"The Main German Light Tank Of Word War Two."

"The Panzer II remained in service throughout the war."

These three 10mm metal German Panzer II Ausfuehrung tanks used to sold by “Pendraken Miniatures” as Code GR102 - Panzer 2. However, the sculpt now appears to have been superseded by a much more detailed product under Code GRV5 - Panzer II, Ausf. F. I bought this trio as part of a huge 'Battle Of Moscow" project some twelve years ago, back when I was playing an old version of "Blitzkrieg Commander", and only recently discovered a small cache of them whilst mooching through my backlog.

Initially, I had thought to simply add them to my previously painted Panzer II contingent. But, having recently started a 10mm Early WW2 project using various British armoured vehicles, I quickly changed my mind and decided upon them being part of the German forces for some non-Winter battles instead. Not only would this mean that I could finally field some opposition to my Matilda II and Crusader II tanks, but I also wouldn't need to dip into my final pot of "Citadel" Adeptus Battlegrey - which I used to pigment all my German cold weather forces over a decade ago.

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - These two Churchill VII tanks have been primed and base-coated

Resultantly, having done a bit of colour comparison research on the inter-web I decided to purchase/trial some "Vallejo" Neutral Grey as an undercoat/base layer, and personally I can't actually tell the difference between this 'Model Color' and the now long Out Of Production (OOP) "Citadel" Foundation paint. All three tanks were then shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Neutral Grey, before having their wheels/tracks treated to a combination of Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

As a final touch I added some turret numbers to each armoured vehicle using the NW-102 1/285 WWII Armour Tank Turret Numbers set by "Decal Details". Frustratingly, I'm still waiting on "Pendraken Miniatures" to post me some of their excellent WWII German Insignia and Swastika transfers so I can properly finish the Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nürnberg AG-manufactured machines. But as their paint-jobs are now complete, I thought I'd just carry on by giving them a coat of "Vallejo" Matt Varnish and some grass flock.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - These Sons of Horus Space Marines are slowly having their details 'picked out'

My recent rummage through my decal collection has though helped me find a marvellous collection of insignia for the British Armoured Division in North-Western Europe 1944-1945. This means I should be able to add some extra details to my rather barren-looking Churchill VIIs (as well as some of the earlier Allied tanks). Inspired by this find I've assembled, based, primed and base-coated two more of Heavy Churchills destined for my "Battle Of The Bulge" tabletop, so I can apply the various emblems and numbers on all four miniatures at once.

Lastly, I have found the time to pay some 'passing attention' to my ongoing "The Horus Heresy" project and applied some "Vallejo" Gunmetal basecoats to three 28mm plastic Space Marines by "Games Workshop". These areas of MK VI armour are now ready for some "Citadel" Nuln Oil, and should help make each member of my second ten-man "Sons Of Horus" tactical squad individually stand out on the tabletop...

"The Aquaphibians Are An Aquatic Humanoid Species..."

"...From the Supermarionation series Stingray."

This 28mm scale Aquaphibian was sculpted by "Big Mr Tong" and can be downloaded for free as part of a ten-figure set of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from his "Patreon" subscription service. Based upon Titan's monstrous minions from the 1964 science-fiction television show "Stingray", the miniature was produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer.

The figure was initially undercoated in "Vallejo" Heavy Grey, before being consecutively drowned in "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green and Agrax Earthshade. It was then heavily dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Grey and having all its fins 'picked out' with a base layer of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. These areas were later treated to a combination of "Vallejo" German Camouflage Dark Green and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green.

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - This Tiger tank has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

Finally, I gave the Aquaphibian's "poisonous gas gun" a lick of "Citadel" Abaddon Black, "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Feeling that the 'puppet' possibly lacked some of the silver Videcolor shine seen on the small screen I did consider giving the entire miniature a light dry-brush of "Vallejo" Gunmetal. However, in the end I decided to leave well enough alone, fearing that the slightest misjudgement in tip pressure could result in me having to repaint the entire model again thanks to a misplaced metallic splodge.

