Better late Than Never and Embrace of the Red Bear

Better Late Than Never

As a diversion from masses of T-72s (more on them later) and to test a new formula Testors spray primer, I assembled three BF M3A1 Stuarts. These models are old, early NZ production, back when the molds were new and there was next to no clean up or parts fitting needed.

The new spray primer (2982 super fine grey lacquer primer) went on well, didn't eat the resin and made a good base for the Tamiya XF-62 base colour. Some time later, I ended up with these three, the possible start of an American MW force for Flames of War:

Embrace of the Red Bear

Hypothetical 1980s NATO vs Warpac battles was our favoured era for micro-armour wargaming way back at university, so when BF announced Team Yankee I coudn't resist the lure. Figuring that most of the gentlemen grognards around here would go with the Americans, I plumped for a Soviet force. Good job I like green.

First to be assembled and painted were the T-72s. BF's model is a classic example of "you tried so hard but still fell short". The detail is crisp and, if the mass of photos on Google are to be believed, mostly accurate, although the AAMG ring has been sculpted in the wrong position. Assembly is mostly a dream, with excellent fit after minimal cleanup; again, there's a fly in the ointment: the smoke dispensers on the turret are very delicate, making them hard to get off the sprue in one piece, not accurately shaped and there is no decent mounting guide for them. Still, probably the best offering we'll have in 15mm.

Grey primer, followed by Tamiya XF-11 J.N. Green (a good match for the colour used by the Soviets in the 1980s, according to teh interwebz) and then washes, etc. eventually left me with most of a T-72 battalion:

I already had a Zvezda T-72, so this became the battalion commander. Zvezda's model is a much later version of the ubiquitous tank, with ERA all over it. Here are a couple of comparison shots:

A Soviet horde needs plenty of support. BF have given us ZSU-23-4 Shilkas and SA-13 Gophers for anti-aircraft work, along with 2S1 Carnation self-propelled howitzers and BM-21 Hail MRLs for artillery.

The Shilkas are good models made in BF's usual mixed media of resin and metal. The Gophers, also mixed media, are let down by chunky missile pods with very poor fitting to the nice resin mast. The BM-21s are nice resin models, although the control arm that extends from the lower left of the rocket pod is surprisingly crude.

At any rate, the models were assembled, primed and then treated to the same colours as the T-72s. This batch were given a matt coating with Armory spray, which decided to go "dusty", so they must've been tooling around a particularly barren patch of Germany.

There are BMPs, infantry, Hinds and SU-25 models still to come and then my Red Bear will be reaching out to embrace the decadent western portion of Germany, with a view to uniting the two halves under our benevolent care.

The Piccadilly Cowboys Go To War

15mm toys for Flames of War. All models from Battlefront, paints by White Ensign, Humbrol, Tamiya, Vallejo and MiG. That's what happens when you collect paints for forty years in three continents.

The Household Cavalry were combined into two regiments for World War 2. The 1st regiment drove armoured cars around the Mediterranean, the 2nd did the same in North-West Europe.

I have been planning a HCR force for NWE for some time, to tie-in with my Grenadier Guards and Welsh Guards forces. Interesting prospects for the use of recce forces in multiplayer battles played on large tables prompted me to assemble the assorted models that had been languishing in "the stash".

Another of the "one day I'll make it" lists has been armoured recce for Italy. So, a couple of troops have also been assembled, painted for 6th South African Armoured Division.

An overview of the sea of green, British style:

Starting with the 6SAAD vehicles, we have two troops, each of a pair of Sherman IIIs and a pair of Stuart Jalopies:

I would swear that a couple of those vehicles were painted in British SCC.15 and the rest in US Olive Drab, but the photo suggests otherwise.

Moving on, the squadron HQ is in Staghounds, one for the Old Man, one for his Number Two and one for some poor sod who has to keep the officers safe:

Those fine gentlemen have troops equipped with Daimler Dingos and Daimler armoured cars to do the actual scouting:

Each squadron had a small infantry section assigned to help with obstacle clearance and dismounted work. These lucky men rode around in American-supplied White Scout Cars:

American vehicles were usually left in their original paint until repairs and overhauls were needed, at which time a coat of SCC.15 would be lovingly applied. Two of the Whites are wearing SCC.15 and two are in US OD, which has a warmer, browner hue in the second photo.

In Italy, the recce troops could call on some heavier support in the form of a pair of 75mm Autocars (M3 halftracks sporting 75mm cannon):

In NWE this support role was filled by AEC Mk.III heavy armoured cars also touting 75mm guns: these models are still making their way across the workbench.

And there we have it for today! Coming in the near future will be the rest of this force - AECs and enough Dingos and Daimlers to fill out the troops.

New Year, New Toys

Something different for the first update of 2016. These are Old Glory Grants, assembled years ago and base painted with Light Stone from a rattle can (Army Painter made for Battlefront, I think). Then they sat, neglected and lonely, until late last year, at which point I decided to do something that wasn't dark grey, dark yellow or dark green.

Grants wore a variety of paint schemes in their short time with the British army. This one is based off an example in the Imperial War Museum. I suspect the colours are fanciful, but they are pretty. olive Drab by Testors, everything else by Humbrol (or, as a friend calls it, "God's own paint range").

Alas, most historical paint projects involve browns and greens. This would include the two platoons of British infantry (Battlefront, Guards, 1944) that have also been waiting patiently for uniforms. Humbrol paints all the way, glazed with diluted Minwax Dark Walnut for shading and protection all in one.

And now it's back to the worktop, where twenty T-72s are waiting. More dark green. :)