Monday, April 21, 2008

20mm WW2 TO-DO List

So, of the ten, or so, forces I have “on the go” I’d have to say that the Late War German SS and the British/Canadian Paras would be top priority (not that anything in the 20mm WW2 category is really a BIG priority or anything right now… I got Other Things to be doing)! This is due to the fact that they have the least stuff that needs to be done for them to be fielded on the tabletop.

Next I would say… the Canadian Infantry for Northwest Europe ’44? After that…. Hmmmmm… I don’t know, maybe the Early War Germans, or the Russians, or the Fallschirmjagers…? Let’s have a look at the TO-DO/TO GET list and see what needs to be done…

British/Canadian Parachute Brigade

Since posting this originally I have finished up a few of the things I had to do – the CO, and mortar and Pioneer stands. You can see those in a recent Painting Update.

STUFF TO GET:
**1 Pack of Rafm/Platoon 20 Paras to finish off the 3rd Battalion
*2 stands worth of Pioneers (SHQ? Britannia?)
1 Recce (Britannia?)
3 Rafm Jeeps (to tow AT guns)
3 Jeep drivers (SHQ)
Dead and Wounded for suppression markers! (Britannia has dead, wounded and surrendering paras in three packs!)
1 more 6pdr and crew (Gun – Rafm, Crew – SHQ or Britannia)
17 Pounder and Crew?! …and something to tow it!? (SHQ or Britannia)

STILL TO DO:
*Rebase one mortar team
*Paint one Vickers team
*Paint 6 stands to finish off third battalion (need to get 3 of them - see above)
*Paint anything else on the TO GET list as it is got!
Paint a fourth battalion? I have them prepped and based… they could be an Airlanding (Glider) Regiment…?


Late War German SS Panzer-Grenadiers

STUFF TO GET!
**2x HMG (Hät kit?)
*2-4x Pak 38 + crew (gun – Rafm, Crew Britannia or SHQ)
CO stand (Britannia or SHQ)
Dead and Wounded for suppression markers (Britannia or SHQ)

STILL TO DO:
**Paint two infantry stands to finish off third battalion!!
**Paint one (or two) Pioneer stands to finish off Pioneers!!
**Paint two mortar stands!!
*Paint any of the stuff to get above!
Build and paint plastic kits by the dozen!


WW2 Russians

STUFF TO GET!
**2 stands of Russian Naval Infantry (one Platoon 20 pack)
*1x MG stand to finish off Infantry Batatlions (Britannia?)
*1x Pioneer stand (Britannia?)
*RHQ (Britannia?)
*4 Stands of Platoon 20 Infantry to finish battalion (2 packs)
-Another box (or two) of Italeri Russian Infantry – includes 3 HMG to finish off Divisional MG Company.
-2-5x Cavalry stands!? (SHQ)
-1x 76mm Infantry Gun (SHQ)
-1x 45mm AT gun Platoons (Britannia?)
-1x 120mm Mortar Platoons (Britannia?)
-4x Hat/Armourfast T-34/76 kits to make a whole 9 tank battalion! (yeah… someday…)

STILL TO DO:
Paint EVERYTHING!
The Naval Infantry, when I get some, should be first.
The cavalry next might be fun!
Then the Platoon 20 stuff…
Plastics…

Canadian Infantry NEW ’44-‘45

STUFF TO GET!
1x Carrier for Carrier Platoon
3x Carriers for Mortar Platoon
3x Carriers for AT Platoon
1x 6Pdr (have crew already!)
3x Pioneer stands
3x Jeep+trailer+driver (Jeep+trailer – Rafm, Drivers?
2x Carriers for Divisional Recce Sqn!?
1x 4.2” Mortar & Crew
1x 17Pdr AT gun+crew+towing vehicle…

STILL TO DO:
PAINT EVERYTHING!!!

Yeah… there’s a lot of kit I need for this one.. maybe it should be a bit lower of the list…? I guess they’d be more USEFUL and/or INTERESTING than the next two listed as they would have obvious opponents – the 12th SS! I guess once the Russians were done, though, the Fallshirmjagers could fight them, as could the Early War Germans…

Fallshirmjagers

STUFF TO GET!
*4x HMG Stands
*1x Mortar Stand
2-3x 28mm sPzB41 Stands
3-8x Pioneer Stands
4x Pak 36 (3.7cm) & Crew
3x 7.5cm LG40 groups & Crew
1x Recce Stand
1-2x FAOs?
1x RHQ

STILL TO DO:
PAINT EVERYTHING!!!

Early War Germans

STUFF TO GET!
*6x HMG
*1x 81mm Mortar
3x 7.5 cm Infantry Guns (Hät?)

1x 15 cm Infantry Guns
4-8x Pak 36 (3.7cm) (Hät?)

STILL TO DO:
PAINT EVERYTHING!!!

Hopefully, by the time I get to these Hät will have released their Infantry and AT guns…


The rest I’m not even going to worry about – they are so far down the list of priorities…

Like I said in an earlier post these are ALL low in priority at the moment as I am, in theory, concentrating on my 28mm Seven Years War stuff for the 2009 Wargames Weekend (though Pete’s making noises about getting to work on a Great War version of BKC/CWC – so that will likely prove to be a MAJOR distraction over the next year!)

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

The rest of the Modern 20mm… Then on to the last of the 28s…

20mm WW2 Americans

Last, but not least, the Americans. I got almost all of these in trade. To be honest I would never have considered building an American force. It’s not that I don’t like Americans, or think their contribution to the war effort wasn’t significant… It’s just not a force that ever really interested me.

But now I got a pile so I might as well organize them into something I could potentially use for Blitzkreig Commander.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


US paratroopers. The flanking battalions are ESCI, the one in the middle is Airfix. I have all the Paratroop infantry I need. I just need a couple more MGs, some mortars, an HQ and some observers and this force is complete (well, except for that whole PAINTING thing…).


