Reinforcements ready!

Ok, it took me a while to paint it after I got it built but my third Tiger I E is now ready to protect Fatherland!

I basecoated the tank black and after that gave it a few light coats of Middlestone. Second camocolor I used is Beige Brown and I did it with an old medium sized drybrush. Tracks, tools, cables and jack were first being painted with Light Grey and then washed over with Nuln Oil. Red oxide was done by mixing 2 parts Red Gore and 1 part Dark Brown and being washed over again with Nuln Oil.

And here are the pictures:

  

As you may notice I haven't done any mud or dust as I'm not sure yet what kind of mud or dust should I do. My older Tigers have just some drybrushed Dark Brown and Beige Brown

 but I may want something new for this one.

Some good news and some bad news!

Bad news first!

I got informed from FLGS that they are not able to deliver me the Panzer III L or N at the moment because all their sources are out of stock of that item. This means my objective project is going to take a huge delay which I'm very sad. I had hoped to get it all done by 1st of July but now I fear that even if I somehow could get my order, I won't be able to finish in time due to my other works.

Well when it's done, it's done!

Then the good news!

My Tiger I E has finished it's assembly (almost, I'm missing magnets from the turret as I can't find them anywhere in the house!!). The assembly was really easy and painless. Very limited flash and the hull was very clean.

I tried to add some fuel cans in a rack but couldn't find a place where I'd liked them. I even tried to bent it to fit it behind the turret basket. Otherwise I left t quite bare, no mud guards or sideskirts. This will give some rougnes in comparison to the other two Tiger I Es in my force.

My new German toy has arrived!

Yes it's here!

No, sadly it is not the Panzer III I've been waiting for about a month now through my LGS, but it's big (huge?!) brother Tiger I E, which I ordered last friday from Element Games, arrived today. Fast delivery I'd say!

This new child of mine is going to complete my Atlantik Wall sPzK and will be my third Tiger platoon in my 4.SS Brigade list from Grey Wolf.

I hope to get this baby up and running soon to make room for other to be painted objects in my list, which is a bit too long for my liking. And hopefully I will finish my Soviet infantry at the same time.

May we have some Russian steel?

Hi all!

They are all done! 10 SU-100/SU-85Ms, 8 IS-2 obr 1943s and one T-34/85 obr 1944!

Took some time, and those IS-2s were made long before I even thought about buying SU-100s, but the important thing is I'm done with these. Now there are only 9 infantry stands to paint and base in various stages and I hope to have done those in the next month or so.

That will leave me some more infantry stands to paint and base but those are not needed at the moment so they can wait.

Also heres a picture of my IL-2 in winter camo.

Full cadre

Full cadre

Full cadre

Full cadre

SU-100s & T-34/85

IS-2s

IL-2 Support

After this I will return back to my German army and buff it with one more Tiger I E, some AAA and a Bergepanther. These will be for my Schwere Panzerkompanie from Atlantik Wall.

I found this list to be fantastic to play and I've always loved and wanted to field a Schwere Panzerkompanie mixed with Tiger I Es and KTs.

So here's the list I'm currentry playing in our Firestorm Caen campaing:

HQ
CiC - Tiger I E

Bergepanther recovery

COMBAT
1. Schwere Panzer platoon - 2* Tiger I Es
2. Schwere Panzer platoon - 1* KT (Porsche)

WEAPONS
Schwere Panzer Armored AA - 2* Armored Sd Kfz 10/5 (2cm)
Schwere Armored Panzer Scout platoon - 5 MG + 5 half-trucks

SUPPORT
21. PD - Panzer platoon - 3* Pz IV H
Rocket Launcher Battery - 3* 15cm NW41

1640 points/6 platoons

Could and should take that panzerfaust with my Armored Scouts, but those guys are always backed by either Tigers + KT of Pz IV Hs so there always is some AT with them.

Nuts! 1650pts testgame with 17.SS

I played my second game using the new points limit for LW on wednesday. I played against my regular opponent Redbirdie who used Soviet Lend-Lease tank company:

HQ
Sherman (76mm)
Combat
5 Shermans (76mm) inc. Dmitriy Loza
5 Shermans (75mm)
Corps Support
Decoy platoon 2 Panthers
1+8 inf platoon with capt halftrucks
Limited IL-2

My own company was 17.SS from Nuts!:

HQ
CiC &2iC smg/faust
Combat
SS-Pzgren 7* MG/faust
SS-Pzgren 7* MG/faust
Weapons
SS-Pzgren AT gun 2* 7,5cm PaK40
Divisional Support
Schwere Panzerjäger 2* Jagdtiger
SS-Pzgren AT gun 2* 7,5cm PaK40
SS Armored Car Patrol 2* Sd Kfz 231
SS-Pzgren AA gun 3* 3,7cm FlaK43
Volks Rocket Launcher 3* 15cm NW41

Both of our deployments were very simple. Redbirdie concentrated all of his troops to right side (from my table edge) of the board for a race forward.

