Fred’s 2023 Painting and Gaming Diary

[fred.]

grab the time when you can, it's surprising how much you can get done in a few half hours

This is very true. And if you can get in a task that has a longer drying time even better!

[fred.]

WWI British and French

Got the first batch completed!

British: 2 regiments of cavalry, and 2 battalions of Scots Infantry
French: 75mm gun rebased to add limber and more crew, plus limbered version with 6 horse team






Pleased with these, and its always nice and quick doing 20th C stuff due to uniforms and not too many colours.

This brings the painted totals for 2023 to  96 figures : 23 cavalry : 2 vehicles : 1 gun

It is only 1 gun painted, as 1 was rebased (I'm willing to claim any level of earlier WIP in this year's total, but once its been based then I don't think rebasing can really count the figures as part of the painted totals).

The next batch is already in progress

[paulr]

    

[fred.]

Mystery Guns

Can anyone identify these guns for me?

I'm pretty sure they're WWI British or German. 

Having built and undercoated them I've lost track of which code they are 


Thanks

[mmcv]

Could be the German 105mm howitzer? It looks like one. I don't have any myself, but none of the guns I do have look like that which rules out a few. 

[mmcv]

Also great work so far this year! 

[fred.]

Could be the German 105mm howitzer? It looks like one. I don't have any myself, but none of the guns I do have look like that which rules out a few.

I think you could be right. Looks pretty much like the 10.5cm leFH 16. What was confusing me was that I've also got 10.5cm FH 98/09 which has a very short barrel. And wasn't expecting another 105.


I'd eliminated most British options. But as I'd painted most of the rest of my German guns, I wasn't sure why these had got missed.

Also great work so far this year! 

Thanks. Got quite a bit done over Christmas and have kept the momentum going. Like you glad to have something to do away from a screen after work. And the dark and wet evenings are conducive to staying in.

[fred.]

WWI British 

Next batch pretty much done - when the figures are mainly shades of brown they are quick to paint up!

I do like these figures with full kit much nicer figures than some of the older ones (a few of which are in this unit)



Haven't got the next ones prepped yet! Maybe some more cavalry. 

[paulr]

    

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Very nice

[Ithoriel]

These are all looking very good indeed.

[fred.]

Thanks all 

[fred.]

1941 - Race to Moscow board game

As we were a bit late arranging a game this week, we choose to play a board war game rather than a table top game. I choose Race to Moscow, as it is pretty remote play friendly.



German forces on the start line - well supplied, and ready to smash through the Russian front line


The end of the game - the 3 German army groups have failed to reach their objectives, and the Russians have redeployed all their reinforcements (which is the count down timer on the game).

We enjoyed this as a game - it really feels like a good recreation of Barbarossa. The game focuses on logistics - and the need to keep your fighting units supplied so they can attack. It is a balance of keeping fighting to remove Russian armies from the board, and keeping your supplies moving forwards.

Initially the Germans smash through the Russian front line and cause major encirclements, then they advance, but Russian reinforcements start to arrive, and the Germans are lacking in supplies to attack.

This was a Kickstarter game, one of the last I backed, and it took years to be fulfilled. I was really not expecting to get anything from this KS, so was pleasantly surprised when they finally got the pieces produced and the printing sorted and it shipped.

[fred.]

WWI British

Got to finish the basing on these guys this afternoon, whilst hiding from the howling wind!



Having decided that figures only count as finished when based, is really helping me focus on getting each batch completed. I normally have so many part done sets of figures on painting sticks and the like.



These are mainly BP29 which is a nice code.

So another 46 figures done!

This brings the painted totals for 2023 to  142 figures : 23 cavalry : 2 vehicles : 1 gun

[steve_holmes_11]

Could be the German 105mm howitzer? It looks like one. I don't have any myself, but none of the guns I do have look like that which rules out a few.

I did a bit of Googling.

The carriage / shield are a good match for a Krupp.

I then got a bit lost with the rapid revision of different calibres.

My first instinct was the 77mm, The recoil mechanism isn't quite right (Far longer under-rail/cylinder until the 1916 model).
The barrel is also a bit sturdy for a 77.

The 10cm canon has a rather longer barrel.

Most of my google hits showed the 98/09 model which has a very short barrel; too short for the pictured models.
I think this is the 1916 model:  10.5 cm leFH 16