Soviet creative tank-projects

When it comes to gaming 15mm and especially Flames of war I really like the

diversity of models on the gaming-tables.

My collection of these small "gems" is ever growing and to collect is a big part

of my hobby so far. On my shelf I have German, Soviet, Finnish and Japanese

models in the 15mm-scale to play Flames or war or similar games.

During the pandemic I bought both the Soviet T-43 and SU-76i but the boxes

has been almost forgotten until today. The T-43´s are all from Battlefront but

the SU-76i are a mixture of 3D-print and Battlefront.

T-43 was built in 1942 and was intended to replace both T-34 and KV-1 as an up-

armoured medium tank but was never mass-produced when the T34/85 became

logical choice .

The SU-76i is originally a german tank with the gun/gun-turret removed and replaced

by a soviet superstructure and fitted with the 76,2mm soviet anti-tank gun.

About 300 Panzer III´s and STUG´s were a part of the loot when the germans surrendered

in Stalingrad and they were transported to soviet factories to become the SU-76i (the "i"

stands for inostrannaya and means foreign in russian).

Both models in my opinion had fragile gun-barrels so I decided to replace and scratch-

build them using leftovers from"bits-sprues".

I like both models and it will be fun to paint them in the near future.

3D-model on order

I got an personal order to make a 3d-model of a vision a time ago.

The vision was a building that could have been when built both a school and

a kindergarten under the same roof.

I got some drawings showing 2d-views and the outside measurements of the

vision of the build from the architect and the rest to make the 3d-model did I 

figure out myself on my free-time.

To not narrow the vision of the build I choose to make it in plain white.

The building and small roofs are printed using a 3d-filament and the spiral-

staircase is printed using a 3d-resin-printer.

Fixing missprints

When I 3d-printed vehicles I also got some misprints for free.

Instead of using them as wrecks I tried to save them and made some

renovation. It was mainly the wheels that got some kind of error and

I made new ones using bits-leftovers.

After some work I have revived:

3 models of Zis 5 (soviet tank truck)

2 models of Opel blitz 3,6-36 S/SSM (german cargo-truck on tracks)

3 models of T-26 (soviet ligt tank)

2 models of GMC 2,5 tonne cargotruck (US)

3 models of M3/A1 armoured scoutcar (US)

I am back

Hello all!
Time has passed for a long time since I was active on this blog but it has been for a very good reason.

In October 2024 I worked very hard both at work and in private and my body crashed...

I got herniated disc between 6-7 and this affected very much in my daily life. The nerves were 

not functioning properly because the bones grinded them apart because the substance between was 

simply not there anymore. My right hand was hurting and the two longest fingers where numb,

the neck, back and right arm was in constant pain. I couldn´t work or sit by a computer nor sleep and

only after a lot of medicine the situation improved slightly.

In August 2025 I was operated and the surgeon was very good. Only thing he warned me about was

that because of the cut is made in my frontal neck under my chin it could affect my speech and give

me a "whiskey-voice" but I told him that if the rest could be cured it was no problem and   my wife

also like the music of Barry White. :)

On the x-ray-pictures you can see the device that is now at place and firmly attached to the bones using

screws ( I feel a tight bond to the monster of  Frankenstein) :)

I am very greatful for the operation and life is getting better and better. I am also looking forward

publish new reports about my hobby.

Flames of war - Halmstad game-tournament, May 2024

Early May this year I attended to one of the bigger and nicer

events in my opinion, Flames of war - game tournament!

The tournament was situated in a very nice building in the

center of Halmstad near the Nissan-river.

The house was built in 1912 and has the very best character

in my taste (architectural details, spacious and big windows

and not least parquet floors made of solid oak.

On top of all of this written above the persons that organized

the tournament were all very inviting and I felt more than 

welcome as a newbie-player from the countryside. :) 

At arrival we was briefed about the rules and also how

to play and which person to face in the game.

The tournament also handed out prices to the winners of

the game but also i the class, best painted models/figures.

Very nice tournament that will be held once again in 

august this year at same location.

For more information visit "Flames of war Sweden" on

Facebook. 

Next report will be published about my two games at this

tournament. To be continued!

  

Some 1:32 plastic for my son

On  a secondhand-market online I found a package

of medieval knights, cowboys and indians and Airfix

US infantry(WW2) and British 8th army(WW2).

My son that is only 4 years old needed som more

figures to play with and I thought that this could be

a nice addition to his first "buy" of silver-knights and

riders. All figures are in the 1:32-scale.

This is a nostalgia-report and I remember my first 

buy myself when my father bought med german

and russian infantry on bulk (cheap Airfix-copies

made in Hong kong).These figures was in 1:72-

scale and not so pretty but I played with them as much

as I could in this age. When I got those figures I also

remember that all military-related toys in Sweden were

forbidden to buy (1970-ies). A lot of memories come 

back to me when I watch these pictures and I hope that 

it also gives you outthere som memories also. :)

Great northern war - danish troops

 A Project that has been in very slow progress for years has been

to play small skirmishes within the Great northern war.

The politics and the history during this period 17-1800 has always

been a very interessting to me.

Probably because I was born and raised in this part of Scandinavia

and many old houses and landmarks still remains and make the history

come alive.

I already have carolingian infantry, cavalry and artillery in the

1:72-scale(20mm) and these figures from Zvezda are indeed very good

looking figures/models and they have inspiredme to proceed making

something worthy fot placing at the gaming-table.

Danish troops can be bought in tin but I choose to make a conversion

using plastic-soldiers from Strelets.

I choose french miniatures from the range War of the Spanish Succession.

The period is late 1700-th Century and will be very nice painted in the

danish colours. Big hats, and long coats and also wigs is in my opinion

danish details during the GNW-period.

The figures are nicely sculpted and I chose different boxes to make a 

diversity. I will mount the figures 1,2 and 3 on each base.  

I also have good litterature to paint the figures as close as possible

to the period eventhough it is a conversion.

Next report about this topic will show both the painted figures and

my inspirational source(books and pictures).

Preparations for Flames of war-convent

 For at least 3 years I have been a inactive player but

for two weeks ago I was invited to a Flames of war -

convent in Halmstad by Flames of war-Sweden.

I couldn´t resist and my first task was to make a force

to play with. I have been collecting for years but because

of work, family and new house etc I have not played more

than a handful of games.

I like the late war setup more than the early WW2 most

because of the creative ways of making new models and

variants.

I choose to play the germans this time (I have germans,

soviets, japanese and finns in my collection).

The points were set to 100 and at home I gathered only

75 ppoints because I was a newbie to play the Fow-game

version 4.

At location on the Fow-convent a friendly gamer made my

force complete and lending a battery of 10,5cm artillery

and a platoon of recons (Panzerkampfwagen 2). 

My infantry was pazergrenadiers with on MG42 and one 

panzerfaust in each squad and also mounted in tracked

APC´s (3: Sdkfz 251 with (MG) each and 1: Sdkfz 251

with a 2cm automatic-cannon).

A very good force indeed. In the next two reports I will 

write about the convent itself and my games.