Polish Army of 1939 - Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna (God, Honor, Fatherland)

 A while ago I picked up an early war Polish force from the Warlord Games 28mm Bolt Action range. The original plan was to have it ready for the 80th anniversary of the start of the Second World War. It got based and primed, but then stagnated until recently. So here is the final result.

1 7TP tank - A development of the British Vickers 6-ton light tank the Polish 7TP saw combat in the Defence of Poland in 1939.  Although significantly better armed than the German Panzer I and Panzer II, the 7TP was never fielded in enough numbers to change the outcome of the war. This is an early version of Warlord Games resin kit which did not come with the exhaust at the back, so I scratch built one.

 

2 TKS tankettes, one equipped with a 20mm cannon. Here is a link to a video featuring a full-size replica of the TKS.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNLxDP0omKs&t=4s

 

1 HQ consisting of an officer, NCO, medic, and radio man

 3 x 10 man infantry sections (two with Browning Automatic Rifles)

 

1 Anti-tank rifle team, and 1 MMG team with wz. 30 machine gun

 

1 Bofors 37mm Anti-tank gun 

1 French 75 mm field gun Mle 1897, designated in Poland as 75 mm armata wz. 1897-17

 

These were all painted using the Flames of War Polish Early War Paint Set and the Army Painter Strong Tone Quick Shade.

With the completion of my Poles, fellow Conscript Dallas and I have been looking at doing some Poland 1939 scenarios from the Bolt Action campaign book, 'Germany Strikes - Early War in Europe'. The first of these involves the defence of the Polish Post Office in Danzig (Gdansk) on 1 September 1939. We have both been working on more early war Germans, as well as some unique support weapons, vehicles, and buildings required for the scenario. More to follow.

On an interesting note, a number of the figure options and sculpts have changed since I first purchased my Poles.

Minotaur Chapter Terminators

 Back to my Space Marine Chapter repaint! This batch includes two squads of Terminators. One squad has Thunder hammers and Storm Shields and the other is standard with storm bolters and power fists. I also painted up a Cataphractii Terminator to represent the captain. The model used is from the Calth box I think and pretty common. I think I have at least two others. I added a helmet from an old Chapterhouse head and cut off the face/neck protector thingy. Finally, I added a few Minotaur Chapter insignia to the belt and shoulders. I was going to keep working on the Minotaur's, but I'm out of black spray primer and getting more is a bit more complicated in Manitoba at the moment. I guess I'll have to move on to something already primed.

For when every problem is a nail.

Shoulder insignia from Pop goes the monkey! Strange name, but nice product.

Though I'm happy I actually got him looking at where he's shooting, I think the severity of the angle means his neck is probably broken. Oh well, The future!

Another look at the Minotaur badge.

Quick 30k Project - Conversion Beamer for Predator Turret

VI Legion Predator sporting a new main weapon option - a Conversion Beamer.

 

Just a very short 30k project to share in this post - this is a Conversion Beamer, a weapon option for the Predator tanks in the Space Marine Legions of GW's 30k setting. This weapon fits the turret of the Predator I painted for the VI Legion back in the summer. Steve B had built the model for me - and he is a genius with magnets, so he magnetized the main weapon mount, as Predator tanks in 30k have a few different options in terms of mounting a main weapon. The Space Marines of the VI Legion will now benefit from Steve's skill, because they have a fun weapon option for their tank. 

The modelling genius of Steve B and magnets...options for the Space Wolves.

 

The Conversion Beamer is yet another Rogue Trader-era weapon given new life in the 30k setting. The weapon is...well...basically a death ray - it turns matter into energy. This weapon works about just about anything - tanks, infantry, protesters, enemy emplacements or positions...certainly seems like something the Mechanicum-types would have enjoyed developing. What could go wrong? The original weapon would remove terrain, walls, buildings etc. which would allow for all manner of whacky circumstances to develop in a game of Rogue Trader. Your commander is safe in a bunker? Well, let's just adjust a few settings here and make a hole...

Stubby but deadly!

In the Horus Heresy, Space Marine commanders can mount these ominous weapons on the Predator tanks and render their enemies down to their component particles. Good times all around!

Very cool that GW's 30k setting includes all of these little shout-outs to the Rogue Trader version of the original game.

My painting desk is, for now, still mostly filled with history-themed gaming subjects, but it was fun to make a quick diversion back into 30k, another little modest addition to a growing arsenal for the loyalist side. It will go into action...who knows, one day. But for now, it looks pretty cool on the shelf as I continue to unpack various figures following the move to Ontario. 

