New Battlefront Bases in General Release

Battlefront will soon be releasing their new plastic bases with figure holes into general release.  One of the more useful sets for me looks to be the Mixed Bases with Figure Holes (XX108).  These bases are appearing in newer plastic and some metal figure sets.  For the plastic sets they work perfectly, but some work is required to make them work for metal figures.

Thus far I've used these on a few metal miniatures, and while it took a little extra work to prepare the miniature before painting (so it would fit in the hole) it saved me time on the back end in basing the miniatures.  The one issue I see is miniatures that are cast prone or otherwise on a large non-circular base.  For those, you'll likely still need a few of the old style bases.  However, given the end product is similar in thickness to a built up thin flat base the two should work well in combination.

Fallschirmkommano for 150. Panzerbrigade

As mentioned last time - next up is the Fallschirmkommando platoon.  This one took a while because of the 3 tone camouflage patterns on the tunics.  The painting is based on photos and plates in the Osprey Ardennes 1944 Peiper & Skorzeny reference.  Unfortunately the color plates for the vehicles in this particular work have a lot of errors.  The uniforms for the infantry seem to better agree with other reference works.  I used Luftwaffe blue trousers and helmets for the unit.  For the tunics, I used the standard Flames of War recommended procedure for Fallschrimjäger cammo tunics. 

The group shot above is pretty decent, but no photographs really seem to do justice to the paint schemes at this point.  As with the mortars, I've added a light dusting of snow to represent conditions early on in the fighting when 150. Panzerbrigade was first employed.  For the unit I used the Fallschirmjäger Platoon (GE762).  Overall I found the miniatures pretty good, though some of the faces could be a bit more detailed.

 

Above are some detail shots.  Unfortunately I'm still struggling a bit with the macro lens on my Nikon and I'm just not getting the depth of field I'd like to get on these.  Overall I'm pretty pleased with how the miniatures came out.  I learned a lot about different shading techniques and think I'm closing in on a new technique that will let me be more consistent going forward. 

12cm Mortars for 150. Panzerbrigade

So I'm making a fair amount of progress on my 150. Panzerbrigade army - some of the platoons are (gasp!) actually done.  One of the first ones I finished up was the 12cm mortar platoon.  There aren't a lot of artillery options for 150. Panzerbrigade and generally I've found that I need at least one reasonable arty unit in most tournaments so I went with the 12cm artillery.  As the mortar support for 150. Panzerbrigade was Heer, I used the 12cm sGW43 Mortar Platoon (GE711).  Overall I thought it was a reasonably nice set of miniatures.  Some people haven't liked the crew figures, but I think they painted up pretty well.

The first photo is a group shot of unit.  I've used brown rather than black webbing I've used a dark brown.  Based on the references I own there's a variety in the webbing colors.  I've also put a light dusting of snow on the bases.  I'm trying to model 150. Panzerbrigade when they jumped off in mid-December, and based on the photos I have there was only a light dusting of snow at that point (though there was indeed snow!).

 

Below is a photo of the command squad and a couple of teams in front of one of the new Battlefront Houses

 

 

Here's looking at you!  Okay, just the observer, but he came out pretty decently.

 

One platoon down - several to go.  Next up are the Fallschrimkommandos.

150. Panzerbrigade List and Miniature Progress

As mentioned in my previous post, I'm currently finishing up my 150. Panzerbrigade army.  The current list is 1780 points (though there's a 2000 point tournament later this month, so I may need to punch it out a bit!) and is as follows:

HQ:

·         CiC and 2iC Panzerfaust submachine gun teams with Jeeps (I typically come out 10 points short, so I can upgrade one to a halftrack) (75 points or 85 points with halftrack)

 

Combat Platoons:

·         Fallschirmkommando Platoon with command panzerfaust SMG team and 9X Rifle/MG teams (275 points)

·         Ersatz Panther Platoon with 3X Ersatz Panthers (550 points)
·         Ersatz Stug Platoon with 5X Ersatz Stug III G (475 points)

 

Weapon Platoons:

·         Heavy Mortar Platoon - Command SMG team, Observer team, 4X 12cm sGW43 mortars (160 points)

·         Ersatz Panzerspäh Platoon - 3X Captured M8 Greyhounds (135 points)
·         Skorzeny Commando Groups - 2X Skorzeny Commando Groups (100 points)

 

Total is 1770 or 1780.  Use of the Skorzeny Commando groups is right for the "theme" of the army, but I could drop them for an Me262 air support if the mood struck me.

Enough about the facts and figures, you want to see the PICTURES!  I've based these guys as if they were in use early in the campaign (as the actually were), so the snow isn't hip deep at this point, but it is present.  The HQ are both SS-troops, so I've used pea-dot cammo on them (shown below).  I'm using the Osprey Ardennes 1944 - Peiper & Skorzeny book as a primary reference for the troops, but not the vehicle markings because of known errors in the vehicle markings (which I'll detail in a later blog post).

 

The Fallschirmkommando unit scheme (shown below) is based on the uniform for Fallschrimjäger Regiment 9.  It may not be exactly right for the units attached to 150. Panzerbrigade, but it is a legitimate Luftwaffe scheme.

 

 

The rest of the Fallschirmkommando stands are painted, but the basing isn't quite finished yet.  The mortars are nearly done as well.  I hope to get photos of these posted soon.

Until next time!!!

150. Panzerbrigade in Progress

I spent a good portion of the day neatening up my work table, which had become a complete and utter disaster area.  It's marginally better at this point, but will get a lot better once I get my organizers in from Micromark.  Anyway, given I had time to clean off the table, I got the new cutting mat on the work surface and lined up my current project - 150. Panzerbrigade from Devil's Charge (seen below).  I've always loved the converted vehicles for this particular unit, so when the list was released, I just couldn't resist.

