Covid Recovery Capers

Its been quite a while since the last (post Christmas New Years) post. In between have been a few health issues and a decent bout of the dreaded Covid. Fortunately didn't hack up more than one lung and have eventually made a full recovery (I think) anyway the worst aspect of the Wuhan Flu was feeling too crook to even sit at the work table to paint! 

Nonetheless in the intervening time I've managed to paint up a storm, well heavy downpour anyway!  With lengthy breaks in between. I have to admit motivation was somewhat lacking on occasion. First lot would be familiar to those who follow me on Farcebook - the final completion of my second ALH Ford armed scout vehicle and crew. From the delectable Empress (with the usual great service from Nathan of Elite Miniatures in Townsville) this was a fiddly affair to put together with superglue but the end result is just superb, and a joy to paint up.

I debated on the basing but decided in the end to keep it simple as it didn't have the de-mountable HMG required of the first one. Am tempted to get a third one (Empress seem to have three car/crew variations available) but I also have the smaller Company B version already so its not a pressing issue.

Next lot after this was finishing off my early WW1 Belgian Guides d'Cheval - the Belgian's colourful elite lance and carbine armed mounted scouting squadrons in their anachronistic 

Napoleonic-style Chasseur a Cheval uniforms. These are the rather nice UK Brigade figures which surprisingly (for a mostly fantasy figure company) do a rather good range of early WW1 Belgians.  

In addition I did some basing and touch-up work on my kit-bashed Belgian Field Artillery and limber. This is an early French 75 with seats on the gunshield for limbered mode. Two rode on the limber, two on the gun - imagine what bone-shaking fun that would have been! Again this is all early 1914 -15 as the uniforms etc, had all been changed over to Belgian khaki by mid 1915.

This completes the early war Belgians, a unique little army to go with the same in British and German. The French are still a work in progress with colonial troops done but (1914-5) line still required (with supports!) Cavalry have been obtained and are next to do up. Also in contemplation are Russians and Austrians but apart from a few recently acquired Northstar(?) Russians (and supports) they are still some way off. My late war French were posted last time and to go with them now is some air cover in the form of a Niewport in the colours of French ace Roland Garros 'The Sentinel of Verdun' who survived the war. Interesting factoid: the surviving veteran French airmen were forbidden to fly in or rather over the victory parade along the Champs Du Elysee (they were expected to march apparently). Garros was so enraged by this overcautious and rather nonsensical order that he defied the ban and flew not only down the parade route at roof height but then actually through the famous victory arch. Although the Niewport is a very small plane it was still a remarkably dangerous feat that he actually appears to have gotten away with. One can imagine the onlookers astonishment - who cheered him madly of course. Well he was a famous national hero - one of the few who'd survived - so I suppose they were hardly going to lock him up for it. I'm sure he was grounded for it though!  ;-)

The next lot are a bit of a departure from the modern-ish era. They are a unit of Medieval mounted Arab crossbow - I think the Saracens ( or Spanish Muslim light cavalry) copied the Europeans who had mounted a few Turkopoles as well as their own (French maybe?) Anyway they're nice-looking figures (although some of the horses I've found for them look a bit dodgy) and will fit in well with my Muslim mounted which now number well over 40! Wait... what?? How the hell did that happen? I wasn't even aware when I'd collected most of them! Oh dear. More figures. Shhh... don't tell the Memsahib!

Very colourful and I'd imagine quite deadly from the saddle - at a gallop too I shouldn't wonder! Possibly Artizan or old Gripping Beast figures - I've really no idea.

The last lot I have painted is another commission for my mate Doug who has collected a Napoleonic Saxon army from the wonderful Calpe Miniatures. I seized the opportunity to return albeit briefly to my Napoleonic wargame roots. It's been a while and while my eyesight and steady hand aren't what they once were I decided to give these a decent bash. They are Saxon Prinz Clemens Chevaux Legier and superb figures - so how could I not? 

You're right if you spotted they're unfinished - based but not flocked as our Doug prefers to flock his own! Well that's it for another six months... well OK - hopefully not! I have to also thank my mate Peter Rixon who has given me an awesome and eclectic collection of figures including many unique Pulp and lesser known all-sorts ranging from Italian colonial to German East Africa to Chinese Warlord, the Black & Tans and IRA, African native, Turks and even some Zulus etc, etc. I am still deciding which from the first three I'm going to tackle first. I'd better get stuck into them before that Baron's War kickstarter arrives! (Oh Gawd, here we go again!) 

Until next time.

Doc.

The Lockdown Follies cont'd...

