (VN7).  Front right are three Unimog light trucks (H&R GM14) for towing M107mm mortars.

Quite pleased with the results of a washout bank holiday weekend weather-wise.  Thanks for looking.

Cold War Turks

I'm still testing the cammo scheme I want to use for the Cold War Turks.  These are Hummer Stinger carriers (Scotia UM025), these are painted in Vallejo US green with NATO black and orange brown cammo stripes.

A pair of M60A3s with dozer blades, one for each M60A3 battalion in the armoured brigade (Scotia UM046).  These look like serious pieces of hardware.

For infantry I tried an experiment.  I like the Mainforce infantry from Magister Militum, but these are mostly prone.  They are a bit chunkier than H&R or GHQ, but are more compatible with Irregular.  I wanted to model the Turkish infantry in a uniform more reminiscent of older US infantry, so picked up some from the Irregular Vietnam range while I was at Triples on Saturday.  On the right is a stand of US infantry (VN1).  In the middle is a US command stand (VN7) with a generic wheeled 120mm mortar from Scotia (NE008).  On the left is a Mainforce Milan team.  For me these work well together and I'm thinking of using Irregular for the standing figures - mainly regular infantry - and Mainforce for the more specialist stands (air defence, ATGM, etc.).

 

 

Thanks for looking.

Soviet air defence vehicles and armoured support for naval infantry

A mix of models left over from Christmas 2012 and an eBay purchase last year.

First three ZSU23/4 Shilkas (H&R SM37) for close in air defence (part of my eBay purchase).

Six 2S6M Tunguska air defence systems (H&R SM65).  Not sure why I wanted six of these - I'll have to check how they fit into the organisations.

Twelve PT76s (H&R SM08; from an eBay purchase), enough for an amphibious armoured battalion supporting a naval infantry brigade - just need to add some T55s.

I still have a lot of Soviet equipment to wrap up, but this will have to wait until my French and Turks are complete.

Thanks for looking.

Early war Panzers

I've had these unpainted for the best part of a year so decided it was time to paint them up to complete my Early war panzers, suitable for France 1940.

First up PzIVDs (H&R G012) to fill out the heavy companies.

Then PzIBs (H&R G104), enough for 4 companies.

Thanks for looking.

Yet more Cold War French

On the premise that you can never have enough French microarmour I figured to extend my French armoured division from the 80's into the 90's, so I can add VBLs and Leclercs.  Most of my existing forces, with some additional armoured cars, can be stretched easily to 1991 and the Division Daguet - the French contribution to Operation Desert Storm.

I needed some Crotale AA stands - these are two firing vehicles (Scotia FM004) and the FCR radar vehicle (Scotia FM005) - for the Daguet Division.

These Crotale models are really nice.

A company of VBL Milan ATGM stands (Scotia FM035).  These are painted in the tricolour NATO scheme used on French vehicles in the 90's.

As the Daguet Division was equipped with more VAB HOT Mephisto units than I had, here are six more stands using Scotia FM018.

Next up will be units of AMX-10RC and ERC 90 to complete the light armoured units available to the Daguet Division.

More Cold War Turks in 6mm

I had a delivery from Irregular Miniatures last week.  Here are two battalions of USM52 105mm SPGs (Irregular MAF49), which I'm going to use as M44 155mm SPGs to provide arty support for a Turkish armoured brigade.

These are nice models, which come in two variants, one with stowage around the turret sides (on the left) and the other with commander's head and shoulders peering out of the turret hatch (on right).

Same from the rear.

Some Mainforce West German Stingers, which are going to double up as Turkish Redeye SAMS (whoops should have read Blowpipe).

Finally, some Irregular Miniatures recoilless rifles and crew from the Vietnam range (VN5).  These are going to represent 75mm M20 or 106mm M40 weapons for the Turks.  Have to say that as raw metal they don't look too spectacular, but they paint up really well and look fine on the table top.

Waiting now for deliveries from Scotia and H&R with some light French armour to complete the Daguet "Division" - 1st Gulf War, and the remaining vehicles for Turkish armoured, mechanised and infantry brigades in the 80's and 90's.

Thanks for looking.

Supply base for 1980's French armoured division

I mentioned to Steve Oates of The Baggage Train that I'd been looking for some 6mm models of metal shipping containers, back in January.  Last week he turned up at the club with sets of resin 20ft and 40ft containers - can't remember how many in each pack, but enough in the two packs to do 2 or 3 stands like the one shown here.

I've based a mixture of 20ft and 40ft containers to represent a temporary field supply depot.  I had a spare trailer from a Scotia modern French ferry and was pleasantly surprised to find the 40ft container fitted it exactly.  They are painted in Tamiya NATO green, with a wash of flat brown rust, highlighted in orange brown.  I'm not sure of the manufacturer but the vehicle is an AMX-30D, the only modern French vehicle I could put my hands on with a crane.  It would be great to find a manufacturer who makes a heavy fork lift truck, to show stores being on- and offloaded from smaller trucks for distribution to the front line troops.

Thanks for looking.

USMC ECCM vehicle in 6mm

For the Crisis Point mega game last year we were going to use ECCM vehicles as specialist stands with recce abilities.  In the end I used a modified Hummer, but I also experimented with a LAV-25 hull that I had received minus its turret.  I used some modelling clay to raise the hull roof and added some copper wire aerials, one with a blob of modelling clay to represent a rather oversized microwave transmitter.  I think the modified LAV turned out cooler than the Hummer, so thought I'd put up a photo of it anyway.

The look of the vehicle I was aiming for.  An upgraded LAV-C image I found on Google.

A LAV MEWSS vehicle with what looks like a giant TV aerial on the roof as well as a bunch of whip aerials, another find on Google.

Thanks for looking.

WW1 Mk IV tanks

Part of my Christmas present that finally made it on to the painting table.

Here are four stands of Mk IV male "tanks" from Heroics and Ros (GWB1) painted in khaki grey with flat brown exhaust and tracks dry brushed in gunmetal.  Vehicle recognition flash in flat red on white.  All Vallejo paints.

Mark IV female "tanks" (H&R GWB2), similar paint job to the males above.

Both types, female at front, males behind.

These are part of a WW1 force I'm putting together - ready for some club games of Great War Spearhead to get some games in as part of the anniversary in August.  Next in the pipeline will be H&R infantry and cavalry and some of the new Baccus early war infantry - all for the British.

Thanks for looking.