Xmas Haul: Support Vehicles for D-Day

Xmas Haul: Allied Support Vehicles for D-Day and El Alamein

Allied Support Vehicles for the Late War campaign: 

Some collector's items, destined to become table top gaming pieces: 

Lledo and Corgi Trackside models

Some may say it is sacrilege, but these will be repainted and join my Allied Armies in North Africa and Europe.

AEC Mamouth Tank Transporter

D-Day Allied Command Vehicles, including Caravan

D-Day Allied Soft-skin support Vehicles and Command Car

  El Alamein Soft-skin support Vehicles and Command Car

Happy Xmas

Happy Xmas to all my followers and readers!

A bit of WW2 demotivational:

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.

Arrivals from the Reich: More Boys of Summer

Fresh Arrivals from the Reich: More Boys of Summer

Received a fresh batch of arrivals for my 20mm German WW2 Forces over the last few weeks:

Mixed box of WW2 soft skinned vehicles: 

Kettenrad and Kubelwagen for my Recce Zug and a Utility Willys Jeep for the Allies

Bridge-layer Sd.KFz 251/1 for the Pionier Zug...

... and a 234/4 packing a PAK 40 75mm gun as tank destroyer while teay lay that bridge

And just for good measure a Raketenwerfer Sd.Kfz 251/2 Ausf D

Two 88mm bolster the Luftwaffe's artillery, and a Pak 38 "Doorknocker"

A Great little find off Trademe (NZ Ebay equivalent): A complete coastal defense battery! ($15 including postage! One may's junk is surely another's treasure)

Trouble in the Border Provices: Fantasy Gets its Own Page

Trouble in the Border Provinces

I found it too confusing to have both WW2 and Fantasy Wargaming on one blog, so I have split the two. 

My Fantasy/Sci Fi blogging now takes place at  Trouble in the Border Provinces

My first post relates to my Empire Army. 

I got the whole lot (barring artillery) out last night, and arranged them on my gaming table. 

Did I hear solo wargaming, Scott? I may call it solo Army parading....

Without any buff and fluff, shields and upgrades I can probably field 10 000 points. 

The Army contains many Mordheim Skirmish Models. Skirmish games being another love of I have. 

I have based them so they can be used as part of standard WHFB armies too, so the Sisters of Sigmar can join the Army either as alternative Warrior Priests (Nuns) or a flagellant band. The Witch Hunters fulfill a similar role.

Who said self flagellating religious fanatics have to be male? 

One is the infamous Nun Chuck with her ubiquitous nunchaku shaped flail

This picture is off the net, but my paint scheme is similar (Blue) for my Nordland Sisters of Sigmar

Generic pictures: Will post some of my own tomorrow

Defense of the Reich: Niedlingen Fuel Depot and Startion

The Boys of Summer II: Defending the Reich

Anxious moments

The Fuel dump at Niedlingen: 2 Quad Vierling 20mm and two single 20mm Flak cannons arrive at the rail depot at Niedlingen to defend the meager fuel reserves against marauding Allied Typhoon aircraft.

A single Tiger II is there to defend the fuel dump from enemy ground forces. 

The Fuel dump has recently been topped up by the arrival of a train, carrying  fuel for the armoured vehicles

A SS K-rad Zug is also moving through the town on the way to the front, when the sound of vehicle engines is heard in the distance.

 The group strain to discern the origin and nature of the sound, anxiously scanning the horizon. 

Wer Da? Friend oder Feind? Who is there? Friend or Foe? 

Game Over? 7 US Navy Seals reprimanded after consulting for EA Games

Seven US Navy Seals face disciplinary action 

after it was revealed they worked as consultants on 

EA's Medal of Honor: Warfighter Game.

CBS News reported that seven members of Seal Team Six consulted with EA over two sessions, and shared classified information that had been given to them by the Navy.

Seal Team Six is the team that carried out the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, and CBS stated that one of the Seals that consulted with EA actually partook in the raid.

The seven Seals who worked with EA have been issued letters of reprimand, which effectively means they cannot be promoted, CBS said. They have also been docked half their pay for two months.

The seven members of Seal Team Six are still on active duty, although four have since transferred to different squads.

Further action is possible, and CBS reported that their careers as Seals may now be over.

-Gameplanet