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 "Panzer Grey" period of the German army for Rapid Fire! rules in...

Another plastic and resin force amassed through decades representing the Germans present at Poland, France and USSR up to February 1943. The brown camouflaged vehicles of the first few minutes give away to more grey as the video overcomes July 1940. As usual some mistakes are said (once "Barbarossa" is mentioned instead of "Blitzkrieg"). Also the forgotten brand of Renault ADH is ShellHole Scenics.

3e DLM for the 1940 campaign in 20mm for Rapid Fire! wargames rules

Rapid Fire! France 1940 in 20mm - Finishing the RATT

Close to the Coline d'Éric Cantona the Artillery Regiment (RATT) of a DLM prepares a warm reception to the advancing Germans. In the meantime an Unic P107 BU broke down and  is being towed by a Somua MCG 5. Everything is being closely controlled by two rare command Renault YS in the typical French Methodical Battle doctrine. 

I used a new cellphone but some of these pictures became blurry as I still need to check the device for better results. 

The 75mm guns are MiniGeneral 3D prints with HAT wheels and Simon's Soldiers crew. The limber is Irregular Miniatures with new doors and ammunition. 

The towing bar of the Irregular Miniatures limber was changed to something close to the original. 

The Simon's Soldiers French artillerymen are beautiful figures and for more poses I mixed several references. 

The cavalry Renault YS and the Artillery Renault YS are ShellHole scenics. The camouflage schemes were taken from the profiles of the Hors-Série Nº5 of Batailles magazine. 

My friend Mário Laranja designed and printed for me the nine Unic P107 BU you see in the first picture, the artillery variant of the P107.  Like this all three battalions of the RATT have their tows (six will pull the 75mm guns and three other the 105mm guns). They came out very nicely as usual with lots of detail. This camouflage was taken from Pascal Danjou fantastic models in the Minitracks magazine. 

This other simple painting scheme was taken from a very nice model made by Olivier Chabanne. 

The last camouflage is another from Pascal Danjou. 

The level of detail of these resin models is very good, the opposite of the photographer's quality. The model comes in one piece, only the canvas cover and steering wheel are separate. 

The original resin 3D print of the P107 BU in all its grace minus canvas cover. 

Another recovery Somua MGG 5 was added to the BCCs. This one is a MiniGeneral 3D PLA print with added crane and details.  

The driver is Hat from the French artillery set. 

Next: Epic ACW or Seelow Heights.

Rapid Fire! Market Garden in 20mm - Oddities and such (part 9) - A few more German missing bits for the new RF book

This week a few more German bits were finished for the new OMG book. Unfortunately not much German kit is missing in my collection as this army is by far the most interesting of the campaign due to its highly "irregular" look with units coming from all branches of the German military. This post reflects that nature. 

From Shellhole Scenics came this beautiful PzJager 35R(f) intended as "reinforcements for the 59th Division" (p.22). 

Just a few extra stowage, antenna and crew and one more is ready. 

As a commander for this one I used this Esci figure bent with fire on the knees and hips until it became a seated figure. If they don't obey ... you have to force them.

The other figure is a PSC figure with another head from the same brand. 

These two Sdkfz 10/5 are 3d prints from BPM with scratch built trailers. Holland was the passage for the Allied bombers into Germany and was thus filled with AA weapons as reflected in the OMG book. I suppose that the unarmoured version was more common in Holland, by looking at pictures, but I already have several of those from Britannia.

 

The trailers are made of small blocks of RoofMate covered in stowage. Don't forget to apply a good coat of PVA glue before any primer on RoofMate. 

The crew was made after hacking a number of hard and soft plastic figures. The seated figures had their legs made from two component paste. 

A number of old 37mm Pk36 were still being used by the German FG and at least one is necessary in two different scenarios. I have all my Kettenkraftrad in the 1942 Ramcke Brigade so for now these three guys will have the pull the gun by hand. The figures are Airfix and Revell and the gun is Matchbox with an additional lower shield. 

Finally, on a visit to Ale-Hop I found these civilian trucks that can be used for the mounts of the Grenadier Battalion  1036 after a repaint. The grey one got a canvas cover from an Italian truck from MiniGeneral and a Valiant figure in Zeltbahn. 

This time I didn´t use new wheels as the original ones are reasonable. The red truck got another leftover canvas cover. 

 

I used the truck colours shown in the OMG book as a clear reminder to Master Colin and Master Richard of my obedient, servant, slave-ish, doggy-style-position ways towards those two Gods of wargaming, yes, the ones who should be dealing with kicking Saudi Arabia out of Yemen and Covid-19 at a global level. Dixit!!

Next: more OMG or France 1940.

Rapid Fire! France 1940 in 20mm - Renault ADH for friend and foe

First, and once more, let me ask you forgiveness for showing the Swastika which is here simply and obviously for historical and accuracy reasons. 

 Decades ago my main concern was to have tanks! Lots of them! Like this I could win most of my (imaginary) wargames. With time, and also the evolution of the hobby, these kind of radio vans became prime targets after hordes of Tigers, T-34, Shermans, etc having filled my shelves. 

So two more Renault ADH from Shellhole Scenics arrived to the French. As I already have another one from Wespe one of these new radio vans became a Beute German vehicle. 

The models are simple and beautifully engineered with a main body in resin and details in metal and brass. 

The French Renault ADH had a camouflage inspired by a picture on the GBM magazine. 

One of the models had an inflated roof due to a casting problem. This became the German Beute as it was easier to desguise the issue with some extras the Germans used to carry. Also the front antenna holder had to be cut little bit as the bump would make uneven the two antenna holders. 

In fact solving the problem was easy with some extra folded camouflage net and some foliage. The model was painted as belonging to the Recce battalion of the 79 ID in Soviet Union, late 1941. 

Next: Werfer SP artillery

Rapid Fire! France 1940 in 20mm - The 51e BCC and its fabulous FCM 2C

The 51e BCC approaches the train station of On-va-être-Sabordés for its last journey...

The Char 2C number 91 was "Provence" and here represents the three tanks of the 2nd company. The Model is Retrokit. This camouflage is the last to be known to be applied on the tanks of the 51e BCC.

The other one is number 92, "Picardie", from MiniGeneral, and represents the 1st company.  I used a number of extra details to bring it close to the level of the Retrokit model. For the build up of this unit I used the Minitracks number 2 magazine and its invaluable information by Pascal D'Anjou.

The Minigeneral 3D model captures very well the looks of the Char 2C but needs a few simple extras. In this picture you can see the missing door on the right side, a few bolts and supports, antenna  and the crewman (yes, this was how the turret opened).  

Also another rear  door for the main turret was added. 

The crossing tail is not mandatory but adds some historicity to the model as at least one of the last  six serviceable Char 2C had this device when its remains were found by the Germans, 50km from Neufchâteau.

I also added some wood and chains typical of the French tanks still in 1940. 

I also replaced the side Hotchkiss MG's as the ones that came on the original model broke on my clumsy hands. 

                                                        

The ShellHole Scenics Renault 35R is a small beauty. I onlly added the typical French square for the vehicles with trailer and a big licence plate as I´m always afraid Saramago´s Blindness arrives at any moment. 

 The rest of the details are a driver, another passenger and a few stowage. 

The Minigeneral Laffly 15  TCC was not part of the unit but it was  built and painted with this lot. Like this I have two of these Tank Destroyers (the other one is Ace) which probably will be enough for any scenario.

The  Laffly 15 TCC only had three crewman added, two of them are conversions from the Esci box of WWII French infantry and a scratch built FM 29 LMG.

Next: French 1940 dismounted cavalry.