This is a mix of Esci and Revell US Infantry. From left to right: 4 MG stands, 3 Mortar stands, nearly two infantry battalions, 3 engineer stands. One more box of the Revell and I’d be right kitted out except for the guns and trucks!

THE PLAN

20mm WW2 Americans

Airborne! United States Parachute Infantry Regiment

RHQ/CO - HAVE: 1 To Paint,

3x Parachute Infantry Battalions (each/total for regiment):
-1/3x HQ - HAVE: 2 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 1
-9/27x Paratroop Platoon stands - HAVE: 27 To Paint,
-3/9x HMG Platoon stands - HAVE: 3 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 6
-1/3x Mortar Platoon stands - NEED TO GET: 3

Divisional Assets

Artillery
FAO - NEED TO GET: 1 - 2
3x 75mm Pack Howitzer Battery stands (off table – don’t need)

USAF
-FAC - NEED TO GET!
-P-47 of one variety or another…

United States Infantry Regiment

RHQ/CO - HAVE: NEED TO GET!

Cannon Company
-1-2x 105 Howitzers + trucks? - NEED TO GET!

Antitank Company
-3x 57mm AT Gun platoon Stands + Jeeps - NEED TO GET: 3

3x Infantry Battalions (each/total for regiment):
-1/3x HQ - HAVE: 2 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 1
-9/27x Infantry Platoon stands - HAVE: 15 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 12
-2/6x HMG Platoon stands - HAVE: 4 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 2
-1/3x Mortar Platoon stand - HAVE: 3 To Paint
-1/3x AT platoon (57mm) stand - HAVE: NEED TO GET!

Divisional Assets

Artillery
FAO - HAVE: X Painted, X To Paint, NEED TO GET: 1 or 2..
3x 105mm Howitzer (off table – don’t need)
1x 155mm Howitzer (off table – don’t need)

Engineers
3x Engineers Platoon Stands - HAVE: 3 To Paint

Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop
-1x Jeep Recce Stand - NEED TO GET!


Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

A master plan for the prioritizing of painting and purchasing assets for 20mm WW2 armies! BWA-HA-HA-ha-ha… ha… ha… uh… cough-cough…

Sunday, April 20, 2008

20mm WW2 Russians

I know what you’re thinking… “How could he POSSIBLY have any more 20mm WW2 armies…!?” I know that’s what I’M thinking!

So… Russians…

Never was a huge fan of the Eastern Front… Of course it is THE front for ALL of the guys I play WW2 with… so…

They certainly will be versatile. These lads will, if they ever get painted, get to fight my Early War Germans, The Fallshirmjagers, the Italians, and the Late War SS. I even thought I’d do a scenario where fighting breaks out between the Canadian Paras and 3rd Russian Tank Corps when they refused to stop for he Canadian’s Roadblock at Wismar!

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


HUZZAH! Russian Cavalry! There are some Combat Miniatures here, some plastic horses from Empire Games, some WW1 Russian Cavalry of unknown origin, and even three horses and two riders from Grenadiers old Twilight: 2000 line!


Soviet Naval Infantry. Almost a battalion of them! These are from Figures, Armour, Artillery USA.


Russian AAMG… I don’t actually see stats for any Russian AA in the BKC book… or even anywhere that it shows up in any Russian OOB/TO&E… Hmmmmm pretty model… Not sure what to do with it.


The plastic stuff. From left to right: an HQ, Almost a battalion of infantry (8 stands), 3 HMG stands and two mortar, a CO, another Infantry battalion, and an HQ for the second battalion. These are all from ESCI or Italeri.

The CO is kind of ugly – I’d like to replace it with something… well.. nicer at some point.

The Infantry battalion on the right are all in winter uniform – many of them are even on skis which limits their usefulness…. So another battalion might be handy if I ever wanted to field an entire regiment in the summer….


I’m not sure of the make of the T-72. I got it at this large antique mall/flea market type thing and then gave it to a friend who was interested in doing Russians – he gave it back to me a couple years later after he abandoned 20mm…. the two IS-2 are from the new Italeri Fast-assembly line-up. I don’t really care to have big late war tanks, but, like the Jagdpanther it was the only thing available at the time and I wanted to check them out. I could always use them with post war Chinese (If I ever did an army of those) or with my “AK-47 Republic” African forces.


A pile of Platoon 20 that just took a pinesol bath. From left to right: 2 stands of Pioneers, 1stand of scouts, 3 stands of SMGs, half a battalion of regular infantry (5 stands), 2 HMGs, 1 mortar, and two HQs

THE PLAN

Russian Infantry Regiment

RHQ/CO - HAVE: 1 To Paint, NEED TO GET: ?

Infantry Gun Battery
-1x 76mm Infantry Gun Platoons - NEED TO GET

Antitank Gun Battery
-1x 45mm AT gun Platoons - NEED TO GET

Heavy Mortar Battery
-1x 120mm Mortar Platoons - NEED TO GET

Sub-machinegun Company
3x SMG platoon stands - HAVE: 3 To Paint

Antitank Rifle Company?

3x Rifle Battalions
-1/3x HQ - HAVE: 3 To Paint,
-9/27x Infantry Platoon stands - HAVE: 21 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 6
-2/6x MG Platoon stands - HAVE: 5 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 1
-1/3 Mortar Platoon stands - HAVE: 2 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 1

Divisional Assets

Machine-gun Battalion
-3x HMG - NEED TO GET: 3

Reconnaissance Company
1x Scouts - HAVE: 1 To Paint

Pioneer Battalion
3x Pioneers - 2 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 1

Artillery
FAOs? (or just schedule it ALL!?)
Lots of guns, all off table!


