Play it, SAM.

The scratchbodged SA-7 Strela included in my Forbodian Peoples' Army battalion attracted several favourable comments, so here are some pics of the thing before painting which might help if you feel the need to build one.  The cutting mat is calibrated in cm.

I of course built three of them!

The 'gunner' is a chap from the Airfix German Mountain Troops set who was previously employed wavimg a bit of rope about.  That's no job for a grown man.  Helpfully he was already looking up at the sky - where hostile aircraft are most likely to be found!

Forbodian Peoples' Army infantry (c1979) - part 3

The Forbodian battalion is now complete.  As things turned out it didn't see action in last night's game - but it was there - poised for action!  Above an below is the AT Platoon with 9K11 Malyutka AT missiles. Or, if you prefer, 'Sagger'.  The missile is a cut-down 1/72 scale Sparrow AAGM and the figures are from the Airfix Mountain Troops set.  The 'gunner' in his experimental issue camo smock began life as the loader for an MG42.  Note the control box complete with joystick so he can track the missile to it's target.

The rifle platoon stands - armed with RPG-7 and Yugoslav built M48 rifles and M56 SMGs.

The mortar battery.  The 120mm mortar came off one of the Steve Weston WW1 'Tadpole' tanks, with a baseplate from a Tamiya US 107.  The crew are again from the Mountain Troops set.

The battalion HQ.  A frenzy of quietly efficient staff work.  The radio op is a Tamiya figure but this being Forbodia the radio probably won't work - hence the semaphore flags.  The chap in the foreground has a SA-7 Strela AA missile - he is anxiously scanning the skies for enemy aircraft.  The CO - in cut down stahlhelm to make a Yugoslav-style helmet - is another Tamiya figure.

Forbodian Peoples' Army reservists (c1979) - part 2

Here are the comrades during painting.  As well as some RPGs, they carry small arms of Yugoslav manufacture - M48 rifles and M56 SMGs.  And you thought they were WW2 Germans.....
There's a bit of a rush on to finish these chaps as I need them for a game on Wednesday!

Forbodian Peoples' Army infantry - part 1

One of the biggest challenges with the Little Cold Wars project so far has been sourcing suitable 1/32 figures - especially for the Warsaw Pact forces.  And yes, I know that Airfix did a set of 'Modern' Russians and Esci a set of mixed WARPACT soldiers but both are now as rare as rocking horse s**t.  If you find some in your attic I'll gladly take them off your hands...

So, that said, it's back to bodging.  A bit of light research revealed that a number of WARPACT armies used - well into the 1970s - webbing patterned after the German WW2 version.  And a few wore 'ski cap' type headgear not a million miles removed from the Wehrmacht equivalent.  I have also seen photos of Yugoslav soldiers (and yes, I know they weren't WARPACT members but if you were obsessed by accuracy you wouldn't be reading this rubbish) in the 1970s armed with locally-produced copies of Mauser K98 rifles.  All of this points us towards the Airfix Afrika Korps figures which are readily available once more.

Aside from paintwork, however, I wanted to add a few bits of kit which would mark them as 'modern'.  So it was off to the spares box for a rummage.  Adding a bit of plastic tube to the front end of a 1/144 scale aircraft bomb gave what in a bad light may be viewed as a reasonable stand-in for an RPG-7.  A few of the comrades were thus equipped and can be seen above.

More news from Forbodia when the superglue dries.

Army Day in Forbodia

There haven't been many posts this week as I've been so busy.  So here to make up for it are some photos of the recent parade of the Forbodian Army.  Above can be seen the entire army.  Scary eh?

The cavalry brigade in the foreground consists of two regiments and an HQ.

The Infantry  - from left to right - The Palace Guard, Foresters, Jagers, Militia.

The Infantry Brigadier at the head of his troops.

The man himself - King Boris III of Forbodia, with his staff, bodyguards and motor cars.

 The cavalry Brigadier and chums.

The much-feared Mountain Artillery.

Look away, Dixie's Land - Gettysburg part 3

We now return to the fun (after tea and cake...) as the heroic Rebs have cleared half of the wood on Culp's Hill. 

On the Reb left, the coloured regiment (painted, it will be remembered by me) clashed with...

...my own regiment of Rebs!  Happily my chaps had the better of the encounter!

Much to our delight the Yankees seemed to be on the run - pulling back to consolidate their position on the ridge, anchored on Meade's HQ.

