King and Country Dispatches

It's October 6th and a few days ago K+C announced their latest round of new releases and retirements

Available now and later in October are their new Ancient Greeks, a collection of American infantry and vehicles for Bastogne, the Eisenhower staff car set, some Napoleonic highlanders and a seriously bomb damaged building for Normandy, all featured in last month's post

As far as new releases available in November are concerned, here are some images of their new Germans, destined to fight the Americans somewhere in the Ardennes

BBG040 "Take Some!"

An SS Panzergrenadier offers to share some of his captured U.S. "C Rations" with a Volksturm rifleman. This is one of a pair of two figure sets in this release

BBG048 "Sd.Kfz. 234/1 Schwerer Panzerspahwagen"

A mighty beast of a reconnaissance vehicle, this 8-wheeled behemoth has been "snow-camouflaged" and comes with a seated, full-body vehicle commander in the turret which mounts a 20mm cannon as well as an MG42 Machine Gun... A great winter add-on!

BBG042 "Jochen Peiper"

A very well-known Waffen SS officer who was once a military adjutant to Adolf Hitler. His division is, of course, the "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler"... the premier SS Division.

BBG052 "Suspicious Trooper"

This soldier is carrying the brand-new German Assault Weapon... Only a few thousand were available for front-line troops fighting in the Ardennes. Our model looks like he's just heard something and is about to investigate.

BBG049 "Stug. III Ausf. G"

One of Nazi Germany's best and most produced self-propelled guns. This is K&C's first brand-new STUG for several years and is camouflaged in a typical, late-war 2-tone camouflage. As you can see not all "BULGE" fighting vehicles were "snow-camouflaged". Set includes the 1/2 body tank commander.

Altogether, 9 sets will be available and due for release sometime in November. I haven't been collecting the Battle of the Bulge series, and don't intend to start now, however I am rather taken by the new Stug which, since it isn't in any way 'winterised', would look perfectly lovely alongside all the other Normandy bits and pieces I've got. Hmmm. Nice!

Talking of Normandy bits and pieces, this month is going to be expensive! As I write I am already waiting on some recently retired K+C motor cycle combos from their Berlin '38 range, I've plans afoot to purchase a Figarti Panzer IV at the upcoming Birmingham Toy Soldier Show, and lo and behold K+C have just decided to retire no less than seven Waffen SS sets!

Fortunately, one of them is the massive King Tiger which, although lovely, is technically part of the BB range which I don't collect, another is the set of winter camouflaged tank riders to go with it, and yet another is a single marching SS trooper in summer camo which I already own. Not quite so bad, then. These four sets, however, I don't yet own so, sad to say, I will be forced, kicking and screaming, to buy them! 

 

I can hardly wait! Happy hunting!