My Italian forces

My Italian troops consist of Alpini supported by a self propelled gun.
With the additions of German guns, I may field some units to supplement what I have.
I have recently found them after my family moved my hobby stuff around. I shall have to get some paint on them and add them to this site.

The biggest challenge for me has been to find a paint that fits the Alpini unit.

My force is built for an ESCI/Italeri models 1/72 set.

I've use Tamiya Olive Green. The next step to finishing the unit will be to add some flesh and highlight any equipment.

3/27/2019
I made a trade with a fellow collector and received a Autoblinda AB 40 Ferroviaria so my Italians now have 2 of them to be part of an armoured force.

Ortona Italy November-December 1943 Point Defence scenario

3rd Canadian Brigade of the 1st Canadian Division hold off a German Paratrooper attack supported by Panzers.

Canadian units involved include West Nova Scotia Regiment, Carleton and York Regiment and 

Royal 22e Regiment (Van Doos) 

A panzer division  in support of the paras

The action begins with the Germans going all out with an assault. 

They smash into the Canadians. The Canadian armor counter attacks and takes out several Panzers. 

This game was played over several days. since IVe been snowed under with work yet again, I have yet to update this.
Once again, Ian smashed into my units. I waited too long to engage his mortars and artillery. I really need to concentrate on taking them out next time.

Tank Overhaul - Episode 1 - The A34 Comet

Works with my new Comet I built for the 11th Armored Division for my Bolt Action games

Waffen SS Divisions in miniature

As mentioned before, I have modeled kit for the 12th SS Hitlerjugen and LLSH
Over the next bit, I will be posting shots of my table top units.

8th Panzer Regiment attacks British position at Gazala

British Position

8th Panzer Regiment begins attack

Panzers first attack takes out half of the 6pdr guns but they are sucked in

and encircled 

and picked off one by one from 4RTR, and aggressive infantry. 

This battle lasted all of 90 minutes. Ian and I had fun, but I was preoccupied with other matters.

Motor pool: Allied additions

The additions to the armored divisions include a Comet tank and Armored Jeeps

The Jeep kit I bought last year when I came home but decided to finally assemble today

There is a bit of a story to these kits. Around mid winter of 2016, my wife was stuck at home and decided to reorganise our living room in our apartment. So I had set up these kits to be built. I had the jeeps all done, but had not glued on the brass.

Consequently, when I came home from work one morning, I found my aparment totally reorganised. It took me 6 months to find all the parts!

A command stand.

Comet still being built, this kit I was able to built a bit quicker as the parts were all together.

RAC Recce officer.

The finished products need to be decaled. I painted them this week as my new site is watching two parking lots. In order to stave off sleep from boredom, I read, and paint, then go for a foot patrol. 

Advance to Antwerp July 1944 Bolt Action Maximum Attrition German vs Canadians

The inital Canadian position

Looking down the table with the Canadian positions towards the Germans

The German forces, made up of a division hitting a Canadian brigade. Since the battle is after Falise, the Germans are without any Panther or Tiger tanks. Their armor is made up of whatever else they can scrape by. Their heaviest armor are several Hanamogs, and a 223 armed with a 75mm gun. Several anti-tank pieces, several anti-tank teams, two nebelwefers and mortars make short work of the Canadian defenders. However, the Canadians chewed up a large part of the force. By the end of the game, the Germans had lost all their vehicles, likewise, so had the Canadians. 

Burma July, 1945

A British and American Airborne force has dropped into a position to demolish a Japanese Divisional HQ.

With Australian Armor support, they begin to hit Japanese.

In the first round, the Japanese poured a withering amount of fire onto the Allies. They took out a Frog tank, the first one fielded by me in a game,
The Australians move their tanks out of the line of fire. The American Airborne hit a Japanese battalion hard.

The British Airborne hit back hard, destroying a barracks, and taking a trench line. They also take out a Japanese 75mm gun position. The RA gun failed to fire on this first turn.

The Royal Marines will soon add their own firepower.

Pictures to follow.

On the Second turn, the Japanese ripped into the Australian armor, destroying everyone of their tanks. Its amazing what a Japanese soldier can do with a grenade.

Navy Memorials in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Axis and Allies Minatures game

One of my reenacting friends passed over a game system he had bought. He felt I could get more use out of it. So I shall try it out soon.

French Foreign Legion units in World War 2

I previously had a copy of MAA French Foreign Legion since 1945 but felt that it didn't really give me the information I was after or interested in. Subsequently, I sold it at a local used book store.

After a quick google search of FFL artwork for the period, I chose to paint up some of my ESCI FFL in WW2 uniforms.

Once I get some more bases, I shall put some units together to be attached to the British 8th Army as they battle in North Africa, Syria, and Italy.
Pictures to follow

Terrain effects repairs

Or shall I say that I need to reconstruct a lot of my stuff.

At the start I had some Eastern Front or 18th century houses to rebuild

A Bunker complex which needs some TLC

 The French Foreign Legion fort will become a part of a Desert War themed game 

My South-East Asian themed bamboo hut and roof to a Russian or French Canadian barn

The Battle of Bizerte: 6th Armoured Division vs. German Afrika Korps 1942

This Bolt Action game using scenario 3 has an armored brigade made up of 2nd Lothians and Border Horse, 12th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (Honourable Artillery Company)  and infantry of the 38th Irish Brigade attacking up the road to Bizerte against a German brigade.

38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade (from 9 June 1942, left 16 February 1943)^[14]

• 2nd Battalion, London Irish Rifles
• 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers
• 6th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

Pictures to follow

Australian 9th Division

This is a major revision of this blog posting as I'd like to add my own information and pictures.

The division I have modeled with

26 Brigade: 2/23 Victoria Battalion, 4 Vickers MMG, 2 81mm mortars, 

20th Brigade, 2/15th Queensland, 6/13th New South Wales Battalion, 2/48th South Australia Battalion 

24th Brigade: 2/25th Queensland Battalion, 2/28th Western Australia Battalion, 2/32nd Victoria Battalion 

Battle of the Atlantic Sunday

This park was established in memory of the ships and sailors who were lost in the Battle of the Atlantic. All the streets are named after ships which were sunk by German Uboats, or other enemy action, or accidents during the war.

The colour party leads the parade

The Atlantic Canadian Military History Society reenactors contribute an honor guard

 Sea Cadets and Navy Leauge Cadets

NLCC Bidwell Corps. Ian is the cadet in the ball cap as QM did not have a white top in his size

Ian is the cadet to the right of the cadet in white shirt.

Ready Aye Ready

Ian poses with the reenactors

Halifax Rifles Monument

This Sherman tank nicknamed Hellfire, was previously posted outside the Halifax Armouries. It was in memory of The Halifax Rifles RCAC, which originally had been a militia regiment for the city of Halifax, but was converted to an Armored regiment for WW2. 

It now sits in a holding yard on a Canadian military base due to the fact that it was vandalized by people opposed to the War in Afganistan and Iraq. This I find is a shame. I support people's right to protest, but defacing a monument to the men and women who fought and died for our country, so that they could have the right to protest I find disgusting. As far as I know, there are no plans to put this monument back.