From FrederickC: Braving the Box Barrage - Der Gegenstoß (160 points)

Germans Stormtrooper in Action by Gerry Embleton

My third submission for AHPC XV is a group of 28mm First World War German infantry from Renegade Miniatures that I bought along with last Saturday's Canadians on the same visit to Calgary some fifteen years ago. It consists of four sections of eight soldiers. Each section contains men armed with rifle and bayonet, fighting knives, entrenching spades, and lots of stick grenades. These sculpts are also a bit on the chunky side compared to other First World War miniatures, but I like the variety in the weapons being carried. The only real criticism I have is that I think the puttees should go higher. These only come up to mid-calf, but photos clearly show them coming up to just below the knee.  Alas, they are also now out of production.

After cleaning up the mold lines, etc. the figures were glued to 1 inch fender washers, and then sand was glued down with PVA. I primed them using a rattle can of Army Painter Uniform Grey primer. The figures were then painted using primarily Vallejo Acrylics as follows: skin - Flat Flesh; uniform - German Field Grey; boots, pouches, and helmet chin strap - German Camo Black Brown; puttees - one of Charcoal Grey, Hemp, or Parched Grass; Blanket - Stone Grey; rifle stock, grenade handle, and spade handle - Beige Brown; spade - Gunmetal; metal rifle parts - German Grey; bayonet and knife blades - Steel; mess tin and gas mask canister - Charcoal Grey; helmet - one of AK Interactive Dunkelgrau, Olivegrun 1 or Olivegrun 2.

Once all the painting was completed, the figures got my usual treatment with Army Painter Strong Tone Quick Shade. Again, this worked very well on these figures as the detail is quite pronounced, so the quick shade flows readily into any grooves or corners.

 On an historical note, German tactical doctrine following the Somme battles was 'defence in depth' with the forward zone only lightly held by machine gun posts. They were to just slow down the enemy, not stop them. Any ground lost in the main zone was to be regained by an immediate counterattack before the enemy could consolidate their gains. The box barrage was designed to prevent the Germans from moving their reinforcements into the captured area. During the Battle of Hill 70 in August 1917, the Canadians used the German doctrine against them.

Haig ordered Sir Arthur Currie, who in June had been placed in command of the Canadian Corps, to launch a frontal assault on the city of Lens. Instead of attacking the heavily fortified city directly, Currie, after studying the ground, convinced his British superiors that a better plan would be to capture Hill 70, directly to the north. If this dominating hill could be taken, the Germans would have no choice but to counterattack. Currie planned for artillery and machine-guns to smash these German concentrations, thereby weakening their hold on the entire sector.

The Canadians attacked on 15 August and captured many of their objectives, including the high ground. They then held their positions against 21 determined German counterattacks over the next four days. Canadian probing attacks against Lens on 21 and 23 August were unsuccessful, but Currie’s forces had inflicted severe casualties on the enemy and gained the high ground overlooking the city.

 The Canadians lost more than 9,000 soldiers at Hill 70, but killed or wounded an estimated 25,000 Germans. Currie proved an able and innovative commander. His Canadian Corps would soon move north to help Haig and his faltering Passchendaele campaign.

 

"Your Fatherland is in Danger"

 

The points being claimed are as follows:

 

32 x 28mm foot figures @ 5 points each = 160 points

Thanks for stopping by. 

Sylvain: I don't know what impresses me most in your posts between the quality (and quantity!) of your brushwork or the historical knowledge you bring to the description of your minis. I like how your bases blend with the mud of the trenches. I also like that you shared your list of paint. I had to struggle to find the right type of green for my BEF Cruiser tanks. Thanks for the great post!  

From FrederickC: Behind the Rolling Barrage - The Victors of Vimy (150 points)

 

The Taking of Vimy Ridge, Easter Monday 1917 by Richard Jack

My second submission for AHPC XV is a group of 28mm First World War Canadian infantry from Renegade Miniatures that I bought on a Christmas visit to my family in Calgary at least fifteen years ago. It consists of two Vickers machine gun teams ready to lay down suppressive fire, plus four sections of six soldiers. Each section contains four men armed with rifle and bayonet, a Lewis gunner, and his No, 2, the last heavily laden with extra drum magazines. The sculpts are a bit on the chunky side compared to other First World War miniatures, but the faces have real character. They look like they were inspired by Captain Bruce Bairnsfather's cartoons of 'Old Bill' from the pages of 'Fragments from France'. Alas, they now seem to be out of production.

