Hubert Pölz’s famous Stuka nose art in StG 2
Today was a big day for 15mm Hubert: He finally got his snake (Shlange)
painted onto the side of, what is admitttedly, quite a lumpy Ju 87. He
is now ready to wreak all sorts of diecast havoc on the Allies when they
turn up. His Dyna-flite Stuka is so solid that if Hubert misjudges the altitude, he just bounces. I don’t think that I will write that into the rules!
Manly Men in Desert Shorts – Merry Christmas!
By way of light relief at Christmas, it is time to revisit some of
the more exotic troops on the Italian side. I wouldn’t quite call them
pantomime troops, but they don’t figure prominently on the re-enactors’
radars, which is usually a good indication of perceived military
‘coolness’ amongst hobbyists.
Mussolini was enthusiastic about troops marching along with their
shirts off to an extent that would raise eyebrows in these more
politically correct times. Military fashions change, but in the search
for 15mm Blackshirt Legion figures it occurred to me that a heap of
Peter Pig ‘Japanese in Loin cloths’ figures that are currently
unemployed ought to convert nicely.
Shorts, boots and a floppy fez – how hard can it be? I can hear
professional sculptors chuckling already. The Blackshirts didn’t
generally fight in buff order, but it should make the figures easy to
spot without going down the whole fascist glamour route. From the shape
of these smart chaps’ hats it seems obvious that the line legionnaire
was just as capable of rogering a perfectly good piece of headgear in
the field to annoy his superior officers as any modern squaddie. Is that
a younger Mimi from Inspector Montalbano that I see on the left of the photo?
I’m not sure if this is the fez below with a higher crown that created a pouch hanging down the back of the head when worn. I chose to model these hanging to hide the ‘Jap Hat’ sun flaps, rather than ‘pork pie’ fashion as above. Photos of the little chaps in their shorts and fezzes to follow once I have scraped the Milliput off my eyebrows. Merry Christmas!
The Battle of Washboard Ridge, an NQM Close Assault Example
Following a question of how big the unit of resolution for a close
assault should be, the answer is “usually a battalion”. There are
occasions when a regiment, brigade or even division may close assault,
but these are rare: Brigadier Horror-Frackley, when asked during staff
rides, how many of his troops he wished to commit to the assault,
would answer
The Brigadier has ordered his anti tank rifles to be left behind as he is facing a reduced (regular) infantry battalion (2nd) from 115th Infantry Regiment:
The plan is for a silent attack on a frontage of two battalions (all regular). The picture shows ammo markers in three different ways. The Beds and Harts (2BH) nearest the camera have three group markers (one is taken off each move if the battalion fires). The York and Lancaster Regiment (2YL) have individual ammo markers, and the Black Watch (2BW) in reserve have a single marker with three green pips on it to remove each move that the battalion fires. The marker to the right has a grid with numbers on it to stick pins into if you don’t like heaps of counters on the table.
Move 1
The battalion commander of the grenadiers elects to split his fire onto each of the attacking British battalions; (if a player declared otherwise, I would want to know if the leading companies in defence were cool enough to ignore the enemy bearing down on their position. I would probably allow the supports to concentrate fire but not the lead companies)
Because this is a brigade attack, the reserve battalion could lend the supporting fire of its MMG and mortar if it was ordered to. In this case it is not felt necessary, and on the first move, the 2YL wins its firefight, so can close assault in the next move. The Beds and Harts do not fare as well, so their attack goes to ground and grinds to a halt until reinforcements arrive to unstick them (this does not mean that they cannot continue to shoot in the hope that they will win the firefight in the next move, BUT THEY CANNOT CLOSE ASSAULT WITHOUT BEING REINFORCED).
Close Assault in the North, move 2
2YL win their close assault causing two pips of damage and receiving none. The two forward grenadier companies that received red pins are forced to vacate their position, being replaced by the two forward companies of 2YL.
Note the black heavy die rolled against the Brits to account for the effect of an uncleared minefield in front of the defensive position. In traditional fashion, the heavy die rolled a two!
