Overflight: A Solitaire Cold War Game

I can neither confirm or deny the existence of this "book game" to be in my possession, or then again not in my possession. The administration does not offer any comment on rumour or conjecture, nor does it use Signal messaging app for important communications. That said, the U2 spy plane is as an iconic piece of Cold War spy-craft technology and is still being used today (see below, another information packed book game from Historic Wings, to join my growing collection): 

Would readers kindly "not look to the skies" as a large dark object takes to the skies and flies off to mysterious places (or not as the case may be).

10mm Pendrakon British Cold War and their Paint Schemes

While at Pendrakon HQ, on impulse I picked up a couple of packets of their lovely 10mm Cold War British. To be honest this was on a bit of a whim and fancy - as most of my wargaming projects start (see below, confession - I thought these were the normal Ferrets (Reece Scout Cars), but on closer inspection these were the Vigilant Swingfire Anti-Tank missile version, which all seems a tad exotic and heavy hitting for a lightly armoured Recce Scout Car - careful before you to decide to engage that T-55 or T-62):  

The other packet I picked up was much more of a rarity or stylish collector piece - the last true British Heavy Tank (before they became designated MBTs I think). It's roots lay in tank design and thinking in the late 1944's. Perhaps they were thinking of something taking on the likes of the German Tiger, King Tiger and Panther classes of tanks (see below, the British Conqueror, it is a fantastic model - looking a bit Sci-Fi if you ask me, but the T-55 had a ceratin out of this world look to it too):

The kits were staring at me in their unfinished silver so I quickly primed them in my favourite Airfix Acrylic Grey and set about looking for teh official looking Vallejo painting guides to give me a list of paint codes to chase. Luckily for Flames of War - Team Yankee they had a Cold War British Camouflage Pack, even better I already had the paints (see below, a Conqueror in a weather base coat, not finished but it is starting to look the part): 

Other wargamers who preceding me [many thanks Stefanof] giving advice is always welcome: 

http://stefanov.no-ip.org/wordpress/index.php/2019/01/09/modern-british-vehicles-colours/

Vallejo reference material from:

https://acrylicosvallejo.com/en/category/hobby/sets/wargames-en/

https://acrylicosvallejo.com/en/product/hobby/sets/wargames-en/wwiii-british-armour-infantry-70222/

More of this to come, in due course, methinks.

Nice Blogger Site showing WWIII - Modern US/Soviet/Russian 6mm - Armour, Infantry, Engineering Units and Aviation Units

This is really nice work (see below, a WIII extravaganza of 6mm moderns - lots of US and Soviet kit on show, where he goes I hope to follow): 

https://little917.rssing.com/chan-12028885/all_p1.html

Way down to the bottom of the link there are some beautiful examples of Pontoon and GSF Ferry units, something I will try and duplicate for my modern 6mm Russian/Soviet engineering units. This has helped me in my attempts at finishing off the Cold War (WWIII) Spearhead OoB Soviet Motor Rifle Division (still currently a WIP)

Audible Book: The Stasi Poetry Circle

I asked for an Audible book recommendation for a car long journey and a friend came back with the most curious titled book I ever had heard of (see below, was this a send up .. a later day "Tinker, Tailor, Solder, Spy"? So I downloaded it .. and was not disappointed by any means): 

I was transported into the dystopian East German communist/socialist state and a mindset that Orwell himself would have been proud of creating. What followed was a exercise in "reducto ad absurdum" - where a country decided to control every aspect of the language its citizens spoke, only to become frightened of the poets and dissidents who used the language far better than they. So naturally they had to counterattack and understand this dangerous phenomena, study it and control it. By their very nature the jailors informed on themselves with tragic comical effect. A dog has a better chance of catching its own tail!   

Audible Book: All Hands Down - USS Scorpion

I decided to go for a quicker and lighter Audible book (in length, though not necessary in topic), but keeping to the naval theme, this time more modern (Cold War), albeit in 1968 - the unofficial hypothesis of the loss of the USS Scorpion, to alleged Soviet action. Which is an attention grabbing headline if ever there was one. Allegedly the attack on the USS Scorpion was in retaliation to the earlier loss of K-129 near Hawaii in mysterious circumstances, the Soviet Sub being the later focus of the CIA backed Glomar Explorer expedition to recover [part] of it (see below, "All Hands Down" gave a very good picture of what it was like to serve on a US nuclear submarine and the lifestyle of the "dolphin" families had to endure - and you really did feel that the US Navy let the families down afterwards):  

Whether true or not is conjecture, though a compelling case was made, particularly with relevance to US serviceman turning traitor (John Anthony Walker) and passing on communication code cipher secrets to the Soviets and the capture of US communication equipment in North Korea (USS Pueblo). There was a huge window of opportunity for the Soviets to electronically eaves drop on US Naval Operations, with the US blissfully unaware that their communications were deeply compromised. What is also clear, was the the sixties and early seventies were a tense time of frequent Cold War Superpower confrontations, many of which had the potential to spark a general East-West war. From the Cuban missile crisis, the ongoing Berlin tensions, the Kennedy assassination, the ongoing Vietnam War and while general bipolar mistrust of the period. 

