Guadalcanal 1942 in 20mm for Rapid Fire! rules - (Part 2) The Japanese tanks

 

This group was initially planned for the whatever tank encounter of the Pacific from Khalkin Gol to  Saipan or even the last few Battles with the Soviets in 1945. In fact the tank duels in the Pacific, or even a large armored assault by the Japanese, was not a very common sight, specially compared with the Western theaters. In the meantime, Guadalcanal entered as a solid project, and upon reading on the issue, the two main Japanese tank assaults of this campaign (Tenaru and in one of the several actions on the Matanikau) only had between 6 to 10 tanks (Ha-Go and Chi-Ha models) each as the Japanese on the Island(s) were an infantry force with just a few tanks. 

So, besides Guadalcanal, this force allows for pretty much everything you need in terms of Japanese tank actions. 

This Type 89 Chi-Ro is a 3d PLA print from MiniGeneral. This is the type of early tanks used in relatively large numbers which makes a few more necessary.

This one is my most recent Japanese tank with all others made already years ago. As this Chi-Ro is an early version I changed it into a later version with a turret that can be opened and a metal crewman (CP models , I think). 

 

This Type 93 Kokusan by Skytrex was also an early reconnaissance vehicle and, up to now its the only one I have. Maybe Wargaming China can send me few of his Japanese unique and fabulous armored cars? After all that would strenghten the commercial relation between the two neighbors, Portugal and Australia. 

The early mediums Type 97 Chi-Ha with the smaller turret with short 37mm gun. The two to the left are Fujimi and the ones to the right are Airfix. The command version is the Type 97 Shi-Ki with a coaxial long 37mm from Frontline Wargaming.

The Type 97 Chi-Ha with the new turret housing a 47mm gun. The ones closer are Fujimi and the two on the left are Skytrex. On the back are two Altaya die-cast models. 

Again from Fujimi you have here two Type 1 Ho-Ni with 75mm gun and a Type 4 Ho-Ro with  15cm gun from Frontline Wargaming with Fujimi crew. 

The Type 95 Ha-Go is an essential both for Guadalcanal and Tarawa, the two Pacific settings I´m nowadays around. The Ha-go with crewman is Skytrex and the others are Frontline Wargaming. 

The tankette Type 97 Te-Ke and the Type 98 Ke-Ni (sucessor of the Ha-Go) are both Frontline Wargaming. 

The only Japanese artillery I have up to the moment are these two Emhar 75mm model 38 improved (in late war green and not  Artillery Brown as they were originally painted after seeing "Flags of Our Fathers" a late war episode) towed by two Frontline Wargaming Isuzu. The crews are conversions from Fujimi and Airfix. 

Next: Whether a video on the Confederates at Gettysburg or the Japanese infantry of WW2. 

Able Archer/ RFR rules - Vietnam in 20mm (part 9) - A PBR and a few more US tanks

 

Just a short one for some new goodies. The PBR is a 3d resin print from Frontline Collection Store that you can get from Aliexpress, the M48A3 is MiniGeneral 3d PLA print and the Sheridan is Airfix. 

The PBR boat (of Apocalipse Now fame) is a beautiful, extremely detailed and well packed 3d resin printed model. Some parts are a bit fragile but a strong base around it solve most of those problems. A number of surplus guns and crew were left aside as they will be helpful somewhere else. 

Its not a cheap thing at around 30 euros but surely its a quality model.

The Sheridan tank got the 11th ACR markings as its the US unit I´m trying to make, it has virtually everything you need for ground US forces: the infantry; the M113 ACAV and other variants; the M48A3, the Sheridan and the M109 together with Huey support. 

The Airfix Sheridan is quite basic but with a number of additions it becomes a reasonable model. Years ago I converted a number of them for Kuweit 1991 with 82nd Airborne colors. The wire mesh at the front are 3d resin printed leftovers. 

This M48 is in fact the A2 variant with a lower engine. In order for it to look taller I used plenty of stowage on the engine deck. Apart from this an Airfix M2 Browning was drilled in the top cuppola of the turret. The 1st tank company of three M48s is done. 

Next: The Vietcong Local Force battalions

Rapid Fire! NW Europe 44/45 - 101st US Airborne - 3rd battalion done and 501st PIR finished

These ones were black primed for some months and were quickly finished upon the arrival of the latest RFR The Road to Carentan booklet from Masters Colin and Richard. In this batch I added some cute resin prints offered by Pedro Pato of MiniGeneral 3d. The rank and file are the usual Revell and Esci figures as I´m out of SHQ minis. 

