Rapid Fire!/Able Archer rules - The battle of Cuito Cuanavale 1987-88 in 20mm - Part 1: What I´ve amassed up to now

 

The battle of Cuito Cuanavale is part of my youth through TV and magazines together with Iran-Iraq war and Lebanon 82 and it sparks plenty of vivid memories from those dangerous and deadly conflicts of the Cold War. I also had relatives in South Africa and even one that fought at this precise campaign a fact which fueled even more my interest to the Angolan conflict with FAPLA and Cubans facing UNITA and the SADF. For some reason I still could not find the 14 years long Portuguese colonial war (Angola, Moçambique and Guiné Bissau) interesting enough for me to model it. Maybe because it still brings lots of pain to many that are still around, from both sides, and close to me. 

Most of the planes, exceptuating the Mig-23 were made years ago together with most of the infantry. The vehicles, on the contrary are brand new and came mostly from 4D models (yes, I know their Sdkfz 251 is around 1/56 and the first batch of small boxes with tanks were toys but after these the brand made very nice and cheap models and continues to do so at a very fast rate). 

For now I have an almost finished Angolan Brigade with the reconnaissance vehicles and most of the artillery still missing. 

The simple green painting of the vehicles without any crew will allow for its use in other armies of the Cold War period and even after. 

I built 4x T-55 from 4D, enough for the full complement of an Angolan brigade tank battalion (16 tanks instead of the Soviet 30 tanks). The model is a very easy build labeled T-59, the Chinese version of the T-54/55 but, as its an early copy it becomes virtually the T-55. Later the T-59 got many extras which could be seen abundantly in the Iraqi army, for instance. 

 One of the three battalions of infantry in each Angolan brigade was equipped with BMP-1. These three are Eaglemoss die-cast simply repainted and with added rear unditching log and antenna. 

I finished all my BTR-60 - the ones that should be here - and had to use these BTR-80 instead. In fact Angola has 11 of these BTR-80 but they arrived much time later  Cuito Cuanavale. Even so the logic of a simple paint scheme continues for its usage elsewhere. 

The Ural 260 is another non-existent machine in the Angolan army but its not much different from other Soviet models, simply larger and very useful for other scenarios. 

There is a battery of six  BM-21 in each Angolan Brigade. This 4D model is very recent and one of their best. 

The three FAPLA battalions are made from bodies of Esci´s Spetnaz and Vietcongs with all types of field caps I could find (USAAF and even some DAK Esci with the cap´s peak cut). 

Some of the command stands got the brown beret. The 120mm mortar is Valiant Miniatures. 

The typical FAPLA battalion organized for Able Archer with three companies of six figures each and support. 

The Angolan Airforce (FAPA on those days, now FANA) has a number of French and Soviet helicopters like this MIL-MI 24 (Esci?). 

The MIL-MI 8 (SMER) is the most numerous Angolan helicopters. 

The Gazelle (Heller) got anti-tank missiles made of EverGreen plastics. 

I painted blue all canopies of the Angolan fighters and fighter-bombers. This MIG-21 is Fujimi. 

This one couldn´t fit the first family picture and its shown now, a MIG-21 from Matchbox, a much older and not as good model as the Fujimi one. 

This elegant SU-7 is a SMER model. 

The SU-22 (Plastyk)  was the most potent Angolan bomber at Cuito Cuanavale. 

Many MIG-23 (Academy) were piloted by Cubans and they scored several victories over the SAAF Mirages without losses something that  was only recognized years later by South Africa. 

Next: one more stand of Ottoman Sipahis for Mohacs 1526. 

Rapid Fire! rules in 20mm - The Germans manning the WNs at Omaha

 

For some time I wanted to have some "proper" Germans for the Normandy beaches. By "proper" I mean late uniform and equipment, without camouflage smocks or helmets and, specially, without any grass on the bases. The period photos of the troops manning D-Day WN´s show them in pretty standard uniform and equipment. 

With the authorisation of Masters Colin and Richard you can see the number of figures needed for the biggest scenario of D-Day, Omaha beach, of course, belonging to both 352 and 716. Infantry Divisions. A total of 60 figures small arms equipped, 5 figures with PzFaust and 12 MMGs. As I have 7 pairs of the latter from Britannia (with surcoats but very nice figures) 5 more were added. Some of the MMGs are inside bunkers with no figures, like the ones in WN 71 and73, but maybe one day I´ll change those pieces of terrain so I can place the models inside of it. 

All figures are 1st type Valiant figures. For the MMG´s I used the figure manning the HMG but used the MG42 of the standing figure that fits nicely into this figure armpit . All the figures got some extra height to reach the level of my model trenches. 

The No 2 is the Valiant radio figure (with headphones cut out)  and, with some Extra Tech photo-etched ammo, it became a decent ammo provider. The stands were also cut at the front so the MMG can poke from the trench. 

Many of the riflemen got new arms and weapons from the Valiant Normandy set and they fit very well. 

By using different arms  from both sets you can get a lot of different figures. 

The Pzfausts got the same treatment and they also have a rifle for double usage. 

I will use the reinforcements from my other German infantry battalions as they eventually got a bit more time for some camouflage and the grass on the base will not look strange. The WN you see on the previous pictures is WN 72 with the famous 88mm and 50mm PAK guns on the western part of the beach. The Sentry model is a great piece of resin (which I copied here in styrofoam), unfortunately the distance between both casemates is too small (in fact it was some 150 meters) and Sentry used a small wall to connect both casemates when there should be a trench. I did the same with my copy as you don´t have too much space to portray accurately the German WN´s and the whole Omaha beach, that is over 7 km long. 

I made a few changes in my WN 72 based on the excellent work of Michael Akkerman. This guy is probably the leading expert on Omaha and also a talented painter. You can find his work on the Web, and particularly on the fabulous WW2 TV YouTube channel. 

