Plastic Warrior show 2019

I spent yesterday at the very splendid Plastic Warrior show in Twickenham, West London. The show specialises in 54mm plastic figures, though other scales and materials are always present.
This was my fourth (I think) visit and I once again shared a table with show organiser Brian Carrick.
Part of the joy of such events is meeting old (and new) friends, so it was good to chat with Brian, Anthony, Mike, Eric, Graham to name but a few. I was also sending regular text message updates to Bertrand - who was sadly stuck in a meeting in Belgium.
The photos were taken an hour before the show actually opened to punters but already plenty of toys and cash had changed hands. I did rather well shifting the ‘offcuts’ from a collection I had recently bought and plundered for the bits I wanted. I’ll cover my modest purchases in a future post.

The attack on Fort Fisher - part 2

With a few of the Reb guns out of action and dwindling crew numbers, I brought the rest of my fleet into gunnery range and let rip.

Soon the interior of the fort was a mass of dismounted guns and shattered gunners.

This seemed like a good opportunity to land my troops.  This delightful little boat was picked up for only £3 in a charity shop.

My forces consisted of two regiments of infantry and a small detachment of sharpshooters.  As they landed their heroism was captured on film by...

...famous ACW photographer Matthew Brady.

Under the direction of the Beachmaster the regiments formed up for prayers and an assault on...

...the Confederate defences.  We could now see that the trenches were teeming with armed-to-the-teeth Rebs.

One of my regiments stormed forward under a hail of musketry and grapeshot.  At this point, B and I discussed what would happen next and agreed that with the troops available, the assault would eventually carry the fort.

The Federal general (actually Gen. Pickett but he looks about right) receives the casualty reports.  A bloody business.

To experience the 'feel' of the final assault check out this clip from the film 'Glory'.

The attack on Fort Fisher - part 1

This was a game played a few weeks ago by Bertrand and I.  An opportunity arose to use a large room for an evening, so a game  - using some of our collection of ACW figures - was quickly agreed on and toys packed accordingly.

The scenario was based on the Federal assault on Fort Fisher in 1865.  The fort was on a spit of land which guarded the approaches to the port of Wilmington.  Our usual museum-quality terrain was deployed - with a few rolls of hessian representing the land and an apparently random collection of trenches and gun emplacements making up the fort.

I - for what I believe was the first time ever - was on the Yankee side.

Bertrand brought most of the kit - I provided the sailing ships, the US infantry and a couple of heavy guns for the fort.

Above - one of the fort's heavy guns opens fire on the distant US fleet.

The fort at the start of the game.  Guns were only placed as they fired.

The US er, 'fleet'.  Three steam-driven ironclads and three wooden ships of line - one towing a bomb ketch.  The ironclads were (from left to right) bodged from boxes, a repaired resin model and a bodge based on a lamp stand!  The sailing ships were found in junk shops and the bomb ketch is a cut-down plastic kit.

Fire was soon being exchanged between the fleet...

...and the shore batteries.  My plan was to suppress at least some of the batteries with my ironclads before moving my wooden ships into range and bringing their broadsides to bear.

Happily my gunners had some early success.

I wasn't enjoying the look of those huge guns though.  Especially as two of the three heavy guns (Barzso models) were actually mine!

The elevated battery, known historically as 'The Pulpit' made a splendid aiming point.

Fire was by now pretty heavy in both directions - I scored a lucky hit on this ammunition store.

A taste of Ho-Ni

Behold the wonder that is the Type 1 Ho-Ni I tank destroyer. It mated the hull of the Type 97 medium tank with the Type 90 75mm gun.   26 examples of this elegant device were built in 1942.
My model arrived in amongst a load of Airfix infantry and after making a few repairs and painting, I fitted the tracks. Crew figures were added from the Fine Molds set mentioned here earlier - I think they help bring the thing to life. I’ve no idea when it will get used, as it’s clearly far too late for the planned Nomonhan (1939) game.