Blog has been terminated.

Closing down my blog @ http://halkomahooli.blogspot.com And what I mean by closing is, I won't be making anymore updates to it. The blog itself will stay up and you can go and read older updates but there won't be any new ones.

This is because I don't have time for long written updates and because there just wasn't enough audience.

I will still be using Instagram and Facebook and some random updates will pop up in Twitter too.

Thank you

New year, new project. Project 2017 - Ardennes Offensive

Hello and first of all sorry for not posting here in a long time. I've been busy in real life with work and family during holidays so haven't had time to make big writen updates but rather I've made small quick updates to Facebook and Instagram.

I have however made some progress in modelling and painting and that's the subject for today. I've started planning and testing technics for this years project which will be a large scale diorama (in size of the base, working scale is still 1:100) and it will be set to the Ardennes in 1944-45.

The diorama will have a dismounted American armored rifle platoon supported by a Hellcat tank destroyer, defending a ruined house, on a bank of a river with a stone bridge going across. While a German assault group, with half-track and Panzer IV/70(V) in support, is trying to seize the bridge and drive the American troops out.

I have a rough idea drawn out but it is subject to change a bit (ie the pre planning had a ruined monastery but it has been since then changed to a ruined house). Also the German support has bee changed a bit since the first time I thought of this. At first there was supposed to be a StuH42 and two half-tracks.

As this is going to be a bigger in size than Flames of Wars large base, I had to find a new material to use. The option wasn't hard and I ended up using styrofoam. But as I hadn't ever used styrofoam I had to learn firat how to carve it and learn how it would react to the other materials I'd be using.

That's why I made a practice run and made myself a hill where I practiced on how to carve styrofoam and how it would handle the materials. I'm glad to say the result looks rather good in my humble opinion.

There will be a huge difference with the practice and actual work though, as the actual diorama will have trees, snow and integrated figures which the practice work doesn't have.

But I'll try to keep you updated here as well from now-on.

Cheers and have a happy gaming!

Project 2016 - 2. Gebirgsjäger Division - Complited!

Hi all!

It has been a long year, and even there are some left of it, but I've finally finished this years project that I revealed about a year ago. To paint my first themed army and that be the 2. Gebirgsjäger Division from Gebirgsjägers in the West PDF, and later from the Ardennes Offensive book.

The primary goal was to make 1420 points worth of units and after that was done the secondary goal was to make it to 1900 points. Well now I can say that I'm there!

Final platoon to be finished was the Luftwaffe Heavy Anti-aircraft Gun platoon with two 8,8cm FlaK 36 guns, extra crews and trucks.

What can I say, it has been fun and challenging. I've tried new things like water effects and color modulation. I've painted a lot of guns and very much infantry, of which I normally don't like doing, and some vehicles. The variation on the infantry has been great and as I've had some spare figures from older boxes, it has made a nice impact on the units where I've mixed figures. Overall the Gebirgsjäger figures look fantastic, all the poses and gears have given me and extremely nice and easy task to adapt guys to different platoons.are just great!

And what is even more fun, is that this army can be used in Mid War too, just replace the panzerschrecks with anti-tank rifles and add light mortar teams. Both of wich did came with the Gebirgsjäger company box! Oh and I might need to swap the Hetzers to, say, Marder IIs and Panzer IIIs.

But anyway, enough talking! Lets reveal 1900 points of Gebirgsjägers to you!

 

Big thank you to everyone who has followed this project, commented or liked! And BIG thank you to everyone who has helped me to learn new things, methods of painting, basing and preparing the units. And who has had some insight or information on regarding gebirgsjägers or 2. Gebirgsjäger Division specifically. I know this isn't so closely painted as the equipment should be but lets call it artistic licence to modify things.

Thank you and well be seeing with the next project.

High speed, low drag - Arado Ar 234 B & Me 262 A2a 'Sturmvogel'

Hello.

In this post: Introduction to the newest member of my German air support fleet, the Arado Ar 234 B jet-engine bomber, and an old friend who has received an updated color scheme, Me 262 A2a 'Sturmvogel' jet-engine fighter-bomber.

Arado Ar 234 B

Lets start with the newest addition first, Arado Ar 234 B. It was first introduced into the game with the addition of the Bridge at Remagen book. Its speciality is its jet-engines which give it the High-speed Jet rule:

Being able to run off from its enemies is handy, though AA still hits it normally. In my opinion it would be nice to have a +1 to hit it, just because its jet-engines gives it higher speed than piston engine planes.

As for the stats, it only has bombs as weaponry but those are one hefty ones, 2 1000kg bombs below both engines. With Anti-tank 6 not many tanks are going to want to take a hit from it, not even with Top Armor 2. Add to that Firepower +1 and you have a good buster for every job. Alas being only Sporadic support and requiring a 4+ to hit its targets, it not very reliable.

Arado Ar 234 B

Arado Ar 234 Bs flight base

Me 262 A2a 'Sturmvogel'

The second option in my air support pool is the Me 262 A2a 'Sturmvogel' that Germans developed. This one I've had for a longer time but with the Arado, I decided to repaint it. The Me 262 is similar to Arado in few ways, it too has the High-speed Jet rule and is armed with bombs, though little less potent than Arados. But in addition to bombs Me 262 also has cannons in its use.

Me 262 A2a 'Sturmvogel'

Me 262 A2a 'Sturmvogel's flight  base

Close ups of both

 

 

 

Escorting the bomber wing

 That's all for now. Thank you for watching.

Project 2016 - 2.Gebirgsjäger Division

Hello.

Today I bring you the pictures of the 1420 points army from the 2.Gebirgsjäger Division. There are also two platoons (Gebirgsjäger Scout platoon &  Gebirgsjägerpionier platoon) which are intended to be used in larger battles.

I hope you like them.

The 1420 points Gebirgsjägerkompanie

 

 

HQ

 

 

1. Gebirgsjäger platoon 

 

 

2. Gebirgsjäger platoon 

 

 

Gebirgsjäger 7,5cm leIG platoon

   

Gebirgsjäger Tank-hunter platoon

 

 

Gebirgsjäger HMG platoon 

 

 

15cm NW41 Volks Rocket Launcher Battery 

 

 

Gebirgsjäger Anti-tank Gun platoon 

 

 

Gebirgsjäger Scout platoon

 

 

Gebirgsjägerpionier platoon

 

 

Kfz 15 for Luftwaffe Heavy Anti-aircraft Gun platoon

 

 

Kubelwagen for Volks Rocket Launcher Battery