Three resin printed Cushman scooters are a beauty with all being different. One will go to each battalion for liaison purposes or, if not necessary, to look good on the table. 

The 3d resin Pack 75mm gun comes with three beautiful figures. 

The 3d resin 57mm AT gun comes with three other lovely  crew, again all different. Only one gun is missing to complete the Para AT battalion as this one is the fifth 57mm of this group. 

The Bazookas are Hasegawa and Revell (the closest one). The No2 are Revell with repositioned M1 carbines and Hasegawa Bazooka rounds. 

Again the Revell tripods of the 30. cals. were turned into bipods with added plastic stocks. 

Together with the OP stand the radio was added to the back of the Thompson armed figure. 

The 81mm mortar and main operator comes from Esci US infantry. With some extra GreenStuff on the uniform and equipment he could join the airborne. The 60mm mortar is made of pieces of plastic. 

Next: more aircraft for the US airborne. 

Rapid Fire! rules - Bir Hakeim 1942 (part 2) - The infantry for the Free French 1st Brigade

Did you ever think why the Free French didn´t have any tanks at Bir Hakeim? I mean, the position was avoiding the encirclement of the full 8th army from the south and having no tanks looks strange. Well, I will tell you the story I found: 

In fact there was a M-3 Lee tank attached to the Free French. With its two guns and reasonable protection it woud have been a formidable opponent to the Axis armour at Bir Hakeim. The problem is that it was spotted by an old Italian Breda BA-65 on its way to the Italian Aviation Museum in Rome. It was still carrying some of its bombs and one fell just on top of the Lee blowing it to bits. Fortunately, the crew was out of the tanks as they had eaten a full meal of Couscous that somehow made them feel bad (some say it was the water...) and they were all behind a wadi discharging their intestinal content. 

Of course all this story is rubbish. I found last week the Altaya Lee and the Rare Plane Vacuform (older than me) at the nice Leirimodel exhibition in Leiria some 60km from Coimbra. After finishing them I decided to go to round two of my Free French making the necessary infantry. Round one can be seen here: http://jpwargamingplace.blogspot.com/search?q=tanake

My idea is to have the full Free French  for RF!  and all the defensive positions as I have already the Ariete Division and the DAK so there will be a few more posts on the subject. 

I was eager to get to the white kepis of the FFL as the two Strelets boxes - infantry and support weapons - makes them justice. The 13e demi-brigade had two battalions that can be seen here. A big thanks to Don McHugh for showing me the OB of the Free French for Rapid Fire!

Clearly taken in the fog-of-war this picture shows the support weapons box that gives you what you need for the entire two demi-brigades and still some figures that can be used elsewhere. 

The battaillon de marche No2, coming from nowadays Central African Republique, was made from converted Strelets leftovers and a few Airfix and Revell. The Strelets figures had its kepi peak taken out in order to look like the Chechia and the British helmets of the other figures were cut out until looking like a Chechia.

                    

The pith helmets of the Strelets figures went all to the BM2 as I saw pictures of this unit using this headgear. For the Bataillon du Pacifique I will use British figures already made as this battalion has many pictures with the Brodie helmet. 

The Command stand can be for Brigade or for any of the demi-brigades. The 75mm is Minigeneral coupled with some ugly printed wheels I had around as the originals were spoked. 

The Altaya Lee got extra stowage and the usual black wash followed by some sand drybrushing. Now I have 10 of these (Lee/Grant)in British desert camouflage and this is the number I wanted acording to my calculations for the maximum number of models in a British armoured division in a 1 to 5 ratio.  

This old Vacuform Rare Plane BA-65 got new wing MGs made of plastic and a carved bay where an Airfix gunner and MG was inserted as this model didn´t have this option that is far more interesting. This plastic is easily cut but becomes extremely light in the end. The model had already lost the windshield and only the fuselage support was left to be painted. 

Next: Bir Hakeim fortifications. 

