From DaveD: Nam - M50 Ontos “Big Boom Boy!” (23 points)

It’s time for another Nam vehicle - this time the Marines mobile fire power in the form  of an M50 Ontos -Greek for “thing! . Lots of firepower in a small package - 6x 105mm recoil less rifles . 

When all six weapons were fired at once when it was tested  the back blast from the firing knocked bricks out of a nearby building and knocked the rear windows out of several cars. It was light enough to cross pontoon bridges and be slung under a large helicopter . The armour was only any good against small arms - and it only carried 18 rounds of ammo - which the crew had to get out of the vehicle to reload . However given the amount if firepower it had it was a fire favourite of the grunts . 

 

I cut down a Gringo4s mortar crewman with his hands over ears to use as the crewman 

Things are a tad busy at the moment but this entry manages to keep things going with an entry every week since the challenge started . 

So total points = 20 for vehicle and I will call it 3 for the crew as I only  claimed 2 for last weeks crewman - so it should round it up to 5 for both . 

Another 23 for the Never ending Cold War challenge too . 

The BIG Nam game has been penciled in for mid August.  8 players on 2 tables each 24x6 . It will be epic.. 

What's better than one 105mm recoilless rifle? Six of them, mounted on a vehicle! Great work on this "Thing", Dave!

Tamsin

From DaveD - M88 ARV (22pts)

 Next up is another recent vehicle acquisition . It’s a M88 armoured recovery vehicle . I do like having engineering assets in a game as they make for great scenario creations . 

This a resin  and metal kit  from Simon at Full Metal Miniatures. I have modelled it so the A frame jib can be down or in use , I had to skip doing the support cables in that case but it still looks good . 

 

The command figure is a one I has from a Gringo40s a USAF figure cut down . I have an added a crate of “33” beer to the rear - an interesting evening research on a chat on what beers were drunk in Vietnam - Hic !. 

So 1 x 28mm vehicle = 20 points , 2 for the command figure.

Great work on the recovery vehicle, Dave!

I must confess that I was wondering where the rest of this entry was, but it is indeed just the one vehicle. Hopefully that means you are working on another of your mega submissions in the background.

Tamsin

From DaveD - the BUFF and the chickens (207 points)

Keeping Tuesday Turnip Free! I have enlisted the help of General Cheeseburger . 

And what better to make roast vegetables than one of these bad boys - a B52 or a Big Ugly Fat F****r Carrying 30 tons of destruction. Oh this is a big boy. 

So big I had take it outside to get proper pictures !

Biggest decals I’ve ever worked on - at least they were decent quality . Nice big 2nd Airforce markings on the tail 

It’s painted up in South East Asia camo . With a black underside and tail .

Yes this is true madness - a B52 in 1/72nd - I had to compromise from 1/48th  in the end .I picked up the kit on  eBay with some bits missing hence it was cheaper than normal . I had to make the transparency for the cockpit from bits of yoghurt pot etc . Its a 32 inch wingspan , 28 inches long and 6 inches high . About the size of 12 normal 1/72nd fighter kits . Or if we apply the rule of Ken and multiply lots who knows how many points this is  ! So I will leave that with Tamsin to work out points .I certainly used a lot of paint through the airbrush !

 

Cue Major Kong - is that a major root vegetable site down there?

I might just have to throw it off the shed roof to “to destroy” it . 

Now what’s it for I hear you say . Well it’s for Nam , but not obviously as flying playing model - the flight stand would be worth all the challenge points in the world on its own . Well I have two options at the moment . Having dug around there is scenario fodder in that while these were based in Thailand the VC did do some commando raids , destroying some other aircraft on the ground  . That will all look cool, so  I have the wheels kept separate to use for that if need be . The other option which I had originally intended is to wreck it up into multiple parts to make table dressing and for scenario fodder for special ops etc . This is the most likely next step , but for now it’s left complete as can be .Time to raise the communist airforce - or a least a SAM2 battery or 7  . 

Just to prove what a bonkers week it has been at the paint table - here is the opposition air force . 

Now we go from the ridiculous to the other end of the scale - here we have 40 x 28mm chickens . Pendraken has a great range of animals (Link) in a range of scales and these are just the thing to have running around the villages . Now I’m not sure there is category they fit in at 28mm - as 200 points at 5 per chicken is a great bonus! So again I will leave these to Tamsin . I won’t count the chickens to Never Ending Cold War .

That is a totally bonkers model, Dave! I think you need to get yourself a second one though to do as wreckage - that way you can still do both scenarios you mentioned. 

Now for the scoring. There is a precedent for 28mm chickens - set by me, I think...ahh, yes, here's the post linky-link. They got scored as 2 points for a base of three chooks plus one chick so let's say 27 points for your 40 chickens (13x3x2 = 26, plus one for the 40th bird).

As for the B52, I'm not sure I should really be the minion setting precedent for scoring huge models, given that I'm working on a huge 28mm spaceship. Nevertheless, I'm happy to go with it being the equivalent of twelve 20mm vehicles as you suggest.

Tamsin

From DaveD - Nam USMC LVT’s and RR’s (120 points)

 Back to the ‘Nam which of course is the main focus for this challenge . This time it’s more kit for the Marines .

Some transport Landing Vehicle Tracked so the Marines can storm the beaches .They are properly large. I picked these up as resin 3D prints from Butlers Printed Models - not cheap but one offs ,  so just got to suck it up .

