25-pounder Battery HQ

The HQ lot. Made up from an ad hoc mix of the LW British figures in Mk. IIIs helmets and a piper from the Commando blister. The other lads in berets (strictly GS caps) and the officer in peak cap are from the 7th Armoured Infantry blister. Forgot to take pictures of the OP Carriers, but they're not that exciting anyway.

(click to expand)

I still have a staff team to add with a mix of Highland Div, 6th Airborne and Commando Officers to add to the HQ group. Then the last Commando Section, an Airlanding Platoon, Airlanding 6-pounders and another 4 x 25-pounders.

CdlT

Sick as the proverbial dog

I have been. For nearly a week, hence no updates as I couldn't be bothered. Being a bit down I found quite a few inspirational post in blog-land yesterday. Also having something of an impetuous nature I found I was considering several new projects in the space of one morning:

28mm WWII
Later Roman/Authurian (this is to blame, and Imrie's stuff on the SD Forum....)

Early Imperial (Roman Civil War! Again the iron-mitten campaign is to blame)

Enthusiasm for the first two is already fading: the last is not.

The Warlord plastics look attractive (Also love the old Foundry Perry EIR sculpts, the price not so much): with the Maelstrom sale on it works out to £14.28 (I think) for 30: 2 boxes equals 60, three 20-man cohorts, or four 15-man, plus Auxiliaries, Veterans, maybe Praetorians....then I'll need cavalry and command, all doubled so I can field two armies....

This is usually how I get sucked into new things. I'll give it a few days and see if my enthusiasm holds :)

I'll post the Artillery HQ group when I find the links again.

CdlT

Highland Division 25-pounders

The first 4 of a full battery (that's 8...) for my Commando: Orne Bridgehead army. I had bee resisting this purchase for a while: 60+ figure and eight guns is a fair bit of painting for one unit. But the double-width template is hard to resist when my Commandos won't be far behind...

The pictures aren't too good for the arty: the green does not seem to photograph too well, or perhaps my lighting is too strong (the helmets aren't shiny in real life, so that might be it). Shadow colour also need to be darkened I think, but I like the slightly darker green over straight Russian Uniform.

I'll add the HQ group later

CdlT

PaK 40 Anti-tank Guns

PaK 40s, more from the Panzer Lehr fold. I went with simple dunkelgelb without any camo...much prefer it, especially on things with lots of small details like ATGs.

They have proved to be...completely useless so far. In their last game they missed five out of six shots deploying in ambush at point-blank range. Things can (I hope) only improve.

Off to paint now....

CdlT

Wasps & SCC15

British tanks and most other vehicles in 1944 were painted in an overall scheme of a colour designated SCC15. Most people have difficulty finding the “right” colour for, say, the ubiquitous German Dunkelgelb or US Olive Drab. Not me. SCC15 is my nemesis.

Battlefront, fount of wisdom they are, have long recommended straight 924 Russian Uniform as the correct colour. I always though it too light and mixed dozens of shade searching for something that looked better.

In a discussion of the Flames of War forum Mike Starmer, something of an expert on British paint colours and camouflage schemes of the Second World War, recommended a 50/50 mix of VMC 888 Olive Grey and 924 Russian Uniform. This produces quite an attractive darker green.

For 15mm however I made the mix 40/60 Olive Grey/Russian Uniform. This was applied over a shadow of Olive Grey and black and block-painted Olive Grey. Straight Russian Uniform was used for the highlights, mostly confined to raised details and prominent edges. The Wasps below were the “test piece”.

I'm pretty satisfied with the results and have commenced painting my Cromwell Armoured Squadron using the same colours. They received 50th Div decals (from Doms) because I had no others at the time.

CdlT

Caucasian Flesh Recipes

Blackfly on the Steve Dean Forum had been working on these for a while, collecting "recipes" from contributors on the forum. The finished results can be found here:

Caucasian Flesh Recipes

I've been using #4 for a while, but I suppose I'l have to try out some of the others as well, #7 for instance. I should post some larger 28mm stuff......of course I'd actually have to finish some 28mm stuff too....

CdlT

Panzer Lehr Half-tracks

Panzer Lehr Sd Kfz 251/1 Half-tracks

Half-tracks are one-piece resin castings by Kerr and King, crew by Battlefront. First five of ten, the first platoon and the 2iC.

The camo scheme might raise a few eyebrows, but I do like it: simple, and suits my painting style, plus I'm aiming for aesthetically pleasing, not historical accuracy here. Based on a camo scheme of a Grossdeutchland Panther: brown might have been better than the pseudo Olive Drab, but honestly I don't care....bloody German vehicles....

(click full-sized versions)

The actual Panthers are a WiP right now.

CdlT