MORE NEWLY PAINTED (and recent acquisitions for March 30)

Went to work clearing the fourteen Airfix US Paratroopers that were in the box recently received. Here they are painted and based. Converted the riflemen laying down into a LMG team, which can operate separately if so required. At a later date I will add some unit patches.

My spares box has furnished three old lead figures which can now serve as WW2 Dutch policemen. This allowed me to transfer my original two to my pre1950s British police. So both can now contribute small arms fire (my rules need three figures firing for a dice throw).

RECENT ACQUISITIONS

Quite a few auction wins recently. My aim is to restore a collection of old LONE STAR post1945 British Parachute Regiment figures. I rather like these 1960s figures, and even had a few in my late 1960s childhood. Well, I have gone slightly mad, having purchased a large number. I will have more to comment on these in a later post.

Here is the first delivery to arrive, costing £10 in total. A bit dear, but I wanted the Lone Star seated figures. Rather nice picking up an original Timpo Duke of Wellington. The 8th Army figures are chalky Timpo castings, so I will need to repair or even replace their arms (gun and limb).

A recent acquisition from a local charity shop is this metal and plastic vehicle. A Chinese made toy, but not a bad model. It only cost 50p and is perfect in scale. Will probably just keep it as a civilian piece.

MGB

NEWLY PAINTED (For WW2 and Ruritania, March 25)

Just completed another batch of figures from that recent delivery. First up are twelve Airfix Desert Rats, painted up as an Indian Empire battalion. With darker skin tones, these figures can also represent Jordanian troops for the post-WW2 era, or even top up my Chinese army for the 1940s. I think it was the 6th Chinese Division which was trained and supplied by the British Empire in India, to fight the Japanese.

Next up, two Airfix Japanese have been converted into naval infantry. This gives me a complete battalion of twelve.

Some time back, I picked up eight Starlux post-WW2 French infantry. Have repainted some old GI's to provide the French with a bazooka team. They have already acquired a two man HMG team.

Finally. An old metal casting has been given a new head. This is my rendition of Colonel Sapt (also spelt Zapt) who was second in command to Prince Rudolf of Rurtiania, that good for nothing, lazy sod. The colonel is wearing the uniform he wore to the faudulent coronation in the 1952 movie.

MGB

NEW ADDITIONS painted and ready

The recent arrival of a large box of figures has encouraged me to paint and base. Some real success, but I will have to delay my researches while trying to clear some more during March. I really don't like storing large numbers of unpainted figures.

The sixteen commandos have been successfully cleared. I now have a battalion of twelve, while two more will serve with the Royal Navy boats. The last two allowed me to complete a British Army battalion of twelve, lucky to have a spare officer. Have included a genuine WW2 commando flag.

Khaki jackets with blue trousers.

There was twenty-nine 8th army figures in the box. Have just painted up a company of Makapili Volunteers, these were filipinos that sided with the Japanese occupation. Some of them were supplied with captured American equipment. I don't expect them to win any battles but they will furnish an interesting 'outpost' unit, and will serve as collaborationists in any Far Eastern actions.

There was only one damaged (8th Army) figure in the entire box, and he was quite surplus. Decided, it too can be a useful addition. It now commands my Japanese light tank.

Four of the actual Japanese in the box have been converted into Chinese 'green uniform' troops. So this battalion can now muster twelve figures.

Some time back, Paul Watson sent me a batch of plastic palm trees. Painted and varnished, have decided these will make an attractive backdrop if fixed to the top of some distant hills. Terrain adds so much atmosphere to any game.

MGB

Large Box of Figures Arrive

Last Sunday, spotted what I chanced was quite a bargain. It comprised seventy-six Airfix figures for the price of £13, with free postage. I was in the market for some extra Japanese as I wanted to convert some into 1930s Chinese, with a suitable head swap. Today, the box duly arrived. Inside was the all important sixteen Japanese, in addition to seventeen British commandos, twenty-nine 8th Army, and fourteen US paratroopers. Only one 8th Army figure had lost its gun nib, all the others were perfect, and many of the 8th Army and British commandos had some very acceptable paintwork, too. 

But that wasn't all, the dealer had included a bonus boxed dvd of ICE COOL IN ALEX, a very fine wartime drama movie, which I have always enjoyed watching (several of my uncles having also served in the 8th Army). Here are some photos.

With such generosity, I made a point of sending my thanks, and a high review to match.

I can now confirm the paintwork is clean and tidy, with perhaps near 50% already done on the commandos and 8th Army!

MGB

MORE NAVAL FIGURES!

Too late to participate in my recent wargame, have just completed the crew for my Soviet Gunboat. Had a spot of luck, picked up this box of Zvezda WW2 naval infantry (1/35 scale) for only £6.99 delivered. These boxes 'float' around for £15 plus postage. To be honest, I think this set is worth about £10 plus postage, so I'm still entitled to be pleased. Keep in mind, the figures do not come with bases, I had to construct mine out of some spare bits of plasticard. In putting them together, I deleted most of the infantry equipment, etc, as they are to serve with the gunboat, and I wanted them to look like they are operating it's guns. With the Airfix HMG convert, I now have a crew of six. There is also a laying down LMG figure but he will serve elsewhere.

