HOBBY NEWS (July 13)

                                                                DANISH NAVY, 1848

My 1st Schleswig-Holstein War collection has gained a naval contingent. Having given my paddle steamer another revamp (its third), replacing the medium gun with a heavy, and also a carronade, decided to form a crew more appropriate for the first half of the 19th century.

A limber rider might prove useful.

The Danish naval crew are a mixture of Deetail napoleonic, converted Timpo Confederates, and some converted Deetail cowboys. A veteran lead figure serves as the captain.

GARIBALDI HAS SOME OPPOSITION

Converted some Timpo British Napoleonic into Kingdom of Two Sicilies light infantry.

SOME WW2 CASUALTIES

Some of Tim Gow's donated Airfix Soviets have been converted into a medic and casualty.

JAPANESE DEETAIL FIGURES

A visit to my local collectables shop furnished a surprise. I have been wanting to raise a small collection of W. Britains Japanese, if only to add some diversity to my large Airfix collection. Well, I had one figure, and have now gained another five, plus a figure needing an arm transplant. The cost was £8.

DANISH CUIRASSIERS

I needed to raise a cavalry unit for my Danish army. While not quite 1848 (these castings have tunics) I can repaint them as 1864 cuirassiers. Acquired these for £10.40 delivered.

FLAGS FOR THE ARMIES

A Karl Marx banner has been supplied to some largely Marx Toy Soldiers (thanks again, Tim!).

The Saxon Guards of 1848 now have a state flag.

FRENCH WW1 FIELD GUNS

I have a handful of W.Britains 1263 field guns. Unfortunately, two of these were missing their tow hooks, so decided to carry out a total paint strip, repair, and repaint, with a grey-blue colour as a distinction from the original drab green. These guns are fairly nondescript so they can serve with my French army.

French Model 75 of 1897, looks pretty close.

MGB

PS. It has been perfect weather this year for raspberries and blackcurrants, and it is looking good for blackberries too...... thank the Lord, huzzah!

REPLYING TO FRIENDS SENDING COMMENTS

Hi Donnie, thanks for the kind comments. With garden work, I just had time for some smaller projects, but was still keen to get them completed. I'm in the West Country and my entire blackcurrant crop had to be picked last week, any longer and they would have started falling and going soft. This has been my best year for raspberries, that bowl is one days worth, and it has been doing the same for over two weeks. Now last year my raspberry crop was very modest! Cheers!

Hello Brad. I too like the grey-blue colour scheme. The shade varies on surviving guns but it is definitely distinct from the British Ordnance grey. I have previously painted up two howitzers in this same colour scheme, and they look great with the French toy soldiers. Some blackberries are ready for picking here, but August is the main month. I read somewhere, blackcurrants were banned in the USA because they harbour diseases that threaten some American trees. In the UK, blackcurrants are a popular flavour, but the plants only arrived here from Scandinavia in the 1600s! They reckon there is over four hundred varieties of brambles (blackberries) found in the UK. I will be picking mine soon from the local riverbank.

Thanks Tony. And may I say a slight touch of envy occurred when I saw your unit of French-Spanish infantry, ready painted, and at £2 a head......... are you sure you are entitled to such a find?, lol.

Hello MJT. I think some of those (4) hollowcast cavalry are really old. They have 'made in England' but the primitive moulding, the horse ears for example, is distinct from any others in my collection. I would like to find out who made them. Accordingly, I will make no conversions, but will just repair the broken horse legs and repaint. But they will make up a nice Danish horse guards unit. The remaining two will become officers with head swaps. Regards.

Hello Quinn. I just can't afford genuine tin gunboats, and if I could, I would want to 'tidy' them. And to a collector that would be a no no....... better I make some reproductions!

A GENEROUS GIFT ARRIVED

Tim Gow runs a blog called Megablitz (see links) which I regularly visit for inspiration. This gentleman recently contacted me to find out if I was still seeking more Soviet WW2 figures. Well, I had plans to raise a few small semi-independent units, rather than splitting my larger units, so I said yes. Blow me, the box duly arrived on Wednesday, and this is what it contained.

A large number of AIRFIX figures

Some very useful HING FAT figures for my Guards battalion

Some MARX /BMC figures needing restoration work (looking forward to this!)

Chatting with Tim, he explained..... "The surplus painted HF figures are due to having revisited my Soviet (and North Korean) units after nailing down my WW2 game rules. In my world a company is 6 figures, support platoons usually 2 figs - the guys in your box are the 'offcuts'.  The unpainted figures are just stuff I don't anticipate using - but worry not, I still have a reserve bag with a battalion's worth of Soviets in stock!"

Now time spent carefully contemplating how best to use these welcome figures is always worthwhile, as opposed to my previous tendency to quickly paint up, and then regret my choice. Initial plans include augmenting my understrength Soviet Guards unit, but I also like the idea of some more NKVD troops, Border Guards, or some Marines? 