Corps/Army Assets

Tank Battalion
-1-9?x T-34 - HAVE: X Painted, 1 To Repaint, NEED TO GET: 2-8?
2x IS-2 - HAVE: 2 To Paint

Naval Infantry
-HQ - HAVE: 1 Painted – DONE!
-9x Naval Infantry - HAVE: X Painted, NEED TO GET: 2
-1x HMG - HAVE: 1 Painted – DONE!
-1x Sniper – DONE!

Cavalry Regiment
-1x HQ - HAVE: 1 To Paint,
-9x Cavalry Troop stands - 7 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 2

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

20mm Americans (and you thought I was done with the 20mm WW2… HA!)

20mm WW2 French

Ah the French… What to do… What to do…

I have a smattering of French Armour – none of which would belong in nits with each other – as far as I can tell. I don’t really want to buy a pile more to make an armoured regiment or anything… I have no infantry to speak of and no one, as yet, is making any cheap plastic French WW2 figures… I guess I could do what John did with his 15mm French – Buy some late war WW1 French and just call them “WW2 French” – the only problem is that nit-pickers would point out that the rifles were quite different – the one being used in WW1 was considerably longer, I think. Not that I game with any nit-pickers.

Of course I do need someone for my Alpini and Early War Germans to fight… maybe when I get around to doing THEM I’ll worry about acquiring come more French.

Here’s what I’ve got:

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


On the left are a pair of Hat Industrie
Armourfast Ft-17s. Nice models. I think I ranted about how much I like the quick assembly model tanks earlier today so I won’t natter on about it again…. Too much…

In the center is a Rafm model I can never remember if it’s a Renault R-35 or a Hotchis H-39…. I think it’s the Renault…

Finally a pair of Somua S-35 from Heller. I seem to recall it was reasonably quick to assemble except for the wretched soft plastic track (oooooh how I hate those!). Track aside, I guess if I could find a pile of these for a reasonable price I might put together an armoured battalion of them… someday… maybe…

THE PLAN

There isn’t one really. Just dreams of what I might do when I’m retired.

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Do you really want to know? Is anyone actually reading this far…? Or any of this at all? Why am I doing this again…? Oh yeah…

Actually THIS is a good reason why I’m doing this – the French – had I a clear and concise plan when I purchased those French tanks, well, I might not have purchased them! Maybe the FT-17s will see use with my 28mm Back of Beyond stuff (yes, I know it’s a touch on the small side… whatever..) I could use the Somua as captured tanks employed by the Germans – I seem to recall 21 Panzer Division was initially equipped with Somua tanks when it was reconstituted in France after the downfall in North Africa… maybe they still had a few kicking around in June of ’44…?

20mm WW2 Italians

Italians... Here we go...

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)



This is getting easier and easier… One pic per army… The bulk of this force is the Italeri/Esci 1/72 plastic Alpini. At the bottom left and in the center are a number of metal figures; these are mostly Rafm, though there is one or two stands worth of Dixon. Moving to the right, the painted L6-40 tank is from Rafm and the Carro Commando and M13/40 I got from RLBPS… I think they’re Frontline models…? to get this force in the field (besides, y'know, PAINTING it) I would need a pile of support weapons and crew - though not as much as some other armies...

THE PLAN

Italian Alpini Regiment

RHQ – CO - HAVE: X Painted, X To Paint, NEED TO GET: X

3x Alipni Infantry Battalions, (Each/Total for Regiment)
-1/3x HQ - HAVE: 3+ To Paint,
-9/27 Infantry - HAVE: X Painted, X To Paint, NEED TO GET: X
-1/3 MG - HAVE: 1 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 2
-1/3 Mortar - NEED TO GET: 3

Divisional Assets

Alpine Artilery Battalion
FAOs NEED TO GET
3x 75/23 Pack Howitzer Batteries (off table – don’t need)

Alpine Engineer Company
3x Pioneer Platoons - HAVE: 3+ To Paint (This is what I think I’ll use the guy pulling the mule for!)

Corps/Army Assets?

AT Company (from somewhere…)
3x 47mm AT gun - HAVE: 3 guns To Paint, NEED TO GET: 3 crews

Tanks?
Light Tank Company
-3-4x L6-40 - HAVE: 1 Painted, NEED TO GET: 2-3 more? (rafm)
Medium Tank Company
-3x M13/40 - HAVE: 1 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 2?

Should I ever have nothing better to do than to put together an Armoured battlegroup I have a Carro Commando (to be painted…)

I actually have enough infantry to almost do TWO regiments… I could field an entire Alpini DIVISION… or I could just

All the Platoon 20 metal guys are just regular Italian Infantry. They don’t have the little feather thingy on the side of their helmet… I’m not sure I want to model one on each helmet that’s missing one… I guess I could use them later in a regular infantry regiment or just have alpini without their feather do-dad.

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

HOT NAKED WOMEN!!!!

No, I’m just kidding… it’ll be more stocktaking…

20mm WW2 Canadian Infantry Sicily

MORE Canadians! These are, likewise, is far from ready to be fielded. This force is organized as a Canadian Infantry Brigade of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division in Sicily 1943 for Blitzkreig Commander.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


A battalion of Infantry… well… less the AT Platoon… and Carrier Platoon… and Pioneer Platoon…


The few other things I DO have…

THE PLAN

Infantry Brigade

Brigade HQ (CO) - NEED TO GET

3x Infantry Battalions, each (total is for Battalion/Brigade):
-BnHQ (3 total) - HAVE: 1 Painted, 2 To Paint
-12/36x Infantry Stands - HAVE: 12 Painted, 24 To Paint
-1/3x 3” Mortar (3 total) - HAVE: 1 Painted, NEED TO GET: 2
-1/3x Recce/Carrier Tp (3 Total) - NEED TO GET: 3
-1/3x AT Platoon (6 pdr + Carrier) (3 total each) - NEED TO GET: 3
-1/3x Pioneer Platoon (3 total) - HAVE: 2 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 1

Divisional/Corps Assets
-Armoured Sqn (4x Sherman V or British Churchills….?) - NEED TO GET
-Artillery Bty? (nah, off table…)
-FAO - NEED TO GET
-FAC - NEED TO GET
-3x Vickers Ptn - HAVE: 1 Painted, 1 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 1
-1x 4.2” Mortar Bty - NEED TO GET?

