More 28mm WWII Undercoating - US Infantry, US Paras, 1940 BEF Brits and French, Japanese

Just to complete the full story (or is it?) of the "Spray Can Day" event!

Wargames Atlantic British 1940 BEF and a few (6) Imperial Japanese Infantry from Warlord Games: 

Wargames Atlantic French 1940 Infantry:

German Late War Infantry - Warlord Games: 

US Paras - Warlord Games: 

US Infantry - Perry Miniatures and Warlord Games: 

Left with empty spray cans! Job well done!

WW2 US Infantry Painting Guides from around the Internet (20mm)

The crazy "Project" a 1:1, US, WWII, ETO (Normandy/Germany), Infantry Company (minus the 60mm Mortar supports - that is a small follow on mini-project) painted in 1/72 from an assorted plastic figure collection of Revell (Ardennes), Italieri, Caesar and Plastic Soldier Company [PSC] (see below, the sunlight lit painting tray) :  

I have adopted the finish a small pilot (squad) batch then go into "death before glory" full factory production mode. It seems to be working but I have a tight deadline!

Painting Guides: 

First of all the one I ended up using (see below, designed for 15mm FoW figures but I used it for my 1/72 plastic miniatures): 

Vallejo Model Colour (majority): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-odbmMyyOeo

Gathered from my Internet searching a wealth of riches from other web-sites: 

Contrast Paints (an alternative I considered, but not for 20mm):

• https://www.wargaming3d.com/blog/speed-painting-wwii-infantry-with-citadel-contrast-paints
• https://www.reddit.com/r/flamesofwar/comments/o9eoxh/a_us_rifle_platoon_some_contrast_paint_and_an/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eai34eU6nA
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOTnNmGZY7Y

Normal Paints: 

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2fdVyyudwc
• https://www.warlordgames.com/step-by-step-american-gis-by-sascha-herm/
• https://www.flamesofwar.com/default.aspx?tabid=110&art_id=444
• https://cracdeschevaliers.blogspot.com/2010/03/painting-by-layers.html
• https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235148918-a-paint-colour-list-for-british-german-and-us-uniforms-and-kit-by-nation-and-theatre-and-vallejo-shadow-highlight-mixes/
• https://launch.battlefront.co.nz/1247/

German (FoW) but a good painting Flesh Description: 

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dauzu7kc2u8

WW2 US Infantry Company OrBat

Great reference point for US Infantry Company OoB:  

• https://www.battleorder.org/post/usa-rifleco-1944
• https://www.battleorder.org/

Useful for these game systems: 

• Chain of Command
• Command Decision
• Spearhead
• SL
• ASL
• Crossfire

Perhaps?

Netflix: The Liberators - WWII Small Unit Action (US GIs in Italy)

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

Saw the first episode and I am already hooked (although I had an issue how they knocked out one Panzer III in particular). Also have the "urge" to start making and painting 28mm American GIs for a "Chain of Command" platoon - which cannot be a bad thing, can it? (I do already have them unmade, unpainted and feeling unloved in various Warlord Games boxes).

Footnote: Really impressed with this mini series .. it soon became a story rather than a procession of kit .. the trauma (and story) came through very well.

Undaunted WWII France 1944 Normandy Combat System - Boardgame

This one definitely needs "time in the sun", or rather on the game table (see below, from the vaunted Osprey publisher no less):

I am especially interested in this as it seems very comparative scale in scale to Chain of Command platoon sized action. It also places emphasis on scouting and reconnaissance.

Coming next a North African variant: https://ospreypublishing.com/blog/cat/osprey-games/post/announcement_undaunted_north_africa/

Warlord Games 28mm WW2 US Infantry

Seeing as I had purchased a box of Perry's 28mm WWII Infantry (arrgh, I am seemingly fully committed to WWII multi-scale madness now) the June 2019 Wargames Illustrated giveaway sprue from Warlord Games was not so much a no-brainer but rather a compulsory purchase (see below, I made my six infantry men up as 3 x M1 Garand Riflemen and 1 x M1 Carbine [as you can never have too many of these], a BAR gunner and a sniper/marksman with a Springfield rifle - I just to say resisted the trench-shotgun): 

I have so far resisted getting the July edition as I cannot see a need for the Crimean Russian Infantry sprue in my current collection (though let me sleep on that). Given the quality of the Warlord Games figures I think I am destined to purchase a full box of these and the D-Day Rangers for all the extra bits to make the interesting engineer troopers.

