Quote from: T13A on 17 July 2024, 09:05:12 AMIf you are a member of this forum and happen to be in Crete I understand it is compulsory to go here:



  (Just jealous). Hill 107 (and German cemetary) in the background.

Cheers Paul

Is that the bridge over the dry riverbed of the River Tavartis(sp?) near Maleme airfield Paul?

If so it will be familiar to quite a few Kiwis I would imagine 

Never got to Crete myself yet, but would be a very interesting place to visit.

Hi

Yes it is. Crete is one of the best places to visit if you are in to 'walking the ground' I always make a point of visiting the CWG cemeteries to pay my respects. My Dad was in the BEF sent to France in 1939 (2nd Bn the Buffs, Royal East Kent Regiment) and was captured during the retreat to Dunkirk spending nearly 5 years in various POW camps in Poland and Germany.

Cheers Paul

OK thanks for that Paul.

Last time we were in Europe we took the time to visit various bits of Normandy and Caux in France that my father and grandfather were involved with during the war.

My grandfather was a Royal Artillery officer with the 51st Highland Division who was captured at St Valery en Caux in June 1940 and my father was a very young midshipman on an LCT at Juno Beach four years later. 

I've visited a number of battle sites when in Crete, especially in Hania province - Meleme/Hill 107 (German cemetery) and the Commonwealth cemetery at the head of Suda Bay. Also Pink Hill behind Galatas where there's a memorial and an abandoned building project of what was supposed to be a big war museum. There's a small battle of Crete permanent exhibition within the martime museum by the harbour in Hania old town. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/the-battle-for-crete/the-battle-day-4-6

QuoteYou solo game Napoleonics... and you don't have any French...

Nope, I've got nothing...

I remember why, now ... and this is probably going to be an unpopular opinion. The French army is aesthetically a bit boring. Infantry all wear the same outfit - no distinguishing facings, no easily distinguishable standards - and the light infantry basically wear blue trousers instead of white ones.  The artillery wear about the same as the light infantry. It's all rather samey.

I'm doing V Corps ('cos I want French Chasseurs as supporting light cavalry) so I don't even get the option of light infantry. 

No, I'm not doing the Guard. I usually do about a division based on a historical OOB, and I don't have room for the Guard. (Besides I have a plan for a Guard force in about 2027.)

No, I'm not going to mix in some French allies. I have those aplenty in their own divisions.

No, I'm not going to do greatcoats. On my table, it is always summer. 

Unusually as I hate painting horses, the cavalry are the saviour. I usually go for 15% - 20% cavalry, but for the French I've gone up to 32%.  This is a ridiculously high proportion, but the French army redeems itself in its cavalry. Chasseurs, Lancers, Dragoons, Cuirassiers - each has a different uniform, each has distinctive facing colours. (The also had hussars, but I hate hussars, and carabiniers, but I couldn't fit them in.)

As I say, I picked V Corps for the attached Chasseurs brigade, and I Cavalry Corps so I can use a lancer heavy brigade from 1st Lt Cav Div, and the mixed Cuirassiers and Dragoons from the 3rd Hvy Cavalry Division.

But no Hussars. Definitely no hussars.

Thinks:    My least favourite Napoleonic figure would be a dismounted Hussar firing his carbine from a kneeling position. 

Quote[Definitely no hussars

You are a  bounder. I will see you in a duel.

Assoon as I have finished with this wench. And that one. And those over there...

Ah! My intention is not to importune the courage or skill of the Hussar; but my poor painting skills are insufficient to do these noble soldiers justice. 

However, if you insist, you may call upon my seconds at any time.

I shall, of course, be at an airport wearing a false beard and eye patch. 

Good grief! This is terrible! My nightmare realised!

Quote from: Last Hussar link=msg=364986 date=1721577071

Assoon as I have finished with this wench. And that one. And those over there...
/quote]

You have a wonderful imagination LH 

I've just been gifted a friend's 10mm French Guard division for Napoleonics.

Needs a couple more lancer units and a rebate, but...

Muhahahahaha

Actual conversation* I have just had

"Door on your left... your other left..."

*Less a conversation, and more me calling down the corridor.

After a wild spate of purchasing, I've so much to paint that I am tempted to stray from my usual practice of painting all of one project before starting another.

I've received my last* pack of Japanese infantry for the Russo-Japanese. So what I should do is paint them and then that's a project finished. However, I am mid French 1813 - about a third of the way through, and I have waiting in the side lines lie the Portuguese division for the Peninsular 1810 ... and and this is what I find quite exciting, the Hesse-Darmstadt element for the opposing 1810 force.

The sensible thing to do would be to paint the Japanese, then the French ... so I have just primed some Peninsular buildings. 


*"Last" here is used in the wargamers' sense of "until I buy more".

