As some of you will know, I've recently started a small collection of late First World War German assault troops, or stormtroopers. So far the collection extends to a handful of K&C figures, a handful of TGM figures and a single vehicle by JJD. I may be adding a few Britains figures as well but I haven't made a final decision about that just yet
I was in a well known newsagents shop the other day, leafing through the pages of an equally well known publication read by collectors of toy and model soldiers, when I came across a review of an interesting 1/6th scale action figure by DID, or to give them their full title Dragon in Dreams
It's by no means the only WW1 figure currently being produced in this scale but I was drawn to it because it represents a grenadier from the 6th Sturmbataillon, or Assault Battalion. My favourite 60mm figure, currently assuming pride of place at the front of the assault in my WW1 diorama, just so happens to be the K&C grenadier pictured below. Suffice to say, I am extremely tempted to buy one
DID figures don't come cheap. It will cost me close on £100, factoring in postage and a stand to help prop him up in the display cabinet, but I reckon it'll be worth it. Take a look at the images a little further down and see if you agree with me
I'll be sure to keep you posted. Happy hunting!
Thursday 31 January 2013
Sunday 27 January 2013
Latest Additions: K&C Waffen SS
As promised, here's the next installment in my LA series of posts. All the figure sets featured here are K&C recent retirements so may, or may not, still be available from your local dealer
The first figure, a kneeling NCO giving orders to his comrades, is part of a series of figures dressed in late war pea-dot camo and represents men of the elite SS Panzer Divisions fighting in Normandy in 1944/45
The only other figure I currently have from this series is a stricken trooper, lying on his back and clutching his bloodied mid riff, having been gunned down by the enemy. It occurred to me that both of them would look rather good riding in the back of the Raupenschlepper, [also pictured], provided they both actually fit!
The following two figure sets also depict fallen, or stricken, soldiers. In addition to these new acquisitions I also have an injured soldier being attended to by a medic, or sani, produced by Thomas Gunn Miniatures so I got to thinking, why not put together a smallish diorama featuring a collection of troopers being looked after in a makeshift field hospital
The Raupenschlepper could be commissioned as a makeshift ambulance and/or, subject to availability, I could call upon the services of the medical Kubelwagen and red cross emblazoned Opel Blitz both produced by TGM. Definitely an idea worth working on!
The Raupenschlepper is a fabulous multi-purpose vehicle, both the real world version and the model one produced by K&C. You can use it to tow guns or carry supplies or, why not, a wounded soldier or two. It's pictured here with and without its canvas soft top and with the stowage which comes with the TGM Opel Blitz [field grey version] as well as those supplied with the model
As you can see from the above photo the TGM stowage comes with a couple of red cross boxes, made to measure for a field hospital diorama! It's definitely a goer. All I really need now is a couple more vehicles.....
I'll keep you posted. Happy hunting!
The first figure, a kneeling NCO giving orders to his comrades, is part of a series of figures dressed in late war pea-dot camo and represents men of the elite SS Panzer Divisions fighting in Normandy in 1944/45
The only other figure I currently have from this series is a stricken trooper, lying on his back and clutching his bloodied mid riff, having been gunned down by the enemy. It occurred to me that both of them would look rather good riding in the back of the Raupenschlepper, [also pictured], provided they both actually fit!
The following two figure sets also depict fallen, or stricken, soldiers. In addition to these new acquisitions I also have an injured soldier being attended to by a medic, or sani, produced by Thomas Gunn Miniatures so I got to thinking, why not put together a smallish diorama featuring a collection of troopers being looked after in a makeshift field hospital
The Raupenschlepper could be commissioned as a makeshift ambulance and/or, subject to availability, I could call upon the services of the medical Kubelwagen and red cross emblazoned Opel Blitz both produced by TGM. Definitely an idea worth working on!
'This way to the field hospital, comrade' |
The Raupenschlepper is a fabulous multi-purpose vehicle, both the real world version and the model one produced by K&C. You can use it to tow guns or carry supplies or, why not, a wounded soldier or two. It's pictured here with and without its canvas soft top and with the stowage which comes with the TGM Opel Blitz [field grey version] as well as those supplied with the model
As you can see from the above photo the TGM stowage comes with a couple of red cross boxes, made to measure for a field hospital diorama! It's definitely a goer. All I really need now is a couple more vehicles.....
I'll keep you posted. Happy hunting!
