Rapid Fire! NW Europe 1944-45 in 20mm - German late heavy reconnaissance

In late 1944 a group of wheeled and tracked German vehicles leaves the protection of Reich-Gazprom forest and probes in the open... in danger of finishing its fuel...

I had this group half built/painted for years and finally they are done. 

These two were the first 234/4 I had. They are Matchbox Puma converted into the 234/4 by opening/carving out the turret support area and inserting a 75mm Pak gun from Airfix. The sides shoud have had a small castle around which I didn´t build and instead some two component paste was used in the form of foliage to disguise the missing parts. The gun was placed a bit too forward but more on that later.

I was thinking these would be enough has I had the idea that Germans never managed to gather many of them in the same division. In fact recently I found a list on the web with the reference of all known units to have had 234/4 (Feldgrau page The Sd.Kfz 234 thread, p.11) in which the maximum allotted to any of the units was 6 of them. But the list only mentions 42 of the 89 Sd.Kfz 234/4 built (no track of the other 47 yet)  so there is always the chance of other units being lucky to have had a larger number. 

So one day another 234/4 came to my hands and this time was the old Airfix model with the wrong mud guards. This time I did the opposite of the previous models and placed Matchbox mud guards in the Airfix body. The result was much better than the previous models as the gun is in the correct position and not too forward. Besides, crewed with Skytrex models it became a very reasonable model.

I was thinking that these three would be more than enough...

 

... until Altaya released a few years ago its magnificent die-cast model. So, with 4 models of the 234/4 I just wish one day to find a damn unit with had at least 20 of the real things!

Last month Super Mário Laranja sent me these two marvelous resin printed PzII Ausf, L "Luchs". This is one of the very few WWII German models I still didn´t have and are pretty useful as they can be used in the Eastern Front (4.PD) and Normandy (9.PD). 116.PD is another possibility as I read somewhere. But the two last PDs belonged to the LXVII Pz Korps in Normandy so there may be a confusion here and 116.PD had no Luchs. Well, this is the pleasure about reading about German Panzers in WW2 - you are never certain :) 

Next: maybe another video on another big unit. 

Rapid Fire! Operation Barbarossa and beyond in 20mm - The 1942 Panzers for the first half of the year

Latest batch of German vehicles for the "Panzer Grey" period. The PzIII L are for the first half of the 1942 battles in the eastern front while the PzIIs and PzIVs can be used in 1941 not only in the eastern front but also at the Balkans and Greece.  

Once again, sorry for the paper printed swastikas, but they are only here because they were real in period German tanks.  

This time I asked (politely) to Super Mário Laranja to change its PzIII to the L version. Like this, by mixing these Ls with the G versions, a full 1942 Panzer regiment  can be gathered, at least in terms of the PanzerWaffe's workhorse of the period, the PzIII. So all these PzIIIs are resin printed to high standards. The only thing a bit crude is my own piece of styrene EverGreen glued to the right side in order to have a place to insert the antenna. 

The stowage is a mix of GreenStuff pieces with PSC German Tank stowage. The result is satisfying and I believe that commercially made parts are always better on top of some GreenStuff or similar material, as this last one serves as a bed for the resin, metal or plastic parts, avoiding an awkward placement. 

Also two Armorfast PzIVDs were added. The models are simple and they could have a bit more of details, particularly the abundant tools in the fenders which wouldn't harm the brand for sure. Due to its absence a number of them were scratch built in styrene or GreenStuff. 

Lastly, two PzII Es were added. Old and simple Matchbox models now sold by Revell. Still in need for a few more. I used the markings from Plowman's book 'Axis armor in the Balkans campaign'. 

Next: Maybe a new video but really don´t really know, just want this stupid war to end and be part of history. 

Rapid Fire! Western Desert 1940-43 in 20mm - Ariete Division complete

A strong Italian force leaves Ras-al-MarioDraghi oasis after filling their jerry cans. One more nostalgic post with the Ariete division having its last missing vehicles added. 

All models in this picture are MiniGeneral 3d prints in PLA. I continued to use my now trusty method of two coats of varnish spray before priming in order to disguise most of the printing lines.  

