Re-basing Panzergrenadier's for CoC

Following on from the rebasing of my old Flames of War 15mm US Infantry for Chain of Command here are some Panzergrenadiers. These are meant to be Panzer Lehr Division infantry and I have several Half Tracks to accompany them that I need to do a little work on. I'll show off the support equipment, for both sides, in another post when I have finished retouching the paint and repairing broken MG's etc. 

The Panzergrenadier Platoon on my homemade unit card consists of a Leader (in this case a Leutnant) with a Pazerschreck Team. Then three identical squads each consisting of an Obergefreiter, two MG Teams and five riflemen. Each squad also has two Panzerfausts, making this a very small but deadly platoon. 

The Leutnant and accompanying Panzerschreck Team. 

Two of the three MG Squads lead by their Obergefreiter. 

Behind the Platoon is the 'spare' infantry I have ready. These will be used in either support squads or other Platoons entirely. I'll be adding in some specialist troops like snipers, medics, engineers etc for both these and the US to increase the support options available. 

I have recently bought some more US infantry figures but I'm waiting for these to arrive so next on the painting desk will be some homemade Jump-Off points built largely from items in my bits-box. All those little spare items of stowage that often come in vehicle or infantry blister packs are finally being used. Hopefully I'll have these ready for next week. 

Lehr Gepanzerte Panzergrenedier Platoon

My latest entry to the Winter Painting Challenge is a little more substantial than the single figures I have submitted so far (and about time too I hear you cry!). I started putting together a Lehr Panzegrenadier Company at the beginning of 2012 but by the end of the year had only completed two Combat Platoons and the HQ Platoon. The Third and final Platoon remained based and primed but unpainted on my desk for several months. I'll be honest, my motivation had taken a down turn and I was looking for something new. And that was when I 'discovered' 6mm and decided to start work on my North Africa 1942 project. The poor old Panzergrenadiers never stood a chance and subsequently got boxed up and put in storage never to be seen again.

Never to be seen again... until I decided to take part in the Challenge that is. This was the motivation I needed to get this final platoon out of storage and complete the Company I had started so long ago. And now that I have finished them I can safely consider my Normandy 1944 project complete, at least for now. The only downside to this long completion time is that each platoon has been painted slightly different to each other, despite having detailed colour notes and a 'formula' to work to. Next time I paint a company in 15mm I'll do all the platoons together (maybe something for next years challenge!).  

I've modelled and painted these as Lehr Gepanzerte Panzergrenediers which means each of the three squads has two MG teams of four Grenadiers plus one tank hunter (Panzerfaust) team each. Three of the SdKfz 251/1 D's half-tracks are equipped with the standard MG42's and the fourth has been upgraded to an SdKfz 251/10 D armed with a 3.7cm PaK 36 gun.

I'm rather chuffed with the way the camo pattern has worked on these. I don't own an airbrush but I wanted to try and replicate the soft edged camo designs I'd seen elsewhere. I achieved the look I wanted by 'dry-stippling' the colour onto the model (the technique may have an official name, but this is what I call it). Basically I loaded an old brush with the paint I required, wiped most off like I would for regular drybrushing but instead of running the bristles across the model I repeatedly tapped the brush tip first onto the surface. Very little paint is deposited on the model but repeated stippling creates a solid area of colour with a 'soft' edge around the outside. Its a slow process but the results look very similar to airbrushing and is certainly good enough for the tabletop. 

Panzergrenadier Progress Report

I'm plugging away at my Panzergrenadier Company and have just started the process of sorting and cleaning up the final platoon. In the meantime I have given the kiss of life to my 'old' Panzergrenadier Platoon and brought them up to a standard that I'm happy with. They no longer look out of place next to my newly painted HQ Platoon.

Panzergrenadier Platoon as originally finished

I started by looking at the Halftracks and was reasonably happy that they matched up with my newest ones. The only change that needed to be implemented was an application of 'mud' to the tracks and lower portions of the chassis and bodywork. In the past I have used various products for the mud but this time I decided to try the coloured plaster that I use on the bases. This is actually wood filler so it is slightly grainy and if applied right can be 'clumpy' and dries rock hard, making it an excellent mud simulator for all my vehicles.

