German Recon 20mm Airfix Classic (Vintage) Set

Another Airfix classic, this time a muddled box of confused spares and complete sprues with had two Kubelwagans and two 222 armoured cars. Yes the early war German classic Recon Set (see below, one twist as I left teh turrets off the armoured cars as I will be converting these to a 221 machine gun armed version and a 223 radio car version - wish me luck):   

This would mean that combined with my existing force of 222 armoured cars (good for Russia 1941 onwards to 1943 in grey), or I can either go more early war, and field the machine gun armed 221 and Hortch Kf 13 armoured cars (thinking Poland 1939 and France 1940). Either way the 223 is a good radio Command Car option. 

The Panzer Grey Production Line Continues: Some Panzer II's

From shiny yellow plastic and Africa Korp Desert Yellow to a base shade of German Panzer Grey courtesy of Tamiya (see below):

And from the other side (note the repaired 221 armoured car axle):

Don't tell Paul from PlasticWarriors but some Renaissance Holy Roman Empire (HRE) mounted Harquebusiers got a little look in too (see below):

Then fear not it was back to the finishing the Panzer II's:

No decals yet (I am promising myself a mass decal and varnish day sometime in the winter).

These two complete the tanks I need for the "light companies" of the battalion for the Command Decision 1939 and 1940 German Panzer Division order of battle.

Footnote: 

Somebody else has been interested in Panzer II's recently see link.

The German Panzer II: At least it has a Gun!

Moving on from the mighty Panzer I, you come to the second "training tank" the Germans had to go to war with. Presenting the 'nippy' Panzer II with its high rate of fire 2cm flak gun (seen below in its initial construction phase  neat little desert diorama house).

The Revell kit (really an old Matchbox one to the old fogies like me who remember it first time around) is still a joy to put together and although as old as me still fits flawlessly together almost assembling itself. The soft plastic tracks are also just the ticket to, no multi-part fiddle with single linked tracks and plastic cement to bother about (ahem, rant over).

Here's another one I did earlier with the intention of doing a DAK mixed Panzer company (see above). The necessity of the 1939/1940/1941 Panzer battalion project draws it back into a German Panzer Grey paint scheme (yes I know it is technically an Panzer Ausf F rather than C but I don't bother too much about things like that, it has the right number of wheels and gun). Besides when they landed in Libya the DAK tanks were still dark grey, even fighting their first battles attired as such, and were only bleached by the sun and painted sand yellow after a while of being in-theatre.

Also on the painting table a little repair job on an old Airfix 222 armoured car (that I converted to the HMG 221 version) as the back axle has snapped off. After all every Panzer battalion needs a little 'recon' assistance to draw the enemy AT fire before committing itself to battle.

Going to war in "Your Dad's Car"?

The German Army in 1939 was nothing short of desperate of AFV types if it had to use the "Maschinengewehrkraftwagen" Kfz 13 as a combat reconnaissance vehicle.  

It must have been like going to war in your Dad's open top touring car and must have attracted a lot of bullets to boot.

This dear little thing was made by MMS Models. A fine cast little kit. MMS Model kits are not cheap but do produce the filler gaps between the more common plastic kits and the stuff you need to flesh out your orbat.Seen in the best light below, I think I will base them on a stand with infantry "next to them" as I have not got anything small enough figure wise to fit inside.

I think this model warrants those dreaded "white cross" bullet attracting markings of 1939, as I don't think it saw much action post Poland 1939, from France 1940 onwards being a death trap. It has shades of the 1914 "Race to the Sea" armoured cars of World War One before the trenches set in.