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 French in Egypt (Armee L'Orient) project Part VI: the army nears completion

 Although started well over six years ago it was not until near the end of last year that I finally got my act together and finished collecting for the French army in Egypt, making my last purchases earlier this year and beginning to paint and base them all. Having just finished another battalion of the 9eme de Ligne (in Kleber) I have taken stock of everything I have for the Egyptian campaign so far. There are two more Demi Brigade's of figures which I will do as the 4eme Legere (in Kleber of course!) and a generic DB in 'tenue de disembarcation', as well as an 8 pdr battery (crew in Kleber) and a small unit of Guides or Chasseurs to finish up the French. Unfortunately I have had to give up on the Nile Flotilla idea for now - although a 28mm version of the D'Italie fighting off the hordes of Arabs in armed Dhows does appeal... 

So thus far there are:

        21eme Legere (2 x bttn @ 18)

        9eme Ligne (2 x bttn @ 24)

        88eme Ligne (1 bttn @ 24)

        61eme Ligne (1 bttn @ 24)

        4eme Legere (1 bttn - in Mirliton @ 18)

        Legion Nautique (1 bttn @ 24 plus gun & officer, four crew)

        Foot Battery (2 x 6 pdrs, 8 crew)

        Total: 174 infantry, 3 guns & 13 crew

        Camel Corps (Dromadaires)  (12 mtd, 14 dismounted)

        14/15eme 18/20eme Dragoons (12 mtd, 14 dismounted)

        7eme bis Hussars (8 mtd)

        Guides (a Cheval) (9 mtd)

        Horse Battery (2 x 4 pdrs, 8 crew)

        2 Mtd Generals plus Guide escort (3 x mtd) 

        Total: 44 mounted, 28 dismtd, 2 guns & 8 crew

This leaves a total of 48 foot, 9 mounted, 3 guns and 12 crew left to do. Plus another mounted general - or two - to finish my Armee L'Orient! They are faced by an even larger Ottoman/Mameluke force which apart from another gun or two is all ready to go and smite the infidel (insh'Allah)! 

The most recent French unit completed is the 9eme de Ligne in their bright red Kleber uniform. All Perry's metals. I have already made a battalion of that Demi Brigade in 'dis-embarcation uniform' as there is some conjecture that some of Desaix' infantry may have marched up the Nile before they had all been clothed in the new Kleber cotton uniforms.

I had intended to showcase this in November at the local club for the Little Wars 2020 convention but the Wuhan Flu pandemic put paid to that plus the restricted hours currently allowed now for games (just two!) means this won't happen before mid to late 2021 at the earliest.  Hopefully this will allow me to try a few test games first using the General de Brigade rules as a base as GdB have a number of Ottoman/French-in-Egypt scenarios. 

While I still have the little armed sloop and crew there are other technical difficulties including that I will have to make some Nile river sections up for it - I have neither time nor resources for that just now so as other projects beckon (WWII Vichy French in Syria, for example) so I've decided to put them on the back-burner as it were and just field the unfortunate Naval Legion fighting as land-lubbers. While they were much better at hand-to-hand (armed with a ferocious array of weapons and the early 'trench broom' blunderbuss) they had little of the discipline required of well drilled infantry so how they'll go in square against charging Mameluke maniacs on the wargaming table remains to be seen!

In truth I've blown the pensioner's budget (don't tell the Memsahib!) on getting virtually an entire Perry's Vichy (in Syria) army for my WWII Syria project. Just waiting for the last part to arrive which should give me a platoon each of French and Senegalese infantry plus a 75, Tanake Dodge Armoured Car and Somua R35(?) light tank - pretty much the entire shootin' match. Woohoo!  I've also acquired a WWI 1914-15 German army that requires a little tidy-up paint etc. The upshot is I really don't have the time or funds to do a Nile Flotilla (or another Revolutionary French army) - short of a LOT of painting commission work (all in prospect for the moment) so [sigh] a hard decision had to be made... the Flotilla is sunk for the foreseeable! O la vache!  On the plus side the French in Egypt project finally nears its completion.

Au revoir mes amis - until next time. 

Doc