The 2026 Royal Navy - 1/3000 Scale

I am big on WWI and WWII 1/3000 world navies, from anything that could fight in either, so that includes a few pre-dreadnoughts as well as hypothetical (inter-war) ships and WWII-era ships that were never completed (not quite as crazy as the Z-Plan). My interest in moderns was strictly limited to the Falklands 1982 Campaign, a few cold war US/RN/USSR subs and a US Litoral/Carrier Task Force. Looking at the Navwar listing and I saw that the RN 2026 Fleet listing it was "almost" there. There were the Boomers (4 xV-Class SSBN), Destroyers (6 x T45 - Daring Class) and Frigates (7 x T-23 Duke Class) and things that are "close enough" for the minesweepers (5 x Hunt Class). I was missing the CVs (Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales) and the six Astute Attack Subs. For the former a friend printed for me (two) in resin (aka Black Magic spell that summoned out of the "resin goop") and for the latter I cheated as I made do with some older attack subs - they are supposed to be submerged most of the time anyway (see below, metal ships on cardboard bases [un textured and unpainted] - our "new" Grand Fleet of 2026 - I apologize is this sounds rather ironic): 

Note: Since the photograph was taken, one T23 has been decommissioned (HMS Richmond) and another is stripped of its weapons and sensors and is classed as inactive (HMS Iron Duke). 

If the above picture looked small, what is a lot smaller is [on a random day of asking] the ships that were at sea or ready for sea duties (as in not in refit or repair) - T45 x 1, V-Boat x 1 [continuous nuclear deterrence patrol], T-23 x 2 and  MS x 2 [which I must confess was a guess (40%)]! We seem to have a lot of active admirals and not enough active ships to be honest (see below, the "on-patrol fleet and ready for action fleet" - naturally at the day of asking the CVs must have been "in preparation" for something like an extended cruise): 

Ideally we would have one to two of "these" to worry hostile states with (see below, a "RN CV Task Force" consisting of - 1 x CV, 1 x T-23, 1 x T45, 1 x SSN): 

Note to Self: I really should try and field Fleet Auxiliaries too, there are not that many either, but that is another resin printer request I think!. 

Useful internet Wikipedia pages: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_Royal_Navy_ships

And the future RN?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_of_the_Royal_Navy

Active USN:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_ships_of_the_United_States_Navy

Active Russian: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_Russian_Navy_ships

Active Chinese: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_of_the_People%27s_Liberation_Army_Navy

Active Japanese: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_Japan_Maritime_Self-Defense_Force_ships

Post Partisan Research - Early War Miniatures: The Raid (WW2 Isle of Wight Kommando Attack)

As part of my post Partisan debrief, I took a look at Early War Miniatures' web-site ostensibly to look at their 20mm Italian Early War range associated with the East African Campaign and the Abbassian/Ethiopian crisis (or rather a blatant invasion of a League of Nation member state [no double standards involved here at all, just because it was black African not white European state]). Please note my growing interest in this period from an earlier post of mine (see link below): 

https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2026/05/audio-book-prevail-inspiring-story-of.html

While on the  web-site I discovered a fascinating link to a suggested (aka probable) WWII German Kommando Raid on The Isle of Wight in 1943 (see link below): 

https://earlywarminiatures.com/index.php/raid/

Absolutely fascinating, as I had read the cited book just before we went on a family holiday there (pre-Covid). You can imagine a few choice words were said during that holiday, "Why have we stopped here? Are we lost?" and "Why do you want to go this hill? I cannot see anything!" (see below, Adrian Searle's detective story on the alleged/probable raid, it is a good read):

Since the publication of the book there has been archaeological work that seems to suggest (prove?) that German weapons had been fired within the perimeter of a RAF radar station at St Laurence! So, so interesting! There has even been a series of follow up talks in 2025 regarding its finding, so I will be watching to see if there is some form of follow up publication .. or even scenario scenario "in the wind"!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Faraday Lecture: This is not the AI we were promised (Excellent Explanation of LLMs/Gen AI)

See below to the (now working) link:

https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/2026/02/faraday-prize-lecture/

Follow on You Tube videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glWvwvhZkQ8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcv0600V5q4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDL3Ch7Nz8c

Partizan Loot : Chinook Gunship ACH-47

I really enjoyed my outing to Partisan (Newark) on Sunday. As well as helping man the Wargames Development (WD) stall running a game of "633 Squadron", I found myself mostly "looking" so no crazy massive purchases to announce. However I did add to some "ongoing projects" (see below, one of them is the [20mm-1/72] Vietnam period of interest): 

In addition I stocked up on Vietnam "casualties of war" for dead and wounded markers from Grubby Tanks. Also, I did see Early War Miniatures as somewhere that understood my early WWII interests. I have a rolling France 1940 project (yes French & BEF but even the fringe Danish, Norwegian [Narvik] and Dutch elements) plus Italian East Africa projects (future purchases) to consider. 

https://earlywarminiatures.com/

But .. the best thing about Partisan was meeting up with old wargaming friends. Decades may have passed but meeting up, talking shop and even rolling dice (perhaps flying a RAF Mosquito down a fjord for instance [see 633 Squadron Game]) means that the conversation just starts where you left off! Fantastic and it is so good for the soul.

Sometimes You Buy a Book for the Game Idea it has Hidden Inside It!

Ok, first of all it was second hand and therefore cheap, secondly the subject matter is intriguing and thirdly there must be a game in it (see below. matrix, role-play or even figures - only time will tell what it stimulates): 

There is at least one game in this for sure!

I have been to Heaven (again): Barter Books

When in Alnwick I always try to go to Barter Books. It is the biggest eclectic collection of second hand books I have ever had the pleasure to see. More library than bookstore. You never quite know what to expect as the stock turns over so quickly. So,f you see something you like, you had better get it otherwise (and I have been there) you will regret it. It also helps that it has a lovely cafe in this former railway station, that in itself adds character to the place. The is also a "O Gauge" (or bigger) tainset that rumbles around over your heads [so cool] - in one part of the shop (see below, my favourite sign that translates as "heaven" to me):  

Even "just looking" you will find something that you cannot put back on the shelves (see below. what is not to like about early war RN Destroyer Actions in The Phoney War and my inner "WWI Dreadnought Battleship Gunnery" nerd had to get the Barr and Stroud history - they made the ranging instruments for the Grand Fleet amongst other achievements):    

As well as the books I got the Barter Books Plastic Bag and infamous Keep Calm and Carry On mug, to replaced the demised previous one I had (see below, the place is quality that gives out bargains - highly recommended): 

In the words or Arnold Schwarzenegger "I will be back!" 

Inspirational Photo of an IS2 (pair) - Berlin 1945

A friend posted this photograph and I am totally entranced by it. I am pretty sure it is, as he stated Berlin 1945 (although I stand open to corrections). It shows that even in cities there are big open spaces. Perhaps it is false colour, but I love the details. The crazy Ivan to the left of the IS2 tanks on a bicycle, soldiers just standing around (so not a direct combat photo - which makes sense to me). Civilian vehicles, abandoned and people just milling around in the background. The wheels (bottom left) presumably of a Russian infantry support gun or "something" [that "something" turned out to be probably a Panzer IV chassis rear wheel, from either a tank, assault gun or SPG version - exactly what is undetermined, see comments] in the middle of the street! (see below, absolute chaos - but a lovely composition for a diorama):   

It inspired me to take a look at my late war Soviet armour (in 20mm) as I have a couple of IS2s. A late-war fall of Berlin scenario beckons.