Guadalcanal 1942 in 20mm for Rapid Fire! rules - (Part 9) The 7th Japanese infantry battalion and the Anti-aircraft artillery

 

I´m done with Japanese infantry as I finished all models in the stash with two battalions still missing.Years ago I collected enough Japanese figures to make a full Japanese infantry division but some went to my Tarawa board as SNLF and others, specially HMGs, went to the 1914-1940 French and a few other places. 

This battalion is mostly Atlantic with some Chinese Airfix (1/32 downsized)  copies as they are about the same size. In fact not all Chinese copies are this nice and the more recent productions being clearly inferiors to the ones from the 80s and 90s. The Atlantic figures are not much loved by PSR but mixed with others of the same size they look good. In fact the figures are very tall, not a Japanese thing of those days, but if placed in its own units they provide extra variety. The HMGs are the Type 3, very similar to the original Hotchkiss guns and came from the FFL Strelets sets with my own conversions for the firers. 

The resin 3d printed 20mm AA guns came from Asymmetric Wargames and are very beautiful in just 3 pieces. The crews are Modern Atlantic and are innacurate and small but fit nicely the small seats available. The puttees are non-existent and the helmet is missing the typical rim of the Japanese helmets. 

The Type 88 75mm AA gun is provided in two different firing positions which is a great idea. The figures are again Atlantic. 

Next: probably more Japanese artillery, Simon's Soldiers figures and staff cars, all from Asymmetric Wargames

Guadalcanal 1942 in 20mm for Rapid Fire! rules - (Part 8) 6th Japanese infantry battalion and 150mm and 70mm artillery

Asymmetric Wargames from Italy is a great place for you to get Japanese WW2 stuff both 3d resin printed and Simon´s Soldiers figures. They also have plenty other stuff for many wargaming periods and scales.  While the Simon´s (Japanese) Soldiers don´t arrive I added one more infantry battalion and six 15cm artillery pieces. 

This infantry battalion is made around the shirt order Matchbox infantry, with officers from Atlantic and a few Esci and Airfix mixed-in and my home made Juki HMGs. 

The firing Type 96 150mm Howitzer from Asymmetric wargames is a beauty that comes in two slightly different gun tube positions. The artillerymen are converted Atlantic. The dying figures got new arms and a shell and the heavy load and pain is visible in his bent neck. The snipers covered in leaves had these carefully cut out (Atlantic placed leaves only in the exterior parts of the uniform for you to cut it out if necessary) and the arms were repositioned in order to hold shells. 

A third variant of the Type 96 is this one ready to be towed. 

Some prime movers are also on order to tow these ones. With some pity I found that no horse towed artillery was used in the pacific by the Japanese. They would have made a hell of a sight. 

These Type 4 150mm howitzer were also printed by Asymmetric. 

The last group of Asymmetric artillery is the Type92 battalion gun. The figures are converted Airfix with the converted binoculars and loading figures coming from an old and not particularly beautiful hard plastic set from Fujimi. 

Next: more Japanese

Guadalcanal 1942 in 20mm for Rapid Fire! rules - (Part 5) Third Japanese infantry battalion and the anti-tank guns

 

This third battalion has the company of 3d resin prints from Asymmetric Wargames in the form of 37mm and 47mm anti-tank guns and a Kurogane car. 

The infantry is more of the same with the usual conversions: a small radio, a rifle both on the cornet and grenade thrower and some foliage on the helmet of the grenade thrower. 

The Kurogane car is a small beauty and a few more will go to the command of each regiment. 

The guns were printed a bit on the big side something that Asymmetric Wargames is already solving. For that I used the biggest 1/72 Japanese figures I have, the Airfix cheap copies. These two are the 47mm type 1 guns. 

There are two of these figures that can be used as artillerymen, the 50mm mortar figure (cut of its mortar) and the charging figure. 

The charging figure can be turned to a kneeling guy by an anti-tank gun as seen here. Just be careful with the blade and the flame on your fingers. 

The type 94 37mm anti-tank guns got the same type of crew. 

Next: more japanese as more artillery is arriving and more infantry is being repainted and  based.