From SylvainR: Tray 5 - Regimental and Divisional Assets for the D.A.K. (104 points)

 

 

More goodies for the Deutsch Afrika Korps. This time, I present to you the support units above the battalion: regimental and divisional assets. In my post, last week, I explained the color codes I chose for my combat companies. Within a battalion, the organization is quite simple, but the diagram of a division is quite complex and to try to color code everything would have added complexity while I'm trying to keep things simple for new players. So my solution was as follow: any units above the battalion would be either common (white), rare (grey) or unique (black). A rare unit would be, for example, a 170mm howitzer in North Afrika. A unique unit, would be one that would requires special rules to play, or one that would be used in a specific historical scenario. For example, I coded my Tiger Is with black, as well as Field Marshal Rommel. You can see that the units in the tray, above, are organized in "sections" and can be either attached to the battalion commander or be given their own commander, depending on the needs and the rules system.

Let's start with three command units. There are two commanders for "common" units and one for "rare" units. From what I could gather, yes, Schwimmwagen were used in North Africa, because of their off-road qualities. But their amphibious capacity was certainly not put to the test...

Here are two leIG18 (75mm) infantry guns, with a caisson for ammunition. I think the guns are from CinC and the trailers from GHQ.

For indirect fire, here are 4x leFH18 (105mm) howitzers, 4x sFH18 (150mm) howitzers and 2x Kanone 18 (170mm) howitzers. In the O'Group rules system, the artillery guns are used to represent the number of fire missions and are kept at the edge of the table, to indicate that these "off board" units. One of the (many) reasons why I really love 6mm scale is because you can have models like the massive Kanone 18, a monster that would not fit in my garage. I had to display this behemoth on a 2"x1.25" base, double the size of the standard bases I use. But this is only more opportunities to create some terrain! All the models are from Heroics & Ros I believe.

Next, we have a company of PaK 40 (75mm) anti-tank guns, to plug the holes when the battle line has been breach by allied armored vehicles. Models are from both GHQ and CinC.

The last models are anti-aircraft guns. 6x FlaK 38 (20mm), 6x Flakvierling 38 (20mm) and 6x FlaK 36 (88mm). The FlaK 38 came in 2 parts (gun + base), but CinC's Flakvierlings came in 5 parts (core, left guns, right guns, shield, base). In the collection I inherited, most of the Flakvierlings were un-assembled and I can understand why. These little parts really test your sanity.

I'm really happy with the look of the iconic 88mm. The CinC model came with the carriage sections and I decided to put them on the base, to show the gun was hastily unlimbered, but now that I look at the picture, the base feels a little crowded. Oh well, learn for next time! Models are from Heroics & Ros, CinC and GHQ.

For the points:

The vehicles were already painted, so should not be counted.

- 124 figures (62 points)

- 42 weapons (42 points)

Grand total of 104 points.

Thank you for reading!

Très bien mon vieux!  Loving seeing this project evolve and looking forward to playing with/blowing up this stuff on table.  Great basing on all the units.   I quite like the limber for the 88 and the massive howitzers.

Perhaps the schwimmwagens are looking for the water where the rock painted swimmers in the English Patient swam?

From BenF: 6mm Cold War Soviet VDV force (115 Points)

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas and wish you all the best for 2018. For me, 2018 will be quite exciting. Laura and I have booked a trip over to Europe around Easter, and we'll be visiting a load of places which we've not yet been to. I'm particularly looking forward to spending Easter in Madrid (any tips on where to go/what to see Benito M?), driving around Greece to see a bunch of ancient sites, and seeing St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Speaking of things Russian, this entry is a decent sized force of 6mm Soviet airborne troops, the famous VDV or Vozdushno-Desantnye Voyska for my Cold War Commander collection. The figures are all the new Heroics and Ros offerings, which are simply superb. The detail that Andy has got into these miniscule figures beggars belief.

First off, some command stands. The VDV fielded a range of air-portable trucks and armoured vehicles, making them more akin to an airmobile mechanised force than a 'pure' airborne unit. On the command stands are regular UAZ-469 and GAZ-69 'Jeeps', GAZ-66 trucks in air-droppable and office body configurations, and a BMD-1. I've added aerials using brass wire for the ofice trucks and nylon brush fibres for the rest. The figures are Heroics and Ros, vehicles a mix of H&R, Scotia, and CinC. When painting these, I really wanted to try to approximate the camouflage suit worn by the Soviet airborne, but without the figures disappearing into the base. I'm relatively happy with the result, which was surprisingly quick, and to my eye does the job.

