Little bit of a side-project: Modern US CVN Battlegroup 1/3000

This is one I have been thinking about doing for a while (as well as the 1980 RN Falklands Campaign), the advantage being this is less than a dozen ships all told (see Wikipedia detail):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier_strike_group#Typical_CSG_composition

Order of Battle:

• CVN
• 1-2 Guided Missile Cruiser
• 2-3 Guided Missile Destroyers
• 1-2 Attack (688) Submarines
• Specialist Ammo Supply and Oiler Support Ship

Possible rules for this are the traditional (pro-US) Harpoon or the more recent ShipWreck. Topical campaigns could include US tension with the Chinese over the Spratly chain of islands in the South China Sea.

Nice to see that I am NOT maintaining focus!

US Pacific Fleet in 1/3000 .. steady progress made on basing "BB/CA/CL"

The "sea basing" continues (see below, first batch of US Heavy 8" cruisers, US battleships and odd miscellaneous light cruisers, the WWI era but still in service light cruiser USS Marblehead (Omaha class) to a couple of 6" more modern light cruisers of the Brooklyn class, not forgetting the USS Langley, ex-aircraft carrier now seaplane tender):

Next: Base the remaining US 8" cruisers and start on a few early Pacific War US Aircraft Carriers (i.e. the non-Essex (Fleet), Independence types (Light Fleet) and Escort [made famous by Taffy 3])

The "processing order" for the "ship basing" is now as follows:

• Clean metal ship
• Cut-out card base
• UHU glue metal model to card
• 1st layer: DIY Flexible Poly Filler - smear wavy sea surface over base up to model ship side
• 2nd layer: DIY Flexible Poly Filler - smear over any bits missed from first pass
• Black undercoat metal ship
• Dark Blue/Green undercoat sea area
• Paint up ship [multiple layers required here]
• Gloss Varnish
• Matte Varnish

Another good Audible Book: "Miracle at Midway"

The WWII Pacific war is still key in my sights and interest. I felt as if I had to take some time out to take in what must have been the most pivotal battle of the campaign, Midway. "Miracle at Midway" gives a really good detailed account (see below):

 It is interesting to note that the American texts on the Pacific Way all give due deference to the "Japanese Destroyer Captain" of Hara.

PS: "Miracle at Midway" has a companion volume called "At Dawn We Slept". A word of warning if you type the title as a search string, I can assure that the books about "Dawn" that came back did not imply any WW2 Pacific naval history or restful sleeping activity ;)

 http://www.audible.co.uk/search?x=7&y=13&ref_=a_lib_tseft&filterby=field-keywords&advsearchKeywords=At+Dawn+We+Slept

The (Early Imperial) Romans are coming ... in 28mm

For a while now (well it seems to have been about ten years actually) I have continually found myself "humming and 'arring" about moving up to 28mm for certain ranges of figures. My thoughts ...

For ECW and Renaissance is sensible in 25mm/28mm to me (so I have collected some Warlord Games, a pack here and a pack there od Scottish ECW to honour a Scottish connection in the family but .. ahem, sadly without painting them .. er yet - but hang on I did paint up some Wargames Foundry metal Landschneckts, a herd (12) Redoubt Miniatures Mounted Men-At-Arms and some old Games Workshop Warhammer Empire figures to great applause).

Napoleonic's (as in big battles) were traditionally 15mm (but I painted them so, so slowly), but then the likes of Sharp Practice gave an excuse for 28mm and likewise, and I should say recently AWI "skirmish" gave me the excuse to unashamedly buy a box of Perry's AWI British Infantry (of which I have fully painted one out of the thirty odd to date, head hangs in shame) as well as collect a pack here and a pack there of various Napoleonics.

Ancients though were always thought of as safely 15mm for me, particularly because of my painful obsession with collecting DBM armies starting with the Greek City States. Just as that seemed to be going out of fashion Xyston miniatures (perhaps briefly) breathed life back into in and bring it into fashion IMHO. Their hoplites "stole my breath away" Top Gun style but I fear ruined my ageing eyes, I will still paint my Thracian tribes. To be fair this was fun as I did paint a fair few hoplites (and true I still have a fair few still to do). But then the Romans a dilemma ...  but I had time. I had read lots of Greek history and I would naturally have to do the same for Rome. There is a lot to read.

