Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Wider Wargaming => Non-Pendraken Stuff => Topic started by: bigjackmac on 24 June 2020, 08:33:50 PM

Title: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: bigjackmac on 24 June 2020, 08:33:50 PM
All,

For anyone that's followed my blog, you've seen I have a very strange relationship with 15mm WWII miniatures.  I began wargaming in 2009, at which time I spend around $400 on Old Glory US and German forces for Northwest Europe.  I painted them up, played a few games, then gave them to my nephews.  A couple years later I did it again; I bought about $400 worth of toys from Plastic Soldier Company for US and German forces, painted some of it up, then gave it to Kyote.  A couple of years later I switched up slightly; I bought about $400 worth of Plastic Soldier Company minis for British and German forces in NW Europe.  I painted up some vehicles and most of the infantry, then sold it off.

But here I am again.  I bought fully painted US and German forces for NW Europe (featured in a recent battle report using Battlegroup Normandy, which you can find here: https://hakunamatatawars.blogspot.com/2020/05/somewhere-in-normandy-with-battlegroup.html), and then I spent A BUNCH of money on 15mm forces for... North Africa!  Well, I bought it, I prepped it, I painted it, I based it, I washed it, and I sealed it, so it's ready to be played with and ready for me to show it off.  It's not the prettiest set of forces, and it's certainly not perfect, but it's definitely the largest collection I've ever completed, so at the very least I'm proud of the accomplishment.

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W142rYh2gtA/XvN8BN4oIJI/AAAAAAAA1RY/pDgsRnCP2EYjnpDORtkQGN9YcgTc5_GWACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3605.JPG)
The whole mess, with Commonwealth forces on the left and Axis on the right.  It consists of 72 tanks, 23 armored cars, 19 transports, 6 aircraft, 19 guns of various calibers, and 64 stands of infantry (command, rifle, MGs, and mortars).

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-deda-EzVPj0/XvN8FTQiPYI/AAAAAAAA1Rk/DPNfgAZu_YIpZ5CP1POTBYCFeX3PmkDIwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3609.JPG)
Crusaders on the move.

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MEILUWN79pQ/XvN8kmajS3I/AAAAAAAA1S4/KG3WZO0R9EIEDPM8u5nAZrHfuEnIFRjNACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3628.JPG)
A British Bofors.

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rjqnlT8kKRI/XvN8xTLsUnI/AAAAAAAA1Tk/ydnk7Bv_D8EoXdRKu_qvf882zy0QswV2QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3634.JPG)
Tommies in the sand.

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EZK4aKjYNyY/XvN89utVkuI/AAAAAAAA1UA/Ohh3kw3BPYUTXc6P2ryAKqMi9KSAWH6tACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3644.JPG)
British air support.

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztQ5DyS1ImI/XvN9B9CCrXI/AAAAAAAA1UI/GxauB6Lie8wPCLlYVjtPkloRrv1oqic-QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3646.JPG)
Panzer Mk IIIs with short and long 50mm guns.

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VK-nCckIyTs/XvN9Q31rwLI/AAAAAAAA1U0/YKaY-Duc5I43kk7Nd1TPTEvO419ArMqUACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3655.JPG)
Some armored cars.

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WvFJeEaJ614/XvN9ZTraESI/AAAAAAAA1VM/w5lVjb7S1Hw5PvZdHPgw7226el1KVx5mACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3659.JPG)
The dreaded '88s.'

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--NRYhWTfCK8/XvN97ygzonI/AAAAAAAA1Ws/MK5aGFzrcmooJs4XNOsR1IjPW_7BLr6eQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3677.JPG)
Italian M14/41s.

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NYowpi1FOUk/XvN-DwtZXsI/AAAAAAAA1XI/OvbAXXeTA_MGSGZbTjzcxOwlvOuLboJ3QCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3682.JPG)
Some AB40s.

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m1dYbPq7UHs/XvN-KBl-33I/AAAAAAAA1XY/YCb8-9RGMSU_4TkvYNsQV5hrkOIkDulBgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3685.JPG)
Italian artillery.

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tOnpeJmWdRU/XvN-RrGgSrI/AAAAAAAA1X0/0ScD_f8eidYu61Mjrmaq7WJV7UhM-t5ugCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_3689.JPG)
Italian Platoon Commanders.

To see a bunch more pics, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2020/06/thank-you-coronovirus-or-how-western.html

So, there it is, my massive North Africa collection, warts and all.  That was a tremendous amount of work, and it's very cool to sit back and stare at it, having finished off such a large project.  My plan is to play out the war in the Western Desert from the first clashes at the frontier in 1940, up through the 2nd Battle of El Alamein.  I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to do it, but Peter (https://gridbasedwargaming.blogspot.com/search/label/WW2%20North%20Africa) and Jon (https://grymauch.blogspot.com/search/label/WW2%20N.Africa) have given me plenty to think on.  In any case, with a little fudging, we've go enough gear to get through the various phases of the war with the appropriate vehicles, or at least reasonable proxies, I think.

In a perfect world I would go buy some more early war tanks for Brits and Italians, get some German arty, and get the Italian command and ATGs squared away, but the fact is that I'm exhausted, and I don't need any of that stuff to play some games.  My boys, of course, absolutely love them, and can't wait to get their little mitts on them.