Looking at the infantry stands it was immediately clear that the bases needed to be improved. When I originally did these I just covered the whole base with static grass without any detail or 'mud' showing. So when I looked at them again the first thing I knew I needed to do was remove some of the existing static grass. This was actually easy to do with a small modelling spatula and a wet brush (to dissolve the PVA). I then repainted the dirt areas and the bevelled edge of the base to the same colour scheme as my existing stands.

The next job was boosting the highlights on the figures as they were a bit 'flat' in appearance. I decided not to make the highlights as sharp as on the HQ Platoon so I just used Grey Green (886) straight from the pot with no added white. This still gave good highlights without obscuring all the green of the Fieldgrey (830) base colour. With all the touching up completed I gave the models a thin spray of Testors Dullcoat and left overnight to dry fully.

With the painting completed I added some 'Late Summer' Tufts to make the bases a bit more interesting. This really brought the stands together and makes them look 'part of a set' when placed next to the recent HQ Platoon I painted. The last stage was adding the Base Labels and varnishing the bevelled edges with Winsor and Newton Matt varnish.This isn't quite as Matt as Testors but being brush applied it gives a thicker and therefore stronger layer of protection to the base edges.

The 'Restored' Platoon next to the newly painted HQ Platoon

All in all I'm quite happy with how this little restoration project turned out and can now turn my full attention to the final platoon in the company. I have a busy couple of weeks ahead so I'm not sure I'll make as rapid progress as before but I'm still hoping to have the whole project wrapped up by the end of June.

FOW Gepanzerte Panzergrenedier HQ Platoon

I've finished with my US Airborne Company for now so I have turned my attention back to my Lehr Panzergrenadier's. I already had a Platoon painted for use with my Tank Company but I decided that I wanted to expand this into a Company of its own. So I bought the extra models I needed when I was at Salute back in April and have now completed the HQ Platoon. The second Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoon will follow in due course.

I have gone for a deliberately 'high key' look to these figures, accentuating the highlights to the extreme. Panzer Lehr Uniforms are a bit on the dull side and when I started these I just didn't think the colours popped out enough. So I decided to hit the highlights with a vengeance. Initially the result looked cartoonish, especially close up, but after dull-coating and when viewed from 3 foot away (typical table distances) they look really quite nice. When I paint the final platoon I may scale this back a little but I'm still going to keep the highlights stronger than I have in the past.

I have also opted for a slightly different grass tuft on the bases, to help differentiate them from my US forces (also because I used up the tufts I had and needed to start an new pack anyway). So I have gone for Short, Late Summer Tufts which are a darker green than those I have used before and look better against the green/grey uniforms of the Lehr infantry.

Here's the colour palette I used for these. This is partly based on the recommended colours for Panzer Lehr infantry presented in the Villers Bocage book but modified by me though trial and error when painting this platoon.

Panzer Lehr Uniform Colour Palette

Artwork from box of Dragon Models 1/35 models

• Helmet  (Basecoat) Middlestone 882 with Camo Pattern in Chocolate Brown 812 and Reflective Green 870. 
• Tunic and Trousers  (Basecoat) Fieldgrey 830  (Highlight) Green Grey 886 (+ White for extreme highlights)
• Webbing/Pouches/ Gasmask Cans  (Basecoat) Green Grey 886 and  (Highlight)  Stone Grey 884
• Ammo Pouches  (Basecoat) Black 950  (Highlight) German Grey 995
• Boots - (Basecoat) Black 950
• Panzerfausts and Ammo Boxes  (Basecoat) Middlestone 882   (Highlight) Ivory 918
• Rifle Butts/Tool Handles  (Basecoat) Flat Brown 984 (Highlight) Beige Brown 846

Once again I am determined to keep the forward momentum going so as soon as I had finished these I pulled out the next box of models to be worked on, another Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoon. These combined with the HQ will form the core of my Lehr Panzergrenadier Company and should give my US Airborne troops a run for their money.

On a point of history I do realise that Panzer Lehr was not deployed against the American sectors until after July 2nd. Up to the end of June, the Division had taken a mauling in the battles for Caen and at the beginning of July it was moved to the much 'quieter' sector facing the U.S. 83rd Infantry Division. It took part in the defence of the area around Saint-Lô and on the assault of Pont-Herbert, again taking heavy losses. The final blow to the Divisions effectiveness in Normandy was its decimation by allied carpet bombing in the opening stages of Operation Cobra.