Next up is the core of the force, the two airborne infantry companies. In CWC2, you can upgrade regular infantry bases with anti armour capabilities. As most of my regular gaming buddies have armour heavy forces, I'll not often be fielding infantry without some kind of anti-armour capability. I've represented their AT ability with one battalion being equipped with RPG-7Vs and one with RPG-18s. The quality of the H&R sculpts and the variety is better than any modern figures I've seen in 6mm.

Next, the organic support for the infantry companies. Here are some Anti-Tank guided missiles, the 9K111 Fagot (AT-4 Spigot NATO designation), the anti armour teeth of the force. There are also some 9K32 Strela-2 SAMs (SA-7 Grail NATO designation), a PKMS MMG on a sustained fire mount, an 120mm mortar, a recce team in a UAZ-469, and a few SPG-9 recoilless rifle teams. Again, all H&R figures and vehicles.

The VDV were also supported by a variety of air portable armour, dropped on pallets fitted with retro firing rockets. Crazy stuff. Below are a couple of ASU-85 assault guns, a BMD-1 company, some BTR-D transports, and a brace of BTR-RD 'Robot' SP-ATGMs (these last are a conversion of mine using regular BTR-Ds, brass wire, and GHQ 9K111 launchers). All models are CinC.

Finally, some higher level support options. Below are a few bases of assault engineers with LPO-50 flamethrowers, two T-12 Anti-tank Guns and BM-21V 'Grad-V' rocket launchers. The Grad-V is the VDV's air-portable version of the regular BM-21 Grad rocket launcher, the successor to the famous Katyusha of WW2 fame. While you don't technically need to deploy artillery on table in CWCII, I do always like to include artillery and support for the sake of completion, and to allow me to try other rules. Figures are H&R, the equipment is Scotia.

Below are some group shots of more 6mm VDV than anyone in their right mind would need, a grand total of 29 vehicles and 113 infantry (and more dots of Vallejo pale sand than I care to count :) ) 

I've got a few bits and pieces still to paint up for these guys and then on to the West Germans, who thankfully are not wearing camouflage. The helos below were painted late last year and are included only for dramatic effect. The size of those Mi-26 Halos is surreal, in 6mm they are 13cm nose to tail!

Next up on the painting desk i'm working on some more 6mm scale stuff, but from 1940 not 1985. I need to paint up a couple of Battle of Britain era aircraft for Bag the Hun 2 which is becoming rather popular of late with the local gaming club. Hopefully they can make the cut for the 'Flight' bonus round which is closing up soon.

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Wow Ben, such beautiful work in this small scale. As you say, Heroics and Ross have done a great job with this new range and the attention from your brush really hits them out of the park. I wouldn't think doing camo in 6mm would be possible, or even desirable, but you've pegged the right balance between accuracy and visibility with these guys. I particularly like the bright turquoise berets, which I know are a shade or two brighter than required, but look perfect in this scale.

I know the vehicle aerials are a fairly simple addition, but they provide that extra touch of realism to the bases.

Your upcoming trip to Europe sounds marvelous. Madrid is fabulous and I know Benito will have some advice to the sights, tastes and sounds of that great city.

This formidable Soviet airgroup will give you 115 points. Well done!

From DaveD - 1/300th 1980's Soviet Infantry (53 Points)

So I told you things would be a little more diverse this year and my second entry takes me back to project from last year which is my 1980's Cold War Gone Hot. I have a game coming up with  fellow challengers MartinC and JamesM who picked up a sizable ready painted British force at a  show we attended recently. I had previously completed tanks and APC'S and was in need of some actual infantry. These are old Heroics and Ros figures - they are not the greatest of castings , but i guess will do the job,.

So all together it is 95 standing infantry , 18 prone figures , 3 mortars and 4 separate ATGW

Glad to get these out the way as the old eyes were struggling with these. I am currently awaiting the previously ordered Hinds to create the air elements for my force - fingers crossed they arrive before my game!

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Very cool project Dave! I know that Byron is using 1/285 models for Team Yankee (I think) and the scale works very. I find that weapon ranges and ground distance looks so much better in these smaller scales. A few Hind gunships will certainly stiffen these lads. I look forward to seeing those whirlybirds sometime in the coming weeks and reading a battle report on your blog of the game!

