Swordfish

The plane spotters amongst us will almost certainly recognise this as a Fairey Swordfish, a biplane torpedo bomber used by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.  Antiquated even when it first entered service, it did good service, as it's low speed and rugged construction provided a stable platform for launching torpedoes. Most famous for its service at the Battle of Taranto where they inflicted heavy losses on the Italian navy.  There was a double page spread in a Warlord annual about it - so I mainly remember the Swordfish (also known as the stringbag) in four colour comic form. 

Swordfish also took part in the Channel Dash, the only time since the Anglo-Dutch wars that an enemy fleet has successfully traversed the Channel. This was a battle that took place in 1942, when a group of German vessels sailed from Brest to bases in Germany, during which they were attacked by a flight of six Swordfish.  The attacking planes were wiped out by superior numbers of more advanced German fighters, but their determination and grit was saluted by no less a personage Admiral Ciliax, the German officer commanding, who said "....the mothball attack of a handful of ancient plance, piloted by men whose bravery surpasses any other action by either side that day."

This specimen was something I picked up as a passing fancy. I have a weakness for biplanes and I managed to pick this one on eBay, fully assembled and painted for about the price of a pint. I don't have any plans for naval games, so I think this will be doing service against the Anglican League or the Soviet Socialist Republic of Liverpool in Very British Civil War games. 

As the Swordfish comes, like the Gladiator, with its landing gear deployed, it can also be used on the ground either as an objective or a piece of scenary.  I've been playing a number of Very British Civil War games via webcam with a nameless mysterious figure in Roscommon known only by the codename Steve. The British Union of Fascists air power has been making life somewhat difficult for me, so it might be time to play an attack on an airfield scenario. 

This will give me an excuse to put a shape on my newly discovered RAF control tower and will give the Swordfish and the Gloster Gladiator a bit of an outing. 

Although it may mean that I may now have to build some sort of 1/72 scale wind sock. 

Painted Zvesda 2lb Gun

I finally got around to painting my Zvesda 2lb. The gun was treated to a coat of Vallejo Brown Violet with a dry brush of the same with some yellow added and then some additional edge highlighting with yellow. It didn't turn out too bad. 

Unfortunately, the model had a close encounter of the four legged kind - but beyond looking slightly wonky if you examine closely it doesn't seem too much the worse for it.  The gunners were given my standard British infantry treatment and beyond looking at them now and realising that I haven't painted the chin straps, they appear to be none the worse for it. 

I picked up this piece mainly for VBCW games, but it could also certainly count as an artillery piece should we manage to play any 1939-1940 games. There is actually a short 1940 campaign in the first Memoir '44 campaign book, but I think Normandy might be more achievable in the short term.  I'll need some infantry of course, but I've got a birthday coming up and I've dropped some hints to Mrs. Kinch regarding SHQ's BEF range - so that may not be a concern. 

On mature reflection, I'm very happy with how this piece turned out.  It wasn't demanding, the model is so fine that it's difficult to paint it badly and it's added a nice little unit to my British army for the price of two packets of crisps. I think I will definitely be picking up some more of the Zvesda kits if I see them. 

I'll just fix those chin straps and lash a bit of varnish on it and away we go. 

Breaking news from Hungary! Honved Miniatures

I can only hope there's a wheel right coming before they start shooting. 

Gentlemen, I wish to inform you of a terrible, terrible occurrence. 

A wargamer struggling to cope with the news

I've been toying with the idea of Hungarian interlude for quite some time now. It's dreadfully exotic, I'm already raising a Napoleonic Austrian army and I bought some wonderful Hungarian conversions from Krisztian. 

Krisztian has written to let me know about a black piece of treachery.  He and Uwe over at History in 1/72 have begun a joint enterprise called Honved Miniatures. They will be producing a full range of figures to cover the Hungarian Rebellion of 1848. Their first release is a set of Hungarian artillery which you can see above. 

The guns

  The pack comes with three bases, twelve crew, three guns and a small selection of accessories for €14.40. They are available from Hagen Miniatures in Germany.