I have also pulled out my 'old' Panzergrenadier Platoon and will take a bit of time to give them a makeover. I'm happy with the Sd Kfz 251/1's as they look fine and match up OK with my new half-tracks but the Panzergrenadier teams need the highlights boosted a little. I also need to do a bit of work on the bases. Currently the static grass is rather plain and boring so I'll add some of the Late Summer Tufts and then I will add the appropriate base labels.

I'm really quite chuffed with how this platoon turned out and am looking forward to using them on the game table in the not too distant future.

Mental Projects

I have a list of projects in my head that I need to get on with in the short and near term. Some of these have already been started, some probably won't come to pass and others may well get put way off into the future. So I have decided to put my "Mental Projects" list down on paper (or pixels) as a way of encouraging myself to try harder!

• US Airborne MG Platoon (15mm FOW) - I have one squad of these with a HQ section (kindly donated by the Angry Lurker some time ago). These must be 'old' Battlefront models as the bases included are the old 'smooth surface' style and and there is no variation between the figures for the four MG Teams. Also there are only enough figures for one squad of four teams plus a HQ and a Bazooka team. These still make a platoon according to the army list but a small one. I have already started painting these but I'm only about half way through.
• US Airborne Mortar Platoon (15mm FOW) - I bought these at Salute. They were on my shopping list and I nearly never found them. This blister pack was in a 'bargain bin' on the very last stall I visited at the show. In fact money changed hands ten minutes after the show had official closed! There are enough figures in this pack for a HQ team, four 81mm Mortar teams and two Bazooka teams so this platoon can pack a big punch!
• Re-basing older FOW Figures - By rebasing I don't men I'll be ripping these off their current bases but rather I need to do a little extra work on the base decoration for these figures. My basing style has developed a bit over the last two years and when I pull out my earlier FOW figures and put them next to current ones its hard to ignore the rather boring bases. So my old Panzergrenadier Platoon will be getting a makeover in the form of some grass 'tufts' and debris.
• Labelling older FOW Figures - I recently decided to label my FOW infantry stands and tested the concept out on my US Airborne Company. I liked the results so now I need to pull out all my earlier infantry stands and label these as well. It will take a while but the results will be worth it.
• German Panzergrenadier HQ and Platoon (15mm FOW) - I already have a Panzergrenadier platoon painted for my Panzer Lehr army but I have decided to turn these into a Panzergrenadier Company by adding a HQ and another Platoon. This will be a bug project, especially with all those half-tracks!
• Bromhead Figure (28mm) - Another purchase at Salute was the Bromhead figure from Black Scorpion Miniatures. I bought this purely because I loved the sculpt of Lt. Gonville Bromhead and because I love the Film ZULU! My plan is to paint this purely for fun with it being destined for display only. It's been a while since I last painted 28mm figures so this will be my chance to see if I can still remember how to do it!
• Bocage (15mm) - I desperately need to make more Bocage hedgerow for my 15mm wargames terrain. I made about 2 meters of it some time ago and I need lots more. I'm still collecting the raw materials I need and when I have it all - and have worked up the courage - I'll make another 4 meters. Its a big project but it really needs to be done as it was wargaming in the Bocage that initially drew me to collecting FOW for the Normandy campaign.
• Fieldworks Buildings - Another Salute purchase. These are pre-painted and I could use them in their current condition but I feel like they need a little 'tarting up'. The bases could do with a little bit of static grass and I'd like to apply a dark wash to the walls and roof on both models. This will make them a little less bright and make them fit in a bit better with my existing 15mm buildings.
• Folding Games Table - You're probably thinking "Hang on, did I read right!". I have been thinking about making a games table for a long time. Actually I'm not planning on making a Table (nowhere to store it) but rather a table surface I can put on top of a dining table. My vague plan is for a folding surface which opens out to 6x4' with a grassed surface on one side and some sort of rubberised grip on the other (so it doesn't slide off the table it'll be placed on). If I can build it to fold down to 3x4 that will make it much easier to store and transport. The problem is I'm rubbish at any form of DIY or handicraft unless is comes on a miniature scale! I can easily see this project being put off for a long time.
• Play more games!! - Well it goes without saying that I need to play with my FOW armies at some point. I'm meeting my Brother-in-Law at the weekend and I plan on scheduling a couple of small games in the near future. My preference would be for a game in a peaceful and quiet environment for a change (previous games have been set to a background of noisy chaos) which may mean we need to bribe the women-folk with a shopping trip!

