Take and Hold.

 For my Dad's 75th birthday I ran a game from FOW North Africa. He was to take and hold a town with supplies

Having a birthday drink

My Dad and my classmate Jason Ashley 

The game we played

Dad advances and launches an artillery bombardment 

Im trying to get in some shots

The board i had set up.

8th Army

1 Honey HQ with 3 Honey squadrons

1 Grant HQ with 1 squadron 

1 Valentine Squadron 

I Crusader HQ with 3 squadrons

1 25pdr battery with Honey OP 

2 6pdr Anti-tank battery 

3 Universal Carriers Recce squadrons 

AFRIKA KORPS

1 Tiger HQ and 1 Squadron 

1 Panzer IV HQ and 2 squadrons 

I Panzer III HQ and 3 squadrons 

1x 105mm battery 

1 squadron of Panzer II

A mixed Reccee squadron of 222 and 233

Tobruk Bunkers and Dug ins

 

So I have a few spare bits which have turrets and hulls but no running gear. The Stuart's been dug in, the gun is a short barrel led version

The other is a Tobruk style Panzer II turret. I plan on making a few more of these either in Concrete or Mud for my Westwall defenders 

Wooden bunkers

 

I found the plaster wooden culvert at Great Hobbies and with the Railway ties, i decided to turn them into bunkers which can be used in a European or North American wooded area.

Terrain for desert or forest.

 So I picked up some terrain effects. 

Good for desert or forest

Im going to see if I can make this into bunkers

Could be good for quick field fortifications 

And I have a sand effect to add to my desert figured.

A scrap in the desert

 Ive taken my 8th Hussars with the Rifle Brigade to see what Jerry is up to. Recce elements report that Rommel has a Panzer II squadron with Recce elements and some Anti-tank but just as we arrived we found a Tiger and Infantry.  Might make getting the tea on a bit difficult 

45mm Anti-tank Company

 

As part of a collection I picked up last week from a collector who was downsizing his collection, I picked up several of these gun teams.

They are long barreled guns with a hearty Anti-tank rating of 8. So ill use these in bush when I can.

UNIVERSAL CARRIER PATROLS

 

I had several done up from the Plastic Soldier Company but I really wanted another set. The others I have done up as MMG carriers and mortars. These fellows I have with MGs but also Boys Anti-tank rifles.

In the Desert Rats book, these carriers are attached to the Rifle Brigade. They give mobile fore power and can potentially run small sections about the battlefield. 

HONEY ARMOURED TROOP

 The 8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars had been using these American Lend-Lease supplied tanks since 1941 and had done well with them. 

So far, I can now field the entire Regiment with an HQ of 4 Honeys and 4 troops of 3 Honeys. My main use for them will be to take out the Afrika Korps recce elements and to try and suppress Artillery as well.

MARDER (7.62) TANK-HUNTER PLATOON

 

The Marder was a stop gap measure by the Germans to field a self-propelled Anti-tank guns. Having many Panzer 38(t) chassis and many captured Soviet 7.62mm guns, this vehicle could keep up with the rest of the Panzers. 

My Afrika Korps can take on Commonwealth forces in North Africa 

PANZER II Light Tank Platoon

 

By 1942, these tanks were getting long in the tooth for tank on tank fighting. However they did fill a need in the North African desert.

It was used as a Scout tank ahead of the main Panzer thrusts. 

One of these will also be an Artillery OP for the 105mm battery.

SD KFZ 221 AND 222 Light Scout troop

 

My first 15mm scale of these little scout cars which I almost want to call them cute. 

The kit came with 3 turret styles.

The 221 as an MG armed

The 222 20mm and MG

The 2.8cm armed version.

With the Sprarhead rule I can run these ahead and spread out my deployment.

SD KFZ 231 Heavy Scout Troop

 

This is the first time I have had this kit in any scale. From the research I am conducting on the vehicle it was a good cross country,   vehicle, faster than their tanks! It was armed with a 20mm and co axil Mg-34.

For my Afrika Korps, I will field them as a troop of 2 cars giving me 2 troops. I'll field them with the light troop. 

