OK Yes More 15mm Panzers (and Armoured Cars) and some PSC Shermans

Please don't judge me. Another massive Ferdinand? I now have a pair and so will have to fight Kursk (?), makes sense to me; plus these little German 222 Armoured Car 'runarounds' plus a friend to go alongside my other Russian BA-10 armoured car (see below, note the 222's caused me the first bit of real heartache I have experienced with Zvezda kits - some filler will be required before I paint one of them):

Then I decided to make up a bog standard box of 15mm PSC Shermans I had hidden away in the loft (see below, I fell love with them, blame "Fury" which I already have made from the US 'long barrelled' PSC box):

They come in "fives" so I made three up as British - well apart from the one with the British Commander they could be US as well (see below, "30 XXX" style going to Arnhem [without Fireflies]):

An experimental US one (see below, with side-skirts and US Commander):

The a 105mm Infantry Support model (see below, suitable for US or British use):

I am thinking the Fury "Shermans v Tiger" engagement - which means I should really make up a German Tiger I. The premise of all this is still "What a Tanker" but I could be brought into an experimental game of Flames of War (Don't Judge me) or be useful for CrossFire (but that is mainly infantry and all these tanks would be overkill methinks).

You got "More" 15mm Tanks? (Panzers)

Under the banner "Getting ready for What a Tanker" these little (15mm) things were purchased (see below, a Kursk style Ferdinand, a Pz IIIG, 2x Pz 38t and a Stug IIIB at the back ):

I have this awful feeling that for the majority of my wargaming life I may have been collecting "in the wrong scale for WWII. 15mm is large enough for detail, but small enough for quick assembly and painting. It also "fits" better on table for formations. I just have to accept "scale spread" for my "WW2 Collections" - 1/300:1/285:10mm:15mm:20mm:28mm:54mm - and they are all "good!" I canot get away from 20mm because 'everything is covered or convertible. I was saddened to see MMS models ceased trading last year as they did do some wonderfully exotic stuff (Pz II Flampanzer is one that comes to mind). 

Getting ready to be a "Lardie Tanker"

In frenzied preparation for The TooFatLardies "What A Tanker" rules I have been assembling the 15mm tanks I had bought for no apparent purpose and left them in the loft. Hence I find myself making a PSC "Fury" (see below):

A PSC Panther Ausf G (see below, I am setting myself up for a late war clash [Note: The message on the tray is a note to my daughter who likes to 'play' with my paints ... or rather ruin them .. to please "stop"]):

The formations of three are forming up (see below):

The disparity between these medium tanks is 'stark' (see below, the Panther is a Fast Heavy IMHO, also see more of my "stop playing with my paints message" - it seems to have worked! I also gave her a set of my old paints as she actually is very arty):

Good luck Yanks this one looks a hard job (see below):

Nine tanks thrown together, yes the Matilda II's are not interested in playing with those Panthers (see below):

The kits are fast, neat and nice to make and I am just wondering why I didn't get into 15mm before and persisted with the 20mm obsession of mine! Let's not go there, I am just collecting everything now ;)

1/200 Russian SB-2 Zvezda Plane

While walking through a model shop one day I came across a small lonely (but beguiling) Russian light/fast bomber (see below):

"Gawd Bless Zvezda" for catching my eye, stirring my curiosity and needless to say opening my purse! I am sure I will find a use for it (eventually).

1/144 and 1/200 Aircraft Additions

Recent acquisitions (all from Zvezda) in no particuilar order, The ill-fated RAF (or rather AASFS) Fairey Battle in 1/144 (see below, but seems rather a large bird to my eyes):

The RAF Bristol Blenheim in 1/200 scale (see below, a very nice kit to make, although in scale it looks silly next to the Fairy Battle):

Closer up you can see there is quite a lot of detail in there despite it being 1/200 (see below):

Same manufacturer (Zvezda) but different scales 1/144 to 1/200 but the Fairey Battle (which was in effect an elongated Hurricane with a crew of three) still looks too big IHMO (see below):

Onto the Russian Front. I just had to get this (tiny and beautiful [in a quirky way]) Russian Polikarpoc I-16 "Rata" in 1/144 (see below, optimistically the cover art has it shooting down a Me-109):

Now assembled but who knows when they will be painted and god knows when I will ever use them, All-in-all I have never been disappointed with the Zvezda aircraft and

Something different ... 20mm Zvezda WWI Russians

Why? Er ,,,

I am sure I will find a reason at some point .. until then, because they looked kinda cute sitting on the shelf ;)

15mm Madness Continues .. Pocket Money Toys

Now that my interest is "spiked" (as in active) in 15mm I am drawn to the 'Zvezda stands' in model shops. On a recent visit to Nottingham I acquired a KV2 (top left, a chunk beast), a T-26 (top right, delicate but both beautiful and easy to assemble), a BA-10 Armoured Car (bottom right, which was/is a 'work of miniature construction 'art' - very, very impressed) and finally a Matilda II (bottom left) which will probably be sporting Russian colours. Incredibly they snap together, although this time I also applied "liquid glue" ("Plastic Weld" which is well suited as it is very runny and slips into the cracks nicely). You probably spied my Russian leanings at the moment, I just love that 'wacky' Early War stuff (see below):

