20mm ACW figures from HaT Industrie

      Fresh off the presses at HaT comes a selection of ACW infantry and command figures. Represented are Union troops marching, Confederate troops marching a group of command figures that are usable for either side and a sampler box that has one sprue of each type in it. These are all cast in a soft shocking blue plastic that takes detail well and shows very little flash. The single-themed boxes come with standard HaT box art (which means well above average) and the sampler set has a childishly drawn scene and Spanish language labeling. The back of the box shows digital renders of the figures that are in the set. 

        All of the troops wear a mixture of uniforms but none are in greatcoats. The Union set features Hardee hats while the Confederate set has soft hats; in both boxes a fair number of the models are wearing kepis. The Command set has standard bearers, drummers, and officers one of whom is mounted, the equestrian sculpt is very well done. 

Back to the Spats! Building the Fiat C.R. 42 Falco in 1/72 from Revell

       This is a benchmark aircraft; Italy's last biplane fighter and the last biplane to score a kill in aerial combat; plus it is really cool looking!

 

ah, the good old days when box covers were real artwork

I always wondered what happened to the original paintings

 

       Italy brought the C.R 42 into service in May of 1939 eventually producing over 1800 of them. It served on every front where Italian forces were engaged (and a few where they weren't i.e. The Battle of Britain). It had a reputation for being a robust and agile fighter, despite being slower and under-armed. This model from Revell dates back over fifty years, closer to the time of the Fiat's last aerial victory than to today!

Revell 1/72 P-36 Build

 

 

       Another of the classic old Revell kits from my childhood, this little gem is one of my favorites. Sure, it has raised rivets and panel lines but they are very finely done. The parts fit is exemplary and the overall outline is spot on. Not bad for a kit that is over half a century old. This kit might just be a gate-way drug into yet another small air force; I have models of all the Polish combat aircraft, the Finns would be a bigger proposition as they lasted longer than the Poles but it still had a limited inventory.  As usual I'm building the kit "S.O.B." (Straight Outta the Box) which includes using the standard kit decals (which look pretty good in this case).

Spats, and all that.........

 

 

garish paint-jobs are a bonus

        For some time now I have had a side-hobby of collecting aircraft from the late 1930'-WW2 era that fit into a small number of focused areas of interest (unlike my wargaming which is almost traumatically unfocused!); Fixed undercarriage/Spats, The Polish Air Force 1939, WWTT (What Were They Thinking) and Too Cool (this last is hugely subjective).  Just how an aircraft earns a place on the lists is subject to an arcane thought-process that is unclear even to me (it seems to involve single-engine aircraft as an aspect), but having a few narrow fields keeps me from branching out too far into the weeds. 

Gaming Update 26DEC20

 I will be hosting a game at my place 7pm on December 26th 2020

I would love to see you here

P.S. I have tested Covid free twice now so I am out of the woods on that front!

Product Review, Rubicon Models Market Produce Set 1 28mm 1/56th scale

 

just what the pillagers were looking for!

       Every once in a while I find something that I didn't know I needed until I saw it at Michigan Toy Soldier. This is one of those things; a set of market goodies to add that little touch of realism to your game. This sort of thing is normally cast in resin or plaster which is usually expensive and fragile. These beauties are cast in light durable plastic which displays excellent detail.

More With The Spats????

the Henschel HS 126, so ugly that you have to love it 

        I got a surprise Christmas gift from a friend, I had mentioned that I was looking to fill a hole in my "WW2 warplanes with spats" collection and he gifted me this little beauty. Thanks Steve!

Plane Crazy

        A near-brush with Covid and the resulting upsetting of my schedule left me with precious little time for hobby stuff over the last couple of weeks. The odd hours that I had I spent finishing up a few aircraft models for various wargaming applications. First I finished up the airliners for the Cold War in Africa  games that R.U.P. has been running, then I built and painted a couple of Korean War U.S. Navy models for a friend of mine. These all were a refreshing change from slogging through dozens of soldiers (an effort that I will soon return to) as they are all one-off projects and a subject matter that I haven't dealt with in years (.......er, decades).

       First we return to some anonymous African airport circa 1965;

 

an old WW2 workhorse

 soldiering on in the service of the mythical Tatesavy United Airline

Stocking up for the Holidays with Bastion Games, Opening Black Friday 27NOV20!