One LVT5 . These things are capable of carrying 30+ marines so are a great way of hitting the beach or crossing those rivers . Mind I can understand wanting be on the outside!. There are plenty of pictures from the time with sandbags around the top so I have modelled as such . It used a full pack of terracotta milliput to make them . I then added a 50 cal and gunner along with a guy firing an M60 . I’ve ordered a few more kneeling figures to go in as well at some point . I will also add a driver/  commander when  Full Metal have them back in stock. I would love one of these modelled with the door open - who knows in due course one may get made . 

The dismounted guys are for effect and scale 

Can’t you just hear The Halls of Mintezume ringing in your ears right now?

 

The LVT6H - is the support element with a big gun! They just filled it with ammo . Well  you need an amphibious unit with a big gun obviously. 

Doing these has seen me eye up the WW2 LVT’s I have in the stash and the box of Marines . Now if only I was playing in Miles’s Pelilieu game at Historicon.. oh wait I will be ! Now I just need to persuade the arch butterfly MartinC of this parish that he needs some Japanese and we can go island hopping as we already have all the terrain we need  - any excuse to buy a battleship … tune in next challenge … 

Next is more firepower in the form of recoilless rifles sets  Lovely figure combo from Full Metal Miniatures - just a bit of a bitch to put together as they all have separate arms.  There is one set up firing with a couple of guys hauling an ammo box , and then 4 guys straining to man haul one - they do have that look on their faces 

2 x 28mm massive vehicles = 40 points and anything you may to award for all the damn sandbags - hell I even added a pile of spent 50cal casings too . 

2 full crew and 50 cal (Crew served) 15 points 

8 Marines = 40 points 

2 guns = 20 points 

Total 115 points for the total and Never Ending Cold War 

I will need to sort out more VC and NVA at this rate . 

Next up is mostly likely more green stuff ! I have even made a start on the “bonkers” thing 😂😂😂 which is like Ken building the Bismark , then destroying it and putting it on the seabed - just it’s even bigger . Mwwwaaahaaha!. While  researching for this I came across various VC commando raids into Thailand where at times these were based . That would make a fun game I reckon.

Wingspan 32 inches, length 28 inches  ! That’s as far away as I could hold it .

Well, I'm certainly looking forward to seeing that bonkers B52 - but will you be naming it after one of the band? 

Great work on the LVTs and the RR teams. I've added on a few points for the sandbags and the extra large LVT, to round you up to 120.

Tamsin

From DaveD - The start of the Soviets 7DTTR (75 pts)

 Back to yet more green stuff . This time sees the arrival of some first class Soviets forces . A unit of T64’s , BMP2’s and two Shilka’s for air defence. 12th Guards Tank Division here we come . 

Nothing overly complicated about these lads , just a nice simple Tamiya rattle can , some washes , decals and highlighting does the job .

This sees the last of these lads for the this challenge I think.

I also picked up some resin 3D printed power pylons to add to the terrain stash . They are around 5 inches tall by 1.5 . So I am going for 3 points for  those 

15mm vehicle 9 x 8 = 72 points toward Never Ending Cold War 

Terrain 3 points 

Total -75 

Not a bad start to your Russian forces, Dave! Between all of your projects so far, is there any green paint left in the UK for the rest of us?

Tamsin

From DaveD: East Germans & French - Cold War Gone Hot - 7DTTR (293 Points)

 Right back to normality from doing silly butterfly things. Having completed the French armoured force its time for some WARPAC opposition. So sticking with our smaller nations theme here is the East German Force -a classic motor rifle company and a T55 unit (no points for the T55 though as they were already painted - just needed basing)

All 15mm

BTR60s

 

5 vehicles , 1 command 

A mix of infantry , LMG and RPG stands 

77 infantry .

For force completeness here is  the armoured element of  the force 12 x T55’s - non point scoring as I have only got around to the basing while I was doing the other stuff. I pick these up ready painted from a guy in Poland last year and they are very nice.

To round out the previous completed French armoured group I have now finished a French infantry platoon and extra  Milan teams . There is another to complete at some point .

 

49 infantry.

So grand total:-

5 vehicles = 40 points 

Vehicle crew 1 = 1pt 

Infantry 126 = 252

Total = 293

So the  points take me over target with just over a month to go  Huzzah! .

 And 293 to the Never Ending Cold War side dual  - feel my fire! 

That’s it for this project for now until we get a game in to work out what we need next I think .Well they may be a few tanks in the production line - we will see . 

Now it’s time to return to Nam!  There is some good stuff in the wings and I want to break the back of this project by the end of challenge .

Excellent work, Dave! Good to see the French and DDR get some attention! 

Tamsin

From DaveD - French battle group 7DTTR (176 points)

 Next up is the start of a new collection . It’s a wander down a 15mm Team Yankee / 7 `days to the Rhine path , partly because I like the models and we already have loads of suitable terrain. Rather than go the usual route we are choosing more minor countries . JamesM of this parish is doing Dutch , so for NATO I am adding in a French contingent 

AMX-30s 

AMX-10RC’s real paper tigers !

Roland AA and Gazelles 

VAB Mephisto HOT missiles and AMX10 APCs! 

A total of 20 armoured vehicles and 2 helicopters 

So 176 points to the good and the Neverending Cold War challenge 

That's a nice battlegroup, Dave!

Tamsin