Recently rolled of the production line is this unit of 1/32 scale Confederates. These plastic figures are by are BMC - a manufacturer often derided for the poor detail on their figures. I rather like them, however, as I favour a 'toy soldier' style finish and find some newer figures intimidatingly well detailed! I replaced the standard bearer's floppy pole (ooh-er missus!) with brass rod. The flag is removeable so these chaps can serve other masters if required. As usual they were based on 3x4cm pieces of mdf and finished off with a coat of Ronseal outdoor varnish.
Thursday 31 October 2013
Wednesday 30 October 2013
Here at last!
I began building this Airfix bus - according to this earlier post - in May of this year. A subsequent post reveals that the build didn't go at all smoothly!
Eventually though, I managed to finish the damned thing - and even painted some 'crew' figures so that it can act as an HQ during games. I'm quite pleased with it now - but I must say again that it was a horrible thing to build. Be warned!
Eventually though, I managed to finish the damned thing - and even painted some 'crew' figures so that it can act as an HQ during games. I'm quite pleased with it now - but I must say again that it was a horrible thing to build. Be warned!
Most of the figures are removeable. |
Tuesday 29 October 2013
Tidying up
As previously mentioned, I have been putting things straight following a period of domestic disruption caused by building and decorating work. One of the items I had to move was this 200x80cm bookcase - one of IKEA's finest - which lives on the landing outside my toy room door. Clearly I had to empty it first - which revealed just how much stuff it held! Before I re-stocked it therefore, I decided to thin out the contents a bit and have it looking a bit neater than before.
It is now much tidier - but then it was pretty bad before.
It is now much tidier - but then it was pretty bad before.
The shelves hold mostly wargaming and modelling books. |
The wargames books - the oldest acquired in the mid-'70s, the newest a couple of weeks ago. |
I have a full set of these splendid little Airfix books. They took many years to accumulate. |
The lower shelves house various wargames rules, boxed games and these ring binders which contain various articles archived from magazines. |
Monday 28 October 2013
Boxing clever
The toy room was in a bad state for a few weeks as we've had some work done on the house. This meant that all sorts of junk was piled in the toy room - restricting my ability to paint toys or even photograph stuff I'd already finished.
To celebrate, here is a photo of part of my recently uncovered wall of boxfiles. These contain some of my 20mm Megablitz toys - specifically the French, Italians, Brits and some of the Germans and Soviets.
To celebrate, here is a photo of part of my recently uncovered wall of boxfiles. These contain some of my 20mm Megablitz toys - specifically the French, Italians, Brits and some of the Germans and Soviets.
Zero progress
Well not quite zero. I did manage to spray on some primer last weekend and apply the first of two coats of green yesterday. The chances of getting it finished this month are looking slim though!
Thursday 24 October 2013
The Megablitz Archive - Messina - part 4
Here are the rest of my photos from the 2008 game. Above is 2 South African Infantry Division getting stuck in to the Italians.
The Race for Messina – July 1943
Day one was largely spent marching to Catania which turned
out to be heavily defended by two Italian divisions supported by the Italian
air force which sneaked in when our fighters weren’t around. After a few words with HQ standing fighter
cover was the order of the day thereafter!
Attacks on the Italian positions went in as evening fell.
The following morning having judged it too tricky to change
the frontline troops whilst engaged a fresh attack destroyed the Italians
completely! Then it was on to
Tobromina. However as day fell on day
two we closed with a strong German position in a narrow plain between the
mountains and the sea. This time we
exchanged forces during the night withdrawing the infantry and putting in both
the superior infantry division and 9th Armoured. On Day three they swiftly overwhelmed the
Nazi position thereby getting 9th Armoured their new nickname.
After that it was a question of chasing the Germans back to
Messina which fell to our forces whilst Monty was still a day’s march away
Blackshirt infantry with artillery support.
SA recce has a look at some Italian armour.
In the north, the US 'car park' is on the move. The American attacks (in particular) were supported by lavish air and artillery assets.
10PD had this sPz Abt under command.
The HQ and staff of 10PD sticks close to their divisional (and corps) FLAK battalions.
10PD counterattacks 5 Indian Div,
The ever-popular Italian mobile brothel.
One of several ex-Chris Kemp models on the tables.
The HQ of 10PD find that the front line has come to them!
Led by armour, the Brits break through the Italian minefields.
The Germans had flown in most of 5 FJR Div and the paras
were busy settling in on the outskirts of Messina.
The US car park encounters some tougher opposition in the shape of 20 PzG Div.
This had been shipped in earlier in the game.
Sweeping all before them the Americans arrive at Messina. Gen. Patton's completely objective and unbiased report follows:
Megablitz Game report by Will Whyler (Playing General
Patton)
Played on Sunday 16th November 2008
Arrived to find I was allocated the role of General Patton
commander of the 7th US Army with orders to clear Sicily and Beat
Monty to Messina.
