Allied "Funnies"

As a follow up to the "Ersatz" Opel Blitz pictures published on the blog last month,  my miniature allied arsenal also has some "funnies" that were pressed into service many moons ago.

Sherman Jumbo

A repainted Matchbox Battle Kings die-cast toy that a mate of mine Iván gave me when we first met and started gaming together on a regular basis some 20 years ago. 

The Matchbox tracks were missing and were replaced with tracks off a Hasegawa 1/72nd scale M4A3E8 Sherman. 

The tank commander is an Airfix British Paratrooper.

Even though it's oversized and clunky, it's seen some action as a Sherman Jumbo in a couple of games over the years. 

When you compare it with a lovely detailed kit, like the Trumpeter Sherman below, it's toylike appearance is even more evident. Anyhow, even if it raises a few eyebrows when I next get it on the gaming table again I don't mind too much.

Roco M40 155mm / Sherman suspension hybrid

About the same time back in the early 2000's, my tiny, but growing US forces were in urgent need of some mobile artillery. Getting your hands an Esci M12 was difficult, but I had a Roco Minitanks 1/87 155mm M40, but without the HVSS suspension. 

A broken 1/76 scale Sherman came to the rescue and donated its suspension and tracks to the allied cause, giving birth to this strange hybrid.

It's small next to a Matchbox M40 kit, but on the other hand, it's only a little smaller in size to a real Esci M12 - which I now have thankfully through Ebay, (and also now some excellent Altaya M12 diecasts).

Sherman Dozer

The British Shermans below were all made back in the early 2000's.

We were going to game a scenario that needed a Sherman dozer. A few days before the game I managed to get a hot-wheels bulldozer from a toyshop, fixed the blade onto the front of one of the Shermans and hey-presto ! Not very pretty but you can see what its function is.  

I did recently get a real dozer blade for my US forces. The blade came courtesy of a kit from UM Models.  Not sure if my version is comical or just sad in comparison.

Thanks for visiting, hope you enjoyed the pictures. Will be back with some new stuff later in the month.

Cheers, John

Some work in progress - M35 Truck by 4D Models

I posted about these kits some time ago (HERE) and recently saw a good offer on the internet for a set of five so being a sucker for cheap-as-chips offers that are too good to refuse, well of course I ordered them - and just got them a couple of days ago.

I did a bit of chopping up and these reliable workhorses might be able to serve in a few modern game scenarios in other roles rather than just as the basic truck

I had an old 1/87 scale Roco Dragon Wagon that I was never going to use so I cut off the cab and swapped it for the M35 cab.

Hey presto !  An M275 Truck Tractor that it can now also be used to tow this military container.

I'm pretty sure the M35 wouldn't be suitable in this role for towing a huge load like this, I don't think it's powerful enough, but I might be wrong, and please feel free to leave a comment in the comments' section if you do know. 

In any case, in spite of any inaccuracies I can live with them as these are just gaming models.

However, this next configuration really is pure fantasy. A long wheelbase and multiple wheels. 

The platform and crane came off a toy. Be kind to me, in my mind's eye it looks at least feasable. 

Next step will be painting, I'll try and update this article once they're painted with some pictures.

Keep safe all.

Hell's Angels in 1/72 scale

On a previous post  I mentioned on the blog that I'd seen some Hell's Angels / bikers in plastic in 1/72 scale in a board-game based on a series called "Sons of Anarchy".

I've never seen the series and I only played the board-game once, but what really interested were the figures.

My good mate Carlos was having a clear-out during the lockdown and when we got together after the distancing restrictions had eased he came round and gave me a dozen or so of these bikers. Lucky me !

I test painted a couple of them over the weekend and they do look the business.

The figures all have the same pose unfortunately, but I think that with some cutting and converting, a few head swaps, and maybe cannibalizing the Italeri 1/72 German motorcycles and combos, I could get a nice gang of marauding bikers for a near-future / post-apocalyptic / zombie-dawn-of-the-dead kind of game scenario.

WW2 British Motor Gunboat, Würzburg Radar & Sailors

A few years ago our small wargaming group gave a demonstration game of the Operation Biting Bruneval Raid at a local comic / cosplay / gaming event.

The scenario was  designed by one of our fellow gamers Iván, who also built the magnificent terrain board and coastline.

You can see a game report on the link below, which will open up in a new window if you click it. It's in Spanish, but with pictures that speak for themselves

https://wargamestenerife.blogspot.com/2015/03/bruneval-commando-raid-1942.html

For the game we already had plenty of 1/72 scale Germans as the defenders, and also lots of British Paras left over from an Arnhem wargame campaign (albeit in the wrong uniform for this raid, but we could live with that) and more than enough scenery.

What we didn't have were some rescue vessels to to provide covering fire as the paras were picked up from the coastline, and something to represent the Würzburg radar.

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Würzburg Radar

We knocked up a crude representation of the radar just a few days before the game.

Well, I did say crude  ........

It's basically a perspex ball cut off at the top and mounted onto a structure taken off a toy crane, and then fixed onto the base of an Italeri 90/53 Gun.

A good dousing of grey paint and on the day it did its job and nobody mentioned that it bore only a fleeting resemblance to the real thing.

Should also add that nobody mentioned either that the British paras were wearing red berets and were dressed for Arnhem.

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British Motor Gunboat

This was a bit of an invention, made from a modified toy motor launch.

