Battle of Britain project continues at a pace

My Battle of Britain project using 1/72 scale aircraft, mainly Airfix kits, continues to take up all of my available hobby time. I am just having so much fun building and painting these models, so other wargaming activities have been set aside.

The bombers have arrived.

Two Hawker Hurricane models and a Heinkel He 111 model have been completed over the last couple of days. These model kits will often include some very small and delicate parts. I tend to remove these fragile pieces to prevent breakages later on while wargaming and handling the models. Where necessary, I will replace them with sturdier alternatives, for example, the Heinkel had some beautifully moulded and tiny machine guns which I swapped for lengths of plastic rod that would be better suited to regular handling and the occasional aircraft toppling over.

Hurricanes give chase.

To improve the stability of the Heinkel model when it is mounted on the telescopic stand. I increased the MDF base from the 3″ by 3″ size used for fighters to 3″ by 4″ and added a little extra weight with some washers. It turns out washers are neatly covered by the pilot skill token used in the game, but I will eventually paint them to match the base. Using washers allowed me to add weight without enlarging the base further than 3" by 4", that way they would fit neatly into a hex.

A comparison between a fighter and bomber base.

Next on the painting table is a Dornier Do 17. I also have two more Messerschmitt 109s and a Messerschmitt 110 on order, which will hopefully arrive this week. They should complete purchases for now, as my aim is to field up to four fighters per side and a single bomber at any one time. This number should be enough for an interesting game without overcrowding my 4′ by 4′ table. Later on I may add a couple of Boulton Paul Defiants and perhaps some Junkers Ju 87s. Both aircraft types saw action early in the Battle of Britain but proved to be too vulnerable to enemy fighters and were relegated to more limited roles later in the campaign.

A Hurricane and Heinkel 111.

In my next post I hope to have a game report where I am playing an air wargame using Blood red Skies rules on a hex grid.

Air Wargames - Somewhere over the English Channel

For a Christmas present to myself I picked up the Airfix Blood Red Skies starter set, which includes two Spitfires and two Messerschmitt Bf 109s Airfix kits in 1/72 scale. It was very much an off-the-cuff purchase as I thought it would provide some quick Air wargames. The Airfix version of the game appears to differ from the Warlord Games release, in that it uses the same rules but provides four aircraft in 1/72 scale rather than 12 aircraft in 1/200 scale that come with the Warlord Games version.

Another wargaming project begins.

A Christmas present to myself (which seems a long while ago).

The game system is based around the concept of aircraft being in a state of Advantage, Neutral, or Disadvantaged, representing relative altitude of the aircraft. These states are used to drive the game’s activation order and aircraft activation options. In the standard rules this is shown by tilting the aircraft nose up, level, or nose down on their stands. While I imagine this works well with the smaller 1/200 models, it looks rather awkward with the larger Airfix aircraft and can create practical issues when models are close together.

Aircraft nose up indicates advantage.

Aircraft nose down indicates disadvantage.

Aircraft level indicates neutral.

I remembered in my old battered copy of Donald Featherstone’s “Air War Games” there was a chapter where altitude was shown by mounting aircraft on telescopic car aerials that could be raised or lowered. This seemed like a much better solution. 

A battered copy which was once a library book which I bought secondhand a few years back.

Not wanting to purchase car aerials (do they still make them?) I did a bit of searching for a cheap alternatives. I eventually found and purchased a pack of six telescopic back-scratchers for $24. Removing the handles and ends left me with the telescopic shafts. These slot neatly into 18mm MDF square bases drilled with a 10mm hole in the centre. The aircraft slot into the top via a toothpick fixed into the fuselage. I used a little masking tape wrapped around the toothpick to increase the diameter to prevent them from inadvertently spinning around during play.

Telescopic backscratchers. On the right one with the plastic handle cut off and end removed.

A square base mad from 19mm thick MDF (leftover from making shelves). A 10mm hole is drilled for the telescopic bit to slot into.

A toothpick is attached to the model and slots into the telescopic stand. To stop the aircraft spinning, masking tape is wrapped around the toothpick to increase the diameter.

These new stands are easily adjusted up or down to give three clear height levels for Advantage, Neutral, and Disadvantaged. I can also make minor height adjustments so aircraft can be positioned close together, as often occurs during dogfights. A secondary advantage is that clouds do not have to be cut-out pictures, they can instead be made from soft-toy stuffing (easily obtained from craft stores). I have yet to make models of barrage balloons to replace those cardboard cut-outs.

The three heights indicating Advantage, Neutral, and Disadvantage.