EXTREMELY low on the priority of “things to do”…. It’s a “someday” brigade.

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

More Taking Stock!!

20mm WW2 German Fallshirmjagers

Guess what…!? Yep, more stocktaking… Now for some more airborne troops – my 20mm German Fallshirmjagers. I’m kind of torn as to how to organize and paint these. Part of me wants to, for ease of painting, do them in the Feldgrau jump smock and blue or grey trousers and call them “Early War”… Of course I might like to use them against Canadians in Ortona at some point…

As for organization I’ve have two options there is the Regimental OOB listed at Bayonet Strength list shows three parachute infantry battalions per regiment while the OOB in the for Blitzkreig Commander book (with which this force is to be used) shows a Regiment as having two battalions of Parachute infantry and one Parachute Assault (Pioneer) battalion…. The OOB at Bayonet Strength is for 1944 and the one in the BKC book is for 1940-41, so the latter would be more useful. The 1944 list on Bayonet Strength is probably for after the Luftwaffe was more or less gone and the Fallshirmjagers were reorganized as “elite” ground infantry….

The problem is I don’t have anything that really looks like fallshirmjager “pioneers”… I do have three battalions worth of regular Fallshirmjager infantry ready to be painted, however. So I’ll probably start with painting up what I’ve got and pick up some pioneers at a later date.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


Well, that’s it! NOTHING is painted yet, just a bunch of plastic guys glues to bases and one coat of priming/prepping glue/paint…

Wait, not all plastic. In the lead battalion the HQ and the Mortar platoon stands are from Dixon and the two MG platoon stands are from Platoon 20.

The rest are a mix of Revell and ESCI plastics, there might even be an Airfix fallshirmjager in there somewhere..


THE PLAN

German Fallschirmjager

Regimental HQ
1x CO - HAVE: 1 To Paint, NEED TO GET: a better one...?

2-3x Paratroop Infantry Battalions each (totals are for Battalion/Regiment):
-1/2-3x BnHQ – Command Stand (1/3 total) – HAVE: 3 To Paint
-9/18-27 Infantry Stands - HAVE: 27 To Paint
-2/4-6x HMG - HAVE: 2 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 4
-1/3x 81mm Mortar - HAVE: 1 Painted, 1 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 1
-1/2-3 28mm sPzB41 Platoon - NEED TO GET
-1/2-3 Pioneer Platoon - NEED TO GET

Paratroop Assault Batalion
-1x BnHQ - NEED TO GET
-6 Pioneer Platoon - NEED TO GET
-3x HMG - NEED TO GET

Regimental Anti-Tank Company
4x Pak 36 (3.7cm) Platoons - NEED TO GET

Regimental Light Gun Company
3x 7.5cm LG40 groups - NEED TO GET

Divisional/Corps/Army Assets

Reconnaissance
1x Recce platoon - NEED TO GET

Artillery
FAOs - NEED TO GET
- 3x 10.5 cm Howitzers - NEED TO GET?
-1-3 12cm Heavy Mortar batteries? - NEED TO GET?

Engineers
Pioneer Company
3x Pioneers platoons - NEED TO GET?

Luftwaffe?
Like the Early War infantry I think it would be silly and unrealistic to have FACs at this point in the war… so I’d probably just use a couple of Stuka – maybe even use the ones I’ve got for the 15mm army and only use scheduled assets…

I’d totally have to make a few gliders from scrap wood!

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Son of More Taking Stock – The Sequel!!

20mm WW2 Early War German Infantry

STILL MORE stocktaking… This time I’ve got a few Early War Germans in 20mm (very few!) I imagine using these for 1939-40 campaigns… Why on earth I’m even considering this when I already have them in 15mm I’ll never know. Mabye someday I’ll ditch the 15mm…

This force is organized for Blitzkreig Commander.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


So… Yeah… This is it for painted stuff… Like I said – “VERY FEW”!

From left to right: SHQ bicycle team, two Dixon Mortar teams, Assorted Revell officers.


The Panzer I I got from RLBPS… I think it’s a Frontline model… but I cant’ recall for certain… The figures are Revell Pioneers.


Revell plastic infantry, and some Falcon 20mm infantry marching. I have some more Revell pioneers in a box somewhere, too.

A number of things show in the Late War SS Panzer-Grenadier post will do double duty in the early war… the CO, the Artillery…


THE PLAN

Germans Early War Infantry Regiment (‘39/’40)

Regimental HQ
1x CO – HAVE: 1 To Assemble and Paint

Regimental Infantry Gun Company
3x 7.5 cm groups - NEED TO GET (hät?)
1x 15 cm group - NEED TO GET?

Regimental Anti-Tank Company
4x Pak 36 (3.7cm) Platoons - NEED TO GET (hät?)