       My good friend, Tom from Texas, is going to fulfill a life-long dream of opening a mega hobby shop/wargaming store this coming Black Friday. Long in the making (no thanks to Covid-19!) but well worth the wait! Located on the northwest corner of Woodward Avenue and Long Lake, Bastion Games will bring a top-flight hobby store to northwest Metro Detroit. The shop will stock Games Workshop, Star Wars (all varieties) Reaper, and Dungeons and Dragons as well as a host of other product-lines. The address is 43239 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills MI 48302. The phone number is 248 499 6888 and the website is Bastion Gaming

           A stand-out feature is the availability of complete, fully painted armies that are available for sale. This shop also features a massive gaming hall and three smaller private rooms for specific themed games. Gamers wishing to try out new rules or armies can contact the store about having a game set up to play with their friends. Access to the store's large selection of ready-painted armies and extensive terrain collection makes it possible to run that campaign or mega-game that always seemed impossible. 

        I got a chance to take a sneak-peek as they were putting the final touches on. Let's take a look!

Gaming Update 20NOV20 UPDATED!!!!!!

We will be gaming at my house on Saturday November 21st at 7 p.m.

Be there

28mm Late Roman Cataphracts by Gripping Beast

       As if I needed more figures to paint! Finishing out their Late Roman collectrion GB has brought out some lovely Late Roman Cataphracts (although, with tiny changes, these would easily serve in a LOT of other armies!). Let's take a look ....

 

 the front of the box, nice artwork

Rules Review; Blood and Valor

 

       I had heard great things about Blood and Plunder (a rules for the Pirate era from the same publisher) but, having a different set that I was quite happy with, had never played them. When I saw that Firelock Games was bringing out a set for the Great War era I was interested and picked up a copy shortly after they appeared at Michigan Toy Soldier.

Gaming Update 14NOV20 Edition

 Gaming at my place  on 14NOV20 at 1900hrs

Not sure what we will be playing, maybe some Great War stuff in honor of Veterans Day

Happy Veterans's Day

 A great big Thank-You to all who have served to keep out great nation free. 

I honor your service and sacrifice.

God Bless you all!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE USMC

 UNCLE SAM'S MISGUIDED CHILDREN ARE HAVING A BIRTHDAY TODAY

 

THEY ARE LOOKING PRETTY GOOD FOR A UNIT THAT IS 245 YEARS OLD!

LET US RAISE A GLASS TO THE ALWAYS FAITHFUL!

THANK YOU TO ALL THAT SERVED!

Gaming Update

 Gaming will take place at my place on Friday  OCT6 NOV6 at 1900hrs, and again on Saturday OCT7  NOV7 at 1900hrs.

Be there or be reviled!

Airport Uganda 1967, building unusual "terrain" items

       R.U.P. has been building his African Cold War collection for over a decade now, it has expanded to include the Arab-Israeli Wars and some other odds and ends. Over the years I have been happy to lend my modest talents to his efforts so when he came to me about building a airliner for one of his scenarios I was glad to lend a hand. Furthermore I had an old "dusty project" in The Vault to add to the effort. R.U.P.  provided an Atlantis model of a Boeing 727 while I ferreted around in The Vault and located an old Monogram DC-3 kit. These would provide eye-candy for a scenario involving an airport. I had been intending to use the DC-3 as my transport for my AK-47 Republic army (which it will still be able to do as it will be painted in the colors of a mythical airline) but it will look great sitting on the tarmac next to the sleek jet airliner. 

       As I am an impatient man I decided to build the kits "in tandem" so I could work on one while waiting for things to dry on the other. This is a trick I learned a while back when I was mass-building 112 1/72 scale T-34 tanks for my Fall of Berlin game.

 

the kits, an Atlantis 727 at 1/94 scale and a Monogram DC-3 at 1/90th

Photo Survey, Old Fort Jackson Savannah GA

 

 

the overhead shot , courtesy Google Earth

       Having visited Savannah half a dozen times over the years it escapes me as to how I managed to have missed a visit to Old Fort Jackson so far. I decided to set that oversight right as I was in the South and would be passing near Savannah on my way back to dreary Michigan. Located just east of Historic Old Savannah the fort is a National Historic Site that is run and maintained by the Coastal Heritage Society  who also run several other museums in the Savannah area (all of which are well worth a visit).  If you are planning on attending do try to visit between October and may as the summers in Savannah are absolutely brutal.

