On the workbench Jan 2021

Happy New Year!  So, with the Civil Powers taking control of the kitchen table (AKA my workbench), painting ground to a halt over Christmas and into the New Year.  So, with little to entertain on tv these days and lots of long dark days and nights, what better than to assemble some of the kits that reside in the stash, some of them for several years, others more recent.

First up, a real quick build from First2Fight, a PzIIC - very much like assembling one of the smaller Zvezda 15mm kits, but this one in 20mm.  Needs a bit of jazzing up with some stowage.

Then an Italeri Wirbelwind.  Not a bad model to assemble and nicely detailed, but the need to plastic weld some of the gun assembly was fiddly, but not significantly so.  However, the tracks were a bit of a sod as individual track links needed to be glued around the stong curvatures of the sprocket wheels and as connectors between straight sections.  What a palaver, especially as they don't attach to each other in any way other than glue.  Still, quite a nice model once it went together.

Another First2fight, this time an Sdkfz 247 recce/command car.  Axles a little spindly, but builds into a nice sturdy little kit.  Think it will need basing to minimise damage to those thin axles though.

Interesting assembly challenge posed by this Fujimi Ferdinand.  The big issue was making the tracks link up as they are old style rubbery plastic needing to be hot welded, but one track was a good centimeter short, while the other was more like an inch short.  Even draping over a radiator to warm up and then stretching didn't significantly close the gap.  In the end, I used bits of the sprue the tracks came on to melt and add length on the underside of the tracks - as I'm going to base them,  it shouldn't be too visible.

Compared to Fujimi, this Airfix Cromwell was a delight to assemble and the tracks were so straightforward it was untrue.  Any model manufacturers would do well to try and emulate this technique for track assembly.  I need to dig through my spare tank commanders to pop a figure in the hatch.

A universal carrier section from Plastic Soldier Company.  These were from the standard set, with the addition of 2" mortar crewmen from the carrier variants set.  This is where, again, I have been somewhat disappointed by PSC, as they appear to have used a slightly different scaling for the variants box compared to the basic carrier sprue.  This makes crew figures from the variants box appear to be giants, compared with the basic crew (I estimate more like 23 or 24mm high, rather than 20mm), which is really noticeable when comparing the driver and gunner figures with variant crew figures.  Natural variation in height might explain this, but for the fact that the helmets of the variant crews look gigantic compared with the basic vehicle crews.  Unfortunately, the scaling difference also means that parts such as the armoured front of the artillery observation carrier are slightly too large to fit the rest of the standard model and need cutting back to fit.

A second carrier section, one to carry a bren team, the middle a 2" mortar from the variant kit, but with standard kit crew, and the third to carry a PIAT team.

A Vickers MMG carrier - again, compare helmet sizes between front seat crew and rear passengers.

Artillery observation variant.

3" mortar carrier.

Wasp flamethrower.

So, not a bad group of vehicles assembled over the holidays, I'm quite pleased with that little lot.  Should keep me out of trouble for a few weeks.

Thanks for looking.

20mm PSC SS Panzergrenadiers

I was impressed with the example photos of the new Plastic Soldier Company ultracast SS Panzergrenadiers, so decided to give myself a pre-Christmas treat and ordered a box.  At almost £20 plus postage for a box of 35 figures, they are not cheap, working out at over 57p per figure.  I was also somewhat surprised at the box content as there are 6 MG34 teams of 2, 3 prone firing and 3 advancing.  However, that leaves 3 kneeling commanders, 3 NCOs with SMGs, 3 Panzerfausts and 20 figures armed with rifles.  Now, my calculations suggest that for a platoon in PSCs premier WW2 rules system, this leaves you short 1 rifleman, which seems a really odd mix, especially as my box contained sprues which had been cut up already, so presumably are a mix and match from the casting machines.

The image below shows the basic 30 man platoon that can be assembled (I opted to use the advancing LMG teams, saving the firing teams for another platoon), but there is an odd figure from another manufacturer - I will let you try and figure out which and from which plastic figure set. 

Pose quality and sculpting are excellent (as might be expected given their Adler pedigree) and they are nicely equipped with water bottle, bread bag, gas mask canister, entrenching tool or spade and bayonet sheath, and a scattering of zeltbahns.  Riflemen appear to carry the Kar 98K, NCOs the MP40.  Those armed with panzerfausts also have a slung rifle.  Loaders for the LMGs carry ammo boxes and one has a belt of ammunition draped around his shoulders.  There are quite a variety of poses, walking, running, aiming firing, loading, etc., which makes for a nice mixed look to the unit.

The ultracast material is lightweight and easy to paint, requiring no base/undercoat coat.  However, that is where the benefits stop.  The material does not fully fill the molds properly, resulting in poorly cast arms and entrenching tools in particular.  Missing arms, from elbow or shoulder to hand, required the use of paste to fill/resculpt.  In particular, the tips of entrenching tools also proved particularly challenging to repair and I eventually gave up.  Then there are issues with strong curvature on entrenching tool handles, which are adhered to the backside of the troopers, making them curve to their bodies.  Rifles were also curved and, in at least one case, rippled with multiple curves, making straightening them a challenge.  To add to the problems, some of the webbing, especially rifle and SMG slings, is markedly distorted, with random blebs of plastic and occasionally, there are rounded blebs of plastic adhered to the chest of some figures - no indication if this is a mis-cast item like a grenade or just a blob of spare plastic, but it is too well adhered to the figure to remove without a lot of cutting.  I regret to say that in my opinion there is some really poor production quality and quality control in the manufacture of these figures, which spoils what were clearly beautiful figure sculpts.  Having said that, I am quite pleased with how they have turned out, but I am not going to rush out and buy more or their new 8th Army figures until I hear production quality has improved.