Alongside my most recent 3D printed figure I have also been working on (even) more 10mm armoured vehicles by "Pendraken Miniatures". To be honest this particular project has suffered a bit of a slump in recent days on account of my running out of the Middlesbrough-based manufacturer's WWII German Insignia and Swastika [Insignia outlined in white] decals. Whilst this little predicament doesn't obviously directly affect my painting, it does mean I can't quite call the particular trio of Panzer IIs I've been working on completely finished and that's always annoying when I'm truly in the groove for any given genre.

"Wargames Atlantic" WIPs - Four freshly assembled World War One Germans

To try and offset my disappointment as I impatiently wait for Leon to pick and post my transfers (along with a few new shines I bought to ease my pain), I have made some good progress on the two Tiger tanks I bought from him at Salute 50. These are super-chunky, heavy beasts, and I'm grateful to those on the Pendraken Forum who kindly helped me master assembling the beauties after I failed to ascertain where certain parts of the metal kit were supposed to be placed.

In addition, I have finished assembling another four 28mm German Infantry (1916-1918) by "Wargames Atlantic". These multi-part plastic soldiers will be added to the other six I recently glued together so as to form the basic core of my Early Great War Conscripts detachment for "Xenos Rampant". I'm actually planning on pigmenting these 'Weird War' soldiers 'en-mass' as part of a twelve-hour painting experiment early next month in an effort to see whether I can batch them in a week...

"Development Of The PaK 40 Began In 1939..."

"...With both Krupp and Rheinmetall developing designs for testing and adoption."

This plastic 15mm 7.5cm Anti-Tank Gun team is sold by “Battlefront Miniatures” and is one of two eight-piece sprues (not including crew) which can be found inside the company’s “Hit The Beach” starter set for “Flames Of War”. The models consists of a single Panzerabwehrkanone 40 gun with four soldiers, and is the second of three stands I aim to field as part of a full-strength 7.5cm Tank Hunter Platoon for my German Beach Defence Company. 

Initially undercoated using a double-helping of "Vallejo" Dark Yellow, the gun was washed with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and heavily dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Dark Yellow. I then applied some sporadic patches of camouflage across the weapon, using a combination of “Vallejo” Heavy Brown, Luftwaffe Camouflage Green and Heavy Sienna. All of these areas were subsequently washed with “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade, before being highlighted back up with (more) “Vallejo” Heavy Brown, of Luftwaffe Camouflage Green and Heavy Sienna. Lastly, I applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the Pak 40's rubber tyres.

"Wargames Atlantic" WIPs - These Three German Infantry (1916-1918) have been assembled & primed

With the Anti-Tank gun finished, I turned my attention to pigmenting the crew. The majority of these figures were painted in situ. But I quickly decided to paint the team's NCO whilst he was temporarily super-glued to a wooden stick. As with all my other “FoW” German soldiers, the miniatures were primed in “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII, shaded using “Citadel” Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) “Vallejo” German Fieldgrey WWII. Their details were then ‘picked out’ predominantly using “Vallejo” Gunmetal, German Camouflage Dark Green, Heavy Brown and a series of “Citadel” Shades.

In addition, the crew's fully-open shell box was quickly treated to some "Vallejo" Buff and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Whilst it's contents were given a lick of "Vallejo" Brass, a dash of (more) "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade and a smidgeon of "Citadel" Abaddon Black to their tips. This colour scheme was then also applied to the two large projectiles which the soldiers were in the process of loading into their weapon.

"Wargames Atlantic" WIPs - More German Infantry (1916-1918) have been assembled & primed

Having completed the latest addition to my German D-Day Defence Grenadier Company, I have started assembling a half-dozen German Infantry (1916-1918) by "Wargames Atlantic". These multi-part plastic soldiers will form the start of a potentially rather large Weird War One project using the Early Great War Conscripts detachment list found towards the back of Daniel Mersey and Richard Cowen's science fiction wargame battles rule-book "Xenos Rampant". But for now I'm simply aiming to get a few of the figures tabletop ready.