New to nobody but me, Pegasus Great War French Infantry

 

 

the front of the box

 

       At the request of The Housemartin I went looking for figures to represent the French in Madagascar at the time of Operation Ironclad. After examining options he picked the Pegasus WW1 French infantry set. To make enough troops to fill out his OOB I would need two boxes (there being forty figures in each box). I ordered these through Michigan Toy Soldier and had them in hand within the week. These figures are cast in a medium soft brown plastic that took detail very well. The figures display almost no flash and very little by way of mold lines. The only thing that gives me any reservation is that several of the figures are cast in multiple parts and will require gluing together, having dealt with Pegasus kits in the past I anticipate no problems but it does add an additional bit of work that the old Airfix and Revell kits did not demand.

GAMING UPDATE 29OCT20 1900hrs

 As the title says, we will be gaming this Thursday at my place at 1900hrs

Photo Survey; Fort Loudon, Tennessee

courtesy of Google Earth we have a top-down view of the fort

     I recently had a chance to travel to the state of Tennessee and take in the glorious weather and the very well reconstructed Fort Loudoun. The park has an excellent museum and a friendly and well-versed staff. Built in 1756 as a trading post dealing with the Cherokee Nation it was the scene of a successful siege by the Cherokee who ended up in possession of the fort and it's twelve cannon. There is an excellent Wikipedia article here. This fort cleverly encloses the high ground that would otherwise overlook its interior thus avoiding the problems that Ticonderoga and Mackinac had when they were taken by opponents that captured hills looking down into those forts.

 

but once terrain lines have been added we can see that the regular trace of he fort is a carefully placed to take advantage of the hill to the northeast

Nice New Buildings from Renedra

        I happened across these at Michigan Toy Soldier today. I don't know if they are new, but they are new to me so here they are. A series of 28mm Dark/Middle ages buildings that will happily stretch into the early modern era without too much effort. They are solidly cast in a medium gray plastic and nicely detailed, they will be a breeze to assemble. Priced at $8.00US they are very affordable and should paint up easily with the deeply incised details. Sorry about the cello-wrap in the pictures, but I have seventy or so 28mm buildings so I passed on buying these and snapped photos at the store. They have that "just right" feel, large enough to match well with the miniatures but small enough that they don't dominate the landscape. I would consider these an excellent purchase.

 

 

 

 

The Joy of Styrene

 

       So, I'm back at my Irish Dark Ages figures intending to finish off the first box as lightly-armed skirmishers and I will dedicate the next box to some close-ranked spearmen that can double as Welsh in a pinch. Before I even started I got the itch, that certain itch I suffer from whenever I'm dealing with plastic figures; the modification itch! I just knew that I couldn't build these as "out of the box" figures; they would need some cutting-up and new bits. For starters I wanted to add some archers to the mix, no, none of those deadly longbows from a few centuries later; just some run of the mill lads with bows. To this end I dug out one of the boxes of "donor bits" that I had placed aside when I had built some minis a few years back, the Gripping Beast Arab Light Cavalry box. I had built these as a largely spear-armed unit so there were plenty of spare arms holding bows still available. 

The relatively quick follow up on the Jacobite post.

 So I managed to get the canons put together, building this with MDF is always an interesting trick and the more fiddly the item, the more I think people should not make the item out of mdf, but people keep making them and I keep ending up with them so here are the canon builds.  

 

Third Quarter 2020AD

        Time for a look back at what I have accomplished (or failed to accomplish!) in the last three months. As the world began to open up I spent a less time in the workshop and thus my total number of postings fell to fifty-two posts from the previous high of seventy-six. This was accompanied by a reduction in page visits to 26, 028 for a daily average of 289. I gained two followers. 

