The Armies Arrive

Just now getting a chance to post an update for my 28mm War in the Pacific project.  I received most of the figures and vehicles a couple of weeks ago, all the major manufactures are represented.  These include The Assault Group, Brigade Games, Company B miniatures, Warlord Games Bolt Action, Westwind Berlin or Bust as well as some very nice terrain pieces from Architects of War and a couple boxes of Pegasus Models Palm Trees. 

 

 

I also picked up a copy of Battlefield Evolution Pacific War off Amazon for $8, shipping included.  These look like most of the Mongoose Publishing rule sets, such as World at War and Modern Combat.  Simple but elegant game mechanics, easy to teach to new players but provides a challenging game.

In addition to the figures, vehicles, terrain and rules, I purchased Operation Galvanic and Operation Stalemate II from Britton Publishing.  These are skirmish scale scenario books for Tarawa and Peleliu respectively.  Each contains 10 scenarios which read like they will be fun to play.  The scenarios in the Tarawa book are larger, being Company level, meaning multiple Platoons up to 3 per side.  The scenarios in the Peleliu book are Platoon Level, with no more than a Platoon Plus to each side. 

I have tried to tailor my purchasing and building efforts to the scenarios in these books.  To that end I pretty much have enough stuff to play several in each in 28mm.  The biggest buy so far were the tanks; of which I have a couple M4A2 Sherman and a single Company B Stuart Light tank.  Most of the scenarios don't require vehicles or tanks, if they do its a single Sherman.  Although I should mention a couple scenarios do require substantial numbers, the Peleliu book has one that requires 6 Sherman tanks, one that requires 6 Japanese Type 95 HaGo tanks and a single scenario that requires 4 Marine LVTs; the rest are Japanese Infantry defending against US Marines with an occasional single M4 Sherman in support.  The Tarawa book has for the most part, minimal vehicle requirements as well; but there are a couple that are substantial.  One of the first in the book has 6 Marine LVTs assaulting Red Beach 1, and one of the later ones has 3 Stuarts and a pair of 75mm Gun Armed M3 Halftracks attacking a large Japanese Bunker. 

20mm Modern British Battlegroup

Santa (my wife) was very good to me this year, bringing a 1990s British Battle Group.  I received three Trumpeter Warrior IFVs and a pair of Challenger I Mk 3s for the Desert.  These will go very nicely with a pile of 20mm RH Models 1990s British Infantry and a couple Ace CVR(T) Scimitars that have been sitting around the house for the past year. 

Two Hour Wargames War Against Japan

Having read a few reviews of the Two Hour Wargames variant for Nuts!, War Against Japan (WAJ), I finally found a copy, quite by chance at a local gaming shop.  Having read them thru a couple of times and watched the HBO mini-series “The Pacific”, I am definitely inspired.

The WAJ variant can be played in some interesting ways; head to head or 1 or more players on the same (Allies, to include USMC) side against the game system AI Japanese.  The author explains his perspective as primarily due to the way in which (human) players will game the Japanese; chiefly, in a very Non-Japanese or unrealistic fashion.  The book includes all the modifications to the original 2^nd Edition of Nuts!, as well as 6 canned scenarios or tactical situations and finally a campaign game that uses the scenarios to resolve the actual table top battles in a sequence of linked games.  Overall, the book looks like it will produce fun games and the game system run Japanese has great potential for realistic table top battles, at least from the USMC perspective, and maybe the Japanese too I guess. 

 

I recently sold a hardly used batch of minis that had been laying around doing nothing except taking up space.  So, what to do with all my new wealth?  Recycle the money and buy new stuff. 

Skirmish Campaigns France 40 Withdrawal to Dunkirk

Ok so it has been a long time since I last posted anything but I have not been idle.  My brother is still working on his Polish Army which has been enlarged to include Calvary.  The Germans have been completed but don’t have an opponent as of yet.  With the recent sale of a large collection of 20mm minis that were just laying around looking for a new home, I had money to spend.  I have always been interested in gaming the 1940 campaign in the West in 28mm and with the varied early war British tanks available from Warlord Games, I could not resist. 

Before I dropped any money, I wanted to find a scenario book to provide a framework for building my BEF Army.  I picked up a copy of Skirmish Campaigns book covering the Dunkirk.  For those that are not familiar, I must say, that each of the skirmish campaigns books I have had an opportunity to look at or own are great, and this one is no exception. 

