Friday, June 13, 2014

SCRATCH BUILT M2A4 AND SAM-8 GECKO

Here are the latest two scratch built models that the incredibly talented Martin Small in the UK has made for me. The first is a 1.50 scale USMC M2A4 light tank. The USMC had a few of these on Guadalcanal. This model is 1:50 scale and fits in nicely with 28mm figures. You can see in the second photo some 28mm USMC with the model. The second is a 1/72 scale SAM-8 GECKO. This is for my Angolan bush war collection. Angola had these in its army when it fought against the South Africans in the late 1980s. The South Africans captured a GECKO intact as a consequence of the battle of the Lomba River in late 1987. This was the first time a SAM-8, which was a new piece of kit at that time, had fallen into non Soviet/Soviet allied hands.




Friday, June 6, 2014

28mm Napoleonic Wurttemberg Army - Completed!

Greetings again.
 
I've been working on this army for the last 6-7 months and finally finished. Very satisfying project to do. I'm a bit over Napoleonics for while, though.

This really first started several years ago when I picked up a couple of Wurttemberg units from Newline Designs. Then they got rid of the range and I couldn't add to it. Then Front Rank came out with their range a couple of years ago. I bought enough for 4 more battalions and finished two (yellow facings) then lost interest. I revived it once I saw that Front Rank had finished the range.
 
The idea was to have enough for a stand alone force with enough variety to keep it interesting.
 
Totals are:
8 Battalions of Line infantry
2 Light battalions
2 Jaeger battalions
2 Chevauxleger regiments
2 Horse Jaeger regiments
1 Hussar regiment
2 6lb foot batteries (2 guns each)
1 12lb foot battery
1 6lb horse battery
includes all skirmishers and command
 
Flags are mostly Flags of War. A couple of Maverick Models flags as well.
Bases are 'magbases' from Shogun Miniatures.
 
Hope you like them.

Happy to answer any questions.
 
Cheers,
Mick
 
 These are the first ones I painted. I forgot to include the 8 skirmishers - oh well.
 
This was actually the last line unit I painted. I was relieved when I finished them
 
 Bit of detail on the flags.
 This regiment has the ex-Newline figures in the 2nd battalion. They are pretty good. I used Front Rank standard bearers though.
 Probably my favourite set of flags on these guys.
The pink was probably the most 'fun' to paint.
 
Nice close look at the flags
 Probably my favourite units. The lights. 4 ex-Newline skirmishers on the right.
 Some sources have red plumes and some show green. So I split the difference..!
Nice detail on the FR figures.
 I like the Jaegers. Based in 3s to give some spacing and because they rank up better.
 
Command groups look good.
 
A couple of command stands with the mounted commanders all together
 Close up of the officers
 
Horse Jaegers - pink facings
 
Horse Jaegers - Yellow facings

 1st Chevauxlegers
Close up of the rear rank.
2nd Chevaulegers. Ex-Newline.
 

Only had 10 figures so I've snuck in a FR figure and an ex-newline trumpeter to make up numbers.
Hiding in that 2nd rank,,,
Dragoons (regt #5) These were fun to paint.
 
The foot artillery in their cornflower blue coats.
 12lb guns are on the right. They are typical big gun models from FR.
Carriage colour is supposed to be 'stained wood'. So I used a wood colour.
 Nice angle, I think.
Horse artillery - one of the elite units of the army. Looks nice too.
 Some more detail shots.

Metal work is supposed to be yellow, but it looked terrible so I defaulted to black metal work.