Any demand for early war Americans ?

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

My grandpa was on Iceland with the RAF.
Said he never wanted to see it again!

[Sunray]

You know, I could get interested. (There's a surprise.)

Springfield rather than Garand, water cooled Browning MG.

Yup. Sounds like it could be a nice counterpoint to the late war marines.

It was a little reading of the campaign that got my attention. The Yanks and local troops did very well to hold out for so long.

There is also Wake Island -  I remember a wargames club (was it Grimsby?) that had a very attractive 25mm demo game that they took around the shows about 20 years ago.  The islands were condensed to table top, and looked shrunk- but it would work so well in 10mm.  Does any other veteran wargamer remember seeing the Wake island game ?   

[Orcs]

I think I have the solution. How about calling it the "sorry we're late" range?

NO! lets get things correct they should be the "Sorry we are late AGAIN range"

[Ithoriel]

Not the "Is this a private war or can anyone join in" range then JafO?

[Sunray]

It was Raventhorpe Minatures who did the 20mm range called "US Marines Early War Wake Island or Battan".
17 figures including a sailor - they are still listed and illustrated on the Raventhorpe website.

Yes- Wake Island would be a hell of a game in 10mm.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hello

Eureka make them in 15mm as well. Listed as 1941 marines which neatly avoids the quagmire. Very nice figures too.

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[Sunray]

Hello

Eureka make them in 15mm as well. Listed as 1941 marines which neatly avoids the quagmire. Very nice figures too.

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

Hmmmm.  Very nice sculpts.  As you say -  1941 avoids any pedantic quagmire.

I see the U S Marines are sculpted with  the Boys ATR and the Savage version of the .30-06 Lewis. 

Yes - if Pendraken produced these in 10mm, I would buy a battle group.

[Womble67]

It was a little reading of the campaign that got my attention. The Yanks and local troops did very well to hold out for so long.

There is also Wake Island -  I remember a wargames club (was it Grimsby?) that had a very attractive 25mm demo game that they took around the shows about 20 years ago.  The islands were condensed to table top, and looked shrunk- but it would work so well in 10mm.  Does any other veteran wargamer remember seeing the Wake island game ?   

I'm a member of the Grimsby Wargamess Society and will ask for you on Monday

Take care

Andy

[Ithoriel]

I remember he game (it was stunning!) but not who put it on.

[DaveH]

It was Raventhorpe Minatures who did the 20mm range called "US Marines Early War Wake Island or Battan".
17 figures including a sailor - they are still listed and illustrated on the Raventhorpe website.

Yes- Wake Island would be a hell of a game in 10mm.

East Riding Miniatures do a set of them in the old Platoon 20 range too.

[Sunray]

I'm a member of the Grimsby Wargamess Society and will ask for you on Monday

Take care

Andy

Thanks Andy. I have just unearthed issue 35 of Wargames Illustrated (August 1990) and it confirms that the Wake Island demo game was indeed a Grimsby Wargames Club effort masterminded by Colin Rumford (most wargamers will know him from his Rapid Fire rules).  What a ambassador for our hobby the Grimsby crew were back then.

Colin actually got Tony Chadburne of Raventhorpe Minatures to cast up some Japanese landing craft especially for the game !

Now that's service for you.

A few cabin style huts, 1/144 hellcats, a table with the archipelago of flat islands (dead easy terrain) , the Japanese,

All we need are a few 1941 US Marines .

[Ithoriel]

So at least 26 years ago since I saw the game. I'd assumed it was about half that! I feel old now ... OK, I feel even older

[Sunray]

So at least 26 years ago since I saw the game. I'd assumed it was about half that! I feel old now ... OK, I feel even older

Yes, it is scary how the years fly, yet the memories of things 20+ years ago remain sharp- apart from names etc.  Grimsby and Deal were the two clubs whose demo game I always sought out at a show when I lived in England.

I still have a few 1/200 Wild Geese Miniatures (Vietnam and SCW) I bought at Armageddon 89 (was that the year it changed to Colours?)
They are quite tall for 1/200 and a few make it into current 10mm games. 

I will see if I can get an image of the Wake Island game up on the forum- worth 1,000 words in the campaign for 1941 Marines.