Merry Christmas 2023!

Merry  Christmas! 

A merry Christmas to all, I thought I would get in early this year as we have completed our tourist and wargames season for 2023 until we reopen in April 2024. A big thank you to all of our Wargame holiday and French cultural tour guests this year, we have almost totally transitioned to 3-5 night private fully guided Holidays. 

We had a very big year with guests from all over the world, again America and Australia were our top visitors, and also welcomed English, Scots, Dutch, Swiss, German, Belgians and of course French. 

Renovations continue on the Maison l’Hotel de Hercé, now onto the third and forth floor, plus attic spaces. We also commenced the exterior dependencies/outbuildings renovation this year also and more work on the garden also of course. 

During the year we had monument historic architects also visit and they have pushed back the construction date by 30 years to 1690s making the house very modern for its time, transitional baroque so that has been a shock. They also possibly think our Cave/Cellars may be much earlier and could be built in the late 15th century, due to its arches, vaulted ceilings and wide granite footing stones (800mm x 600mm), the basement kitchens, the water storage source and stone waste waster systems. 

A big year for medieval, early renaissance, ww2 and Napoleonic being the most popular periods on the table. I have also helped my friend Philip along with with the Perry translation of Valour and Fortitude for French Napoleonic players. 

Looking forward to a Australian Christmas with our family and visiting my first granddaughter in Sydney! 

All the best 

Cheers

Matt

Agincourt Anniversary refight

 Agincourt! 

Our wargames holiday guest David had a planned 100YW guided tours and wargames for his week with us. We visited a number of chateaux, two battlefield walks and 100YW sites in old Maine, Normandy and Anjou. 

We also planned and played three 100YW games from all three phases of the war, play testing a upcoming rule set that should be published early next year. It is very morale based and takes time to break the morale of the of each base (representing 500 men) as attached leaders can roll off disorder and morale. 

We organised the English into three battles, the French into 3 also, but only committing two battles with the first assault, one of these divisions needed success to win an outright victory, the last division being only deployed if the French assault fails and a successful roll is made. I was very keen to roll out all of my 100YW armies for our games. 

Enjoy the pics 

The English happy few 

The French first Battle 

The field 

The flanking move fails ….again 

The French start to crowd but head towards the English MAA

French line starts to break up from the archery 

The cavalry finally retire 

The English MAA await with the Norman Allied contingent 

Gird your loins here they come! 

The retired cavalry let the archers shoot into the flanks again 

The MAA clash 

Heavy fighting continues 

French MAA reach breakpoint 

Generals attach to rally men on both sides 

Holes appear in the French line as the morale collapses 

The Duke de Harcourt falters and is captured

Pierre the Alençon almost cuts his way through to the king, just like the actual battle 

Then break, the French army retires and history repeats itself, the third French division fails to activate and it’s game over! 

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday- Sinai Terrain part 1

 

 Sinai terrain

While I do have a collection of terrain pieces for my desert games I have very little in the way of 20th century type pieces for towns etc except for my Iraq thunder run table bits (jersey barriers and buildings and a few trees). 

I did have some Street lights and palms laying around in stock with part built I had started for city entry pieces, these pieces have been part finished for some time but originally was only going to be palms for my Iraqi war table, however by adding the lights give it more of a 20th century look. 

A collection of small trees, I cut some of the stumps so they were not all the same heights.

Cheers

Matt 

Scottish Archers unit 5

 Scottish Archers 

Another unit of Perry plastic archers for my Scots, next up I have heavy foot coming then some cavalry. 

Cheers

Matt

Bundesgrenzschultz VW van

 

  Bundesgrenzschutz VW Van

While I was airbrushing a lot of vehicles last week (while the weather was pleasant) I quickly painted up my remaining Bundesgrenzschutz vehicles. For completed off the table is a van, pretty much match box recovery that had the front pillars missing, which I rebuilt with green stuff and styrene, plus the traffic light which is also green stuff. I have also molded a plastic windscreen in hot water from a vegetable pack, but cannot find it on my messy desk so a cleanup may occur tomorrow! 

I am planning also to add Bundesgrenzschutz writing on the sides in black, but will complete my helicopter and other vehicles first before I play around making up the transfers to be printed, then complete all of the vehicles at once.

 I only have the checkpoint and four more vehicles to come (one truck, one ambulance and Jeep , plus the helicopter and they will be completed. In the meantime I must complete some more vehicles before this weekends Yom Kippur anniversary game! 

Cheers

Matt

Egyptian Army 1967-73 Infantry

 

 Egyptian Army 1967-73 -Infantry 

The infantry for this project are from Elheim miniatures. The figures are from the middle eastern range which will work for most middle eastern nations during the period. They have a good variety of poses and I am really happy with my results. 

Painting guide Egyptian Infantry Arab Israeli wars

I have researched the uniforms and decided to go a little darker than the sand colour recommended in battlefront fate of nations guide. I use a black undercoat, a base colour, the wash, then Highlight the same colour. 

Flesh Vallejo dwarf flesh, highlight about 10% elf flesh, Warpaint brown flesh wash. 

Tunic and trousers Vallejo panzer aces French tanker uniform

Webbing AK khaki webbing

Helmet Vallejo Russian uniform

Wood Rifle Furniture Vallejo mahogany

Weapon metal work Vallejo German grey 

Boots Vallejo German grey 

Support weapons and RPG is Vallejo German camo green

Airborne Berets Vallejo dark red, then blood red highlight. 