Firefight in the South, move 2
2BH initiate another round of fire with the two grenadier companies south of the ridge. This time they win the firefight and are reinforced by a Black Watch company, so that they can close assault next move.
Close Assault in the North, move 3
2YL win their close assault causing two more pips of damage and receiving one. The two forward grenadier companies that received red pins are forced to vacate again, being replaced by the two forward companies of 2YL. Note that they can only carry one ammo marker out of the position with them as they each only have one strength point left.
Close Assault in the South, move 3
2BH win their Close Assault narrowly, causing one pip of damage, and noting with relief that the minefield die was an equally miserable one! (Although it looks as if the black die is matched aganst the die below, it is not. It is acting as one heavy die of fire at contact).
The grenadier company with 3 red pins on it has no fighting strength left. If it gets another hit before it reorganises, it will be destroyed.
At this point, 2nd/115th are forced to take a morale test, which they fail, withdrawing in good order to fight another day.
Brigadier Tidbury is content that the position has been taken. He calls for his ‘A’ echelon to come forward and begins the task of reorganising and digging his brigade in before the inevitable counter attack. He will bring forward his transport with engineering stores, anti-tank guns and more ammunition.
*Volltreffer (direct hit) – Often shouted on ski slopes when a novice skier has wiped out a snowboarder.
**Achtung Schweinhund! Harry Pearson’s eponymous book is highly recommended.
“All of them!”
Fortunately for us, the attack at WASHBOARD RIDGE is being conducted by Brigadier O.H. Tidbury (in command 30 October 1940–27 April 1941), who understands the value of reserves, with:- 14th Infantry Brigade Comd (s3), Signals Vehicle (s3), Rifle stand (s1) (Defence Platoon), FOO (s1), Limber (s3), 25pdr (s3)
- 1st battalion Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment Comd (s3), 3 Rifle Stands (s3), VickersMMG (s3), 3″Mortar (s3)
- 2nd battalion Black Watch (as above)
- 2nd Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment (as above)
The Brigadier has ordered his anti tank rifles to be left behind as he is facing a reduced (regular) infantry battalion (2nd) from 115th Infantry Regiment:
- 1 Comd (s1), 3 Rifle (s3), 1 81mm Mortars (s3), 1 MG42 (s3)
The plan is for a silent attack on a frontage of two battalions (all regular). The picture shows ammo markers in three different ways. The Beds and Harts (2BH) nearest the camera have three group markers (one is taken off each move if the battalion fires). The York and Lancaster Regiment (2YL) have individual ammo markers, and the Black Watch (2BW) in reserve have a single marker with three green pips on it to remove each move that the battalion fires. The marker to the right has a grid with numbers on it to stick pins into if you don’t like heaps of counters on the table.
Move 1
The battalion commander of the grenadiers elects to split his fire onto each of the attacking British battalions; (if a player declared otherwise, I would want to know if the leading companies in defence were cool enough to ignore the enemy bearing down on their position. I would probably allow the supports to concentrate fire but not the lead companies)
Because this is a brigade attack, the reserve battalion could lend the supporting fire of its MMG and mortar if it was ordered to. In this case it is not felt necessary, and on the first move, the 2YL wins its firefight, so can close assault in the next move. The Beds and Harts do not fare as well, so their attack goes to ground and grinds to a halt until reinforcements arrive to unstick them (this does not mean that they cannot continue to shoot in the hope that they will win the firefight in the next move, BUT THEY CANNOT CLOSE ASSAULT WITHOUT BEING REINFORCED).
Close Assault in the North, move 2
2YL win their close assault causing two pips of damage and receiving none. The two forward grenadier companies that received red pins are forced to vacate their position, being replaced by the two forward companies of 2YL.
Note the black heavy die rolled against the Brits to account for the effect of an uncleared minefield in front of the defensive position. In traditional fashion, the heavy die rolled a two!
Firefight in the South, move 2
2BH initiate another round of fire with the two grenadier companies south of the ridge. This time they win the firefight and are reinforced by a Black Watch company, so that they can close assault next move.