Furthermore, I'm planning on using the miniatures as some test pieces for a monthly personal challenge where I spend twelve hours (spread across a few consecutive evenings) tirelessly putting a brush to just my select few models - as opposed to moving from different scales, genres and manufacturers multiple times throughout a single hobby session. I'm hoping this approach will help me quickly paint a core unit for various game systems, which I can then simply add to a bit more haphazardly as time goes by...

"Groot Was One Of The Thor Corps Members..."

"...Dispatched to the Kingdom of Manhattan."

This 28mm scale pre-painted plastic model of Groot Thor was produced by “Wizkids” and is miniature number 051 from their Marvel “Heroclix” The Mighty Thor range. This hammer-wielding incarnation of the “sentient tree-like creature” was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley for the May 2015 issue of "Ultimate End" by "Marvel Comics".

Unceremoniously chopped from the "super rare" figure's 'clicky' base and super-glued upon a plastic 50mm circular base, the Flora colossus was treated to a double-coat of “Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats” Cuirass Leather and shaded in Battle Mud Wash. He was then heavily dry-brushed with (more) Cuirass Leather, before having his intricate branch detail further highlighted with a light dusting of Ancient Forest.

"Wizkids" WIPs - This Wolliped has been primed, shaded and dry-brushed

I next 'picked out' the 59mm tall model's eye slits with a smidgeon of Skulker Yellow and “Citadel” Reikland Fleshshade (over a White Star basecoat), before working my way through a progression of Wyvern Green, Necrosis Green Wash, (more) Wyvern Green, Emerald Green and Ethereal Green over Groot Thor's leafy cape. Finally, the character from Doctor Doom's Battleworld had his hammer's head pigmented with "Vallejo" Gunmetal" and Oblivion Black Wash. Whilst the hand-weapon's shaft and wrist-strap were layered in Dust Bowl, Ancient Forest and a dash of Battle Mud Wash.

With the first of my entries for Angry Piper's annual Monster Mayhem Challenge completed, I have begun working on a second submission which probably better suits the event's distinctive "Dungeons & Dragons" theme. I originally dug out this Wolliped from my backlog of pre-painted "Pathfinder Battles" miniatures for the recently finished Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. But never got any further than re-basing the quirky-looking "Reign of Winter" model by "Wizkids".

"Games Workshop" WIPs - Three Sons of Horus Space Marines slowly having their details 'picked out'

This time round though I've been using the large, eight-legged animal as a test-piece for a heavily watered-down solution of Carcharodon Grey by “Duncan Rhodes' Two Thin Coats” which I intend to regularly utilise as a replacement for the awful "Vallejo" Pale Grey wash. My first thoughts on this substitution are highly favourable, and the only reason the "gentle creature" hasn't already been finished is the fiendish difficulty I'm facing getting my brush-tip between its numerous limbs.   

Lastly, I have found the time to pay some 'passing attention' to my ongoing "The Horus Heresy" project and applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna basecoats to three 28mm plastic Space Marines by "Games Workshop". These areas of MK VI armour are now ready for some "Vallejo" Gold, and should help make each member of my second ten-man "Sons Of Horus" tactical squad really stand out on the tabletop...

"The Crusader Tank Would Not See Active Service Beyond Africa."

"But the chassis of the tank was modified to create anti-aircraft, fire support, and recovery vehicle variants."

These three 10mm metal British cruiser tanks were bought together in a single clamshell from “Pendraken Miniatures” at Salute 50 and were simply labelled as Crusader II (armoured vehicles). Owing to my naivety as to the British forces which participated in the Battle Of The Bulge, I had originally intended to simply add them to my ever-expanding winter-based, snow-flocked Allied contingent. However, having done a bit of research post-purchase I disappointingly discovered that the Crusader II was actually 'confined' to the North Africa campaign.

