Israeli special forces - IDF skin divers

IDF Skin Divers

Next few off my desk for my continued Arab-Israeli war build are some Israeli special forces, some 20mm skin divers from platoon 20 range, I will use these for other games also wherever a port facility or bridge needs to be taken out! 

I tried to paint camouflage on the faces in the typical 1980s vertical lines which was common in movies and magazines, the skin suits in black bit with some light grey joint lines which was common in 1970s skin diving suits. Overall pretty happy with the result 

cheers

Matt

ZSU 23-2 aa gun

 ZSU 23-2 AA gun

A 3d printed piece I purchased two months ago to give my rebels, Soviets and Egyptians some light AA cover.  

A simple speed paint and highlight, yet to purchase some 1/76 crew for it though. 

Cheers

Matt

IDF infantry Arab-Israeli war

 

 IDF infantry part 2

The new IDF battalion was completed this week when my basing colours arrived, this has held up a lot of posts this month so expect a lot of completed stuff this coming fortnight. 

I have done a painting guide also on my ww2-modern blog Kampfgruppe Willow for those interested it is  here. 

I still have some paratroopers, plus some support weapons, and a lot of vehicles to complete this project, but I am no rush to get the on the table until next years anniversary.

IDF battalion

My regimental colonel in a typical 80s pilots leather coat, with two female drivers! I need to add the 2 man radio section, jeeps and command half track at a later date

Two Browning M1919 MMG 

A basic squad, a mag 58, bazooka and mortar

Battalion HQ, missing  a radio man

my paint colours are 

Helmet with cover Vallejo khaki 988

Uniform Vallejo grey green 886

Webbing Vallejo Khaki 988

Boots and rubber Vallejo german grey

weapon stocks Vallejo mahogany brown

Barrels black Vallejo Black 

Rank stripes Vallejo shadow grey

ammunition Vallejo brass

cheers

Matt

M60a3 markings Cold War

 American M60a3 Cold War markings 

Cruising eBay which is always dangerous I picked up 6 Altaya M60a3 tanks at €3 a piece from Spain. This now gives me two M60a3 battalions to take on my Warpac for Cold War games.

 Even though they are marked up already for a infantry division it got me thinking about tactical markings for the M60a3 had things gone hot in the mid eighties in Europe. So the search has began!  

Cheers

Matt

Bundesgrenzschutz Kampfgruppe

 

Bundesgrenzschutz Kampfgruppe

Completed my first part of my kampfgruppe of Bundesgrenzschutz, the uniform of the Elheim figures works from 1967 to 1990. The Female figures are only suitable after 87. Very happy with my results even the shoulder patch’s worked out well. 

I have painted some in checkpoint colours and some in port and airport khaki trousers, so they will be suitable for Warpac SF raids . I still have two companies in camouflage to complete, plus support mortar, dog section, and bomb disposal. For vehicles I have one car, one VW van, an ambulance, and helicopter to complete the kampfgruppe. I also want to scratch build a armoured car. 

#30daykitchallenge part 3

 

30 day kit challenge build part 3

 Simple resin ready to roll kits for my British army 7 kits. More resin and plastic coming up soon. 

Month Total 38 kits

Cheers

Matt

#30daykitchallenge progress part 2

 #30daykitchallenge part two

I been busy putting resin kits together over the last 10 days, plus some plastics. I have 9 more resin kits I should finish in the next few days, with lots of filling and hand rails and bits to be added.

Primarily British army kits this week.

Week two 17 completed

Armourfast Cromwell tanks, almost feels like cheating.....I am thinking about adding better lights, light guards and tow cables.....we shall see

Resin Traction avant....parts are missing, so a search is required for the bumpers and lights

RAF Forward observer  

SHQ Polson

Humber A/C

total completed kits   31

I have hit my goal of 30 kits, but will continue building for the whole month as I want to complete my British and Egyptian armour

 

cheers

Matt

#30daykitchallenge progress week 1

 Progress week 1 

So it begins I have been cleaning up resin and plastic this week with a lot on the table. I managed to hurt my back ago on Easter monday in the garden lifting out shrubs so have been watching movies rather than getting kits together. However I felt good this morning so sat down at my desk and banged these out quite quickly, ready for undercoat. 

Have started the plastic kits and the drilling work on the resin T62b tanks, adding details and filling the resin air holes which is a lot of work. I also pulled out some more plastic kits and have put them aside for later in the week as I am confident I will hit thirty kits easy for the month. 

14 completed

Diamler SOD command cars

AEC armoured car, metal barel

crusader AA mkIII

Soviet AA, resin prints, not a lot of clean up and assembly

one will join my rebels on a technical, one Egyptian, one Russian

Dingo scout car

M3 scout car

Diamler armoured car

cheers

Matt

Tabletop Scatter part 1

 

 Village scatter terrain Part 1

As I move through my renovation projects I have decided to start adding and renovating my village and town accessories, a majority is HO scale model railway pieces which I find particularly good  for 20mm terrain. 

