Late War Allied "Odd One": British Crusader AA Tank (SHQ)

With still some superglue spare I decided to fix up and construct the next metal monster. This time from the later part of the war. Attached to the Command HQ of a British RTR was a nominated AA tank, converted from an obsolete model. One such tank was the Crusader chassis, although I remember seeing a picture of a Light Vickers Mk VI having four BESA upward pointing machine guns in an old encyclopedia. This Crusader has twin 20mm Oerlikon guns (see below, Note: There was a Bofors 40mm version too, but I think that requires me cutting up an additional Airfix kit!):

A much nicer professional fit and it went together no bother. I positioned it with an "open hatch" so I need to fit a sky scanning commander in it. I was thinking of the Airfix Bofors spotter figure. Just a matter of finding that particular needle in a haystack ;)

This leaves my resin Britannia Miniatures ARV the last element if my 1944 [British in Normandy] Command Decision RTR project as a must do model. Yes I have lots of painting still to do!

French D2 Infantry Tank circa 1940 (SHQ)

Clank, clank here comes a tank!

This "French D2 Infantry Tank" has spent a long, long time waiting for its assembly, escaping from 'the box of toys in the loft' (approx two years). Nevertheless it is a highly valued asset from the 1940 French "clanky tank" era (the D2 was first in service from 1933). A forerunner of the much more successful Somua S35 and Char 1B models. Characteristics of both of these more successful tanks can be seen from this predecessor.

One thing that kept its assembly at bay is its metal construction with all the filing and super glue that entails. Thankfully it was far more straight forward that previous Propaganda Tank (see below, the turret and chassis are settling with the super glue in a quiet corner of the kichen):     

It certainly looks French in its shape (see below): 

Suitable methinks for an ad-hoc detachment from De Gualle's 4th Armoured Division (DCR). That way I can get away with fielding a singleton in an eclectic company/battalion. Apart from a few wacky French renaissance half-tracks, my only remaining 1940 French want is an FCM tank (not that it was particularly useful on the battlefield, I just "feel" the need for one).

The AFV assembly montage continues ;)

SHQ German "Propaganda" Tank

Wikipedea: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neubaufahrzeug

A multi-turreted early war metal monster, the German equivalent of the T-28. Not quite as mad as the Russian T-35 but clearly sanity prevailed as it never reached production getting halted at the prototype state (five in total), although three vehicles did fight in the Norwegian Campaign. It is a SHQ birthday present that has been a long time waiting for its time in the sun (see below):

It has all kinds of experimental madness, with twin guns (3.7mm AT and low velocity 75mm L24 HE) in its main turret, two Pz I style machine gun sub-turrets (that only have one HMG a piece in them) and a crazy high hull with multi-roller tracks (see below):

It comes together in a sort of mad Indiana Jones style way (see below):

Next stage(s): From silver to black to Panzer Grey, but when?

Polish 7TP painting (continued III) ... Clanky Tank Finale

Partly for the sanity of NZ Paul (recoiling in horror at the multitude of recent Renaissance postings bringing flash backs of history lessons from his school days, learning lists of kings and queens etc.) and partly for my own pictorial confirmation of "painting progress" in 2012, I conclude my early war WWII Polish Tank painting spree (later war I guess it  would be Allied Cromwell's or T34/85's depending on whether it was Western or Eastern front). My "independent" 7TP tank company (see below):

The three tome highlighted camouflage is completed and the tank tracks are now painted with Anita's Acrylic Metallic Black and then highlighted by mixing in a tad of my diminishing stock of Games Workshop Mithril Silver. A close-up of the said painted tracks is shown below:

They now go into the "early war" draw, next to a I will return to these at a later date to do a matte varnish coat to protect the paint from shedding/scratching/wearing after handling as the SHQ metal casting has sharp edges on its boxy superstructure

The other thing I intend to do is put a plasti-card floor on the bottom of these models as it is very disconcerting when your fingers disappear inside its hollowed out carcass and tends to make me drop the blooming things!