FSN, is there a period you DON'T do? (Aside from French for Napoleonics, as previously discussed.)

QuoteFSN, is there a period you DON'T do? (Aside from French for Napoleonics, as previously discussed.)

I now do Napoleonic French! 

I don't do Malplaquet to Maida 'cos of the tricorns, and I don't do Colonials, and I don't do chariot armies because Pendraken don't do them.

Aside from that, pretty much anything is fair game.

Tricorn are cool. Prefer them to Shakos.

Here's a summary of what I've got.

Confict	Armies	Figures	Comment
Trojan War	Myceneans. Trojans	461	Not Pendraken
Ancients	Republican Roman, Carthaginian, Greek (x2)Imperial Roman	2175
Dark Age	Romano-British, Saxon, Norse, Norman, Arab, Byzantine	2259	Byzantines to paint
Medieval	Barons' War, Bannockburn, Skirmish, War of the Roses	1863	Bannockburn Scots Not Pendraken
Renaissance?	Japanese C16, Flodden	1928	Japanese not painted
Horse & Musket	Baron's War Scots & Royalist	1969
	War of the Spanish Succession	1845	One army not painted
Napoleonic 1813	Austrian, Prussian, Russian, Swedish, French, British, Brunswick, Bavarian, Danish, Ottoman	13333	Painting French at the moment
Napoleonic 1810	Anglo-Portuguese, Spanish, French/Confederation. Joseph's Spanish		Purchasing phase 4023 figures planned
American Civil War	Union, Confederate	694
American West	Skirmsh	167	Many not Pendraken
Spanish-American War	Skirmish	120
Russo-Japanese War	Russian, Japanese	650
WWI	East Africa	319
1920s	French Foreign Legion, British, Arab	319
WWII 1939-40	French, British, German, German Para, Polish	731 + 226 vehicles
WWII 1941-43	British, German, Italian, Russian	268  + 116 vehicles	Can use some of the 1939/40 kit too
WWII 1944	British, British Para, German, German Para, US, US para	832 + 260 vehicles
WWII  Far East	British, US Marine, Japanese	192+ 13 vehicles
Korean War	British, N Korean	420 + 46 vehicles
1960s	British, French, Soviet, US	452 + 73 vehicles
1984s	British, Soviet, US	248 + 85 vehicles
Arab-Israeli (1967 and 1973)	Israeli, Egyptian	177 + 47 vehicles
SF	Old Stuff	1054 + 137 vehicles
	New Stuff	153 + 74 vehicles
"Of Gods and Mortals"	Asgard, Olympus, Celtic, Egyptian	463	Some "gods" not Pendraken
1:600 WWI Aircraft	British, German	82 aircraft
1:600 WWII Aircraft	1939-1940 Germany, France, Britain	192 aircraft
	1943-1944 Germany, Britain, FAA, USA	208 aircraft
	1941 Pacific - Akagi and Enterprise(?)	130 aircraft
	1944 Pacific – Taiho, Japanese Army, US carrier, Rabaul	192 aircraft	Carrier a/c not painted
6mm WWII Aircraft	British, German, French, Italian, Japanese, American, Soviet, Polish, Finnish	54 aircraft
1:600 Post War aircraft	Korea, 1960s, Arab-Israeli	253 aircraft
Space Ships		32 craft
1:600 Post War	Korea, 1960s, Arab-Israeli	253 aircraft
1:2400 Napoleonic Naval	Battle of the Nile et al	58 ships
1:3000 WWII Naval	French, British, Italaim, Med 1940	124 ships
1:600 WWII Naval	British, German	47 ships	Not painted

In my defence, I don't have any other hobbies, no social life and never go on holiday.

Quote from: fsn on 28 July 2024, 07:12:49 PMIn my defence, I don't have any other hobbies, no social life and never go on holiday.

Busy social life then...

QuoteHere's a summary of what I've got.
...

Impressive        

The number of aircraft alone is impressive as is your historical breadth.

Quote from: d_Guy on 29 July 2024, 03:00:17 PMThe number of aircraft alone is impressive as is your historical breadth.

Thank you. Very kind as always.

In 1:600, I worked on a squadron basis. For Battle of Britain, I have a squadron (12)  of Spitfire, one of Hurricanes, Battles and Defiants, and a bomber squadron of Whitleys and Hampdens. 

For the Pacific, I did a full aircraft carrier's compliment. the 1941 Akagi has 30 Zero, 16 Val and 24 Kate.

Then there's the Battle of Germany with squadrons of Lancasters, Halifaxes and Stirlings, Liberators and Flying Fortresses.   

Chuck in French, Italian, 1944 Pacific, Japanese Army, Rabaul, etc, etc and that makes quite a few tiny planes.

Like I say, I don't have a social life and no other outlets.