I almost wish I hadn't written this down now that I look at the amount of work I have to do! It'll be fun though.

Expanding my Lehr Forces

I've been scratching my head trying to decide what to do next with my Flames of War Panzer Lehr Army. I'd like to feature more infantry in my army but there are few options in the Panzerkompanie list. Then I had an epiphany. How about creating a second Lehr force which utilises some of the models I have already painted?

I pulled out my copy of the Villers Bocage handbook and looked through the Panzer Lehr army lists looking for a suitable option. After an hour reading the army lists and looking in detail at the various platoons on offer I have decided to build a Gerpanzerte Panzergrenadier Company. All I need to make this work is a Panzergrenadier HQ and another Panzergrenadier Platoon to accompany the one I already have painted. In Support I can utilise one of the Panzer Platoons (Panthers or Panzer IV's) already painted for my Panzerkompanie. I can also use the 8.8cm Flak 36 Platoon and the Nebelwherfer Platoon in this army list.

Looking through the list I can also see several interesting options for additional support platoons so this Army List has plenty of growth potential. Of course that doesn't mean my Panzerkompanie is dead, I can still field this force if I want to. Now all I need to do is rustle-up the money needed to start building my new army. Time to sell a Kidney I think...

FoW 600pt Skirmish

I got a Flames of War game in on Saturday, the second of two games over the weekend! These small games were more about learning the rules than anything else but they were fun non-the-less. For both games I used the same forces facing off against each other but with slightly different terrain layout. We didn't use any of the scenarios from the rulebooks though, this was just a plain and simple fight to the death. As I said the real objective of the game was to get stuck into learning and understanding the rules.

US 2nd Armoured
Sherman Platoon (2 x M4A1 (76mm) Shermans) 230pts
Stuart Platoon (4 x M5A1 Stuarts) 250pts
Rifle Platoon (HQ + 3 Squads) 155pts

Panzer Lehr
Panzer IV H Platoon (3 x Panzer IV H) 285pts
Gerpanzerte Panzergrenadiers (HQ+3 Squads) 335pts

The 'table' size was limited by the actual dimensions of the table we were playing on; in this case 4' x 3'6". Not   ideal but beggars can't be choosers as the saying goes. I set up the terrain to keep things simple but utilizing enough features to give us a chance to get familiar with different types. Ray - my brother-in-law and opponent for the game - then chose which side to deploy.

One thing you'll see from the pictures is that we both seemed to have a case of mistaken identity. Ray played the US 2nd Armoured but was wearing last years Tankfest T-Shirt with a picture of Tiger 131 on it. Meanwhile I was playing the German Panzer Lehr but wore a T-shirt featuring the us/allied star star emblem.

Ray deployed his rifle platoon over a large area which reduced its effectiveness but also denied me lots of targets to shoot at (because of terrain) . His Stuart platoon was deployed on his right, opposite my Panzergrenadiers, but had to cross several areas of rough terrain to reach me. His two Sherman 76's were on his left flank facing off against my Panzer IV's.

Meanwhile I deployed my Panzergrenadiers and my Panzer IV's to guard the Left and Right bridges respectively. When we had finished deploying I gave Ray a chance to redeploy now that he knew where I was. He made some small adjustments, mostly to move units into better command distance. We then rolled to see who would go first and Ray one the roll.

On mass he began to move all his units forward. One of the Stuarts bogged down in the first movement phase and remained bogged down for most of the battle. We reckon the crew were having a cup of Joe and only rejoined the battle when they had finished! The rest of his forces had no such problem and his infantry made full use of the cover in the centre of the battlefield. I fully expected the first shooting phase to be relatively ineffectual as all his vehicles had moved and their Rate of Fire (ROF) was therefore reduced to 1. But Ray showed his natural luck with the dice and destroyed two of my Panzer IV's with his first round of fire from his Sherman's!

