Tag: 28mm

Siberian Assault: The Troops From The North

Siberian Infantry Arrive! 28mm WW1 Russian Troops.
Siberian Infantry Arrive! 28mm WW1 Russian Troops.

Following on from the World War 1 Russian Artillery my unit of Siberians is now ready for action – although I plan to ultimately rebase these off those dreadful plastic Games Workshop Warhammer bases and onto good quality Litko plywood ones. Although the could actually be nearly any Russian Infantry unit in winter clothing (e.g. Regiments from Moscow wore similar dress just with less ‘woolier’ papaha hats). As with many of my WW1 Russians these were an opportunity buy from another Colonial/WW1 Gamer, and as a result most of the figures were painted to a very good standard. However as with the artillery battery some additional touch up work has been done to these chaps. Siberian Rifles (all Siberian Regiments were designated Rifle Regiments rather than Infantry or Line Regiments) and in cold weather typically wore a great coat called a shinel (which was often a greyish-brown colour).

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World War 1 Russian Artillery

Russian 7.62cm Artillery Battery
Russian 7.62cm Artillery Battery

As things slowly progress with my 28mm World War 1 forces for TSATF the Russian Artillery Battery is now complete and awaiting basing. It consists of 3 (what I believe to be are) 7.62cm Putilov Field Guns. However the long barrels on the Battle Honors models are a bit of a mystery as the standard M1902 model had a relatively short barrel (you can see some good images of the M1902 at the Landships Website). Each model represents 2 actual real guns, so this represents a battery of 6 actual guns (the Russians actually had 8 gun batteries in their Infantry Division Artillery Brigades, but I think 4 models in a typical TSATF game is getting a bit hardcore). Anyway here is an assortment of photos of my artillery battery (along with a General)…

I have not decided whether the General shall be my Russian C-in-C, Infantry Battalion Commander, or (as depicted here) the Artillery Battery Commander…

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von Lettow-Vorbeck in East Africa

German Schutztruppe
German Schutztruppe 1905-1918

Another of the World War I ‘side shows’ I’m keen on is the campaigns in East Africa against the German East Africa Colony (today primarily Tanzania). I have had some units for this (and pre-war 1890-1914 Colonial actions) for some time (i.e. about 2 years), albeit waiting for basing to be completed… This theatre has lots of opportunity for variety, both in pre-war Colonial actions against native tribesmen, and the Great War period, where the action spilled over into the areas of modern Kenya, Uganda, Rhodesia, Mozambique, & Zambia. This is an excuse to put up some initial pictures of them (albeit with unfinished basing), and the figures depicted are from the first unit each of European and Askari Schutztruppe, and the unit of Seebatallione Marines.

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The Carpathians Will Rumble

Russian Infantry

The Russians and Austro-Hungarians arrive!

The latest addition to my World War I stable has been both Russians & Austro-Hungarians – which will be ideal for not only the Carpathian Campaigns & Brusilov Offensive; but also the Russians will also serve for Caucasian Campaigns against the Turks; and as allies for my long planned Rumanian Troops which the Austro-Hungarians will provide opposition for! I’ve taken some quick preliminary photos of these chaps to get a basic gallery up until such time as I have reorganised them and/or played a game and taken photos…

As mentioned in previous articles I’ll be using the TSATF (The Sword and the Flame) for my 28mm WW1 gaming and as such troops will be organised into Infantry Companies of 20 figs each, Cavalry in Squadrons of 12 figs each, and MGs & Artillery in Platoons, Companies, or Batteries of 1-3 guns (each model representing 2 real life guns).

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Regimental Fire and Fury finally released!

At HistoriCon in late July Rich Hasenauer’s Regimental version of Fire & Fury was finally released! This is something many of us ACW Gamers have been waiting for for sometime and finally it’s here.

A Hardcover 96 page book with the same standard of colour photos & illustrations as was present in the original Brigade level rules. I’ll be looking to acquire a copy of these ASAP and see how they look – it’s also incentive to resume progress on my 28mm ACW armies! Continue reading “Regimental Fire and Fury finally released!”