Afrika Korps reinforcement

 

As can be seen by the decorative lights, Christmas presents to myself have come early.  That and I received my military pay for my training for my course in October so I was able to pay some outstanding bills and treat myself. And there is a good sports bar next to the shop which has good wings and beer.

Katushya

 

My Russian friend told me that the Soviets named this weapon after a common girls name. And he sang the song to me. I had heard before but didn't know the Russian meaning. I have a spare one so ill be doing it up for him.

8th Army reinforcement

 

I decided to get another squadron 

And a few of these will have Boyz Anti-tank rifles

I had gotten several Plastic Soldier Company versions which I dod up as several weapons carriers so these ill be doing up as Scouts

90. LEICHTE AFRIKA DIVISION

 As part of my Afrika Korps force, I'm building up an infantry force made of 

Schutzen Regiment 200

1 platoon of 3 squads. 

1 platoon of Panzergrenadier of 3 squads

1 mortar platoon of 3 mortar sections 

1 5cm PaK 38 platoon of 3 guns.

The shop I got these at still has a large amount of older kits. And there are still a bunch of kits I can get to fill out my forces

Grave of the Fireflies 1988

 This was a Studio Gibli film about the firebombed of Kobe, Japan anarchy 1945 and is centered on a brother and sister. Suitable 14 and his sister Setsuko 4. 

The film was an animated adaptation of a short story. The film was not intended to be an anti-war film but showed how difficult Japanese society became during the last year of the war.

Having lived in Japan and spoke to survivors and their children of the war, the film is very powerful but also very emotional. 

3rd Canadian Division with Flames of War in 1/72

 

So im slowly sorting out my 1/72 kits by the FoW cards and I have

3rd Canadian Division 9th Infantry Brigade 

Stormont,Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders 

Highland Light Infantry of Canada 

North Nova Scotia Highlanders 

Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (MG)

Vickers Machine gun platoons both on foot and mounted in Universal Carriers 

3 inch mortars both in M3 Half-track and Carriers 

Wasp carrier flamethrower and 

Recce carrier patrol

25pdr gun battery×2 guns

Further to this im getting the 4th Canadian Armoured Division done up. So far they have Half tracks and trucks

T-34

 

Gallipoli

 

A Bridge Too Far novel

 Cornelius

Ryan's book is picked up from the Atlantic Canada Aviation museum gift shop for .40 cents! I'll get a shot of it shortly. 

8th Hussars: New Brunswick cavalry

 

Victory over Japan 1945-2025

 80 years since that destructive war finished.

After living in Japan, I still find it frustrating that they view themselves as victims due to the Atomic bombing. 

Official expressions of remorse but not sorry have been expressed.

At least there has been Peace between former combatants.

More Canadian Infantry

 Heller produced a set of British Infantry for WW2 which is a bit different.  It's like they took poses from the old Esci/Italeri kit and mixed them in with Ceaser Minatures. 

Now recently, a local museum has asked me to produce a vignette for a railway display for 1940s. This particular set has suitable figures that I can paint up and set up as troops of the West Nova Scotia Regiment and have them ready to board a train for Pier 21 in Halifax to go over to England.

I have to paint and base these figures which I shall do according to the Battlefront Minatures cards. I have several units which have token representations but should be established as more full out squads/platoons

Pictures to follow 

R22Re Universal Carrier

 

More Sherman

 I meant to get a shot from the front but my phone lost power. This tank is a memorial to a Canadian Forces member who died on the Vietnam mission in the 1960s.

Battle of Templehof Airport Berlin, April 1945

 

Germans holding the road to the airport 

Germans hold on to the road and rail crossing 

Soviets advanced on the control tower

So far some interesting situations in this game have come up.

While the Soviets came in with plenty of armour and artillery they are light on infantry.

The Germans are light in tanks, have plenty of Anti-tank guns and infantry. 

However, as the Germans loose more infantry it keeps them from holding objectives, and from counter attacking.

So far the Soviets are holding the church but have lost most of their IS-2 Regiment. The T-34/85 battalion is still operable but they are starting to loose their artillery to German mortar fire.

Some Soviets I did for my Russian friend