Misc WW2 vehicles

Just finished a number of oddments. The Dorchester Armoured Command Vehicle (ACV) is from Brittani and it will meet my needs for a Rapid Fire command team and provide some protection

In front is a repainted Oxford Diecast providing a commanders run-about, it is slightly on the small side so i haven't found any suitable crew yet.

The other is a BP Casts Dodge 6x4 1.5ton truck, that I bought from another club member. With the screen down and no tilt it's a bit boring it's also not the crispest casting

Warrior Bazaar

Just back from a trip to Bolton to the new show "Warrior Bazaar", there were plenty of traders but only a limited number of demo/participation games. The venue seemed spacious, but that might have been due to a low number of wargamers attending, but it would be difficult for me to judge. I didn't buy much as it's only a short time since Salute/Triples and I'm still waiting for the HaT plastics to arrive, their two latest releases have still not arrived in shops yet.

What I did acquire was another Matchbox Panzer III and a much sought after Edai Mobelwagen. Unfortunately the Modelwagen is missing three of the side panels so I'll have to scratch build some replacements.

I also picked up a couple of cheap Airfix Panzer IV's and an Osprey on the SYW Austrian Grenzers.

Back to face the Zulus

After quite a period I've added some new units to my Imperial forces, this comes after a quite successful defence of a British column just over a week ago down at the club by Andrew and Pete.

Firstly a unit I've intended to create for a number of years, the Natal Native Horse (NNH) . I don't want to be specific about which troop but by preference I would go for the Edendale Horse. The figures are the HaT NNH


I also bought the HaT British mounted infantry but I already had these made from Esci Zulu Wars British combined with the old standby the Airfix ACW Union Cavalry. So here are the Natal Mounted Police in their washed out black uniforms (dark brown)

In both cases as well as duplicating the mounted figures on foot I have added a couple of horse holders as well.

If you are interested in my rules they can be found on Pete's Free Wargames Rules site

G'day mate

Phew, 96 Australian figures finished, these are the major par of my contribution to this years SOGG big game.

Firstly the 8th Australian battalion (all SHQ except the MMG) very nice figures that demanded a good paint job. Strictly they should all be helmeted, but you wouldn't know they are Australians so I used a 50/50 mix of slouch and helmeted figures)

The 11th Australian battalion (all Revell Australians plus a few odd head swap figures from other WW2 sets)

For those who were interested in the compatibility of the two ranges here are the spare figures. depending on the figures you pick they can look close enough (e.g. the standing firing figure or the kneeling bren gunner) but others are more bulky (such as the officer and running tommy gunner)

The only item still missing from each battalion is a medic figure.

The next task for the SOGG big game is the Greek infantry and gendarmes.

Thunder on the Danube

Given I'm painting nearly a 100 Australians and it will be a few days before they are finished I thought I'd comment on my recent reading.

"Thunder on the Danube 1809" by John H Gill is an excellent account of the various actions leading up to and including the battle of Aspern-Essling

I found the book newly purchased on my local library shelves and despite having a reading backlog I borrowed it. I'm glad I did, as I have read a lot on the 1809 campaign, starting many years back with an expensive (for a student) purchase of Petre's book on the campaign, but this book is the best so far , and I'm only half way through!

What makes it so good is the authors attention to detail and the copious use of maps that make all the difference in understanding what the armies are doing. Already the battles of Ebelsberg and Linz are calling out for gaming, together with a lot of ideas for smaller actions.

The trouble is, off course, that I've started with volume 2 , so I'll have to get the other two volumes via the library and I think I'll have to re-read my copy of Petre before perhaps selling it!?

Auster AOP VI

The last of my current spate of aircraft is the Auster mark6 Air Observation Post. This is a post war variant included in the Airfix Auster Antactica kit, however it's close enough to the wartime version so it is now available for use in the Achse & Avalanche game.

RF North Africa - old & new

Having purchased the new RF book (link) and at Steve the wargamers request I've tried to identify the differences between the two versions of these Rapid Fire Books.



The two big differences are that the new book is in colour and with lots of nice pictures, and that the size of the units are much reduced. Typically they are 2-3 times smaller than in the previous book.

I believe these changes are as a result of last years big game as it would be apparent to anyone looking through the game photo's (link) that any ordinary wargamer or club could not easily muster the forces involved. The book scales the divisions down to strong brigades or Kampfgruppe, while maintaining them as reasonably balanced formations. What I mean by this is that not all the components of a formation are scaled equally, but the result gives a playable force.

The other improvement in the book is that it is clearer about the forces needed for the various operations/battles covered, but does not give exact scenario/set up details so it is more suited to a mini campaign game.

On the workbench - April 09

April already, and the big games at the end of June are looming already, so the main emphasis this month is to crack on with the anything needed for the games. So what is planned for this month?

• Australian infantry, this will now be a Revell plastic battalion and an SHQ metal battalion.
• Auster AOP - continuing the aircraft theme
• Buildings for Achse/Avalanche

Then as time permits

• Italian 90/53 AA/AT Guns
• German DAK motorcycles (as expected I need another pack after a quick read of the North Africa guide)
• British Mounted Infantry and Natal Native Horse for the Zulu wars
• I'll also continue my slow progress with a BefehlsPanzer III
• Plus the Dorchester and M8 HMC

Back from Triples

Well apologies to all those who missed me, we were really at the back of beyond, behind the cafeteria, and for those who claim never to have seen me, here's the proof.

There was quite a bit of eye-candy in the main hall, but the lighting was awful, here are a couple of my favourites

The pirates (of the Caribbean) the picture doesn't show the scale of the scratch built ship

And Ager Sanguinis, dramatic scenery and superb painting by the Ilkey lads (Olicanalad's Games) one of the blog I keep tabs on.
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Well I managed to meet more people and still bought a few bits, mainly from SHQ, which were enough figures to complete an Australian Battalion (yes I know they aren't plastic, but I can't find any more of the Revell ones) a M8 HMC for my American Recce unit and some assorted British weapons (to update my Revell Australians). Also a Brittania Dorchester ACV for my WW2 British commander to hide in.

The bring & buy was virtually empty, so nothing there, so I bought a copy of the Rapid Fire North African Guide. The later linked in with last years big game, but scaled everything down to more normal wargames proportions, so I will be using it for games with my British, Italians and the beginnings of my Germans.

Off to Triples in the morning

I'll be in Sheffield tomorrow (Sunday) catching up on all the bits I didn't buy at Salute, I'll be wearing my Deeside Defenders polo shirt so I'm easily found while I'm away from the Llance & Longbow stand.

SE5a

As seen on the recent BBC Timewatch program here is my version of this classic British WW1 fighter. I have painted it up for middle east operations as I think this is the most likely colours for any aircraft supporting my British forces in the trans-Caspian area during the Russian Civil War.

Yet again it was one of those Revell sale models at Modelzone.

Italian CR42 Falco

Based on their experience with the CR32 in the Spanish Civil war the Italian falsely conclulded that there was a future for biplanes so they developed the CR42, which saw servic in the early years of WW2. More details can be found on the Commando Supremo site (link)

This is an old Revell kit that I picked up at South Cheshire Militaire