Airfix Atlantic wall

 Don't know if it's a bias in looking or what, but having picked up those Atlantic wall buildings with the Airfix figures, came across another (good condition) one so put in the minimum bid...

Good condition apart from a couple of the AA gun barrels snapped off. Easily replaced (anyone seriously believe I'll do it?) Like the colour scheme but I'll need to do the embankment green!

Quite nice detail on the kit.

Together with the ones from the figure purchase it makes a pretty good set. Can't do a photo of everything set out properly at the moment - Japanese are taking up space on my wargames ready for an eventual Review - still a few more things to do for that, though will still need to add things after the Review.

70mm Barrage mortar

Just about the easiest conversion going...

The original consists of a tube resting on a base plate under which is a spike to stick the thing in the ground... Didn't bother modelling the spike or baseplate... The top has to be glued to the figure with the mortar bomb as a second point of contact though.

Crew are the Airfix sub machine gunner and the figure running about waving his rifle in the air. The rifle cuts down to make a mortar bomb. Quite effective. Well, at a distance!

Cheap home-made Japanese artillery.

 I've already mentioned these but since then I've done a bit more work. Also, this post will look at them in a little bit more detail.

The current batch - still working on some of the crews.

37mm anti tank gun. The one on the right was bought in an artillery set many years ago The one on the left is totally scratch built from card, plastic rod/tubing and Tiger tank road wheels.

Model 41 75mm infantry gun. One of these was in the artillery set mentioned earlier - I thought that was the gun on the right, now I'm not so sure, could be another scratch build... Again, some had Tiger wheels, some I did find spoked wheels for - used to have quite a few of these!

Model 92 70mm howitzer battalion gun. Again, Tiger wheels - should really have drilled a few holes in the wheels but didn't bother!

How crude do you want them? Matchstick trail, the wheels are drawing pins.

Model 11 37mm gun - about as simple as it's possible to get. As far as I can find this is the sole survivor of a considerable number!

Airfix have a number of figures that make useful gun crew. Likewise, the one on the right can be used for simple grenade launcher crew when not firing artillery pieces. Cut down the rifle of the one at the back and you get someone dropping a mortar bomb down the tube.

E Bay Airfix

 One thing I'm always doing is looking. In this case, I spotting a useful looking e bay auction and got it.

As they came in the box.

The DUKWs may be useful!

Likewise, given a bit of attention this lot should be appearing in an invasion at some point.

However, these are the reason I bought them, the rest are just freebies as far as I'm concerned.

Several different lots - these are the Japanese. A total of 777 figures - not full sets, most of the heavy weapons are missing for a start.

Important thing with these - cost. Assume a minimum these days of £5 for 50 figures normally - and I think that would normally be wishful thinking. That gives 10p a figure.

This lot? 777 figures cost me £37.75. Works at just under 5p a figure (4.86!). Including the 'extras', seemed like a good deal to me.

Japanese Infantry Platoon

 Platoon is now finished...

Rifle platoon consists of 3 rifle squads plus a grenade discharger section of 3 squads.

Platoon HQ of officer and sergeant - need to use a rifleman as the sergeant! - and the officers sword is steel, just the photo makes it look bronze!

Each rifle squad is a corporal, LMG gunner and 11 riflemen/privates.

Grenade discharger section has 3 squads of a corporal/squad leader, 2 privates and a grenade discharger. The section is commanded by a sergeant and there are 2 ammunition carriers. The ammunition carriers are place holders - I have some of this figure with a large balsa backpack to represent a bag/crate of mortar bombs/grenades.

There should be 3 platoons in a company. The company HQ is commanded by a captain - still building this up; for example there should be 4 buglers and 6 runners. Although the organisation doesn't include a standard bearer he is staying and may be joined by others!

Still building up the 'artillery' - 3 of these pieces are scratch built. Got a few more guns, still working on crews. Generally speaking the Airfix set seems to be best at providing crews!