Airfix Battles Play Test: Scenario Two - "Save Colonel Parker" (Part 1 of 2)

Gaining the initiative the German player opened up with his Veterans spraying the large American Squad causing two casualties (see photograph below):

The German MG42 team was now set-up and in position to fire (see below):

However the American player was able to rally his squad first by using an interrupt which recovered their morale. In retribution the reinvigorated  US Squad then opened up on the Germans taking out all three remaining Veterans (claiming VPs as well), leaving the German Commander horribly exposed for the next turn. all depended on who got the next initiative. The Germans got it. The German Commander quickly played an Artillery Card and MG42's followed up breaking the US Squad (see below):

The German Grenadiers now played their card and on the last move of turn two jumped into the objective capturing the "dazed" Colonel Parker. With the large US Squad no longer in an imposing fire base it was left to a crack team of Snipers and four Veterans with their commander to try and wrinkle them out by the end of the last turn or the Germans would lose the game. The Grenadiers were isolated (as in away from the MG42 LOS and supporting fire) and suffered from some good shooting from the Snipers who cunningly kept out of range. However it was up to the US Captain to "lead the way" and close combat the farm with his Veterans forming a brave rescue attempt (see below):

Despite knocking down two Germans the Americans were caught in a terrible "machine pistol storm" and were forced back. Withe the objective firmly in their hands (and the game won) the Germans passed their remaining move so to avoid any embarrassing American interrupts [that could have saved the day]. So it was "For you Colonel Parker the war is over!" (see below):

End Game: Colonel Parker is now on the way to a POW camp! Unless there is a daring escape ;)

The game seemed all the more epic for inclusion of classic Airfix illustrations on eh cards. For my part it left me wanting to unearth the old Airfix classic figures I know I have in the loft, as well as the new British Infantry figures. I sense a micro Airfix renaissance project wise in the near future. You don't need that many figures if truth be told :)

Airfix Battles Play Test: Scenario Two - "Save Colonel Parker" (Part 1 of 2)

Airfix Battles has been languishing at the bottom of my "to play in the near future" draw for some time now, so I naturally leapt at the chance to finally "get a game under the belt". It may be branded as an introductory wargame but it looks simple and 'neat'. I have seen so many  'advanced' (aka unnecessary complex) set of rules leap into the "bin of rule despair" I will give anything a go for inspiration and novelty.

Note: The playing pieces and counters are of high quality (which bodes well) and have already cross-fertilised other game systems

Scenario 2: Rescue (or try and capture in my case) Colonel Parker who has got himself trapped and injured in a French farmhouse (see middle square of the board below) in the early hours of the D-Day operation. He carries vital operational information, so both sides "want him" for completely different reasons (see below, terrain used instead of paper game board, US coming in from top and the Germans from the bottom):

A subtle twist to game play is that both sides position two pieces of blocking (LOS) terrain, so cover appear (see below) to help both sides get a safe route "near" the farmhouse. The US are apparently trying to recover from a loss in Scenario 1, while I as the Germans are tasked to "nab" Parker and spoil the party for the Americans (see below, "spot the difference"hedges have miraculously appeared):

Side set-up alternatively "squad" at a time, the player winning the initiative choosing to go first or second. The US have a powerful Full Squad (see bottom), a gaggle of Veterans and their commander (see center) and a small half-squad or large team of Snipers (see top below). The American troops being a friend's metals, from the Britannia Miniatures WWII US range (see below, the long green line):