Fortunately, having encountered a similar situation with some Matilda II infantry tanks I recently recovered from my lead mountain, I have now started a non-winter Early Second World War project - which these Nuffield-designed vehicles should fit into rather nicely. Indeed, having searched through my loot from Salute 50, I have discovered that I inadvertently bought a second Crusader II 'blister' (as well as one containing a trio of Crusader III tanks), so clearly now have the makings of a sizeable British company to field on a future tabletop.

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - Three Panzer II tanks being primed, shaded and dry-brushed

Due to their quite considerable size, all three models were individually super-glued to plastic 40mm x 60mm rectangular stands and undercoated using "Vallejo" Leather Brown primer. They were then layered with a double-helping of "Vallejo" Russian Uniform WW2, before being doused in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and later dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Russian Uniform WW2. I also 'picked out' their predominantly covered tank tracks using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

Lastly, I carefully applied a smidgeon of "Citadel" Abaddon Black to their rather delicate Besa machine guns and slapped a Union Jack decal on both sides of each hull to proudly proclaim them as being British. This step is far from historically accurate, as they seem to have worn no markings signifying their country of origin whilst in service. However, I wanted to have them stand out from their American allies with something a bit more obvious than a simple 'greener' palette scheme.

"Wizkids" WIPs - The Mighty Thor Groot is slowly having all its details 'picked out'

With a small mixture of Matilda II and Crusader II tanks now ready for the battlefield, I have turned my attention to pigmenting some opposition using some "Pendraken Miniatures" I found in the loft. To be honest these armoured vehicles are the leftovers from some Winter War army lists I compiled for an old version of the rule-set "Blitzkrieg Commander", so I'm just pleased that they're finally going to get some love and attention - as opposed to assembling a competitive Axis army.

In addition, I have been very mindful that I have yet to finish any of the models I set aside at the start of the month for the annual Monster Mayhem Challenge over on the Angry Piper's blog "Dead Dick's Tavern And Temporary Lodging". With this in mind I've scooped up the first figure which came to hand from that selection - a sizeable "Heroclix" miniature of The Mighty Thor Groot by "Wizkids" and been feverishly applying my brush-tip to him...

"The Official German Designation Was Panzerkampfwagen II."

"The vehicle had originally been designed as a stopgap while larger, more advanced tanks were developed."

This resin and plastic 15mm Panzerkampfwagen II used to be produced by “Battlefront Miniatures” and is one of five models found inside the company’s now sadly Out Of Production (OOP) Panzer II Light Tank Platoon boxed set for “Flames Of War”. Each armoured vehicle consists of a number of pieces, including an optional stowage bin for the back of the turret and a plastic commander standing within an open hatch.

Having been lucky enough to purchase this marvellous kit for a very reasonable price at Salute 50, I must admit to later becoming a little overwhelmed by all its tiny parts when I first opened the package. Happily however, there's an excellent assembly guide on the New Zealand-based manufacturer's website, including a video by YouTuber Wargamerontour, which soon helped make sense of where all the fiddly metal bits needed to be placed and super-glued.

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - Three Crusader II tanks at various stages of painting

Once I was happy with my ensemble - I decided to use one of the stowage bins as I thought they looked super-cool - I permanently attached "the most numerous tank in the German Panzer divisions at the beginning of the war" onto a medium-sized "Flames Of War" rectangular stand and base-coated it with two layers of "Vallejo" German Grey. I then shaded the Panzer II with "Citadel" Nuln Oil, heavily dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" German Grey, and finished the basics off with a light dry-brush of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey.

I next 'picked out' the light tank's spade, stowage, and fire-axe using appropriate combinations of "Vallejo" Gunmetal, "Citadel" Nuln Oil", "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. As a final step I tied the colour of my armoured vehicle's tracks in with my usual basing palette by applying some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, "Citadel" Rakarth Flesh and Agrax Earthshade over them, and added a single Balkenkreuz decal to the turret.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - Three Sons of Horus Space Marines ready for their details to be 'picked out'

Staying with Second World War tanks I have made more progress on three of the six Crusader II tanks I bought from "Pendraken Miniatures" booth at Salute 50. These British armoured vehicles were originally intended for my Battle Of The Bulge project, but as I have since discovered the the "cruiser" predominantly saw action during the Allies' North African campaign, I thought I'd add them to my (non-Winter) Early War project instead - which essentially just means using green flock not white on their bases.

