Paint Table VIII

I did not realize that I have not posted since last week’s table. I am glad to report that the Imperial German Navy is soon to be adding four Gazelle class light cruisers as well as thirteen Spanish warships and six Americans based and primed to the national fleets.

I also completed fourteen German troops making up six machine gun teams.

Once the warships are done I will be able to run not only the Battle of Manila Bay as well as cruiser actions in the North Sea. The German machine gun teams will be seeing action in Poland 1939 soon using Chain of Command.

Paint Table Saturday Seven

Has been a good week here for miniatures and gaming.
I hope to get a few more ships ready for a new set of naval rules

Here is the table. It is getting a bit more organized.

And we have a few dead colonials and a Kübelwagen for my early war Germans.

Churn at the Shipyard

This week my southeastern Pennsylvania shipyard has been prolific. Completing the 14,394-ton SMS Braunschweig, the American protective cruiser USS Olympia as well as two versions of the 9,745-ton Spanish battleship Pelayo.  (I do have to say I like the look of the WTJ miniatures.)

It is the smallest of the lot the HMS Endurance impresses me.  This is one of the most important ships of the second half of the twentieth century. At 93 meters in length and 3,600 tons displacement this ice patrol ship would easily be over looked in most naval ports. But she is an icebreaker with a pedigree.

Yet this little ship over a misunderstanding started the largest naval adventure in the South Atlantic since the Hunt for the Graf Spee, in 1939 not to be confused with the 1914 hunt for the squadron under Admiral von Spee. It was her planned withdraw from the South Atlantic they gave the Argentines the perceived signal that the British were no longer concerned with the Falkland Islands.

This is understandable as she was the sole patrol ship for Her Majesty Government in these waters. With her withdrawal and no planned replacement the Empire appeared to be giving up her interests in the Falklands and South Georgia island over European Cold War issues.

Once war was to come to the Falklands the HMS Endurance fought bravely carrying marines and support helicopters allowing for the retaking of South Georgia island. She was also the primary platform for the attack that sank one of Argentina’s two operational submarines, the ARA Santa Fe. Not a bad return on an investment of buying a second hand Danish icebreaker.

Would the Junta lead by General Galtier have conducted the invasion if they knew Prime Minister Thatcher was not going to back down? Probably not, but that is far from certain. There would never have been an invasion though if they knew of the pluck and spirit of the Royal Navy and the HMS Endurance.

Latest Addition to the Zoo

I have added to my animal farm having finished up this morning two Panthers and a Stug courtesy of a contest held by Chris Stoesen last September. I am a slow painter at times. Thank you Chris, I hope you like the results.

These goodies will be seeing action both in Normandy as well as the streets of Berlin in 1945.  The Berlin reference comes from “Mohnke business at Berlin Zoo” in the recent article in Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy. I am a big fan of WSS and it is one of the few gaming magazines I subscribe to. It is well balanced in its coverage even in theme issues. This gem, “Mohnke business at Berlin Zoo” is a great example of balance in an issue that covered a theme dealing with the conquest of the New World.

Painting Table VI

Here is my table and as it is after Cold Wars I am trying to finish up few projects. The Germans are now ready for the Battle of Coronel and the tanks are almost done. I have added the new WTJ miniatures to the queue along with two new buildings I picked up at Cold Wars that are suitable for The Great War (Nery) or World War II.

I am concerned that I may have a problem with my recent ship builds. So far this year I have completed 81 ships. That puts the 2014 fleet between the Republic of Korea Navy at 80 ships and the Turkish Navy at 91. Do you think I have a problem?

3D Printing

Be afraid, be very afraid. If I was a major miniature manufacturer I would be very concerned about the present state of the industry. Today gamers and collectors have access to hundreds, if not dare I say (Dare, Dare!) thousands of high quality miniatures and gaming pieces do up with 3D printers.

Found on tables of both gaming conventions and local clubs, where you find them engaged in naval battles of the dreadnought era or in the skies over Europe (both WWI and WWII).

So why is there such interest? Costs are the similar or less than conventional white metal or pewter figures. And the quality is over the top. The 1/6000 and 1/2400 scale naval miniatures I acquired miniatures from Shapeways and The War Times Journal and find them superior to anything else out there.  Detail and scale are exceptional. Detail is comparable for 1/144 scale aircraft foe The Great War and choices are incredible.

The WTJ miniatures complement other miniature lines out there with their pre-dreadnoughts, but I hope in time they will design the ships to replace those in other lines. The people that produce 3D miniatures for Shapeways bring out new miniatures each week. There is an abudence of riches here. Their are at least four gamers in two clubs that I play at that are using 3D printed miniatures.

USS Olympia and the Pelayo by both WTJ and Panzerschiffe. SMS Braunschweig is by WTJ. The Olympia and Pelayo have never looked better. Click on the image for greater detail.

The WTJ are newly arrived and based so they are only initially painted. I wanted to show off their great detail. I really like the ship's boats on the SMS Braunschweig.

I wonder if the major producers have a plan on how to compete with this new market? Are you using this new technology?

Cold Wars Report

Another Cold Wars convention has come and gone. Even though there is a lot of room for improvements (this always seems to be the case with HMGS), it is good to see friends that I often only see once a year.

This year I found it amazing that there are six gaming clubs here in Pennsylvania between the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers. Only question is how to use this find for the betterment of the hobby.

Between catching up and chatting with friends I was able to get into three games, each different from the next.

First up was Al’s 1978 Battlestar Galactica were the peace loving Cylons (also known as toasters) were attacked by the Colonials we showed them what for.

The Battle is Joined. I think this is were Starbuck got it.

My Toasters.

That evening I played in Mark’s TOOFATLardies B'Maso! game set in Rhodesia were my forces set up an ambush on a police unit.

 Death in the swale.

Looks like the Rhodesian Police are having a spot of trouble.

It is wonderful what you can do with only two mines.
Lastly Tom Ballou ran a Chain of Command, also by TOOFATLardies, on Saturday for the Lardies that were not able to get into his Friday game. Here the Russians were trying to stop the Germans in 1941 with little success.

Funny thing is that in both Lardy games mines were a big part of the game. Worked in Rhodesia but not in Russia.

My purchases were limited to projects I was trying to complete. These include:

• Items on my painting table
• Néry 1914 not sure what rule system
• Berlin 1945 for Chain of Command
• Poland 1939 for Chain of Command

For the Berlin battle in a zoo I had to purchase a couple of Tigers. I have been able to hold off for 30+ years of gaming to purchase these WWII monsters. Not to bad I guess.