Still building up - the figures at the front were just 'found' yesterday and include a converted 20mm anti tank rifle (prone rifleman with rifle replaced by a pin and card shield!).

At this rate, could be due an Army Review within a couple of weeks.

Father's Day prezzies

3 Sextons, 3 Priests and 3 Wespes to put in the queue... from Rapid Fire...

 

Still painting Japanese...

 Just, slowly.

Having found all those others I made the mistake of adding the new batch to the ones I'm already working on then... pretty much stopped.

This is going to take a while!

British 18 pounder and Vickers mg

Continuing with the imagi-interwars forces, British 18 pounder and Vickers machine gun for the occupation forces.

Usual quick standard. MG loader doesn't sit right and I've set the gun barrel a bit far back but...

Like all of these, though, they do the job.

 Meanwhile, started painting up those Japanese infantry I found, kept looking - found a load more! So basic Japanese force is looking promising, even if mostly plastic!

Pulp interwar FreiKorps (ish)

 I always like things to follow 'naturally' rather than having to be forced. 

So... as there is a very Germanic feel to all the buildings I've been getting, it's obvious that the main setting for Rift games has to be Germany. To be able to use British forces in Germany it follows that Britain and France were still occupying Germany or major parts of Germany during the 20s and 30s. However, it also follows that some sections of the German population  or areas within Germany would raise unofficial or semi-official militia forces - FreiKorps, in effect.  Such forces would potentially rely on WW1 weapons and uniforms, so these FreiKorps outfits would have a very WW1 German look...

Figures from Frontline Miniatures. This lot should be enough for most purposes. The usual very basic paint job.

WW1 German 77mm gun and crew. This should be enough artillery - the idea is a militia force, probably infantry based with very little in the way of heavy weapons.

I didn't do the machine gun very well! LMG may be the only one I finish up using though might add more standard infantry.

Duncan MacFarlarlane RIP

It has been reported on Facebook and TMP that Duncan has sadly passed away:

https://www.facebook.com/WargamesIllustrated/

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=550118

I don't actually have a photo of Duncan  that I've taken - he hated having his photo taken - but found this one by Wargames Development on the Internet:

Duncan is the one in the black tee shirt. This is the only picture that came up on a Google search!

Best known as a magazine owner and editor (Miniature Wargames and Wargames Illustrated). Many people will remember him going around Partizan every year taking pictures! 

 I honestly don't know how long I've known him  - early 80s? late 70s?. Always got on well with him. The rest of this consists of possibly faulty memory!

OK, couple of stories: Garrison used to own a range of 25mm starship figures that looked a bit like Star Wars. Duncan bought the range, did nothing with them and all the moulds and masters were lost. People started asking me about about them, I asked Duncan if I could produce them, immediate ''Yes, I'm not going to do anything with them'. Next one, at Partizan one year talking about figures, Duncan mentioned they still had a load of the current free entrance figure left, said 'here' and promptly gave me a load! - it was the policeman figure, really need to paint some up for Newhaven!

I remember there was a time when there was supposed to be a feud between Miniature Wargames and Wargames Illustrated. Talking about it to Duncan he just shook his head and said that he still had a half share in Miniature Wargames, why would he have a feud with himself?

Never had anything published by Duncan, though quite a bit in Miniature Warmames after he left, however I did get a three article series accepted by him - for two years it kept getting pushed out 'can't fit them in, they will get published' - finally I just basically said best to withdraw them, which I did and placed them in Slingshot. Duncan just shook his head, mentioned the difference in circulation figures , and said 'I was going to publish them!'

So a sad loss to the hobby. Duncan will really be missed.

Bits and pieces

A mix of going through old stuff and getting in new.

The bridge is 6mm (Brigade?) but makes a decent 20mm footbridge. The Japanese officer was one of the bits I bought from Frontline in my latest order. German mg found as I continue to trawl through my old stuff.

 Think I'm at a slightly messy stage - doing several different but linked items in the Interwar/WW2 20mm line. Going for basic wargames standard I should be getting through them faster but spending more time outside and less time painting at the moment!