Monday, September 22, 2014

Research and Development

Meanwhile, in and around domestic duties associated with the passage from summer to autumn, research and experimentation continues.

Here we see the results of cupboard archaeology with Frankensteinian Technological Research.

(picture lost)

In the back ground can be seen Dollar Store rip offs of Marx barbed wire and sandbag entrenchments. There is an estimated 10 feet of wire. The total number of emplacements has not been studied yet but both are acceptable to me for use with my 40's. I really should paint the barbed wire a less shiny silver, less plasticy colour but it feels like a lot of work for little reward so we'll see.

In the forground are some heavy artillery cannibalized from more dollar store parts with some homecast bits. Neither are finished. The Stanfield Armament Co. "Long John" (Canadian insider ref for those of a certain age) is a Marx ripoff barrel on PA carriage which needs some work yet. The barrell is a bit thin but it'll work I think.

Lastly is an oversized Hong Kong rip off of the Crescent gun. The barrel has been flipped over and shortened, carriage replaced by one of the Marx ripoffs and wagon wheels added. Again, still in the 'held together by plasticine' stage



Last but not least, my increasing engagement with sideshows has decided me to just convert enough 1914 Tommies for a few scenarios and save resources for some guys in shirts and sunhelmets. These are Zinnbrigade Prussians with the helmet cut short leaving the peak, boots cut to puttees and extra ammo pouches added. The haversack and canteen are on the wrong hip but I will probably leave them. Facing are the latest 8 recruits for the Kaiser.

Along the research lines, I downloaded Von Lettow Vorbeck's memoir of his East African campaigns for a dollar from Amazon. An even more compelling idea came from a less likely place. I downloaded, for free, a copy of the official history of the Canadian Corps which has a section on other deployments, mostly engineering stuff but in 1918 a small group of officers and ncos joined Dunsterforce in the Caucasus, acting as advisors for local forces against various enemies including tribesmen with German advisors, Turks and Kurds. Regulars from various coubtries, tribesmen, levies, cossacks, circassians, kurds, armoured cars, planes, RN ships on the Caspian, mountains, ideal blend  of WW1 and Colonial.

It was the mention of a rearguard to protect retreating Assyrians that clinched it! Assyrians?

 Anyway, very topical and something I intend to find out more about.
posted from Bloggeroid

10 comments:

  1. Ross Mac,

    Looking good! They artillery has just the right look for the period.

    All the best,

    Bob

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    1. Thanks Bob. Looking vaguely right is the look I am going for.

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  2. Very handy pieces of kit, and versatile, too. Having considerable lengths of barbed wire entanglements, I considered pairing or even trebling them up side by side on bases, half to a whole inch apart, to give a more 3D look to such obstacles. Then it occurred top me that one might achieve exactly the same effect by individual basing (for stability) and simply placing them in as thick or thin an arrangement as suits one's defensive purposes. A double line of barbed wire would be doubly hard to penetrate, and so probably the more effective to 'channel' enemy attacks.

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    1. It always seemed a bit small for 54mm and way to tall for 20mm but at last it seems a good fit for 40s. I'm glad I kept it.

      I did try it 2 deep an inch apart and also with a 3rd row zigzagging up the middle but I can also see a fixed set up where both sides have their own wire stretching across the board with no mans land in between.

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  3. yes Assyrians! that ought to make a rather colorful addition to your 54mm colonial set!

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    1. I can see them now, little tightly curled beards, pointy hats....

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  4. I love the artillery, they look very appropriate for the figures.

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  5. Super work Ross. Love the Long John - it look superb.

    Nice wirk with the Zinnbrigadeers, too.

    Greg

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. I plan to lower the barrel a bit but I think it has the look.

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