Copyright © 2011-2024, Paul Scrivens-Smith

Copyright © 2011-2024, Paul Scrivens-Smith

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Sunday 12 February 2017

Fall Blau Painting Update - 12th February 2017


This week has seen some steady work on the Soviets with another dozen infantry finished and a T-34 added to the force.

The infantry are all from the old Bolt Action Miniatures (BAM) range that was sculpted by Paul Hicks and then subsequently acquired by Warlord Games and some of it incorporated into their range. These were given to me by Tony in exchange for painting those Vikings last year. They are a lovely range of figures, but like the Assault Group stuff I have already painted a few too many figures armed with PPS-43 to be suitable for the early 1942 games that I plan, but soon I'll hopefully have enough painted so that I can just field appropriate figures.

The first eight are mounted in doubles, the one on the left to use as a Patrol marker for our Chain of Command games and the other eight are LMG teams. The muzzles of the RPD are quite thin and I've already broken one off and had to stick it back on, hopefully they will be suitable for the rigours of gaming.



The next four are singles, I've added a couple more officers to my surfeit of commanders, but again, two lovely figures with bags of character, so why not. Plus another two riflemen to add to the collection,



Finally a T-34, I think that this is an old Chieftain Models one and was a bit of a bugger, there were two right mudguards and no left so I had to bodge the one on the left from a right one. Also a couple of issues with the early turret casting meant I had to again use a later model - I think I am being forced down the rails of 1943 gaming rather than 1942. But apart from the aforementioned issues a lovely model that went together easily and was a doddle to paint. I've added a fair amount of Tamiya weathering but it's not too obvious in the photos. The commander and tank-rider I believe are also BAM models.






ACW Reinforcements(3)



This week, in between splashing some paint on the Soviets, I painted another eight base regiment of Confederates and another eleven casualty markers to join the American Civil War collection.

The regiment is made up using a mix of the 'Infantry, mxd pose, march attack kepi' and 'Infantry, mxd pose, march attack' strips and is finished off with a Command grp(2 flags)kepi' strip all from the Adler Miniatures range.





I also painted up a another eleven casualty markers, we seemed to be running out in our last game.


Drew and Bruce are coming over this afternoon and these troops shall be taking part in our game.

Sunday 5 February 2017

Fall Blau Painting Update - 5th February 2017


As well as working on the 6mm ACW collection I have also been painting more WWII Soviets, last Sundays game showed a shortage of Soviet riflemen in my collection so I made a start on some of the BAM ones that chum Tony traded for painting those recent Vikings.


There are some great figures in this range although it looks like these were cast from 'shot' moulds as there was a lot of cleaning up to do. Unfortunately, like the Assault Group ones I have already painted they are a again later war figures with lots of shoulder boards and Pps-43 but they are on hand and I'll crack on with what I have while I save my pennies for an order from Crusader.

One small blessing is that they are pre-Warlord Games acquiring the range and taking a hacksaw to the heads or withdrawing them completely.

This painting session saw four riflemen and a DP-LMG team added, I must admit I'm not entirely sure if that second figure from the left is actually a Soviet, but he was painted and added anyway. I like to base a few of the figures in pairs, they also make good Patrol Markers for the Chain of Command games.



Again this session I painted three officers to add to the collection. These are all great casts with bags of character, I particularly like the chap on the left and I think the chap in the centre will make a great marker for the Force Morale table, although I also like the idea of using the NVKD officer in the right to track morale.



The last two figures in this batch were a couple of the ladies, a Medic and a sniper in amoeba pattern one-piece. Great figures by Paul Hicks.



ACW Reinforcements(2)


Following on from the last update I've been working away at the 6mm ACW collection. When I say 6mm that's nominal, these Adler Miniatures are closer to 8mm, but the sculpting is lovely and I don't plan to mix them with any other ranges.

All are done from a primer of black, the detail is blocked in and then finished with a wash of Windsor & Newton peat brown ink. You can really churn them out using this method.

I've added two units of Union infantry plus some more casualty markers.

The first unit is advancing in kepi with blanket rolls.





The second in kepi with backpacks, likewise advancing.




I've also added a dozen more casualties, a few of them mounted on doubles this time to represent two casualties on a unit.



Action on the Eastern Front - Spring 1942


Last Saturday I had been due to go over to Brown Deer to play in another game of Bag the Hun, but circumstances conspired against me and I was unable to attend so arranged a game here for Sunday. This was a great opportunity to put the Soviets and Germans I have been painting these past few months into action. 