In addition, having been somewhat spurred on by my recent purchase of "Xenos Rampant" by "Osprey Games", I have been working on another trio of 28mm plastic Space Marine by "Games Workshop" from their Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness boxed set. These multi-part figures have been assembled wearing MK VI armour and will form part of a (second) ten-man strong tactical squad for my five-hundred-point Sons of Horus traitor force.

"The M5A1 Stuart Was Used As A Forward Patrol Tank..."

"...With the ability to call in artillery support and heavier armour."

These three 10mm metal American light tanks are sold individually by “Pendraken Miniatures” as Code BRV58 - M5 Stuart and each consist of a separate hull and turret. However, I picked them all up within a single plastic clamshell whilst visiting the Middlesbrough-based manufacturer's stall at Salute 50, and, having established that the armoured vehicle did see "action in the World War Two Battle of the Bulge", have added them to my growing Allied Winter War contingent.

Resultantly, all the tanks' turrets were super-glued in place and independently housed upon a plastic 30mm x 40mm rectangular stand. The trio were then undercoated with some "Vallejo" Surface Primer, treated to two layers of "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab, and washed with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. Furthermore, they were given a dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" USA Olive Drab and had their wheel tracks treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"The Battle of the Bulge was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front."

I also briefly considered applying some names to the M5 Stuarts from "Decal Details" 10mm US Armour Names and Slogans sheet - as I have previously done with six Sherman M4A4 tanks. However, from the photographs I found of the armoured vehicles during the Ardennes Offensive they seemed to simply wear Allied Stars, so went with that option instead.

Alongside my refreshingly straightforward tank project, I have finished another (much more time-consuming) 28mm plastic Space Marine by "Games Workshop" from their Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness boxed set. This multi-part figure has been assembled wearing MK VI armour and will form part of a (second) ten-man strong tactical squad for my five-hundred-point Sons of Horus traitor force.

"A Sons of Horus army fights on every front."

The miniature was initially primed with "Citadel" Sons Of Horus Green, before being heavily washed with Nuln Oil, and dry-brushed with (more) Sons Of Horus Green. I also applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to one of his shoulder-pads, his grenades, Bolter, chain bayonet, backpack, helmet, and the ever so difficult to reach joints of his Corvus Armour.

The Space Marine's power tubes, "anti-personnel ballistic weapon", and equipment were later treated to a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then gave the miniature's right shoulder-pad a single coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, before applying some "Vallejo" Gold and a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to it. These areas were later highlighted using some additional touches of "Vallejo" Gold along the edges, iconography and rivets.

As with all my Sons of Horus I lastly applied some "Scalecolor" Speed Metal to the figure's eye lenses. These were subsequently given a lick of "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red and tidied up with some "Citadel" Abaddon Black. Lastly, I applied a couple of the many decals found on the "Games Workshop" Sons of Horus Legion transfer sheet onto the model's bare shoulder-pad and right thigh armour plate.

"Battle Of The Bulge" 10mm Battle Report II: Allies Verses Germany

AMERICAN AND BRITISH TANKS DEFEND AGAINST SOME GERMAN PANZER IIIs AND IVs

This game was played using some homemade rules (M.I.S.S.) so as to allow us to quickly play through a short campaign utilising many of my painted 10mm World War Two (Winter) models by "Pendraken Miniatures", and took place upon an old 24" x 24" game board. The battlefield was populated with a variety of pre-painted "Escenografia Epsilon" scenic pieces previously sold through the Middlesbrough-based company at Warfare 2021, but now sadly out of production.