        As far as the content of the posts go I did one book review, three figure-set reviews and completed six after-action reports. During this period I completed three model aircraft which were covered by corresponding posts. I did a step-by-step photo tutorial on how I rigged my 1/350th scale galleons. For once in a very long while I resisted the urge to produce a large terrain project and confined my creative energies to scratchbuilding ships and converting figures. At the request of The Housemartin I scratchbuilt a 1/200th scale Dauntless class light cruiser and two A Class destroyers for his Operation Ironclad campaign. I undertook to convert six Dark Ages Irish into 18th century Scots just because I love converting plastic figures. Following along in that vein I built thirty Great War German Infantry, most of which were subject to conversion/customization, some of it rather radical, as well as building a Wex Flammenwurfer and T-Gewehr to equip them with. To provide them with an opponent I scratchbuilt a 1/56th scale MK IV British tank. Stepping down a size I painted a 15mm Stargrunt Neu Swabian League force consisting of eleven vehicles and one hundred infantry.

       Realizing the dual facts that I won't live forever and that my interests have shifted radically I sorted through The Vault and identified a large number of plastic model kits that I simply won't ever build. I placed a few of these on a tab entitled "Better Than Ebay" and will add to that as time goes by. I had to admit to myself that if I've been hauling this stuff around since 1979 without getting any appreciable amount of them built I'm not likely to find myself suddenly shifting focus and going back to finescale modelling. 

        Enough of that for now, back to the workshop!

                  Everybody stay healthy, stay happy and keep rolling sixes!

And now for something COMPLETELY Different ... The Jacobite Rebellion of 1745!

 So periodically, A certain website where people go to buy and sell all manner of things awards free money to spend on their website (quarterly).  I used my free money this time two buy two things.  A funky chain saw and this.  

The name of the manufacturer is WoFun games.  They are from Romania and sold in the U.S. by a company called Ravens Banner Games out of Texas.  They have a range of periods besides the 45 including Texas War for Independence, Ancients for Romans, Carthaginians, Greeks, Macedonians and Persians including early and late, The sets are made in either 18mm or 28mm.  Perter Dennis is the artists behind these and Andy Callan writes most of the rule sets.  These are the same system that Peter Dennis tried a few years back with papers figures and rules in a book format.  Apparently those paper figures did not "take flight" so now they are trying the same figures in a different format - painted Plexiglass! 

Sometimes it takes just one figure

 

the culprit

       I have probably forty-five different armies in various scales and periods. Some I built as part of a group project, others because I was interested in a specific period. Occasionally I have built entire armies because of one sculpt. Many ages ago I spotted a pack of Pal Partha Renaissance figures hanging on the rack in a local hobby store, what really caught my eye was the magnificently sculpted horse in the little clear plastic bubble-pack. It looked like something Michelangelo might have sculpted himself.  Like all Ral Partha products is was beautifully sculpted and perfectly cast. Sadly it appears that this line is no longer in production (other Ral Partha product lines still are). I took my pack home and painted it, then I bought another, and another until I found myself in possession of an entire Swiss army. This has happened several times since, but the Swiss were the first.

 

anatomically the horse's neck is far to thick front to back

but it looks better than 99% of the equine models I've seen

 

the infantry are just as well sculpted

First Test of the Great War Tank-Hunter rules

 

grenades worked pretty well, small arms were weak but numerous

      Trunkmonkey and R.U.P. were kind enough to donate their Saturday night to testing and critiquing my beta version of the Great War Tank hunter rules. We played two games, both ending in victory for the Germans and identified several areas of the rules that needed development/clarification. Unfortunately I was so busy sorting through my scribbled notes (i.e. the beta version of the rules) that I forgot to take any pictures. Thanks to R.U.P. for keeping a cooler head and snapping a few frames.

Gaming Update

 There will be games on Thursday 1OCT20 at 7pm and again on Saturday 3OCT20 at 7pm as well

Thursday will see a land action in my 30 Years War Imaginations campaign,

 Saturday's event is still to be determined

Operation Barracks Blox

 

they accumulated slowly, as I painted the figures

       The other night as I was looking for a place to tuck my newly-painted German Great War Infantry into my Toy Room I stood looking at one of the many shelves packed with boxes of minis. They were packed away in their storage boxes; plastic shoe boxes mostly, that I had bought as need occurred. As I contemplated trying to wedge another box onto the already crowded shelf it occurred to me that the plastic shoe boxes were wasting a lot of valuable space, I mean a LOT of space.