After cleaning up the mold lines, etc. the figures were glued to 1 inch fender washers, and then sand was glued down with PVA. I primed them using a rattle can of Army Painter Fur Brown primer. The figures were then painted using Vallejo Acrylics as follows: skin - Flat Flesh, uniform - English Uniform, boots - German Camo Black Brown, helmet chin strap and pistol holster - Flat Earth, P08 webbing - Iraqi Sand, SBR pouch and helmet cover - Tan Yellow, helmet and rain cape - Camo Olive Green, rifle stock and entrenching tool handle - Beige Brown, metal rifle parts - German Grey, bayonet - Steel, buttons, buckles, and snaps - Brass.

Once all the painting was completed, the figures got my usual treatment with Army Painter Strong Tone Quick Shade. This worked very well on these figures as the detail is quite pronounced, so the quick shade flows readily into any grooves or corners.

Shock Troops of the British Empire

Vickers Machine Gun Teams

No. 1 Section

No. 2 Section

No. 3 Section

No. 4 Section

Perhaps Bairnsfather's best know cartoon

The points being claimed are as follows:

 

30 x 28mm foot figures @ 5 points each = 150 points

Thanks for stopping by. 

 

Sylvain: Happy New Year Frederick, it's good to know that you are participating in the Challenge this year again. These WW1 Canadian soldiers look fabulous. Nothing fancy about their bases, since they are advancing in mud, but the scenery bits you used in the background of your pictures really enhances their realism. All in all, a great entry.

 

 

 

 

 

From ScottM: Krypton and some Cavalry (150 pts)

My last post for this years Challenge lands me at Krypton. Using the 'weakness' theme I went with some Greek hoplite casualties. These 28mm metal figs are from Wargames Foundry.

I had to paint the pictures on the shields as I hate trying to put decals on domed shields.

And lastly I have a bunch of Carthaginian cavalry. These 28mm metal figs were from Renegade Miniatures. It's been a number of years since I bought these figs and since Renegade isn't around any more, I'll have to guess what they actually were. This first base I'm pretty sure are Gallic cavalry.

The next base some sort of light cavalry.

The next base I believe are Spanish cavalry.

And here's where my voyage ended:

So that should be:

• 8 - 28mm foot figs (casualties) = 40 points
• 9 - 28mm cavalry figs = 90 points
• 1 location (Krypton) = 20 points

Total = 150 points

So that wraps up my paint challenge for this year. Thank you to Curt and his crew for running another excellent Paint Challenge. On to next year!

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We'll help out Millsy as he gets his beauty sleep down in Australia. 

Lovely work on these Greeks and Carthaginians, Scott. I think you did a great job on the hoplon shields and those ancient cavalrymen look suitably ferocious. 

Thank you for joining us for this years season, Scott. I hope to see you in with the scrum next time out.

- Curt

From ScottM: Germans and Carthaginians (105 Points)

This year's challenge has been gangbusters for me as I've moved a number of projects along quite nicely. So for my last submission of the challenge, I've got a combination of two sets of 28mm figures. First up are two base of Carthaginian cavalry. The figs are from Renegade Miniatures. The base on the left are actual Carthaginians, while the one on the right are Gauls in the service of Carthage.

The second group of figures are a trio of World War II German Panzer II's from Warlord Games. Not much to say about these but that they painted up nice and easy.

So that should 6 - 28mm cavalry for 60 points and 3 - 28mm vehicles for an additional 45 points, for a grand final total of 105 points.

And that concludes my submissions for this year's challenge. Thank you to Curt and crew for running a great challenge. See you all next year!

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Beautiful work Scott. Those Carthaginian cavalry look the absolute business. I especially like that you have a few Gauls in there to add a bit of variability and interest to the unit. Lovely stuff. 

The Panzer IIs are incredibly nice as well. I'm really taken with the faded panzer grey you came up with for them Scott - that, and their overall weathering looks just terrific. 

It was wonderful having you with us again this year Scott. I hope you will be on the roster the next time the snow flies and we roll out. 
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From AlanD - Bits and Bobs for the French & Indian Wars (90 Points)

As the final hours of the Painting Challenge count down, I have had to face the reality that I won't quite make my target of 2000 points. I'll come close though, and overall I'm very happy with what I've produced since December. I'm hoping to squeeze one more entry in before the end (the students can wait a bit longer for their essays to get marked, right?), but for the moment, here are some bits and bobs to help Paul and I with our FIW campaign.

First, some civilian types from Renegade Miniatures, along with a light gun to bolster my French forces.

Given my recent record in games against Paul, I definitely need some divine intervention. Hopefully a couple of Jesuit priests from Conquest Miniatures/Warlord might do the trick.