The Germans put a Grenadier unit (powerful but short range), the commander with his Veterans and a  pair of deadly (at least I am hoping so) MG42 machine guns to the right. Nobody is in Line of Sight (LOS) so the winner of the initiative can focus on effective movement. The objective is to hold the central farmhouse square for "two turns" and be deemed to effectively have captured or rescued Colonel Parker (see below):

The Germans are my old (favourite) Revell Panzer Grenadier figures (bought in the twentieth century but painted in the twenty first century). The Captain barks orders after to move up to the right of farmhouse, The large US Squad plays an interrupt card and takes out one of their number (see below, quite a nice game mechanic):

The German MG42's set-up to the far right of the German line in a rather exposed position while the German Grenadiers tuck in behind the objective ("Farmhouse Bleu") where Colonel Parker is hiding. This is part to act as a threat against any quick US snatch attempt and partly to keep the Grenadiers safe and out of long range fire (the Grenadiers only have a range of three whereas the normal is four). The German's hunker down and tensely wait for the next turn (see below):

Next: Crunch time "Colonel Parker tries to hail a cab."

20mm American WWII Infantry (Airfix Battles and Chain of Command)

With an eye to playing an American force with the 'Chain of Command' rules and using figures instead of counters in Airfix Battles I gathered together my various "virgin, part painted and fully painted" plastic US Infantry figures. None of the "fully painted" category makes it to the full OrBat as required so some "painting tray" work needs to be done. As it stands I have US Infantry (excluding paratroopers and US Marine Corp) from the following manufacturers:

• Valiant Miniatures (23mm)
• Plastic Soldier Company
• Caesar Miniatures
• Revell
• Italeri (new not old Esci)

Given the OrBat needs of "riflemen" no one manufacturers (with the possible exception of Valiant) packet suffices to make a whole 'Chain of Command Platoon'. However each manufacturer's packet can easily make an individual squad though. Therefore by careful deduction as I need three squads plus a HQ section, multiple manufacturers shall be used:

• Platoon HQ: Lt (Carbine), Sgt (SMG) and Bazooka Team (Bazooka + 2 Crew)
• Squad 1: Corp (SMG),  Rifle Section (8 Rifles) and BAR Section  (BAR + 2 Crew and 1 Rifle)
• Squad 2: Corp (SMG),  Rifle Section (8 Rifles) and BAR Section  (BAR + 2 Crew and 1 Rifle)
• Squad 3: Corp (SMG),  Rifle Section (8 Rifles) and BAR Section  (BAR + 2 Crew and 1 Rifle)

I decided to paint a section from the Plastic Soldier Company, (new) Italeri, Caesar and finish painting up a squad I started a decade ago of Revell 'Ardennes Infantry' which gives me four squads (yes one more than I need, but there are extra things also required from the American "support list" and an extra squad is one of them). They are also all 'size compatible/interchangeable' something that Valiant fails at (it would have to be a full OrBat or nothing). This means the "painting tray" looks rather full (see below):

I am following my preferred painting pattern as of late. Airfix Grey 01 Acrylic primer followed by a Vallejo Wash, in this case Black. The Plastic Soldier Company (PSC) are first up "primed" (see below):

The "washed" Black (see below, though this may not go down in history as the most informative picture I have ever taken!):

Next stepis to follow my old posts on Valiant US Painting instructions.

Ranger's Lead The Way

I picked up this interesting "hit the beach" packet of Pegasus Miniatures WWII US Rangers (D-Day) aka "Saving Private Ryan". Almost as exotic as the Soviet Naval Infantry from Pegasus  I already have, I hear them calling me from the loft (see the Rangers below):

The other item of passing interest is a Russian  1/144 WWII fighter from Zevezda (see above and below):

Need to find some quiet time in the Greenhouse with these methinks ;)

PSC American Heavy Weapons Set

This is an interesting little release from the Plastic Soldier Company (PSC) to complement the US Infantry with the miscellaneous variations on heavy weapons (mortars and machine guns) that the US Infantry hand in the Second World War (see below):

These include three each of the following (crewed):

• M1917 Machine Gun
• M1919 Machine Gun
• HMG M2 Browning
• 81mm Mortar
• 4.2 inch 'Chemical' Mortar
• 60mm Mortar

Interesting and "wacky" stuff, especially the 'Chemical Mortar' thing? What's that then?