“The story so far… It is December 1944 and the German Army have already started their Ardennes Offensive by striking out at the Allied Forces from Losheim in Eastern Belgium. As part of this attack a force of Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks is pushing west through the town to help reinforce the Third Reich's initial spearhead. However, the Allies still have two squadrons of American M4 Shermans and some British Churchill VIIs in position to oppose the thrust..."

THE TABLETOP - PART OF LOSHEIM IN EASTERN BELGIUM

The Germans started on the eastern edge of the battlefield. In the north east Festung Division contained three Panzer IV tanks with (Short) 75mm guns, in the centre Volks Division was comprised of three Panzer IV with (Long) 75mm guns, and in the south east Schwert Division contained a trio of Panzer III tanks. Across from their position, along the western edge, were the American First and Second Squadrons consisting of three M4 Shermans with 75mm guns apiece, and a squadron of British Churchill VIIs in the centre.

The tabletop was populated with a number of houses to represent the town in the north and the less developed buildings on its southern outskirts. There were three strategic objectives located in a line from the south west corner to the north east corner. These were randomly valued from one to three points and would not be revealed until after the battle had ended. To win an objective an army must have more tanks than their opponent within six inches of it. In addition, no enemy tanks were allowed to come within an inch of an opponent's armoured vehicle. This was to ensure we played a 'shooting game' as opposed to just having all the tanks pile into one another.

THE GERMAN PANZERS LAUNCH THEIR ATTACK

Considering that the German plan was simply to roll straight at their opponents and blow then away, it came as no surprise that all their armoured vehicles moved west in some fashion or another. Schwert Division scuttled in between the village buildings, whilst Volks Division decided to rely upon the armour of its Panzer IVs. Festung Division also headed west, deciding that if they took too much damage that they could fall back to properly secure Objective One.

In response, only the Sherman named Babs moved, rumbling northeast so they could have a better line of sight against their opponents. The rest of the Allied line simply fired and wildly cheered as their salvos took an encouragingly good toll upon the advancing Germans. One of the Panzer IIIs was hit, followed by a Panzer IV (Short) being struck twice. But then in the centre, the Churchill VIIs also managed to hole one of the Panzer IVs (Long) too - partially engulfing the entire Axis line in smoke.

THE GERMAN TANKS ARE PEPPERED BY THE ALLIES' GUNS

Heartened by this success, the American Shermans fired again completely destroying a Panzer III , a Panzer IV (Short) and damaging another Panzer IV (Short). The British did just as well, wrecking a Panzer IV (Long) and striking a second Panzer IV (Long) alongside it. The Allied firepower had been devastating, and wrecked the German Army's plan to use its slight numerical advantage to win the day.

Splitting its force's orders between movement and returning fire, the Third Reich took the central Objective Two and sent the remnants of Festung Division back east to hold Objective One as well. Schwert Division attempted to obtain as much cover as they could  amidst the village in the south, whilst the Panzer IVs (Long) opened up on the Churchill VIIs causing a single hit. On paper the Germans were still 'out in front'. But in order to do so, they had lost a third of their number, and if the Allies were to seize the initiative it seemed unlikely the Axis forces would hold the ground gained for long.

THE BRITISH CHURCHILL VIIs DISH OUT SOME SERIOUS PUNISHMENT

With their opponents whittled down by two rounds of intense firing, the American First Squadron headed east towards Objective One with only Vagabond staying behind to support the two Churchill VIIs in the Allied centre line. These British tanks continued to pound away at the Panzer IVs by Objective Two and damaged another one. Second Squadron also headed east with Babs providing some unsuccessful covering fire against the Panzer IIIs before them.

Having currently seized control of two of the three objectives, the German forces finally started to fire upon the Allies with some gusto. Babs and a Churchill VII were struck as a result. Furthermore a Panzer IV (Short) moved into a position to flank attack the American First Squadron in the north.