Latest Additions: TGM WW1
It's been quite a while since I posted about any new additions to my own collection. By way of making up for the fact, this will be the first of a series of posts highlighting a number of new figures and vehicles acquired over the past few months
First up, four figures released by Thomas Gunn Miniatures as part of their new First World War series
Accompanying these intrepid assault troops into battle is the light machine gun team featured in the following photographs
As you can just about see from the photos the base of the machine gunner is somewhat 'bent' meaning that he doesn't lie perfectly flat on the ground. I don't know whether this is a common fault or not but it doesn't detract from the piece all that much and as part of a large diorama it really isn't all that noticeable
The figures are well posed, nicely detailed and pretty well painted. All in all, well worth the money it cost to buy them. I can't wait to see the German tank that TGM have in the pipeline
Happy hunting!
First up, four figures released by Thomas Gunn Miniatures as part of their new First World War series
I particularly like the early sub-machine gun [Bergmann MP18] and the improvised club carried by these two troopers |
Accompanying these intrepid assault troops into battle is the light machine gun team featured in the following photographs
As you can just about see from the photos the base of the machine gunner is somewhat 'bent' meaning that he doesn't lie perfectly flat on the ground. I don't know whether this is a common fault or not but it doesn't detract from the piece all that much and as part of a large diorama it really isn't all that noticeable
The figures are well posed, nicely detailed and pretty well painted. All in all, well worth the money it cost to buy them. I can't wait to see the German tank that TGM have in the pipeline
Happy hunting!
Saturday 26 January 2013
John Gittins Miniatures: New for January
The following email arrived in my inbox the other day from JGM so for those of you who admire John's work please read on and take a look at the new products he's added to his range this month
Dear
Customer
Please
find below a few details of new items for January 2013
S02B
small oak (brown) RRP
£35.00
S04ABush
oak (brown) RRP
£12.50
S09D
Birch tree (yellow) RRP
£12.50
S09E
Medium birch tree (yellow) RRP £25.00
S25
Pack of 8 sagebrush for the American West RRP
£20.00
S25A Leaf Litter RRP £5.50, supplied in a bag with card header enough to cover an
area 6 inches x 6 inches to a depth of 1/8th of an inch. This can be
used with the Autumn Oaks to give a fallen leaf effect around the tree
bases
S26 Maple (Orange) RRP
£16.00
S26A Maple (Red)
RRP £16.00
S26B Maple (Russet)
RRP £16.00
The
above 3 items are all 8 inches high approx. but have wider canopies than for
example S09 and S14
S27
Bag of Ivy RRP £6.50. Use loose as ground cover or
glue to walls and buildings, extra individual leaves are included for fine
detailing
Happy hunting!
JJD: Update
This arrived in my inbox just a few days ago and I thought I'd share it with you
January Releases Update
A quick update on the January releases we are all eagerly anticipating.
For a variety of reasons the January releases did not ship as originally
planned
John has updated us today and the January releases will now be shipping from 28th of January. We will be shipping all Pre-orders as soon as they arrive, which is anticipated to be the 1st week in February
Release Delays
Unfortunately, both LEUT-10 Leuthen Churchyard Gateway and PSG-05
Spanish Guerrillas, Two Monks Loading and Firing will not be available
until mid-March 2013
Club Set Releases
JJCLUBSET-12 Lieutenant Francis James Buchanan and Light Coehorn Mortar and JJCLUBSET-14 Mortar Wagon are at last both in production. Delivery of these limited edition sets is expected in April 2013
JJCLUBSET-15 Roger’s Servant and JJCLUBSET-16 English Travelling Blacksmith’s Forge are now both in pre-order status until 4th
March 2013 and there are new images of the painted sets available. If
you have not already confirmed your pre-order, please let us know if you
want to secure these sets
JJD UK TV
We recently posted a video of the December Toy Soldier Show on the JJD UK TV page. If you didn’t get a chance to visit the show then take a look since it gives a good feel for what the new venue is like
Happy collecting
James and Adam
Sunday 13 January 2013
The Collectors Showcase: Upcoming Goodies
Amongst the figures being announced for imminent release by TCS are these little beauties pictured below; a new Normandy version of the Hanomag 251, accessorised with four brand new 'jumpers' resplendent in their late war 'pea-dot' camo, and Wittmann's Kursk Tiger! Watch out for them!
Happy hunting!
Happy hunting!
