2 Atak Kampanü, I Bertoldu Armored Battalion, 1st Independent Ebhardu Cavalry Brigade

This time a post with a picture. I made 1/32 versions of the same vehicle before, but now I completed an armored company with the G-93 Kontot Kombatot for my 1/72 collection.

There are four tanks in a Jazygian interwar armored company, but they are supplied with variants on a sort of ad-hoc basis. 2/I/1 Atak Kampanü has the following, from left to right:

G-93ac Ozmot "Rinokerüs" - An open top variant, with the HMG at the back of the vehicle, a 3pdr anti-tank gun on the right side of the chassis, and field modifications to break down hedges. The figures are HäT Prussians with modified caps.

G-93c Astaba with open turret and radio antenna - commander's version. Its frontal armor was strengthened by adding sandbags. The commander is a Zvezda Russian female soldier and she can be taken out of the vehicle.

G-93 reserve/engineering/close support vehicle - standard armament, but with a medium mortar bolted to the undercarriage, sort of a makeshift SPG. This one's got some Green Stuff World shrubbery glued to the front, and the figures are cheap Chinese knights with green stuff modifications.

G-93c Astaba, standard version, closed turret.

Soon the company will roll out on a policing action along the Ahbanian border, we shall see what comes out of that...

Roxolanian P-555 Sanktos Prokopios medium tank

To counter the Jazygian armored threat, the Roxolanian Armed Forces have come up with their own design. It is much more advanced and looks somewhat German-ish.

Stink Bug Invasion

Just a quick post before I head off for a weekend trip, springtime is here and so are the nasty stink bugs that get through every obstacle and make Central European people's lives miserable...

When I opened up the box full of swag from Drum&Flag (a very friendly online retailer if you are interested in 1/72 bits like I am), I was quite surprised. I ordered one box of used HäT Renault FT-17s, which should have contained two tanks according to PSR, but there were four instead. I got them for the hefty sum of £3.50. In this dark olive green state of theirs they remind me of the dumb little stink bugs that crawl around aimlessly. And their speed also matches.

I had to use sprue rubble melted down in paint thinner for glue, as I ran out of superglue and of course completely forgot to refill. But still, here they are, holding up quite well. 

Finished Saint Chamond & a Mk IV Male

Here's more World War One AFVs for the centenary, my finished scratchbuilt Saint Chamond and the venerable old Airfix 1/76 model without the steering on its butt end, because I lost the rear plate and could not be bothered. 

As most of you know I like my tanks banged up and grimy so these two are no exceptions.

That's not a surrender flag, just a tarp, before anyone gets angry. Cool camo on both of them, and an anti-grenade wire made from mosquito net on the MkIV. I know it's supposed to go over the tracks, but I made it mostly from memory and did not check enough period photos.

I hope these shall participate in a battle soon.

WIP - Char Saint Chamond

Nobody makes these in 1/72 (at least not for a non-stellar price), so I fashioned one from scratch. This is the earlier flat-top version. The hull is 2mm and 5mm balsa wood, there's some bamboo sticks, plasticard etc. involved, and the track is from a toy Sherman that's been shortened and the forward half turned upside down, with the plasticard cover it gives an OK impression.

Jazygian IS-3

This is a Roden kit I got at a Black Friday sale. I'm going to use it with the modern Jazygian collection. I used a dark olive undercoat, a brown wash, two layers of drybrush and some Vallejo dust pigment - the overall picture is quite good I believe.

As I'm not primarily a model maker, I hate track assemblies. The same thing can be made from a lot less pieces, and more pieces mean more possibility for error.
This model held up to its age quite OK, but still was not a pleasant experience. (I also bought an ICM BTR-60 at the same sale, and really had to work the wheels to make everything fit.)

StuGs

After breaking up the 3-day interval between posts again, this time because I've ran out of painted stuff, here are five Plastic Soldier Company 15mm StuG models: one early and one late variant, plus one StuH and the two remaining ordinary, sad little StuGs because they did not receive anything special except schurzen.

I primed the models white, then used VMC German Orange Ochre as a basecoat, over which I added a primitive ambush camo, blended in with a black wash and a gentle drybrush with VMC Buff, which highlights the edges of the hull and works as an all-round weathering material for lazy people like myself.

I've also glued dried tea filter stuff on some vehicles, and paper pieces for tarps on others, so they're quite diverse (as a German force should be in terms of vehicle variants). 