3x Infantry Battalions each (totals are for Battalion/Regiment):
-1/3x BnHQ – Command Stand (1/3 total) – HAVE: 1 Painted (to be re-based), ? To Paint, NEED TO GET: a few?
-9/27x Infantry Stands - HAVE: 17 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 10
-2/6x HMG - NEED TO GET: 6
-1/3x 81mm Mortar - HAVE: 2 Painted, NEED TO GET: 1

Divisional/Corps/Army Assets

Reconnaissance
1x Bicycle platoon - DONE! (though I also have a whole BOX of Hät German Cyclists…)

Artillery
FAOs - HAVE: 2 To Paint, NEED TO GET… more?
Light Artillery Battalion
- 3x 10.5 cm Howitzers - HAVE: 1 To Paint, NEED TO GET 2 (Revell)
Medium Battery
-1-3x 15cm Howitzers (off board)
AT Company
-4x Pak 36 (3.7cm) Platoons - NEED TO GET (hät?)

Engineers
Pioneer Company
3x Pioneers platoons - HAVE: 3+ To Paint

Panzers
1x Pzkw1 - HAVE: 1 To Assemble and Paint
I’d like to add some more – but this is all a LONG way off! Maybe some of the Hät PzkwIII… some more Pzkw I and some Pzkw II from… somewhere..

Luftwaffe?
I think it would be silly and unrealistic to have FACs at this poit in the war… so I’d probably just use a couple of Stuka – maybe even uuse the ones I’ve got for the 15mm army and only use scheduled assets…

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

STILL More Taking Stock!!

20mm WW2 German SS Panzer-Grenadiers

Still more stocktaking… I plan to finish up the 20mm stuff today! Next up are my 20mm World War Two German SS Panzer Grenadiers… These will be fielded as elements of the 12th SS Panzer-Grenadier Division (“Hitler Jugend”) to oppose my Canaidan Infantry in Normandy or as elements of the II SS Panzer Corps to oppose my British Paras in Arnhem.

This force is organized for Blitzkreig Commander.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


Three Battalions of SS Infantry. From left to right; 1st Battalion - the infantry and HQ are Platoon 20, The mortar is SHQ, and the MGs are Revell (I think), 2nd Battalion - the infantry and HQ are Revell and Italeri/Esci, the mortar is Hät, 3rd Battalion - the infantry and HQ are a mix of Dixon, Combat Miniatures, Platoon 20, and Revell and Italeri/Esci, the mortar and one MG are Hät, the other (painted) MG is SHQ.

So close to being finished… I just want to sit down and finish off those last couple stands this afternoon…


The Regimental Pioneers – all Platoon 20.


Extra HQs/Observers… The painted ones are a mix of Platoon 20, Combat Miniatures, Dixon and Britannia. The unpainted observer stand and individual figures, that will makeup my CO stand someday, are FAA


Two Jadgpanthers. Why, oh why do I even have these? I wanted to check out the Hät/Armourfast kits when they first came out (or at least when I first became aware of their existence) and this was the only one available – I LOVE these kits – so fast and easy to assemble and paint – Italieri has followed their example (I picked up a pair of their IS-2 tanks – likewise a dream to assemble!) and I hope others do too…!


Recce; The Sdkfz 222 (on the right) is from Britannia and the Panzer IIL “Lynx” (on the left) is from Rafm.


The Guns (from left to right): 10.5cm Howitzer (Revell), 8.8cm AT gun (Gun – Rafm, Crew- SHQ), Pak 38 (Gun and crew – Rafm), Pak 40 (Gun and crew – Rafm), Pak 40 of unknown origin – I got this as part of a trade already expertly assembled and painted by David F


A couple injured from Combat Miniatures – this is something I keep forgetting to put into the plan – injured figures for suppression markers… Need to get some more!

You can see a picture of the pile of German armour kits I have to do at The Armour to-do List

THE PLAN

SS Panzer-Grenadier Regiment
RHQ command stand – HAVE: 1 To Assemble and Paint (this is actually just a Heer HQ from FAA which will double as both early and later war for now, but I would like to get an SSHQ – both Britannia and SHQ make ones that look nice…)

Regimental AT (par of RHQ Coy)
-1x Pak40 (75mmATG) - HAVE: 1 Painted – DONE!
-1x Pak38 (50mmATG) - HAVE: 1 Painted – DONE!

Regimental SP battery?
-1x 150mm (infantry guns? Stug?) Not sure what this should be… I have a 1x StugIIIG
but that’s not 150mm… StuH42…? But that’s 10.5cm… I’ll probably just use the Stug here.

Regimental Pioneer Company
-3x Pioneer Stands - HAVE: 2 Painted, 2 To Paint
-1x Pak38 (50mm ATG) - NEED TO GET: 1
-1x Sdkfz 251 Assault Bridge - HAVE: 1 To Assemble and Paint


Motorized Panzer Grenadier Battalions (3), each (totals are for Battalion/Regiment):
-1/3x BnHQ – Command Stand (1/3 total) – HAVE: 3+ Painted – DONE!
-9/27x Infantry Stands - HAVE: 25 Painted, 2 To Paint
-2/6x HMG - HAVE: 3 Painted, 1 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 2
-1/3x 81mm Mortar - HAVE: 1 Painted, 2 To Paint
-2/6x Pak38 (50mm ATG) - NEED TO GET: 3

Divisional/Corps/Army Support

Panzer Battalion
HQ
3x Panther - HAVE: 1 To Assemble and Paint, NEED TO GET: 3 (Italeri fast build kit?)
9x Pzkw IVG - HAVE: 7 To Assemble and Paint, NEED TO GET: 2?! (nah…)
3x Pzkw IIIM - HAVE: 2 To Assemble and Paint, NEED TO GET: 1?! (nah…)
(You know at some point I’ll probably break down and get a Tiger for them at some point… for Arnhem…)

Reconnaissance Battalion
1x Sdkfz 222 – DONE!
1x Pzkw IIL – DONE!
1x Sdkfz 250/9 recce - HAVE: 1 To Assemble and Paint

