Nesting instinct

Thanks mate, you know where I am if you need my services :P

Quick update here, been pottering away on a few things at once and I have some finished items to show for it! 


8cm mortar nests.


HMG nests


HMG pillbox bunker


Test minefield (signs are still to be detailed)

As you can see, my fortifications are coming along nicely and next up to the painting table will be a few trench lines as they should be very quick and easy to bash out.

I've also realised that the waffenarbe on the infantry platoon I completed last week was totally inappropriate for the actual platoon; I'd given them the bright green piping of Panzergrenadiers, but Panzergrenadier platoons are MG not rifle/MG teams (one LMG per base, not one per squad). As a result I've had to change the shoulder boards and I took the opportunity to not bother with waffenarbe, going for rank boards without coloured piping. By doing this I can multi-purpose my support elements like mortars and anti-tank guns and use such platoons as both grenadier and panzergrenadier units, meaning I don't need duplicate units that only vary by what coloured stripes are on their shoulders.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hans, are we the bad guys?

Greetings folks,


After my detour into Britishness, its back to the Germans.


The first of three panzergrenadier platoons for my Normandy 9th Panzerdivision forces, I've got both trucks and half tracks lined up for them to give me the option of both armoured and conventional panzergrenadiers but won't be painting the vehicles for a bit. The infantry, however, are all done and dusted.


Platoon.


Command team.


First squad


Second squad.


Third squad.

Next up I'll be going on the defensive, building up a large collection of fortifications for the Normandy Festungkompanie lists. Some of these are quite recent, others are a bit older.


HMG pillbox and nests.


8 cm mortar pits.


5cm PaK 38 bunker with removable defilade walls.


3.7cm PaK 36 nests.


8" trench sections (got four of these primed)


Random trench sections (bends are 4", command post is 5" and inner curve is 3")


Barbed wire section, first of about two dozen I'll need to make.


Not sure what I'll pain up first, probably the array of nests as they should be quite quick and easy to do.

The best laid plans. . .

Greeting readers,

It it is often said that no plan survives contact with the enemy, and I think its safe to say I'm my own worst enemy. After making grand declarations about my intentions for the coming year my local FoW ranger announced his intent to run a blood big D-Day game at the local club in early June (to coincide with D-Day, obviously) so I now find myself preparing to defend Fortress Europe. 

Don't really have any plan as such, just going to paint a selection of stuff and see what happens. On that note, I've finished my first fortification, a 7.5cm Feldkanone bunker.

And a scale shot with a German command team.

Currently working on a selection of nests, trenches, traps and other horrible ways to defeat those pesky Allies. And if I get bored of those, I've always got 10,000 points or so of Heer and SS to paint. 

Cheers for now!

Hit the beach!

Hi folks,

Back again after a wee bit away, been busy with work and suffering from some reduced hobby time due to the great god Ra putting in fairly regular appearances at the moment. Anywho, I've been busy with something slightly different from my past few updates and this will probably set the theme of things for the next few months. 

A long time ago my good lady bought me the US Assault company box as I'd intended to use it for a Glider company since it had the correct number and type of heavy weapons and troops. I built it up and it sat unloved for a very long time as I could never bring myself to paint models that were so obviously wrong for the purpose I was intending. After some recent discussions on Facebook and the plethora of documentaries and films that were shown during last month's D Day 70th anniversary, I decided at long last I needed to paint this assault company up and for their intended purpose. 

Below is my test platoon, a standard boat section plus their option .30-cal MG. The platoon has a mixture of assault company models, standard GIs and a couple of paratroopers to give a lot of variety of poses and models. Additionally, I've included some special effects Michael Bay would be proud of after watching the opening of Saving Private Ryan one too many times.

Cheers for looking folks.