ANOTHER WARSHIP JOINS THE FLEET
This was a fun project. My house number was displayed on an oval piece of thin wood. It had been there for nearly thirty years, and it showed. Having picked up some nice brass door numbers for only £1.20 (my local Homebase was closing down), decided this piece of wood could be turned into something more useful.
My symbolic 54mm toy ship is very, very loosely inspired by the USS Monterey, commissioned in 1891, and completed two years later. It was actually a type of monitor, hence the very low waterline. The Monterey served in the 1898 American-Spanish War, and also WW1. Two colour schemes were available, as much as I preferred the yellow version, the grey is more practical for service with other armies and later based conflicts.
(When someone dismantles part of his house to construct a wargame toy...... that is commitment!)
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DOMINION WAR NEWS
Imperial intelligence has informed Empire Command for North America that the United States is planning to break the Royal Navy blockade of the Chesapeake Bay. Supporting this view, American newspapers have recently reported that a new warship has been launched, called the USS Congress, and it is large (21 inches long). With four 'heavy' guns, this is a mighty powerful vessel. These photos confirm its existence.
Its maiden Garden Voyage.
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NEW FIGURES ACQUIRED, PAINTED AND BASED
Officer, King's Royal Rifle Corps. Still need to recruit another to complete a battalion of twelve.
New Jersey Veteran Zouave, French-made Aluminium.
Officer, Japanese Skull Regiment. Converted Airfix
Harvey Series cowboy by LONE STAR. I know some will look on in distain, but I prefer these earlier solid plastic to Deetail and later Timpo swoppett cowboys!
Grand Budapest Hotel. Two more recruits for the DOUBLE ZEE battalion, making twelve.
Medieval Portuguese Javelin-men. I'm keen to increase the number of medieval shooters that aren't using longbows. Decided to alter these figures to hold a dart.
Some have suggested the English pub game of darts derives from these weapons. As a side point, the Crown passed a law in 1252 requiring ownership and regular practise in using the longbow, this applied to all males aged 17 to 60. I can confirm this law was repealed in 1948. Now I know my grandfather had a pistol, but I don't remember any mention of him owning a longbow.
MEDIEVAL WARLORD, repainted Lord of the Rings figure.
RAF REGIMENT, postWW2. Completed a second company (3 figures) of Lone Star plastic figures..
Recent additions from the collectables shop are these three figures. Someone has painted these solid and hollow cast rather nicely as Army Service Corps. So I will use them as British HQ orderlies, this unit was mainly concerned with transport, logistics, and providing staff clerks. I have been picking them up at £2 each.
The Detroit Light Guard c.1885 has gained two recruits, making a battalion of twelve. These are old Crescent lead figures with epaulettes and plumes added.
This was a Deetail Union officer with a damaged pistol and slouch hat. Decided to convert the figure into a mid-19th century naval officer. New head and pistol, altered the coat lapels, removed the water canteen and replaced it with a small cartridge box
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STATE OF THE EYES RIGHT YELLOW COATS
Have been devising a plan for utilising the yellow coated figures, kindly donated by a toy fair trader that lives nearby.
Neither the standing, or the marching bandsmen were suitable to complete a unit as they were. And seeking out the additions required to do so is not something I wished to undertake. So, some radical rethinking was required. Two of the damaged standing drummers are to be integrated into two plastic units of American infantry, theywill be repainted. And the lead drummers they replace will go elsewhere. By mixing and matching, I now have eight complete marching yellow coated bandsmen, these will remain authentic. Concerning the remaining drummers standing. Six are to receive home-cast West Point caps, and repainted as Hellcats (see photo). A fun unit to have on the table. The remaining seven will be swapped, as will the Royal Marine heads.
Original condition....
Below, the West Point Hellcats, a name they acquired due to their participation in waking up the officer cadets.
This is the reconstituted yellow coats, might purchase a drummer. I can confirm, the yellow was worn by Pershing's Own for a very brief period in the 1950s. The uniform was nicknamed 'Lion Tamer', but replaced with blue in 1957. Pershing's band was formed in 1922, and their ceremonial uniform has often changed, light grey, slate grey, and 'Ike' khaki was also briefly used! Interesting that W. Britains reproduced the yellow, it is certainly bold.
Have repainted the two damaged standing drummers......
PLEASE PLACE YOUR BIDS
I recently visited a local charity shop and spotted this. As a party game, I thought it was a good buy. It is made of wood, with a hinged glass lid. The wheel is well secured inside but spins nicely. The playing cloth was in perfect condition. There were two metal balls, and a small quantity of betting chips. Luckily, in my drinks cabinet, I found two plastic containers with more of the exact same chips, enough for a handful of people to now play. I may decide to purchase a larger playing mat, and then fix it with fabric glue to a wooden board. Can't help feeling, this wheel is a superior form of dice, and might have some service in wargame battles and campaign reactions. I only paid £5.
MGB
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March 20, Nice Weather!
Could not resist displaying the gunboat collection outside. Many of the toys have been upgraded since my last fleet photo, four more are new additions. 
The four postWW1 inspired are not shown.
