In a previous post I had finished painting everything that I had for my WWII collection, but have since treated myself to a few models, including a tank for my allies. Having recently read James Holland’s Brothers in Arms, about the Nottingham Sherwood rangers tank regiment I was inspired to buy a Sherman Firefly for my allied forces.
A Sherman Firefly noses warily along a road amongst the Normandy Bocage…
I’ve always been rather fond of the Sherman Firefly ever since I had a 1/72 scale model of one when I was a kid and when I found a company called 3d Printing Valley who produce 1/56 scale tanks for as little as £15.00 plus postage I couldn’t resist!
The printing quality seems very good to me (though I am no expert in this field) and it has nice crisp details. The front glacis plate had some obvious print lines which I have cunningly hidden under heaps of stowage and the details on the tracks are somewhat simple, though it is nothing a healthy dose of mud wouldn’t fix! All in all they seem like very nice models and I have already ordered a couple more models to be getting on with.
When the Imperial hive of Pinguisburg Profundis was destroyed at the whim of the Inquisition for the crime of harbouring a genestealer cult it took Vertraag, an ogryn slave working in the underhive waste disposal sector primus, three months to dig his way to the surface. From there he walked, bewildered and aimless through the ash wastes of Cacas Tempestus…
Last Orktober I wrote a post about the completion of my long running Blood Axe kommando clan. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across two sneaky gitz who had somehow infiltrated my painting pile from that nefarious eBay!..
In all seriousness, I find that whenever I think I’ve finished one of my collections, my eye starts wandering and I inevitably end up adding to it. Having played a couple of enjoyable games of the new Killteam with my kommandos, I couldn’t resist picking up some of these fantastic models and having perfected my painting recipe over the years they were a real joy to paint!
So, now that I have more than enough greenskins for my needs, that’s an end to it it right?.. right?.. yeah, sure it is!
Having finished all the painting of all of my WWII collection to date I was inspired to get them out on the table for some rip roaring action. It was time for Lord Lovat’s No.4 commando to go on operations…
“Ah.. good evening Shimmy, take a seat, now we’ve got a job for you old boy. Through ‘most secret sources’ the top-brass have discovered that the bosche are stockpiling fuel and supplies on the Channel Islands. They believe that these are part of the plans for an invasion of Britain. Your mission is to conduct a raid on St Peters port to destroy supplies and infrastructure there. Secondary to this aim is to gather intelligence pertaining to the enemy’s plan for invasion.”
“Here is an aerial photography of the port…”
“Supplies are being kept in warehouses and being transported to stashes across the island. We have also received, through the Pigeon Policy Committee, some pictures taken by an anonymous Channel Islander..”
“The building in the distance of the middle photo is being used as a barracks by the garrison troops and the administration building to the north has been seconded by the Germans as an HQ building. That would be the best place to gain intelligence, though failing that, capturing some sentries would suffice.
The Mission
The force of commandos set off for the Channel Islands at 10pm but due to navigational mishaps the LCA didn’t reach Guernsey till 2am. They infiltrated the port and split into two demolition parties, one made their way to the barrack building to lay demolitions and flank the German HQ. The other team, led by Lord Lovat himself, made their way to the warehouse.
The flanking force successfully laid charges outside the barracks but as they made their way to the vehicle park, a keen eyed sentry on the door at the HQ spotted private Jenkins as he set up his bren gun for enfilading fire.
As the alarm was raised at the HQ and rifle and LMG fire began to erupt from there, Lovat’s section had just finished planting charges on the locomotive and warehouse when the sound of running boots on the cobbles alerted them to the approach of a patrolling German sentry. Private ‘Lofty’ Short appeared around the corner of the warehouse and smashed the butt of his Lee Enfield into the sentry’s face, pole-axing him. Lovat ordered corporal Wilson to lay down fire on the spandau in the roof of the HQ. Wilson was injured during the ensuing exchange of fire.
Meanwhile, the flanking section conducted vicious close quarters fighting around the barrack block with grenades and small arms fire being exchanged. Ultimately the commandos were able to keep the garrison troops pinned In the building.