Objectives: German objective dead center and at the back line (the other Soviet objective is at the same spot) and the Soviet objective is as far front left from german side. All objectives are inside a forrests.

As I had 4 platoons out of 8 to deploy against so many tanks I desided to take as many AT units possible to hold both flanks in case he desided to switch the point of his attack. I deployed 1. Pzgren platoon to the left side (again from my side of the table) supported by a unit of PaK40s. To the right side I put my Jagdtigers in front of the enemy and with a direct line of sight. I left 2. Pzgren platoon into ambush (revealed in turn one rightt behind my Jagdtigers).

The game was fierce as the Soviets managed to bail my command Jagdtiger and then switched their direction right at the beginning and took out my defences on the left side objective. Luckily I rolled in reserves to keep the objective hot long enough for my 2. Pzgren platoon and Jagdtigers to arrive from the other flank. At that point both forces had been severly depleted, Soviets in teams (4 tanks left (1 of them left leaderless inside woods after its platoons infiltration move!) and 3 infantry teams) and Germans in platoons (I lost 5 platoons in total to defend that left objective!!).

The last measures were to use my rocket lauchers to fire as rifle teams to add some shots trying to pin those dug in infantry teams on the objective. Also fired as much from 2. Pzgren platoon and managed to pin those Soviets before assault. My Jagdtigers take out last tanks on the left side. I then assaulted and killed 2 out of 3 Soviets infantry teams and the last one ran home.

4-3 victory for the Germans but with a high price!

My unit of the match was Jagdtigers. They managed to remount despite being reluctant and raced a long way from side to side to help my brothers in arms! They also took out 8 tanks out of 11 (1 being killed by PaK40, one by panzerfaust in assault and 1 being left leaderless inside woods!).

I can't wait to get another go with these guys. For now they are my favourite troops!


P.S. Sorry for no pictures as I forgot to take my camera with me :(

Back from the grave!

Hello all!

It's been a while and I've been lazy and busy at the same time. Work work work and all that...

But I've made some progress too with my painting!

As you can see (or remember) my Jagdpanthers and their camo, I have updated my older models to match theirs. Some of the work is still in progress as I need to paint 15(!) (yes it's a lot) Sd Kfz 251/1s (8 of these are old ones to be repainted)! Also I've made some new friends in models which you'll see here!

So without longer talks I'll present you my new StuG III Gs and StuH42s:

And a new friend of mine, Jagdtiger!

 

Now there's 2 more of these nice little kitties coming up too and to protect them from all those bad Allied Jabos I've a trio of 3,7cm FlaK43 AA guns coming up too.

Until next time!

Halkomahooli goes to Operation Lounatuuli

A little upcoming tournament here in Finland, Operation Lounatuuli, which I'm going to attend. The tournament takes place on the western front during 1944-45 (LW) and the armysize is going to be 1780 points. For the beginning I was going to go with 2nd Gebirgsjägerdivision but sadly their .pdf wont be validated in time for me to build up and paint all the missing figures I'd need. The .pdf got validated on 13.2. which is too late for me to paint the missing troops of mine as I'm a bit slow painter these days, work and family and all...

After a lot of thinking and puzzling I've ended up with 559. Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung from the Bridge by Bridge book. I was anyway going to field 2 Jagdpanthers in my Gebirgsjägerlist so why not taking some more and combine them with some Stug assault guns.

Without any playtesting the list I've come up is as follows:

HQ
CiC Stug G

Combat platoons
1. Schwere Panzerjäger platoon: 3 Stugs
2. Schwere Panzerjäger platoon: 3 Jagdpanthers

Support platoons
Grenadier platoon (7 panzerfaust rifle/MG, 1 panzerschreck)
Grenadier Heavy Artillery Battery (4 15.0 sFH18)
Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery (2 8.8 Flak36, 2 extra crew, trenchline + gun pits)

5 platoons/1775 points

I'm going to try to have some pics from the tournament and try to do a little batreps from my own battles.

EDIT: a little update here, dropped the 2iC and changed Grenadier Artillery Battery into Grenadier Heavy Artillery Battery