Doing Things By Half

I thought I would end the year with a post of things I completed over the Christmas period. All are additions to the various WWII forces and terrain.

First up a small building from Battlescale, to the fencing is from Wills with a textured Plastic card pathway all on a Warbases MDF base.

I highly recommend these buildings very cleanly cast, I ordered some ruined ones which arrived just before Christmas.

Next some M3 half-tracks to mechanise my US forces these are from PSC the passengers are Simons Soldiers available in the UK from Wargaming Miniatures, base again from Warbases.

Next up the start of my German Panzer Brigade to defend the Westwall.

A 250/9 close support half-track, again from PSC with an old Brittania Miniatures crew figure, base from Warbases. For those who get up hung up on colours for vehicles, same vehicle in different light conditions, makes you think doesn't it.

A 250/21 "Drilling" again PSC with the MGs from S&S Models, crew figures AB and you guessed it a Warbases base.

Hope you all had a joyous Christmas and that Santa provided at least some hobby gifts.

The first game if 2023 is scheduled at OHQ on Tuesday, a wintery WWII bash somewhere in Belgium.

Wishing you all a happy and prosperous New Year!

TTFN & KBO 

That's All Folks..........

Signing off now until after Christmas, many thanks to all my followers and visitors over the year especially those who have taken valuable time to comment on my mindless ramblings.

Have a grand time one and all and remember to KBO

Bikkelheim Rathaus

Another EBay purchase to add a town hall to Bikkelheim, I paid a little more than I usually am prepared to pay but it was too nice a piece to pass. I have noticed a price hike on the starting price of most Faller/Kibri/Pola items of late, one building in particular was up for £16.50 last year I paid the same for two. I am only really on the look out for a suitable shop type building or two now.

Anyway here is the completed Rathaus

The cobbles are from Wills, the clock face was sourced on the web and downloaded then sized to fit before printing, the base is a bespoke one from Warbases.

Hopefully the postponed game at OHQ will be on Tuesday, another Battlegroup game is planned.

Until next time.........

TTFN & KBO

Rollender Sarg Ost

The 7.5cm Pak40 auf Raupenschlepper Ost (RSO) prototype was presented to Hitler in October 1943 after which plans were to produce 400 per month. However only an estimated 80 - 90 were built, it is not difficult to see why, they were slow, noisy, lacked armour and had a high silhouette, little wonder they earned the nickname "rolling coffin east”

With such a pedigree I just had to add one to my German collection🙂

Vehicle is from SHQ Miniature and the crew are from Plana Mayor.

Be afraid................

TTFN & KBO

Radio Ura! Ura!

Here is the Soviet Radio Communication truck, a resin Britannia/Grubby Tanks piece.

The Soviet command group, also Britannia/Grubby I painted way back in 1990s!

All mounted in bases from Warbases.

Until next time..........

TTFN & KBO

Down But Not Out

In full KBO mode and in tandem with commission stuff and the Red Dawn stuff, see Dave's Tales From GHQ blog, I have completed a couple of items for the FB Battlegroup November Build.

This months being Forward Headquarters units, first up a radio communication vehicle for the US Battlegroup, a Ready to Roll resin piece. 

Next the senior officer and team, AB Figures in an Italeri jeep.

Also nearing completion is a Soviet Radio truck.

Until next time......

TTFN & KBO 

At Range - Ancient and Modern

First up four early Saxon skirmishers with slings, four Footsore Miniatures figures. I have had these for a while they came with a discounted Saga force, I have never added to them but I have painted them up they can be a small unit in Hail Caesar games.

Next up a World War II German LMG team, 20mm AB Figures.

No game at OHQ this week has I have been struck down with man flu.

TTFN & KBO

The Fall of Seelow

 For this week's game I chose a scenario from the Battlegroup "Fall of the Reich" supplement, a platoon level action with a ragtag formation of German Volksgrenadiers, Kriegsmarine and Volksturm attempting to stem the Soviet advance.

Seelow awaits.

Second Lieutenant Tams has constructed an anti-tank barricade across the road and covered it with two dug in Pak40s.

Dug in Volksturm protect the northern outskirts.

Meanwhile Kriegsmarine troops dug in on the eastern approaches.

Jabos! A timed Soviet airstrike.

One of the Pak40s is pinned down.

Soviet forces converge on Seelow.

Panzerfaust fire causes the T34 crew to abandon the tank, accompanying tank riders dismount pinned.

A supporting T34 is also hit and brews up.

Meanwhile in Seelow the Soviets clear out the PAK40s.

The Soviets bring up an ISU152 and clear the Volksturm defend the northern approaches.

Despite a spirited defence, in turn eleven the battered German survivors withdrew ( one above their battle rating of 30). However they certainly had put up a fight with the Soviets only being five away from exceeding theirs.

Until next time.......