The grass tufts are my own using either Noch or faller flocks. 

I am really happy with these chaps and they will also double for my Iraqis. 

1st Motorised regiment

The motorised truck units had a structure of ; One  HQ company and two rifle companies and one support company. I have 6 trucks almost completed for these chaps, plus two command Zil 157 vans. I also need to print some Soviet jeeps for the Sagger crews to complete the regiment.

1st Battalion

2nd Battalion 

Armoured infantry battalion 

I need to add a sniper to this battalion and some heavy weapons. I am having trouble finding a decent order of battle for these with conflicting sources for the structure of the battalions. I have followed the Russian structure for them. A HQ and two rifle companies, with two in the BTR 152 or BTR 50. I have ordered extra vehicles so I can depict 1967 and 73 formations. 

Airborne battalion 

The Egyptian airborne infantry chaps need a few more figures to complete them, this will include some head swaps to get more variation and radio op and heavy weapons. I need to do another order with elhiem shortly. 

Cheers

Matt

French HYW mounted crossbow

 French HYW Mounted Crossbow 

Additions to the Hundred Years War collection. The mounted crossbowmen were often in the free companies, but some are mentioned in the Manche arrie Ban for the battle of Formigny. The miniatures are from the Perry range, I have another base to complete of mounted archers then onto Scottish nobles and men at arms. 

Cheers

Matt

Bookings open for wargames Holidays for 2024

 Wargames Holiday France 2024

We are taking bookings for 2024, contact us through the website here to have a fabulous 3 to 5 night holiday in Western France.

Plenty of options for tours, battlefields, cultural events and wargaming France through history. 

Accommodation in a former Counts townhouse circa 1790, with fully paneled rooms in the Carolingian city of Mayenne in Western France. 

Next year we are also conducting five Wargame long weekends with limited numbers of 6 gamers, 4 day, 5 night events. These events will include lead up planning and a photographic and scenario book of the event see the website for full details and costings. 

• Cold War April - Whisky on the Rocks includes day tour to Saumur tank museum, two days wargaming, formal silver service dinner.  
• Ww2 June - DDay event includes day tour to DDay event, two days wargaming, formal silver service dinner
• Napoleonic July - event includes a day tour to the largest Napoleonic reenactment in west France, and a visit to a Vendee battlefield at Entrammes. Plus wargaming Napoleonic and Vendee rebellion. Formal silver service dinner.
•  Ww2 August - Pattons breakout, includes Ww2 Mayenne liberty festival, and tour of southern flank of the Falaise pocket, plus two days wargaming. Formal silver service dinner.
• Medieval September - day visit to the French jousting championship, plus battlefield and chateau visit, plus two days gaming. Formal silver service dinner. 

We will also continue to offer regular 3-5 night wargaming holidays from April to October for singles and couples with fully guided tours of the regions of the Loire, Brittany and Normandy. These can be one on one holiday or small group (3 couples). 

 Wargaming the 60 regional battlefields and defensive works from the Caesarean invasion, the Goths, Franks, Bretons, Vikings, medieval Norman, Plantagenet dynastic struggles, the 100 years war, the Breton wars of succession and mad war, the wars of religion, the revolution in the Vendee and Chouanerie, the Franco Prussian Wars last battle and ww2. 

Hope to see some of you next year. 

Cheers

Matt

Riecharbeitsdienst “Albert Speer” guard RAD Panzer Grenadier Abteilung 1945

 

 Albert Speer RAD Panzer Grenadier Abteilung 1945

I have commenced my kampfgruppe 1001 nights, part of the unit was Albert Speer’s RAD body guard Abteilung, which was made up of Reichsarbeitsdienst troops from Berlin, many of whom come from anti aircraft batteries around Berlin. One RAD motorcycle company plus the Armoured cars joined the Kampfgruppe 1001 nights to fight in the Seelow Heights. The remainder stayed in Berlin to man 88 gun batteries and to act as infantry in he Spree sector. 

The miniatures are from Simons Soldiers fall of Berlin range, the medic from FAA miniatures which are very perfect for the last days of the Reich wargaming 

HQ company

RAD commander

RAD panzerschrek

Rifle coy

RAD rifle company

RAD Rifle coy

MG Support Coy

RAD MG42

RAD MG team

Rapid Fire Organisation
Panzer-Aufklarungs-Abteilung Speer
HQ, Co + 3 car, medic, panzerschrek
2 x Motorcycle company (RAD uniform) 7 figs, two Fausts
Armoured car company 2 x Sd.Kfz 231 A/C, 1 x Sd.Kfz 263
Support Company Pak 38 Anti Tank mot tow, 4 crew
Sdkfz 7 quad 20mm flak 38, RAD 4 crew
Two kettenkrads plus trailers 2 x MMG 5 figs
It seems that this unit may of increased in size with infantry reinforcements and armoured cars or have been just renamed on the 3rd of April as the “Spree Panzer Grenadier Regiment” (this also may be a mistaken renaming as they were assigned the Wehrmacht Feldpost 43449 and posted to the Spree sector in Berlin).


I hope you found this an interesting unit, I have had a interesting time researching for it. If you have any notes, organisational mistakes or further information please let me know!


Cheers
Matt