My first turn saw my Panzergrenadiers consolidate their position along the river bank either side of the bridge on my left. My remaining Panzer IV's decided to hold their position and maximise their ROF against the advancing Sherman's. This paid off as one Sherman was left burning by the end of my turn. By this stage I was getting worried, my Panzergrenadiers looked incredibly outnumbered facing most of Rays Rifle Platoon and the Stuarts. But I (and Ray) underestimated the high ROF of my MG Teams when stationary and dug in. By this stage all the Stuarts (baring the one still having breakfast at the rear) were in range of my Panzerfaust teams and a large number of his rifle teams were also within sight of my MG's. Within two rounds all but one Stuart were in flames and four rifle teams had been killed. The American right flank was disintegrating.

The last couple of turns of the game were just a drawn out death rattle for the Americans as the panzer IV's finished off the last Sherman and the Panzergrenadiers began pushing across the bridge and outflanked what was left of the US Rifle Platoon. My troops didn't escape unscathed but by concentrating my forces against rays strung out rifle platoon I was able to gain local superiority and roll up his line.

This game was purely an excuse to learn the rules, especially for my Brother-in-law as he's not played any wargames before. I think we learned a lot with this small game and we certainly felt like we covered a lot of the rules and clarified our understanding of them. I've never been the sort of person that finds it easy to sit down, read rules and absorb them 'dry'. I'm much more of a hands-on kind of person. The Flames of War rulebook is a hefty 258 pages and just looking at it makes me want to go back to firing rubber bands at my figures to determine victory instead of rolling dice. Playing through the rules and taking our time to absorb them has helped us both. Now we need to follow up with a larger battle to ram home what we have learned.

Lehr Panzer Company

This is my Panzer Lehr Tank Company. The picture includes a couple of Opel Mautiler Trucks and a platoon of Stug's that don't necessarily fit in my Army List but I had the models so painted them up anyway.

HQ Platoon
2 Panther A   375 Points
Combat Platoons
5 Panther A Platoon   940 Points
5 Panzer IV H Platoon   475 Points
5 Panzer IV H Platoon   475 Points
Supporting Platoons
Heavy AA Gun Platoon (2x8.8cm Flak 36+Extra Crew)   225 Points
Gerpanzerte Panzergrenadiers (HQ+3 Squads)   335 Points
Total 2825


I'm not sure where to go with this unit next, aside from providing some artillery capability. I may just opt to start building another Lehr army to compliment this force - such as a Panzer-grenadier Company - but I haven't made my mind up yet. Before I go rushing off and buying models I need to be absolutely sure what I want to build and pre plan the army list before I start. This Lehr force has come together based on what I wanted to paint rather than according to any pre-conceived plan, which probably isn't the best way to build an army!

First Blood with Flames of War

After nearly two years painting and collecting I have finally been able to get a game of Flames of War with my good friend and Brother-in-law, Raymond. This was his first wargame and one I think he'll remember for a long time.

For our first game I decided to keep things simple and use just tanks. This way we could avoid dealing with the Assault or Artillery rules until we had the basics under our belt. I made up an order of battle for both sides based on the models I had available, trying as best I could to balance the forces. Ray took control of a Tank Company from the 2nd Armoured Division (Hell on Wheels) while I faced him with my Lehr Panzerkompanie. The order of battle was as follows:

US 2nd Armoured
HQ - 2x M4A1 Sherman's
1st Combat Platoon - 5x M4A1 Sherman's
2nd Combat Platoon - 5x M4A1 (76mm) Sherman's

Lehr Panzerkompanie
HQ - 2x Panther A
Combat Platoon - 4x Panther A

I was outnumbered 2:1 but I also knew that the guns on the Sherman's were no match for the frontal armour of my Panthers. Plus while I had a working knowledge of the rules - and experience of many different wargames - my opponent was the ultimate newbie, a veritable wargaming virgin.

I set up the battlefield and then Ray chose which side to play. We didn't bother with a scenario or objectives as the primary aim of this game was to learn the basics, movement and shooting. It would be a straightforward battle to the death. I tried to put a variety of terrain on the field while not cluttering it up too much. I certainly didn't want to put Ray off by thoroughly confusing him while I thrashed him soundly. As it was neither event happened.