The 6 figure command squad - to me the three kneeling figures look more suitable (in fact perfect) for a higher level HQ (FHQ in BG), rather than a combat platoon.

Three advancing MG34 teams.  Nice dynamic poses.  I have painted these guys in a spring oak leaf pattern,

Three 5 man rifle teams, each with a panzerfaust.

Another view of the riflemen.

And the LMG teams.

So, I thought about what spare figures I had and how they might be incorporated into the basic set.  I picked up some Britannia SS figures from Paul at the Defenders club a couple of years ago and was pleased to see that they compare well in style and size.  This got me thinking that, at 65p/figure, the Britannia metals might be a better bet, although the variety of poses from PSC is nice.  Anyway, these figures were in pea dot camo and there were enough riflemen and an LMG team to do a recce infantry section (at the back in the photo below), plus a suitable commander and a grizzled veteran with arm in sling for the command team (front row, round bases), freeing up the three kneeling PSC figures to form a battlegroup FHQ.  As a bonus, there were also sniper, panzerschrek and MG34 tripod teams as well (on left in photo below).

Comparison of Britannia figures (round bases on left) and PSC (square bases right) showing good compatibility - at least I am happy with them.

So, all in all I am really pleased with the way they have turned out and they form the basis of a nice looking SS Panzergrenadier kampfgruppe.  I already have one using entirely Britannia figures, so these should fit right in for larger actions.

As its Christmas Eve and, according to Norad, Santa is preparing for his great journey around the globe, I will take the opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas.  I hope you are able to be with the ones you love, and if you cant, then you can at least meet up on social media.  Take care and keep safe, as ever, thanks for looking.

20mm WW2 British Shermans for NW Europe

A troop of Shermans marked up as 27th Armoured Brigade.  75mm Sherman command tank is a PSC freebie with Torch, I think, while the other 75mm and the Firefly are Ready-2-roll resin castings.

The PSC kit, nice and easy to assemble.  All these vehicles are base coated in Russian uniform, washed in Agrax earthshade and dry brushed Iraqi sand.  Tracks are German camo black brown, washed in Agrax and dry brushed.

Ready-2-roll Firefly, some very minor bubbles to fill before painting, but a lovely model.

Ready-2-roll 75mm Sherman.

Another view of the troop.

There is a slight difference in size between the PSC and Ready-2-roll versions, with the PSC version being 2-3mm longer, although this isn't really noticeable on the tabletop.

The PSC commander - "Driver, advance right!"

So, all ready to roll off the beach head in Normandy and fight their way to the Seine.  But who am I kidding, I'm not enough of a zealot that I won't also use them in Holland and Germany, despite 27th Armoured being disbanded before the end of the Normandy campaign (their tanks were reallocated and just haven't been given the new markings in my universe).

Thanks for looking.

15mm Early War Germans

Over the last couple of years, I've been gradually picking up the makings of an early war German force in 15mm, mainly PSC for the infantry and some vehicles, as well as Zvezda for a quite a few of the vehicles.  The vehicles are all painted the same way, in Vallejo grey violet, with a panzer blue filter applied.  Decals are all I94 from Pendraken/Minibits purchased at shows.

First up, two troops of Pz IIs from Zvezda.

One of the Pz II troop commander vehicles.

Next, a troop of Pz IIIEs with 37mm guns, suitable for Poland and France.

A troop of PzIIIFs with 50mm gun but no improved armor.

A troop of Pz IIIGs with 50mm guns and extra mantlet armor.

 
A troop of Pz IVDs

A pair of Pz IVF1s.

A troop of Pz IVF2s

Overall command Panzer III in Pz IIIF.

Recce troop of Sdkfz 222s.

Sdkfz 232 heavy recce vehicle.

Sdkfz 231 recce vehicle.

A pair of Sdkfz 250/1 with an Sdkfz 250/10 recce platoon leader's vehicle.

Marder II SPAT.

Kubelwagen with 2 man artillery spotter team.

Marder III with ex-Soviet 7.62cm AT gun.

Battery of three Stug IIIE.

Two troops of three Pz38t - a mix of PSC and Zvezda.

Troop commander's Pz38t

Troop commander for the second Pz38t troop.

Rommel himself, this the Battlefront/Flames of War version.

A 3D print version of the Befehlspanzer I.

A 3D print version of the 150mm Sig33 infantry gun mounted on a Panzer I, crew spares from various Marder variants.

A pair of Battlefront Tiger Is.

An infantry zug from the PSC Early War German infantry box, which gives enough figures for three zugs and a company command section.  Here formed as three 10 man squads (including a three man MG34 team) and a six man command squad.

The command figures.

An infantry squad.

Another squad.

Two man 50mm mortar team.

Three man 8cm mortar team.

Two man AT rifle team.

Three man tripod mounted MG34 team in the sustained fire role.

PAK36 with three crew.

75mm infantry gun with three crew.

 

I still have two infantry platoons to work up and will eventually motorize a platoon in Opel Blitz trucks and Gepanzert another in Sdkfz 251s, as well as adding some softskin tows and possibly an 88mm gun or two.  These should work well for BG Blitzkrieg and Barbarossa scenarios (and Stalingrad), but I also plan to mix in some later vehicles and weapons from my DAK or late war collections for BG Kursk era scenarios.

As ever, thanks for looking.