Soviet Armour of WWII (Again): Not just a T-26 but a T-26-4 Artillery Tank

I sense a rather long rant coming on. If I am being perfectly honest, it is a rant mostly at myself, not the kit. UM models and me have a love-hate thing. They produce the "off the beaten track" variants and I love them for that. They obviously experiment with materials and sometimes get it spot on. As per the one piece track it this kit. Far better that the old Airfix/Esci fiasco of heat-glue the ends of the track together without melting the damn thing. However I have to say that my concern was more with the ninety (and yes I do mean 90) other parts I had to first assemble for the "tank wheels" it to go over, including four of the dreaded 'etched metal parts' used for the front wheel - and super-glued in place (see below, the T-26-4 beautiful from a 'model-making' and 'kit-collecting' perspective but so daunting at the same time just to make, that is probably why it was "last to do" [and if say I have had this kit for ten years is an understatement] in my stock-pile of Russian kits to do - so, yes that means after this kit I have ran out of Russian WWII things to "make", note "make" ahem not "paint") : 

Zip forward in time and it's done (see below, that was quick - er, no, not quite, but I honestly don't have energy to go into the build details as it was so demanding and intense [I am sounding a complete primadonna here, but it was far worse than "screwing" the Persian War Tower together]): 

Can I point out the annoying "etched wheel parts at the front", there are two, an inside and an outer .. not really sure why. The machine gun to the side of the main gun in the turret is annoying as the hole is placed to the top while on the instructions it is placed to the bottom [and it was not just a case of me rotating it wrong, honest]. But .. once done I fell in love with it .. it was an insane sense of achievement over the odds ,, and yes I would buy another UM model (if a simpler alternative was not to hand), despite all my cussing (see below, a T-26 ready to take on the Fascists): 

Sorry, one final rant, but no it is not about the number of times I dropped small parts on the floor and crawled around on my hands and knees, and believe me I was being very careful. Neither is it the fact that I could not find plastic part 67 (the turret machine gun part, yes - to go in the misplaced hole [top not bottom] in the turret MG socket) anywhere on the plastic sprue - I finally located it specially segregated in the etched parts bag! To be fair, it was where the instructions cunningly said it was .. albeit in the small print. No it is the fact that despite the T-26-4 having a rear MG (a classic design feature of early war Russian tanks) they didn't give you one. Why? Would it have broke the bank? After all it made it to the box art on the back of the kit! So off I go to salvage something from the WWII spates box (see below, my rear MG actually comes from a PSC German rifle .. ha and I don't care .. it feels suitable punishment for this Russian tank to really on a German Lanser weapon!)

Having said all that. I love this little kit. Rant over. Yes I am thinking about buying UM BT5 or BT7 next. Unless PSC do one in 2021 or I can get my hands on a decent five piece resin model instead. Watch this space in 2021 ;) 

Battleground 2017: The Haul

Slightly overdue in coming ...

I was quite sensible (well to my strange mind) and all these purchases made a sort of practical sense to expand and fill out my existing collections. Firstly I acquired some Britannia Miniatures 20mm British Paratroopers from Grubby tanks so I could cover the Order of Battle for a Chain of Command "Red Devil" Para Platoon and therefore have no real excuse for painting up a WWII 20mm platoon in metal. I bought three - two man Bren gun teams, one - three man Vickers HMG, two [wait for it as this bit is a tongue twister] - two man: two inch mortar and one - three man: three inch mortar (see below, D-Day and Arnhem "we are go"):

Next came something sensible, Perry's Renaissance Light Horse, so I can expand my Renaissance Impetus army building project (see below, I think this was a "sensible" purchase - mug of coffee not included):

And finally the mandatory "mad saw it on the day purchase and could not say no" three WWII Soviet late-war JSII 20mm pre-made and painted plastic metal assembled kits (ones that are usually given as the toy part of a magazine offering .. Del Prado or the like). For three pounds each I could not complain or say no but in a way I was good in limiting myself to three (there was a big box of them), knowing I also had two JSII plastic kits already made but needing to be painted in the loft (see below, "Uncle Joe" says hello):

As a bonus ball I was honoured by Renko giving an early Xmas present from a bookstall of (another) Bismarck book. This comes recommended as the author "knows his stuff" (see below):

All in all a nice bag of goodies and all of which should find a good use and home in my collection(s).

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?

Recent Ancient Fury but WWII is Not Forgotten

Time TravelingWargame Interests
From: 5th Century BC to 20th Century AD

Confession: I recently was in a model shop and couldn't help myself acquire the kit that "was never there as a boy" (anybody know that feeling?). For love nor money you could not get it in plastic as a boy, the British Cromwell, a much maligned medium tank (when compared against a German Panther tank). The nearest you could get would be a tricky Comet conversion that perversely 'downgraded' its wargaming fighting potential. True I already have some in ArmourFast, Revell and two makes of resin but I do like the new Airfix moldings so I am a happy camper (see below):

The second item was a reunion with an old friend, the Airfix T34/76 or T34/85, two kits for the price of one. This is an old mold but still a classic (see below):

Now I somehow have to make some time to make them, perhaps if I get "lost" in the garage for an hour or two ;)