The setting for our game probably wasn't the best for a 'lets learn the rules' session. For a start my table was too small (we played on a 3x6 surface) so there was actually very little room for maneuver. Also we had family over in the afternoon so the house was busy and noisy. Then a group of my daughters friends turned up. So while we tried to concentrate and work our way through the rules we had to do so to a backdrop of bedlam, riotous noise and continual interruptions.

As already mentioned the table was far too small (I need to figure out an alternative for future games) so the first turn of movement brought our respective tanks almost nose to nose. Ray did exactly what I thought he would do and basically charged his mass of Sherman's straight at my panthers. So for the first two turns all that happened was that his shots bounced off my frontal armour while I picked off his tanks one by one.

Things changed when I finished off the platoon on my left flank. I thought the game was wrapped up so I moved my panthers onto a hill in the center and turned to face the remaining Sherman's. But this gave the American M4A1 (76mm) Sherman's a chance to swing round my flank and hit me with a series of side shots. Yes he was very lucky with his dice rolls but I should never have given him the opportunity to hit me in the flank. In just one turn the advantage shifted and soon I found myself down to one Panther facing 5 Sherman's, three of which had the 76mm gun.

That was it for me, and the game ended with the destruction of my lone Panther in a hail of fire from the US Tanks. I was a little miffed at loosing but on the plus side I think Raymond had a great time and will definitely come back for more games. He literally pulled victory from the jaws of defeat and earned himself some well deserved battle honors.

---

Tomorrow I will be posting a Tutorial on how to make the Smoke and Flame markers seen in the above pictures.

FoW Army Lists

I've been working out the points values of my respective FOW armies. I've only included those units that are legal (ie fit the army list I am using) so for instance the Konigstiger I painted isn't included in my Panzer Lehr list. Having said that I expect my Brother-in-law and I will make some form of gentleman's agreement to allow us to use the forces we want and not get too bogged down in 'lists'. Anyway, here are the forces I have painted (or close to completion) and ready for battle.

Panzer Lehr Panzerkompanie

Company HQ

  2 x Panther A  (375pts)

Combat Platoons

  1st Panzer Platoon - 5 x Panther A (940pts)

  2nd Panzer Platoon - 5 x Panzer IV H (475pts)

Weapons Platoons

  None...yet

Divisional Support

  Gerpanzerte Panzergrenadier Platoon - HQ + 3 Squads  (335pts)

  Anti Aircraft Platoon - 8.8cm FlaK 36 Guns - HQ + 2 Guns (8 crew)  (225pts)

Total - 2350pts

US Tank Company (2nd Armored)

Company HQ

  2 x M4A1 Shermans (180pts)

Combat Platoons

  1st Tank Platoon - 5 x M4A1 Sherman  (450pts)

  2nd Tank Platoon - 5 x M4A1 (76mm) Sherman  (575pts)

Weapons Platoons

  None...yet

Divisional Support

  Armored Rifle Platoon - HQ Section + 2 Rifle Squads, 1 LMG Squad and 1 Mortar Squad (310pts)

  Tank Destroyer Platoon - HQ + 1 Section of M10 3"GMC Tank Destroyers  (175pts)

Total - 1690pts

I'm considering adding some air support for the US forces and motorised scout platoons for both armies. I'd like to add another Panzer IV platoon to the Lehr company but I suppose I ought to bolster the US tank compliment first. A lot will depend on what bargains raise their heads on eBay over the next few weeks!

So, any suggestions what I should add next?

Assembling the Troops

No sooner have I finished one project - the Flak 36 Platoon for my Panzer Lehr Army - than I'm into the next one with Gusto. I've spent a lot of time this weekend preparing, cleaning and assembling the US Motorised Rifle Platoon which I bought so cheaply a few weeks ago on eBay. I'm determined to get both forces ready for battle by the end of the year.

I thought I'd share a few pictures of my weekends work (to prove I'm not making it all up).

First I got all the infantry figures out and had a good look at them. I did a little clean-up work on some but mostly left this until I started putting them on their bases. For the moment I just wanted to figure out what each model was and put together the various squads and teams that make up this platoon.

This actually took a lot longer than I thought because the information and pictures on the box are a bit sparse. In the end I fired up my computer and went on the FOW website and looked at the pictures there before assembling my squads. In particular the M3 37mm Gun was a bit of a mystery until I looked at a finished squad pictured on the website.