Minor height adjustments allow aircraft to be close together in dogfights.

Cut-out clouds used in scenarios.

The telescopic bases allow for toy-stuffing clouds.

With the aircraft painted and mounted I have played a few introductory games to learn the rules. However, it was not long before I began looking at how to modify the rules to be suitable for a hex-grid, which was something I always had in mind when I made the bases so they fit neatly into a hex on my blue cloth. This rule modification reduces some of the finer differences in aircraft movement distances. On the other hand it does speed up play, which I hope suits the fast and chaotic nature of aerial combat.

One of the advantages of using 1/72 scale models is the ready availability of kits in model shops here in New Zealand. This means I avoid the expensive international postage costs. There are a couple of shops within a reasonable drive, so I collect models in person, though my browsing while at the shop often leads to a few extra purchases.

Next models to add to the game.

I am now adding two Hawker Hurricanes, a Dornier Do 17, and a Heinkel He 111. After that I may include a couple more Messerschmitt Bf 109s and perhaps a Bf 110, which should see this project wrapped up as I am not looking to play large games, but ones with a handful of aircraft. That said, air wargaming shares some of the same temptations as skirmish gaming, in that there is always another model that would add variety to future scenarios or add interest to a campaign.

One last comment. I have found the Facebook group “Blood Red Skies Ready Room” along with the Warlord Games website useful sources of aircraft statistics, scenarios, solo suggestions, and FAQs.

Trying out the Airfix Battles game

Only a little bit of painting has occurred since the last post and a couple more Samurai bases were completed, and as I look into the boxes containing the remaining unpainted Samurai it would appear I am now two-thirds of the way complete. I certainly have enough painted now for a small one-hour wargames style game.

On wargaming front I was able to try out scenario 1 from the Airfix Battles game. Rather than use the boxed game and counters I opted to setup the tabletop. The rules are fairly straightforward with most of the information is easily at hand on the unit cards and order cards.

First game using scenario 1 to learn the basic rules

I do like the approach the game has used to activate units with Command cards. You are able to hold a number of Command cards in your hand depending upon your leader's capability. For example, a Captain can hold 4 cards and a Major 5 cards. Your leader's rank also determines how many Command cards you can play during your turn.

The Command cards can be used face down to move a unit or have it fire. The preferred option is to use Command cards face up as they provide a variety of extra movement or combat capabilities for units, while other cards provide the ability to interrupt your opponent's activities to shoot or take cover for example.

At the end of a turn player's draw a number of additional cards to refresh their hands.

For a bit of fun I tried the game using some of my Warhammer 40K figures, and I may well progress this further and create some unit cards specifically for the 40K units. The Command cards should be reusable without modification.

The post turns up earlier than expected

Just over a week ago I took the opportunity to buy the Airfix Battles game which as on sale. It was a game I have thought about buying in the past when it first came out, but just never got around to doing anything about it. It turned up on my doorstep less than ten days after ordering if from the UK which was a very nice surprise.

My latest purchase.

It is now on my list of games to play along with Zombicide, now that I have painted all the miniatures for the game, and also I must not forget the next turn of my Ancients campaign to see it the tide has turned for the Romans. Although at the moment I do have a ACW game on the tabletop which should be cleared by the weekend.

ACW game in progress on the tabletop

WW2 Burma game using Crossfire rules

This past Saturday I finally finished off all my planned WW2 Burma figures. There are not many. Each side is made up of two packets of Airfix infantry, plus an Anti-Tank gun with tow and a couple of tanks. I may yet add a couple of mortars for each side.

WW2 Burma Armies - they each fit nicely in a draw. Very useful as storage starts to become more of an issue.

This whole project was very opportunistic. Starting with a spontaneous purchase of two packets of WW2 Japanese infantry. I have always had in the back of my mind the thought of using Crossfire rules in a WW2 Burma setting. When I first purchased them a few years back, and until this weekend they have been just sitting in a draw unused.

After a quick reading of the Crossfire rules as a reminder. A 4x4 foot tabletop was set up using all the jungle terrain I made a few weeks back (jungle post here). The terrain features are marked using some dark green teddy bear fur cut into shapes and the jungle placed on top. The fur is meant to look like long grass, possible a bit too dark and needs to be lightened somehow. While the brown felt represents depressions.

Terrain all laid out for a game.

For my first game using these rules I wanted to keep it reasonably straight forwarded. The Japanese had two platoons with a company commander and machine gun with the objective of holding off the advancing Australians. Who had three platoons and a company commander with a 2 inch mortar and HMG.