These ones here are not Ariete but from the 12º Autoraggruppamento. The two models to the left are the Lancia 3RO with 100/17 guns and to the right you see a captured Morris with a 65/17 gun. Both models could be used in the AT role, particularly the 100/17 guns which could fire EP and EPS rounds.  Maybe in the future I´ll add another Morris and also one Ford with 20mm Breda AA (when I find one) that also fought with this unit. 

The crew is StreletsR with the usual drivers from converted Esci. 

                    

The 3RO 100/17 models are IBG and are fantastic kits. Unfortunately, from the wargamer point of view, they are another nightmare to build with hundreds of small pieces and PE parts as they are scaled down 1/35th kits. In the end the result is very good but, come on, taking a week to build two models? I should have been suspicious when the kits arrived in boxes where you could place a WW2 bomber!

The last model for the Bersaglieri AA battalion was made using the MiniGeneral model coupled with Waterloo and StreletsR figures. 

Some jerrycans and a Breda 6,5mm were added and later on the crew and some stowage. I´m doing like this because of the two coats of varnish applied on the PLA prints before priming as the varnish may erase details on figures, etc. 

The Saharianna 42 to the right is the last model for my Arditi truck company; the middle model is a L6  ammunition carrier and the one to the right is the Carro Commando M40 for the Semovente batteries. All are MiniGeneral.

This Saharianna got a scratch built Solothurn 20mm AT gun. 

The original model has all hatches closed which is a pity. New hatches were made, Retrokit (?) figures and Breda 6,5mm added as well as a scratch built goniometer. 

Minigeneral Fiat 626 to be used ... everywhere. 

A few more AS37 from MiniGeneral for the Bersaglieri regiment. 

 

This last StreletsR Schneider/Ansaldo 105mm guns completes the Ariete artillery. 

Next: maybe Germans for Barbarossa and beyond.

Ariete Tank Division 1940-43 in North Africa, for Rapid Fire! rules and ...

This miniature unit was another one that started to be built maybe some 25 years ago or so in those days of the good old Esci M13/40 and Semoventes. Most of the infantry and Bersaglieri are plastic and have some kind of conversion as well as most of its support weapons as the Solothurn AT guns and Brixia mortars.These vehicles and artillery pieces are from plenty of origins and materials: Minigeneral and BPM 3D PLA prints; Esci; Italeri; IBG; Waterloo1815; ACE; StreletsR, HAT and Altaya die-cast. Well, the best thing is for you to see the video.

Rapid Fire! France 1940 in 20mm - The 8th infantry battalion and the horse tows for the DI/DIM

An infantry battalion just debused for its Renault N6C2 and forms with the horse tows of the 81mm mortars and 25mm AT guns of the DI. The gathering is in a field close to the village of Raymond Kopa (as you know it can be whatever name you want whether you like football or not) unfortunately already hit by the German artillery. 

The DI/DIM its about to be completed only missing one infantry battalion and 5x 25mm AT guns. In this post you can see:

-one infantry battalion (the 8th)

- one more bus 

- nine scratch built horse-drawn 81mm mortar 

- six 25mm AT gun horse tows from Mário Laranja 3d resin printer

- the last Char B1 bis missing to complete the DCR.

The full infantry battalion. The figures are a mix of Pegasus and WW1 Revell figures with shortened bayonets. The die-cast bus is my third. I remember buying the first two from China years ago at a reasonable price. This one came from France through Ebay at 20 euros P&P included which is reasonable compared with other offers at the same place. The baby blue on the windows is just to go along the others painted previously as a darker blue is more effective.

Many figures had GreenStuff arms in order to create new poses. 

Both the 60mm and 81mm mortars had converted crew, mostly from the Pegasus firing positions. 

The 81mm mortar shell about to be introduced in the barrel didn't came out as expected, looking more with a rugby ball. Sometimes you only realize it after painting... 

The pointing figure came out better. The arm got itself straight as it was modelled around a pin introduced at elbow height. 

The command section has the usual scratch built radio on the back of the running figure to go along the officer who is also (unfortunately) quite active. 

After a careful inspection of the GBM magazines I found that the French radios were dark grey which will force a repaint of all others. 

Not much information can be found on the 81mm mortar voiturette but this one shows its main characteristics with ammunition boxes on top, mortar barrel on the left side, folded tripod on the back and plate on the right side.  