Like this I painted  a bit more accurately the broken fence on the hotel next to the R667 casemate...

... and placed some stones and grass around the 50mm casemate. 

Related to 352.ID you can add a  Lorraine OP to the PzJäger Abt. of the division. This diagram came in an extensive 40 pages article on the PzJäger Abt. 352 in No38 of the excellent Normandie 1944 French magazine. So one more unit were you can have these funny vehicles instead of only the 21.PD. artillery.

In the top picture you can see one of the two in the top right corner. 

Next: a video on the Polish 1939 army, on Omaha or on the SCW. 

Rapid Fire in 20mm! Filling gaps in WW2 - part 1

After 40 years of frantic modelling there would be one day in which most of the necessary stuff for many of my wargaming periods would be done. This is in fact what is happening with most of my WW2 projects with a number of them on the "complete" stage. The problem is exactly the "complete" thing: there is always a FO that is missing, a command car unbuilt or a specialist vehicle to order. Then there is the problem of books. They always carry problems and that is why the Inquisition was probably burning them! There is always a new unknown unit or even a group of vehicles that are much better if they are BFG version instead of the GBF. 

So here starts a group of posts with bits and pieces for many places and periods, sometimes even entire companies or more, built and painted to make the already big units look nicer. 

From Valiant you can see here the metal Von Luck, Bandomir and Kurz from the 125th PzGren. regiment of the 21st PD in Normandy. They are made to stand side by side with the other Valiant big figures (not the 2nd run of them which are 20mm). Even if a bit big they are adorable figures which captured very well the atmosphere of the famous photo in which they are based. 

A  Sig-33 150mm IG from S-Model with Valiant crew from their German Howitzer. This one was painted in post Feb/43 colours in order to be used by the Heer in many places and it seconds the ones I made for the SS. The shirt colour is the grey one that was more used instead of the white as the war progressed. 

This StuH finishes the HG armour for Sicily. In the shelves there are already 9X PzIII M (I Abteilung); 7X PzIV G (II Abteilung) and 6X Stug/StuH (III Abteilung), this one being the second StuH of the group as the HG in Sicily counted with 9 of them (2 in RF terms). 

 

The model is an old Esci one that was patiently waiting for its turn (I know it as it never moved for years). The Esci model got a piece of necessary extra protection to the sides and a stowage holder at the back, typical of the HG Stug IIIs. 

Another Esci kit is this Sdkfz 251/8, one of the most common armoured ambulances of the German army. Up to now I only had one Opel Blitz ambulance for the post Feb/43 actions and this one comes handy, even if I don´t know exactly what to do with it on the RFR tables. 

The canvas cover and and the red cross flag was made of kitchen paper... well, I confess, in fact toilet paper was used in a thick layer and I promise that it was never used before!

This one was less tricky as its a very nice Collection Model die-cast from Italy. It only got a wash of black and some light dry brushing of Panzer Grey. Its ready to join the Barbarossa actions, particularly the ones around Dubno.  

Another one for the Panzer Grey period, specifically thinking about France 1940 but with a much larger scope in time if necessary. This is again S-Models with Valiant crew.

So, where is the Valiant 105mm FH18gun? Here it comes glued together with Matchbox and Fujimi converted artillerists. It will complete the guns of my medium artillery regiment for Blitzkrieg but they can be towed up to USSR if you ignore the green jackets. The Sdkfz 11 tows will show up in one of the next posts of this incredible series of yours. 

Last vehicle is another Esci model, a Sdkfz 251/7 for the German engineers between 41 and 43. This one is one of my favourite versions of the 251 as I have one for every theater of German operations. 

Finally a gift from my friend Mário Laranja who does not only makes the best 3d Resin prints of the world but also makes this kind of very good MDF kits.

It will go straight to the NA theater of operations, obviously. What can be done with MDF is incredible and painting this one will help me paint others I have on the cue. 

With the lift off roofs. 

The MDF kits paint as any other models: I used a wash of black all over applied with a large brush and then some ochre followed with diluted and dry-brushed white. In the end, wood and bricks were painted in different shades of brown and brick red. Do this stage carefully so the original black can be seen shining through. 


Next: part 2 of this series. There will be a number of them like this. 

Rapid Fire! Normandy 1944 in 20mm - The Carriers for the British Motor Battalion of the 7th AD

 

The Carriers of the 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade, the organic Motor battalion of the famous 7th British Armoured Division, scout the village of Joyeux Nöel (not far from Bonne Année) looking for hidden Germans amidst the elusive Bocage in that terrible summer of 1944...

This post completes this one:

 

http://jpwargamingplace.blogspot.com/2020/03/rapid-fire-normandy-1944-british-motor.html

 and also finishes my two British Armoured Divisions for RF! one Sherman equipped (either Guards or 11th AD) and the Cromwell equipped 7th AD. 

The Bren Carriers are MiniGeneral 3d prints with Valiant converted passengers. 

Three Carriers are for the Motor companies and just suffered the usual stowage addition. The other two involved more work as they are the Support  Company Carriers with one carrying the Vickers MMG and the other the 3" mortar. 

The 3" Mortar Carrier  received numerous small tubes of EverGreen to simulate the ammunition in the rear compartments. 

A 3" Mortar was also placed at the rear broken into its usual three parts. 

The Vickers Carrier has extra ammunition at the back... 

... and the Vickers MMG pintle placed inside a thicker tube of Evergreen and strongly implanted on the vehicle. Also a smoke screen discharger was placed at the front and the Bren slit covered. 

The other three. The figures were placed seating by burning the legs while the goo doesn't dry. You have to be quick with this one as the plastic dries very quickly. 

Next: More Desert 1940-43 probably.