 

At this point I'm running with 3 Panthers, 5 Stugs, a full unit of paratroopers, heavy mortars, 3 captured M8's, and a couple of Skorzeny teams.  Overall the unit has been a lot of fun to paint up and model.  I dropped the metal tracks and gun barrels from the Panthers and went with the new plastic ones instead.  The Stugs have a combination of barrels with and without muzzle brakes.  I'll get a more detailed painting guide and more pictures up once they're done (hopefully in a couple of weeks!).

So what's on your table????

RIP Thomas L. Jentz

I just recently discovered checking the Panzer Tracts website that Thomas L. Jentz has passed away.  For those of you who don't know, Thomas Jentz is one of the cornerstones of tank research and the author of many of the most authoritative works German armor and armored forces in World War II, though he also researched other armored topics as well.  A short list of books he has authored or co-authored includes:

·         Germany's Tiger Tanks D.W. to Tiger I: Design, Production & Modifications

·         Germanys Panther Tank: The Quest for Combat Supremacy
·         Tank Combat in North Africa: The Opening Rounds Operations Sonnenblume, Brevity, Skorpion and Battleaxe
·         Germanys Tiger Tanks: Tiger I & Tiger II: Combat Tactics
·         Panzertruppen 1 and Panzertruppen 2
·         Co author on the entire Spielberger German Armor and Military History Vehicle Series
·         Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War II - perhaps the first truly scholarly work on German armor

A more comprehensive list can be found at Amazon. 

Thomas Jentz will be sorely missed in the historical and modeling communities.  His excellent works are one of the primary reasons I got into German armor modeling and his scholarship has always been an inspiration to me.  I want to wish all of his family and friends my most sincere condolences. 

A Herd of Elefants - Part 1

Inspired by other grand projects I’ve seen, my goal is to ultimately have most, if not all, documented Elefant of Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653 represented in model form.  There are several good references out there which are included in the Bibliography below.  I’ll start with a review of the basic Elefant miniature from Battlefront and then go from there.

 GE132 – Elefant

The good:  Overall the shape and scale of the vehicle is good and the detailing is fairly accurate.  Assembly is very straight forward, and the miniature is sturdy – which is a big plus for something that’s hopefully going to see a fair amount of use.  Parts breakdown makes sense – two track units, hatches, and the gun.

The not as good:  Tail light, jack, jack box, and tool box missing from the rear of the vehicle.  No spare track links provided (though these were common stowage items – you could probably get away with using Panther tracks, but you’ll have to change the guide teeth).  One of the gun sight slit hatches is missing from the superstructure roof.  The left and right engine vents are too wide and approach the center vent too closely – side vents are also larger than the central vent when in actuality the reverse was true.

The inconvenient:  Obviously since this was a rare bird, there’s only one miniature to go with, so you have to do a fair amount of conversion to get the breadth of the vehicles actually fielded.  The molded in tow cable is on one side only (there are ample examples of vehicles with one, two, or none).

 

Accurizing

Some of the issues with the stock miniature are relatively simple to fix.  I’ve built-up a jack box and cast resin copies of it.  You can take a jack out of the Panther box and add it to the rear superstructure.  Adding a rear light is also fairly easy – just build up one from styrene strip.  I’ve also added the extra hatch on the top with styrene sheet and strip.  I don’t bother with the surgery on the engine hatches at this point (and probably won’t ever).  Adding the tool box to the rear is also fairly simple – just use a thick piece of strip styrene cut to the right dimensions and add zimmerit with green putty.  I also add a small strip of styrene to connect the front and rear fenders a bit better than you get with simply attaching the track units to the hull.

Out of the box

The miniature as packaged will build up several vehicles without major modification.  These include:

·         East Front:

o   Vehicles 223 and 224 (red, white outline)

o   Vehicle 232 (red, white outline)

o   Vehicle 234 (red, white outline – it’s possible the Munch book misidentifies vehicle 234 as vehicle 334, as the first digit is missing and the contrast of the center of the number is low like the number is red, not black)

o   Vehicle 322 (solid black)

o   Vehicle 301 (number unclear in photos)

o   Vehicle 323 (black, white outline(?))

o   Vehicle 331 (black, white outline)

o   Vehicle 332 (black, white outline)

o   Vehicle 334 (solid black – or black with white outline – two primary references contradict)

o   Most other vehicles used by 653 on the Eastern Front (no number in many photographs)

o   One of the two survivors which fought in Berlin as a part of s.Pz.Jg. Kompanie 614. (no number) – note four were assigned to sPzJg Kompanie 614., but only two actually made it into the fighting in Berlin.

·         Italy:

o   At least one 1^st Company Elefant (with no number visible)

o   It’s also “close enough” to model Elefant 124 of the 1^st company (though this particular vehicle had horizontal zimmerit around the closed vision ports). 

 

Minor Surgery

Toward the end of the conversion run, four vehicles were fitted with a modified rear hatch consisting of two leaves as opposed to the single large hatch.  It’s a fairly simple matter to add some styrene hinges and overlap to the rear hatch of the miniature.  At least one of these served in the HQ Company of 653. Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung (no number). 

The pictures below show the first build-up of one of these vehicles.  Note that I’ve already added details discussed above.  The split hatch is accomplished through cutting and shaping strip styrene.  I find a tool called “The Chopper” to be invaluable for this sort of work.

 

 

Part 2 will cover the Elefant that require more work and markings for the unit.