From ChrisP: 28mm WWII Australian Pacific Theater Infantry (210 points)

Here is another big entry from one of our points leaders. Chris sends in this impressive force of WWII Pacific Theater Australians.

From Chris:

So, some more stuff from me. This time it is half a platoon of 28mm Australians in the Pacific War. The Australians fought in Africa in the Second World War, most famously holding Tobruk and the right flank at Alamein (doing very well both times), before being redeployed to the Pacific to counter the Japanese advance into Papua.

In the Pacific theatre, the Australians fought bravely against the impossible conditions and the tenacious enemy, battles over the Kokoda track have become legendary for the Australians.

These guys are from a bit later on in the conflict, due to their heavier weapons in the form of Owen SMGs, Bren Guns (rather than a Lewis) and the bush hats! It is an interesting historical argument about the famous Australian slouch hat. Certainly in Africa, the Australians only wore their slouch hats when in the rear, they knew full well how good a helmet was! But in the pacific war, the large tin hat often rattled, fell off or generally made a whole host of annoying noises which would give their position away. So much so, that (from what I have read/researched) that they often wore the slouch hat rather than the helment. Historical arguments aside, the slouch hat is just cool!

These miniatures come primarily from Brigade Games, and are not too bad- some had very frustrating mould lines (and on the photos I see I missed some. Sigh), but overall have good quality of kit etc, so I am happy. A few others come from Artizan and the Boys ATR is from Warlord Games' Chindits range.

On to the troops- First up is the HQ, of an officer (looking dapper in his brown kit), a rifleman and the Radio Operator.

The next is a Combat Medic, with a sculpted armband mainly so that I could tell him apart on the gaming table! He still has a side arm, the Pacific War could be a savage and brutal affair, where the red cross was not enough to save the medics.

Squad One is 10 diggers, one has a Bren Gun, the forward scout has an Owen SMG and the rest equipped with an Enfield, bayonet attached!

Squad Two is equipped the same as the other squad, Bren, Owen an a lot of pointed steel.

The Third Squad is only a half squad, and come from Artizan not Brigade. The Sgt has a Thompson SMG, along with a Bren Gunner and 3 Riflemen. Artizan do have some very blocky faces....

A sniper and his spotter.

First up for the support units is a 2" Light Mortar team, capable of putting fire quickly on target, used to knock out bunkers or strongpoints, as well as being able to fire smoke rounds to cover advances or retreats. The mortar was still very useful, even in the jungle, but these two still have an enfield at the ready!

A Vickers HMG team of 3 men is part of the support for the force. Watercooled, with a high rate of fire, the Vickers was essential in defeating the wave attacks that the Japanese used in the later parts of the conflict. The HMG team comes from Brigade Games, the third member of the team is from Artizan, and has a Thompson SMG.

Light Anti-Tank Support comes in the form of a Boys Anti-Tank Rifle. Woefully inadequate against the Germans, the Boys was however a match for the lightly armoured Japanese tanks. When push came to shove, the Boys was also pressed into use as a bunker buster. Boys gunner from Warlord, the A gunner is from Artizan.

Lastly, some heavier Anti-Tank support, in the form of a 2pdr AT Gun. Much like the Boys, the 2pdr was rendered obsolete against the heavily armoured German tanks, but was more than capable of knocking out the Japanese tanks. Plus it looks damn cool!

I agonised about what to do with their bases, ideas of aquarium plants and other such things, but I opted to keep it simple, so that I could show off the models a bit better.

Brilliant stuff Chris! I've always liked the modular look of the 2pdr - a great design. What rules are you using for these? 

These Australians will give Chris 210 points, bypassing James and moving into first place.

From ChrisP: 15mm WWII Australians (90 points)

From Chris:

First up, is a platoon of Australian Divisional Cavalry in Vickers Light Tanks. Equipped with a 0.5" MG, the Vickers served as a light recon tank in the desert (despite what some armoured commanders tried to do with it!). The Australian Divisional Cav were equipped with them, usually as hand me downs from the British, or from salvage or "semi-legal acquisition". Simple desert camo scheme, nothing too fancy.

Next is a Staff Team and an observer team. Not the most dramatic thing in the world, but if you don't have them, your artillery batteries are  going to have some problems firing! Most frustrating with the infantry is matching it to previously painted miniatures. I don't totally hate how I have painted the auzzies (like I did my US), but it seems a bit silly sometimes to force myself to do average work. But the anal-retentive part of me says DO IT EXACTLY LIKE YOU DID THE OTHERS OR IT WILL BOTHER YOU MORE. And since it was shouting, I listened to that.

Lastly is an Anti-Tank Platoon. This is made up of a command team, 4 2pdr guns and one 25pdr gun! The Auzzies (like all allied nations in 1940-1) found that the 2pdr, although cute wasn't really destroying the Panzers, other than at close range. Which although exciting, has a significant chance of machine gunning. So the Australians detached 25pdr guns to their anti-tank platoons, to give them some far more serious anti-tank firepower. I chose to not put the 25pdr on a turntable, rather deciding that it probably had been "borrowed" from somewhere, and the turntable was a bit too heavy to bother with!

Next up is something I am really happy with....

You did a great job replicating average paintjobs Chris! Urm, that came out wrong. Seriously, these look very good. I particularly like the weathered desert yellow on both the armour and the guns. 

These Australians will give Chris 90 points, further closing the gap with James...

From ChrisP: 28mm WWII Australians (50 Points)

Chris sends in this very fine set of WWII Australian infantry for upcoming games of 'Force on Force'.

Take it away Chris:

First up, is an Anti-Tank Team comprised of one cobber with a Boys AT Rifle, and one cobber with a good old SMLE. The Boys miniature comes from Warlord Games' Bolt Action range (he is really a Chindit), the rifleman is from Artizan.

Next up is my first half squad, comprised of 3 riflemen with SMLE, one NCO with a Thompson and one gunner with the Bren Light Machinegun. These guys are all from Artizan.

Next, is two spare chaps! The rifleman will be used as the spotter for my Sniper team, the NCO with a Thompson... Not sure what I will do with him! Again, these are Artizan.

Last up, is a downed Airman from Warlord Games. I painted him up to be nice and bright, I figured that if anyone was going to be clean in the pacific war, it would be the guy who just landed because he had his plane shot out from under him! It also gives a nice contrast to the dark and dingy Australians. The airman will be used as an objective in one of our scenarios.

This downed pilot is brilliant.

I am not that happy with the Artizan models- their faces are a bit ugly for my tastes! Not that australian soldiers should be chiselled gods, but they wouldn't have been as ugly as Artizan makes them out to be! Perhaps there is some feud with australians, a stolen girlfriend of a sculptor in the past? I don't know.

Even with their ugly mugs these lads will give Chris 50 points, keeping him well within range of the Challenge leaders. Well done!