Next I prepared all the bases by scoring the surface with a modelling knife. This will help the filler I use for the bases adhere properly. I also washed them in soapy water to remove any grease and dirt. I then thoroughly dried them before starting to stick anything on. Patience is key to every stage when working with miniatures (even at this early stage) but its often a lesson everyone has to learn for themselves!

Once the bases were prepared I glued the infantry into position. Some modellers prefer to paint infantry separately and base them when finished. I had to do this for the infantry on my FlaK 36 bases because there would have been too little space to paint them properly. The downside (as I discovered) is that its easy to ruin the paint job when you try and base them after painting. In this case there is plenty of room on the base to get access to all the fiddly bits when painting.

Once stuck to the base I then fill in the gaps with a ready mixed wall filler. The cheap brand I use is smooth grained and dries in 20-30 minutes. I sprinkled a handful of ballast on the still tacky putty to add a grainy texture. Although this stuff dries quickly I will leave this overnight to make sure its fully set all the way through... again patience is key!

One thing you should not do is put your Mortars the wrong way round! Fortunately I spotted this now and was able to remove the self defeating weaponry and reposition it correctly. I also assembled the five M3 Halftracks that came with this platoon but it was the infantry that took most of the time and effort.

So there you have it, this is what I did at the weekend. I need to leave these for 24hrs to dry fully and then I can undercoat.

Panzer Lehr - My Army

I've finished a couple of painting projects and expanded my Panzer Lehr Panzerkompanie. It's taken a while to get this far but I am happy with the shape of the Company I'm putting together. Here's a view of the complete company as it stands now.

Starting from the front is my Gepanzerte Panzergrenadier Platoon. In the second row in the centre is the Tiger II (Konigstiger) and to the right is a StuG G Platoon and to the left the Company HQ Panthers. Behind them is the new Panther Platoon and to the right of them in the third row is the Panzer IV Platoon. At the back are a couple of Opel Maultier.

The company has been expanded with the addition of a new Panther Platoon pictured below. 

I've also completed a Tiger tank, just because the model was calling to me! I will add a Schwere Panzer Platoon to the company at some point but for now this Tiger is all I have. It's not officially part of the army list but I had to paint it anyway.

Incidentally I was struck by the size difference between the Tiger and the much smaller Panzer IV. I've seen both tanks in museums but never side by side. Here's a comparison shot showing the Panzer IV, the Panther and the Tiger II. 

Now that this lot are completed I have one other project to concentrate on before deciding what my next FOW unit will be. I have some 88's to paint and I'm about to order some Sherman's for my other army. Choices choices! 

Lehr Gepanzerte Panzergrenediers

I've finally finished my Panzergrendiers having started them back in March!! I hasten to add this isn't as bad as it sounds because I have been working on other projects at the same time, most notably the Bocage I completed a few weeks ago. I've also been working on a top secret project that must remain a secret for a while yet. I can't tell you any more because I'd have to kill you afterwards. All will be revealed in the goodness of time... unfortunately I have no idea when that will be!

Here's some pictures from when I was putting the squads together and basing them.

I've modeled and painted these as Lehr Gepanzerte Panzergrenediers which means each squad has two MG teams of four Grenadiers plus one tank hunter team of two Grenadiers. The SdKfz 251/1 half-tracks can move 12" across clear terrain, or 24" at the double which means they can keep pace with the tanks. Mobility and Firepower are the great strength of this unit and are well suited to taking and holding forward objectives or exploiting enemy weaknesses.

I think they will complement my growing Tank Company with some much needed infantry support. While I was searching for information on this type of unit I found this excellent guide to using Panzergrenediers in FOW on the Paths to Glory site.

I'm not sure what my next project will be, although I should try and do some more Americans. I'm waiting on a delivery of some Sherman M1A (76mm). If I get them soon I may do them next.

Panzergrenadiers

I mentioned a few days ago that I was going to start work on a Grenadier Platoon... well progress has been swift by my standards. All the models have been cleaned and prep'ed for painting and have now been primed. Aside from the incident with the exploding knife everything is going quite well.

