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

Galleys

 Possibly one of the smallest ships I have painted for some time (around 1cm long) , these galleys have been in my collection for 10 years or more as a sample purchase for looking at scales for galley warfare during the Greek wars. I have painted them for “The Wargamers Forum” summer build which finishes next week. I hope to also complete some other naval pieces for the build also. 

Not sure what rules to use, but will complete my larger ships first before I dive into researching rulesets as I would prefer small fleet actions rather than huge battles. 

Cheers

Matt