YAK-9D - part 1

 Another gem from the box load I was given in July, the YAK-9 is a kit I have never built.  This one was reasonably complete - wheels down and all - but as with the others from this batch, the paint was rather rough.  More importantly, it was missing part of the tail.  

Spot the replacement part!  Carved from plastic card and liberally glued in place. 

New paint. While it dried I raided the decal box. 

Le lion de Verdun

Some years ago I was fortunate enough to pick up a set of WW1 French generals.  While not clearly branded as Mokarex they are very much the same style and clearly by the same maker. Here is the first to be completed - General Petain - all ready to lead the defence of Verdun. 

Mokarex Great War French

 I’ve mentioned this slightly odd range of hard plastic figures before: LINK

While I was sorting out some WW1 French figures recently it occurred to me that I should deal with a few of the apparently random selection of Mokarex soldiers I’ve had kicking around.  I used the same blue as for my existing later war Armies in Plastic units:  LINK

A suitably grizzled looking chap trudging towards the front line.  He’s bound to be popular with my pipe smoking readers. 

A lines of communication guard, clearly feeling the cold judging by his scarf and mittens. His place on the equipment issuing priority list is evident from his wearing wooden clogs rather than boots!

A well turned-out squaddie in 1916 rig. Very smart. 

This chap’s ‘Crapouillot’ 58mm mortar was badly damaged so,I rebuilt it with some plastic tube.  

He looks a dangerous man!

Rommel at Cosnes, 1914 - part 2

 I sent players their briefings and some options a couple of days before the game.  The terrain had been laid out on a 60x39 inch area of my table.  Broadly the Germans had to recce the area and not take too many losses.  The French had to stop them and then get away.

Above - the view from the German end.

A detachment of French lurking in the orchard.

More French take up position on the hill.  The things which look like clumps of bamboo were my attempts at making stands of cut crops.  I'll cover them in a separate post.

While Rommel worked his way through the woods on the German left, Russell's chaps had a nice lay down on the edge of a field of crops.  The pink markers indicate prone figures.

Don't those red trousers stand out?

French on the forward edge of the orchard trying to spot....

...Rommel and his lads in the wood.

As soon as anyone had a target shots rang out...

...and soon a couple of the French were wounded and down.

In the wood, Rommel has paused to encourage a soldier who has been hit.  Hit so often in fact that he was soon being referred to by both sides as 'victim.'

Having apparently cleared the hill would Russell's detachment advance?

Simon led the French on the hill, John was the Sgt. in the orchard while Cpl. Diego and his friend skulked at the rear.

As the Germans advanced, Sgt. John began to pull back through the orchard.

'Victim' down again.  Oh dear.  Rommel can be seen in front of him.