PSC T34-76 and T34-85 options

When in doubt with what to do with your time, simple male a fast build T34/76 (or T34/85) from the Plastic Soldier Company WWII 20mm Soviet range (see below, just a little pottering and you can have this little beauty): 

Sharing the common body the T34/85 turret (see below, very nice when you get two models for the price of one - mid to late war Soviet tanks sorted): 

All I really have to decide is what paint scheme to choose ;) 

Another Portable Wargame: Eastern Front Scenario - Take III (Part 2)

Realising that the German artillery position is the most dangerous position the T-34s concentrate their attention on it (see below):

Exchanging shots the T-34 take damage but gain the upper hand (see below):

The German front line valiantly tries to hold back yet more T-34s and infantry but cannot help but nervously look over their shoulders (see below):

It is "do-or-die" time for the German gunners (see below):

But the appearance of a third T-34 seals their fate (see below):

The Russian infantry pressure also breaks the German infantry line (see below):

Then the German gunners are gone (see below):

And the position overran (see below):

Morale broken the Germans "drift away" on the breeze, the flotsam and jetsam of the 'lost' battlefield (see below):

The German armour (a trusty PSC Panzer IVH) escapes thanks to its mobility. It has been very ineffectual in its attacks (see below):

The German Commander routs (see below - lucky to be alive):

The last German platoon is surrounded and surrenders (see below):

Quiet a brutal affair, but I did want to see how the "step-loss" rule variant played. I liked it. However the "quick kill" seems much more in the vein of the armour (now you see it now you don't), so I might just mix-and-match them. Something about the gun values may need tweaking too when you get light tanks versus heavies etc. I do like the 'morale collapse' passing the initiative to the attacker (or perhaps non-broken). Onwards to "Developing the Portable Wargame" as I believe Bob addresses some of these very issues ("Pinning": say no more!). Also I think it is time for me to cook up some of my own scenarios.

Another Portable Wargame: Eastern Front Scenario - Take III (Part 1)

Another run out for Bob Cordery's Portable Wargame rules, this time played with the "step-loss" variant (so no quick kills). Dawn breaks to see the German defenders facing a gathering sea of Red Army units ready to "surge" forwards 'en masse' (see below):

The German Armour takes a flanking position to anchor the front (see below):

The Soviet T-34 Phalanx just chooses to roll on through the middle (see below):

Soviet artillery pushes the German PAK crews out of their prepared positions as the T-34s try to grind the Germans out of their defenses (see below):

The German PAK rallies and reoccupies the defenses (see below):

However this precipitates the T-34s to storm the defenses (see below):

The Pak 40 Platoon succumbs to the treads'n'tracks of the metal monster (see below, note the weakened German MG platoon to the right - it has been a tough time in the line):

The German center is wilting and the German armour is engaged in an ineffectual dual on the German left flank. Russian infantry have moved up on the German right flank and it is beginning to look very precarious for the defenders (see below): 

The meat-grinder continues with German infantry attacking the central T-34 from a covered ambush position (see below):

The Germans are looking very thread-bare so the attack is desperate measure (see below):

The first German attack id repulsed (see below):

But the second sees the T-34 erupt in a column of smoke and flame (see below):

Meanwhile the relentless Russian attacks have ground down the German infantry destroying a German Infantry Platoon (see below):

A second T-34 launches an overrun attack and cuts behind into the heart of the defense threatening the German Artillery position (see below):

The odds seem stacked against the Germans .. is there any chance of a counter-attack?

More 15mm Russians - PSC T34/76 and T34/85

The last "batch" of Russian vehicles were put together,the ubiquitous T34/76 (and T34/85 option). Something to stir fear and dread into any German Tanker or Landser (see below):

These 15mm kits go together so sweetly (and quickly) I am starting to curse my 20mm myopia for the last twenty years (see below):

It remains to be seen how quickly I can paint them. Given the option between Zvezda and PSC, I would say quality (detail) wise Zvezda has the drop on PSC but PSC has more durable 'harder' plastic. Zvezda "snap together" very sweetly, no glue strictly needed although I use liquid poly for "insurance purposes".

The "Tank" that scared me as a kid: T34 (Airfix classic 1/72 T34/76 and T34/85)

The assault on the unmade kit boxes continues. From "box 3" I present an Airfix T34 tank:

As a kid I didn't get my hands on one of these until my mid-teens. For some reason they never seemed to be in my model shop or I was plain unlucky and always last in the queue. 

For a mold that dates back to 1968 it is not bad at all, in fact very good. In fact the 85mm gun version (see below) is IMHO nicely to scale and is my 'preferred' model. 

So yes as a little 'present' to myself I got one, just for old times sake ;)

The best thing about the Airfix kit was that you got two tanks in one, the early war 76mm version to terrorize the Barbarossa Germans (see below):

Why did it scare me? Well it was because of a certain war comic called "Battle" that had an eastern front strip about a German tank commander. 

The Germans always got beaten up by the T34's with their low velocity PzIV 75mm's (aka my Airfix Pz IV's would be no natch for it). The German tanks were always getting stuck in the snow and became sitting ducks to Ivan.

The T34 was also far better than anything the western allies had at the time too and it seemed just "too good".  It didn't seem fair as they had hoards of them running over poor hapless German infantry. 

The only thing that could stop them was a German 88mm gun (aka from the classic Airfix flak kit) but unless it was in a Tiger it wasn't going to last long

Plastic Soldier Company: T34 Boxed Set

The good thing about the model tank sets you get from PSC is that they always give you three of the best, in this case a T-34 76mm (1943) ready to fight the fascists (see below):

But in a blink of an eye they can turn into a T34 85mm (1944) which is a "Panzer IV's" nightmare to face (see below):

Nice to see they have remembered the Airfix "two for the price of one deal" (one early/mid and one late war) that was so beloved of little boys like me everywhere ;)

Plastic Soldier Company T34/85 and T34/76 (1943)

Cue "Great Patriotic War Music"  as the T34/85 rill onto centre-stage (see below):

The robust "Panzer Killer" with pointing tank commander (see below)

And slightly over sized barrel? (see below):

Fully "accessorised" with stowage and fuel tanks (see below):

A nice feature being the interchangeable 85mm and 76mm turrets akin to the old Airfix model, which effectively gives you two models for the price of one (see below):  

Like the real T34 the utilitarian design adopted by the Plastic Soldier Company (PSC) of just a few parts makes a quick build that pays tribute to this little war winner. A recommended purchase, three for the price of one with other manufacturers offering many more parts but no discernible improvement in details. I need to get cracking