I've decided to try a different technique for painting the infantry. Last time I followed the traditionally accepted method of fixing the individual models to a stick to make painting easier. But I found this made basing them (and not ruining the paintwork in the process) much more difficult. Plus my method for painting infantry stands is based on the use of several drybrushing runs followed by fine detail work to clean up the whole figure. This would work just as well with the models already based so I decided to do things back-to-front this time. If it doesn't work out I'll revert to the 'proper' method for future models.

Here's a picture of the based infantry. I'm using a quick drying pre mixed plaster for the bases. Its flexible and tough so should be able to stand up to handling in-game.

Sharp eyed readers have probably noticed that I'm actually painting my platoon as Lehr Gepanzerte Panzergrenediers which means each squad has two MG teams of four Grenadiers plus one tank hunter team of two Grenadiers which makes them excellent both in defense and assault roles. I'm looking forward to using these in action.

My Flames of War Forces

As promised yesterday here's a picture of my painted Flames of War forces, thus far. I'm painting both sides at the moment, but I'm hoping to rope my brother-in-law (and prospective opponent) into some painting soon. The US forces shown here are the M10 tank Destroyer Platoon I wrote about yesterday and a small platoon of Shermans. For my Panzer Lehr tank Company I have a platoon of Panzer IV's, a Platoon of Stug G's and two Opel Maultier trucks.

Needless to say neither side makes an army but its a start. Now we have enough vehicles to play some basic games, learn the rules and decide where we want to go next.

My next painting project is a Panzergrenadier Platoon. I've been gathering reference photo's and colour schemes and now feel able to give this platoon the detail it deserves. However given the slow speed with which I complete projects, and the fact that I am going on holiday in a couple of weeks, I can't see this getting finished before the end of the month. I'll try my best though... promise.

SELWG - Wot I bought

I had a great day out at the SELWG show at Crystal Palace yesterday. I came home laden down with lots of Minis to paint and ton of Photo's to process. I'm working my way through the latter now but the process of identifying & labeling each picture is long winded. Hopefully I'll have them all available to view by tomorrow. At the same time I'm attempting to make a video from the pictures I took. However I'm working with an unfamiliar application to make the video so bare with me. If this works out I may try and do this again for future shows and events.

In the meantime here's a look at what I bought on the trade stands. This was a big event with over 50 traders scattered throughout the venue and I planned to take full advantage of the opportunity. I went with a prepared shopping list, a wodge of cash and hit list of traders I wanted to target first. My purchases were exclusively for my growing Flames of War army and I bought pretty much everything I set out to get. First off I wanted some Panzer Grenadier's so I picked up a Platoon box. I was also on the lookout for my next Panzer Platoon and bought a box of five Panther A's. I plan on picking up some more of these at a later stage but I want to check out the quality of the models first. In particular I'm eager to compare these Panthers to those produced by other manufacturers.

I also picked up the Panzer Lehr dice & token set. Its a bit expensive at £12 but apparently I'm a sucker for good marketing! In addition to these main items I also picked up some small bits of painted scenery (dugouts) and some magnetic disks. I plan on using the latter inside the turrets of my tanks to hold them together while allowing movement. I'm using blue tack at the moment and frankly it's not up to the job.

Tomorrow I'll post some pictures from the show and hopefully I'll have the video shortly after that.

Army List Mania

I've been trying to make a final decision about what sort of Panzer Company I am painting up. I needed to settle on this before proceeding with any more vehicles (and before I finish the Panzer IV's I'm working on now) as this will determine the identification markings and vehicle numbers I use.

So the decision... a Panzer Kompanie from the Panzer Lehr Division. This division is featured in the Villers Bocage book but the Army List is in text rather than Graphic form. I rather like these graphic charts so I decided to make an organisational diagram based on the army list given in Villers Bocage. . It's still a work in progress but I'm aiming for something that looks similar to the ones produced by Battlefront. Here's a peak of what I have so far.

The next step is to compare it to other army lists (for example from the Cobra sourcebook) to try and settle on a standardised format.

Sharp eyed and regular readers of this blog may remember that I was initially working on the idea of painting up an SS Panzer Company. But my first attempt at painting SS Pea Dot camouflage convinced me I was utterly insane trying to do this when I have never painted 15mm before. I have a lot to learn about this 'new' scale before I start tackling such advanced paint schemes.