 Last month it was doing all the fantasy figures (farewell to my old LotR and a GoT commission) whilst in lockdown this year. After a brief interlude the *#%$ing Covid lockdown has extended curtailing all meetings and games although resulting in a corresponding range of projects being completed.  Some have been hanging around for years and now finally getting attention. 

That said the one that I was really enthused by was the more recently acquired Empress Miniatures Model T Ford scout with de-mountable HMG & crew. It is a really superb model of the first Ford truck with beautifully sculpted figures which come in several sets to enable multiple choices in your model set-up. Here it is all based up and good to go. Note that the NCO figure with the binoculars is a conversion of another Empress 'Jazz Age' figure using a Woodbine head, the actual crew consists of the two MG and the driver. 

Historically these scouting vehicles were introduced in the Palestine campaign in the Middle East in early 1917 and operated mainly by the Australian Light Horse as well as the British Yeomanry. Despite the mechanical difficulties of maintaining these machines in such a hostile desert environment they were remarkably effective - the Turks had no real answer to them. By the end of the war ALH Model T scouts were the furthest advanced of any Allied unit ending up in Aleppo, northern Syria just next to the Ottoman Turkish border. 

I was so impressed with how it eventually turned out (although fairly simple the Ford was a tricky build - and getting the MG and crew to fit together involved much superglue and bad language!) that I have acquired another (from my great kids for Fathers Day!) I'm in the process of doing it up now - after commission work that is. This Model T was (unbelievably) more of a challenge to build than the first one but here's what it looks like ready for paint:

Amongst the figures I've painted are a number of Revolutionary and Napoleonics I've had left over or waiting around (sometimes for years) for paint. These included some Trent French Revolution figures in tricorne for my French-in-Egypt army. Although many are in Kleber uniforms unique to the Egyptian campaign, the idea is to have a number of units in early Nap/Revolutionary kit that can also be used to fight in northern Italy etc. Note: Trent are a terrific range of figures who appear to have been bought out by Warlord and are now marketed by Skytrex. If you're into French Revolution or early Napoleonics these are definitely worth considering. 

As you recall from a previous post - they match in (ie. same make) as these guys:

Nicely animated and some fierce expressions! They also compare well and mix with other makes like Front Rank and Elite, speaking of which I happened to have an Austrian 'German' unit hanging around for years primed and ready for paint. So they too got the treatment! 

Lastly was this (old Perry?) figure of Marshal Ney - quite a challenge as it was in a very dilapidated condition. I tried to remove it for another base but no go - it was glued fast and in real danger of snapping off at the fetlocks! So with a bit of cutting back and pinning (cunningly disguised!) plus a good repaint the Marshal has been given a new breath of life on the wargaming table! 

I've been more productive than anticipated despite health concerns including a back injury that has limited the time spent at the painting desk. I've got to maintain my 5km walk per day too which means NOT risking the progress I'm making (oh so gradually!) by staying up hours every other night painting! Nonetheless I've managed all the above and a few odds and sods over the last six-eight weeks. 

Amongst the latest of these are the following Franco-Prussian War Bavarians. These are some of the original Perry's sculpts they did for Foundry back in the day (which was forty odd years ago!) - I have complete armies of them - but these Bavarians, like the Front Rank Austrians, have been waiting for years to be painted. I'd forgotten what lovely figures they are and found a regt. of Kuirassier to go with them (which still remain to be done). All of this was inspired by the recent release of the Perry's FPW range, particularly the boxes of Prussians. I'm hoping the commission work will fund a few boxes of them for skirmish games but I'm also eagerly awaiting their release of the French in plastic, hopefully this year. Meanwhile I've painted and based up the Bavarians as per my other FPW figures three to a 60 x 30mm base. 

Most of my commissioned work thus far (some lovely Calpe Saxons at the moment) are to pay for a unit of mounted Perry's Bashi Bazouks and some wonderful WWI French Hussars all of which will also need a good repaint. Until next time. 

Doc

PS: As usual feel free to comment!

Doc's WWII collection: this time fun with the Aussies

In addition to the Italians (and a smattering of Germans) I have built up a company sized force of Australians representing (mainly) the famed 2/7th.  These guys saw extensive action from the initial assault against the Italians in Libya (the 'Bardia races'), the Vichy French in Syria, the Germans in Greece and on Crete and again in North Africa up until and including el Alamein.  They were then withdrawn to defend Australia against the Japanese in 1942 and ended up covering themselves in more glory on the infamous Kokoda Track where they helped defeat an elite Japanese force that came within an inch of taking Papua New Guinea.  Very worthy unit to recreate for their early war period, particularly my Greece and Crete campaign.