Australian company.

A reduced Japanese company.

Here are some pictures of my first game. As with most first games using rules you are not familiar with, they can be frustrating affairs as you regularly re-read rules for clarifications and memory lapses. The latter do seem to be on the increase now-a-days.

Japanese squads take up position 

Two platoons and company commander take up position in a depression.

The third Australian platoon secures the other flank.

Australian sections move into the long grass and receive reactive fire from the defending Japanese. The matchsticks represent pinned and suppressed sections. One for pinned and two for suppressed.

On the other flank, Japanese sections push forward into a depression. This was a mistake, I should have moved them into  the cover of long grass.

A clear line of fire for a Japanese machine gun.

Australian move up ready to assault the Japanese. Too much rule checking on how to assault meant there are no pictures of the assault)

After successfully storming the depression the Japanese machine gun is engaged.

With the Japanese machine gun occupied on the other flank. The commander with one section are able to move around the flank.

The game is in the balance as the Japanese flank become threatened.

Another assault to clear out the Japanese defenders.

A final attack supported by the 2 inch mortar finishes off the machine gun.

So having just played my first game. I do like the rules and was starting to get in the swing of things as the game progressed. The rules certainly give that company level feel with troops rushing from one terrain feature to another.  Because I mostly use a gridded tabletop for wargaming I didn't really notice the lack of measuring, which is a notable feature of the rules where nothing is measured, movement and shooting.

WW2 Burma project second part

No wargaming this weekend, although I may be able to get a quick game later tonight. Most of my time this weekend has been on making inroads into the Commonwealth WW2 Burma forces to line up against the small but completed Japanese.

WW2 Japanese with recently completed jungle terrain

All figures are Airfix

Progress on WW2 Commonwealth forces

While waiting for paint to dry I am flicking through "Battle - Practical Wargaming" by Charles Grant.  

WW2 Burma project progress

I am hoping to complete all my WW2 Japanese forces required for a small Crossfire games this week. The infantry units are now complete. The sharp-eyed readers may notice the anti-tank gun crew are somewhat Russian in appearance. I purchased a second-hand Russian anti-tank gun and replaced the gun shield to represent a 47mm type-1 gun.

And I am now moving on to the few vehicles required. All were second-hand purchases from www.hindsfiguresltd.com. which I have used over the last year to pick up a number of less common WW2 vehicles.

Starting next project with another project in sight

My current project, which I have just started, is to begin painting up some of the Spencer Smith Napoleonic plastic miniatures I gained as part of a swap earlier in the year. Looking at pictures on the Spencer Smith website the miniatures appear to be a combination of French, Austrian and Russian troops. The good news is if I am short of any miniatures I will be able to buy additional metal ones.

Anyway, over the weekend I started painting them and finished two units. My painting approach is the same as my 19th century imagi-nations armies, quick and simple painting with a shinny finish to hide many of my painting flaws, and give them a toy soldier look.

French infantry 

Russian infantry

A possible distraction I have to this project began when I popped into my local arts and crafts shop to get some more brushes. They often stock a small range of Airfix model kits, and there on the self were two boxes of Airfix WW2 Japanese, which I have not seen for a very long time.

I have always had in the back of my mind the idea to get some miniatures for a small WW2 Burma game. I have a copy of Crossfire rules which require a lot of cover for a good game, and they would seem to be quite suited for a WW2 Burma game.

Taking this opportunity I bought them both and was able to get some more WW2 kits from other model shops. I am now in the position where I have two projects on the go at one time. This is something I generally try to avoid as I like to for the most part focus on one project and get it finished and on the table for a game.

Recent purchases 

Rules

Second bridge and 17 Pdr AT Gun gets painted

As I start to plan a mini WW2 campaign I have been chipping away at some much needed 20mm scenery which will be used in the campaign, and which now includes a second bridge. As with my first bridge its made from balsa wood and with detail painted on. (A previous post goes into more detail on painting.)

A Bren Gun Carrier crossed the balsa bridge.

My 17 Pounder AT Gun, a kit bash of a 25 Pounder and 5.5 Inch Gun, has come together. I used the 5.5 Inch Gun carriage with wheels from the 25 Pounder kit. The gun is the 25 Pounder Gun with an extended barrel from my box of leftover bits and plastic rod. The shield was extended by sticking plastic card to the back and then cutting to shape. It is by no means an accurate model, its construction is more aligned to the approach of conversions described in Operation Warboard by Gavin Lyall - simple and strong. By the time it has some figures clustered around it and scenic material added to the base it will look the part.