Last entry to the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge: Curtgeld, French and a smattering of 15mm

The canal simply didn't fit into the booth

A last Hurrah of sorts really. Despite having reached my highest points total yet -most of it due to bonus points- I haven't been as productive by far as I'd have wished to. Especially when compared to what I managed to paint last year I'm a little disappointed  by my own efforts. Still it was a jolly good ride and an experience I wouldn't have wanted to miss.

Panzerjäger I

I'm once again back with more Panzergrau in tow, today in the form of the puny Panzerjäger I by Warlord Games. What struck me as rather odd with this vehicle was the lack of any crew besides the moulded in driver. Thus I had to press gang some Perry Miniatures from their DAK range. They're maybe a little scantily dressed for service in France, but they were the only figures I could find out there which seemed to fit.

T-26 tank

When Rubicon released their plastic T-26 late last year I kew I had to get me one of these iconic tanks. As with others of their kits I was rather impressed by both the quality and detail these guys have managed to put into this kit. Once I had chosen which of the ten possible variants I wanted to make the assembly was straightforward. It also came as a pleasant surprise that there were more than enough parts to build another turret to go with the tank.

1940 BEF

Having just added to my Early War Germans I felt it was about time to add a little to their opponents. Some of you might remember earlier efforts of mine (has it really been 4 years again?)  on much the same figures. Believe it or not it took me the best part of a month to get these fellas done and dusted. I blame a rather busy schedule with me being away from home for the most part of that time.

Last rites

"Nicht wofür wir kämpfen ist das Wesentliche, sondern wie wir kämpfen."

- Ernst Jünger -

Over the channel and far, far away...

Just a quick one today as I'm in a bit of a hurry really. At the moment I'm away with work most of the time and thus spare time with family and friends is at a premium. So, let's talk about channels today. When reading accounts about the fighting in Belgium, Northern France and especially Holland in 1940 what becomes clear immediately is the importance of streams, channels and similar water features as obstacles to the German onslaught.

It's a StuG life

Continuing on with my Panzergrau phase todays offering is a early StuG D.  While the diminutive Panzer I's and Panzer II's or their larger brethren the Panzer III's and IV's all have their individual appeal it's always been the StuG which impressed me the most. With its small shilouette and the boxy shape it simply looks both futuristic and menacing. And a StuG in the dark Panzergrau livery of the early days of WW2 is simply the king of 'Bad Ass'... in my books anyway.

50 shades of Grey... err... Panzergrau

I hope you don't mind the rather... delicate title.

To the green fields beyond...

.. probably football fields in this case.

War is full of strange things. Maybe one of the stranger sights during the Great War would probably have been an attack on German trench lines on 1 July 1916. After eight days of constant but little effective shelling German defenders crawling out of their dugouts could see men storming across no man's land frantically kicking footballs before them.

Back to the Great War

"Das Wort Operation verbitte ich mir. Wir hauen ein Loch rein. Das Weitere findet sich. So haben wir es auch in Russland gemacht"

-Generalquartiermeister Ludendorff-

Another year, another Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge (The ninth so far and and the 6th I'm taking part in) and yet another project. A little more than 100 years ago World War I, or the Great War as it is also known, ended after claiming the lives of millions of soldiers and civilians alike. The tragedy of the whole conflict, especially on the western front, is in my opinion perfectly epitomised by the quote with which I started this post. Translated into English it reads like: