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