The twin turret 7TP, the one I nominated as a "command tank" (see above), is a funny looking beast and must have been a nightmare to try and use in combat. SHQ Polish 'heavy armour' complete.

More Polish 7TP painting (continued II) ...

The 'base colours' are put onto the second "gun tank":

The shading starts, mid-tone and final highlight. The shades of brown was harder to do Anita Acrylic's Earth Brown, Anita Acrylic's Dark Red, Games Workshop Sunburst Yellow and Anita's Acrylic Cream. The challenge was not to turn the brown pink: 

The final yellow colour gets a white shade highlight:

Camouflage pattern complete, tracks and exhausts to do next:  

Still think I will plastic-card the bottom to make the model feel more solid. The kits do need to be varnished however as the SHQ castings have sharp lines which mean that the Anita Arylic's paints have a tendancy to 'rub' off the metal. Handle with care until the varnish goes on ;)

7TP's another thirty minutes painting on ...

Prototype camouflage pattern done on the "command tank", time for the other two "gun tanks" to catch up (see below):

Meanwhile while technically not a deviation (see "Just a Minute" Radio 4 game show rules) it is a distraction (but in my defence it is at least on the list):

The Airfix 1/1200 KM Prince Eugen from the "Sink the Bismarck" set. Will my concentration hold or will I be a kitten chasing a butterfly? Tune in next time to find out ... 

Polish "Clanky Tanks" 7TP's (cont)

Still working on the Polish 7TP's and trying to nail their camouflage scheme. These SHQ kits started life on a trades-stand at the SELWIG London Games Wargame Show in 1997, purchased when I was "young and single" in London and could afford buckets of metal. This lavish investment has finally matured (see below):

The three tone scheme was lightened up in two shade highlights: Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow added with Anita's Acrylic's Cream, Tamiya  XF-62 Olive Drab added with Games Workshop Sunburst Yellow and Anita's Acrylics Earth Brown added with Anita's Acrylics Dark Red and then Games Workshop Sunburst Yellow (see below).

The "magic formula" seems to be working (see below):

Not too sure how to tackle the exhausts: Anita's Acrylics Metallic Black and Games Workshop Mithril Silver for starters? (See below):

A close up of the "Command" 7TP Twin MG's. Full Frontal (see below), this camouflague scheme was jigsawed from various sources and taken from other "modellers" examples so probably it is not as blockish as per historical (see below):

Side-on and taken from "Blitzkrieg: Armour Camouflague and Markings, 1939-1940. Steven J. Zaloga", see pages 33, 36 and 37.

Rear (more educated guesswork):

"Prototype" done time to do the other two 7TP gun tanks. Photo-shoot over, the real "clanky tank" painting continues in the background.

Note: Hidden in a tray somewhere are some mounted and dismounted SHQ Polish Lancers and standard FAA Polish Infantry.

The "Clanky Tank Party" starts (Polish, French and German early war tanks)

Every party needs some "Party Animals" and I have a bunch of five from SHQ:

The three Polish 7TP's (one with twin MG's and two with two with 37mm Bofers cannon), the French D2 and the German Propaganda Tank

Work starts on the elaborate early war Polish camouflage (see above en mass), the base coat is applied, Anita's Acrylic Earth Brown (11014), Tamiya Acrylic XF-60 Dark yellow and Tamiya Acrylic XF-62 Olive Drab (see below for the close-up of the twin-MG 7TP):  

Both the yellow and green will have to be modified to match my guide and early war tank bible (see below):

Handily all three tanks are covered with nice plates and descriptions. Still on holiday and loving it ;)

The Xmas Haul

I must have been a very good boy this year as Santa brought me some "clanky tanks" and much, much more:

These are two SHQ metal "early war" tank kits. The first being a French Char D2 (see above left) a French 1940 Infantry Tank (aka slow), a decent 47mm AT gun in a relatively medium/well armoured body, like a Char B1 bis without the 75mm hull gun. The other is the wacky German (original, see above right) Panzer V (no not the Panther aka 1942/3) but the 1940 "Propaganda Tank" version as shown in newsreels of the time. These were (three) mild steel prototype of the land-battleship multi-turreted "tank-ship" discounted from mass production and combat use after poor evaluation reports. The three fought as a unit in the Norwegian campaign, one being destroyed by German engineers after it bogged down in a Norwegian river blocking a German column. The "Propaganda Tank" was thought "so little of" by front-line troops that it was simply blown up "in-situ" rather than face a challenging salvage. The other two were sent back to Panzer training schools in Germany as static displays. I've always wanted them both so I am a happy lad. 

 
An unexpected model kit from my eldest brother, a 1/144 "Herky Bird" (see above), from Vietnam, to the Falklands to the realms of AK47 African and South American despots, a very, very useful acquisition indeed!

Something er, French from the wife (see above), I had asked or rather pleaded with her to pop by a local retailer who had unexpectedly started stocking a range of wargame period kits if she was stuck for a Xmas present. Imagine my surprise when I get a garbled telephone call while at work from wife in the said shop and I had to "talk her in on instruments" to the model isle and decipher the right ones from the wrong ones (if there is such a thing). I had mentioned my Napoleonic interests so I suggested something French and got the above box from Victrix. This is a long term 2012 project inspired by the artwork and painting prowess of Iron Mitten and other talented bloggers.

What I did not expect was that each of my children were also getting in on the act (the youngest son too young to choose was pitched in with the wife and the early Napoleonic French) and my daughter had selected a 15mm Flames of War piece of kit, Wittmann and his Tiger (see above). This puts me in several dilemma's, one scale 15mm versus 20mm, the Flames of War rules-set is one I don't possess (and has received many a bad comment in the press and wargaming fraternity, a game but not WWII simulation) and I do not knowingly chose to paint Waffen SS. Well I shall keep the model for "diorama" purposes and with an eye to acquiring15mm Plastic Soldier products and Zvezda 15mm vehicle kits for FoW and BFWWII, if you cannot beat it join it. Hmm, we'll see.My eldest son pitched in with a deliberate and well thought out purchase (see below):

I have dabbled in the kits for Warhammer 40K, out of more interest in the Sci-Fi figures than game system and my eldest son was always interested in my "good" reptiles (Tyrannids! Blame that on CITV and the animated karate dinosaurs and 'the like' for being "goodies", wait until Tyrannids start killing his Space Marine patrols is all I'll say!), in fact viewing them as part-ownership rather than Daddy's. He always liked the look of the flying ones and thus a squadron of Gargoyles.

All-in-all a bumper Xmas haul, watch this space for the pilgrim's progress  ;)

Xmas Painting Tray

While the turkey is roasting, you never know I may be able to slip away ... and do a quiet spot of festive model painting. Perhaps the "Sink the Bismarck" Airfix HMS Hood in 1/1200, 25/28mm Mounted and Foot Renaissance or ... 

To attend the small matter of some Polish WW2 armour from SHQ (see above dressed in Tamiya Matt Black) waiting for their funky three tone early war camouflage scheme. It must have been effective as the Germans seemed to copy it later in the war when they needed to hide their tanks!

Nicely cast models, but I want to "plastic-card the bottoms over" (explain that last sentence in a court of law) as they have a rather "hollow shell" structure (understandable by SHQ to keep weight and costs down). Maybe it's just me but it somehow feels wrong when I pick them up (makes them slightly less durable in my mind too)?

Note: There are two of the "gun version" (for the fighting tanks) and a "command" twin MG version tank, good enough to field as an independent Polish tank company (in CD3 terms) against my early war Panzer I's, II's, III's and IV's..