DESPITE TAKING FIRE THE AMERICAN SHERMANS PUSH FORWARDS

In response Ol' Reliable positioned itself by a Windmill in the village so as to have better sight of Objective Two and Vagabond attached itself to the Churchill VIIs - just in time to witness the British tanks blow up a second Panzer IV (Long). In the north, Kraut Killer roared east towards Objective One. Whilst down south Second Squadron destroyed another Panzer III. Things were definitely turning in the Allies' favour, especially when the only thing the Germans could muster in reply was a dent in Babs' hull.

It genuinely was now or never for the Third Reich, so the entire Axis line - or at least what remained - opened up with everything they had. Babs was sensationally blown up, marking the first Allied tank casualty of the day. A Churchill VII, Kraut Kruncher and Kraut Killer were also damaged. But it was not enough to stop Bouncing TNT from reaching Objective One.

BABS SUCCUMBS TO ITS DAMAGE AS THE FIGHTING GETS CLOSE AND PERSONAL

The signal was suddenly given for the majority of the Allied armour to push eastwards, so with a gruff rumble of engines the Churchill VIIs moved towards the centre of the battlefield with Vagabond just behind them. Ol' Reliable also moved so as to face the final Panzer III head on.

Now the American and British had started their counter-attack there really was no stopping them. The two Churchill VIIs and Vagabond swamped the Germans holding Objective Two, just as Kraut Killer ensured First Squadron contested the Third Reich's control of Objective One. Ol' Reliable even won a moral victory over the Panzer III it faced by damaging the Axis tank without suffering anything itself.

THE BRITISH AND AMERICAN TANKS PUSH ON FOR VICTORY

The final round of German fire was completely ineffective, resulting in the Allies successfully winning Objective Three (for three Victory Points), muscling in to win Objective Two (for one Victory Point), and earning a well-fought draw over Objective One. The Americans and British had quite easily held off the German assault in the end. But more Axis armour was en route...

"With Its Heavy Armour, The Matilda II Was An Excellent Infantry Support Tank..."

"...But with somewhat limited speed and armament."

These two 10mm metal British infantry tanks are sold by “Pendraken Miniatures” as Code BRV2 - Matilda II, and were discovered amidst a pile of other armoured vehicles produced by the Middlesbrough-based manufacturer whilst I was searching through some partially-forgotten plastic containers. Originally, I had hoped to simply use them as the beginnings of a British World War Two Winter collection - which is how all my 10mm armoured vehicles have been based to date. But after some rudimentary research into their history it was clear that the A12 was best known for its exploits in North Africa.

Furthermore, I also momentarily dithered around pigmenting them to use as Russian tanks, due to the Soviets deploying them during the Battle of Moscow. However, as the "crews often complained that snow and dirt were accumulating behind the skirt panels", and I still own a large amount of unpainted Russian models, I decided to simply use the Matilda II's as the motivator for starting a new 10mm (non-Winter) World War Two project instead.

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - This Crusader II Tank has been primed, base coated and shaded

I therefore applied a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Russian Uniform over the miniatures and subsequently drenched them with "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. The tanks were then enthusiastically dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Russian Uniform WW2 before I finished their tracks off using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Abaddon Black. In addition, I added a couple of Union Jacks to their turrets - which whilst wholly inaccurate, make the Matilda IIs stand out as being distinctly British, as to opposed to being just another armoured vehicle in the Allies' arsenal.

Sticking with both "Pendraken Miniatures" and armoured vehicles, I have made some good progress on three Crusader II tanks I bought from the company's super-busy stall at Salute 50. To be honest this purchase fairly typified my naïve disorientation as to which British fighting vehicles I needed for my Battle Of The Bulge project, as the "cruiser" actually served in North Africa, not Bastogne - Albeit I did read that the Crusader was later relegated "to secondary duties, such as anti-aircraft mounts", so may have seen a little use in North West Europe..?

