RN / RAN Fleet Refurbished

I've completed the repainting and refurbishment of the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy ships for the Indonesian Confrontation reboot project. They look better now that the bases have been repainted and I have two additions to the fleet, HMS Zest and HMS Eagle. I still need to add a couple more models and obviously now need to paint some FAA aircraft for the carrier, but I'm moving on to something different for next month, as a break from painting 1/3000th scale bow waves and wakes, one of my least favourite things to do!

RN Repainting Sitrep

Some half decent progress with the RN and RAN repainting today, including painting up HMS Eagle and HMS Zest from scratch, including flight deck decals for the carrier from, no surprise, Flight Deck Decals. Superb quality as always, even when applied by a cack handed duffer like myself. Next up will be wakes and bow waves, then a shiny varnish for the bases and a couple of labels. 

RN Refurbishing and Reinforcement

I'm now starting on the base repainting of the RN and RAN models for the Indonesian Confrontation reboot, the aim being for them to match the lighter blue of my sea terrain cloth. I've applied the basecoat and will do a dry brush and highlight tomorrow. I've also decided to finish two extra models, the fleet carrier HMS Eagle and the Type 15 frigate HMS Zest, both of which took part in the conflict. If I have time I'll also paint up the commando carrier HMS Albion, the light cruiser HMNZS Royalist and a couple of Ton class minesweepers.

Indonesian Navy Refurbished

The base repainting job on the 1/3000th scale Cold War Indonesian naval fleet is now complete, taking far less time and effort than I thought. I was expecting to have to replace the base labels and tidy up the models but it all went smoothly without any need to do any additional fettling. It's now on to the Royal Navy, with a handful of extra models possibly making it onto the workbench as I go along.

HMNZS Royalist

I found a surplus Davco model of a Dido class light cruiser in my WW2 stash while searching for something else, so had a go at a very basic conversion into a modernised version, to represent the obsolescent HMNZS Royalist. This involved straightening and reprofiling the stacks, removing the QF 5.25-inch C turret and rounding the corners of the bridge, with a few tweaks here and there. It's far from accurate but will do the job, giving me a New Zealand contingent for the Indonesian Confrontation naval project re-boot.

Indonesian Navy Base Brush Up

I made a start on the repainting of the bases for my Cold War Indonesian naval fleet today, blocking in with a basecoat of Vallejo Prussian Blue. This wasn't as fiddly or as messy as I thought it would be, so I had time to paint up two of the LST bases to a finish, to test out the rest of the process. Although I faffed about with the bow wave and wake a bit, they turned out looking acceptable, so I will crack on with the rest of the fleet after the weekend. If this works well, I'll follow on with the RN, RAN and RNZN, adding a few extra models that I didn't paint the first time around.

New Tumbling Dice Cold War US Aircraft

As promised, Paul at Tumbling Dice has filled some gaps in the Cold War US range with some really useful new models. The Voodoo has been a missing link for Vietnam games, especially Thud Ridge, so is a very welcome addition, as well as being a really cool aircraft. For me, the Neptune is also an excellent new model, as it can be used for the Black Bat RoCAF CIA backed intruder flights, while the Orion can be used in the maritime patrol role for numerous nations, most obviously my Chileans. Nice!

Shipwreck?

I've been frustrated with the continuing glitches and holes in Naval Command, which I like as a set of fast play modern naval rules but which still has lots of issues that make it a headache to actually use. As a result, I've decided to go back and try out my original option for a simple set of modern rules and have a go with Shipwreck from Vandering Publications, which is a tried and tested system that offers a similar level of complexity. It also has a wide selection of ship data sets that covers most if not all of the vessels that I have for both the Indonesian Confrontation and the 'What If?' South American campaign that I'd like to play out next year. I'll aim to get a game underway as soon as I can find the time. If that doesn't float my boat it's back to Naval Command, as there really isn't much alternative.

