Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Mobile inventory - WW2 Geman


What I intended to include in my previous posting, but had no room for, is the topic of this one. We'll start with armoured cars.  I have a certain fondness for this type of vehicle.

 The above lot comprise:

  • 5 x SdKfz222
     3 Airfix (one painted up when it front right mudguard had gone AWOL)
     2 two of a provenance I can't recall.  The little one in the middle of the row I built just a couple of weeks ago, from a kit that had been lying about unregarded since I don't know when.
  • 2 x SdKfz231 - Resin
  • 1 x SdKfz231 - attempted scratchbuild from the Airfix SdKfz234/4 about c.1990.  Unfortunately, at the time I had little information to go on. The resin vehicles I bought much later.
  • 1 x Airfix SdKfz234/4 about to be converted into a SdKfz233
  • An actual SdKfz233 model
  • A command vehicle made from the Airfix 234/4 chassis and lower hull, and the top half a command vehicle from another kit.  A rough marriage that will be disguised by added jerrycans and suchlike.
Back in c.1976, I bought 3 of those Airfix Armoured Car kits, not realising that the split mudguards were not historical. At the time it was my practice to buy 3 of anything, to form them into troops or squadrons. For these vehicles I quite liked the idea of a recon vehicle that could handle itself in a fight, but I think there I understood - probably wrongly - that one of the functions of recon units was to seize (note that I don't say 'carry') and hold ground.  



The next batch feature the later armoured cars. Now, finding that the Airfix model was unhistorical, I had pretty much decided to use them for other things. Meanwhile I had acquired 3 more, somehow.  So, one was in effect destroyed - regrettably - in an attempt to make it into a Russian BA64. Again, I had very little information to go on at the time. Another was built into the SdKfz231 seen earlier, one set aside to build a 233, and one more made into the command vehicle.

What of the remaining two? I decided that it was a pity these vehicles were to be abused into other forms, as, though faulty, I rather liked them as they were. They have been repaired and refurbished into their original form, one of them painted with that spectacular hi-viz 'camouflage'. I admit that camo design was somewhat experimental, and probably unhistorical, even as an impressionistic rendition, but I think it looks pretty. Which is why one of my 4 SdKfz234/2 Pumas got the similar livery.

The rest of the front row is two more Puma, and there is one more in the back. That one's slightly larger scale matches the SdKfz234/3 alongside it.

The next couple of pics is of my German cavalry. Most of these are 20mm metals that I bought second-hand, mainly as nice things to have, but the price was very reasonable. The finish is 'as received'. I saw no reason to modify it in any way.  
The above are my basic cavalry units - squadrons or battalions. The fourth row is made up of mounted figures from the Revell German artillery box. A few plastics have been added to form a fourth unit. In the rear those stray horses might fetch up as pack or draught animals. 
And this lot are my support weapons (MGs, Panzerschreck, with infantry guns and anti-tank guns to be added), and logistic support. Altogether it's a fine little formation, but I never really settled upon an organisation. In Command Decision terms, they represent about half a Division.

I really must knock together a scenario for these fellows...

12 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. LOL. My Revell gunners also ended up as German cavalry.

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    1. Great minds... But seriously, they 'fit' quite well, if very slightly larger than the metal figures. I'll have to beef up my Soviet mounted arm more or less to match.

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  3. The Airfix armoured car brings back memories. I have one operational as a converted Puma, but the rest are in bits.

    That comment from Brandon is spam. I had the same thing posted to my blog, exact text and link

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    1. Brandon did say he enjoyed my post (yeah, right) so I'll let it stand. That it is spam discourages me from responding to it.

      For a while I had a squadron of 3 Airfix 234/4s, then one was made into an inaccurate 231-8 rad, another into a botched BA64, and the rest in pieces. But maybe a year or so ago, I kit-bashed the command car, and resurrected two of the originals. Fortunately I had most of the bits!

      If they are not satisfactory for WW2 (though I'm inclined to think they will do), I have no doubt President Adolfo Ximenez of Orotina or Nawab Maibiwih Khan of Tchagai will be more than happy to receive them!
      Cheers,
      Ion

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  4. That's a splendid recce force. Would love to see it employed on the tabletop. Too often I think, war-games employ recce assets, like the Zulus at Rorke's Drift, to count the enemy's rifles, especially in a game where the defender uses hidden deployment. A lecture I went to once when in the Army spelled out the patience required of a good recce unit, painstaking surveillance in whatever time the attacker was permitted, which while very useful would make a poor game. Cheers, Michael

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    1. Hi Martin -
      I have seen the type of game you mention, in which my opponent explored every bush, fold in the ground and blade of grass, finding nothing. Took an age. Then he came barrelling over the ridge straight into my waiting guns. Carnage.

      To give recon units a role, even with the kit visible to the players (I dislike blinds from the aesthetic perspective), by prohibiting direct fire unless the enemy has been discovered or developed. At operations level, a reconnoitred enemy is, in my system of things, easier to attack. I will allow indirect fire but with restrictions, the results as for an unreconnoitred enemy.

      But I also like the 'holding ground' idea. The scheme goes, that a recon unit seizes some location, and denies it to the enemy until relieved by heavier infantry, say. A bit like the role played by Allied Paratroops, come to think of it, but not so deep into enemy territory.
      Cheers.
      Ion

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    2. Oops - Sorry Michael. Somehow (dashed if I can see how) I misread who sent the comment. Please accept my apologies.
      Cheers,
      Ion

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  5. A fine 'review' of the troops Ion—then I saw the post below; amazing!
    I particularly like the camouflage paint job on the vehicles feature in the fourth photo. Lovely stuff!

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    1. Thanks, James. I tend to go for 'impressionistic' rather than 'real' historical camo. It's a theory of mine. Wargames camo should make things MORE visible, not less...

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  6. I'm a big fan of hi-vis "shoot me now" camo schemes, Ion. Helps keep track of them in big battles! And I love the "empty" horses wandering off at the back of the Cavalry. You probably have enough for a mid-war cavalry division by the time you add command and log vehicles, as they were almost certainly understrength by then.

    Regards, Chris.

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    1. Hi, Chris -
      The addition of extra horsemen from the Revell arty set gives me the best part of a Cavaly Division and will be treated as such. I was thinking of finding troopers to ride the 'empty horses, but I'm now thinking of mounting them on stands with 2 SMG men, one possibly holding or leading the mount. I have a couple of ESCI horses from the Russian infantry set that I decided would be depicted that way, so I'll do the same with the Germans.

      The Russian cavalry (cossacks in my army) is far lass well orgamised or equipped, made from a single box of Revell cossacks. If I ever find a second box I'll add them, but I'll probably leave it at that.

      Cheers,
      Ion

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