From LeeH - Divisional Support Units (36 points)

This week I have three British units that would have seen service in the early to mid war period of the North African campaign. These will be used as divisional support for my A9 Cruiser company I finished last week. First up is a squadron of Valentine II Infantry tanks. These models are by GHQ and as such have an incredible level of detail. They really are a beauty to behold. The Mk I version of this tank was in service throughout Operation Compass but the rushed production and design meant this version was plagued with problems. The next incarnation of the Valentine was the Mk II although this came a little late to feature in Operation Compass is did see service later in 1941.

Next some Marmon-Herrington Armoured Cars. The original vehicles were developed in South Africa using a Ford 3 Ton Truck Chassis and a four wheel drive train kit produced my Marmon-Herrington in Canada. At the outset of war these some of these vehicles saw service with the British in North Africa and when the Mk II version (with a shorter wheelbase and improved armament) became available these were also used. These models are also by GHQ and again the details are incredible, even down to riveted armour.

Next I have a battery of 25pdr guns with Morris Tractors to pull them. The 25pdr is one of those iconic weapons that was so good that its service life extended far beyond the second world war and was still being used by the British Army into the 1980's. When I started work on these models I had run out of the right bases and in desperation put them on 40x60mm bases instead (normally the tractor would be mounted on a separate base from the gun and its crew). I actually like the look of these mini-dioramas and may experiment with these bases a bit more in future. These models are from H&R so not quite as detailed as the GHQ stuff but more than adequate for this scale.

In case anyone is wondering, I didn't paint these units in the Caunter camouflage pattern I used for my Cruiser company for two reasons. Firstly these are Divisional support units, in other words they come from other regiments and therefore wouldn't necessarily adopted the same scheme as the others. Secondly these are all units that have a bit of longevity in game terms. Valentines, Marmon-Herrington's and 25pdrs can be found on the North African battlefield well into the Mid War period and long after the A9's of my cruiser company would have been retired from service. I therefore didn't want to tie them down to the early war period by given them a camo design that was being phased out by mid to late 41.

By my calculation this lot should net me a tidy 36 points (8 for the valentines, 8 for the Marmon-Herrington's and 20 points for the 4 guns, 16 crew and 4 tractor vehicles and trailers).

MilesR: Your North Africa collection is becoming very impressive - what rules to you use?

From LeeH - British Cruiser Tank Company - (58 points)

Today I am submitting a company of British Cruiser tanks to face off against the Italian tanks I painted last week. I have largely opted for a squadron of A9 Cruisers accompanied by a selection of other vehicles. So there is also a platoon of Mk IVIb Light Tanks, some Rolls Royce Armoured Cars that probably saw service in the last war and some 2pdr AT Guns mounted as Portees on the backs of trucks.

The A9 or Cruiser, Mk I was an interwar period design that was already on the verge of obsolescence by the time the war started. It was the first of the cruiser tanks, a concept that favoured speed of movement and gunnery on the move to outpace the enemy. The 2pdr gun in the A9 was a very effective weapon against the thin armour of the Italian tanks but at just 12 tons it was soon to be outclassed by heavier better armed German tanks that would soon arrive in theatre. 

The Mk VIb was another interwar design built to provide armoured reconnaissance and for use in a colonial policing role. Several hundred of these tiny vehicles were used in Operation Compass, not altogether successfully. Their main value seems to have been in helping to round up thousands of Italian prisoners of war. 

I have a soft spot for the Rolls Royce Armoured Car. I have seen a couple of these up close and they are a beast of a machine weighing in at nearly 5 tons and in earlier versions saw service in WWI. At the start of WWII there were about 70 vehicles still in service and in 1940 thirty four were in Egypt with the 11th Hussars regiment. Those that survived were withdrawn from service in 1941 as more modern armoured car designs became available.

Last but no least I have some 2pdr AT guns mounted Portee on the backs of trucks. Many different guns were mounted like this but for Operation Compass the gun of choice was the Ordnance QF 2-pounder (QF denoting "quick firing").

So in total today I'm submitting 20 Tanks, 3 armoured cars and 4 Portee's. I'm now getting very close to completing everything I originally set out to paint during the Challenge and my Lead Mountain is now looking more like a hillock!

MilesR: A very good opponent for your Italian tank company and this will net you 54 points fro the vehicles and 4 points for the 8 crew figures - 62 points in total!