It is amazing the world survived in retrospect.

Abyss by Max Hastings - Cuban Missile Crisis: Audible

On the back of Nuclear Folly I was recommended to go and also read the Max Hasting's account of the Cuban Missile Crisis in his "Abyss", to hear as it were a slightly more westernised version of events, although still with his keen critical, investigative journalistic integrity (see below, a longer listen but it was well worth it): 

Again he took no prisoners and was at pains to be far reaching in research as well as being balanced. Another epic listen broken up over several weeks. Why the thought of Russian nuclear missiles 90 miles from the US shore created the stir it did in the US was a main theme, whereas Europeans were well accustomed to it. This was the basic error of Khrushchev's thinking that lead to him to make such a mad adventurous gamble was explained. The tangled escalation of events, twisted tortuously in an insane manner that no fictional book would think worthy of a plausible plot-line. The cast of war-minded American Generals who felt goaded into action and belittled by not invading Cuba. The minor comical character that took world stage that became the latter villain of the piece to my mind was Castro. Just when a safe passage was in sight, navigated by others he tried to vaingloriously grab the tiller and cast teh ship onto the rocks. After listening to it, I am not sure how we made it here, As Kennedy himself stated, he thought there had been a one in three chance of nuclear war. 

A lighter read needed next! 

Flashpoint Campaign - Southern Front Play Through (Armchair Dragoons Video)

Courtesy of the Armchair Dragoons: 

https://www.armchairdragoons.com/articles/aars/flashpoint-campaigns-southern-storm-developer-interview-playthrough/

I was a big fan of the Flashpoint Campaign Red Storm so I think I will be getting into this too!

Nuclear Folly: Audible Audio Book

You read all about it in the history books, the popular press and the papers so you think you know all about the story at least at a superficial level, thinking no more real shocks to come out. Then you settle down with a book like "Nuclear Folly" and then and only then does it dawn on you, how "stupidly comfortable you are in your thinking" - you were lapping it all up and sitting in a "history with the benefit of hindsight" syndrome. Facts drawn out long after the events push a new interpretation and open up "the things that could have been"! (see below, a "good read" rating underestimates the staggering impact of the Soviet perspective on events): 

Most disturbing was the Epilogue that quite rightly pointed out what a dangerous time we are living in, remiss without some of the safeguards that existed in teh Cold War. I intend to follow up this with Max Hasting's Abyss. Need a strong coffee first.

Note: I was parallel streaming two very different books (one over Alexa in the kitchen and one from Audible in the car) hence such a sudden turn around in my reading speed ;)   

A Package from America: "Fire in the Lake" COIN Board Game - GMT P500

In the hedonistic (pre-Covid) days where the UK pound was much stronger than the dollar, so transatlantic shipping(*) from America was offset by the nice GMT P500 discount, I saw the jewel of the COIN crown was being reprinted so I jumped on that P500 train without hesitation. Now, my long term investment (years of waiting/forgetting) has paid off as the postman passed on a suitably (or dare I say delightfully) heavy parcel to me (see below, the box art is beautiful, the Huey is so iconic of Vietnam [got to make one of those in 1/72] and the scene below seems straight from "Apocalypse Now" - the red setting sun and steaming jungle):

(*) Note: Appreciation and kudos goes out to Second Chance Games as they partially offset this cost with their Euro Friendly Shipping arrangement with GMT.  

Inside the geography jumps up from a beautifully mounted map board (see below, a geography map straight from teh classroom, bended with some lovely photo art, class!): 

Then there are the meeples, the event cards, the rules, the bot instructions and the scenarios (see below, a long winter night or two will be spent around this one for sure): 

It is a thing of pure beauty to behold and a nice companion to "A Distant Plain". 

1/300 Russian Missile Troop

Classified as "Divisional Level" assets (certainly according to the Modern Spearhead OoB) for my Russian Cold War Motor Rifle Division (see below, a Frog-7 [conventional or nuclear armed] and four SA-6B Gainful): 

Heroics and Ross models.

Note to self: BOAR Order of Battle 1989

https://www.orbat85.nl/documents/BAOR-July-1989.pdf

Purchase Number 3: Book - Battlegroup! (Jim Storr)

Battlegroup! The Lessons of the Unfought Battles of the Cold War by Jim Storr.