Panzer-Jager Battalion
1x Jagdpanzer IV? - HAVE: 1 To Assemble and Paint
2x Panzerjager(?) - HAVE: 2 To Assemble and Paint
2x Jagdpanther - HAVE: 2 Painted, 2 To Assemble Paint – I know this is silly… There weren’t that many of them and most of them served on the eastern front…. I just happen to have them so they’re in here…

Artillery Regiment
FAOs
1-2x Light Artillery batteries (10.5cm) - HAVE: 1 To Paint, NEED TO GET 2 (Revell)
1x Medium Battery (15.0cm) – Always off table, therefore don’t need!
1x SP Battery (Wespe) – might be fun to pick one up at some point…
2x Wirblewind/Flakpanzer batteries - HAVE: 2 To Assemble and Paint
1x Sdkfz 251 with rocket launchers - HAVE: 1 To Assemble and Paint
1x 88 and tractor - HAVE: 1 To Assemble and Paint

Other kits I have to assemble and paint:
1x AA/AT kit (Pak 40, Pak 36, and Flak 38 – all with crews!)
1x StugIIIG
4x Sdkfz 251 – various sorts – they’ll all just end up being the standard infantry carriers
1x Sdkfz11 and Pak 40
1x Sdkfz 222 and Kublewagon

The infantry are so close… the armour and equipment… so far…

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

More Taking Stock!!

20mm WW2 Canadian Infantry

Getting back to Stock Taking... I now present to you my 20mm WW2 Canadian Infantry. This is far from ready to be fielded – but I have a lot of what I will need – there are just a few things I’d need to pick up to finish this lot (but a LOT to paint yet)!

This force is organized as a Canadian Infantry Brigade of a Canadian Infantry Division in Northwest Europe 1944-45 for Blitzkreig Commander.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


The Infantry and HQ stands of the three infantry Battalions. The Battalion in the foreground is a mix of Platoon 20 and ESCI/Italeri and the HQ is Britannia. The battalion in the top right is made up of Revell plastics, with Platoon 20 HQ. The Battalion in the top left is all ESCI/Italeri plastics. At some point it might be nice to pick up a few more Platoon 20 to finish up an entire battalion’s worth of them.


Support units (from left to right); 6 Pounder AT guns (Rafm) and crew (FAA), 3” Mortars (FAA), Vickers MGs (Platoon 20 and ESCI/Italeri), and (in behind) 25 Pounder Field gun (Airfix)


The Brigade CO and some unpainted observer teams (all FAA figures with a Rafm Jeep). From the markings on the Jeep this would be the HQ of the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division (but practically speaking it will serve as many different Bde HQs)


Vehicles (from left to right); Rafm Universal Carriers, Rafm Stuarts, Corgi Shermans


Assorted odds and extras – I could probably get another HQ or observer team out of these and crews for some more guns… Maybe a 17 Pounder or two…

THE PLAN

Canadian Infantry Brigade

Brigade HQ (CO) HAVE: 1 Painted. DONE!

3x Infantry Battalions, each (total is for Brigade):
-BnHQ (3 total) - HAVE: X Painted, 3+ To Paint,
-12x Infantry Stands (36 total) - HAVE: 36+ to Paint
-1x 3” Mortar Platoon + carrier (3each total) – HAVE: 3 to be Painted NEED TO GET: 3 Carriers?
-1x Recce/Carrier Platoon (3 Total)- HAVE: 0 Painted, 2 to Paint – needs crew!, NEED TO GET: 1 more carrier, 3 crew (will probably covert excess plastic infantry men)
-1 AT Platoon (6 pdr + Carrier) (3 total)- HAVE: 0 Painted, 2 guns and 3 crew To Paint, NEED TO GET: another gun and 3 carriers
-1x Pioneer Platoon + jeep (3each total) - NEED TO GET: 3 (Manufacturer/Store)

Divisional Assets

Artillery
-Artillery Regiment
3x FAO - HAVE: 0 Painted, 3 To Paint
3x 25-Pounder Battery (towed)- HAVE: 0 Painted, 1 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 2? (Airfix!)
-AT Regiment
1x 17-Pounder (towed) NEED TO GET
1x 17-pounder AT (Wolverine?) NEED TO GET

Reconnaissance Squadron
2x Bren Carriers - NEED TO GET
1x Humber Armoured Car - NEED TO GET
1x Scout Car - NEED TO GET

Machine Gun Battalion (Brigade Support Group)
-3x Vickers Ptn - HAVE: 0 Painted, 3+ To Paint (assorted metal/plastics)
-1x 4.2” Mortar Bty HAVE: 0 Painted, 0 To Paint, NEED TO GET: 1 (SHQ?)
- Oerlikon AA? - NEED TO GET
- Wasp Carrier? - NEED TO GET

Corp/Army Assets

Armour
-Armoured Sqn (3x Sherman V, 1x Sherman VC) HAVE: 0 Painted, 4 To Paint/Convert
-Armoured Recce 2x Stuart – DONE!

Artillery
-more FAOs?
-4.5” and 4.4” guns (so off table…)

Air Force
-FAC - HAVE: 1 To Paint
- Air Support – Typhoons?

These are low in priority at the moment as I am, in theory, concentrating on my 28mm Seven Years War stuff for the 2009 Wargames Weekend.

Of the things I need to get I think I think the pioneers, the final 6-Pounder and some carriers would be the priority, but really I should just get painting what I’ve got!

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

More Taking Stock!!

Now I’m Feeling Zombified…

Back to taking stock – here’s a quickie for tonight – ZOMBIES! I wanted to do these on their own as they are a cross-genre sort of thing. I’ve used these with Fantasy Medivals, Swashbucklers, Victorian Horror, Pulp Adventre, Weird War Two, Vietnam (Tour of Darkness), and Moderns… You name it, any era, you can always add zombies!