TTFN & KBO 

Markers Ancient and Modern

Some markers to denote casualties, loss of stamina and the like.

The shields are from Footsore Miniatures and bases from 30mm circular bases from Warbases.

Next some decorative barrage etc. markers for my 20mm WWII games.

"

These are made from florists wire glued into circular bases from Warbases, Woodland Scenics clump foliage was then glued to the wire using a hot glue gun. When dry they were sprayed with Woodland Scenics, scenic cement, basically watered down PVA. It’s was applied with a Woodland Scenics spray bottle, again any household spray bottle can be used. Once dry I sprayed with Halfords Matt black car paint and then a light overspray with Halfords grey primer, the bases when coated with Jarvis desert sand and stone mix and painted with Deco-Art country maple washed with GW Seraphim Sepia and drybrushed with Vallejo Model Colour Iraqi Sand(819)

That’s all for now folks.

 

TTFN and KBO

More for Bikkelheim

I have completed another building for the fictional town of Bikkelheim, once again an EBay purchase of a Faller model railway building.

This together with the other completed buildings will be doubling for Seelow in next week's game.

 Until next time.......

TTFN & KBO

Praetorians Plus

Latest stuff to come off the painting desk.

First up the Praetorians, A and A figures, LBMS transfers on an Impetus size bases from Warbases.

Next up additions to the 20mm WWII collections, US senior command and medic, AB Figures.

On the basis that the Germans cannot ever have enough panzerfaust in 1945.

TTFN & KBO

Crossing the Berezina

For this week's game I adapted the scenario in issue 121 of Wargames Soldiers and Strategy for using Battlegroup rules no real changes except the trucks would be allowed off road, however if rolling a 1 for their movement deduction they would have to roll again and if scoring 1,2 or 3 it would be bogged down and abandoned.

Whichever rules one chooses to use, the Germans have an uphill task to achieve a victory in my opinion.

The lorries and stragglers prepare to leave the village ahead of the advancing Soviets.

The engineers and supporting troops wait ready to defend and blow the bridge at the opposite end.

They get off to a bad start, I only rolled three orders, eek! This allowed the Soviet scout units to enter the treeline and await their arrival, with hindsight after the dreadful start perhaps I should have risked going cross country? As it was they soon became pinned down by small arms fire.

Photos from the unfolding debacle follow.

By turn seven/eight it was all up for the Germans, all three trucks were smoking wrecks and the Soviets were bearing down on the bridge with only one escaping unit on it having any hope of escape.

Until next time........

TTFN & KBO

Bikkelheim Brewery

A new addition to my fictional town of Bikkelheim for late World War II games. A Faller model railway building sourced off EBay on a bespoke base from Warbases.

While I was in terrain mode In also made a railway siding, the soil filled buffer is a resin piece from Anyscale Models.

We have a World War II game scheduled for Tuesday, until next time..........

TTFN & KBO

Assault On Rawnstadt

 For this week's game I decided that my 20mm WWII American platoon would get their baptism of fire, they would be given the task of clearing the industrial area of the city.

They would have in support a medium tank platoon of three M4 Shermans with 76mm guns, reconnaissance would be provided by a M8 armoured car. Anti-tank capability would be provided by its own bazooka, a towed 57mm A/T gun and a M36 tank destroyer, they could also count on off table fire from a battery of 105mm howitzers and a M16 for anti-aircraft support.

Facing the onslaught would be a Volksgrenadier platoon, although low on panzerfausts they would have the anti-tank support of a panzerschrek and a PAK40 together with a MG42 in the heavy machine gun role and have off table support from a battery of 120mm mortars. Reinforcements have been promised consisting of a Panzer IV platoon and a Jagdpanzer IV armed with the L70 gun.

Rawnstadt industrial area.

Volksgrenadiers take up positions.

Several of the Germans units were pinned down by the furious preliminary bombardment however due to the initial slow advance by the Americans, orders were just not getting through, they were able to be rallied by their NCOs ready to receive the attack.

The American advance gets underway.

Further communication problems delayed any off table fire from both sides initially, after the lunch break things began to hot up.

There it was gone.

Despite this and the loss of the Pak40 German resolved stiffened, a battle counter draw gave the Germans an extra four Battle Rating this put them on a par with the Americans, game on.

A Sherman takes advantage of the German barricade as cover from where it took out the Pak40. Drat!

Retribution is however not long coming, German reinforcement arrives the Jagdpanzer IV takes revenge.

The Americans step up their attack on the German right, the Germans are cleared from their foxholes.

The Germans in the factory prepare to withdraw.

Panzer IVs move to shore up the right.

Only ending in the lead tank being taken out by a lucky long range shot from the M36.

Turn ten and it is all up for the Germans, fire from the M16 causes another Battle Counter to be drawn taking the Germans over their now 31 Battle Rating. It was however a close call the Americans were only five away from exceeding theirs.

Until next time......

TTFN and KBO