Finished!: 15mm Wespes, 15.5cm sFH 414(f)'s and Quad 2cm AA guns

Hi folks,

Busy few weeks of painting for me, with one 'themed' challenge entry and two weekday entries.

First up, a battery of 15.5cm sFH 414(f) guns. These guns were French Canon de 155 C Modele 1917 Schneider Howitzers. The Germans captured a load of them during WW2, and not just from the French. The French had exported this gun to Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia, Poland, Belgium and Russia to name but a few users. The various versions from these nations all received different German designations. They used these guns for coastal defence and equipping 2nd line infantry divisions. 

While doing some research into 89.Infanterie-division last year, I came across an American post war intelligence interview with one of the divisions officers. He gave all sorts of interesting details about the equipment of the division going into Normandy, including this:

So I got it into my head to do a German battery equipped with French 15.5cm guns, and this was the result:

Four guns, which I entered in the 'BFG' themed round. You can vote for my entry (and I'd be very pleased if you would!) by visiting here and voting on the right. If your on a device other than a PC, you'll need to go to the bottom of the page and click 'desktop view' in order to see the voting panel!

Next up, I'd painted some AA guns - a battery of Quad 2cm AA guns, painted up with Luftwaffe crew:

And lastly a unit of 12th SS SdKfz 124 'Wespes'. Self propelled artillery mounting 10.5cm guns on a Panzer II chassis. These will form part of  1/Panzerartillerieregiment 12, part of the 12th SS Panzer Division (Hitlerjugend). Yes, I know - me doing SS! But they were present during Operation Totalize and if I'm representing all the forces involved then the SS should be represented. 

6mm Team Yankee game

Hi folks,

Despite painting all week, I've nothing to show today as my Wednesday entry was not posted on the challenge blog due to me getting it in too late at night (still, 5.30pm Canadian time on Wednesday.... but nevermind!).

Instead, I thought I'd post up some pictures I took of a 6mm Team Yankee game myself, Martin and Dave D played at Dave's last weekend.

This was our first outing with TY at this scale, and the terrain is currently based on what Dave had available from 10mm projects and the likes.

My deployment - Swingfires on the left, arty at the back, Chieftains, infantry and tracked rapiers

Objective is the T junction

Red tufts mark unit leaders

First blood to the UK forces takes out a load of Russian armour - there is, however, more on the way!

Myself and Martin were fielding Brits. We just put models on the table and didn't worry about points as it was really a game to see if the system worked and Martin and Dave were happy with it. Myself and Martin had a Squadron of Chieftains and about a company of infantry, plus support. Dave had... a lot! Points wise we may actually have been fairly close.

I had the right flank, Martin took the left. Objective was to seize and hold the T junction.

Dave's Hinds show up to support his flank attack on me!

Martins Recce units, with tanks on the road

Dave's advance continues!

As expected, the Russians took a beating closing the distance, but managed to kill half the Chieftain squadron and were pushing hard on Martins flank - who had lots of recce vehicles but not a great amount of tank killing power.

I lose some Chieftains, but my Rapiers pay the Hinds back (had missed the rule about SAM's firing in enemy turn!)

Securing the objective... till the 3 Chieftains died, then we dug in and held on!

More Hinds! This time harassing Martin - these ones proved harder to kill!

Our centre takes a pounding - tank knife fights hurt!

Lone Hind, which I am ignoring! It failed it's morale check and flew off...

My tanks on the road are supporting Martin!

Because he needed the support!

I managed to get some infantry dug in near the T junction, then Martin decided to put another squadron of Chieftains on the table...

Martin's reinforcements make all the difference - markers are bailed out tanks

A lot of dead russkie armour - T-64's and some T-80's

End of the game - good time had by all!

Martin's reinforcements led to the Russian advance being stalled... but I think without the reserves that suddenly appeared, Martins flank would have broken off and I would have been forced to disengage as well!

Great game, played nice and quick and I think we all really enjoyed it. It looked good as well! I think all three of us are happy to commit to the rules and will be using TY as a baseline moving forward - although with fan made stats for kit not yet covered by the official material. We're looking forward to seeing what we can do with this, with a campaign being discussed as an option!

We also played some Wings of Glory WW2:

Nice fast paced game, and Dave's table mat for it is stunning. I've got my own little Hurricane fighter, but am a bit let down by the Hurri's stats (worse manoeuvre than the spit, same damage points, same guns - despite it having a reputation as being sturdier and a better gun platform)!