However, given the strong likelihood that they won't, here are six casualty figures, also from Renegade.

90 points for me please Curt!

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Haha, I like how you balance the optimism of religion with the realities of secular life. I really like the little door-knocker gun (which would be like an 88 in this period). I'm also a big fan of tree stumps on bases, dunno why, just do, so kudo to you.

Give the brats a bunch of A's and get another entry in before the curtain falls. ;)

Well done Dux.

chasseurs à pied (ww1 28MM ) ClintB

chasseurs à pied

When my mate Matt asked me to paint them I had no idea what they were. To be totally honest I still don't. I an told they are WW1 French (I knew that) Light Cavalry that rode to battles on bicycles! Some clever clogs will no doubt take great pleasure in informing me. Feel Free.

Anyway here are a mixture of 24 Renegade and Scarab miniatures. First shown in big clumps so you can see them all together, then in small clumps. The conditions are not good today so forgive the pics. the short days and rain all day have not been ideal, but they are finished and they are now on the challenge blog.

You never know there may be extra points for the pigeon and the cat. Lets be honest the cat just wants the pigeon for a snack! It is a single piece casting so I would not give me extra points!

The Two figures on the right are Scarab all the others are renegade Miniatures.

I have also included a pic of what they are supposed to look like. (at the bottom.) so that is where all te colours have come from rather than paintings or black and white photos.

All I will say about the painting is that highlighting dark blue and shading dark blue is fine in the summer but of little joy in the winter But they were done for a mate and I did owe him a favour so all's well that ends well.

 Her are the WW1 Re-enactors where I selected all the colours from. So If I am wrong then so are they! (only the ones with push bikes! Not the Rouge Pantaloons in the back ground!)

Now I can go back to painting Zulus!!! Painting Dark blue in the dark when Ill is not recommended! ( Maybe I am the only one who thought it was. Now just checking the hairs on the palms of my hand!!!! They are all there!)Muhahahahaha!

MilesR: These 24 very smartly done figures will net you a well earned 120 points - made even a little better since they're painted up for a friend

From MikeP - 28mm American Civil War Infantry (140 Points)

I had to turn my back on the Challenge for the last two months to make the final push on my MA thesis, which happily went to the external reader today.  However, during these months I was able to snatch the odd hour to work on some figures, and my final entry for the Challenge is a selection of Union and Confederate infantry.

These are vintage Old Glory 28mm figures, the remnants of a bag of Hood's Texas Brigade that I bought about ten years ago.  I think these figures may be OOP now.  I had 12 figures left, enough for a four stand unit, which will get its banner the next time I place an order with either GMB or The Flag Dude.

The commander is a very dramatic fellow.  His sword broke off so I sawed off his hand and glued on a hand with a sabre from a Perry Brothers box of plastic ACW cavalry.  

I find Old Glory a rather dated line, but I like the fact that the figures seem tough and scrawny - they remind me of the famous quote about Jackson's troops during the Antietam campaign, that they looked like a pack of lean and hungry gray wolves.

I also had 8 Old Glory figures from another pack ordered years ago, infantry with slouch hats and knapsacks.  I decided to paint these up as Federals, since most Rebs carried their few possessions in a blanket roll.  With their black hats they can either flesh out my Iron Brigade units or serve as Sherman's Bummers out West.  I am not happy with the blue of the sack coats, it seems a little too dark and too purple.

Finally, here are 8 Renegade figures, which I painted up as test figures.  I would have liked to have completed the whole box, but 8 was all I had time for.   I quite like these figures, but it was slow going giving them a variety of shades of grey, tan and butternut.  I'm glad to see that Renegade figures are back in production, I would like more of them.

So, 28 28mm figures gives me, I think, 140 points, which will be my final Challenge entry and will get me over my target total. 

It's been a pleasure being part of this and seeing all your inspired work.  I look forward to going through the last six weeks of entries and catching up on what I missed.  

Cheers, MikeP


From Curt:

I knew you'd be very busy with your writing Mike so I'm absolutely delighted that you could squeak in an entry to pip your target before we switched the lights off for this year' Challenge. 

Very nice work here Padre. I too really like the scrawny look of the Old Glory sculpts - they work especially well with the Confederates I think. I quite like the look of those Renegade figures as well as they, conversely, have a nice heft to them. 

Thanks so much for participating this year Mike, it's always a pleasure seeing your work and reading your thoughtful comments. Best of luck in your thesis defense but I'm positive you won't need it.  I look forward to you basking in your upcoming Master-ness!