The motor pool of the VI Legion taking shape on the shelf...more to come this winter...

 

Thanks for visiting the blog, I hope you are safe, healthy and sane, wherever you are!

More ships for the Executioners

 I posted some ships I painted for Battle fleet Gothic back in October. One of the fleets belonged to the Executioners Space Marine Chapter during the Badab War. In the background, the Executioners had a seized (stolen) cruiser called the "Night Hag." It's described as having an assortment of weapons including lance batteries, launch bays and Macrocannons! Whatever those are. I found an interesting model on Shapeways that had a fairly unique, yet still Imperial look. It also had this weird cannon on top of it. I also ordered a Strike Cruiser to make the fleet look more space marine-y. Once arrived I added a set of lance batteries to the Night Hag and painted it up using the blue gunmetal color scheme I used for the other ones. The chapter insignia was again borrowed from the double axe transfer from Imperial Fist Forgeworld transfer sheet.For rules I will probably make it one of the battleships from the Armada expansion. Rumors that GW may relaunch BFG may rendered my efforts here obsolete. It's definitely a game I would purchase despite what I'm sure will be at an eye-watering price. Hopefully they don't change the scale too much.

I have two fleets now and had anticipated that we would be playing games soon. However, Winnipeg is now now entering a second lockdown and authorities are promising to take a hard line on violators of the Public Health order. With news that the virus is surging all over Europe and North America, I am not hopeful that we will be gaming any time soon. In the meantime, I'll keep plugging away at my stockpile of models in anticipation of the day we can resume in person gaming.

The Night Hag - 3D printed

I love how it's absolutely covered in guns!

3D printed Space Marine Strike Cruiser

15mm "Gvozdika" (Carnation) 122mm SP Gun Battery from Zvezda for Team Yankee

I got a real surprise in the mail a couple days ago. Back in early July I'd ordered some Zvezda models from Evgeniy, a Russian eBay vendor. By late September it seemed clear that the models were lost and weren't going to arrive, so I sought and received a refund from eBay - at the same time promising Evgeniy that if the models ever did show up, I'd pay him again for them.

And can you believe it - they finally did show up - three 15mm (1:100) 2S1 "Carnation" 122mm SP howitzers. They're push-fit models that go up very quickly, but of course have the standard drawbacks of push-fit models - they can be a bit fragile in assembly. (Yes I did send money to Evgeniy for which he expressed deep gratitude)

The models themselves are reasonably detailed and paint up quickly. The surface detail takes well to the standard Magic Russian Spraycan + Agrax Earthshade + Ushabti Bone drybrush. 

I added some weathering with Doombull Brown rust marks and Leadbelcher chips, plus some spare Team Yankee Russian decals of course.

In terms of cost, the three vehicle kits cost me $21.70 USD including shipping from Russia. This compares favorably with the Battlefront box, which tallies at $41.50 USD (before shipping) but includes unit cards. The battlefront models are resin and metal multimedia kits which you may prefer, or not, to injection-molded plastic kits. The barrels on the Zvezda models can be elevated though, unlike the Battlefront resin. Delivery from Battlefront may or may not be speedier and more reliable than Russian post...

The Zvezda kits will be perfectly useable when if we can ever have games again. Game stats for the models are included in the current Red Thunder book and the forthcoming Soviet army book, of course. Let me just say that an artillery template combined with direct fire anti-tank capability (a very respectable AT21 at up to 24") can come in quite handy.

So that's another Soviet unit for the shelf. Hope everyone is staying healthy and sane.

French Reinforcements for 10mm Franco-Prussian War

French reinforcements - 10mm line infantry (front) and Zouaves (rear) - ready for action! Figures from Pendraken.

 

Some more 10mm Franco-Prussian War work to share. This has been a fun project to come back to this year, but much of my work in this setting and scale has been focused on the Prussian forces and their allies. It is time to get some more French troops on to the table! So here are two units of French infantry in 10mm - a unit of regular line infantry, and unit a Zouaves. The figures are from Pendraken.

The line infantry prepare to bring their deadly Chasspot rifles to bear on the invader.

The close up is a little blurry...sorry...but as you see, 100% fantastic sculpts and casting from Pendraken.

Vive la France!

 

I have said it before, and I will say it again...the uniforms from the French army of this period are just magnificent, no matter what scale of miniature you are working with, and the castings from Pendraken are just tremendous quality. 

There are different rules which can be used, so the unit representations can scale up or down...in my case, I hope to use each base to represent one battalion, so the three bases together would comprise an individual regiment. 

