Nationale Volksarmee Trabant P601

  Elhiem miniatures have released a few pieces for the Nationale Volksarmee GDR East Germans. A simple start to my project coming up this year is a Trabant 601 car for some minor officer of the army. A nice start to kit off the army! 

Cheers

Matt

Bundesgrenzschutz VW181

  One of my Bundesgrenzschutz units is a 1/72nd scale VW181 to complete my command platoon. 

The Germania Figuren vehicle is made from resin and is a very nicely cast model. Hardly and flash and no bubbles. It comes with two options roof on or folded back, plus driver (which is a bonus) with four head variants. Assembly was quite simple and the cabin went together well, although take care with the windscreen removal, and fitting the back parcel shelf and seat which I fitted incorrectly! 

It was a little pricey at €16.50 plus shipping but a great little kit never the less. A solid 9 out of ten, only mi us was the instructions and broken windscreen 

A simple Tamiya nato green paint job, with  highlight, then black lining. The driver was painted in bundesgrenschutz camo smock. Really happy with the result. 

Cheers

Matt 

Bundesgrenzschutz part 8 - Ambulance

  Another piece for my Bundesgrenzschutz regiment a VW ambulance this time, a few more vehicles to come and a helicopter before the regiment is complete. 

 The vehicle is from Jonny Lightening and needs a windscreen warning lights and rear window and the Elhiem driver adding before truly complete. Really happy with it, I striped the original paint scheme back to bare metal as the acrylic paint did not cover properly over the matt guide coat. Second time round much happier. The crosses are from a job lot I picked up years ago, gloss varnish, then decal, then gloss again, followed by a complete Artist matt varnish. 

Bundesgrenzschutz Ambulance 

Bundesgrenzschutz Ambulance 

Cheers

Matt

Vendee Project - part 4 Royal Catholic Armee Chouan Chevalier Cavalry

 Royal Catholic Armee Chouan Chevalier Cavalry

As parts of Maine were liberated by the Vendee army during 1793 a cavalry squadron was formed around North Maine and lower Normandy predominantly nobles. The unit was small around 180 mounted men and around 40 dismounted owing to a horse shortage. They carried a holy banner with Mary from the monastery church at Avesnières. This banner was captured at Le Mans in December 1793.

 

Many of the men who survived the disaster at Le Mans fled to Normandy and Mayenne and then onto England via Jersey, those who did not joined General la Frotte and his Chouan army in lower Normandy and North Maine, some fighting until 1815. 

Some members also seemed to have served in the Les chevaliers de la couronne, as Jean-François -Simon de Hercé former deputy to the estates general, and company commander, a Hercé family member of the house we live in today attests to having fought in the battles in Flanders in 1792 then returned to Maine during the uprising, then fled to Bath in England, where he died in 1796.

The miniatures are 28mm from the Revolutionary Armies Range now sold by Skytrex and the horses are from foundry and crusader. The banner is from LBM Byzantine transfer cut down to size. I gave based them on single bases so they can be used for skirmish gaming. 

I have another squadron to complete for my Royal Catholic Armee but it will be in mixed uniforms of the Grenadiers and Bretons from the lower Vendee. 

Cheers

Matt   

Bundesgrenzschutz part 7

 

 Support weapons and Bundesgrenzschutz company 

Finally on the last of my support units and rifle coy for my Federal Border Guard battalion. These chaps can be used in airfield and key installation protection for my Warpac special forces operations. All of the figs are from the Elhiem miniatures generic NATO range. 

Bundesgrenzschutz Head Quarters platoon, officer and radio, sniper, NCO and medic. 

Bundesgrenzschutz Milan and M92 Stinger teams 

Bundesgrenzschutz Mortar teams 

Bundesgrenzschutz Observer team

Bundesgrenzschutz Observer team 

Cheers

Matt

The Real King Arthur … Authur of Bretagne

The Real King Arthur, the king that never was…

Arthur of Bretagne 

As I wander off on another side project this year, that is the First Barons War, I plan to play out the reason for the 1st barons war and the invasion of England in 1216. I have always had an interest in the Plantagenet wars particularly as they had its beginnings here in West France in Maine (today Mayenne). 

With the death of King Richard the lion heart his inheritance of the crown was supposed to pass to the elder line of the Plantagenets, Geoffroi of Bretagne son, Arthur of Bretagne. John beat him to it claiming the crown of England, but lost his European lands in return. John and Arthur then campaigned against each other for three years before Arthur was captured at the battle of Mirebeau and placed in Rouen chateau, where he died in suspicious circumstances possibly murdered by John. Many of the Angevin, Breton, Norman and Maine Barons stayed in revolt as John had also taken Aurthur’s sister hostage Eleanor “the fair maid of Brittany” who was the rightful heir to the duchy. 

