Sunday, November 30, 2014

Another Heavy Truck

Monty's Caravan it was never going to be. Check out this link for a very cool job on this kit http://plasticwarriors.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/magic-matchbox-monty-model.html?view=classic


I had my bridging engineer unit in mind for this truck. The Leyland Retriever served throughout WW2 in a variety of roles; Leyland also built the Cromwell tank from 1943




Still some details to do with paintwork and decals. Nice model. In CD3, this can carry a whole company.

Friday, November 28, 2014

Haystacks

Had these for years and thought they were due for a tidy up


I got them at a swap-meet in Christchurch, simple plaster haystacks in 20mm


David Russell has the other four, I think they were x8 for $10; excellent value for money.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

1939-40 British Infantry Brigade

As with all my stuff, based for CD3. This is my British Expeditionary Force collection and has been about a year in the making. I now have three complete infantry battalions and just need to add other units, such as recon and bridging engineers; just for the sake of it really. Comprised almost entirely of the most excellent Zvezda figures, which I have tried to arrange in as many poses as I could for the sake of variety


First Battalion


Second


Third


Some examples of the different poses I was able to achieve doing the monster-mash and seeing what I could come up with



Every other figure had a sling added where I could




Esci arms added to the figure on the right



Another Bren team


Airfix arms + green-stuff




Battalion commander sections, middle one is Airfix


Company command sections, Aifix, Zvezda, Esci


Brigade command section


MMG platoons


Mortar platoons


Engineers


The Brigade.


Friday, November 21, 2014

Crossley Armoured Car

The last of my Frontline resins for now. I got this one with my small Minor Nations collection in mind but it could also feature in Sealion type scenarios, as they were still used as training vehicles in 1940 


Similar to the Lanchester 6x4 armoured car in many respects, though these served until 1945; mostly in the Pacific 



Base colours. I tried to keep it as neutral as possible so the model could stand in for similar vehicles of minor nations, Dutch, Polish, etc, I'm not a purist :)



Fairly generic decals, which never seem to go on smoothly :(



Armed with x2 Vickers machineguns, and carrying about 7mm of armour, this is a light recon vehicle at best, but like others of its ilk would have been pressed into service in the event of an invasion of England.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Early War Home Guard

I made this small Home Guard unit from the spare figures I had left over from my continuing BEF project.



The usual touching up to do around the bases, etc but they are otherwise finished



Mostly Zvezda figures with Airfix heads



None of the poses are particularly animated but I was running out of parts and pretty much just had to make do with what I had, the BEF enjoyed the lion's share of the figures and kit available



Two companies plus an HQ section and medium machinegun platoon.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Wing Strut Thingy

Col made me copies of the wing strut thingy I was missing, very good resin copies they are too




Have other projects on the go but will definitely find some time for the 0/400, now that progress can continue, cheers Col.


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Arrivals + WIP

A few additions from the postman this morning...



And, a few poses I'm messing around with for my early war British collection



Now have enough figures to complete the third battalion, plus a few spares.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Pre-Sealion Game 1940

Pictures from the game I played last week with Mark. Set shortly after the Dunkirk evacuation, the Germans attack a small harbour town to test out some tactics for the coming invasion of England, and to grab some prisoners for intelligence. The Germans had x2 companies of paratroops which were landed behind the village, and x2 companies of mountain infantry, landed by boat. The British had x1 battalion of Home Guard and a small motorised regular component. I played the Germans, Mark the British



Mountain infantry attack the front harbour area from rafts. Another company stays on the launch to attack a different part of the waterfront


German para in the fields behind the village, in the top of this picture is the platoon that was eliminated instantly because it landed in the river. This forced the rest of the company to go pinned for three turns



British positions along the waterfront and the command HQ


One platoon of mountain infantry is eliminated by the Home Guard but the rest make it ashore unscathed and engage the British at close range




The only mobile German para start to flank the village, their superior firepower and morale meant they had no problems taking on opposition twice their number, figures are Airfix and Esci



Home Guard platoon stubbornly holding out around the lower dock area


Engineers knock out one of the British pillboxes 



About turn 3, just behind the harbour area, mountain troops look to link up with para attacking from the other side, but they have been held up by more determined resistance from the Home Guard



Still the core of the assault force is pinned


Mountain infantry continue working through the village, largely unopposed. Caesar figures, SHQ AALMG platoon in the background


Turn 4, the German para HQ finally moves


The dockside defenders forced into the only unoccupied part of the village, they are more or less surrounded and have suffered many casualties - still they continue to resist though




The British HQ area comes under heavy attack from the main force of para


Turn 5. The British play their Ace, an armoured car platoon and a company of regular infantry _ Zvezda figures with Airfix trucks


However, they rushed headlong into the rear of the village and were ambushed from two sides by para and mountain infantry



The regulars regrouped and returned fire with some success



Esci and Revell para, Home Guard figures are all Airfix and Matchbox conversions



The para didn't get it all their own way, this British command platoon eliminated one platoon and forced another to retreat



AALMG platoon firing at very close range with great results until close assaulted by a fresh group of para


Another pillbox is knocked out



Turn 6. The last fighting Home Guard platoon on the dock side of the village fails morale and surrenders. The regulars though remained firm and continued firing from around their burning trucks



More British morale failures


The HQ prepares for the final assault...


Which never came. The Germans now began to withdraw back through the village and docks, taking their prisoners with them



The damaged but still fighting regulars follow the retreating Germans... at a distance




Great game. Mark showed a good grasp of the rules and basic tactics but the German superiority in morale and firepower was never going to make it an easy introduction for him.