Soviet heavy metal

I have completed the PSC IS tanks, four of them with the IS-1 hull and 122mm gun, and one IS-2, most likely to be used as a command unit.

I used three shades of olive green plus a wash to get this weathered look, they are dark but not as dark as it seems on the photos. The five StuG IIIs are also assembled and ready to paint, but distractions arise... they will be finished later, though. 

Jazygian Armour

These "4D Model" Chinese T-72 kits have just arrived today. They are made from cheap plastic and very simple to assemble. Their quality reflects the price. On their box is an imprint of the "World of Tanks" online game logo with the W turned upside down, probably to mean Models, or alternatively, Morld of Tanks. A true representation of Chinese ingenuity. But the models are just good for what I wanted: with a wash and some weathering they could become more presentable. The most disappointing part is the tracks. They are too short and don't look like anything on the real ones.

The infantry is 8 Revell Vietcongs recriuted through the Balkans mercenary black market, posing as a Jazygian infantry section. I'm afraid the paint is flaking off because I forgot to clean the figures before priming. No amount of paint or varnish will prevent it. Probably a stripping and repainting is due. 

More tanks

A Matilda and a PzIVF. Bought at a local hobby store on a family trip early July. It is important to support local hobby businesses.

Fireflies

A pair of British Fireflies from Forged in Battle. The hulls are cast together with the base from resin, the turret and accessories are metal. 

As you can see, I've put a lot of scrap on the models to get that 'used' look. 

Painting was standard block-shade-highlight, I mixed the olive colors. They're actually much brighter, it's the bad setup that makes them look this dark.

More Zvezda 1/100 fighting vehicles

Parts of the latest mad money spending, eight Zvezda vehicles, 50/50 for the Germans and the Russians.

Kitbashing pt. 2.

If you remember these were done quite a while ago, I just haven't posted them yet. The only 'real' model is the Airfix 1/76(?) Bren, the other two are toys. It was something me and my little brother did together.

Kitbashing

I have amongst the heaps of unpainted figures two little baskets that are the 'scratch baskets'. Any spare parts, sprue rubble, MDF and plasticard goes in there. This is a most useful thing. For example, I had this kit above for about 15 years now. One of my first models, an Airfix Universal Carrier with a 6-pounder gun. It was soundly beaten, too. But as I've got a lot of spare time, my little brother and I worked on it a little.

In the Navy Ground Project Vehicles

 

The 1/72 vehicle loot is completed, along with the HMG from the German infantry box, that is not shown here.

Battlefront Grille K

In the arms race to complete my 15mm WW2 forces I wished to acquire a German Grille SPG, so I did. After a long and tedious search I have found one on ebay that beat the manufacturer's price.

The T.O.N.K. MBT for the Mordavian Army

The Mordavian army has been experimenting with building its own main battle tank. The super secret project was named T.O.N.K. After initial troubles, an armoured fighting vehicle has been completed. It has a 120mm cannon and a machine gun built in the turret, sloped front armor and gun mantle. It is operated by a crew of five. The only trouble is it's narrow and quite tall.

The T.O.N.K. is made of plastic bottle caps, a pen, a match box, a soap box and some sort of paper from the heap of scratch I have collected. It has been undercoated white, a base coat of VMC Buff, Revell Dark Green and VMA Burnt Umber/VMC Khaki added for camouflage, then an Umber wash and highlights/weathering. The tracks are painted with VGC Gunmetal.

By the way my painting table and shelves are sorted out (Spring cleaning much) and besides finding my long lost pocket knife and a bottle of Sepia wash it is more orderly now.

PSC 15mm Panthers

Second part of the Christmas lot finished last year. I have used an ambush camo with the regular method of black undercoat, Dunkelgelb block painting, first blobs of reddish brown and dark green, then a black wash, highlights and the little dots. I think it worked.

PSC 15mm T-34

First batch of my Christmas present painted. Two T-34/76s and three T34/85s, one as a company commander. 

Zvezda PzIVD and BA-10

The last post with the Zvezda lot, two more ground vehicles this time. I added some green stripes to the PIV on the regular factory grey coat (I have found an image where an early PIV was shown with this sort of camo).

Besides that, it is the usual combinaton of basecoat, undercoat, wash, highlight and drybrushing. These two were the last of the MDF bases I ordered a while ago so I will need replacements.

The BA-10 has a 45mm gun turret which makes it kind of overpowered against other APCs. 

I have ordered the PSC Soviet infantry box and the next week is holidays so I will see into reducing my painting stash.