1/3000 WW2 USN and IJN Destroyer Basing

There are big ships and there are small ships, but in the end (or rather to start with) they all have to be based. With this in mind I turned to a dusty pile of "silver shame" and did the task that wargamers like the least .. started basing (see below, these are IJN Destroyers that now at least have started on their journey to the wargame table - there was quite a lot of them): 

Most of this kit came from both sides came from the Navwar Philippine Sea Battle Pack (which I bought at the start of this century, ahem), but both sides have also been supplemented along the way to fill gaps, particularly going back to some of the early Pacific War battles in 1941-42 (see below, flotillas of USN Destroyers): 

I thought I would give a shout out to some destroyers that caught me eye, the valiant survivors of the USN Destroyer Fleet of WWI that through long service saw "two world wars" (see below, the US Wilkes class - nice little models): 

These destroyers were also famous for making up practically all of the "50 Destroyers" (aka the "town class") transferred to the RN to help fight the Battle of the Atlantic (so technically I could happily use them for two navies, USN and RN). More basing and organising to follow!

Old IJN 1/3000 friends, time for Basing and Painting

My old IJN 1/3000 friends .. the battlewagons of the Pacific War, mostly (that is all apart from teh Yamato class) reconstructions and modernisations of their WWI battlefleet (see below, a bit fuzzy but they are all there in various stages of "production"): 

This is what I am aiming for (see below, IJNS Nagato [1936]):  

I think the sea effect and final whiter highlight on the decking and light grey on the superstructure works well. 

Skytrex 1/200 - KV2 Model

This (KV2) has been been on my Barbarossa 1941 (1/200 scale) wish list for a long time. It is the eternal frightening tank (along with its sister KV1) that the Germans encountered in 1941 and was looked upon with a sense of awe and arcane wonder. It was usually photographed with a German Landser looking at or standing on a knocked out or abandoned example (see below, stage one "flash removal"): 

It almost looks like a sensible tank in 1/200 - its insanity shows up more in 1/76. I remember I needed two of these for one of the Spearhead Scenarios. It was a "bunker buster" (a child of the 1940 Finnish War requirements for getting through the Mannerheim Line) rather than a true MBT, but it looked like a prehistoric monster. 

Note: That closes off my 1/200 - 1941 Russian Tank wish list, but for 1942-43 opens up my need for T60, T70 and lease lend vehicles (M3 Stuart, Valentine, Matilda, M3 Lee, Churchill, Tetrarch  - methinks I would need battalion batches of ten for each of these, apart from a singleton for the Tetrarch).  

What "Another" Sherman .. this time 10mm from Pendrakon

As part of the props for the Wargames Developments (WD) Convention Demonstration Game 2024 of Arnhem (1944), I decided I needed to paint up a Sherman tank. I needed a relatively small one, ignoring the fact that I had several suitable models already (15mm and 1/200), I thought it appropriate to use a Pendrakon 10mm Sherman V seeing as the game was going to be ran at their Battleground Show (see below, the Sherman faced off against a Stug IIIG and some German Infantry moving up a linear battle track/ladder): 

It went together, four pieces, no flash, fitting in tightly together with a tiny bit of filing. 

The painting scheme was:

• A grey primer (Airfix Acrylic 001), with a Vallejo Brown Dipping Wash liberally spread into the cracks. 
• Next an undercoat shade of (924) Russian Uniform Green.
• Base layer of 50% Olive Grey (888) and 50% Russian Uniform Green (924).
• Final highlight Olive Grey (924). 
• Tracks matt Black (950) and dry brushed Gun Metal (863).

I planned but epically failed to put any decals on it but I did manage to put it on a base (not shown above) which took more time than I thought, hence no decals!

Note: The Sherman faced against the Stug III shown in an earlier post (click link)!

