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.

Elhiem Miniatures additions

 I took advantage of the Elhiem Xmas sale to pick up a few packs to complete some projects.  These guys, with the exception of the Kurt Russel look alike, are insurgent leaders (westerners) or apocalypse survivors.  The Kurt Russel wannabe was a freebie in the package, which was nice.  I guess he will be suitable as Jake Pigskin in the Cold War supplement.

I also wanted some downed helicopter crewmen suitable for my USMC, so ordered a set of armed helicopter crew and a single unarmed figure trying to evade capture.  I figure there are a few scenarios I can create around these for Force on Force or Black Ops.

I still have some Middle Eastern insurgent RPG gunners and assorted infantry to complete.  I'm also bringing two big projects to a conclusion, with c. 100 20mm SHQ Vietnam War US infantry and special forces virtually complete and a 28mm Late War mainly SS infantry force also in the final stages, with a full platoon of SS panzergrenadiers and assorted sections of veteran SS, Heer and Volksturm infantry in support, plus some crewed weapons, ready for Chain of Command and Battlegroup.  More on these shortly.

Thanks for looking.

20mm Adventurers

Here are some more characters for late 19th/early 20th century games.  These are old figures from my childhood stash, from the Airfix High Chaparral set, supplemented by an Elhiem archaeologist.

The Elhiem archaeologist/adventurer figure, "Ozark Smith" perhaps.

Uncle Buck.

John Canon and Victoria.

Manolito

Hired hands.

These guys are from Elhiems Pulp range, three armed sailors straight off the pages of Tin Tin, Sexton Blake or similar.  I thought these might make a great additional piece of flavour to my naval landing party figures.  Unfortunately, Bob the cabin boy seems to be armed with a Tommy gun, which is just a bit too early (1920/1) for our Andreivia game set in 1918.  Maybe it's an experimental weapon issued on field trials.

Thanks for looking.

Elhiem Cold War British

I finished the BAOR figures I bought from Elhiem in their Christmas sale.  Here is a full platoon in patrol poses, three sections of 8 and a platoon HQ of 4 or 5.

Part of the platoon HQ, left to right officer, RTO and sniper.

The rest of the platoon HQ, a light mortar gunner and an NCO with Sterling.

The fire support gun team with GPMG gunner and assistant, plus an SLR rifleman.

The rifle team with 4 SLR riflemen (including NCOs) plus a Sterling armed Charlie G gunner.

A dog handler, complete with German Shepherd.

Higher level (Co or Batt) commanders.

More command figures with the RSM.

An advanced optics spotter team, at the back an RTO and spotter with binoculars, at the front the officer and a rifleman.

Various manpack support weapons, at the front a Charlie G gunner and a Blowpipe launcher, at the back a LAW gunner.

I've still to add a platoon from Britannia Miniatures and that should give me a full company, enough to fill a table in 20mm I think.  I must say, it will be good to get the last of the DPM figures complete as it's quite time consuming, although does give a pleasing effect to the models when they are finished.  Again, these will finish up in the Falklands, Centag, Northag and even North Wales in our Winter of 79 campaign.

Thanks for looking.

20mm Early 1980's Characters

So, the "Winter of 79" forces are starting to take shape.

First up, Government/Loyalist/Royalist/Tory characters.

A pair of Commissaries to administer the West Cheshire and Deeside administrative districts.  These are dictator figures from RH Models.  The Deeside Commissary is obviously an RAF type from RAF Sealand, just across the River Dee from Deeside in England.  The West Cheshire Commissary will have set up base at the Castle in Chester.

Next up, a pair of dirty tricks Special Branch operatives - if you want someone to disappear, these are the guys to call in.  These are from Elhiem.

The happier face of Special Branch, a likely pair of lads from Platoon 20 who closely resemble Bodie and Doyle - if you are old enough to remember the Professionals.

Bobbies in body armour with SLRs on patrol (from Elhiem).  These guys would accompany army patrols to provide liaison between military and civil powers.  I am always uncomfortable when I see British police openly carrying firearms - trips through U.K. airports always freak me out!

A pair of militia leaders from Platoon 20, the black guy in the sharp suit has raised a loyalist militia in an urban environment - well he doesn't want to crease the suit.  The guy with the "mutton chops" bears a passing resemblance to a country pub landlord or local squire, who's raised a rural militia force from the local rustics.