My plan is to build a couple of retinues for the Barons wars rules of the leading Breton, Touraine, Norman, Maine and Angevin Comte’s, Barons, and nobles who backed Aurthur and his claim between 1199 and 1204. A number of these also fought during the Angers and Potoiu campaign in 1206, the Normandy campaigns of 1209, the campaigns in 1214 and finally for the invasion to England in 1216. I also the plan to paint the nobles from Normandy, Angevin, Vexin and Touraine who backed John’s claim so I can build an opposing army also 

Regards

Matt

Spartans!

 Some foundry Spartan spear off the table for my mate Rob’s army. Packed onto a 120x40mm base. These have been painted for some time just needed the decals and basing done, plus metal spears from Northstar. A few more bases to come over the next few weeks. 

Spartans! 

Cheers

Matt 

Terrain Tuesday - Pulp bits

 Every now and then I come across pieces that would service pulp games. These pieces are from GW and are part of the storm cast terrain. Simple assembly and look pretty good painted up imho. A simple two or three colour with highlights. 

Cheers

Matt

50th infantry division Tyne Tees part 4

  Some completed passengers for my trucks and Bren gun carriers, I have a lot more on the complete this week, hopefully completed by the weekend. Crews are from the Britannia range painted with my normal British uniform over a black undercoat then washed in Vallejo mix of black and sepia, followed by a highlight of British uniform and khaki. 

Cheers

Matt

Wip Wednesday - Crashed P-51D

 Last week I picked up as a bonus from a shop purchase the simple airfix P-51D model, the kit is so bad I decided to make it a wrecked aircraft. So I went looking for crashed P-51D locally, however they predominantly were P-51B/C so I finally settled on one that crashed in the Netherlands so I could use it in my Arnhem games. 

I have settled on a P-51d that was crash landed by Maj Shelton W (Shell) Monroe who went on to become the highest ace in the Korean War before losing his life to AA in Korea. 

The aircraft was from the 334th sqaudron and was marked QP-Q serial number 44-13411QP-Q

Markings are per the aircraft below. 

With under and over markings as per this one of the same unit

My version has had a wing snapped off and the fuel tanks damaged ready for paint this weekend.

Cheers

Matt

British tank crews

  As I am building a few British armour pieces this week I added some crew to the desk, the Britannia chaps look quite good and very happy with my finished figures. 

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday

 Always adding a bit of 20th century and modern bits to the collection. Some street lamps from model railway supplier, I was hoping to get some more cows done too but next week I suspect. 

I sculpted the paving with green stuff, I did think about adding LEDs but that is for the more permanent pieces I purchased for my city blocks. 

Cheers

Matt

Germanic javelins

 Some more germanics off the desk all from the warlord range. 5 more units to go and the army is done.

Cheers

Matt

X Wing fighter Blue Leader

 Blue Leader 

As this side project has been on desk since last month I thought I would get some paint on it. A Revell small kit of the iconic X Wing, a simple assembly. This chap with join my Star Wars collection. Painted, washed and highlighted in one day, I did not use the decals supplied though and went with my own paint scheme of blue. 

Back to normal programming this week! 

Cheers

Matt

 

 

Tyne Tees Part Three Artillery crew

 

50th Infantry Division Tyne tees part 3 artillery 

 

Back working on my Tyne Tees, this month you may recall I built four priests for the Wargamers Forum plastic “Mad March” plastic and resin kit build.  Two of these will join my Tyne Tees Northumberland regiment along with some towed 25 pounders. I competed the crew this week in preparation for the vehicles being completed over the weekend, if the weather is good. 

First up gun crews and drivers, figures are all PSC crews, as per normal I have added the TT patches. 

Then some Bren crew for the towed OP

Cheers

Matt

More hairy Germanics

 Hairy Germanics 

More warlord Germanics completed with an odd foundry figure in the mix, a few foundry and first Corps hand painted shields. I am not a fan of the plastic spears and swords and even when photographing I managed to break two spears and a sword, all will be replaced in the next day or two. 

I have 40 odd foot and 12 cavalry to complete the army so I can more on to my Greeks… Napoleonic’s, moderns, and ww2 bits for DDay games. 

Warband 1, all warlord miniatures some foundry and first corps German shields  

Warband two, a foundry, and warlord with mixed shields from foundry, first corps and warlord

Hairy Foundry in the middle, I do love their Germanics 

Warband three, all warlord but mixed sheilds 

Warband Four, the fanatic on the left has a Victrix Viking head, again a mix of metals and plastics from Warlord games, again  mixed shield's from Foundry, First Corps and Warlord Games. 

Cheers

Matt

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