Modern Chinese Navy Update

I've now finished painting the PLAN warships for the South American Naval Command project, together with the modernised Chilean flagship Almirante Williams. I only have to texture and paint the bases, add some labels and the project will be virtually complete, except for the aircraft which will follow on later when I get the time. I've already completed painting the fishing trawlers, which will be based up alongside the warships, so there will be something to fight over when the missiles start to fly!

Modern Chinese Navy Progress

I've been busy this week with various jobs around the house and garden, my agency supply work having dried up, so I've only had limited time to spend on the modern PLAN warships and fishing boats. The extra models I added to the line up are now at the same stage as the first lot, with all of the blocking in completed and some detailing underway, before they get highlighted and pin washed. I'm now hoping to get them finished for basing by the end of the week?

Modern Chinese Naval Extra Bits

The order I put into Navwar earlier this week has arrived in super quick time, so I can now add some extra punch to the Chinese PLAN taskforce, with two Jiang Wei I FFG's, a Han class SSN and a Fuqing class replenishment tanker, which has enabled them to get all the way across the Pacific. I've also got three more trawlers to add to the six I've painted up, although one may end up as a sinking model, plus the Type 22 Batch 3 DDG to use as the modified version of the Chilean flagship Almirante Williams. I'll add this lot to my project painting schedule!

Chinese Fishing Fleet Finished...almost?

I've blitzed the trawlers and factory ship for the Naval Command project this afternoon and pretty much finished them, leaving only the base texturing and painting to be completed. I'm quite happy with the trawlers which I enjoyed painting and weathering, while the factory ship isn't too bad. I have some more trawlers on order from Navwar, so I will be able to expand the fishing fleet to more than half a dozen boats later on. I'm trying to think of how I can use them to trigger an incident, as a pretext to the Chinese and Chileans coming to blows, and think I have an idea that might just work?

Modern Chinese Ships Blocking In

I've almost completed the blocking in on the Chinese warships and fishing fleet, with only the black and white details to add before I can tidy up and pin wash the models. I'm quite pleased with how the trawlers and factory ship are coming along and think they'll look pretty good once I've added some rust and weathering, as the real thing often looks very dilapidated and weather beaten. The warships, on the other hand, are a bit rough and ready!

Modern Chinese Warships Underway

I've made a start on the modern Chinese warships and fishing vessels for the Naval Command project, with a small taskforce of frigates and destroyers to intervene in a fictitious but entirely plausible fishing dispute with the Chilean and Peruvian navies. The PLAN are starting out with a Luhu class DDG, two Sovremenny class DDG's and two Jiangwei II class FFG's, although I have more reinforcements on the way from Navwar. 

The fishing flotilla consists of six deep sea trawlers and a factory ship, the latter actually being a Soviet era spy ship model but ideal as a mother ship for the trawler fleet. I've given them all a light toot with Halfords white primer and have now base coated the warships in Vallejo Light Grey and the trawlers in Vallejo German Grey, ready for some blocking in. I'll aim to finish all of these by then end of the weekend, before moving on to the Fistful of Lead bank robbers and banditos.

Modern Chilean Fleet Finished

I've now completed most of the warships for the Chilean Navy for my Naval Command project, with only a couple more to add if I want to bring it right up to date, as well as a handful of helicopters and aircraft.  I've decided to postpone the Peruvian warships for the moment and am now moving on to some civilian fishing vessels and a small selection of Chinese destroyers and frigates for a 'What If?' tuna war of the coast of South America.

Modern Chilean Navy Sea Bases

I'm on the final stretch of the modern Chilean naval project, after a frustrating week of having little time to get things wrapped up due to work. I have now almost finished the sea bases and have glued the models down so that I can add base labels and some bow waves with white paint and a fine brush, all of which should be sorted by the end of tomorrow. I'm pleased with how these have turned out and I'm now looking forward to getting the Peruvian and Chinese models prepared for painting over the half term holiday. I'm also hoping to get some games organised during the holiday, at least one of which will be something suitably nautical!