Drew and Bruce came over and after a bit of random dice rolling it was determined that Bruce would take the Germans and attack myself and Drew with the Soviets in the Patrol scenario,

We would use the lists from Operation Winter Storm, Bruce fielded a PanzerGrenadier platoon while Drew and I fielded s Soviet Rifle platoon. Rolling for Force Morale we would both be starting on a 9, much more parity than the past game of Chain of command we played.


We kicked off the Patrol phase, the Germans all starting at one point on their table edge and the Soviets in a loose line covering their centre and a kick-off of two free moves.



An aggressive Patrol Phase by the Soviets saw the Germans pushed quite far back, two of the German Jump-off Points are in a woods at the bottom left corner just out of shot.

German supports would be an Adjutant and a battery of four 8cm mortars while the Soviets picked a M1910 Maxim to add some serious firepower.


The Germans kicked off proceedings deploying a section of PanzerGrenadiers in the woods edge as a base of fire along with the mortar observer, soon ranging shots were falling on the expected Soviet centre.

Screened by the falling shells and with the two MG-34 of the first section deployed another section of PanzerGrenadiers started the advance towards the Soviet lines, sheltered also by a large hill the Germans would be able to cover most of the ground unmolested.


The Soviets held their nerve and no troops yet pushed into action as the Germans advanced, seeing an opportunity, Bruce decided to deploy his final section off the more central of his Jump-off Points and push towards the Soviet JOP in the village.

The Soviets reacted by deploying a section in the village and having them prepare to engage the PanzerGrenadiers when they broke cover.


The mortar observer started walking the barrage towards the village, removing some of the support from the section that was already advancing towards the low hill that screened them from the Soviet lines. Soon mortar shells were falling among the deployed Soviets but although casualties were light shock started to mount.

Buoyed by this success the section PanzerGrenadier section heading towards the village pushed on and the section providing cover from the wood edge also moved to join them.


A second section of Soviet Riflemen were deployed, The Germans now had all their forces on the table, but the Soviets still held back two more rifle sections and the formidable Maxim.

An ineffective firefight between the advancing Germans and the pinned Soviets took place, the Germans at half effect due to movement and the Soviets at half effect due to the barrage. The Germans stopped to set up their MG-34 and a more effective firefight began, although the first casualty of the day was one of the PanzerGrenadiers.


The walking mortar barrage crept onto the second section and they soon were pinned, as expected the firefight started going more the way of the Germans and soon the lead section of Soviets were broken, but not before taking out a fair few PanzerGrenadiers of their own.

It was time to pause the game for some tea and biscuits.


Switching efforts back to their left Bruce started walking the mortar barrage back that way. Having caused the Germans on the right to pause and rally shock the Soviets abandoned the position in the village, firstly running back the unmolested second section and then moving the Jump-off Point back to allow a second defensive line to be formed if one was needed.


With still no Soviet troops in front of them and a double phase in hand Bruce decided to chance his hand with the PanzerGrenadiers on our right, breaking cover behind the hillock they pushed towards the Soviet JOP in the woods. With a poor roll of command dice the Soviets pushed two sections of Riflemen out, only one was able to fire but caught in the open several PanzerGrenadiers fell and their return fire was woeful.

Soon both sections of Soviets opened up and the PanzerGrenadiers were severely depleted - one team completely destroyed,, breaking and running back from whence they had come, in the lee of the hill the wounded Gefreiter hurriedly began removing shock.


With the bold German thrust thwarted action now turned back to the central village, abandoned by the Soviets the Germans soon took up position. The Soviet player used a Chain of Command dice to end the phase but Bruce countered with one of his own to keep the barrage going.

The mortar barrage was proving quite the hindrance to both side though and scant opportunities were made to engage in a firefight while the Soviets moved troops from their left under the cover of the barrage.


Finally the Maxim was deployed to cover any German route out of the village once the barrage lifted and despite both of us still remaining on Force Morale Bruce decided that with so few troops left at his disposal and with a solid line of defenders covering the routes to German Victory it was time to withdraw and lick his wounds.

We had had a good three hours of play and quite a lot had happened, PanzerGrenadiers are a solid force with loads of firepower but with only three small sections are vulnerable on the attack when they cannot call on much support. Maybe I shall get some of the vehicles in the painting queue done soon.


Setting up the game had made me realise that I really needed to get some more Soviet riflemen, some chaps with SMG's had to stand in today, so just like the previous weeks game had enthused me to paint more 6mm ACW stuff, this weeks game saw me set to on the WWII collection again.

As usual, a few spare pictures from the game.