Rapid Fire! War in the Pacific - 20mm USMC LVT-4s

 

The LVT-4 was an improvement over the LVT-2 as it had a ramp for the exit of the Marines. Its first usage was at Saipan (June 44) and the LVT-4 remained the main LVT of the Marines up to the end of the war. The  LVT-4 were painted green when they showed up but many - and in many assaults, all of them- were camouflaged by their crews. Like that no two LVT-4 were alike in terms of camouflage. The main markings were broad colorful bands on the side, front or rear according to the beach were each group would land (red/yellow/blue/green) making these vehicles some of the most colorful ever. 

The models are Airfix but the Oerlikon was discarded, the two 12,5mm Brownings in the kit were passed to the front with added plastic shields and extra 7,62mm were made and placed on the sides. 

The figures once more, as in the case of my LVT-2 fleet, were taken from the Revell figures wading ashore and with new GreenStuff arms holding the guns. 

The figures are placed on top of boxes something that didn´t happen in reality but look better this way. 

Some of the Brownings M2 are the original Airfix while others are are plastic from old tanks or, like the ones on this photo, from Atlantic. The Brownings M1919 are mostly scratchbuilt. The closest figure is made from a a Revell torso and Esci legs. 

Next: More Vercors or Cortez in Mexico

Guadalcanal 1942 in 20mm for Rapid Fire! rules - (Part 14) The 3rd US Marine battalion and one more Amtrac

 

Third USMC battalion and 1st Regiment finished together with one more LVT(A)1. Once again these figures are a compromise between the uniform, equipment and organization of the USMC battalion at Guadalcanal and the ones of the later Pacific war. The LVT(A)1 is also for later battles as it was used for the first time at Kwajalein, early 1944. The model is Altaya with added crew for the Brownings. 

The Revell US Marine is a great set. The figures are well designed with all small weapons that the USMC used: M3 SMG, Thompson, Garand, BAR and M1 rifles and even a flamethrower. The problem is heavier weapons as nothing comes inside the box. So they had to be made up once again. 

The Bazookas are Airfix and SHQ with converted Revell marines holding Hasegawa shells. 

The Brownings HMG 1917 are Revell and Matchbox, all with Evergreen sleeves and added water cooling device. The No2s are Atlantic and Matchbox. All No3s are Revell and SHQ. 

The Brownings 1919 have Hasegawa firers with SHQ guns and plastic tripods. On the left there is an Airfix firer with changed tripod. All No2s are Esci and Hasegawa. 

The 81mm mortar is scratchbuilt and has an SHQ, a converted  Revell and the old Matchbox officer, probably the most copied and used 20mm figure in the world. 

The 60mm mortars are again scratchbuilt and have Revell conversions (the one with the rifle raised above the head), another Matchbox conversion and a SHQ figure. 

This one became strange as the Airfix radio man  looks like the grandson of the officer. Even so I like to think of this officer as Chester Puller in order to balance things! The figure with Walkie Talkie is SHQ. 

Next: A return to Vercors

Able Archer/ RFR rules (?) - Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022 in 20mm (part 15) - Ukraine turns (more and more) to Europe

 

With Trump/US weapons having to be paid for almost a year by now, Ukraine shifted almost completely to free European weapons. Its the case of the Italian B1 Centauro (November 2025) and the French VAB (already since late 2022)  and Mirage 2000-5F (February 2025). All models are repainted Altaya die-casts.

While the vehicles were easily blackwashed, dusted and some markings added, the Mirage 2000 was more complicated with the erasure of the French markings and the painting of the tricky Ukrainian markings. Fortunatley they left the camouflage as it was and forgot the geometrical greys! Also a pilot was inserted in the cockpit. 

The problem with nowadys vehicles in Ukraine, both Ukrainian and Russian is the anti-drone protection that really I still didn´t figure out how to do in a simple and speedy way to both fleets. 

Next: the 3rd US Marine Battalion for the Pacific.

