Finished: 15mm 'Bobbin' AVRE and Bullshorn mine plows

Hi folks,

I've let posting slip again, as I focused my time on getting things finished for the end of the AHPC and a large D-Day game I co-ran this week. 

First of these neglected entries are a couple of resin 3d printed Churchill AVRE 'Bobbin' carpet layers and a couple of similarly produced Bullshorn mine plows. These are produced by Butlers Printed Models as part of their 'funnies' range. 

The bobbins represent a type C and type D carpet layers. 

Some pictures with various paint bottles for scale. 

I've decalled these models up in the same manner as my previous AVRE tanks. After a lot of thought I decided to go with the same beach style basing as my Sherman DD models. I added my usual radio aerials and weathering. 

The Bullshorn mine plows are similar 15mm resin 3d prints from Butlers Printed Models. I've based these in a manner that will allow them to be placed in front of my existing AVRE models. Again, I decided to go with beach style basing - I don't think these mine plows were ever used outside of the beach assaults. Included is an image showing how the plows sit in front of an AVRE. 

 These models did see some action in my last game - more on that in the future. 

Finished: Polish 15mm A30 Challengers

Hey folks,

While working on the Sherman DDs, I was held up on spraying them due to poor weather. I decided to try and remain productive by moving on to another 'odd and sod' unit in the queue. 

I'd picked up a box of the new plastic A30 Challenger kits a while ago, with the intent of adding them to my Polish Cromwell tanks (representing vehicles from C Squadron, 10 Pulk Strzelcow Konnych (10th Mounted Rifle Regiment), 1st Polish Armoured Division around the 8th August 1944). This unit didn't have Challenger tanks at this time, but did acquire them later into the campaign. 

I was keen to have the option of including these tanks for games set outside Normandy, or for battles using other units Cromwells in Normandy. 

This thinking did impact on my decisions for stowage. My Cromwells are fairly light on stowage, as the Poles went into Normandy pretty neat and tidy. So I've gone for a mix, with one of the Challengers pretty 'clean', while one is covered in track links and other bits, and the others somewhere in between. 

Decal wise, I stuck with the same ones used on my Cromwells - unfortunately using up the last of my Polish divisional markings. With no more Doms Decals available, I'm not on the hunt for appropriate replacements. 

As with the DD tanks, I did make some effort to match these tanks in with the Cromwells. 

Another little job done!

Finished: 15mm Battlefront Sherman DDs

Hi folks,

As is now my tradition, I've taken part in the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC) again this year. Unfortunately, after finishing off my Spitfires I've hit a patch of lack of mojo - not helped by the Rogue Trader CRPG coming out. This has resulted in not much actually being painted since December. 

In order to try and jump start my enthusiasm, I went back to basics. Prior to 2021 I had been putting together a Sherman DD squadron for our D-Day games. I had an order in for the remaining vehicles I needed with Battlefront, and had 2 tanks on backorder. Unfortunately, the dreaded Covid caused production issues, and my back order was eventually cancelled. Despite me asking several times about these kits (and others) being available again from Battlefront, they have not made a re-appearance - as of time of writing, at least.

After a long time checking Ebay, I finally picked up the last few tanks needed. I took some effort to match these in with my previously painted models. 

Previously painted tank is in the middle

These four tanks (the two I was waiting on, and another two that were in the painting pile) finish off my planned Fort Garry Horse Sherman DD compliment:

I'll try to get a group shot of these at some point, currently they are stored in different boxes that need digging out. 

I'm still planning to paint three Sherman Fireflies for this unit, as another option, so for not the whole force isn't quite done. But I was really happy to pick up all the models I wanted and finally start to put this one to bed.