Mistakes made, Lessons learned

       I happened to be strolling through Hobby Lobby when I spotted a bright pink sign exclaiming "40% all Boxed Kits!". Intrigued I took a look and quickly spotted two Pirate Ships from Revell, a closed glance caused me to see that they were labelled as being 1/350th scale. I am always looking to enlarge my 1/350th fleets and thought that these would be a nice addition, and the thought that they were nearly half off caused me to buy both of the models available in the store. 

A One Night Stand With Babs UPDATED

        Having completed the WW1 German tank hunters I didn't much feel like painting any minis for a little while and, lacking the need for additional terrain, I was at a loss for something to turn my hand to. Without a wargaming project I decided to take a pass at Mount Plastic; an entirely unscientific method brought me to choose an LS model of the KI-15 "Babs" that was sitting on the top of the "Spats" pile.

 

Gaming Updates

We will be gaming this Saturday, 26SEP20 at 7pm

Be there, or be reviled behind your back!

Mark IV....Once More

 

       Having finished the German Stosstruppen there was nothing left but to turn my attention back to my scratchbuilt model Heavy Tank Mark IV. It had been left unattended since I started assembling the German infantry. Really, all it needed was a coat of paint and some weathering so it wasn't too bad an ordeal to get it finished. I decided to forgo the addition of rivets, there being about 1300 or so to add, and tiny rivets are quite the bother to make.

A total loss of self-control......

the guilty party (I remember the box-art being different though)

       About a half-century ago my Dad bought me a 1/72nd scale model of the Hawk P-6E. As we built it he explained that, as a child, he had seen this same type of plane flying out of Selfridge Field (then a grass landing strip, now an Air National Guard Base)  with the Army Air Corps . My ten-year old's mind was fascinated by the aggressive appearance of the airplane with it out-thrust spatted landing gear painted to look like the outstretched claws of a Snow Owl. Ever since that formative moment I have always liked the look of fixed landing gear with aerodynamic spats, the bigger the better (Lockheed Vega wins hands down). 

Hail! Hail! The Gang's All Here! The last of the Wargames Atlantic 28mm Tank Hunters

 

and no two of them are the same

       It took me a whole week but I have finally managed to get the rest of these guys painted. As happens with so many of my projects the closer that I got to completing the job the less enthusiasm I had for it. But I want to move on to other subjects so I forced myself to sit down and add the last little details that I had been putting off. One of the real joys of plastic figures is that they are so much easier to modify than metal ones, others might say that this is a good thing because you often get far less selection of poses in plastic, a point that I can't argue against. I made it a point while building these figures to be sure that I didn't create any duplicates, the kit is molded with arms in specific set and only has six torso/leg combinations so this took some planning (and not a little of chopping and repositioning). There were a couple of near-misses (let's face it; there are only so many ways to fire a rifle or throw a grenade) but no two of the same. I am rather pleased with the lot aside from the old-timer in the picklehaub, the pose strikes me as awkward......he might just get disassembled and re-positioned with different arms.

20mm Strelets War of Spanish Succession French Musketeers Firing

 

 

front of the box, more of that odd Russian photo-montage artwork

       Fresh off the presses we have the latest edition from Strelets in their 1700's series; French Musketeers Firing. Inside you will find 44 figures, 40 infantry and four command/standard bearers. These are molded in a stiff gray plastic that shows detail superbly. All of the figures are in useful poses and are well proportioned in realistic poses. This is the sort of thing that makes me regret having painted hundreds of 28mm figures a few years ago! These figures are simply beautiful, the level of detail is simply breath-taking.

Scratchbuilt 28mm WEX Flammenwurfer

 

       Wechselapparat (WEX) was introduced in 1916 to replace the much heavier and less user-friendly Klief version. The WEX was light enough to be carried and used by one man (although two were normally assigned the job). While not specifically designed to be used against tanks it could be quite effective if the operator could get close enough to land the jet on the top of the vehicle.. Thus my 28mm tank hunters needed one.