Profile view of the Zouaves - love the baggy pants and fez!

 

Even in 10mm, the fantastical uniforms of the French Zouaves really pop - I just love them. There were a few regiments of Zouaves in Patrice MacMahon's I Corps, which was stationed in Alsace at the outset of the Franco-Prussian war in the summer of 1870. Thus Zouaves and Turcos are notable in some of the preliminary engagements of the war which were fought in that region. 

 

Another view of the Zouaves.

 

My 10mm collection to this point has focused on preparing for the Battle of Wissembourg, one of the very first battles in the Franco-Prussian War. The French were caught by surprise and heavily outnumbered in that engagement - therefore my 10mm forces contain very few French units (as opposed to two divisions of Prussians and a division of Bavarians). The two units of infantry seen here thus represent a substantial reinforcement for the French!

 

As the COVID situation continues to swirl, I really have no idea when or how I will get these on to the table, but my interest in the period remains undimmed, and I have some more French units lined up in the painting queue...even if it has to be over Zoom, we'll try some kind of game at some point. In the meantime, I hope you are somewhere safe, and able to stay healthy and sane and stocked up on hobby projects. 

Thanks for reading!

T-80s and BMP-3s for Team Yankee

As Team Yankee fans are probably well aware, Battlefront has re-jigged and re-branded the game - it's now "World War III Team Yankee". No big deal really, but the exciting thing is the new value-priced "Starter" box set with two new types of Soviet armoured vehicle - the T-80 tank (four models) and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle (two models) - plus T-64, M60 and Abrams tanks and Bradley IFVs. Sixteen vehicles come in the box for $60 CAD - that's a steal.

Anyway, I've now assembled and painted the T-80s and BMP-3s as part of continuing Soviet escalation. Both models are simple and straightforward to assemble, as usual from Battlefront. I basecoated the T-80s with Krylon camo spray (a can bought on eBay arrived last last week) and applied a camo pattern with stippled Zandri Dust. As usual the vehicle was washed with Agrax Earthshade and lenses picked out after that. Decals were applied to the turret and some Ushabti Bone applied - done. As these vehicles are the Soviets' latest and greatest I didn't do any significant weathering. They're fresh to the front.

And wow - the game stats for these beasts are staggering. Not only are they equipped with an excellent 125mm main gun with an Anti-Tank rating of 22 and Firepower 2+, they can also deploy an optional AT-11 "Sniper" ATGM, also with AT of 22. The Sniper also incorporates an ERA-defeating tandem warhead. Both weapon systems can be fired on the move.

The T-80's armour package also represents a significant upgrade over the T-64, with front armour of 20 and explosive reactive components that upgrade side armour to 16 versus HEAT munitions.

They're certainly not cheap though, at around 8 points each.

I'm no expert on Soviet armour, but from what I've read a consensus appears to be that the T-80's game stats may be somewhat optimistic when compared to reality. However, I can certainly see Battlefront's point in doing this - presumably not all Soviet players want to always field hordes of T-72s or T-64s, and upgrading the T-80 gives them a viable option to field against Leopard IIs and Chieftains/Challengers in a non-horde list. This is OK by me, as after all, it's just a game.

The other new vehicle model included in the box is the BMP-3. This recon vehicle brings some neat capability to the table as well.

Armed with a 100mm gun (meh) and even better, an AT-10 Stabber ATGM (AT of 21!) the BMP-3 can ambush NATO tanks with the best of them. However one cool carryover on the BMP-3 is the 30mm 2A42 gun with ROF 3/2, AT10 and anti-helicopter capability.

The two BMP-3s in the box were also basecoated with Magic Spray and weathered with some watered-down Doombull Brown rust streaks and Leadbelcher chips.

Generous amounts of crew were provided in the box as well - but no decals. However if you're a regular purchaser of Soviet Team Yankee models you'll no doubt have plenty of spares on hand.

The BMP-3s have some very clever antenna mounts cast into the turret (I think they would just fit broom straws perfectly) but I haven't decided yet whether to employ them.

Great detail on the BMP-3 as with all Team Yankee plastics! Like the T-80, it seems that Battlefront has prioritized bringing out some new toys for the Soviets despite thin historical evidence for their use...  while it supposedly entered service in 1987, the BMP-3 only broke cover in deployment with the Soviets in 1990. I guess that's close enough to our time period.  

Anyway I hope you enjoyed the post. Get out there and grab the new Team Yankee starter box if you want to be the first on your block to get the new Soviet goodies... I got mine from Tista Minis in Hamilton, Ontario.