Some 20mm WW1 and RCW progress

Trying to sort out some of the projects that have stalled and make some progress, I dug out various bits and pieces to complete.

First up, a bargain bits box miscast from Early War Miniatures at one of the shows.  It's a Mk 9 troop carrier - plenty of space on top to add some stowage at some point.

Also from EWM, this mounted Hotchkiss LMG team with crew in Solar helmets for the Middle East.

And the dismounted LMG team.

And finally, some Strelets dismounted Australian cavalry ready to do service as dismounted Camel Corps troopers.

I've got a couple of bags of assorted Turkish WW1 infantry in kolpaks and arab headress, an ebay win split with Will, with some Turks in green uniforms next off the table.

Thanks for looking. 

Mid-18th Cent 20mm Eye Candy

 I had the opportunity to play Will last Thursday using his (mostly) Strelets figures and Black Powder 2 rules.  I only took photos in the early stages of the game as we soon lost ourselves in the hectic to and fro of cavalry actions.

The scenario involved the British infantry advancing in column along a road and an attempted ambush by French cavalry, followed up by infantry.  The British cavalry arrived in the nick of time and deployed to meet the oncoming French (out of shot to the right in the photo below).

Lots of lovely cavalry.

Hessians, I think, masquerading as Dutch for this scenario.

British and Hessian infantry columns plodding along the road axis.

The dastardly French cavalry ready to dash for death or glory.

The British slowly start to shake out into line using the hedgerows as cover where possible.

British horse doing their thing.

The bally French coming to meet them.

The cavalry fight was fun, with honours more or less even on both sides combat losses, but as the French outnumbered the British, this wasn't particularly good outcome.  The complete battle was too big to play to a conclusion in an evening, but the cavalry action made up for it.  Thanks to Will for bringing along his lovely troops.

Thanks for looking.

20mm WW1 dismounted Australian cavalry

I wanted some dismounts for my troop of WW1 Australian Light Horse, so went with the Strelets dismounted Australian Camel Corps figures with a suitable paint job.

The officer figure.

Lewis gunner - not sure if he'd hit anything firing from the hip.

While I was at it, I did a three man Vickers MMG team to provide them with some support.

The command/spotter team is from the mounted Australian Camel Corps Strelets set, with a reclining officer looking through a telescope and a heliograph signaller.

And for support for my British in sun helmets, I head swapped another of the Australian Vickers teams with heads taken from the dismounted Imperial Camel Corps Strelets set.

These came out OK and provide me with the dismounts I need for my HAT figures, as well as some support for the Australian cavalry.

As ever, thanks for looking.

20mm WW1 Middle East British Camel Corps and dismounted cavalry (lockdown 18)

I wanted some dismounted British cavalry for WW1 in the Middle East, so out came the dismounted Imperial Camel Corps from Strelets.  While I was looking at them, their mounted mates managed to get some elbow room on the painting table.  Again, I followed the guidance in Mark Hargreaves book, modified for the smaller scale and my painting abilities.

First up is the mounted set, painted in khaki drill.  Shame the camels are generic, mainly Arab-style, rather than regulation British equipped and with next to no baggage.  Nice set, showing troops in relaxed walking or standing poses, without anyone appearing to be firing their weapon, just as it should be for troops used rather like mounted yeomanry.

The mounted commander.

Then these are nine dismounted troopers to represent dismounts for the Camel Corps.  These are painted in khaki drill to match the mounted chaps.  The guy at the back is a camel holder from the mounted set.

Then we have a unit of twelve dismounts in khaki serge.

And finally for now, a unit of twelve dismounted cavalrymen in khaki drill - suitable for dismounts for the lancers posted earlier.

These newer style Strelets figures are really nice compared to their earlier chunky style.  The animation of the skirmish poses, especially the prone figures and some of those advancing or running, is really quite pleasing.  One or two of the helmets appear to have part of the rim missing, which seems to be a casting flaw, but generally they were clean and relatively easy to paint.  I'm really impressed that they are starting to fill some of those larger gaps in the WW1 ranges, especially for the Middle East.  They also fan my interest in some of the what-if's around Allied intervention in Russia and the Soviet Union in the last year of the war and the immediate post-war period.  Now, how cool would WW1 Greek infantry be to game an Allied intervention force in Turkey?

As ever, thanks for looking.