German Wehrmacht Horse harness

 I have been messing around with some German horse transport recently and I wanted to get some photos of some museum examples of German horse harness for the small trailers (jigs as we call them in Australia). So when I was on tour this week with guests I managed to snap a few at the DDay experience museum. I will pass these onto Dan who is adding 3d files for us crazy Wargamers so I can have the correct harness! 

WIP Ancient Greeks

The painting project has commenced some Greeks! These are 5th century foundry Greeks, just lovely and simple to paint also, just gloss the shields add transfers, gloss again, then spears and matt varnish to go. Based for impetus but on the smaller base. 

Cheers

Matt

WIP Germanics

 These chaps have been waiting for me to complete hand painting shields and transfers from little big men.  I was hoping to complete these for the analogue painting challenge however we were enjoying our holidays. Another 4 more units to do and two units of cavalry and I will be done with the project for now. 

Again predominantly warlord figures with some foundry, most of the plastics have been chopped up to remove the wide arm stance or leaning over stance green stuff straightened, some have metal spears and weapons also. Basing tonight along with some Napoleonic Prussians and French I have been working on. 

Cheers

Matt 

It’s all Greek to me

 Over the years I have painted many Greek armies, then sold them on during one of my changes of periods etc. One of my good friends in Australia Spyrios has expressed a wish to build a Greek army for the 5th century BC, so I am off a tangent at the moment researching the period and minatures available ….. and guess what I accidentally purchased a few pieces to see what they paint up like as I was planning some Greeks this year …… so over the coming weeks I will be adding a few Greeks to my collection, particularly the Victrix plastics that are available. I am thinking something that can be expanded within my current collection of mercenary units for my early, late republican or Caesarian Roman’s. I am thinking either Pyrrhic or Thracian (or both) my current collection has a few mostly light infantry and cavalry (I have a lot of unpainted Foundry Thracians). I am leaning towards Thracians at the moment ….. but the thought of those capes …… anyway decisions, decisions. 

John Jenkins Designs 54mm Thracian general 

Cheers

Matt

Fallschirmjager support elements

  Off the desk actually more than two weeks ago but managed to get some photos today while packing away and cleaning up my desk for the next project. 28mm Warlord metal miniatures much better than the plastic offerings. 

Tripod MG 42

81mm mortar 

120mm mortar 

Cheers

Matt

Mad March

  More Mad March modelling madness completed, this time a soviet radio truck from ICM, I had a devil of a time fitting the wheel arches, but it is together! 

Cheers

Matt

Mad March Wip II

I purchased these last year in preparation to add artillery support to my American Armour, I have also pitched some 155mm towed but need tractors for them to complete the battery. 

These are fast build Italeri, I think I had them built in around 3 hours. Nice little fast build kits although the tracks leave a little to be desired. I will add American crews from Alder or AB after I have painted them. 

Cheers

Matt

Mad March WIP

 The kit building commenced this week for my mad march entry on the Wargamers Forum. 

First up some 1/72 resin and plastic bits for my Egyptians and a Star Wars X wing Revell model. 

Resin Armo BTR 50 model

A had to add new plastic bits as the model I purchased second hand was knocked around not looking forward to the wire grips and fitting the resin tracks this weekend. 

ACE models BTR 50.

Like all ACE kits a bit of a challenge, single track links are driving me nuts, plus I need to add wire grab handles. 

ICM BTR60 

Lovely kit, lots of detail bits, careful when sanding as I broke sone of the fiber parts.

Revell X Wing 

lovely little kit went together in 20 mins. I did manage to break the laser sponson with a drop ….. :(

Hopefully complete this weekend for the entry 

Cheers

Matt

Birthday Haul

 Last week was my 55th birthday, as a treat we visited the champagne district of France, we stayed in Épernay then visited a number of champagne house (17), Reims cathedral and Museum and managed three 1814 Napoleonic battle locations. When I returned home I had a number of packages awaiting pick up.

The most exciting was the Old Guard band by Warlord Games, some books on Stalingrad, French Indian war bits, French Waterloo uniforms, American airborne medics in Normandy, six T54 for my ongoing Egyptian project for Yom Kippur war, a new gardening trowel and sone zinnias for my garden. 

Very blessed with great gifts from Vanessa, Allison, Mum, and my mates. 

Cheers

Matt

Egyptian BM-13NMM "Katiusha"

BM-13NMM "Katiusha"

Next unit for my Egyptian army is a multiple rocket launcher mounted on a ZIL 131 truck. I actually need to paint my BM21 Grad launchers too.

 I have only seen these in use for the 56 parades, they are listed in the 18th battalion but not used in combat use for 6 day war or Yom Kippur that I am aware of. I will use these in support of my infantry mechanised brigade.

The kit is from ICM models. The kit was missing the Armoured flash shield, I should actually build one! 

Cheers

Matt

Crusaders! Part one

 I know I promised myself, but off the rails already when I pulled these guys out of the drawer last week and painted them at the end of last week. The miniatures are from gripping beast and have painted up nicely, the lances are from Mirliton, shields hand painted. These chaps will join my new outremer army.

Cheers

Matt

Vendee / Chouannerie - French Revolution Project

 Vendee/Chouannerie Project 

This year as one of my major projects I want to complete my French Revolution Project and associated Royal Catholic Armee and French Revolution army. I have also been working on a ruleset at 1/10 figure scale over the last 5 years and hopefully will get it published later this year. 

I really want to fight five of  the battles from the great Galerne that are within 20 to 80klm of my house and involved a number of our neighbors families and the Hercé family that lived in our house. Both the French and the Royal Catholic armies are quite small so it suits to reduce the representation factor of units and makes leaders for troop inspiration more important. 

Eventually by the end of the year I want to have a big enough army to replay a few of the local smaller battles and within two years the larger ones like Le Mans, Entrammes, Chateau Gontier,  and Dole Bretagne.  

My first units will be a few Revolution French and some of the royalist additions to Chouan collection.

Cheers

Matt

Fallschirmjager two

  The remaining rifle platoon of warlord metal and plastic figures, overall quite happy with them, support crews to come. 

Egyptian Cold War transports

 

 Egyptian army 67-73 part 1 transport

First up some transport for my Egyptians, I have a mix of plastic, Diecast and resin models from grubby tanks, some 3d printed models. The plastic kit include trucks, APCs, midsole trucks, artillery, plus T55s, T34/85 and SU100. I do need to add some more detail bits to them, but good to get them done for our club games next month. 

First up my first troop transport trucks. 

Cheers

Matt