Another wargamers reaction. 

But what is the problem surely? A new range is good news. Sadly, Gentlemen, Uwe and Krisztian will be producing their fine figures, no doubt well researched and well sculpted,  in 15mm.  That said, for those that do game in 15mm, like Lee, Bob Cordery, David Crook, etc, etc* - these represent an excellent way to get started on a new period, particularly if you've already got a Napoleonic Austrian Army. 

The Men

Somehow I intend to keep smiling through the tears - but as I said, these are good figures, reasonably priced and offer you 15mm collecting swine better than you deserve. 

I'm going off to sulk in my tent.

*You know who you are - and I hate you all.

If -

Damn your dried up hide!

...you meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same - something - something - something. You're a better man than I am Gunga Din. 

I had a bit of a disaster this morning when I tried to add decals to my Gladiator. I used the decal set that came in the box and they just crumbled as soon as I put them in water. I've only recently started adding decals to things, so I've never had this problem before. I'm not sure what I can do about it - beyond buying another sheet of decals, though these appear to cost about the same as a new kit. This annoyed me greatly and took the shine right off my morning, which was further soured by the necessity of sorting out the House Insurance. 

However, I did have a spot of triumph in the afternoon.  After several false starts I finally managed to get the hang of cutting mounts for pictures - this was mainly due to practice and the timely advice of Mr. Kinch Senior, who worked out what I was doing wrong.  This is a print of an Aubrey Beardsley drawing of a heroine of Mrs. Kinch's. 

Mr. Beardsley looking rather windswept and interesting. 

Beardsley was an odd fish, but a fine artist with a beautiful line. If you're not familiar with his work, I would recommend looking him up. The lady is Mrs. Patrick Campbell, who was a particularly talented and famous actress of the late Victorian stage who is most widely known for her association with George Bernard Shaw. 

Mrs Pat as Mrs Kinch always calls her

The Battle of Luzzara

Once got the knack, which cost me considerable waste of good mounting board and a non trivial quantity of swearing - I knocked out another few mounts.  This is a print that Mrs. Kinch picked up for me last year. It depicts the battle of Luzzara from the War of the Spanish Succession. It's rather nice actually and comes with a satisfactory number of charging horses. 

Interrupted by R. Caton Woodville 

I actually came across this while looking for something else. R. Caton Woodville is best known for his battle scenes, but an eBay seller had listed this along with some other bits and pieces and it struck me as exactly Mrs. Kinch's sort of thing. As it turned out, it was and she's grown very fond of it. I had laid in a stock of moulding as I was hoping to teach myself picture framing. However, Mrs. Kinch Senior has viewed the moulding and pronounced it shocking bad stuff.  She will be appearing with the real deal later in the week. In the meantime I suppose I shall have to busy myself with cutting mounts. 

There's quite a collection of uniform prints to work through. 

Still spitting about those decals though. 

Gladiator Update

I

I managed to get some work done on my gladiator. After considering my options - I decided against adding wires. This is a Wargaming model after all and there would be considerable possibilities of buggering up the work I'd done so far. 

I painted it pretty much as instructed out of the box. I did consider the possibilities of the Malta camouflage scheme - but given that I will be using it almost exclusively for VBCW I thought the silver and red getup was far more appropriate. There's something rather Wellsian - in his later more totalitarian days - about it. 

I wouldn't say that this kit has cured me of my phobia of assembling aircraft - but it has advanced things somewhat. All that remains now is to add decals and give it a wallop of varnish. The decal sheet is a chaotic mess of roundels, numbers and things - I suspect I'll just follow the sheet. 

                     Headed west. 

This may be a worrying first symptom of something, but I may see if I've anything that would pass for a ground crew or tender or something. 

Anyway I better get weaving if I'm going to make it to service. 

Train Wreckers and Ghost Killers

I've been pottering quite a bit in the last few days as I took delivery of some figures that needed basing and there were other jobs that needed doing around the house. With that in mind, decided a new audiobook was in order and I picked up a copy of the above from British Audio Books. 

