350 40K Anti-Tank Support II...Not Anti-Tank!

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Finally...
made it...
to the computer...
for once...
away from daughters...

Took these pics...
last week...
when I finished...
the 1:35 howitzer...

as requested...
Guardsman for scale:

Seems too large...

to be Anti-Tank...

will probably re-role...

as more fun artillery.

Need...

sleep...

Out to you.

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349 40K Anti-Tank Support?

Hi All,

I live!

A while back, Zzzzzz sent me one of his superb 'care packages' which included a brace of Soviet 122mm howitzers for me to use as A/T artillery support and two really really sexy vehicles to act as tractors for them (more on them when I - eventually - get to them).

 Anyway, I've been really frustrated recently by how much hassle and faff it is to get my paints out at midnight for an hour's painting before bed, but last night I remembered I had these to construct! As building (and converting) has always been my favourite part of the hobby I was delighted to give them a go.

Strewth, but 1/35 scale is fiddly! On the up-side (see pics), the barrel recoils (albeit with the breech glued open(?!)), the trails split and the rock-spades flip down, but the down-side? - ohmigosh these were absolute buggers to put together. The photos show two entire hours' painstaking work. Jeez.

Also, twice I had to dig around on the unvacuumed floor to try to find tiny rods that'd pinged off the table...the second of these bits I finally managed to dig out of the corgi's fur!

But thanks, Zzzzzz, for giving me the chance ot get a wee bit done - even if it is just a tiny wee bit.

Keep well, everyone - see you again when I can,

- D.

348 Sherman Patrol!

Hullo!

Well now, these are the two tank platoons I finished over Christmas to support my Flames of War 11th Armoured Division force:

They're nominally from 3 RTR (Royal Tank Regt), but please let me make the following notes:

1) I know the 'Taurus Pursuant' divisional markings are huge, but they're the only ones I could find and I can't make my own.

2) The decals are from the Plastic Soldier Company, as are 5/8 of the tanks in the pics. The Platic Soldier Company makes a an absolutely beautiful British Sherman/Firefly model - 5 vehicles for about £17 - which is a fraction of the cost of the Battlefront ones. Which leads me onto...

3) ...Yes, I know that the three resin tanks are US Shermans. They're the ones from the old Flames of War starter set. Sorry: I'm a cheapskate and not hell-bent on historical accuracy (see point 1, above!). The may be rotated out of service in the future...

4) Finally, note the lack of tactical air-recognition 'Allied Stars'. The force I'm compiling is supposed to be a couple of weeks after D-Day, and I've heard/read that a number of British units painted them out soon after landing. I don't know whether 3RTR did, but I'm rubbish at tiny free-hand and devoid of decals!

Naturally, this is their current 'transport solution':

 

The Germans'll never suspect Michael Flatley!

I was amazed at how drab and muted 'real' tanks are to paint after the deliberate contrasts we see in 40k...

Thanks all,

More 40K soon - and a bit of a history post too, methinks...

- D.