I made a small 15mm DBA army (Early Roman Imperial actually .. that's one of the reasons I still need the Thracians) but stalled, it didn't feel right. I knew it all started with "Foundry" and how their 28mm figures looked so beautiful when well painted. Republican, Caesarian and Early Imperial  .. but the lead was horribly expensive (though Xyston was not cheap for anything beyond DBA into DBM or DBMM territory) .. so I held back for fear of financial ruin and then came the plastic 28mm revolution, so it went back on the list "of wargaming things to do before you die", the Warlord Games Early Roman Imperial starter set became a "must".  I must have passed one by half a dozen times but held back as my attention was on "other matters of import". Then they went "out of stock" ... argh ... then they restocked, but I saw this bargain advertised on eBay and the deed was finally done (see below, 80% percent of the figures already put together [cleanly] but painting not started):  

The "defence" rests its case and I throw myself at the mercy of the court! The Army Painter method (aka dip) will be applied this year methinks. Note: They will also be very useful for my "Roman Fantasy" .. "Lost Legions" from Osprey Wargame Rules and perhaps a run out with "FrostGrave" game nights!

That's my plan or excuse anyway ;)

Footnote: WW2 is 20mm (a huge assortment collected over the past 25 years, lots unpainted) and 1/200 (a sensible early war collection) or 1/300 (a lot of donated and aquired lead in the form suitable for a proto 1944 German Panzer diviusion) anything else is madness .. so don't ask me why I have a large box of unpainted 15mm in the loft and why on earth I have a pack of Perry's 28mm 8th Army and DAK in the "should be a simple Project Box". Naval and Air will have to be dealt with elsewhere dear reader ;)

Warlord Games WW2 Painting Guides (FREE)

Well for another reason, ahem Romans enough side, I was travelling through the Warlord Games and found these beauties, WW2 painting guides. Destined for the 28mm market I am trying to use them for my 1/72 or 20mm figures (see below, British, US and German):

And (see below, Blitzkrieg Germans, Soviet Union and Italians):

Finally (see below, Japan and France):

Like I said I had been looking for some Roman Painting guides (for some crazy reason). Tpo get them add them to your card shopping cart and proceed to checkout. Put in your personal details and you will be given a download link is emailed to you. Easier if you sign up, yes they get a little hook in you in that it is far easier to come back and show with them again. No I am not on commission, but in AA style "yes I have some of their product, I am a Warlord Games user" (but I don't think I have finished anything yet .. gulp .. and I have other stuff from other manufacturers as well, again unpainted!).

For those interested:
https://store.warlordgames.com/collections/painting-guides

Happy painting ;)
 

Naval Stuff on the Painting Tray

A range of naval projects on the go just now. Trying to keep it small scale, cheap and cheerful painting up a backlog of WW2 1/3000 Pacific American ships that have in the "loft space" for some time. The full production cycle is glimpsed below, finished products to the far left (aka USS South Dakota and USS Washington) with their painted sisters (aka USS North Carolina and USS Alabama) and across to some US cruisers undercoated. In the box behind some 1/1200 ancient triremes (see below, plenty more US and Japanese ships to come ):

Working out how best to do the "sea basing" effect on the cardboard, regretting painting some ships 'too well' before starting basing them  :(

DIY spreadable polyfiller being the magic key ingredient. I seem to be relearning all the "old lessons" of how to do it again!
 

January "Big Battle" in Seventeenth Century ... somewhere inthe 'LowCountries' (Part 6)

The artillery dual continues. Despite the French cavalry being frozen in place my gunners performance is lamentable, I guess we were shooting at where we thought they were going to go. Our counter battery fire was much more effective as we dispatched a large French piece of ordnance to the heavens (see below):

Meanwhile the Allied right flank was in turmoil as "about face and form a second defensive line" was the order of the day. Word had come from the farmhouse on the far right (unhelpfully out of camera shot) that it was more likely to "rain whiskey" than retain hold of the bastion (see below, as movement with these formations is ponderous best start any convolutions early to stand any chance of getting it right):

The French were also on the move. Seeing that they had far to many troops crammed in such a small place they thought it best to "recycle the troops" so those that were getting worn by the Allied defensive fire make way fro the fresher troops at the back. It was also hinted that the french needed to extend the frontage of their attack to avoid being "condensed" and not so manoeuvrable (see below):

A horrendous second round of melee is fought with a third French infantry brigade fed in as support. The Allied (British) have seen far better days, rolling a paltry 5 combat dice (needing 4,5 or 6 to score a hit) compared to the 18 combat dice of the French (again needing 4, 5 or 6 to hit). Three to one odds in favour of the French, lots of  "Brigade Level" command with (3) Colonels shouting encouragement  and a (1) General "with a fine wig" attached to boot, plus probably an elite here and there, it all added up (a "+1 for pike was dismissed as thankfully we were fighting in a built up area"). We were quite pleased at the 3 hits inflicted on the French until we received a staggering 13 in return ... that was impressive dice throwing. All that remained of the British was a reduced strength stand "containing the colours" (see below, the flag stands aloft waiting to be inscribed with its new battle honours):

The morale rsult was a forgone conclusion as the brave British are force to retire. The Allies are now scrambling to form a second defensive line before the French infantry can make their mass of infantry count.

Next: A deadly race