Showing posts with label 20 mm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 20 mm. Show all posts

17 June 2013

Horsing around: Revell's German Horse-drawn artillery leFH 18 and Cossacks

Horsing Around: German WW2 Horse-drawn 105mm Light Field Artillery

Modelling Revell's leFH 18 Horsedrawn kit and Cossacks

I seem to have developed a Russian/East front theme to my modelling and painting in the last week. First the IS-2s and now the Revell Cossacks, throwing in the Cossack with a horse on foot strangely included in their Infantry set. 

Have been basing the infantry for FoW, then worked on the Cossack Cavalry. Whilst most modelers will bemoan the presence of the Cossack on foot in the infantry set, I found it useful. The Cossacks can dismount in FoW, send their horses to the rear, and fight on as regular infantry. The dismounted guy will be useful for this, and can also double as an officer with the seated officer with binoculars from the Cossack set for  unit command .





Photographs nicked from Plastic Soldier Review. 
An excellent site about our passion. Recommended reference.




Having built and based these guys I thought I'd stick with the horse theme, and proceeded to work on the German Field Artillery with the LeFH 18 10.5cm field guns. Much to my delight the guns are very detailed, more so than the Zvezda kits I have used before. 

In fact on the table it can be hard to distinguish the Zvezda LeFH 18 from a PAK 40. With the Revell kits there are no doubts.The reason is that two different carraiges are modeled, the earlier model with spoked wheel, the latter with the Pak 40s carriage. The Revell kit also does not have the muzzle brake.

See details below.




German leFH18: 

The 10.5 cm leFH 18 (German: leichte FeldHaubitze "light field howitzer") was a German light howitzer used in World War II.

The 10.5 cm leFH 18 was the standard divisional field howitzer used by the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. It was designed and developed by Rheinmetall in 1929-30 and entered service with the Wehrmacht in 1935. Generally it did not equip independent artillery battalions until after the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943. Before 1938 the leFH 18 was exported to Hungary and Spain. 53 were also exported to Finland.


It had a heavy, simple breech mechanism with a hydro-pneumatic recoil system. The 10.5 cm leFH 18 had wood-spoked or pressed steel wheels. The former were only suitable for horse traction. Initially, it was not fitted with a muzzle brake. In 1941 a muzzle brake was fitted to allow longer range charges to be fired. This increased the range by about 1,800 yards and was known as the leFH 18M. 

In March 1942 a requirement was issued for a lighter howitzer. This led to a second modification, known as the leFH 18/40. This modification consisted of mounting the barrel of an leFH 18M on the carriage for a 7.5 cm PaK 40 antitank gun. The new carriage increased the rate of fire as well as making the howitzer lighter. Additionally, a more efficient muzzle brake was added, decreasing the recoil. Ballistically, the 10.5 cm leFH 18M and the leFH 18/40 are identical.

During the French campaign the leFH 18 was often pressed into service in the anti-tank role when isolated pockets of heavily armoured French tanks, like the Char B and Somua, made breakthroughs. The 10.cm leFH 18 and the famed "88" were often the only weapons available.


While its weight proved useful in its sturdy construction and as a stable firing platform, it was a draw back when it came to manoeuvrability. It weighed 1985 kgs, which increased to 2050 kgs once the muzzle brake was added. During the Russian winter of 1941/42 the mud proved too much for many leFH 18. Many were abandoned to be captured by the Soviets when their crews could not drag them from the mud. Despite being designed with motor traction in mind, the German artillery still relied heavily on horse drawn limbers as it’s main means of motive power.


During 1942 thought was put into how to over come this design flaw. The final result was the leFH 18/40 which utilised the much lighter PaK 40 trail and wheels (wider wheels were introduced later) for its carriage, though the result wasn’t substantially lighter than its predecessor, 1900 kgs, its was put into production in 1942. The leFH 18 continued to be the main form of artillery in the German army, the introduction of the leFH 18/40 merely supplementing those already in service.

A total of 6986 leFH 18s and 10265 leFH 18/40s were manufactured during the war to add to those already in service in 1939.



The Germans did consider a complete redesign, Krupp, Rheinmetall and Skoda put new designs forward, but none of these designs were adopted.The 10.5 cm leFH 18 howitzer was a good weapon that served the Wehrmacht well. It maybe thought of as the plain Jane of the German gun arsenal when compared to more glamorous contenders like the 8.8cm FlaK 36 and the 7.5 cm PaK 40, but in overall damage done to the Allies the leFH 18 would be hard to beat.  

21 February 2013

Progress with the 8th Army

Progress with the 8th Army

I have been so absorbed with the NZTC Championsip Warhammer Fantasy Battles (and annual leave up in the sunny Bay of Islands) that I have neglected to update my 20mm blog to some extent.

Prior to Xmas I finished basing and almost finished painting a good deal of my 8th Army Desert/Italian Campaign Force. I started with the ANZAC Forces, using the Aussie Jungle Fighters by Airfix, and Indian Troops. I added a scattering of Ghurkas too, as they had the right headgear. Don't think they came out too bad. Down side to it all is that I had just finished repainting all my armour and guns for the European conflict...Oh well..