The armour is mainly British but includes a couple of 7 Div Honeys. For air support they have a Blenheim fighter bomber, a Gloster Gladiator and a Hawker Hurricane (I have a Kittyhawk fighter and a Swordfish torpedo bomber still in the works!)  All of these aircraft are in the colours of the Greece campaign (and North Africa). As before, the collection followed by a few action vignettes.


The Allies thus far.

The guns including 2 x 2 pdr ATs (1 x Portee - a beautiful Blitzkrieg/Perrys model), 25pdr & Quad (another Perrys) and the @#$%Bofors AA (unknown E. European make and a 'challenge' to make - Perrys crew)

1st Platoon 2/7th consisting of 3 x 10 man sections & 1 x 8 man section, Headquarters section and supports. The ten man sections each have 1 NCO (Thompson SMG) and six rifles, 1 x VB (rifle grenade) and one Bren LMG team. The 8 man section (which can be attached to HQ section) consists of 5 rifles & a Bren LMG team under an SMG armed NCO. HQ has officer (1st Lt.), radio and two NCOs (SMG) (or runner and sergeant) with attached supports of a Boyes AT rifle team and 2" mortar team. Other supports are a Vickers HMG and a 3" medium mortar. 2nd platoon is same set up as 1st but under a 2nd Lt.

HQ Company (sort of) with officer (Captain), WO and Sergeant with 2" mortar team, Boyes AT rifle team, Forward Observer and runner. Supporting are the Bren section and 2pdr AT guns (and an ancient Morris truck as I don't have a Bedford!)

The Allied armour including 3 x Stuart Honeys (two Australian - Shapeways models - and one Company B)  The 2 x Vickers light tanks are Perrys/Blitzkrieg. The Herrington AC is of unknown origin (picked up for $10 at the club's bring&buy).  In the back are a Crusader Mk. 1 (Blacktree Designs?) and two beautiful Perrys/Blitzkrieg Matilda heavy inf. tanks. There is another Crusader (Mk.2) and a Staghorn AV scout still 'in the works'.

Aussie Honey and Bren squad on patrol.

Perrys 25pdr and Morris Quad in action.

Light scout recon in action.

Honey hit!

Their German counterpart KFZ 221 squad to go with my Ramke Brigade para platoon together with a STuG Assault Gun (still in the works).  They are my only planned North Africa Germans (i.e. DAK) as they can also be later war Mediterranean theatre.  They can also be teamed with the Italian 'Folgore' ('Lightning') Div Parachutisti platoon - when I get around to painting them too!
They'll make great targets for the 2pdr AT guns!

If the RAF doesn't get 'em first!

Hope you enjoyed this last bit of Doc's WWII desert whimsy. Normal service will be resumed shortly - the next post will be an actual game or some even more sensible Napoleonics or something.

More of Doc's WWII AVs

Once you get bitten by the WWII AFV bug, you really get bitten! Or at least I do! After the last post on my WWII Italians and the glorious Perry's Portee model, I just had to finish off the rest of the Italian AVs, then when I did that well, those three Stuart Honey's I had needed doing too... and to finish up I added a crew to the Bofors.

First up, the Italians. These were amongst the models I got for bit-more-than-a-song from a local hobbyist that threw in the historical towel (save for Warlord/Bolt Action related WWII) and got rid of all their Company B stuff. As I said in a previous post, snavelled the lot - some seven AVs for the price of three (and a bit). Included were a number of Italian AVs and kanone (the reason I went there in the first place) including [drum roll] the Semovente 90/53 AA gun (the Italian version of the German's famous 88). This is the version the Italians cleverly mounted on a M13/40 tank chassis, after experimenting with it on the flatbed of a Lancia truck. The latter proved a bit of a cumbersome arrangement & difficult to serve as it stood shoulder height off the ground and all the ammo have to be passed by hand up to the guys on the rather exposed gun platform.  The whole contraption stood nearly 3 meters tall - so quite a profile to aim at!



Most (but not all) of these problems were solved by the Semovente version.  It dropped the profile by nearly a meter (important out in the open desert) and of course was completely mobile, accompanied by a little Semovente crew tank towing the ammo cart. It could stop when-wherever, the crew dismount and fire the gun with very little prep - no parking the truck and deploying monster stabilizer arms etc.  The major drawback was the crew served the gun in the open, thus vulnerable to small arms, shrapnel etc.