Just a Shout Out to the Podcasts I have been listening to [BBC Americast], [The Atomic Hobo], [Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy] and [Anything But a ONE - Adventures in Historical Miniature Wargaming]

 A shout out to these gents and ladies for making my life tolerable while doing DIY (kitchen painting) and washing the dishes (and given in no particular order or merit, I like them all): 

• BBC Americast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p07h19zz
• The Atomic Hobo: https://shows.acast.com/atomichobo
• Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy: https://wsspodcast.libsyn.com/
• Anything But a One! Adventures in Historical Miniature Wargaming: https://anythingbutaone.buzzsprout.com/

Adding a new one: 

• BBC Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm

iPhone "Pacific War2 Game - Nice Little Time Waster

This is not a simulation or accurate representation of Pacific Warfare, but it is a lovely timewasting piece of fun that is a little bit like a battlefield problem solver, with nice graphics that give good representations of the ships I am currently basing and painting in 1/3000 scale (based on the Microsoft Unity 3D game engine). It is an old game running on an old iPhone but gives me screen time fun (see below, sadly the IJN saw to it that this USN Essex class carrier did not make it through the war): 

I have already done the journey from Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, across the Pacific to Japan as the USN, so I am return tripping back from Japan back to Pearl Harbour as the IJN, hence the screenshots of sinking USN ships (see below,  a USN Baltimore class cruiser is now no more): 

What can I say, I like moving the ships around the seas shooting them at each other, the "variable range" estimation means that even when a ship has radar you can miss, though as you "go pro" it becomes a shooting gallery. The thing I have hardest trouble with is that the carriers start the game under the guns of enemy battleships and cruisers. Yes that is really silly (and not Pacific War), but it is the same for both sides. However, seeing as the Human Player goes first, you at least go down fighting, and if you can get another ship closer to the enemy it takes the pressure off. The AI is poor which is why it is nice to play it. The US gets a Gato sub which is lethal (and an atom bomb as a shock weapon), but the IJN player gets long lance torpedoes, Kamikaze and the Yamato. The hardest task the IJN player has to do is sink the US sub with a destroyer (depth charges), thankfully after the "beginner's series of scenarios" the US just show up with big surface things (cruisers, battleships and aircraft carriers) things which you can easily see and hit!

Verdict: I can recommend it for its "therapeutic" value because nine times out of ten you will win.

52 Fletchers - 1/3000 Navwar

Dating back to the time I bought "The Battle of the Philippine Sea" Battle Pack from Navwar, I always had a few of these destroyers to base. It came to pass that now, was the time I had some time and inclination to do it (see below, I now have a harbour full of US Destroyer, 52 Fletcher Class ones to be precise): 

Stage one complete, got them out of the packaging, filed down bits of flash and then superglued them to a 20mm by 60mm card stock base. Good for the soul if nothing else. As you can see bottom right I have taken two all the way (for a different project) but the other 50 have to play catch up! 

There are many "Wargaming Blogs" but then there is a "Blog of lots of Wargaming Blogs"

http://wargamesblogs.blogspot.com/

Over 1,500 to date, is your favourite there?

Hello 2025 and I am Hoping it will be a Good Year - Social Media New Years Reduction Resolution (Working so far) and Enjoying Sharp Practice

The first thing to say is that a New Year's resolution to cut back on Social Media (aka senseless nattering and mindless scrolling) seems to be working. I am off "Twitter", aka "X", and feel none the worse without its "wear and tear" of the soul. With some hesitation, nay trepidation, I took down "Facebook" but again, the bark was much worse than the bite of its passing. I may listen to the news on the radio slightly more, but I find "filtered" news far better than the "chasing the unvalidated story" elsewhere - it takes less time too out of my day. "WhatsApp" and "Messenger" are survivors though only because of the personal connection to people on the groups and the ability to arrange wargaming play dates. Blogging has taken a back seat too! I have rediscovered 28mm Napoleonics (see below, my [borrowed] French troops v Renko's Austrians, my fine Voltigeurs fending off the Austrian formation in the act of deploying): 

So in getting out and about slightly more in January/February I have picked up this Sharp Practice itch. It is very contagious. I am playing with other people's toys at the moment, but I have unpainted Perry's and Victrix 28mm French (1812) and British to field two infantry sides, with small attachments of cavalry and artillery. I do like the combat system, but am less interested in winning the Two Fat Lardies "game within a game" than seeing if the basic mechanism of "shock-killed-morale" plays fair with the period (see below, the weight of fire delivered by the Austrians is simply too much): 

So much so the French decided to go home early. I think it played the period very well. I have to say it was also the friendliest Napoleonics game I have ever had, because from past experience, Napoleonics brings out "the worst in the rules [national characteristics]" and "players interpretations of the rules [ways in which the national characteristics have to be used to win]". Played two games so far as 1812 French, lost them both, but had a great time, which is a good sign IMHO.