Basically we had three infantry divisions one of which
seemed to have more firepower than the other two and a very good armoured
division the 9th nicknamed “Crap on Tracks” renamed by my orders
after this game “Kraut on Tracks”.
For some reason presumably to do with historical accuracy
the umpire had placed the two weaker infantry divisions as our frontline. Compression between mountains (Etna) and the
coast meant that we could only field two divisions at any one time with the
other two road marching behind. My
divisional commanders Chris Ager and Louis Blackwell settled down whilst I took
control of the air force. Mostly
fighters and mostly flying in from Tunisia.
Wednesday 23 October 2013
More from the Wg Cdr - part 2 - Flogger
Another GHQ 1/285 scale model recently finished by Wg Cdr Luddite is this splendid MIG-27 'Flogger-D' in Soviet Frontal Aviation colours.
More from the Wg Cdr - part 1 - Phantom
Our old chum Wg Cdr Luddite has sent me photos of some 1/285 scale GHQ aircraft he is working on as part of a commission. First up we have an F-4 Phantom in what looks to me like 'Nam era markings and laden with under wing unpleasantness.
Tuesday 22 October 2013
The Megablitz Archive - Messina - part 3
These photos are from the November 2008 version of the game. All the toys are from my own collection - though some have a chequered history!
More toy porn in the final part of this report - coming soon!
Italian 'armour' from the Sicily Mobile Group. Scary eh?
Elements of 10 Panzer Division looking menacing.
German and Italian aviation assets happily co-habiting on a Sicilian airfield. The tri-motored horror is my bodged Cant Z1008.
More Axis air.
Italian infantry defending the front line.
The same Italians (with German Nebelwerfer support) being attacked by the Americans.
Sneaking round the flank? What a rotten trick!
Some of the Yanks had clearly been foraging. I bought these figures already painted at a show some years ago but I've no idea who the maker is.
The Italians reinforce the front line.
German troops of PanzerGrenadier Division 'Sicily' head to the front
on the north coast. What could go wrong?
Gott in Himmel! US bombers darken the sky.
The Americans break into the Italian position.
Chaos ensues!
The PanzerGrenadiers prepare for action, thankful that they brought along all those flak guns.More toy porn in the final part of this report - coming soon!
Monday 21 October 2013
The Megablitz Archive - Messina part 2
Moving on, we have the Brirtish and US briefings. Note the constraints on the numbers of formations which can be committed to action at any given time. The game requires a minimum of 4 players (1 US, 1 Brit and 2 Axis) and an umpire but the ideal is at least 3 Americans, 3 Brits and 4 Axis players, together with an umpire and possibly even an air umpire.
British Briefing July
23rd 1943
Following our successful landings nearly two weeks ago, significant
progress has been made in pushing back Axis forces on Sicily. However, enemy
forces remain strong and there is a chance of their being reinforced by troops
from the mainland. It is therefor imperative that a decisive defeat be
inflicted on the enemy before additional troops arrive. It is also likely that
the enemy will shortly begin to evacuate his forces from the island. It need
hardly be pointed out that the more we can destroy or capture here and now, the
less we will have to face when the invasion of the Italian mainland is finally
undertaken.
Due to constraints of supply and
terrain, it is only possible to commit two divisions to action in any given
day, although sufficient fuel should be available for other units to conduct
road marches.
Finally, there is talk among the
troops that we are engaged in a ‘Race to Messina’ with our American Allies.
This is (officially) emphatically NOT the case!
Game
duration – up to eight days
8th Army Order of Battle
5 Indian
Division
2 South
African Division
15
(Scottish) Division
50 Division
2x Armoured
Brigades
3x Medium
Art Rgts
RAF assets
1 Fighter
(Spitfire) - Based at close airfield.
2
Fighter/Bombers (Kittyhawk/Hurricane) - Based at close airfield.
1 Medium
Bomber (Marauder) - Based at distant airfield.
US 7th Army
3 Infantry
Divisions
1 Armoured
Division
Intelligence Report on Axis Forces
3½ Italian Divisions
2 Panzer
Divisions
various
Flak and artillery units
US Briefing July
23rd 1943
Following our successful landings nearly two weeks ago, we have kicked
some ass among the Axis forces on Sicily. However, enemy forces remain strong
and there is a chance of their being reinforced by troops from the mainland. It
is therefor crucial that we cripple the enemy before additional troops arrive.
It is also likely that the enemy will shortly begin to evacuate his forces from
the island. It need hardly be pointed out that the more we can destroy or
capture here and now, the less we will have to face when the invasion of the
Italian mainland is finally undertaken.
