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 ;)

Expanding into a New Period and Scale ("Chime the Bells of Doom")

Everybody says that they won't but then everybody does it again and again.

To quote Judge Dredd, "Won't these perps ever learn?". Speaking of which I have been also eyeing up that offering from Warlord Games too, but no my current "penny peril project" is ..

28mm (25mm compatible) ECW with a Scottish Covenanter twist courtesy of Warlord Game's temptations, my powers of resistance being weak or non-existent! I have got as far as putting a packet of forty together (see below):

I like the distinctive "blue bonnet" look, but I would have preferred it if Warlord Games had managed to 'keep it all plastic' as mixing it up with super-glue and plastic glue can get quite confusing. It is the 'walk away' and don't touch aspect of the super-glue I hate. I end up nudging teh figure and causing the metal bonnet to slip 'over the eyes' of my soldiers! Then I have to start it all over again but this time getting super-glue all over my fingers (see below):

I hope to use them with a set of rules called "For God, King and Country" published by the Canadian Wargames Group (see below):

The first battle I intend to do is Montrose's Royalists "Battle of Aberdeen" where these fine fellows will be defending, but hopefully in a reasonably well painted state (see below):  

I still have a long way to go to before completing the army though, see you in 2016 for an update ;)

KM Blucher (1/720) Assembled

Bit by bit she finally came together ... that's the way I seem to work with ships over a long and protracted time scale ... no point rushing it ;)

Plane and hanger added (see below):

Secondary AA guns (see below):

Little bits of superstructure at the back (see below):

Finally the radio masts (see below):

Painting may take some time as I seem to have a plastic mountain queuing up on the painting tray ;)

Dinosaurs .. Thou Shall Not Covet Small Boys Toys

Part of fatherhood or should I just say in general parenthood, is that you are always "seemingly forever" clearing up toys. Every now and then a toy can stop you in your tracks and makes you 'smile' (Lego for example) but also every now and then a toy takes you "aback", as in "Wow, cool! I want it!" (As in - see below):

This beauty (T-Rex) fits nicely into the category of "causes Daddy to day dream of 28mm Victorian Explorers from (Copplestone Castings, Perry's and the like) being chased a cross a wargaming table" (see below):

Perfect for 28mm, don't you think? (see below):

Inadvertently sneaking up on him/her in a jungle clearing and wondering can you get away before "it" turns around. I can almost hear the Jurassic Park "snort" of the T-Rex getting the first whiff of the heroes and villains in its nostrils (see below):

Don't worry, it made it back to the toy bucket ... well this time ;)

Is this the first Elf of Xmas? (Mystery)

Have I spotted the first "elf" of Xmas?

According to my Renaissance campaign friends no, it is a legitimate element of a DBR (Thirty Years War period) Army List (see below):

In the manner of a "competition without prizes" but bestowing prestige and praise from friends on clever or correct answers .. "What is it"? He certainly rides a strange four-legged beast, but some may argue there should be more white, of a snowy nature, on the base (see below):

Note: This is not a extra cast-off from the second Hobbit film GW collection!

I will be intrigued if there are any answers, next week I will post the answer as it was told to me, in a comment.

Have fun thinking on this one :)

PS Sadly I do not own this figure, which is a composite from legitimate historical figure ranges and purchased from reputable historical figure manufacturers, nothing 'fantastical' at all about it.

France 1940: Return to Tagnon (WWII Battlefront Scenario) 8

The French Commander Responds:

As the German Panzer Battalion commander contemplates his dilemma of "How to bypass Alincourt and cross the bridge" the French commander introduces him to French 155mm Schneider artillery "en masse" (see below):

What goes around, then comes around.

Enjoying this "artillery phase" and not wanting to be left out of the action the French commander at Neuflize (ahem, me again) brings in his trusted regimental artillery assets to 'save the day' and scramble those annoying German motorcyclists. Again the 'risk adverse' (of hitting your own troops - again) mental calculation is triggered and once again dismissed as unlikely (after all this would be a "one in one thousand occurrence").

I am sent straight back to Probability Class 101 as once something has occurred its certainty is P=1. Therefore instead of 1:1000 it is still only 1:10 and guess what .. (see below):  

Note to Self: See reference to "Ground-hog Day" and related entry of "Twit"!

"Friendly Fire" once again hits 'Friend and For' alike, prompting the Umpire to declare, "This is no accident the French artillery have just registered short on Neuflize today, no need to roll the dice again as I already know the result" .. I laugh hoping he's joking, but something of a twinkle in his eye makes me wonder!Not as bit as the divisional templates but I still mange to upset my sole AT gun covering the river (see below):

The battle as seen from the German side of the battlefield. The fighting for Neuflize (see below, top of photograph) has certainly drawn in the German motorcycle unit to its death, being under half strength in infantry now its fighting "umph" is definitely questionable but what holds in that mysterious black Hanomag 251 column, it has got to be something special. The motorised transport (see below, bottom of the photograph is probably the German Pazer Division Engineer Battalion plus various HQ elements. I will be interesting to see where it will deploy to, Alincourt or perhaps the 'wooded river-line' space between Alincourt and Neuflize (see below):

Finally the "panzer parking problem" of Alincourt. The lead German Panzer Company is certainly looking disorder (but not killed, dead or dying). Its attention may be drawn to something coming "off table" left in the form of French "tracked vehicles" (see below):

But it is not over yet as there is a third action (game) planned to cover the "tooth and claw" tank versus tank action as the French High Command commit their precious 'char' (aka tank) battalions in a desperate 'make or break' counter attack.

To be continued ...  hope you have enjoyed it so far

France 1940: Return to Tagnon (WWII Battlefront Scenario) 7

The German Panzer Commander considers a problem: 

The German Panzer Battalion rides through a slight (noisy) artillery barrage and for want of other targets attempts a "close assault" (i.e. overrun attack) on a French AT gun (see below):  

The attack is successful in classic "Blitzkrieg" style (see below):

But where to go next as the side-streets with ample infantry cover and Panhard 25mm AT guns looks less than inviting. The infantry target at the rear of Alincourt will invite side-shots from those previously mentioned Panhards! (see below):

What you need is some motorised or armoured infantry to perform a combined arms assault, however all you see as far as the eye can see if "panzers" in a rather large traffic jam of their own making (see below):

The Panzer commander is faced with an intriguing problem in as much as, he does not want Alincourt but rather teh bridge over the river at Alincourt. So how does he set about getting it?