My First CrossFire Game: Opteroon Crossroads (Part IV)

The Umpire's narrative moves on to its final instalment ...

The German Player:  

Klien was nominally the officer of Rhomer's platoon. Only 19 years old, he had not seen combat before, and was envious of the way the other troops respected and deferred to the grizzled sergeant. He had been terrified when the Sherman had appeared, but the Pak guns success, and Rhomer's bold individual counter attack spurred him forward. He would show everyone he was a combat soldier too! Gathering the remaining squads of the platoon he followed his sergeants route around the flank of the Ami positions. He saw a US officer stumble out of a building to be cut down by MG fire. Now was his chance - he ordered Rhomer to hold his position and boldly charged the remaining US position with his other two squads. Rhomer shouted a warning, but the young officer either couldn't hear him, or chose not to (see below).

The US Player: 

The US 2nd Platoon hadn't all been wiped out in the initial failed assault. Corporal Myers and his squad had been ordered to support the other squads by fire. They had watched with horror as the platoon was first pinned then killed by HMG fire before they reached their objective. The survivors were in poor shape, but there was still fight in them yet. As the Germans rushed into their building the squad held their fire until the last moment, then came the whirlwind of automatic fire, grenades and hand to hand combat with rifle buts, bayonets, knives and teeth. Miers watched as though in slow motion the young German officers face looked puzzled, not understanding why there was a US bayonet in his stomach. Myers fired, the shock of the bullet helping clear the body from his M1, then looked around. There were dead and dying Germans everywhere, but the three men left in his squad still held the building (see above).

The German Player:

Lange saw the assault, and closed his eyes in despair. What a waste, charging in like that. Two squads lost in a brave but foolish charge (see above). 

The US Player:

Myers saw the Germans massing again for another assault, this time through the adjacent building. He realised his men didn't have the strength to hold. Grimly he reloaded his rifle, then lit a last cigarette to share with his men, and waited (see above).

The German Player:

Rhomer saw Lange lead the reserve platoon into the occupied building. Lange did it right, infiltrating through the ruin next door, then there was a sharp series of explosions, stick grenades being thrown, and a flurry of shots. Moments later Lange appeared, and gave the "all clear" signal. 

Silence returned to Opteroon, broken only by the crackling sound of the burning Sherman tank at the crossroads.

Game over and a deep breath, I had never played such a roller coaster of a WW2 game before. I was amazed at the chaotic experience the CrossFire initiative passing delivered. The intensity of the experience where a single mistake can brutally expose disaster to  "force" (and not by just rolling a "ten" on the dice) was very chastening.

Note: I cannot wait for CrossFire game No.2

My First CrossFire Game: Opteroon Crossroads (Part III)

The Umpire's narrative continues ...

The German Player:
Sgt Rhomer was a veteran of the East Front. Seizing the initiative he worked his way around the left of the village. Cautiously he infiltrated around the rear of 1st Platoon HMG position, then launched a vicious close assault, clearing the building. Seeing his success, the remainder of his platoon rapidly followed him.

The US Player:
Stott realised his position was being flanked, but with First platoon pinned in a firefight and Second now non operational he only had Third platoon available. He tried to pull them back to redeploy but they were pinned by accurate rifle fire.          

Both commanders were interested in the same building, seeing it as the linchpin of the contest (see below):

Stott realised he had to lead by example. He rushed to 1st platoon, who were suffering from accurate mortar and HMG fire, and tried to rally them. If he could restore order, at least they had a chance. The men rallied, but at that moment a devastating salvo of 8cm mortar bombs crashed into the position, wiping out much of 1st Platoon. Stott staggered from the position, stunned, not realising he was in view of the flanking German MG42....................

Meanwhile the US troops on the right flank (US)wondered what the hell was going on past the still burning Sherman that had been supposed to be supporting them (see below, their inactivity was a result of the CrossFire initiative passing system):
 

The German assault was so successful because they had infiltrated the rear of the US position. The first target was the 30 calibre MG position that was causing the German central position so much "suppressive' problems.