"Battlefront Miniatures" WIPs - This Panzer II is slowly having its details 'picked out'

To make matters worse, I also somehow stuck two identical blisters in my little shopping basket, along with a trio of Crusader III models too - so now the bulk of my British (non-Winter) World War Two project will invariably have to be Crusaders - at least for the time being. This isn't ideal, as similar to my Winter War project, I wanted to field a large variety of the tanks (and other guns) which were involved in the various battles. But at least once finished I'll have a strong contingent for any Allied operations in Tunisia, and the vehicle was additionally used for training back in the United Kingdom during 1942, so could be fielded for some Operation Sea Lion scenarios.

Finally, I have almost finished one of the five "Flames Of War" Panzer II tanks by "Battlefront Miniatures" I also picked up whilst at Salute 50. I picked up this old 15mm resin and metal boxed set as the new "Berlin: German" campaign book mentions that you can field them as part of a Tank Training Company, and whilst I really like the current plastic kits, I got my quintet a lot cheaper than the pre-order price I've seen for just three of the latest Panzer II sprues...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Pendraken Miniatures” May 2023

"This period is probably the most popular in historical wargaming."

Perhaps it'll come as no surprise to anyone that, considering how enthused I currently am for 10mm World War Two tanks, this month's attempt to whittle away at my behemoth-sized backlog will focus upon pigmenting as many armoured vehicles by "Pendraken Miniatures" as I can muster. Admittedly, the vast majority of these metal models will doubtless derive from the hefty bag of goodies I brought back from their stall at Salute 50. But, I also hope to get my paintbrush busy on a number of their older miniatures which I recently located within my lead mountain.

To spur me on with this concerted effort, and provide me with a reason for finishing all the figures I've found regardless of the theatre/campaign in which they featured, I actually hope to make some progress on several armies which fought in both warm and winter battles. Foremost of these will be the Battle of the Bulge and Battle for Moscow. However, I've also got my eye on utilising a lot of the early-era tanks for some Battle of France and Battle for North Africa wargaming - albeit I don't intend to go so far as to apply desert schemes to the tanks, otherwise I'll need to collect/build/paint three different armies for each of the main nations.

Artisan Guild" WIPs - These two Orr'ugs Wolves just need their teeth and claws finished

Despite my sudden (and admittedly unexpected) return to metal miniatures, I haven't completely lost interest in 3D printed figures though. True, last month's cunning plan to work my way through a good two dozen resin models by "Big Mr Tong" disappointingly never materialised, as I found myself swept up with tank battles and the (relative) straightforwardness of completing 10mm armoured vehicles. But this year's Monster Mayhem Challenge, over on the Angry Piper's blog "Dead Dick's Tavern And Temporary Lodging", has caused me to return to a handful of hefty-sized sculpts from my collection of "Artisan Guild" STL (Standard Triangle Language) files. 

I've actually got a few of these bulky brutes potentially planned for the event, as they'll tie-in very nicely with my aim to play a bit of Age of Fantasy: Skirmish by "One Page Rules" in the near future. Resultantly, I'd like to pigment all four Orr'ugs Wolves by "Artisan Guild" I aim to field as Dire Wolves for an Undead force, before moving on to an old(ish) Clay Giant Golem I have had sat gathering dust on my hobby table for some considerable time. Once these are finished then I may print out a few more of the range's mammoth-sized monstrosities.

April 2023 - "Pendraken Miniatures" makes its first appearance in the Top Five table

As seems to occur every April my output over the past four weeks has significantly dwindled when compared to that of the year's opening months. This 'hobby fatigue' is the inevitable butcher's bill I pay for participating in the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (AHPC), and despite my aspiration to overcome it this time round by placing the tip of my brush upon some wonderful "Stingray" related figures, I struggled to pigment anything which was even remotely time-consuming/complicated to complete.

Thankfully, my discovery of a long-forgotten stash of Second World War "Pendraken Miniatures" helped me to at least get a few more models finished than I probably would have done otherwise. This find has even sparked a desire to saturate my tabletop with some additional armoured vehicles over the coming weeks, and frankly I can't recall being so excited by the Middlesbrough-based manufacturer's range since I first spotted their stall at "Colours" way back on the 11th September 2010...