The missile launchers and oversized MG on the the stern were removed and the bridge was taken off and moved forward.

It was also cut down to make it a waterline model and two Bofors were added, one the bow and stern.

Painted grey and with a Royal Navy Ensign flying, it makes a more or less passable MGB.

And here she is, MGB "Conversio" providing covering fire as the Paras made their way down to the beach with a German prisoner and parts taken off the radar. 

The landing craft crashing onto the beach in the foreground is an Airfix LCM with the pilot's house removed and a few other minor conversions. 

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Sailors

The vessels couldn't be complete without crew members, and the sailors are mostly conversions with a mix from various sets.

There are a couple of Airfix civilians and a Dapol railway worker with new heads, plus a few Revell Kriegsmarine figures and some Emhar WW1 British

Quite a few of the sailors have heads taken off the old Airfix British WW1 figures in caps as they make good donors and you just need to slightly trim down the visor at the front and they are perfect for representing the flat visorless hat worn by British sailors. 

The idea for using the WW1 British Infantry heads like this isn't my original idea, I got it from a very old Airfix magazine article back in the 1970s.

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Just to say that I was inspired to finally get around to posting these picture after viewing an excellent post on sailor conversions and a huge WW2 vessel by Simon from the Service Ration Distribution blog which I recommend you visit. You can access his post on the following link (click and it will open in a new window)

https://servicerationdistributionhobby.blogspot.com/2020/05/ships-finishing-touches-lock-down-catch.html

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As always, keep safe and hope that wherever you are the lockdown is easing and that we are all slowly but surely getting over the worst.

"Ale-Hop" - Repainted Toy Trucks for WW2

Still on lockdown and have been fluttering from one unfinished project to another like a veritable wargame butterfly, but I have actually managed to finish off a few things, one of them being a repaint of these niftly little civilian trucks mentioned in the previous post on this blog

I had to change the wheels for some I had in the spares box, I kept looking at those spokes on the originals and they just didn't look right.

Now with their new wheels they're ready for the wargame table.

Here they are below being requisitioned by a French officer for the war effort off some unfortunate locals

I doubt these trucks are based on any particular model, but if I'm wrong please let me kmow in the comments section. 

Whatever the case, real or invented models, they make nice WW2 era cvilian trucks.

Keep safe everyone wherever you are.

"Ale-Hop" - Toy Trucks for WW2

More toys. I got these from a shop called "ale-hop" two weeks ago, the day before the lockdown here in Spain.

Ale-Hop sells a lot of cheapo gadgets and tacky stuff, but these trucks at 3 euros each caught my eye ( I bought three😝).

They should make nice generic 1/72 scale WW2 era civilian trucks. The figure gives an idea of the size.

Those large empty wooden cable drums could come in handy too for an industrial setting once repainted.

Keep safe everyone wherever you are.

New toys : 4D Models M35 truck in 1/72 scale

I wanted to share some pictures of two new toys the postman brought direct from China a couple of weeks ago.

They're sturdy little models that go together quickly.

I found that the little steel pins that are used as axles for the wheels are too long.

Fortunately I was able to cut them down with some strong cutters.

Next to an Academy 1/72 scale M35 Truck (on the right). They size up ok

The box-art is little surreal. Apart from being a mirror image of the truck (and now a right-hand drive model), it seems to be parked in the smouldering ruins of some old central European city.

A nice model that will most likely find its way into some modern skirmish games.

You can see some more information about this kit on Ey's excellent "1/72 Multiverse" blog on the following link :

http://72-multiverse.blogspot.com/2019/05/4d-quick-build-models.html

Brighton Booty

A quick post about a recent trip to Brighton, which apart from being a great place to visit, has a quaint little shop called "Coastal Stamp Auctions".

They have vintage stamps galore, old magazines, second-hand model railway locos and accessories, and if you like scale miniatures there are plenty of pre-loved "vintage" model cars, kits, etc.,

On every visit to Brighton, I always come our of here with some little treasure.

2 x die-cast Bedford OB Utility buses.

I believe this model can be used WWII era (although I could be wrong - and often am) but whatever the case I have a cunning plan in my head for both of them in wartime use.

Matchbox "Rolamatic" Stoat armoured car

I don't know what vehicle this is even based on, maybe just an invention by Matchbox but who cares, it looks the business and so I also have another cunning plan for this little gem in  modern / near future / post-apoc scenarios.

Lledo "Days Gone" Scammell

I would have bought up the shop, but had to control myself and was content to just get one more thing, this Lledo Scammell.

It looks roughly 1/72 scale (see figure comparison below), and scouring the internet I found it to be a Scammell "Rigid" 6 x wheeler from the late 1930s (oh dear, more of those cunning WWII era plans start to form in my head).

Orphaned Clone Army Guy

And finally later that very same day, just as I was opening the car door, I spied this little fella all alone and abandoned in the gutter next to the car wheel !

I just couldn't leave him there, so he came home with me. Not a bad 1/32 copy actually of a Matchbox US Infantry figure.

The family members who were with me at the time rolled their eyes, but I'm used to that so hey, no problem.

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So, miniaturewise, a productive day in Brighton. This was followed later in the week by a visit up to Manchester where I got in a game at the very same church hall where I used to wargame as a kid (pictures will follow in one of the next updates), and then a trip to steaming hot Summertime Berlin last week where I found even more interesting little vintage treasures that I'll also post pictures of in a later update.