Why they didn't move the gun forward on the chassis and make a protected bit on the tank like the German Marder for example, we'll never know. Maybe they thought with and effective range of up to nearly 3 kilometers, perhaps they thought the crew didn't need protecting as they'd be able to shoot anything long before it got into range to shoot at them.  Dunno.  The thing I forgot was to add my Italian gun crew to my last Perry's order. ^%&*#!!! Still, the three-piece Company B Semo 90/53 cost me about 25% of the Perry's version (which is just the gun I might add!) and has come up a treat. The decals on it are also for an unarmed command vehicle so when not lugging ammo about for the 90, it'll double as my Italian AV command tank.



The decals I also ordered from Company B (with bits and bobs like 50 Cals for the Honeys) arrived so I was able to finish that and the rest of my Ital AVs. I have had mixed success with the US postal service - it can be expensive and slow - but I have to say unlike my local hobby shop where I got the models, Company B responded quickly and were quite reasonably priced with P&P - everything arrived from the US (to Australia) in under three weeks by normal surface mail. I've had similar experience with the Shapeways 3D print mob in New York and with ordering figures from Brigade Games (located in New Jersey) - all took 2-3 weeks and postage quite reasonable (considering its traversing halfway around the globe!)



The other Italian AVs were the L35 Flame tankette and an Autoblinda Armoured Recce scout vehicle. The former is a great little model with open-able hatches which enabled me to put in a Perry's Italian crewman I'd been saving up. Perfecto fit!  Armed also with a Breda MG, its a nasty bit of work for any PBI to encounter.  The only thing that'd worry me is the L35's vulnerability to small arms (well small-ish) like HMGs and Boyes AT rifles (one of the few AV's a Boyes could knock out!)  That little tank full of jellied fuel it has attached to its arse would make a very large fireball too I'd imagine. Momma Mia!  Still, it could shoot a jet of flame 50-60 meters AND machine gun you (not at the same time of course) so a nasty little anti-infantry weapon that fits it well with my L35 tankette squadrone.  Avanti!





The other one is the Autoblinda scout AC with its 20mm autocanon. Nice.  This is the one that did so much damage in our Op LIGHTFOOT game at Jolt a few months back.  Pity the gun isn't a bit heavier but still a nippy beast (both forwards AND backwards!) with quite a sting as it also has forward and rear facing Breda MGs.  Again a nice little model from Company B and I know why I got THIS one cheap - it only had three matching wheels [grrr] which meant that I had to scrounge around. Fortunately I had the ones from the Bofors which fitted perfectly - not the solid wheel-hub variety unfortunately but that will only offend the pedants I'm sure! She goesa bangabangbanga!







Another of the Company B AV models was an M3 Stuart 'Honey' which I'd hoped matched the two I got previously from Shapeways. I could see there were differences but it was impossible to tell until I'd put it together. Unfortunately although the Company B version was the earlier make of the Stuart (the A1), it was also significantly smaller than the Shapeways 3D versions of the Stuart. A nice model nonetheless.





And now the two together...





The Shapeways version is considerably larger.  Bugger.

But the Shapeways ones go well together!



The solution was to make the Company B version into a Brit Stuart with its unique zigzag sand and khaki camo pattern (which also came in a blue and sand version) and the other two as Aussie 6th Div. Honeys. The advantage here was the command figure I got with the Warlord Dingo scout fitted nicely into the open hatch version.  I also added the 50 Cal MGs I got with the decals from Company B to all the Stuarts along with wire aerials.





The other problem with the Shapeways versions was the fact that, being 3D printed, they weighed almost nothing. I could see them getting damaged with handling on the game table in no time flat so to give them more heft I filled them with plaster of Paris - both hull and turret - and it worked a treat! They are a bit rough on the finish and well... damned expensive! So I won't be getting any more BUT as I said before, the P&P was reasonable and timely, so if they produce something that appeals... ya never know!

The last item on the agenda was adding a crew to the Bofors.  Similarly to the Shapeways models, the Romanian (!!!) Bofors model (a nightmare to make) is a trifle oversized but figures from the gun crew I got from Perry's actually fit in well.





Well the Luftwaffe better watch out - these guys look the business!  Had to find a solution to the blasted German 'flying artillery' Stuka that seems to do so much damage.  The Allies needed that Bofors!



That's about it for now.  Hordes of things Napoleonic on the workbench which I must get cracking on before Santa comes and the real madness begins!

Well Santa has come and gone leaving some much needed goodies including a complete British 25pdr, quad, limber and crew as well as a crew for my Semovente 90/53 which I have just finished. Based up, the Perry figures fit in perfectly with the US Company B Semo - note the crewman feeding one of those monster shells into the gun breech. As I have a number of Austrian Napoleonics done as well I thought I'd add the photos of the Italian crew to this post as an update.











Wishing a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all the followers of Doc's 'Art of War'.