Part of the France 1940 series, this book comes with 12 scenarios organized into 5 campaigns.  The objective of each of the campaigns is to buy time, the more the better, buying more time for the Allied Armies to evacuate the continent.  The victory conditions for most of the scenarios are constructed in this way.  The allied armies add time for achieving victory in the scenario and lose it by failing.    

The first campaign pits the Germans against the Belgians.  The second campaign covers the encounter battles between the 3^rd Royal Tank Regiment and the 1^st Panzer Division in and around Calais.  The scenarios of the 3 RTR campaign feature relatively large numbers of tanks on both sides, so since I’m building 28mm BEF, these will have to wait.  The fourth campaign covers the French and also features large numbers of Tanks, so difficult as well in 28mm.

The scenarios in the Ypres Canal Campaign, which is the 3rd Campaign, as well as the Western Line (5th and final) are more attainable in 28mm so I will focus on these for now. 

 

The scenarios in these 2 campaigns have some unusual minis that also made them appealing.  The scenarios “Get your men out” and Fighting Withdrawal” both require stretcher-bearer teams as one of the British victory conditions is that they evacuate all the wounded BEF troops from a church while defending the perimeter against the German assault.  The other unusual requirement is for British and French motorcycle dispatch riders in the variable attachments in the Western Line campaign.  I settled on Black Tree Design British stretcher teams, which with the recent sale I was able to pick up for less than $10.  The motorcycles I found were made by 1^st Corps in their WW1 range of 28mm. 

More German Troops

Busy week, got several more models finished.  Started out with completing the 75mm Infantry Gun with 3 crewmen.  The gun and crew are all Black Tree Design 28mm.  Each model including the gun are mounted on metal bases for safe transportation.

Nex completed the Black Tree Design 28mm MG34 in the Heavy Machine Gun role.  Again the model is mounted on a rather large metal fender washer. 

The last model was the Tamiya 1/48 Scale Panzer IIA/B/C.  I chose to build the B model and added a Bolt Action 28mm Early War Panzer crewman from Warlord Games.  This model was a joy to build, going together in approximately an hour.  I was initially somewhat hesitant to get this model as I hate assembling the individual track links but was plesantly surprised.  The tracks were so easy that even I could do it with little problem.  To complete the model I added a few spare stowage parts laying around in my extras box. 

This model also compares nicely with the diecast Panzer 38T and scales nicely with the Black Tree Design Germans.

Overall, the German Army is coming together.  I have a few more figures to paint, a couple of Panzer 38Ts to repaint and a PAK 36/37 then they will be ready to battle my brothers Polish Army.

Second Squad

Just finished the Second Squad and got started on the 3rd.  All are 28mm Black Tree Design Early WW2 German Infantry.  These came out fairly nice especially considering how little I paid for them. 

I also finished up the Company B models Sdkfz 221.  Added a Bolt Action Early War tank commander from Warlord Games.  These are very nice models and as you can see, match nicely with the Black Tree Infantry as well as the 1/48 scale Diecast Panzer 38T.

 

Also added a few more decals to the Panzer 38T as well did a little dry brushing to add more detail to the model.

 

Will complete the rest of the Regular Army Infantry, finish up the 75mm Infantry Gun then will start on the Waffen SS.

The 1st Squad

     My brother and I have decided to switch sides, he will build the Polish Army and I the Germans.  Neither of us has built these armies so should be fun.

       Since I’m building the Germans, figured that I needed to get a jump on my brother.  He has always been the considerably better builder and painter as well as being much faster than me.   I decided to build a Squad at a time, with a vehicle in between each.   I completed the first of each last week but am just now getting a chance to take some pictures and post them.  All are 28mm Black Tree Design and mounted on 25mm metal fender washers. 

     The Panzer 38T came out nice, especially considering it’s a 1/48 scale diecast model .  I removed the tracks, primed and painted it in Model Masters Euro-Grey.  Then went back and repainted the details, washed the whole model in brown acrylic from apple barrel and applied the decals.  The size of the model goes very well with the BTD early war German Infantry.

 

     After finishing prepping the next squad had to make a choice.  Fat Tire or Hefe Weissbier.