V/R,
Jack
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: hammurabi70 on 24 June 2020, 08:37:37 PM
They look great to me!  :o  8)
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 24 June 2020, 09:12:03 PM
Superb
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: Steve J on 24 June 2020, 09:50:29 PM
Fantastic work 8)!
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: monkeynut on 24 June 2020, 10:06:50 PM
Beautiful!


🐵
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: sunjester on 24 June 2020, 10:08:30 PM
Very nice indeed!  :-bd
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: mmcv on 24 June 2020, 10:12:38 PM
Those look real well
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: fred. on 24 June 2020, 10:14:12 PM
Great stuff Jack, some fantastic forces.

It's always good to admire the armies you have created. Well at least I know now that I'm not the only one who does this!

The only 15mm I own is a British force for the desert - well really a couple of forces as I have tanks for a few different periods. Obviously I also have these in 10mm too.
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: FierceKitty on 25 June 2020, 02:58:01 AM
Given them away yet?  ;)
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: bigjackmac on 25 June 2020, 03:16:18 AM
Thanks everyone, I'm glad you like them, and I'm quite proud of them, just wish I'd have done them in 10mm.  And it's not my fault: it all started with my lovely wife surprising me with two of the Battlefront boxsets, the British one with the Grants, Crusaders, and 25-pdrs, and the German one with the Pz IIIs, IVs, and 88s.  You know me, I couldn't stop there...

Fred - I will not, repeat, WILL NOT, do Western Desert in 15mm AND 10mm!!! ;)

FK - Not yet, can't find anyone willing to put up with them ;)

V/R,
Jack
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: Noktu on 25 June 2020, 04:13:28 AM
These look great! Only thing I would add is a tad bit of dead grass on the bases that show below the troops feet. As an attempt to camouflage those silhuettes away.
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: paulr on 25 June 2020, 05:47:19 AM
 :-bd =D> :-bd

You should be well pleased :)
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 25 June 2020, 06:32:53 AM
Need more !
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: Techno on 25 June 2020, 06:48:56 AM
Excellent, Jack !  :-bd

Cheers - Phil
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: hammurabi70 on 25 June 2020, 09:10:37 AM
Just a small point of dissonance: your 213 squadron (AK) air support aircraft are both marked as aircraft 'G', the single alphabetical letter identifying which aircraft in the squadron it is! Each aircraft would have a unique letter so they ought to have different letters.
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: paulr on 25 June 2020, 10:14:16 AM
If you want to be that 'picky'

Red 40 is 8th Hussars who had Stuarts in November 1941, a Green 65 7th Hussars would have had Crusaders as would all of 22nd Armd Bde although what Brigade markings they had during Op Crusader is not clear

They still look bloody good :) :D
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: hammurabi70 on 25 June 2020, 12:35:49 PM
Quote from: paulr on 25 June 2020, 10:14:16 AM
If you want to be that 'picky'

Red 40 is 8th Hussars who had Stuarts in November 1941, a Green 65 7th Hussars would have had Crusaders as would all of 22nd Armd Bde although what Brigade markings they had during Op Crusader is not clear

They still look bloody good :) :D

The German tanks have different tank numbers; it might seem a bit embarrassing if they were the same. Is there any duplication in the British tank markings?
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: fred. on 25 June 2020, 01:23:51 PM
The British markings (at least the ones visible at this scale) aren't unique per tank. They are regiment level for the numbers in squares (serials) or squadron level for the geometric turret markings. So having the same on the same type of tank is to be expected.  And given the mixed organisations used its certainly possible to see the same on different tanks.
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 25 June 2020, 01:31:04 PM
Sometimes Britsih tanks carried no markings if issued from a depot as loss replacements. My 15mm ones break the rules by using squadron colours on troops, with the SHQ using RHQ coloured pennons. From memory it's A Red, B Yellow, C green and I've ussed blue for 4 troop. HQ was black. Makes Iding in a game easy.
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: DaveH on 25 June 2020, 03:30:43 PM
Those look good, it is satisfying to finish off a collection of figures.
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: bigjackmac on 25 June 2020, 10:41:38 PM
Thanks everyone, I appreciate it!

Hammurabi - I had no idea, and that's kinda dumb for Battlefront to sell two aircraft in a pack, with the same decals...

Paul - Same as above, I just used what Battlefront provided with the vehicles.

Dave - Indeed it is, Sir! ;)

Now who has all this in 10mm and is looking to trade?  :P

V/R,
Jack
Title: Re: 15mm Forces for the Western Desert
Post by: hammurabi70 on 26 June 2020, 08:17:58 PM
Quote from: bigjackmac on 25 June 2020, 10:41:38 PM
Hammurabi - I had no idea, and that's kinda dumb for Battlefront to sell two aircraft in a pack, with the same decals...

I would say very dumb; I am astonished that they have done so.  There is clearly a business opportunity to make specials decals, at least for the RAF and maybe others.

The German tanks numbers are also a bit odd.  My understanding is that the three numbers were per battalion: company, platoon, tank, so 214 would be the fourth tank of the first platoon of the second company.  HQ tanks were R01, R02 and so forth.  A two digit number, 22, 23 is a bit odd, but maybe my understanding is incomplete or, more likely, Africa Korps units were pretty much a law unto themselves in most things.

I normal limit myself to generic markings but then tend to game with a tank or group of figures representing more than a single entity as you would get in skirmish gaming.  And at the end its the look that counts!  8)