T70 collection

OK, they are not on the plan for the month, but the boxes were getting in the way and once started they were very quick to finish. They'll provide some lighter support to my mid war herd of T34s.

Given they came in packs of three it was a difficult decision to decide between one or two boxes as they will be added as two vehicle companies.


Although they come with two crew I only used a few and a minimal ammount of stowage as there was little room for it.

Overall a great kit from Plastic Soldier

More Sudan bits

Or should I say Moors in the Sudan? As my latest Dervish command teams are made using the Hat Moorish Command Set

Then selection of British and Egyptian command stands, much needed as my forces have increased and I never used command stands for my NW frontier forces that I am partly using for the Sudan. In the background is a converted Airfix GWW1 stretcher team.

Some Egyptian cavalry to add a bit of tone, or perhaps to lower it. Nice 1877 Turkish cavalry figures from Strelets, the officer got promoted.

Finally more casualty markers

Semoventes

Another pair of fast build tanks, this time the Italeri Semonvente 75/40. Like the M13/40 it goes together a treat, but again the hatches are all moulded shut, a real shame as I would have liked to add a crewman. The other nice thing about these Italeri kits is they come with a generous supply of decals, particularly the useful Italian vehicle number plates.

Just spotted that the paint has missed part of a track, typical!

British Commanders for Egypt 1801

Things are now beginning to shift off the painting table. With the release of the Hat Napoleonic British Command I've been able to add some generals to my British army in Egypt 1801.

I also added a couple of extra light dragoons as couriers or scouts.

So this army is now complete enough to arrive on the gaming table, perhaps next week?

Jacobites - reference material

As requested by Brian, here are the main references I used for my Jacobite "Uniforms" or lack of them. I deliberately didn't use a standard tartan across units as it didn't exist at the time,

Osprey - Scottish Jacobite Army by Stuart Reid
Like Hungry Wolves by Stuart Reid
Wargames Illustrated articles in issues 296, 297 & 298
Practical Wargamer - articles in March-August 1994 (3 issues)

If I remember more I'll add it to this post.

Jacobites completed !!!

After what has been a long haul, I've finally finished my Jacobite Highlanders. There are six clan regiments all armed with hand to hand weapons so they can be used for the widest period possible, and a couple of musket armed skirmishers. The later can either be used, as depicted in some prints, ahead of the Jacobite battle line or mixed in with the clan regiments to depict later clan regiments

Sharp eyed observers may spot a few posts scattered amongst the units, these are actually tubes that can take additional flags so I can double up the number of units depending on the rule system I am using.

Although the figures are from Strelets, the standard of sculpting and moulding is more like Mars, so I spent quite a while cleaning up the figures, but I was not completely successful.

I've still got the commanders and casualties to paint, but i won't have finished now that Redbox is bringing out some addition figures so I expected to add some lowland units in due course.

Refight of Lutzen 1813

It was a gaming weekend at Deeside Defenders and an opportunity for a big Napoleonic game using Black Powder, so the first of the 1813 battles was on. Unfortunately we only had one day to play it, but got quite a way though the battle before calling it a day. The orbats were broadly based upon those used by the SESWC in their refight documented over on the Blenheim to Berlon blog.

I'll be adding more captions though the day

All is quiet as the Prussian forces arrive



Souham's division deployed around the quadrangle of villages (GrossGorchen, Rahna, Caja and Klein Gorschen)

Blucher's Corps advance on the villages, while cossacks threaten Girard's Division in Starseidel.

By 1:00pm the first Prussian assault on GrossGorschen has been repelled and the Prussians are fully deployed on the table.

The Prussian cavalry scored one success though, eliminating the only French cavalry on the table, Kellerman's brigade.

One lone Prussian Battalion still fighting on, taking villages is tough with Black Powder and some bad morale rolls by the Prussians didn't help.

By 2:00pm Yorck's corps is deployed on table and is advancing on Breniers Division in the gap between Starseidel and the quadrangle. Dorff and Steinmetx's cavalry cover the advance. The Coaascks still have Girard bottled up around Strseidel. In the distance more French can be seen arriving

Blucher reforms his corps ready for a renewed assault. The loss of Von Klux's brigade in the first assault has reduced their numbers

The French reinforcements arriving, Ricard on the left and Compans from VI Corps on the right, Napoleon would shortly arrived and try and get a grip on the situation.

Yorck's corps advancing

The defenders of Starseidel, Girard's division, composed of Marie Louises (like the rest of III corps)

Brenier and Ricard's divisions

Napoleon surveys the table, the appearance of more allied forces on table especially cavalry is not to his liking. But half the Guard Cavalry has arrived, the other half took a detour.

The cossacks have a problem, a battery flanking them and Imperial Guard cavalry to their front.

Dorff's cavalry force the French into square

Blucher closes in on Gross Gorschen.

By 3:00pm more Russian infantry is on table, Berg's corps heading towards Starseidel

Guard cavalry massed north of Starseidel

Having driven off Dorff's cavalry, Grenier's infantry reform into columns.
A second assault on Gross Gorschen having failed, Blucher's men reform.

After a brave attempt by Russian cavalry to inflict losses on the Horse Grenadiers, it's now up to Steinmetz's hussars to administer the killing blow while they are vulnerable.

Morand's division (IV corps) appears in the Russian flank

Heavy fighting along the line. Napoleon has occupied a suitable vantage point.

While Blucher concentrates on Gross Gorschen, Berg's Russian corps takes on Rahna

4:00pm the Russian Grenadier divisions arrive (I had to use my Brunswicks as I was short of Russians)

Blucher has taken Gross Gorschen at last! and Berg would shortly take Rahna.

Seemed to have missed the closing events somehow. But the memorable one was the Guard Horse Grenadiers beating off two regiments of Hussars. We called it a day at the point where Souham's division in the villages had collapsed, however the Imperial Guard Infantry was arriving on the table.

Russian tank crews

While working on the Jacobites I have filled in odd moments painting various other bits. I had thrown these in the dishwasher with some other figures for cleaning, but decided while using Vallejo pale blue that it was just the job for Russian tank overalls with a Devlan Mud wash, so quite quickly I have four bailed out crew markers.

Figures are the Orion Soviet tank crew.

WMMS - the booty

Managed a reasonable haul this time, mainly because I bought what I needed from Plastic Soldier before they sold out.



A bit sad, the last copy of Battlegames, but hopefully not the end, I await the new relaunched Miniature Wargames.

For those who need to see more pictures of the show there are more over on 28mm Heaven, including a picture of your truely, "Old Codger" indeed!

WMMS - a good day out

An easy drive down to Wolverhampton for the WMMS show on Sunday, quite a number pf interesting games on show, so here are my pics

AWI game

Operation Caravan - SAS at Barce 1942

Society of Ancients Bosworth game - now with 54mm figures

ACW - first day at Gettysburg

Bolt Action

Spanish Civil War





Sherrifmuir - more inspiration for my Jacobites (now in the final stages of painting!)







Napoleonic Skirmish



Another ACW game

And another AWI game

I have to admit a strong bias in favour of this game as I discovered they were using my AWI rules

Battlegroup Overlord