Hopefully more to post next week, as I've finished a Flak battery of quad 2cm guns as well as a battery of 15.5cm French guns in German service! Plus I've three Wespes nearing completion - my first SS vehicles!

Finished!: German Heer 2cm AA Battery

Hi Folks,

Just catching up on my AHPC entries which I've not posted here yet. Last week I completed a 4 gun 2cm Flak unit. I went with no painted camo on the guns, but did add some 'foliage' in the form of seafoam sprigs and 'leaf' foliage. Unfortunately as I'm still getting used to my new lightbox, some of the details are washed out!

I've one more 'small' flak battery to paint, which I should finish for this week. Then its on to artillery and whatever else I do when I'm sick of painting crew figures!

2017 Roundup

Hi folks,

I've spent the day today up at Dave D's with Martin, playing 6mm Team Yankee and some Wings of Glory WW2. Great day out and hopefully it's something we can get a bit more of done in the coming year!

But with plans beginning to form for the year ahead, and the AHPC Challenge (as well as Gunuary) well on the way, I thought I'd take the time to look back over the past year at what I'd gotten done in 2017!

Arty Jeeps for Gunuary/AHPCVII

Arty Carriers for gunuary/AHPCVII

Arty Staff Teams - AHPCVII

Arty Command teams - AHPCVII

FOO's - AHPCVII

Arty Trucks - AHPCVII

More Arty Trucks - AHPCVII

28mm Lion (Cecil!) - AHPCVII

More trucks - artillery related for AHPCVII

Sextons - for AHPCVII

5.5" Guns - for AHPCVII

Matadors - for AHPCVII

Everything I managed to paint during AHPCVII - nearly all done in 2017

Cleared Minefields

uncleared Minefields

Telegraph poles

Medics!

Wire team, medic and tank crew

Infantry Platoon and Engineers

A whole 10mm Confederate Army!

Over 150 figures, I think!

A lot of work on terrain! Converted 4Ground Buildings

The first of 3 infantry platoons for my Highlanders - 2nd Company completed!

Pioneers/more Engineers

Church walls and gates

Converted 4Ground Church + gravestones...

Small railway station

Resin Barn

Other 2 infantry platoons for my 2nd Company of Brits + Company Command

Fields painted, trees based (now finished), rubble piles made! Gardens painted - a lot of progress terrain wise!

Decent little town, but still more to do!

Static Grass added to resin roads

Various buildings painted to match pastel shades of town

Two more Typhoons! Painted to match my original. 

Outbuildings - there are more that I don't seem to have taken pictures of!

Regimental Aid Post

Forward Air Controller

German Infantry Guns + spotter

German 5cm A/T guns

Various 'Ultramarine' 3mm Vanguard models 

Vanguard Dreadnought Stalker 

Two 3D printed 'Scout' titans, scaled to fit 3mm - beside some of my 3mm Vanguard models

My blog posting was actually down last year on previous years, but I still managed an average of more than one a week. Looking back, I hadn't actually thought I'd done that much, but the progress at the start of the year, and with my terrain, has been great. I've made a dent in a good few projects and hopefully I'll replicate that with the current AHPC challenge. 

This year, I'd like to make progress on setting up the garage as a gaming space. So getting a table, lighting and a bit of insulation and weatherproofing. I'm not storing anything out there, but will be good to have some gaming space. I want to keep moving the 3mm modern and sci-fi projects forward, as well as getting the decks cleared of German artillery before moving onto some Brits - probably with an aim to do more terrain work and get one of my Recce forces completed.

This year, looking at my pics, I also got to see a few interesting things!

A few trips to York

A couple of trips to Scotland - the Kelpies here

Edinburgh Castle

Random Lancaster flypast, seen from my front window!

Local statue to Stan Hollis in Middlesbrough

Kinren - impressive production, shite politics

Wales (showing the have good taste in flags!)

More of Wales

Dorset (famously filmed as a hill in Yorkshire...)

Me! With a Churchill, Bovington!

Me! With a Cromwell, Bovington!

Me! With a Firefly, Bovington! (Ignore the Guards armoured logo, the museum has to put some markings on the vehicles, after all...)

Me! With THE Tiger, Bovington!

Dorset coast - actually in the middle of the Lulworth firing ranges... Tyneham Village

Hopefully 2018 will be similar, with another visit to Dorset, Wales and Scotland on the cards!

Thanks to everyone for the views, comments and feedback over the last year! Thanks especially to the guys on the Miniature Modelling Mayhem paint and chats, who keep me company while I paint!