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Fantastic post MGB - the Monitor is very nice indeed
ReplyDeleteThanks MJT. I'm rather pleased with the additions, not least the USS Congress. The garden is likely to reduce my hobby time, but I am in the process of dividing up my 54mm civilians. The metal will form one collection, the plastic will be given textured bases and grouped, two or three to a single model base. I feel this will improve both collections.
DeleteMichael
Looks like you've been busy painting, converting and constructing. I really enjoyed this blogpost!
ReplyDeleteYour Monitor looks superb and lines up very well with the rest of your great fleet! Interesting conversion of the Deetail officer into a naval officer. He'll look great at any of the ships in your pretty large fleet.
I also like the Cowboy figure. I grew up with Britains Deetail ones and had some Airfix originals. Now I'm more into Airfix knock-offs for gaming. Are you using him for gaming?
Hello Roger. I love the idea my old wooden house number is now a warship! Yes, the Deetail convert has been attached to my German-Danish gunboats, but he could also lead a landing party too. In my childhood I played with my late brother's cowboys, which were 1960s plastic, I later acquired a few Deetail in the 1970s. I have now swapped nearly all my Deetail cowboys, but I do have a small collection of repainted 1960s solid plastic, a mixture of Lone Star, Herald-Zang, Crescent and Starlux. I will add a photo to the post for your view. I normally add them to my Dominion battles, as American and Canadian irregulars.
DeleteMichael
They will work very well as irregulars indeed. If you do any ACW games they can be used for Union Jayhawkers or Confederate bushwhackers too.
DeleteBrilliant repurposing of your door number Michael, quite superb. Some super figures acquired and repainted, the zouave is particularly very nice. Garden certainly encroaches on hobby time but it's always nice to be out in the fresh air as well.
ReplyDeleteCheers Donnie. I was lucky with the door number, the paint may have faded but the wood was excellent, no rot or splits. I don't like repairing aluminium toy soldiers, difficult to file or hand drill, so I normally don't buy them. But this one deserved some restoration. The replaced rifle is good and firm, and can take rough handling. While I like eating the fruit, I don't like gardening. Everything you complete has to be all done again next year, that breaks my morale, lol.
DeleteMichael
Great post Michael and once again your Naval exploits stir a little jealousy in my heart! I really must do something about some Naval gunboats for a garden game in the summer. I am at a large toy fair this Sunday and will be looking out for suitable platforms!
ReplyDeleteAs for the cowboys, my next two posts are Wild West related as I have a long held soft spot for Cowboys and Injuns!
Hello Graham. A long-time wargaming friend, ex-sergeant in the Royal Marines, ran a local wargames club, he got some of the younger folk to drift from Warhammer to 28mm Wild West skirmish games. But he always preferred refighting battles of the ACW, but I preferred the AWI, which was my field of study. He is shocked I have now drifted over to 54mm Toy Soldiers....lol.
DeleteMichael
I have found my eyesight and nostalgia overtaking my interests in 28mm wargaming although not exclusively as you will see in the future. The ACW appeals to me (in 54mm of course) as does AWI, but my next project will take me into the ECW. When I will get them painted the good Lord knows, but they are calling to me from my hoard in the garage! Its good to have stuff in the queue though as it gives us lots of reasons to get up in the morning!
DeleteGraham, I have very large collections in 28mm for both the American and French Revolutions. While I am attracted to the collections in their cabinets, I have very little enthusiasm to set them up on the table. And I won't duplicate these periods in 54mm. As for the ACW, I have a fair collection of postACW Americans, so will give that a miss too. I still enjoy acquiring additions, but commencing another major period or conflict is unlikely............ but then, I'm tempted by the Italian Wars of Unification, lol. Like yourself, not too sure my eyes will last another major project.
DeleteMichael
So much wonderful eye candy in this post, but your navy is by far the most spectacular! I can't recall - do you ever play purely naval encounters with them (that is, without ground troops on a portion of the table as well)?
ReplyDeleteHello John. It's a good and fair question. The smaller gunboats were initially constructed to appear on the edge of the gaming table. Some adjustment having been made in my simple house rules to represent their contribution. However, it has been my plan, partly inspired by several naval actions on Tim's Megablitz blog, to engage in large scale garden/spacious room naval actions. And matchstick firing cannon will dominate these games. This has been the reason for the steady increase in toy warships ships and merchantmen. I suspect some shore batteries might also get involved.
DeleteMichael
You have been very busy indeed, Michael! I wish that I had half of your energy, I would get a lot more accomplished! Your fleet has grown and looks so very impressive! I look forward to your large scale action, it sounds like it would be a memorable event! Your Zouave is gorgeous and you've made the Deetail officer look so dashing in his naval attire! Your javelin-men are so unique! Part of the reason I'm so fond of your blog, I never know what I will see, but I always enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Brad, your support for several blogs, including mine, is much appreciated. I'm just keen to complete nostalgic and viable projects, while working with a limited budget. Must admit, looking at this upload, it had a rather strong American theme! I mentioned to John Y, some naval actions in the garden is planned, weather permitting.
DeleteMichael