As the early hours of the morning wore on and with the sky beginning to lighten, the commandos started to disengage. ‘Lofty’ Short picked up the downed sentry to take back as a prisoner for interrogation.
As the commandos reached their LCA and readied themselves for departure the night was ripped apart as the demolition charges exploded with blinding flashes on the horizon. All told a successful night’s work!
For a number of years now I have had a WWII skirmish project simmering away on the back-burner. In a previous post I showed off my US airborne infantry but I have documented very little on my blog since then.
Somewhere in North West Europe German forces offload to repel the allied invasion.
My collection is somewhat unusual, including as it does, a captured Char B tank, a sentry box with military policemen, planes, trains and automobiles. This is because rather than collecting and playing the more conventional WWII wargame I have decided to focus more on commando raids and special operations.
I stumbled across the fantastic skirmish rules Five men at Kursk by Nordic Weasel Games some time ago and have played several games with my US airborne forces in Normandy as they ambushed panzer grenadier convoys, blew up train tracks and generally made a nuisance of themselves…
“Where are we Sarge?”
I have, over the last couple of years, also amassed a collection of buildings for more industrial settings…
German HQ at St Peter Port, Guernsey, complete with troop barracks, Opel Blitz trucks and staff car.
I have been itching to have a go at another Nordic Weasel ruleset called Where Stenguns Dare: WWII Cinematic Commando Action.As the title suggests these rules allow you to conduct commando missions in the truest 60s war movie style…
Little do the patrolling German sentries know that commandos of the Special Boat Section, commanded by Lord Lovatt himself are lurking in the shadows.
I have completed the last few models recently which has given me the WWII bug again (and started me looking to buy some more models now I have completed everything I currently own) So I’m hoping to dare the stenguns and cause a nuisance!
“Actung Panzer, how did zey get hold of a panzer!!?”
As the interlopers sneak through the undercity, they alight upon an ancient statue. Emerald onyx shimmers in the ever dancing flames of the braziers that flank the effigy. The icon of the immortal God-king is magnificent and noble in aspect and at its base, votive candles, minor Shrines and macabre offerings lie scattered in the dust of ages…
My first completed model of the new year has been one I’ve had knocking around for a couple of years and I have avoided mainly due to the fact that I don’t really enjoy painting terrain projects as much as miniatures.
However, using my random project generator meant I had little choice but to plow through and I’m glad I did! The scheme was pretty simple and with the addition of some enamel washes for weathering I’m quite happy with the final result. Most importantly it’s finished and ready the table and I’m now wracking my brain for a great scenario to showcase this cool terrain piece.
A lattice of arcane symbols blaze into life, bathing the smooth blackstone surfaces in a lambent emerald glow. The hum of archaic machinery resonates through the halls before a rhythmical thumping begins. Metal feet, in their thousands, clanging on stone as the phalanxes of soulless automatamarch in perfect lock-step.
Watching on from the shadows ill disciplined groups of hunched figures chitter amongst themselves. These debased forms are armed with gore-encrusted blades extending from their fingers and their contorted bodies are draped with flayed skins still oozing blood and viscera down their metal carapaces.
This Orktober marks the close of my own greenskin project as I have painted the last model for my Blood axe mob.
The sneaky gitz of Urrgok Skulldagga’s Kommandos are ardent followers of the mighty God Mork. His ‘brutal kunnin’ is legendary throughout the galaxy and his boyz have undertaken many an audacious raid from their battle cruiser da BizMork.
I have spoken in a previous post (read here) about the system I devised to help me to get more of my wargame projects to completion and having followed it for a year now, it has more than proven its worth. One such project, which started nearly 15 years ago, is my classic metal Catachan jungle fighters.
Whilst building my first ever Warhammer 40,000 army I couldn’t resist the urge to scratch my nostalgia itch for the 90’s Imperial Guard models that I used to drool over in the White Dwarf magazines as a kid. It would have been far to expensive to collect an entirely metal army so instead I decided on a small contingent of lead to add to my hordes of plastic Cadians.
The majority of the army was sold off piecemeal years ago, but my metal models remained and are now finally seeing some paint!…
TinPot Revolutionary 