Based on this information and some GBM diagrams nine of these voiturettes were scratchbuilt, one for each battalion. Our masters Richard and Colin show in its diagrams of the French infantry battalion another model (covered), the voiturette d'infanterie modéle 1937, to carry the 81mm mortar, but in fact that horse-drawn cart was used for medical and command issues. 

I used two different Revell figures, the grenade thrower and the cornet, this last one with GreenStuff right arm in order to pull the horse's reins. 

The voiturettes were built with pieces of Blueboard (carved at the top to simulate ammo boxes), plastic pieces for the three parts of the mortar and stretched sprue for the poles connecting the cart to the horses, The horses are conversions from old Atlantic Egyptian cavalry.  

Now these ones are something much better as they were 3d designed and resin printed by my friend Mário Laranja. The S-shaped connection form between the cart body and the horse is particularly difficult to scratch build so I asked Mário to design it. As usual it became something amazing, horse included! Each one got a Hat driver. The missing three 25mm AT tows are the already built Renault UE chenillettes. 

Once again I used for basing cheap heavy duty thick card filled with (the cheapest you can find) super glue. The bottom of the base had some X-Acto cuts and acrylic paint. The final result is a very resistant surface with no warping over the years. 

The nice design and printing of this 3d resin print can be seen here in all its glory. 

Finally, one last Char B1 bis from MiniGeneral in 41e BCC colours was added for a total of 14 for the DCR. 

Next: Probably more Ariete vehicles. 

Rapid Fire! Western Desert 1940-43 in 20mm - Ariete Division nearing completion

A number of Ariete units meet at Ras-el-Donnarumma oasis and prepares to defend it. This lot of models is one of the last for the Ariete armored division as this big unit is almost complete, only missing a few trucks and two artillery pieces. The models are Ace, StreletsR, MiniGeneral 3d prints and my own conversions and castings. 

Lets start with my own conversions. The decision of improvising - again - came after checking the Mirliton website. They have everything you need for WW2 Italian figures with beautiful detail and reasonably priced at around 1 euro per figure. The exception being the motorcyclists with each costing almost 10 euros, and two companies are necessary for the Bersaglieri regiment! Some quick maths made realize I would have to spend almost 200 euros for the 16 motorcyclists plus P&P. 

So I grabbed the French motorcyclist I converted from Airfix and converted it again this time into a Bersaglieri. The trousers were carved in order to show the boots, a new Strelets head was pinned to the body and some details were added in the moto for it to look like a Moto Guzzi.

The first to come out made of GreenStuff in a BlueStuff mould. The right arm and the rifle or Breda LMG were added later. 

After moulding the arm and gluing a rifle on the back you have a reasonable Bersaglieri motociclisti. 

The handlebar was also added after casting for a better detail. 

After painting, these Bersaglieri motociclisti became quite close to the original and somehow unique.  

Master Colin mentions one side-car per company in its first Desert supplement (Feb/June 41). I looked a bit everywhere for pictures of  Bersaglieri side-cars and only miniature brands have them which is strange as Bersaglieri side-cars would have caught the photographers attention for sure. What the Bersaglieri of the compagnia moto had were motorcycles for one (monoposto, 28 of them) and two people (biposto, 44 of them) and here might be the cause of the side-car indication. 

The only side-car used in these two companies was again the French one, this time the matrix model directly as I have enough French side-cars already. 

These last 8 MiniGeneral M13-40 concludes the tank regiment which now counts 30 models.

The models have some nasty printing lines specially at the front and turret top which had to be covered with PVA+acrylic paint. Stowage, antennas, sand bags, scratch built MGs and foot steps and CP models from Mark Brown were added to the originals. 

Thin armor but very brave men!

Two Schneider-Ansaldo 105mm guns were also added together with a few FO and command stands. All models are StreletsR. Another group like this is still missing to complete the division. 

Lastly some badly needed Fiat 508 Coloniales from ACE joined the division not before many hours spent gluing tiny pieces and picking many others from the floor. The figures are again Retrokit/Mark Brown models from the Netherlands.

Next: maybe a video on the Ariete division or a few more models for the division if mail allows.  Or some more French 1940, lets see.