End of the Big Push

As 2014 comes to an end I am trying to clean up the painting table. Here is a look at the table and what is left. Still have two battalions for ITLSU, eleven 1/600 aircraft for 1940 and a mix of miscellaneous small projects.

As part of the Big Push, I completed six figures for the Command stands for my Arab troops for TOOFATLardies ITLSU.

Big Push

Like all Big Pushes, this one is running out of steam. I have an Arab and British battalion that I am trying to finish up this year but they may come out after the New Year. Also working on some French and Italian aircraft for 1940.

But I have finished up two Battalions of Arab infantry based and ready to take on the British in Mesopotamia.

Big Push

Over the last three weeks with the holidays coming up I have been slowing down on my Big Push Project. That said over the last two and a half weeks I have finished up two buildings, five tanks and a truck.

Before the end of the year I will be working on eleven 1940 French and Italian aircraft and two battalions of WWI Middle Eastern troops.

Fao Landing Part II

The battle is over and the British have started their long march north towards Baghdad, or they will once orders are released from the India and Colonial offices.

For now the reports show the Ottomans were tenacious trying to get through the Indian troops and escape to Basra. Losses were heavy for the Turks with half of the force dispersed and the rest captured.

This was an interesting scenario getting me back into the If the Lord Spares Us, rule set. Artillery was limited with the HMS Espiegle involved in a friendly fire incident. Machine guns were not used as was done historically. I am working on rules addenda that will include reinforcements and recovery for the campaign.

What is known in this 2014 study is the British have landed their Brigade north and west of Fao to reorganize for the advance on Basra. Leaving their mountain guns on the transports. Limited intelligence will be a major influence for the campaign. From the Brigade two companies were dispatched to protect the oil facilities around Mohammerah and an additional company acting as porters and guarding Fao. With a fifth of the companies on other duties Brig-General W. S. Delamain Indian Expeditionary Force 'D’ is already diluting his attack force.

I am finding this to be a slow but educational study on the campaign.

Up next, Johnny Turk strikes back.

The landing has finally taken place at Fao.

Brigadier General Delamain has launched the long awaited landing in the upper Persian Gulf having taken place a month late. The British landing was conducted at the telegraph station of Fao instead of the beaches around the fort. This allowed the Indian Army to get a jump on the Ottomans.

British and Indian units have secured the telegraph station causing the Ottomans to be out of communication with Basra. The troops are now advancing against the fort attempting to disperse the Turks with fire from the HMS Espiegle. Unfortunately the Turks were not aware of the plan as they continued on to the village little slowed.

More to come from the field shortly.

The Push Continues

The Big Push is on. As of last night I have completed the TOOFATLardies blinds, twenty15mm figures, telegraph pools and two buildings. I have another 20 or so figures to strip and repaint, fifty or so figures to prime and nine tanks that I am assembling. Mental note on the last, need to pick you glue. I also has a dozen or so aircraft to finish detailing but at 1/1250 scale not sure how to do Soviet red stars.

The buildings have been the most interesting. They are paper mache and I plan on using them with the rest of my Aqaba buildings. While I am not a fan of my abilities of cutting and building paper structures paper mache is something I can work with.

Close Up. It looks like I have to touch up the tree trunks.
I will be on the look out for roof clutter.

Paint Table Saturday - The Big Push

I will be sans computer tomorrow so here is my Paint Table Saturday.

This week I finished 16 Arab towns folk and 4 Ottoman WWI artillerymen along side sixteen signposts and telegraph poles.

Easiest way to show this is with a simple town scene.

On the bench now are four M-51s, a Whippet, two A7Vs and two Mark IVs. I am please with the size in comparison with my existing WWI tanks. My current M-51s may be sold soon.