Rhomer pressed on to the rear on the next American building containing a suppressed American infantry stand (see below):

The rest of the Rhomer's platoon followed into the breach and established a firing line into the rear of the American company commanders position in the protected lee of a building, but the protection was facing the wrong way and the US troops were caught naked in the "open". Three three full infantry squads and an attached MG42 blazed away (see below): 

Two thirds of the American "order of battle" (two platoons plus the supporting armour asset) had now been destroyed. Only one 'reduced' US platoon remained on the board, hunkered down in their "last" strong point waiting the inevitable German assault.

Next: Closing Time

My First CrossFire Game: Opteroon Crossroads (Part II)

The CrossFire 'unique' initiative passing sequence of play now comes into its own. The Umpire's narrative (in orange) continues ...

Lange saw with horror the Pak crew driven from their gun. Unless he got them back into action the Ami tank would blast his troops out of their positions. Lange quickly ran to the gun, and shouting and kicking got the frightened gunners back to their gun. Taking careful aim the Pak fired at the Sherman, and the crew cheered to see it burst into flames. 

The nasty Sherman with its 105mm HE (anti-infantry) rounds is no more (see below):

Back in the building the young recruits scrambled back to the windows as the US infantry closed to assault. In a brief flurry of fire they managed to pin the Ami's down between the two buildings (see below):

The US "Tank Commander's" T-Shirt (Always look on the Bright Side) seems somewhat ironic considering the state of his Sherman Tank (see below):  

Then the left flank MG42 swivelled and opened fire on the pinned platoon, and the German mortar also joined in (see below):

A close-up of the Grim Reapers, always respect the MG42, especially when it is on its tripod mounting and you are in its arc of fire (see below): 

  
The pinned platoon was wiped out

A fire-fight developed between the US and Germans in opposite buildings. Stott moved up to try to assist 1st platoon (see below):

So far it was turning out to be a rather unforgiving game when you made a mistake as shown by twenty dead GI's caught in that murderous cross-fire between the MG42, two German squads rifle fire and a barrage of 81mm mortar fire. Once your fingers are caught in the vice there is no way out. I enjoyed the "lack of" measurement as IMHO it assisted game play no end.

Next: The Germans Counter-Attack
Exploit the enemy strength as his weakness
         

My First Game of CrossFire: 1944 US (attack) versus Germans (defend) Opteroon Crossroads (Part I)

CrossFire and me, the background:
I had been waiting for this moment for about ten years. The copy of CrossFire had lain dormant for that time half read (a couple of false starts) but with 'no other interested parties to play with' it seemed an exercise in futility in getting 'half into' yet another rule system (despite intriguing comments passed on to me through various sources of its novel style of play). I had played an enjoyed Spearhead (an above battalion and Divisional and below 'level' of game [typically using 1/200 and 1/3000 toys]) by the same author, so CrossFire seemed to hold great potential to me (from platoon up to battalion level) for a 'practical' use of my collection of WWII 20mm kit (originally gathered together for Command Decision but after much soul searching I came to the conclusion I did not like the aesthetics of the ground scale, in extreme cases of AFV combat you could get a Tiger tank touching a Sherman "barrel-to-barrel" resolving fire combat, but to me it looked like "ramming" combat). So it came to pass, when of an offer of a game came to me by email I decided to "jump in and fill my boots".

Chosen randomly (the coin came up heads) I played the German (Americans attacking top down to the bottom of most of the photographs, eagle-eyed readers will see the line of barbed wire and minefield [strung across the road]) that denotes the German front line. Continuing with the Umpire's narrative ............