The German 'Specials' at Market Garden for Rapid Fire! rules in 20mm

These German relatively rare vehicles and with different markings makes a funny addition to a late German force and were also a pleasure to collect. They came from a number of origins namely (better writing them due to my Portoenglish even if the video is an highly professional job with lots of hand movement): - Char B1 Flamethrower - Matchbox conversions - R35 w/ 47mm gun - ShellHole Scenics - Fire Truck - Hasegawa conversion - Dodge w/ trailer - Esci and Airfix - Jeep - Airfix - Panhard 178 - MiniGeneral - Humber MkIV - Matchbox - Renault AHN - S&S - Umbaus - Converted 1/64 die-casts - French 75/36 AA guns and IG37 - scratchbuilts - Pz III F and M - Armorfast and PSC - StuH 42 and Stug III C - Esci - Colorful trucks - Alle-Hop (But you can have them from Aliexpress and such) - Soviet 152mm guns - Irregular Miniatures - Sdkfz 251/21 - Hasegawa conversions - PzV Panthers - Esci and Matchbox - PzVI KingTigers - Esci and Altaya - Command car - 1/64 die-cast

The French tank projects for 1941 in 20mm for Rapid Fire! rules

If the French had held the Germans (if also the British, the Belgians and the Dutch did the same) maybe, just maybe, a future French tank column might have looked like this one. In fact this group is made of disparate vehicles with no relation to any French 1941 unit, just a group of vehicle projects that never saw its integration in the French army (that excludes the Lafflys W15T). 

This is one of the possible futuristic organisations of the French army 1941 (eventually late 1940), in this case an armored division as thought by the Commander Ayme. The picture is taken from the GBM magazine ('what else?' as George Clooney would say). 

The FCM F1 would have been one of the biggest tanks of the conflict with 120 tons but only a wooden mockup was built. It was designed to pierce the Siegfried line while replacing the aging Char 2C. The model is a MiniGeneral PLA 3d print, like all others in this group, which had to take two coats of varnish before the primer to see most of its printing lines relatively disguised. The camouflage of the lot is based on the latest scheme applied to French vehicles around may 1940. 

Another possible painting scheme is to copy the Char 2C layout as can be seen in this TNT magazine proposal. 

Another camouflage also from TNT, which is the same I used in my two Char 2C. 

The Laffly W15T was already serving in the French army as the tow for the 25mm and 47mm AT guns and the 25mm AA gun. 

A famous picture of the Laffly W15T with LMG mount and making its usual business of towing the 25mm CA39 AA gun. 

The additions to the models were the metal and soft plastic drivers and the LMG from Caesar on a support as seen on the B/W picture. 

No, this is not the famous Panhard EBR of post-war fame but its predecessor, the AM40P that already had an oscillating turret and bullet proof tyres. 

The ARL V9 was the SPG for the DCR as it had parts of the Char B1bis. Only two were made but ended its short career hidden in a tunnel in Morocco.  

The AMX 38 was meant to replacing the D2. Also only two different prototypes were built but not put into production. The figures are (left) Irregular Miniatures and (right) CP models.  All models in the group have antennas which would have been a priority for sure for French tank warfare in late 1940/1941. I chose a buff color for the numbers on this group but this has no historical base.

Next: the Saxon Lithsman at Hastings 1066.

French vehicles in German service in 20mm size for Rapid Fire! rules

 

My usual fear that the end of the world is near and that I have to have all models available otherwise Kit God may punish me led me this time to amass too many 1940 French vehicles. So a number of different theaters were the Germans used French captured vehicles saw a few additions. 

These Lorraine 28 are resin prints from my friend Mário Laranja. A quick Panzer Gray treatment makes them ready for the Eastern Front or an eventual usage in internal service in France or maybe at Dieppe 1942. This last option is just a guess as I have no idea if the Lorraine 28 was used there. 

The site from this Lorraine 28 picture came, kfzderwehrmacht, is a nice source for German vehicles, specially the captured ones. 

This Laffly W15T is a MiniGeneral PLA print. The figure is my usual  soft plastic torso with legs and arms in GreenStuff. 

One of the users of this Laffly version was the 305.ID. After been formed for the second time in France  (the first formation was destroyed at Stalingrad), the 305. ID fought in Italy up the end of the war, being also involved in the Monte Cassino operations. I´m guessing that it was the second formation that used the Lafflys as it was formed in Brittany and probably managed to collect some French vehicles.

These Laffly S25T are also MiniGeneral. The PLA lines can be largely effaced by using two coats of spray gloss varnish before the primer. 

The 46. ID used the Laffly S25T in its artillery and they must have been collected by this unit during its long staying in France that lasted almost a year before being sent to the Eastern Front in April 1941. 

The Laffly S45 tanker was used by the French aviation as thus its not the most wargame friendly model as a scenario for it is not easy. So this one was dispatched no North Africa were one day it may be used in a Barce style raid. No proof of this, though, only a guess. 

I can't really understand were this photo of captured S45 tankers was taken but it clearly shows that the Germans found them valuable. 

Next: Soviet tractors in German usage.