My thanks to Tim for this very kind contribution to my Soviet WW2 Horde...... it needs to look like a horde to be authentically Soviet.

RURITANIA and DENMARK have CANNON

Have spent some time working on my artillery collection. The two bronze pencil-sharpener pieces mentioned in my last post have been properly altered, removing the metal rubbish over and under the cannon barrels. And their carriages have been given a grey-green paint job. I'm rather pleased with the result, and will use them with both my Ruritanian (1952 Movie) collection, and my Danish 1848 army.

From Prisoner of Zenda, 1952 movie

These are 1864 Danish cannon with rifled steel barrels

The original bronze sharpeners.

SOVIET REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE

Thanks to Tim's generosity the Soviet WW2 collection has gained a vital augmentation. My pitiful 75th Guards Division (Battalion) of eight figures has increased to two battalions of twelve. The second battalion includes a number of Marx toy soldiers, so I'm thinking a flag recognising such would be fun, or at least one sporting the other fellow with the same name. 

Increased 75th Guards Rifle Division

Will probably redesignate this as the 70th Guards Rifle Division, which occasionally operated with the 75th. The Marx figures are very animated, and had suffered accordingly. Luckily, my 1/35 Soviet spares looked fine, and everything was sorted out. Steel rods were used to repair broken ankles.

Several of my ordinary rifle divisions have also gained recruits. The 150th Division is now sixteen strong.

Two companies of Soviet Marines (late war) have also been attached to my river gunboats.

And I have also gained a light mortar.

MGB

PS. Presently fighting a WW2 war-game, a scene from MOVE EIGHT..... the roads are clogged up!

REPLIES TO FRIENDS

Thanks MJT. I was keeping an eye out for a few cheap Soviet figures, did not expect Tim's box to suddenly appear, it has allowed me to complete the collection.  I am pleased with the early 19th century cannon. I think they look the part!

Thanks Quinn. I'm not really happy using any shielded-guns for my 19th century games, and to use them for the first half of that century is ridiculous!  These two cannon are a welcome addition.

Thank you, Donnie. I don't mind admitting it was Paul Watson donating his surplus/unpainted lead figures which allowed me to raise a traditional lead soldier collection. Then George Mills, and now Tim, have helped with several of my plastic armies. I should also mention Alan Gruber forwarded some old Timpo Arabs. Yes, I agree, the sharpener-cannon has proved to be a worthwhile project. 

Tim, they certainly did hit the spot, clearing several ideas floating in my head for the Soviet collection. I particularly wanted a few marine companies, and the Guards had to be increased. There is enough left over to still raise another Rifle Division, but I am thinking of giving them the earlier white-summer shirts, just for some distinction. (And John's generosity has helped us both!)

Hi Tony. Looking through my posts, I paid £3.33 (including postage) for each of the brass cannon. The guns did require some work but fit nicely with traditional toy soldiers, I think that is good value! 

Cheers Brad. I used most of my hobby time last week to clear about thirty of the figures received from Tim. Although the repair work took some time, the paintwork was actually quite quick and simple. I feel the same about flags with toy soldiers, it adds so much to any photo! Will be moving on to the WW2 game with my next post. 

SOVIET and JAPANESE Bren Gun Carriers

Have completed some seated figures for two more Lone Star Bren Gun Carriers. The first is for my Soviet Army. Fair numbers having been supplied to the Soviets by both the British and Americans.

The odd figures were converted to wear Soviet uniforms, and given some home-cast heads.

The second represents a vehicle captured by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore. Some of these were later reissued to Indian battalions recruited on the side of the Japanese Empire. 

The Indian National Army is now celebrated in Indian culture for their opposition to the British Empire. Of the 40,000 captured Indians soldiers at Singapore, 10,000 refused to join the Japanese and suffered greatly. But 30,000 prisoners did cross over, probably for mixed reasons. It is believed about 350,000 Indians supported the Japanese war effort, although most of these were civilians residing in Malaya and unsuitable for actual military service. In Burma, there were military engagements between the INA and Indian Empire (Raj) troops.  MGB

SOVIET JEEP completed yesterday

I picked up this badly damaged Dinky jeep in May, for £2.50. Later, I purchased a Corgi Thwaites Dumper, in a similar condition, for £2. The latter furnished the jeep with a steering wheel, potential driver, and the rear spare wheel, all vital to restoring the jeep. Plasticard furnished a replacement dashboard and a folded down windscreen. Some wire replaced the aerial, and I luckily had a petrol can to replace the missing one.

Decided to issue this jeep to my Soviet army, serving as a staff car. The United States lend-lease system  (to be paid for later, if not returned) provided 50,000 to the Soviets during WW2.

Used a spare plastic Foot Guardsman to construct a seated NKVD colonel.

Here it is repainted, and with a coat of varnish for added protection.

The crew are painted and fixed. I don't like too many loose figures so typically glue them, a small dice placed next to the vehicle can record any hits.

MGB