28mm Great War Tank Hunter Part II The T-Gewehr

     In an effort to give the Great War Panzer Jagers a fighting chance I decided to build them an anti-tank rifle. The famous Mauser T-Gewehr, a 35lb, 13.2mm monster that was essentially an upscaled Gew-98. It was the very first gun designed from the ground up to kill tanks and its performance at armor penetration was certainly up to the task. Capable of punching a hole in over 18mm of armor at 500m it was enough to take on even the heaviest of French or British tanks.

Gaming Update Saturday 12SEP20 1900hrs

We will be gaming at my place on Saturday 7:00pm on September 12th, 2020.
All are welcome, bring your lucky dice!

Wargames Atlantic Great War German Tank Hunters

       Well, I finally got into the mood to paint some minis and took a swipe at the German Tank hunters that I had put together from the Wargames Atlantic Great War Germans that I assembled a while back. Nothing special about the way I painted them so I won't do a step-by-step but I think that they turned out OK. I painted them to be 1918 Stormtroopers for the Kaiserschlacht and they can be used through the end of the war in that uniform. Having built and painted these minis I can agree with the criticism that they are too wide in the shoulders (I would love to see the work-out regime that they use!). In the future some X-Acto and sanding work will bring them down to a more reasonable size before painting.

A Stitch in Time....

 

crystal clear and dead flat, just like the label says

       I have a habit of picking up tools and paints from sources outside the normal "hobby" line-up. Hardware stores are one of my favorite alternatives. So when I saw this product, from a name I  know and trust, I decided to pick it up. None of the local brick-n-mortar stores can get Armory Matte finish anymore so I have been seeking an alternative for  large projects such as terrain (and my out-sourcing has lead to the occasional disaster including one infamous incident that melted  a 36" square terrain board!). 

       Having learned my lessons I now conduct tests on newly-acquired products, and I'm glad I do!  Observe the test results below, a 1/2 second burst at a distance of 4" in both cases, the hole in the white styrofoam is almost 3/4" deep the one in the blue extruded polystyrene board is a fairly uniform 1/8". Either way this product is going to get my bright red "metal only" sticker so I don't melt any minis or terrain. Too bad because it dries fast and clear with an excellent flat finish.

 

 yes, I'm that much of a nerd, 

I actually test and record the results

Better Than Ebay!

       I have finally conceded that I really don't need to do WW2 in three scales on all fronts and covering both opposing sides. After due consideration I am thinning the herd. Right now there is a bunch of Russian Front stuff, mostly Russian but some German as well, along with a lone battery of US 155mm Long Toms. Click on the "Better Than Ebay" tab in the header (right next to "Home") and take a look at what I'm offering. Strictly first-come, first-served. with the deciding factor being when your email hits my inbox. Free shipping in the Continental U.S.

Spaced Out!

       R.U.P. was kind enough to bring his lovely toys over and run a game of Stargrunt for us. This isn't a new set by any stretch of the imagination but I find it delightfully intuitive and fun to play. I got so engrossed in playing that I only took two pictures, sorry gang.

 

the minis are from GZG, I think

 

I can't recall the source of the vehicles either,

 I will ask R.U.P. and update the info later

Helion & Co. Wars And Soldiers In The Early Reign Of Louis XIV Vol. 2 The Imperial Army 1657-1687

Wars And Soldiers In The Early Reign Of Louis XIV

 Vol. 2 The Imperial Army 1657-1687

Author & Illustrator Bruno Mugnai

Publisher Helion & Co.

ISBN   978-1-912866-55-7

       This second volume in the series is a vast improvement over the previous one in terms of editing and proofreading. It matches the level of erudition that is the hallmark of Mugnai's other works. This book examines the efforts of the Imperial Army in its dual role of Protector of Christianity and defender of the western borders against French aggression.In physical terms it is like the rest of the series, thick card covers and well-bound top-quality glossy paper pages that promise to be durable under any sane usage. The text is large and in an easy-on-the-eye font while the pictures are crisp. Mr. Mugnai's artwork, present in both color and black -and-white, is copious and delightful. It is precise yet evocative; my only complaint in this regard is that I would trade away the period portraits for more art by the author.

28mm Great War Tank Hunters

       Faced with the flood of French and British tanks the Imperial German Army trained its soldiers how to hunt tanks with simple weapons that they already had to hand. Some of those troops proved very effective at the job, not that I would have wanted to give it a try! Using the Wargames Atlantic Great War German Infantry set I decided to give modeling such a highly-motivated group a try.