Close Assault in the North, move 3
2YL win their close assault causing two more pips of damage and receiving one. The two forward grenadier companies that received red pins are forced to vacate again, being replaced by the two forward companies of 2YL. Note that they can only carry one ammo marker out of the position with them as they each only have one strength point left.
Close Assault in the South, move 3
2BH win their Close Assault narrowly, causing one pip of damage, and noting with relief that the minefield die was an equally miserable one! (Although it looks as if the black die is matched aganst the die below, it is not. It is acting as one heavy die of fire at contact).
The grenadier company with 3 red pins on it has no fighting strength left. If it gets another hit before it reorganises, it will be destroyed.
At this point, 2nd/115th are forced to take a morale test, which they fail, withdrawing in good order to fight another day.
Brigadier Tidbury is content that the position has been taken. He calls for his ‘A’ echelon to come forward and begins the task of reorganising and digging his brigade in before the inevitable counter attack. He will bring forward his transport with engineering stores, anti-tank guns and more ammunition.
*Volltreffer (direct hit) – Often shouted on ski slopes when a novice skier has wiped out a snowboarder.
**Achtung Schweinhund! Harry Pearson’s eponymous book is highly recommended.
Quick and Dirty Balkenkreuze*
My stock of transfers has diminished over the years, so rather than
wait for the post to deliver, I pulled out the paintbrush to slap on
some quick and dirty Balkenkreuze. for Luftflotte 2. No-one seems to provide transfers of Hakenkreuze
for tailfins any more since it became illegal in France (and Germany)
to wander about in brown shirts with silly moustaches and armbands, so
they had to be painted on too (the Hakenkreuze, not the silly moustaches).
All
3 stages of painting can be seen above. The ‘Ginga Francis’ markings
are to remind me what the Ju 88s stand in as in the Imperial Japanese
Airforce
Stage 1: After my previous comments about white paint, I used a Pentel Micro Correct to lay the white background down.
Stage 2: A black central cross followed by the black outer border to the white is blocked out, not worrying about how long the arms are.
Stage 3: The ragged ends to the crosses are painted across by a band of background blue or grey. Sometimes I use a craft knife to scrape a straight line to prevent an excess of thick paint at the end of the cross.
The final effect would look good when applied by a steady hand and eye. Sadly, I have neither, but the effect is not too shabby at battle distances.
All
3 stages of painting can be seen above. The ‘Ginga Francis’ markings
are to remind me what the Ju 88s stand in as in the Imperial Japanese
AirforceStage 2: A black central cross followed by the black outer border to the white is blocked out, not worrying about how long the arms are.
Stage 3: The ragged ends to the crosses are painted across by a band of background blue or grey. Sometimes I use a craft knife to scrape a straight line to prevent an excess of thick paint at the end of the cross.
The final effect would look good when applied by a steady hand and eye. Sadly, I have neither, but the effect is not too shabby at battle distances.
Luftflotte 2 drones overhead against the background of a stormy sky (if you half close your eyes!)
*Duty spellchecker Ludger Fischer (Thanks Ludger!)
KG26 and LG1 nearly Battle-ready
I had no idea that six coats of Tamiya white paint would be needed
for the Mediterrranean theatre recognition bands on my aircraft! I’m
sure the Luftwaffe only used one or two! It’s no wonder they lost the
air war, they could probably barely stagger into the air under the
weight of all that white paint. (Random factoid: This statement was
true for the Soviet winter white laquer. It was so awful that pilots
hated it and some refused to have it on their ‘planes as it knocked a
few knots off their top speed). Notwithstanding, here is the progress to date:
This Dyna-Flites diecast Ju 87 from Stg 1 still needs a spinner and some spats, hence the carefully chosen camera angle. Author’s copyright.
Bar the addition of a serial and a hakenkreuz these Ju 88s from LG 1 are ready for battle. Author’s copyright.
My two He 111s are taking shape from KG 26 . Author’s copyright.
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