On a related subject, I recently disbanded a surplus American 1890s battalion, and decided to reuse the old converted Foot Guards figures into something more useful. Here is my Japanese Naval Command base. I also gained two Japanese Navy petty officers, to go with my landing party. And, constructed a Japanese infantry command base, one of the guardsmen is a judicial officer (this branch dispensed with boots).

(still to construct banner)

Finally, I decided to paint up that 'Starlux' associated figure. It does look a lot cleaner!

MGB

PS, I'm back to my researches in late March and during April. Will try to get a few more posts uploaded before the 20th. And will return to wargames when I need a break from reducing my notebooks. Regards.

THE SOVIET HORDE WARGAME PART TWO

Overnight both sides redistributed their forces. The Germans strengthening any weaknesses as best they could, while the Soviets prepared to silence and assault key positions in the German lines. For example, the Germans had a company protecting the ammo dump, most of them were now sent to reinforce the windmill position, as was a  company of Empire Workers. (The Soviet gunboat had been withdrawn for ship repairs.) The Soviets were able to save a broken battalion from the previous game, but would take some moves to reach the front line.

MOVE ONE with dawn the Soviet guns opened up, four Germans down for one Soviet. MOVE TWO a German LMG is silenced by mortar and anti-tank rifle sections. A PAK gun is taken out, the survivor fleeing. MOVE THREE both sides advance their tanks.

MOVE FOUR the Soviet infantry launch their attack. The second PAK is knocked out by a mortar shell, but the Soviet infantry suffer seven taken down by German infantry. Perhaps they should have allowed their guns to continue to weaken the enemy first. MOVE FIVE by weight of numbers, Soviets clear one house, the last German surrenders. The Empire Workers suffer the same in their fortified house. (Six Germans lost, for three Soviets.) The latter are not regulars! A German ship left the harbour with most of the civilians. A Soviet mortar shell falls short and almost hits their own side.

THE HOUSE CLEARING BEGINS.

THE SOVIETS CLEAR THE STREETS

THE HARBOUR SHIPS AND BOATS DEPART

During MOVE SIX the German commander gave orders to surrender the town. Only the Tank escaped (to eventually run out of fuel!)

LOSSES Germans 27, with 22 captured. Soviet losses were 34. The final assault by the Soviets balanced these figures, prior to this the Germans were being bombed into submission. The German tank took out eight Soviets, and house small arms took out seven more when the Soviets departed their ground works, I guess it was going to happen.

Superb game, very successful, it worked almost like a film script, I really could not ask more from a wargame. The division of the game into two parts also worked, seeing what could be salvaged and mustered to re-establish German fortified positions was stimulating. Throughout this two part game, the German mortars and PAKs threw poor dice, the Soviet mortars were very effective. MGB

WW2 WARGAME (The Soviet Horde) PART ONE

After the success of the last game, involving Dutch and Germans, decided to  keep the layout but this time muster an ad hoc German garrison being assaulted by very large numbers of Soviet infantry, supported by a T34 tank and a gunboat. I guess this scenario is set in East Prussia in 1945.

Initial Positions......

Colour coding the different Soviet divisions will help!

THE ACTION BEGINS

MOVE ONE the Soviets advanced, and their gunboat opened up on the town. MOVE TWO the Soviets advanced, the gunboat scored a hit on a merchant ship. The garrison gun returned fire, miss. MOVE THREE Soviets advanced, German LMG in a house opened fire, miss. But the coastal gun scored a hit on the Soviet gunboat (D6), it destroyed their gun (D6).and the ship declined to move closer to the town (D3). MOVE FOUR Soviet mortar took out a LMG crew member in the farmhouse, while the T34 opened up on a town barricade and hit one of the PAK crew. MOVE FIVE Soviets advanced. German tank scores a casualty point on the T34, and it's LMG took out an infantryman. It was the mortar that finally silenced the LMG in the farmhouse.

TROOPS ENGAGED

MOVE SIX the Soviet tank crushed the street barricade, its machine gun silencing the last PAK gunner, while its gun also scored a hit on the German tank. On the Soviet left, their infantry silenced a company of Kriegsmarine holding out in a windmill by throwing three D6, even with saving throws for hard cover they were now half strength. However, the German tank engaged the infantry supporting the T34, and they scattered. The anti-aircraft gun scored another hit on the gunboat, inflicting a casualty. Losses so far are equal at ten each! 

Gun knocked out, and a hit on the ship's infrastructure too!

With diminishing light, I decided to have a break. Incorporating this into the game, the tanks will have retired to their own lines.This means Part Two will commence with about sixteen inches dividing the two armies, and the Soviets having 'dug in' during the night. 

MGB