Anyhow, finally got to taking a few snaps, so here it is: The Allied defense of Wadi Ah Ful, somewhere in North Africa:

Signals receive word that a Recce Patrol has sighted a German Recce and Tank Unit
 making its way towards Wadi Ah Ful


The supply column hastily refuels and rearms the Diggers

A Matilda Platoon from the Indian Company is sent out to reconnoitre



While British Crusaders move up to bolster the Aussie Digger Platoons moving out. The battery of 6pdr anti-tank guns are already dug in, and ready for any Fritz that pokes his nose over the dunes


A Unit of Grants move over to the ridge above the Wadi to give the Indians suporting fire. Two 17 pounders may not be enough...


Indian Recce patrol returns reporting that the German coloumn has just entered the South End of the Wadi


Aussie sappers lay another mine-field along the edge of the Wadi

While the Indian 17 pounders lay in wait

3 Platoons of Sikh warriors move out to meet the Desert Fox and his Afrika Korps

Anti-tank and Anti-Aircraft cover

Kurz und Lang: Two Models of the  PzKfW IV roll into the South end of Wadi Ah Ful


German Recce Platoon racing down the dunes:



Two half-tracks, one a radio command vehicle, the other with a 20mm gun, and 3 SDKfz 222s each packing a 20mm cannon, 3 kubelwagens with Mg 34s, and a Kettenrad: 
Clearly a hit-and-run Kampfgruppe


Methinks the element of surprise is gone.


Can we expect those verdamte Hurribombers or Beaufighters again? 


But the Allies are prepared. View from the German (South end) of Wadi Ah Ful 


PzKfw IVs eyeing the Matildas

They may just have bitten off more than they can chew...
View from the North

Dipping my toe...FoW gaming in 20mm

 Dipping my Toe...FoW game in 20mm

Ok, so it had to happen sooner or later. Wargames are turn-based. Mostly. Period. (No pun intended)

 WWW2 (Warhammer WW2) is great fun, but I'm not all that keen on initiative/leadership  testing to see which units get to go, nominating this unit, then that...

Even Phil Yates must have come to the same conclusion when he started developing FoW.


... On the other hand I found the FoW rules we played last nightjust  a tad tedious. (Maybe its just because I have to look so many things up, and we were all noobs at it)

 It does differ substantially from Lionel Tarr and Donald Feathersone's rules that I cut my teeth on; and the Games Workshop stuff that's my main  fodder at the moment.( Just took part in a Team Championship Tournament last week.)

So back top WW2, as I've had enough of Dark Elves and Daemons for a while. But then again they have brought out some great looking models...Isn't avarice a terrible thing?


Ok, so there we went, Luc and I at the Kapiti Wargames Club, chose to random opposing sides,

 Late War: German PzGrenadiers with 2 platoons of Panthers, 
and British Armoured Squadron, with a lorryload of Shermans, a platoon of Firefly Shermans, and 4 M10 Achilles Tank destroyers.

We chose to play a simple capture and hold the objective battle, with a small farm, Pas de Douchie,  in centre of the table, with 2 roads leading to it, a ploughed field, and a forest.


Panzer Grenadiers rushing in with their Hanomags, just failing to make it to the objective before Luc's Motor Company. Think I forgot some of the German special rules, but so hey...

Time and ineptitude constrained us, but we got in a couple of rounds, Luc took the farm, and held it successfully.

Still struggling a bit with the concept of hits being based on opponents experience rather than shooter's ballistic skill. Suppose it will come with time. Thanks Michael for offering to help us next week.


LSSAH Panther on the road to Pas de Douchie






BTW: check out this great graphic site for armour I discovered:


6 December 2012

Allied Commonwealth Forces start to muster for El Alamein

Allied Commonwealth Forces start to muster for El Alamein


Being as enthused as I have been of late with gaming  El Alamein and the Desert War on the one hand, and Kursk on the other has led to some confusion. Having just converted all my Desert Themed armies to European theatre of war the Desert Lust grabbed me again. so here I find myself building Gun Tractors, 6pdr guns and painting Desert Rats again...

Thought I might convert some Aussie Jungle Fighters to Desert Fighters, and Some regular  8th Army and Ghurka figures into Indian Troops, giving my 8th Army a bit more Colonial flavour. 


My Indian Division have received a couple of coats, and have been glued to their bases. Still a way to go before they are ready for the table.


Turbans and Kukri, cold steel and conquered warrior tribes, all in service of the Empire


While on arriving from down under, we have a boat load full of Aussie cobbers


In the confusion of a dust storm on my workbench Friend and Foe seem to have been thrown together: Luftwaffe Gunners, Heer Artillerymen, Regular English 8th Army Sappers, and Aussie Infantry mill about, waiting to be based.

I have struggled to find figures in 1/72 scale with the obiquitous tropical pith helmets that both sides were issued with, until I stumbled upon some Hong Kong made copies of the old Airfix figures that were not too badly cast, except for their over-sized tin hats. Just perfect for converting to tropical helmets!

The South African troops in particular seemed to have been issued with these useless items (did block the sun, but no protection against flying metal). The conversion to Indian headgear is relatively straight forward, and the turbans are drying as we speak. The Aussies came with bush hats, and most of the Ghurkas too, so no issue there. Some Ghurka also wear a fez or kepi-like cap. No hope of finding a NZ Lemon squeezer hat though ! The truth is that all of these exotic headgear saw little use in battle.