Due to constraints of supply and
terrain, it is only possible to commit two divisions to action in any given
day, although sufficient fuel should be available for other units to conduct
road marches.
Finally, there is talk among the
troops that we are engaged in a ‘Race to Messina’ with our British Allies. This
is (officially) emphatically NOT the case!
(But hey,
what the hell…..)
Game
duration – up to eight days
US 7th Army
36 Infantry
Division
75 Infantry
Division
85 Infantry
Division
9 Armoured
Division ‘Crap on Tracks’
17 Field
Art Btl (155mm)
77 Field
Art Btl (155mm)
Air Assets
Fighter -
P-51B – close airfield
Recce –
Spitfire – close airfield
Fighter –
P-38 – distant airfield
Fighter –
P-38 – distant airfield
Bomber –
B-24 – distant airfield
8th Army Order of Battle
4 Divisions
2 Armoured
Brigades
Intelligence Report on Axis Forces
3½ Italian Divisions
2 Panzer
Divisions
various
Flak and artillery units
Saturday 19 October 2013
The Megablitz Archive - Messina part 1
The Race for Messina - July 1943. This scenario has been played a couple of times - both at Newark - in 2000 and 2008. For this post we have the map and the Axis briefing.
Axis Briefing July
23rd, 1943
Allied forces landed on this outpost of Festung Europa on July 10th,
and despite a number of successful counter-attacks, our forces have slowly
being pushed back.
It is expected that the Italian 6th Army can
hold Sicily for at least another eight days, in order that the evacuation of
personnel and equipment may proceed in an orderly manner.
From day two, Axis forces may ‘evacuate’ D6 stands per
game turn from Messina. Any units
remaining on Sicily when Allied forces take Messina are lost.
6th Army
Italians:
54 Napoli Infantry Division (represented in the game by
102 Trento Div)
28 Aosta ID (represented in the game by 60 Sabratha Div)
4 Livorno ID (represented in the game by Blackshirt Div)
Mobile Group ‘Sicily’ (a brigade sized formation)
Germans
10 Panzer Division
PanzerGrenadier Division ‘Sicily’ (represented by 164
‘Afrika’ Div)
Flak Regiments 4, 7, 48
Artillery Rgt 54 (105mm guns)
Werfer Rgt 53
plus HQ troops and rear echelon transport elements.
Available in Italy
5 Fallschirmjager Division (-)
(this unit may be airlifted to Sicily – a limited lift
capacity is available – 1 Regt may fly in per day)
20 Panzergrenadier Div – may arrive in Messina – each day
roll 1D6 per stand – arrives on a 5 or 6, lost on a 1.
Note that there can be no evacuations on days when 20 PzG
is arriving.
Air assets
1 MC-202
1 Cant Z-1008
1 Ju-87
1 Bf-109F
All based at close airfields (near Messina). There is sufficient fuel for only 6 sorties
in total.
Report
on enemy forces
British 8th
Army – advancing from south of
Catania
4x Infantry Divisions, 2x Tank Brigades
US 7th Army – advancing from west of Troina
3x Infantry Divisions, 1x Armoured Division
Thursday 17 October 2013
The 2013 Birmingham Toy Soldier Show
On Sunday I visited the Birmingham Toy Soldier Show. The drive down was more tedious than usual due to poor weather and a lot of shockingly bad (even for a Sunday) driving. But sadly I suspect that the idiots who were hogging the middle lane of the M1 still don't realise that they delayed that ambulance... Anyway, enough of that.
At the show - which my satnav and I found easily enough - I met up with Len Cooksey of Ivanhoe who was as usual, soon extracting money from me. He had emailed me previously to say that he had some new Barszo fortress guns so I was already in a weakened state!
They are nice though - I felt that I showed commendable restraint by only buying two. And Two six-figure crew packs.... The guns - selected from at least four different types - are a Colombiad (nearest) and an Armstrong.A top view of the Armstrong. Both were assembled straight out of the bags in about ten minutes.
Next to Len's stand was one run my my old friends John Curry (he of the History of Wargaming Project) and his brother Mike. I also ran into that shadowy fellow blogger known only as The Dancing Cake Tin.
One of the bigger (in every sense) bargains of the day was this BMC playset. It includes two buildings and a load of figures and guns. The figures aren't the greatest but I have a lot of them already and rather like their basic level of detail as it is readily matched by my basic painting! Anyway, for £25 who's complaining?
As usual, a careful peruse of the various trade stands yielded a few gems. These Britains Royal Marine bandsmen have been the victims of a manufacturing fault in that their faces are only half painted. At a little under £1 a figure I won't mind dabbing on some paint! I'm sure you'll forgive the hastily posed photo.And now to my favourite figures of the day. These are Starlux plastics and represent the navy of their native France. I think they are just delightful.
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