Somewhere on the Belgian border, November 1944
 
The US Briefing

"The shelled out village of Opteroon is wreathed in winter morning mist. Lt Stott of C Company, 334th US Infantry looked carefully at the village, noting the belts of wire separating his forward positions from the unseen enemy. Stott had been ordered to make a Company attack on the village. He had a Sherman tank in support. Last week a platoon from B Company had been overrun by a Tiger tank, and the concerns about German armour meant he had brought extra Bazooka's "just in case"

Stott deployed with all three platoons on the line. His plan was for Third Platoon to hold his left, while First and Second platoon assaulted the large building in the centre of the village. Everything in place, he gave the signal for the Company mortar to begin laying smoke........"

The "Yank Tank" M4A1 (105mm) Sherman (see below) makes a statement, being brought up to support the US infantry attack in the centre of the village (the heart of German defence, the very crossroad itself, a very bold move).

The German briefing: 

"Lt Lange of 2 Kompanie 2nd Battalion 351st Grenadier Regt wished he could stay warm. He was tasked with holding Opteroon crossroads. He had a Company of Volksgrenadiers, with two more platoons of Volksgrenadiers in reserve. He also had a pair of MG42s and his company mortar, plus a single Pak 40 anti tank gun. He was worried about enemy tanks as his men had no other anti tank weapons. His troops were a mix of young boys and old men, stiffened by a cadre of veteran NCOs. He had deployed one platoon in the large building in the centre of the village, a second in the woods on the right, and his third in reserve at the rear left. He had his Pak40 emplaced in a wrecked house which covered the crossroads, one MG was positioned in a building covering the flank and rear of the central building, the second in a house covering the left flank. "

He set his HQ up in a building to the rear. (Ed's note: I didn't say I was going to be brave)

The Germans possessed only one weapon capable of taking a Sherman on at distance, the venerated Pak 40 75mm Anti-Tank gun. In gunfighter style it faced down the Sherman (see below).

2Stotts mortar fire woke everyone. The Sherman advanced up the road, covered by the smokescreen. First platoon opened suppressive fire on the large building.

The Pak crew manhandled the gun around to cover the approaching Sherman, but the Sherman fired first, and sent the gunners diving for cover. The Sherman then switched to fire on the large building, suppressing some of the defenders. Second platoon broke cover and charged towards the building, and then it went wrong........ "

The panoramic view of the battlefield. From this angle the Americans are attacking left to right, the dividing line going down the slightly left of centre of the village, behind the line of barbed wire and mines (see above). The Sherman tank can be seen top left driving down the road (see above).

Note: All the above kit is 15mm from the Umpire and American players vast collection

Next: All Hell Breaks Loose
The CrossFire initiative sequence of play comes into its own

A field of Valiant American GI's

After many hours spent with modelling knife, plastic glue and super-glue behold my Valiant American GI's from Normandy line up in raw plastic.

The trial batch were processed a while back, so the rest of the "battalion" makes its way to the production line. As per the instructions in the packet the figure poses were chosen to field a Rapid Fire US Infantry Battalion 1944 with a few (or more than a few) spares left over (see below).

Also seen is an Italeri M8. Nice to see new mouldings hit the market and it goes well with my Skytrex metal M8 and M20. I will probably get the Italeri M20 if I see it (and if it is under a £10). It is a nice kit though with fiddly parts, to counter this they have wargame mode instructions which leaves out the bits that will probably break.

That way I have the makings of a US Combat Team Recon Group. My (old original ECSI) M3 Scout Cars, plus Hasagawa M3 and M4 Half Tracks should do nicely as transport for the Armoured Infantry.

Seen here in nude plastic wanting, nay yelling for paint. One could also ask where oh where are my metal Platoon 20 British 1944 Normandy infantry, left so near to completion at the start of this year. Waiting patiently is the answer

:(

Valiant's GI's Passing Out Parade

The excitement was tangible, the final dry brush of the base and ceremonial flock complete, the first sprue of Valiant 1944 GI's (all sixteen) were wargame ready. Squeezed in for the camera below, front facing:

And back:

True I have already spotted some catch up jobs to do. I don't like the helmet straps (green instead of brown) and I didn't pluck up the courage to paint the US flag on the sleeves of the jackets, as per the Flames of War painting guide description. These can wait for another day (if ever).

They are colourful and playful enough for my liking :)