This book seems to have created a little bit of a stir in the wargaming community associated with myself. Lots of people have went out and bought a copy and even read it cover-to-cover. I have gotten through the introduction (see below, a classic Cold War that never went Hot [thank god], but what could we have learned from it - as in the planning for it): 

Of interest his background research seems to be built around extensive (over 200 games over a couple of decades playing with his brother) play-testing of a set of  modern wargames - using in fact the WRG Moderns rules (1:1 scale).  This is a ruleset that I have seen, looked through (WWII and Modern version) but as of yet not played in anger at the table top. Watch this space I am hoping that will change soon! 

PC Game - Flash Point Red Storm - WWIII "The War That Never Came"

This is my latest PC obsession, which has already caused the wife to pass caustic comments on my hobby and her hubby's strange sense of priorities. It hankers back to my teenage youth (the late 1980's) and the threat of the Cold War going "Hot" was in the back of everybody's minds (see below, never mind "Nina and her 99 Red Balloons" .. what about those T-72 Tanks? There are thousands of them!): 

What I love about this game is the WEGO system (something that would mentally kill you if you tried to umpire something like it on a tabletop, as the computer must slice a turn into so many little segments and hold tract of who goes first etc on a huge list of actions) and the "hands off AI" for a lot of the minutia (stuff the troops would be doing without you having to tell them to do it .. for example, indirect weapons repositioning themselves after a shoot is a case in point). The double bonus is the classic FOW (Fog of War play .. which leaves you [peeing] on "the seat of your pants") during play. The triple play bonus whammy for me is that it is breathing a bit of life back into my modern 1/300 scale collection (which seemed stopped at Modern Spearhead about a decade ago) as a few little extra models would not go amiss. I may look to expand it is the direction of some Americans and British (BOAR) - already having some Russians/Warsaw Pact and West Germans. 

The red rings around my eyes tells you all you need to know for now ;) 

Another Crazy Project: Cold War Planes

I cannot really justify this at all but at the same time I could not help myself. Three Tamiya kits for a tenner from Wonderland Models at Xmas .. I had bought them before I knew what I had done, a Christmas present to myself along with some other Colonial stuff. In fairness I had walked by a huge stack of these models a few months previously and these were the tail end and I figured they would not be around for a third visit (see below, beautiful looking kits it has to be said):

The IL-28 in particular is a classic sinister Cold War piece of kit. Maybe you will see it flying over Afghanistan perhaps?

I would NEVER have believed the Physics of this was possible or the Failure to spot it!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48859331

I think this is an example of is called "Deep Simplicity!" You let the Americans find the sophisticated stuff you put in the building but sneak in the real thing Trojan horse style through the front gate with a smile!

Modelling: Small MDF basing material from "The Works"

I found these intriguing and potentially very useful 'in high street' from The Works. Small circular (of various sizes) and hexagonal (again of various sizes) bases that seem to be crying out for figures to be mounted on! (see following pictures below):

Circles: With my playing around with some Cold War Soviets from PSC, three rifles to a base on a large circle, a two man RPG team on a smaller circle and I forgot to include a Commander on a tiny one. A 2p piece is shown for purposes of scale (see below):

Hexes: No figures attached yet. I have a suspicion that these might be more useful for Naval and Air combat. Again a 2p piece is shown for purposes of scale (see below):

You get 110 piece for two pounds sterling  in the circles and hexes so the price comparison with alternatives is good. They "feel" better than metal IMHO. In addition I found these "spikey circles" full of potential, these are eight for a quid (see below):

I have in mind painting them (and potentially putting a few cosmetic debris  items on them) for Chain of Command "Jump-Off" markers rather than my stand-in poker chits. There are various other potential uses for these as counters and the like.

Cold War Flash Back 1970-90 (1:300 Micro Tanks) Soviet MR XX Project Tank III (WIP)

I happened in the loft upon an old collection of 1/300 modern micro armour. A project the better part of three quarters the way through making the order of battle for a Soviet, circa 1980's. Motor Rifle Division. The BMP and 2 x BTR regiments were all made, the next step being the organic Tank Regiment for the Division. The current state of affairs of the OrBat of stands to be completed is shown (see below, 21 stands waiting for tanks and odds and sods to fill in):

A little tender loving care (TLC) was applied to the basic brown, along with labelling the units in standard Spearhead fashion at the back of the base (see below): 

The missing stands in the above picture required a basic brown spray undercoat of "brown" to seal them (see below):

Sadly I don't think they match the original batch so I will have to lighten the base with an old fashioned brush (see below):

Next: Time to root out the silver legions of "micro tanks" to populated the bases!

NATO Ground Crew 1/72 Impulse Purchase

Life is full of strange connections so my motto is take them when they come and work to your advantage. I was out on a "first stage job interview" and was mulling over on how I thought I had done when I passed a "toy shop", Saw it and thought "What the heck I will treat myself" (see below, good result):

And was glad I did! Nice little combination of Cold War NATO lightly armed NBC guards and rear echelon types, useful for modern Chain of Command or Black Ops (Osprey Rules).