Finished: 15mm CMP Quads

Hi folks,

As I mentioned in my last post, I did a little re-jigging of some of my units. Part of that process was the building and painting of four PSC CMP Quads, taken from the 25-pdr PSC kit. 

These quads were marked up as vehicles from 61st Anti-Tank Regiment, 51st Highland Division, replacing the halftracks which had been used for this unit previously. The halftracks will feature in a future blog article. 

While I was happy with how these models looked, it took some serious messing to put them together. Yet another example of a PSC kit not fitting correctly together. The roof just would not go on, and needed to be carved and filed on the inside to sit even close to correctly. 

I added a selection of stowage, just to individualise the models a little. Decals were my usual selection, though I've now used all my Doms Decals 51st HD markings, so I'm using some from Skytrex. The markings are somewhat covered by the weathering anyway, although they are a bit easier to see with the eye than the camera. 

These should probably have had the mickey mouse camo pattern on them, but I went with my plain green as it fits in better (and I didn't want to spend a lot of time working on transport vehicles that will barely see the table!).

Kitted out with limbered guns and the ammo trailers:

So another little scheme completed - one I'd been planning for a long time, having picked up the PSC box years ago. I do have a partial plan to mount and paint the PSC 25-pdrs in a limbered style, to be tagged onto the back of some BF quads... and maybe some Bofors guns... 

AHPC: Limbered (Towed) 17 Pdrs Finished!

Hi folks,

I managed to get my first actual challenge entry completed this week (aside from the bonus round entry of the Sextons). Sticking with my Gunuary theme, I took the easy option of finishing my towed 17 Pdrs. Not a huge amount of work in these as no crew to do!

These guns are from Skytrex and the first two were picked up after I spotted them on Ebay and decided it might be cool to do the guns being towed. I picked up another two from Skytrex, who offer them both limbered and deployed. A quick email to them confirmed that they would sell me only the limbered ones (instead of one of each, which is the normal pack).

'Brain Weasels' (and Dave D) are now telling me I should do the same with my 6 Pdrs... I know it's brain weasels as the thoughts always start with 'wouldn't it be cool if...'

One quick paint job and basing, and they are good to go! For the bases I decided to use the same large FoW bases as the deployed guns. In my head if the towed guns were put under an artillery template it seemed sensible that they be the same size base as the others - as in game terms they are the same model/unit.

The idea behind these gaming wise is that if the guns are being towed I have a model for this, and a seperate model for them deployed:

The battery moves into position - ready to hunt big cats!

Unfortunately time and different brands of static grass have resulted in slight differences in the shade of the basing. Not much I can do about that, I think. I could try some watered down PVA on the old bases and re-coat with the new static grass. Not too sure it's worth it as I suspect that the colour has just faded in the light.

The full unit on the move - a 17pdr battery of 61st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery (51st Highland Division).

Work progresses on the 5.5" guns and I hope to have there done by next weeks submission date (Thursday). Once these are done I'll be starting on my bonus round entry for 'east' - probably either some 3mm Soviet helicopters or some 6mm Soviet armour. Then back onto artillery vehicles for 'Gunuary'.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Folks!

I'm starting off the new year with my painting space starting to take shape:

I've still a bit to do and a visit to Ikea is planned for tomorrow to hopefully get another desk and make more of an L shape arrangement. But pictures are on the walls, bookcases is up and I have some handy little drawers under the desk for holding paints and stuff.

I've been cracking on with my Gunuary prep, having not got most of the first batch close to getting some primer on them. Just the stowage to go on the Sextons and I can start hand priming.

Feels like 'hunners' to do (as usual) and I have to have my first entry for the Analogue Painting Challenge submitted by the 20th - with the first bonus themed entry 'Armour' due on the 8th - so I will try to have the Sextons done for then!

Time to get cracking!

Busy Busy Busy - Sherman Progress

Hi Folks,

With one thing and another it's been two weeks since the last blog post - although those of you who follow me on Facebook will have seem more regular updates. It's currently 3 weeks till wedding day, and the last few weeks have been busy with family events. Last weekend I got to see my son for a few hours for the first time in over a year, which was great. I was in Inverary, a historic Scottish town, and managed to get a few pictures:

Hobby wise, I've been chipping away at the 9 Shermans I've been working on. Decals all done, aerials in place, just the finishing touches before matt varnish. I've had my usual issues with the Polish armour, being a bit unsure about where to put squadron markings. I've seen various pictures with various options and I think I am just going to stick with the rear turret only. I might revisit this in the future, but I don't have enough of the correct decals to do the whole lot currently (rear turret, side hull).  Unit wise I decided that the Poles would be the 24th Lancers Regiment - I like lancers!

So, some progress shots:

The Polish troop command tank is currently without aerials as I plan on putting a pennant on the aerial and my have to do this before I stick anything together. Whether to use a copy of an early war pennant or just a white and red pennant, I'm not sure. We shall see!

Image found online, used without permission.

Still to put together the bases for these tanks and grab some crew for the turret hatches. I should have some of those painted somewhere already.

I finished the German MG nests (resin models from Small Terrain Scenery), leaving me with only the minefields to sort out:

Purchase wise, I've received a 'Katy' Ambulance, a British radio truck and a tracked 17 Pounder tow vehicle (based on the hull of a Crusader tank, I think) - pictures below (sorry about the quality). I'll do a review on these properly once they are put together. I also got a final 2 limbered 17 Pounders (to add to the 2 I got from ebay months ago, allowing me to model the unit being towed) and a model of a Sherman ARV mk1 (the same model as I previously converted, but for my Poles).

Gaming wise I've managed to get along to the club again, making it to the second meeting. Unfortunately with wedding and honeymoon it will be a few weeks before I'm back.

This week there was some variety of games, with 3 tables set up. 1 was American Civil War naval (Smoke on the Water?), one was an ancients game using Hail Caesar and the 3rd was a 1000pt Flames of War game between me and Steve/Yorkie.

Mine and Steve's game was between my Jocks (as per usual) and a Grenadier list.

 

We set up random terrain - this was all my stuff and the first time a lot of it had been out of the packaging.

We rolled for a random mission, and got 'surrounded'. As I had the breaching group, I got 'Always Attacks', so Steve was defending. He deployed his forces, I deployed mine and we got to it. I think we made it to turn 4 before we had to call it, and the game could have gone either way. I lost most of my tanks and all my A/T guns, but I had two platoons of infantry moving into position, had killed all the A/T guns and things were looking positive.

Another great game and we are both still picking up the rules as we go. Hopefully we will get quicker and be able to finish a game in a night!

So that's a quick roundup from me. I'll try and get these Shermans done and pictures up before the wedding, but it may be a while before regular service resumes - although I do have permission to take my Cromwells on honeymoon for those quiet evenings that the Mrs to be wants to read. But that will just be assembly!