 

I try to make sure every figure is different from all its fellows

 

the way this set is made that is rather more difficult as the arms are made in sets

 

but I think they worked out pretty well, 

now I just need to scratchbuild a T-Gewehr and a WEX flamethrower

New Post on the 30 Years War Imaginations blog

       The Trunkmonkey came over the other day and we played out the latest battle in my Thirty Years War Imaginations campaign, Freedonian Forces try to lift the siege of the Gluttonian capital. Even though the size of the battle is many times what the rules suggest Tercio handled things quite well and we were done inside three hours.

It seems that nobody makes a 1/56th scale MK IV......UPDATED!

...........except me!

prototype in progress

       This is another case where a new figure causes me to fly off on a tangent into places unknown and unexpected. The Wargames Atlantic Great War German Infantry contains all of the troops that you would need for a neat little game of Tank hunting in the Trenches (except for a flamethrower and a T-Gewher, both easily scratchbuilt). I figured that it would be a breeze to knock together a three foot square of German trenches, paint a dozen or so figures and build a model MK IV kit and I would be off to the races. Except that nobody makes a model of the MK IV in the 1/48-1/56 scale range; WTF? Briefly I thought of trashing the idea but then it occurred to me that a MK IV was nothing but a collection of flat panels with no visible running gear.  Scratchbuilding would be a walk in the park. Getting decent drawings was easy but things took a big turn for the better when I looked at the LANDSHIPS website, they have a large selection of paper models in assorted scales free to download. So download I did, they have a model in 1/50 of a MK IV, so I resized it a touch to get to 1/56th and printed out the parts that I thought I needed.

Orion Miniatures U.S. Tank Crew, Winter dress 1/72 scale, 20mm

       I spotted this box by happenstance while at Michigan Toy Soldier and bought it right away. I have long been dissatisfied with the crew figures provided (or NOT provided) with most model tanks and this looked like a great way to spruce up my tanks (and especially my tank-destroyers and self propelled guns) with figures that look like human beings. The figures are well detailed and correctly-sized, but I do have to say that the submachinegun toting lads are likely to get chopped down into heads poking from hatches. The uniforms look accurate if a bit too uniform (my dad always said that there was a distinct lack of Inspector Generals anywhere near combat), they should mix well with the similar set of US tankers in summer uniforms from this same manufacturer. There are forty-eight figures on four identical sprues.

Gaming Update 20AUG20 1900hrs

This Thursday,  20AUG20, my place, 1900hrs.......be there, or we will talk about you behind your back!

And then I was done........almost

 

the family shot, with a ruler to give an idea as to size 

       Well, it turns out that having done something once makes doing it a second time a lot easier. I had figured that the second destroyer would take me a week and it took but two days (the hull and superstructure were complete so all I really was doing was painting and details). The only remaining item is arming the Dauntless light cruiser, but that shouldn't take too long.

One Down and One to Go!

 

truth be told I don't know that salt spray and endless sunshine would have left the teak deck that dark, but I do like the color contrast with the blue camo so I am going to leave it looking that way

       One final session and I managed to get this one finished. I have to admit I really hate the crazy camouflage patterns that were in vogue at the time, a simple coat of gray and I would have been done a week ago!

1/200 A Class Destroyers making the final details

 

Carley floats, lots of 'em!

       I always struggle as I get close to finishing a big project. Forcing myself to get the final details done and the workbench cleared is tough. My enthusiasm wanes, the myriad of little thing all stack up one atop the other and it becomes a trudge, quite unlike the first rush of beginning something new. This, no doubt, explains why I have two unfinished projects for every one that has passed the finish line. Tonight, while waiting for the finish on my PZL P-11 kit to dry I knocked out the Carley floats and searchlights for the 1/200 scale destroyers. Nothing new here just more of the same stuff that I did with the 1/200 Dauntless light cruiser job. But I gain a sense of purpose with each little detail ticked off the list of "Things to Do!"

       I think that I have the proper locations for the guns worked out, all that is left is to decide if if I want to take another stab at making them trainable.....................