Damaged STUGs are salvaged

 One of my favourite 15mm-models in the german collection are the STUG´s and STUH´s.

I bought some of these new and some on second hand in various condition.

If you speak about the working horse of the german tank-force you must choose the

Panzerkampfwagen IV and also the STUG. Later in the war the STUG was upgraded with a

powerful cannon (PAK 40) extra protection (sideskirts etc).

Working on my pile of shame I also fix my finnish collection with 3d-printed models(STURMIS).

I like 3d-printed models but cannons and small details can be very fragile and I have bought

a small second-hand stash containing bits to 15mm-models made of tin.

I also added a tank-commander and I will also upgrade with camo-nets and ammo-boxes etc

to add that extra feeling and diversity to the models.

To be continued.

Sdkfz 8 Bufla or PAK43 is the question!?

Looking in my "pile of shame" I found 2 models of german Sdkfz 8 Bufla and also

two bases of dug in artillery-positions but the latter mas missing a vital part...the gun.

I thought to myself why don´t make these models modular!?

In the beginning of the World war 2 the germans built 10 pieces of the 88mm mounted

on tracks and named it Sdkfz 8 Bufla. This bunkerbuster was very effective and was

used mainly in Poland and France but was retired in 1943 (Eastern front).

In a friendly game these Sdkfz 8-models could be used anywhere but if you play a 

campaign or fancy the late war they are not allowed to enter the gaming table.

In Berlin and East-prussia 1944 - 45 the gun on these models could easy become fixed

PAK 43-artillery positions and a deadly menace to any gamer. :)

The PAK 43 was a very heavy artillery-piece and difficult to both operate and move but

when at place it could knock out almost any enemy-tanks at a distance.

I also show one of the legendary 88mm-gun that is similar in strength as the PAK 43.

Next step will be to repaint all of the shown models on the pictures.

Have a nice and sunny weekend!

 

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.

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)

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!

  

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.

Japanese mortars and soviets

 On the web-page Flames of war - Sweden I stumbled over

some nice soviet bits and figures together with a medium

japanes 86/94mm mortar platoon(4) and hard-hitting 160mm 

soviet mortar (4 pcs, platoon).

In the buy I also got some 76mm soviet zis-artillery

and a single T-70 light and fast tank.

Some usable soviet gun-service and tank-riders together

with infantry equipped with ppsh-41.

At first I hoped to use the artillery to my finnish

force as conquered goods but it was not allowed so it

will be a addition to my Soviet partisans instead.

My japanese force will be much more deadly with the

mortars and I already have some light anti-tank-artillery

to give extra support.

The soviet 120mm will be spot on to be used in late-war

scenarios. All models in the 15mm-scale for the game

Flames of war.

Nebelwerfers and softskins

 This will be my first VERY delayed report 2024 about my hobby.

Because of my very hectic life with work and family my

hobby is now limited to collect models and plan future

projects. This report is first about buying some very 

useful mobile rocketlaunchers with gunservice. 

The german WW2-battery of 4 models show the very power-

ful 15cm Panzerwerfer 42 auf Sf (SdKfz 4/1). 

They combine both strength and mobility and will be very 

useful on the gaming-table.

Next up is heavy german transport Sd Kfz 7 (8-ton) tractor

that was used during the war to tow 88mm-guns and

15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 18. Very useful also to recover

tanks that were broken at the front.

I also bought some german softskins: a kubelwagen-jeep and

two Horch 180 type 1a for transporting light artillery and

personel.

Finally I also bought 3 more lend-lease US M3-halftracks

to move my soviet infantry and artillery.

Not to forget I bought US tankers that will be converted

and bits in metal to repair some of my fragile 3d-printed

models in resin. All in the 15mm-scale to the game Flames

of war.