Still to come out of their boxes are the PSC 15m Russian T34's, Infantry and Heavy Weapons plus AT guns. I am just fascinated with the Zvezda range as they seem to be bringing out all sorts. I saw a M3 Lee in Russian colours, plus Russian Trucks and Stalin's Organs! Yes I will eventually catch up with the Germans too. Once upon a time 15mm was metal, criminally expensive for the numbers you needed but now its "cheap as chips" :)

The idea for the BT-'s and T-26's is to eventually field large formations (a dirty dozen plus - encroaching on my Action 200 Skytrex territory but they are too nice). Who knows I may play Flames of War yet! They are also "cool" for a ton of other rule sets too ;)

1/144 Zvezda Lagg-3 (Assembled)

The Zvezda Lagg-3 is certainly a quick assemble having but eight pieces (excluding the two that go together for the stand) and is a nicely modelled kit (see below):

I don't like the look of the peel on decals but a nice Eastern Front Soviet air asset nevertheless. It will go with the bucket of 1/144 aircraft up in the loft for a rainy day. I am still on the lookout for the cheap 1/144 Pacific war kits that seem to have dried up in the local "foot-fall" model shops. Ho hum. It's not what you have but what you want to have because you don't have it.

If only I were more sensibly project based ;)

Zvezda 1/72 Soviet WWII 37mm AA Gun

The strange kit I could only but dream about in my youth. Made under license in Russia the ubiquitous Bofor AA gun in the sacred 1/72 scale so beloved of me. Zevezda do come in trumps with strange exotica (see below):

Famous in my eyes for firing the opening shots of the Stalingrad Campaign, manned by women militia workers firing over open sites at the advancing Panzers. A nicely moulded, no fuss model, if ever so slightly fiddly to put together, hampered perhaps by my choice of using super glue. Got there in the end though :)

I have another one of these to put together plus an 85mm AA gun for my Soviet AA unit.

Just Putting Plastic Things Together (WWII 1/200 and 1/144 Luftwaffe) : Part V

I have had time to put together some recently acquired Zvezda Luftwaffe "assets". The first of which needs no introduction as it is the tri-motor "Iron Annie" which was the mainstay of the German airborne logistical effort throughout the Second World War, the Ju-52 (see below). Prior to the Second World War it even had a brief font-line bombing career with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War (SCW). The Ju-52 served in all theaters of operations with the Germans, transporting the "must have" lubrication needed for their mechanised armies.

It's roll as a paratroop and air-landing carrier (in the latter case literally crash-landing on airfields while fully loaded with combat troops, see Holland [1940] and Crete [1941]) is iconic as was its participation in the doomed relief operation to Stalingrad 1942/43. Finally who cannot forget the opening (and ending) scenes of "Where Eagles Dare". After putting together the Zvezda 1/200 kit my only thought is that I probably need another three ;)  

Another two Luftwaffe companions to "Iron Annie" (also of "Warlord" comic strip fame), this time in 1/144 scale, is a pair of Ju-87 Stukas (see below):

This acquisition brings my Stuka flight up to three, which (famous last words) should be enough ;)

They Stuka kit snaps together (with glue) nicely and is cheap enough (between £2.50 and £2.75) but with the new Revell kits are coming in at under £2 (£1.99 to be exact your honour) Zvezda have serious competition, which is a good thing for the paying wargaming public.

Just Putting Plastic Things Together (WWII 1/144 Luftwaffe): Part II

Jumping away from RPG Fantasy and Sci-Fi a couple of small scale kits caught my eye from the "to do" pile of unmade kits, 1/144 Me-109's from Zvezda (see below):

This brings my collection of Me-109's to a total of four, in other words a nice little "finger four" Luftwaffe Schwarm.  

The kit is a basic 'almost' snap together affair, but I think it will paint up nicely. The only unfortunate downside is their attempt at decals (I think I will be trying to paint mine on).

Footnote:
Looking around the net I just spotted an interesting Zvezda new 1/144 kit the Hawker Hurricane Mk I, which immediately goes on the Xmas list. They also seem to be going British, doing a 15mm Matilda II and Bedford truck! If only I could justify getting one as I game in 20mm, 1/200 and 1/1300 - No way can I sanely go into another scale! 

A Final New Years Modelling Treat for ME!

Given that the annual New Year Exodus took me up to Edinburgh again, I managed to 'orchestrate' a trip to the Wonderland model shop on Lothian Road, Santa's Grotto to me, using the feeble excuse of a faulty Scalectrix car needing an urgent repair. While there I spotted the following "must buys":

HaT's German Mounted WWII Infantry, something which can complement the German Cyclist WWII Infantry (seeing is believing) and also something I can classify as an "20mm WWII early war". I was originally keeping an eye out for HaT's plastic Polish WW2 Infantry box (to complement my Polish Tank forces) but settled for these instead. Also no sign for HaT's WWII Italian Cavalry, maybe next time.

Next were these fine German Paratrooper figures from Italeri, out for a while now, but like all their new mouldings simply too good to pass up on, I had wanted them for a while. Discretion being the better part of valour meant that I stopped myself going infantry crazy over the Italeri 'Tank Hunter Teams' and an intriguing Italeri Italian WW2 large (10.5cm?) Artillery piece.     

Finally I did make sure I got one of these kits from Zvezda, essential for an early war, self respecting Motorised Rifle Battalion of the Soviet Union. This also meant I neglected to buy the Airfix WWII 1/76 Cromwell and the WW2 1/76 Airfix Churchill Bridgelayer kits (again), but I had a lack of funds and space. Their time will come I am sure ;)