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


20 Painted Zombies. There are Games Workshop, West Wind Productions, Coppelstone Castings, and Reaper Miniatures zombies in this lot. A lot of them are sort of tan/khaki as the big motivator to get a bunch done, initially, was a scenario I was planning on setting in North Africa during World War Two; X Patrol of the LRDG was tasked to reconnoiter and raid a Secret German base deep in the desert…. Guess What they found there?! Conveniently the khaki also worked for zombified North Vietnamese in Tour of Darkness.


20 more zombies in various states of unfinishedness… Again GW and Westwind, mostly – some are just regular figures that I carved big gashes into! Most of these haven’t been finished as they look a little too “medival” for the modern games where my zombies have mostly appeared


These are some of my favourite miniatures ever! I forget who made them but I think the pack was called “Zombie Kids on Tricycles with Guns” (maybe it was “skeleton kids…”) – who could possibly resist that!? Despite being some of the coolest toys I own, I don’t think I’ve ever used them in a game… I’ll have to do something about that…


20 MORE zombies that have just been based. These are Modern Zombies from Mega Miniatures.


Another Sprue of GW zombies…

THE PLAN

Paint the rest…?

I’d have almost 70 when I finished all these. Could I possibly need MORE? Hell yeah! I totally need the Victory Force Miniatures ZOMBIE MASCOTS! (Dino and Chicken)… and some of the Hasslefree Miniatures Zombies look kind of cool… well, the zombie versions of their adventurers at least. Then there’s Zombiesmith, and I MUST HAVE the Rafm Modern Zombies…. I mean…. There’s a school crossing guard in there!?! (Anybody remember that Kid’s in the Hall sketch? “We’re safe…. But for how long….!?”)


I have this dream of doing a big zombie game set in a mall – like dawn of the dead (the original – I haven’t seen the “new” one yet…). I even picked up a book from the library discard sale on Shopping Mall Architecture – hoping to find some inspirational floor plans…

I’d also like to run Zombie Run a mini–campaign “Savage Tale” from Pinnacle where a “band of heroes must venture across America in the wake of a zombie outbreak…”

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Snowy Saturday

As promised here a few more 28mm WW2 types and some other stuff.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


I was working on these at the same time as the Desert Commandos but didn’t quite have the bases done in time to include them yesterday. The two on the left are Crusader Miniatures (one of which seems to have a bit of static grass stuck to him..?!) and the other two are Artizan Designs


A couple more “Creepy Assistants” from (well two slaves and a lady) Old Glory’s “Fat Governor and Creepy Assistants” pack from their Pirate line and another lady from West Wind Productions


I had been thinking I’d go out for a ride around town and get some errands done… then I woke up to this!!!? (If you’re looking at this in the archives at a later date – check the date on this post!)


Damn… and I just finished changing all my bikes tires over to slicks for summer riding…

I hope it melts quick...

Friday, April 18, 2008

Last of the Desert Commandos

With this batch I have finished the last of the British Desert Commandos…. I don’t think I’ll be adding anymore anytime soon. Brigade Games has some nice looking SAS jeeps in 28mm, as do a couple others along with some LRDG trucks (S&S, Chieftain Models).

Brigade’s ”Desert Commando Jeep Patrol” looks awful tempting… (Been thinking about picking up the Rat Patrol Boxed set).

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


These are all from Artizan Designs

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Probably some more 28mm WW2 stuff… it’s been awful tempting to work on these as, for the most part, I have very few left to paint and have no intention of adding to them at any point in the near future…. Well… anymore FIGURES – I’d like to pick up a couple of tanks at some point…

Amanda and the kids are off to Windsor for the next week and a half so this weekend I thought I might try to get a bunch of the Stock Taking finished up before I get cracking on all my assigned house fixin’ duties!

Monday, April 14, 2008

British Para Painting Update

I got busy doing some Paras this week (and some other stuff…).

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


This will be my Brigade HQ for the Blitzkreig Commander 20mm British Paras. The figures are from Figures, Armour, Artillery USA. Nice figures. I really like them. I’d like to get more, unfortunately they totally ballsed up my order and shipped it to some guy in Germany and sent me his order… they did get most of the stuff I ordered to me in a reasonable amount of time. But there’s still eight packs they haven’t sent me and they haven’t returned any emails since the New Year… so… Too bad, I like their figures.

The Jeep is from Rafm.


Same thing, different angle. That’s a map of Arnhem on the jeep. Maybe I should have done Normandy. Ah well…


Same thing again…


More pretty FAA toys. A Pioneer platoon, an HQ and a Mortar Platoon. The HQ will be for Frost’s 2nd Battalion (that’s Johnny Frost himself, there, blowing on his copper fox-hunting horn).


Why do anything in one scale when you can do it in TWO!? I also painted up some 28mm paras for Savage Worlds Skirmishing. These are a mix of Foundry, Crusader and West Wind Productions.

You know this Thursday’s game will involve Para’s in one scale or another…


I also finished up a couple of modern/sci-fi types – The one in the middle is from The Foundry the other two are I-Kore Void figures. They were quick. They were easy. They are done.

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

There will be a flurry of blog posting over the weekend (and following week) including Thursday’s AAR and a pile of stock taking and painting updates as the rest of the family is off on vacation (I get to “work on the house”).

Friday, April 11, 2008

Vive la Resistance

I had so much fun last week using Savage Worlds for some Second World War skirmish action, I thought I’d do it again! I also happen to finish up some Germans (that was brought on by the excitement over having traded away my 15mm Fallshirmjagers for some 28mm WW2 Russians (not that they’re going to be here this week or anything…they’re coming from the Netherlands!?) …you know how it is though, right?

Occupied France, 1943

SITUATION

Tired of the incessant raids by resistance groups a local commander has decided to step up efforts to extinguish this threat through constant patrolling and sweeps through the nearby wooded regions.