King and Country: Dispatches
What follows is a summary of those figures being released by K&C in February. Enjoy, and as always further images and details are available on the company website
First up, a few more figures for the company's new range depicting Custer's famous last stand at the Battle of the Little Big Horn
Special Note: Fourteen all-action Sioux and Cheyenne warriors (both on foot and mounted) will be available shortly! Look out for ‘em
Next up, another of K&C's wonderful diorama pieces and another re-working of a Normandy facade first produced a number of years ago
From Normandy we cross the Mediterranean sea to North Africa and welcome four new sets to reinforce the beleagured DAK forces
Sticking with the African theme for a moment, the next release on the list features something a little different
Special Note: The Italian Army made extensive use of locally-recruited, native troops in Italian East Africa… Almost 200,000 were recruited and comprised mostly infantry, some cavalry and a few light artillery units
From Italian East Africa we journey to The Crimea for the second new release of British Line Infantry figures
Finally, here's the list of figure sets 'heading for the hills', amongst their number this rather splendid looking Tiger 1 that I still have to add to my own collection
As ever, happy hunting!
First up, a few more figures for the company's new range depicting Custer's famous last stand at the Battle of the Little Big Horn
TRW021 “Lieutenant Cooke”
TRW026 “Kneeling Ready”
TRW027 “First Aid”
TRW028 “Standing Loading Carbine”
TRW029 “The Trapped Horseman”
TRW032 “Lying Firing Carbine”
TRW033 “Clearing a Blockage”
Special Note: Fourteen all-action Sioux and Cheyenne warriors (both on foot and mounted) will be available shortly! Look out for ‘em
Next up, another of K&C's wonderful diorama pieces and another re-working of a Normandy facade first produced a number of years ago
SP054 “Café de Normandie”
More than a few years ago we produced an earlier, less detailed (and smaller) version of this. We decided it was time to revise and revisit this little piece of Normandy. The newer, bigger and better “Café de Normandie” can be used in a wide variety of settings and scenes both on its own and/or with other facades and buildings
From Normandy we cross the Mediterranean sea to North Africa and welcome four new sets to reinforce the beleagured DAK forces
AK092 “Sd.Kfz.222 Armoured Car”
AK093 “Sd.Kfz.251 Halftrack”
AK095 “2cm Flak 38 Gun Set”
AK096 “Flak Gun Crew”
Sticking with the African theme for a moment, the next release on the list features something a little different
As regular “Dispatches” readers know once a year K&C release an Italian themed series of figures and vehicles primarily (but not exclusively) aimed at our collectors in Italy. Well, this year is no exception. However, we’ve cast our net a wee bit wider to introduce some soldiers that some collectors may be less well informed about… Mussolini’s native troops
IF028 “Carabinieri Motorcycle Set”
IF030 “Italian Officer of Askaris”
IF031 “Flagbearer Sergeant”
IF032 “Charging #1”
IF033 “Charging #2”
IF034 “Crouching”
IF035 “Kneeling Firing”
IF036 “Sitting Firing”
IF037 “Lying Prone”
IF038 “Scouting For The Enemy”
IF039 “Avanti!”
IF040 “Standing Firing Rifle”
Special Note: The Italian Army made extensive use of locally-recruited, native troops in Italian East Africa… Almost 200,000 were recruited and comprised mostly infantry, some cavalry and a few light artillery units
From Italian East Africa we journey to The Crimea for the second new release of British Line Infantry figures
CR001 “Officer w/Pistol & Sword”
CR002 “Subaltern w/The Queen’s Colour”
CR012 “The Rescue”
CR013 “The Bugler”
CR014 “The Regimental Standard Bearer”
Finally, here's the list of figure sets 'heading for the hills', amongst their number this rather splendid looking Tiger 1 that I still have to add to my own collection
AK072 Afrika Korps Kubelwagen
LAH080 Reichusfuhrer Heinrich Himmler Saluting
LAH081 Martin Bormann
LAH085 Algemeine Officer Saluting
LAH086 Algemeine SS Standing
MK033 Saracen Defending w/Sword & Shield
MK037 Attacking Saracen w/Sword & Shield
MK039 Saracen Flagbearer
NA056 French Imperial Guard-General Dorsenne
NA057 Guard Officer w/Sword Marching
NA058 Guard Officer w/Flag
NA059 Guard w/Rifle Advancing
NA060 Guard w/Rifle Marching
NA061 Guard Drummer Marching
NA063 Guard w/Rifle Present Arms
NA152 Guard Standing at Attention
NA153 Guard Kneeling Firing
NA154 Guard Standing Firing
NA155 Guard Standing to Repel
NA156 Guard Loading Rifle
NA157 Guard Marching w/Rifle
WS126 Normandy Rommel
WS127 Gen.Oberst Heinz Guderian
WS151 Tiger 1
As ever, happy hunting!
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