Rapid Fire! in 20mm, Vercors 1944 (part 3) - More Maquisards and the strange truck of Valchevrière

A group of metal Les Armées Oubliés figures stands next to the famous (for me at least) "Truck of Valchevrière". This photo in taken in the northern part of Vercors not far from Grenoble days before the first German attack at Saint Nizier. 

This photo was one of the first I found on the Vercors actions and the truck became a mystery due to the strange  kind of canvas cover of the "truck of Valchevrière". In the SCW sometimes the trucks had their rear part raised so the infantrymen could shoot from the inside. Is this an influence of the handfull of Republican Spanish in the Maquis ranks? A second possibility is some kind of medic truck. A third one is something completely different that I can´t see! The model looks to me as a Dodge truck. The French army used a number of them and this one may be a left over, or eventually its a civilian one. The grille is different from other French trucks so the Dodge is a good possibility. 

With all this doubts this solution was cranked up: a SHQ Opel Blitz cabin was glued to a number of  wheels and other parts from all over the place in order to have something that looks slightly with the original. 

Pieces of Blueboard, plastic card and cloth were used in the rear part. 

The wheels are from an Airfix Scammel and the wooden back is from a cheap truck toy. 

The wood gas burner is taken from an Atlantic T-34 gasoline tank. 

The figures from Les Armées Oubliés are beautiful figures that capture very well the Vercors attitude. 

Next: a return to Ukraine

The Slovak Fast Brigade at Barbarossa for Rapid Fire! rules in 20mm

This one is virtually complete with a few bridging equipment still to be done. My Slovak Fast Brigade was built around 15 FTF vehicles (in a total of 24), several 3d printed Slovak vehicles and converted infantry, cyclists and artillery. The gun in the cover is a 75mm mountain gun made from an Irregular Miniatures barrel and with other parts scratchbuilt and one I forgot to mention.

RFR/Able Archer - The Iraqi Airforce in 1/72nd scale

This one started to be built during the Gulf War itself as aircraft were some of the miniatures available to portray Iraqis. The vast majority are plastic model kits with a few more recent Die-cast.

Rapid Fire! in 20mm, Vercors 1944 (part 2) - The 6e Chasseurs Alpins

 

The 6e Chasseurs Alpins was an old and famous unit that ended up in the French Vichy part after the 1940 campaign. A few of them - around 60 - joined the Vercors Maquis and became the core of one of the most famous units on that battle, being sent to all actions from Saint Nizier (13th to the 15th June) up to the 23rd July, the last day of battle. 

The majority of the 6e Chasseurs at the Vercors would not have been dressed like this but instead would have used the civilian clothes typical to the Maquis. In fact only some of the officers would have used this uniform, but the Chasseur uniform is too tempting to be left aside as it gives lots of color to the Maquis. Besides dressed like this they are a possibility for the May/June 1940 campaign and even Narvik were the 6e Chasseurs Alpins fought. 

The only non-Airfix figure is the German Esci figure firing with the MP40 that here received a radio on its back, something that didn´t happen at the Vercors as far as I know. 

The Vichy propaganda for the 6e Chasseurs Alpins. I only changed the boots for some white tall socks that I saw in some reenactors of the unit. 

The figures used are the Airfix Italians with added Milliput Chasseur beret. There is also a Japanese and a WWI US Airfix figures added for variety as the Airfix Italians, even if beautifully sculpted, don´t have many poses. The gun in many figures is the Beretta SMG but it looks close at this scale with the several supplied allied SMGs.

Next: More Maquisards, this time from LesArméesOubliés.

RFR/Able Archer - The Iraqi III Army Corps support

This is the last video for the ground troops of Saddam in Kuwait. There is artillery, reconnaissance and some navy for the famous southern Khafji landings. The usual brands are Cromwell, Skytrex, Irregular Miniatures, Altaya with the usual scratch building with help from many other brands.