By now my second brigade was on the move and swinging round the flank.

Fron the Yank's point of view they seemed to have a pretty secure position.

With thick lines of troops everywhere!

It's almost as if Meade was worried about housebreakers.

My brave Rebs - though depleted in number - surge forward.

By late afternoon I had secured the Culp's Hill position.

A typical scene in the Federal lines.  Jack hard at work moving toys, Paul the umpire keeping an eye on him while Brian (left) stands around watching.

General Longstreet enters into the spirit of things..

And now......I must report the tragic loss of Mat Bradic the Forbodian reporter and photographer.  Deliberately targeted by Yankee gunners, Mr Bradic's demise was witnessed by the Confederate staff and visiting British Army observer Capt. Widdrington.  News of this most horrific atrocity has already been conveyed to Europe and that continent will no doubt soon be ablaze with anti-Yankee indignation!

As Mr Bradic's final moments once more run through my mind I find I am too upset to continue for the moment.  I will return to the battle report soon and we shall see if justice prevails!

Little Wars Centenary part 4 - King Boris and the trombone of doom

For the final round of games the Forbodian Army again took the field.  The enemy (in this case the British Indian style army of Julian Spilsbury (ably assisted by Andy Hussey) had two guns occupying a fortified position while infantry and cavalry forces were poised to reinforce them.  Flags were used to represent units until they were sighted by the enemy.
The slightly bizarre (even for me) title of the post relates to Julian's need to designate one of his figures as a sniper.  Lacking a suitable pose, he selected a trombonist...

As with the previous rounds, four games took place at once, but I was too busy to pay the others much attention.

King Boris's cunning plan was to assault the redoubt with one of the infantry battalions while the other flanked it. 

The cavalry brigade was massed on the right, poised to head off to the distant second objective. 

Annoyingly orders had arrived tasking the Forbodian artillery with (notional) other targets for three turns.

The Forbodian's second brigade-level cavalry charge of the weekend went just as well as the first. 

The enemy infantry battalion was eliminated - but at considerable cost! 

This was bearable until an enemy cavalry regiment showed up and saw off the survivors!

It was at this point that I uttered the now infamous words "If you were a gentleman sir, you would charge that Gatling."  Julian did so, with entirely predictable results. 

This event gave rise to his subsequent accusations of "Forbodian mind games."  I'm sure I don't know what he means.

 

While all this was going on the Forbodian infantry had successfully taken the redoubt and held it against two enemy assaults.  Even the trombone player perished in the second wave. 

This turned out to be the closest run game of the entire weekend which Boris's brave boys won by only 71 points to 70!  A thoroughly enjoyable conclusion to a splendid weekend.

Little Wars Centenary part 3 - Advance to Contact

I did warn you that there was more still to come from this event.  By the time the second round of games began the rain had stopped and the lawn was dry enough for 'proper' outdoor action.  This post will deal with the encounter between The Forbodian Army led in person by my alter ego King Boris III and the rough colonial types of Army Red/White/Blue (think turn of the century US) commanded by the Young Master, Jack Wright.  The scenario was that a RWB force held a central position while the Forbodians were advancing from two directions.  RWB reinforcements would arrive according to dice rolls during the game.

I (or rather King B) decided to mass the cavalry brigade (two regiments) in the south while he accompanied the infantry and artillery advancing from the east.  Deciding from the first on a policy of 'Shock and Awe', the cavalry advanced rapidly (see first picture) to tackle an enemy infantry battalion.  In doing so it took several hits from rifle fire from it's front and right but in the finest traditions of the Forbodian Army*, pressed on regardless.

* The motto of the Forbodian Army is "Death and Glory, but hopefully not in that order."

Young Mr Wright looks on with concern as the Forbodian cavalry gallop forth.

Needless to say, RWB resorted to ungentlemanly tricks like hiding behind trees.

The King himself (in the red motor car) leads his troops into action.

Worried RWB riflemen tried desperately to empty as many saddles as possible...

Meanwhile the infantry marched ever onwards, clearing enemy sharpshooters from the woods.

The Forbodian cavalry won their fight and while the enemy HQ was a tempting target, it's

accompanying artillery was rather less attractive.  To press on or withdraw?

This decision became a lot easier when a fresh unit of enemy cavalry trotted into sight!

The cavalry having withdrawn, and with the infantry in firm control of the distant woods (and thus the road through them), we called it a day.  A hard fought battle which the Forbodians won on points.