Luftwaffe AA and Fallschirmjager crews

 

Luftwaffe & fallschirmjager crews

One of my project list goals for 2021 was to add crews to my flak guns, AT guns, and mortars both Luftwaffe and fallschirmjägers for my 20mm Normandy collection.

Quite happy with the results, I think the splittertarn variants may need a little work but overall happy. Good to get back painting 20mm again. a wide mix of figures SHQ, AB and Simons Soldiers. I need to pick up some more flak 88mm, I have a project in mind......

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

Cheers

Matt Williamson  

50th Northumbrian Infantry Division Tyne Tees Work in Progress

50th Northumbrian Infantry Division Tyne Tees

This month I have started on my 20mm Collection to complete some half completed projects in my project drawers.


On the work desk this month are 100 plus 20mm British Infantry for the 50th Infantry Tyne Tees Division. I hope to have these completed by the end of this week. I have decided to build several elements of the division, first up will be the


69th Infantry Brigade
BHQ
5th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment
6th Battalion, Green Howards
7th Battalion, Green Howards
support elements
I also plan to build the DLI, No.47 commando and the crab flails of the Westminster dragoons, plus RMASG, and other support elements, engineers, artillery etc for Dday and inland.


I also have a lot of support elements and drivers to complete, plus vehicles. Infantry Figures are all Britannia miniatures which I like to paint, some of the crewed vehicles will have some AB and SHQ bits too.

East Yorkshire flashes

The unofficial Green Flashes, not approved until after the war, I have found no solid proof that were worn in France

The official Flash which I will use

Cheers

Matt

Special Forces Splinter Teams

 Special Forces Splinter Teams

Another completed unit from the project drawers, almost completely emptied one this year, these guys have been sitting in there for at least 10 years. 

I completed these three sections of four man splinter teams  for my Cold War collection, all based on different bases to tell them apart. The bases are built up with green stuff for tiles or floorboards. Perfect for indoors ops during Covid! I will use them for my Force on For e skirmish games and perhaps for Cold War skirmish games. They are from the platoon 20 Israeli range. Quite happy with the results.

cheers

Matt

British Airborne C.L.E containers

Completed ten C.L.E containers last week, scratch built containers from two part putty and sprues that were cut to size and drilled out. Quite happy with them, the parachutes are from my own resin mold that was made 8 years ago or more. Be nice additions to my DDay and Arnhem table terrain bits.

My full article about British Airborne C.L.E containers is here.

Cheers
Matt

1/72 Allied Aircraft Build I

Allied Fighter Aircraft-Hawker Typhoon over Normandy 1944  build I.

During the shutdown I have been beavering away painting medievals on my painting desk, but on my build desk I have been building 1/72 kits. Last week I ventured up to the third floor and decided to get out my box of shame, predominantly armour kits, but quite a few aircraft.

I want to add specific aircraft to the allied and axis air support of operation Cobra and the breakout east through Mayenne to Le Mans then the push north to close the Falaise pocket. So research first for squadrons etc who flew in the area in support of the US troops, plus those who bombed and strafed the retreating germans through the pocket area.

I build all of my kits in the wheels up mode, and add a hole in the bottom for my plane bracket to fit into, this bracket id for my Canvas eagles WW1 and SCW air collections. With the construction of the new table I am building brackets on the table, that swivel over the table. I also like to add pilots, as most kits do not supply these I need to hunt around my friends who build static kits or buy resin and metal pilots.

First up a quick build Hobby boss Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB,  as RAF or RAAF support. I think had it built in possibly an hour, with very little clean up, I did forget to paint the interior, but will do this later before I place the pilot in. The pilot is on the painting desk behind some other 100 years war figures .

Painting to come when some paints arrive from MIG, as I am trying the new real colours on my allied aircraft.

Options I am considering

cheers

Matt

Ww2 Building Boom part 7

Another completed 20mm building off the desk last week, this one is specifically for my ww2 battle of Mayenne bridges game for our Wargames Holidays "Walk the battlefield in the morning, Wargame in the afternoon" tour and wargame. Thirty odd more buildings to complete plus the tiles including a basilica and the three bridges, hopefully complete over the next three months.

This building was a birthday gift two year’s ago and is a 3D filament print. After a lot of clean up I think it looks pretty good. I copied a paint job of a building near the old railway line here in Mayenne, the red and yellow brick is regularly used here but mostly on rendered buildings, a late 19th century fashion. The building interior also had printed pieces which look pretty good too.