I've had a sort of passing interest in Korea ever since I found a copy of Sir Anthony Farrar Hockley's "The Edge of the Sword" in the school library as a boy.  It was a fantastic book and one that I unreservedly recommend. I still shiver at the description of the North Korean prisoner of war camp. I would not last long in such a place. 

But back to Train Wreckers et al, this is an audiobook recorded by a chap called Felbrigg Napoleon Herriot (top marks on that name, except the middle bit) and the text is available for free online. The audiobook version is £4.99, about the price of a pint.  The book itself can be divided into two sections, the first describing the exploits of 41 (Independent) Commando of the Royal Marines and the second, which covers the foundation, training and later operations of the South Korea Marine Corps. 

On the whole, I found the book interesting - probably my favourite section was about Task Force Drysdale, a battalion strength polyglot group of Royal Marines, US troops and South Koreans who attempted to relieve the beleaguered US forces at Hagaru-ri during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. It had me eyeing my Second World War Commandos with a speculative eye. 

Recommended. 

Not likely to be returning President Putin's calls 

Since we've had "Afghanistan II" and I notice with a sinking heart that we seem to be gearing up for "Crimea II Electric Bugaloo", it seems appropriate that I took delivery of my first lot of Crimean troops this week. These deserve better pictures, but Mark has done a great job and very quickly. The troops are from Old John over at 20mm Nostalgic Revival. supplemented by a few Strelets plastics. They will be doing duty as Napoleonic Russians and as Crimean types. 

I sketched a few ideas after Eucharist on Thursday and it looks like the Alma may be our Crimean scenario. I'm in two minds - I've always been torn between it and Inkerman. 

Airfix French Cuirassier

Photo by Takacs Krisztian 

One of the pleasures of the Sunday game was that I got to meet up with Krisztian (not painting Krisztian, gaming Krisztian)* and he beat me hollow at Memoir '44. I settled his hash at Arnhem, but he hammered me at Samur and in the Courland Pocket. Krisztian brought with him some figures from Hungary which will be appearing here in short order. But first amongst them was an Airfix French Cuirassier. 

Photo by Takacs Krisztian 

This was painted by a friend of Krisztians.  A man he described as "...the talented one." Now, I mostly collect figures for wargaming purposes, but every so often one picks up a toy soldier for the sheer pleasure of looking at a toy soldier. All I can say is what a beauty. I don't know if the chap is looking for commission work, but I will gladly forward the details of any blog reader that is interested. 

Photo by Takacs Krisztian 

The use of colour, the attention to details, the beautiful work on the horse - this dastardly Frencher is sitting on my desk at the moment (I'm meant to be writing an article) and I've just been spellbound. What a piece of work. 

Photo by Takacs Krisztian 

I think the work on the face of the cuirassier and the horses eyes are particularly good. You can almost smell the sweat.  On the few occasions I've had the privilege of working with the mounted unit, the thing that has always struck me is the heat that radiates from a horse on a cold day and the strong musky scent. Having this chap coming at you at full tilt must have been a nerve wracking experience. 

Hold boys! Hold! 

The battle of Quatre Bras by Lady Butler

(of which I am really inordinately fond) 

Note the dismounted cuirassier in the right foreground. 

Another look at that fantastic horse - I can only presume that the painter was working in oils to get such a wonderful sheen on the horses coat. 

Artist's impression of Kinch

I'd just like to conclude this post by observing that don't talented people make you sick to your stomach? Look at them with their hard won skill, achieved by work, application and God given talent - thinking their better than you.  And knowing that they are right. 

I'm just going to sit here and stew in my own mediocrity. 

Bah humbug. 

But, still and all, what a figure - just wow. I'm still marvelling at him as I write this. 

Note: Should anyone wish to get in touch with the painter, drop me a comment and I'll put you in touch.  He works exclusively in large scale figures. 

*I have a theory that all Hungarians are in fact called Krisztian.  Old John maintains that this is true, though there is one Hungarian called Zolt apparently.  He must have been terribly picked on in school.