On this particular morning the Germans are about to stumble on a resistance group’s regional HQ/Safe House. There is a lot of valuable equipment there, which can’t fall into the Germans hands! Luckily pickets have warned the HQ of the approaching Germans and steps are being taken to spirit away the weapons, ammo, communications equipment, codes books and whatnot but the Germans will need to be stalled!

Two cells of Resistance fighters that were close at hand have been sent out into the wood to try and stall the German’s advance!

SCENARIO

The French must delay the Germans long enough for the truck to get loaded with all the weapons and equipment. There will be no figures representing those loading or driving the truck – at the end of the 6th turn (and each turn thereafter) the French player will roll a d12, if the sum of the roll and the turn number totals 18 or more they have loaded the truck and driven off – the game ends the remaining French resistance will fade into the woods and disappear!

The Germans will set up within 12” of the eastern edge of the table, the French HQ and truck are on the western edge of the table. The truck may be fired on and if disabled the Germans win. The Germans may also win if they physically get to the truck before the end of the game.

The French resistance delaying force will stat the game hidden and on hold. 8 hidden unit markers will be deployed on the table in any wooded area on the French half of the table. The Germans may try and spot and reveal the markers – an opposed roll vs the French stealth (d8). In addition to the regular cover modifiers the French may add an additional +2 for being very, very still…

FORCES

The French

Marcus Andres – Resistance Leader (WC)
Ag d8, Sm d8, Sp d10, St d8, Vg d8
Pace 6, Parry 7, Toughness 6
Fighting d8, Shooting d8, Notice d8, Stealth d8, Throwing d8
Command, combat Reflexes, Dodge, Block, Level-headed, Harder to Kill
Pistol, Knife, Grenades

Fifi Laplotte – Resistance Leader (WC)
Ag d8, Sm d6, Sp d8, St d6, Vg d6
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 5
Fighting d8, Shooting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d6, Taunt d8
Command, Strong Willed
Pistol, Knife,

2x French Resistance Fighters (5)
Ag d6, Sm d6, Sp d8, St d6, Vg d6
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 5
Fighting d8, Shooting d6, Notice d8, Stealth d8, Throwing d6
1x Thompson SMG, 4x Rifles (one team has a Bren Gun instead of one of the rifles) , Grenades

The Germans

Feldwebel Johann Weinerschnitzel – Platoon Commander (wc)
Ag d8, Sm d6, Sp d8, St d8, Vg d8
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 6
Fighting d8, Shooting d8, Notice d8, Stealth d6, Intimidate d8
Command, Combat Reflexes, Rock n Roll
MP 40, Luger,

3x German Squads each with:

Gefreiter - Squad leader (1)
Ag d8, Sm d6, Sp d8, St d8, Vg d8
Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 6
Fighting d8, Shooting d8, Notice d8, Stealth d6, Intimidate d6
Combat Reflexes, Rock n Roll (One of them also had Command)
MP 40, Luger,

Rifle Section (6)
Ag d8, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d8, Vg d8
Pace 6, Parry 5, Toughness 6
Fighting d6, Shooting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d6,
6x Kar98 Rifle, Grenades

LMG Section (3)
Ag d8, Sm d6, Sp d6, St d8, Vg d8
Pace 6, Parry 5, Toughness 6
Fighting d6, Shooting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d6,
1x MG-42, Kar98 Rifle, 2x Luger

THE GAME

Gary and Christian showed up to play this week and they decided they’d play the Germans and I could play the French. I deployed rather hastily and probably should have set up a little differently… ah well.. I also should have given the first team to fire “the drop” (+4 to hit, +4 to damage) assuming they hadn’t been spotted… might have evened out the odds a bit.

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


The Germans begin their advance through the woods.


Here are the French forces – not only was the location of these forces unknown to the Germans, the SIZE of the French force was also unknown and hidden in this box until I decided to deploy them.


The Germans advancing. You can see some of my brand new hidden unit markers sitting in the wooded areas in the foreground (the empty, square 30x30mm bases).

Gary and Christian were very clever in their maneuvering and made it very difficult for me to catch any great number of them in the open…


On turn three I revealed one units and K.O.ed two Germans in the ambush, but some swift action of one of the German LMG teams (and some pretty damn lucky dice rolling) saw one of my Frenchies to buy it as well!


On turn four I revealed the second unit and K.O.ed two more Germans. But I also lost a couple to the sheer volume of fire coming from the Germans. Marcus Andres shot and killed an LMG gunner.


Yeah once I had all my guys on the table and saw how many I had compared to how many they had I thought I probably could have done with another team… or better troops… or given them “the drop” on their first turn of firing… Ah well…


The firefight carried on for the next four turns. The Germans slowly whittled away my forces. In the background of this shot you can see the Resistance HQ and the truck being loaded.


Andres did shoot the MLG teams loader as he tried to take over the gun, and then shot the Ammo bearer as he tried to take it over. There was some grenade tossing back and forth between these guys above. I believe that’s what caused the two Germans to be shaken..


By turn six things were rapidly going south for the French. Both squads were down to one man, both Fifi and Andres were wounded…


Christian – who had never played Savage Worlds before – wanted to see how close combat worked and so charged in a pair of guys to attack the remaining Resistance fighter – one of them hit and caused 25 damage! (5 wounds, if one were counting!?) "Urk! Je suis mort!"


Germans swarming forward, Fifi making a run for it.


On Turn Seven Marcus Andres went down and that was it… we called it (after I rolled to see if the truck drove away that turn and didn’t). There was no one in their way and at least one LMG team with line of sight to the truck…

Truly this day was a disaster for the Resistance!

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

I really should get back on track with the stock taking and then get back on with the The Game Plan! Honestly, though, there’ll be a few more painting updates first as I’ve been painting British Paratroopers (in 20mm AND 28mm!?) the last couple nights….