From FrederickC - Early War Germans [Overdues & Returns] (160 points)

I find myself a bit slow out of the starting gate. It is already New Year's Eve, and I still haven't posted anything yet. No opening salvo to start this year's painting challenge, but perhaps a reconnaissance in force. My force of early war Germans consists of a squad of nine cavalry, nine casualties to act as pin markers and another truck specifically to be used as a weapons tow.

The nine cavalry figures are by Crusader Miniatures. The first three I got at least 25 years ago as a free sample with an order of primarily late war British/Canadian infantry packs. What do you do with three cavalry? In my case, you assemble and prime them, and then put them in a storage box for a quarter century. When I recently put in an order for more minis from Crusader, I decided to get two more packs to flesh out the original three to a total of nine. The Bolt Action rules don't have any provision for Heer cavarly, only SS units. I am not sure if they will see action on the table top, but most German infantry divisions in 1939-40 used cavalry for reconnaissance. They were painted using Vallejo acrylics with a variety of Games Workshop washes.

On an interesting note, the three original figures I received as a free sample had horses that looked more like plow horses than cavalry mounts. The more recently acquired figures had nicer sculpts for the horses, but being somewhat thinner, there was a noticeable gap between the horse's body and the saddle blanket.

 

The three free cavalrymen from Crusader Miniatures

Command group

'Forward at the trot!'

Early war German army cavalry on patrol

The nine casualties figures are by Black Tree Design, although I bought them when that line was still known as Harlequin Miniatures. They came as a pack with three minis of each of the three poses, one with a leg blown off, and another missing an arm. I am not sure what plans I had for them at time. Again, like many miniatures I have purchased, they sat in a storage box for at least 25 years. More recently I had mulled over plans to use them as pin markers for Bolt Action, and I had a few ideas on how I would do it. In the end, by the time I finally got around to doing something, several others had already done something similar. A case of 'great minds think alike'? I cut bases for them out of old plastic gift cards the same size as those I made for my cavalry figures, and then made a small box using a thin 2" strip of card scored every half inch so that it could be folded to form a square. The sides around the box were built up using Spackle, and then the base was coated with sand. The figures were painted as for the cavalry

 

9 pins markers for Bolt Action

A close up of the nasty wounds, and the box to hold the dice

The final element is a Krupp Protze Kfz 69 to act as a weapons tow for my Pak 36. I had painted up three of these trucks during AHPC XII, but did them as troop carriers. While on my re-enacting travels in April I stopped in at a hobby store and found they had one box of the same kit from Rubicon Miniatures that has the necessary parts to do either version of the truck. Just what I was looking for. The truck was painted using AK Interactive Dunkelgrau, and then given a wash of Vallejo European Dust Model Wash.

Rubicon Krupp Protze Kfz 69

A top view of the Protze. The Pak 36 is not part of the submission

While a variety of Library categories could apply to this submission, I am going to claim 'Overdues & Returns' which I definitely think applies to figures that have been sitting in the 'Pending' tray for at least 25 years.

 

The points being claimed are as follows:

5.5 x 28mm foot figures @ 5 points each = 27.5 points

9 x 28mm mounted figures @ 10 points each = 90 points

1 x 28mm vehicle @ 20 points each = 20 points

Library section 'Overdues & Returns' @ 20 points = 20 points

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Welcome back to the Challenge, Frederick! 

Great looking early war Germans! I particularly like the Heer cavalry and the Protze light truck. These are the kind of units you don't often see on the tabletop and a nice change from the ubiquitous later war Big Cats and Splinter Camo. As its the holiday season I'm rounding up on the half figures n' such (I know, how big of me). :)

Lovely stuff! Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year!

- Curt 

PS: Remember to put in your metadata labels for future searches. :)