Chinese Pirate Fishing Fleet

I've decided to extend my modern naval project to include some Chinese warships that could be used in a 'flashpoint' conflict against both the Chilean and Peruvian forces that I'm working on at the moment, as well as for other scenarios in the South China Sea, for example. The thinking behind this is based on the fleets of trawlers and factory ships that operate illegally off the coast of Chile, Peru and Ecuador, which I can use as a hook for a limited scale conflict between the combined navies of those countries and the Chinese PLAN. 

It's a bit sketchy at the moment, but I do have some nice Navwar deep sea trawlers and a factory ship, together with a Luhu class destroyer and a couple of Jaingwei II frigates to get the thing going. This won't be a big extension to the project but I think it will add some fun to the Naval Command games that I'm planning, once again in the format of a small scale campaign of linked scenarios. I'm going to add these models to the Peruvian warships that I'll be painting over the next week or so.

Modern Peruvian Naval Taskforce

I was supposed to have a day off work today, during which I was going to paint the bases for the Chilean warships and prepare the Peruvian ones for undercoating, but I was called in at the last minute instead. I've now started painting the bases and have unpacked the Peruvian warships ready for a clean up. These consist of eight Lupo class frigates, six Type 209 submarines and possibly, as an optional bonus, the ex-Dutch cruiser BAP Almirante Grau. 

The latter was operational up to 2017, despite being very long in the tooth having been originally laid down in 1939, although not actually commissioned until 1953! It's a small and relatively weak force compared to the Chilean units that I've painted already, which is why I'm thinking to developing the project in a different direction. This will involve some of the Navwar deep sea trawlers and a factory ship, along with a third naval power that a combined Chilean - Peruvian taskforce might have to tackle?

Modern Chilean Navy Aviation

At some point soon, I'll be painting the aircraft and helicopters to use with my Chilean naval forces, using Tumbling Dice 1/600th scale models as usual. The Chileans operate AS332 Super Pumas from their frigates, destroyers and landing ship, so I have prepared eight of these for the project, half of which I will arm with Exocet missiles for anti-shipping strikes and the rest as ASW variants. The models are basic Pumas but I think they'll pass at a distance for the more modern Super Puma variant. 

I'll also paint up four land based F-16's which can be used for anti-shipping missions, possibly equipped with AGM-84 Harpoon missiles, but also as top cover for the fleet when it is operating offshore. I'm not sure when I'll get round to all this, as I have the Peruvian Navy warships to paint first, but I'm hoping to get the aircraft sorted in the next couple of weeks, if I get the time. In  the meantime, here's a rather good video of a Super Puma landing on the flight deck of the Foudre Class LPD, Sargento Aldea: 

Modern Chilean Navy Upgrades

Alimirante Williams (Type 22 Batch 2)

I have a few tweaks to make to the composition of the 1/3000th scale Chilean fleet at some point, in order to make it fully up to date. The initial focus of the project is the early 2000's, specifically pre-2008, with the models selected to represent the make up of the fleet at this date. However, to add some flexibility I will incorporate some recent warships that have been added since then or subsequently modified. For example, I already have two Adelaide class anti-aircraft frigates, which replaced the two Jacob Van Heemskerck frigates in that role in 2020.

Almirante Latorre (Adelaide Class)

I also need to replace the existing model of the flagship, the Type 22 Batch 2 Almirante Williams, with a new model, as she was rearmed and modernised in 2008 with an OTO Melara 76mm gun and Harpoon missiles. The easiest way to do this is to use a Type 22 Batch 3 model. Finally, I need to replace the two Scorpene class submarines, for which I've used a too long JMSDF Yushio class model, with something more appropriate, although I may just get another pack and do a cut and shut. That should give me a modern Chilean fleet that's almost complete and up to date.

(at some point I'll also get some proper US pattern helo deck decals to replace the French ones I used)