For the Insurgents/Terrorists/Revolutionaries/Separatists/Socialists, depending on your point of view.

"Professional" terrorists armed with Uzis from the IRA or Bader Meinhoff gang assisting the cause in Britain - these are plain clothes Garda from Elhiem.

A couple of local militia cell leaders with handguns, from Platoon 20.

Another pair from Platoon 20, a skinhead armed with an Uzi and lady in trouser suit with handgun from her hand bag.

A pair of Platoon 20 emancipated females in paramilitary gear with M60s (I think).

Another pair, the one on the right is huge, so would have to be known as "Big Bertha" by her Government opposition.

Then the revolution's financiers, a pair of Platoon 20 gangsters in stocking masks, armed with a sawn off shotgun and handgun.

Another pair armed with handgun and some kind of small stubby SMG that I can't make out.

So, these guys and girls will add some characters/leader types to the upcoming "Winter of 79" campaign.  Next up will be a local militia force for Wo79, and the Argentine heavy weapons teams for the Falklands, both of which are finished but need photographing.  On the paining table are a platoon of Elhiem Cold War British infantry in patrol poses, some odds and ends and then I'll either do some more militia forces or some modern Russians - depends on how the fancy takes me or what we arrange for games at the Defenders club.  I've also got some of the Works bargains that need painting up.

As ever, thanks for looking.

20mm Argentine troops for the Falklands

The Falklands campaign of 1982 has re-emerged at the club as another set of scenarios for all those Cold War British infantry in our collections.  With the Top Malo scenario in the Force on Force rule book, there is a ready made scenario just waiting for the table top.

As the Argentine forces were, with some variation, largely kitted out in what appears to be US kit of the 60's and 70's, very similar to several NATO armies of the 70's and 80's.  This means that the generic NATO infantry produced by Elhiem should fit the bill as one option and, if not, then they will be useful as troops for Denmark, Norway and West Germany.

I've painted them with Russian uniform as the base colour, heavily dry brushed green grey and then lightly dusted green grey with a little white.  Helmets are olive drab, boots and weapons are NATO black dry brushed basalt grey.

These are NATO NCOs with Uzi SMGs.  Front view.

Rear view.

A mix of riflemen with G3 and FAL - I ordered mixed packs so took pot luck as to what was included as I wanted to try these figures out.  Front view.

Rear view.

LAW armed troopers, with a single Carl Gustav.

GPMG gunners for fire support.  Front view.

Rear view.

In the run up to Christmas, my other half asked me what I wanted as a pressie, so I came up with a list of gear from R H Models (Liberation range).  The Yolasite lists several packs of Argentines, but unfortunately most are labelled as not yet available.  However, there are three packs of FN riflemen listed, each of 10 figures, including 3 suitable for NCOs (pointing poses).  These are really nice crisp castings, but the range is crying out for some heavy weapon support.

First up, figures wearing parkas, with canvas covered helmets and goggles.  Front view.

And the second pack, very similar, but no goggles.  Front view.

Rear view.

The last pack in soft winter caps with ear flaps, some folded up and some down covering the ears.  Front view.

Rear view.

Finally, from the RH Models multipurpose range is a medic and figure carrying a wounded comrade, both wearing baseball caps but looking close enough to the soft winter caps figures to blend in well.  Front view.

Rear view.

 

These figures should work well for Argentine troops for the Falklands, but I think they will also work well for Norwegian and Danish troops in a hypothetical Cold War scenario, which is handy as I plan to try out some of the scenarios in the "Red Star, White Lights" scenario book which was published recently.  They came as something of a relief to paint, after working on DPM for the last couple of months, because of the simplicity of the monochrome scheme.  So, the basis there for a couple of platoons, which I might consider bringing up to company strength at some point.  Support weapons are a little thin on the ground, unless RH Models complete their list.  I've seen suggestions that 106mm recoilless rifles from the Platoon 20 US Vietnam range would be suitable, as well as .50 cals and may be even mortar support and WW2 bazooka teams.  For NATO, I'll have to add some of the Elhiem generic NATO Milan teams.

 

Thanks for looking.