SYW Austrian Infantry rebased - part 1

The first of my Austrians have now been rebased


These are all "German" regiments - Kaiser (red), Stampach (yellow), Molkte (light blue), and Konigsegg (purple)

SYW British 89th Foot Morris's Highlanders

The last of my Redbox Highlanders. They can be used as either the 89th Foot or the 42nd before it became a Royal Regiment. I have two flags that can be swapped as necessary.

Britcon 2017

A quick trip into Manchester yesterday to join the Lance & Longbow for the show and a look at the Traders.

We replayed Stamford Bridge 1454 from Phalanx. For one of the games I took on the ill-fated Percy's and nearly survived (I have to mention the victor John Roberts as otherwise he wouldn't remember)

The Percys storming down the hill, except the archers who mainly gave up at the beginning!


Adjoining us was a large 1939 game of the invasion of Poland using Rapid Fire by MAWS. Half was German v's Poles the other Russians v's Poles.












Not many purchases, just some paint and a Valiant Infantry Cart.

On the workbench - August 2018

Well July turned out as badly as expected on the painting front. I've just got back from a fortnight in the Dolomites and I have the following in front of me to work on. Hopefully I can get back on track.


Clockwise from the top right

• Two Arabian/Afghan buildings assembled, needing textured and painted
• The last SYW Highland regiments
• ACTA French Napoleonic Cuirassiers - being painted as Westphalians
• Zvezda French Napoleonic Cuirassiers - actually being painted as the French 4th Regiment
• Various Dapol civilians for Black Ops games
• French Kings/Cardinals Musketeers all well underway

In the centre some Caesar SAS, again for Black Ops

I hope to get started on rebasing my SYW Austrians

I'll also try and get to Britcon next weekend

Scapa Flow

To many, just a name in the history books, but it was during WW1 and WW2 the British navy's major anchorage. Now it is fairly empty and the Navy has gone,but there was still plenty to see when I visited the Orkneys last month.

First off was the old Naval base on Hoy, But unfortunately while I was there the Scapa Flow Visitor Centre was closed for refurbishment, although we did have a guided walk around the site.

Important item - the buffalo burger van underneath a gun from the High Seas Fleet. The Orkneys are not renowned for their herds of buffalo, but these were made from local produce.


One remaining crane of four that were used to move the anti-submarine nets a section of which is underneath


A schematic of the site at its height


The extent of the visitor centre


The centre with some external exhibits, the oil tank behind also houses some more


The 150mm deck gun salvaged from the German mine-laying cruiser SMS Bremse that was scuttles along with the rest of the High Seas Fleet.


Naval Cemetary


Ness battery commands the western entrance to the flow and is better preserved and has organised visits (but none convenient for me)

Information board


barracks and emplacements behind the wire


Closer view


Fire Control Tower on Graemsay across Hoy Sound


Hoxa Head batteries





3 remains of the barrack blocks


The view across Hoxa Sound, the major entrance to the flow


On lower promontories are the searchlight positions


The height of the gun positions are quite surprising


Information board


6 inch gun position


Hoxa head from the sound


close up


Fire control position on Flotta across the sound


A final view of Hoxa Head as we left Orkney

Yet more SYW Highlanders

It's been slow painting progress because of the hot weather. But at last I've completed the 77th Foot (Montgomery's Highlanders)


The mix of figures is the same as I used for the 42nd Foot and the flag came from the excellent Project SYW site


Another reason for the slow progress was I slipped away back to the South West for a few days and managed to visit Bovington and the Battlegroup South show, unfortunately I didn't take my camera.

Half year progress report

First the good news, the tests show my problem was normal for my age, so carry on as normal. Now a quick review of how far I got in the first half of the year


The major project is Tricorne rebasing, covering all my Seven Years War and American War of Independence armies, this is ambitious - around 2,000 figures, but hopefully it should just be "cosmetic" as I won't be physically changing the units or bases.- I've just finished the Prussians and about to start the Austrians

Painting/Modelling - moderate sized projects

• Napoleonics - carried over from 2017. I've got quite a pile of figures (mainly cavalry) available to replace/upgrade some of my oldest units. Plus Spanish infantry, Polish infantry, French artillery and Russian Guard artillery - not started
• Egypt 1800 - adding more French, British and Ottoman troops to my existing armies, probably by doubling up the existing units. - Not started

Smaller projects

• WW2 Ardennes - finishing off various bits- completed what I had planned
• WW2 North Africa - expanding my US forces to cover North Africa by adding Stuarts, Lees and any other new units that the new Battlegroup book might require.- Stuarts and Lees added, now I have the book and all I need is some T19 GMCs , but having used a couple of substitutes I'm not sure whether to bother?
• WW2 eastern front - extending my winter Russians for late war winter warfare, mainly by adding tanks.- all done
• Some desert sand-dunes/wadi sides - carried over from 2017- not started
• Various houses to add to my Eighteenth Century town, including a model of my daughter's house - carried over from 2017- not started
• Need to create those Renaissance galleys - carried over from 2017 - any useful ideas welcomed- not started but I have an idea
• Adding some Highland regiments to my SYW British, also for use against the Jacobites!- one completed, the others on the way
• Plus a number of bits to fill in odd gaps in existing armies- not started

Gaming

• Continue to support the Lance & Longbow Society games at various shows- We passed on Vapnartak this year
• Nothing decided yet for the SOTCW game at Gauntlet- for various reasons including my medical issues this is a miss for this year
• We plan to hold a big Battlegroup event in May, so I may be a major contributor to the terrain and troops needed - - Completed successfully
• I need to organise one or two large games, one SYW and another to be decided, hopefully my rebasing will be an incentive.- not started
• Again try to get to Crisis in Antwerp- not organised yet

Painting/Modelling

Total of 905 items completed so far this year

SYW	430	Mainly rebasing except the Highlanders
WW1	166	Selection of Poles, Serbs, Ottomans & Arabs
Renaissance	123	Ottomans & Russian
WW2	99	Indian Infantry & plenty of tanks
Terrain	87	Mainly for Market Garden