Not Everything is Finished

I recently realised that most of my posts lately have featured fully painted and based models, so today's update is all about the things I have on the go. To start this off I present my finished British infantry platoon for North Africa. Wait a moment...

British infantry platoon for Chain of Command, airfix (old H0-00 and newer 1/72) Desert Rats and Grubby Tanks (both 20 mm ranges). The scale isn't perfect but it does allow variety in the poses.

The models used in the platoon are a mix of Airfix 1/72 Desert Rats from my childhood modelling experiences, some Airfix H0/00 scale Desert Rats from my Uncle's childhood modelling experiences, and a few metals from Grubby Tanks to make up the numbers and provide a little variety. The scales are a bit dissimilar (especially the metal which is much chunkier than the plastic) but at typical wargaming ditances you can't really tell.

Platoon command: Lieutenant, platoon sergeant, 2" mortar team and Boys anti-tank rifle team.

One infantry section (corporal with sten, 6 rifles and 3-person bren team).

Following Another Four Foot Snake Thing last weekend, I'm jumping into another zany wargaming scheme to keep me furiously busy at the painting desk. Suzanne has painted up her Fallschirmjaeger so I had a think about a circumstance where German paras and beshorted Brits would be having a scrap. It took me far to long to remember that Crete, the high water mark of German operations, would be the perfect option.

Another section, demonstrating the size differences between the old (1/86) Airfix desert rats, the new (1/72) ones and the "20 mm" ex-Britannia metals.

 I have, as always, ended up buying not only scenery but also more models in order to 'flesh out' the support options for both sides. I chose Afrika Korps rather than Fallschirmjaeger supports as I want to use them with my existing lot after this and I have no qualms about using inappropriately uniformed models if it saves money. Not pictured yet but I have also ordered a mk VI light tank I've been eyeing for a while.

Final section, with Kelly's Heroes prone bren team.

The Too Fat Lardies forum helpfully includes a Crete Fallschirmjaeger list so I don't have to use the late-war list (and its two machine-guns per squad!) found in the main rulebook. No support list was attached, but it doesn't take much research to compile one. its helps that I already have some of the machine guns, observers etc. lying around in the unpainted pile.

German and British supports, including AT rifles, mortar observers, tripod machine guns, engineers and sniper teams. I will prioritise the surrendering German for use in psychological warfare.

That's it for models, now for a look at the terrain. In order to get a Mediterranean feel for the table, I've ordered some palm trees at monstrous expense and commenced the construction of cuboid houses. I have plenty of 40 mm x 40 mm x 70 mm blocks of foam (left over from the carrying trays for my Celts & hoplites) which have been encased in cardboard. Some of the houses in photos of Cretan villages resemble the cuboids commonly associated with North Africa, so that's good enough for me to make some cheap dual-use terrain. The houses really aren't difficult to make, as I said. I'll glue on some card strips to the windows and doors to resemble wooden shutters and slap on some PVA-flour-brown paint mix with a little sand mixed in to give the walls some texture. So far I've got two small and one larger building. I might build more as they aren't too hard to make if time allows.

Work-in-progress buildings

I've also decided to finish off the barbed wire obstacles that have been languishing in my drawers for so long that the wire loops got a bit bent in a previous flat move. As they are based on old cereal packets my plan is to weigh them down with something while being based to stop the card warping. Will keep you updated on this...

Work-in-progress barbed wire obstacle. The wire was bought online, the stakes are the wooden bits from used incense sticks cut to size.