A Wadi near Chunuk Bair

As the morning fog cleared the companies of Australian & British Troops moved into the wadi below the height known as Chunuk Bair – their mission to secure the hills on the far side for the following battalions to assault the mastiff itself. The good news was little or no Turkish resistance was expected – no troops had been sighted in the area as this was not the point where the main assault had occurred the first 2 days…

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Johnny Turk & the ANZACs

Johnny Turk - 28mm WW1 Turkish Infantry
Johnny Turk - 28mm WW1 Turkish Infantry

For quite some time I’ve been wanting to get into some Great War gaming in 28mm using TSATF. As such I have a small force of German Schutztruppe for Africa that can double as pre-WW1 Colonial forces or the German East or West African forces in WW1 (such as von Lettow-Vorbeck’s). A chance purchase on EBay of some Middle East/African theatre WW1 British in Sun Helmets (for use as opponents to the above) led to me acquiring a large force of Turks & ANZACs suitable for Gallipoli & Palestine – so as a result I have now kick-started by 28mm WW1 forces enmasse!

The figures came from the author of a TSATF Great War variant (Andrew Champion) and are available on the Side Shows of the Great War Yahoo Group – Australian visitors may recognise them from a large Gallipoli game staged at CANCON in 2007 by Andrew.

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I say, it’s the Natal Carbineers!

As part of my Anglo-Zulu War forces I’m adding a small force of Natal Carbineers. The NC was a relatively small force – one of the smallest of the various para-military units in South Africa, numbering I believe just 60 at the time of the war in 1879 (with a total of 71 men serving during the course of the entire war). Of these at least 22 perished at Isandlwana (along with 26 Natal Mounted Police; and incidentally 2 NMP were also present at Rorke’s Drift – one of whom also perished, the other being wounded). The figures I chose are from the (classic) Wargames Foundry range, as these were the best figures I knew of at the time compatible with my existing Foundry, Perry, Castaway, and similar figs; and they can double as Natal Mounted Police at a pinch if needed… Continue reading “I say, it’s the Natal Carbineers!”

Here come the Bengal Lancers

As my colonial forces expand to cover the NWF (North West Frontier) now the Sudan and Zulu Wars are well catered for I have endeavoured to make some units ‘multi-use’ (i.e. suitable for more than 1 campaign/theatre if possible). As such I am constructing 2 Squadrons (or TSATF ‘units’) of Bengal Lancers, one Sikh and one Muslim. Here are some photos of the completed figures so far, based, and just waiting for lance pennants and suitable texturing of their bases… Continue reading “Here come the Bengal Lancers”

I take a foray into Vac-U-Form Plastics

Amera Plastics Nissen Hut
Amera Plastics Nissen Hut

Some recent discussions on the Crossfire Yahoo Group brought up the old Bellona range of vac-u-form moulded plastic terrain. Many of you will remember these old classics from the days of Charles Grant, Donald Featherstone, and Terrence Wise, the terrain featuring extensively in their books, and later books by other authors such as “Operation Warboard”. For those like me, in countries like New Zealand, this was something you marvelled at in photos and wished you could get hold of… Bellona has long since gone out for production decades ago, although there was some suggestion the moulds had been purchased by someone in recent years to resume production – but to the best of my knowledge this is not the case. However the discussion led to Amera Plastic Mouldings, a company very much in the tradition of Bellona, and producing many very similar terrain pieces to the original Bellona range.

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The Relief of Old Dongola

It is early 1884 and the Mahdist Rebellion is reaching it’s peak – Gordon is isolated in Khartoum, and the rebellion has steadily spreads north towards the Egyptian frontier. As the debate about any relief expedition to go to Gordon’s aid is being discussed, news comes that a large number of European, Greek, and Egyptian Civilians, along with a small British Hospital Corps detachment, have been cut off in the town of Old Dongola; and the local Egyptian Commander has only a small force of Bashi-Bazouk Irregulars, supplemented by whatever Civilians that can fight, to try and defend the town (who’s defences are in a poor state due to official Khedival policy of not maintaining any permanent fortifications in the Sudan, the town having the partial remnants of a wall, supplemented by zeribas and improvised barricades)… Continue reading “The Relief of Old Dongola”

Graf von Schnyder

For my Colonial Games using TSATF I like to have a few ‘personality’ figures to add to the games or campaigns over and above the standard units and commanders. Graf von Schnyder is a German Adventurer and Big Game Hunter who has travelled to the southern-most reaches of the Sudan and beyond retracing Samuel Baker’s epic journey, in addition to visiting other parts of Africa and the Pacific. Independently wealthy Schnyder is on a self obsessed mission to become world famous ‘somehow’ with the currently popular ‘Geographic Society’ and earn his immortality!

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