Rapid Fire! in 20mm, Vercors 1944 (part 1) - First few Maquis and FFI cars

Recently, Richard Baber posted his FFI on his great blog Baber on Wargames. These lovely painted figures, together with a nice Citroën sparked an old wish of mine, the Vercors battle of the summer of 1944, which placed 4.000 Maquisards against 10.000 Germans supported by the Luftwaffe. Vercors was one of my first readings while a young teenager a few years after  our 25th of April Carnation Revolution, as these heroic acts of defiance were very common on those days literature. I don´t remember what book it was or even if I still have it but those pages got stuck on my mind.  

This battle came after the Normandy landings when thousands of young Frenchmen came to the Vercors mountains, a triangular shaped plateau close to Grenoble, Southern France. Not being able to join the Normandy or much of the Northern France Maquis, more than 3.000 young resistants prefered to join the Vercors (also avoiding the STO- Service du Travail Obligatoire, in Germany) were a few hundred Maquisards lived there since 1942. The plan was called Projet Montagnard and predicted the arrival of 4000 Allied paratroopers and heavy weapons to the plateau, something that never materialized and eventually doomed the Vercors Maquis when the Germans came in force. 

My planned models are:

For the Maquis- 

- Build 6x battalion sized units of Maquisards including some Senegalese that also took refuge at the Vercors (only 2x battalions - the ones shown here - are done, more on the way mostly from LesArméesOubliés).

- Some "heavy"weapons, 1x M2 Browning, 1 Bazooka, 1x Hotchkiss MMG, 1x 25mm Hotchkiss AA gun (both Hotchkiss guns are the only missing and were used at Saint Nizier).

For the Germans - 

- 30x paratroopers; 4x DFS 230 gliders; 1x battalions of Grenadiers (9.PD) and 2x battalions of infantry (157. Reserve ID); 4x Ost Battalions; 2x Focke Wulf  FW 190 fighter aircraft  (all these are done).

- 1x Gotha Go242 glider; 2x 105mm GebH40; 15x Feldgendarmen; 4x Gebirgsjäger battalions (still to be done). 

The Vercors Plateau is also on my mind or at least a way to raise ground with the Vercors shape, as building it in styrofoam is something very difficult to store. Even so some styrofoam escarpments, together with a raised cloth is the most probable way to show this difficult terrain. 

The figures are a mix of Irregular Miniatures, both from their French Resistance range and SCW (there were Spanish Republicans in the Vercors fleeing from Franco´s terror), Caesar and Esci. The Esci figures here still didn´t get their bonnets and are still wearing their Adrian helmets which will only stay for a few Gendarmes. 

Ladies first. They are all Irregular Miniatures with a sole Caesar figure with added bonnet. 

There were also in the middle of the Maquisards a number of Ex-Vichy Gendarmes and Groupes Mobiles de Reserve (GMR). 

Led by Lt. Vernom Hoppers there were 15 SOF US soldiers within the Vercors Maquis sent there to train the Maquisards and teach them how to operate US weapons like the M2 Browning and the Bazooka. The figures are Revell with GreenStuff soft caps. 

All figures got a French arm band and many got a GreenStuff bonnet. 

The Esci Bazooka stand got new heads with bonnets and the MMG stand is a mix of 3d printed gun, a Caesar, a Irregular Miniatures and a Revell figure. 

The command group came from Irregular Miniatures ranges including a  African/Cuban  officer with crossed arms and added bonnet. 

Finally two FFI cars, one Hotwheels 1932 Ford with new wheels and a Matchbox  1947 (ups!) Morris Minor. 

Next: More Vercors or one more Iraqi video. 

RFR/Able Archer - The army of Saddam Hussein in Kuwait 91 (part 2), the 5th Mechanized Division

One more division of the Iraqi III corps. This one, the 5th Mechanized Infantry Division Mohammed Ibn Al-Kasim, is another famous big unit of the Iraqi army with participations in the last three wars of the country, the Iran-Iraq War, the invasion of Kuwait and the US invasion of 2003. I became interested in this Division after the opening of the ground war in the 1991 Iraqi Khafji offensive were the 5th MID had a central role. It was equipped with different models of the T-55 series and APCs (in fact Chinese T-59 and K-63). Still a few heavy mortars are missing as well as some tractors for the artillery.