Latest Additions: Berlin '38

This will be my last latest additions post this month and this time it features a number of figures for my Berlin '38 collection

They've all been recently retired by K&C. Some I managed to get hold of from Mike and the boys up at K&C UK and a couple of them I had to go elsewhere for. The 'elsewhere' I went to was Magpie Antiques over in Evesham, a shop I thoroughly recommend if you're looking for something that K&C UK have run out of

The pictures below show large, medium and small Hitler Youth boys, followed by two members of the BDM and finally a group photo showing all five of them joined in celebration of the parading SS and SA

They could be used as part of a street scene, which is where I fully intend to place them, or, as they are here, standing by a podium at one of the Nuremberg rallies

Purchased at the same time as the figures shown above was the one in the following photograph. He now stands at the top of the podium pictured in the background, heralding the arrival of the various dignitaries who have assembled to witness the spectacle of the march past taking place below. He is soon to be accompanied by a second trumpeter, who will be positioned on the opposite side of the podium, and a couple of eagle-topped columns. More pictures to follow!

Latest Additions

Without further ado, here comes the second of my planned LA installments featuring figures and vehicles recently added to my collection

This time it's a TGM vehicle, a version of the ubiquitous Opel Blitz truck painted in field grey and complete with 1st SS Panzer Division LAH markings to front and rear

I purchased this vehicle from the US as part of a larger consignment of figures and when it arrived the driver's side door had completely come away. TGM have mentioned in a couple of newsletters that similar things have happened before with other models, their recent Flak AA Quad 20mm being one such example. A quick touch up and a dab or two of Superglue soon sorted it out however

The following pictures show the OB set against the backdrop of one of my 'Normandy' dioramas alongside a number of K&C figures and vehicles

I've decided to display the OB, together with my recently acquired Raupenschlepper, as makeshift ambulances removing injured soldiers to a nearby field hospital. I already have one or two other casualty figures and with the addition of one or two more vehicles I want to try and acquire I think they would make an interesting new diorama. I might need to contact Dave at TM Terrain!

Latest Additions

I've been meaning to post this for quite some time but simply haven't gotten round to taking the pictures and typing the text

I'll keep it short and sweet as I'll be following it up with a couple more featuring other figures and vehicles I've recently added to the collection

When I say recently, with some of the figures, these included, that's stretching the truth somewhat. I bought these, for instance, in October last year at the Birmingham Toy Soldier Show and have only now managed to put them up on the blog

I hope you like them

Some of you may well recognise this as a Figarti model. One of the things I like about Figarti is the fact that they are in the habit of producing slightly unusual vehicles in addition to the more 'run of the mill' varieties. This one is a captured H39 which has been given a new lick of paint and turned into a fearsome looking rocket launching platform

The set is priced at £170 from Grey Goose Collectibles and comes with one removable rocket and the two crew figures shown above. They're quite nicely painted but while I really like Figarti vehicles I'm not so keen on their figures. I find they're too 'big' to work well alongside First Legion pieces and too 'skinny' to sit perfectly alongside K&C or TGM

A close up of the two opening hatches and nicely sculpted tools fixed to the side

Finally, one or two shots of the set placed in a diorama made up entirely of K&C figures and vehicles. The terrain is all pre-made and supplied by John Gittins

The British Shooting and Airsoft Show

A couple of weekends ago, me and a number of other airsoft buddies [so 5 of us in all] went along to the British Shooting Show, now incorporating the British Airsoft Show as well, and had a very enjoyable day out

The .22 rimfire copy of the famous M1 Garand, produced by Chiappa Firearms

The event was held at the show ground at Stoneleigh over two days and on the day we went, which was the Saturday, it was very well attended, so much so that by the time I got there it was proving a little difficult finding a convenient place to park the car

One of the guys originally thought he might get a little bored after an hour or two but in the end he needn't have worried. I arrived not long after 11, eventually managed to meet up with the others, who had come in two parties, and proceeded to while away the following 5 and a half hours or so looking at guns, learning about guns, chatting to people, drinking coffee, eating fast food, making the odd purchase and having my first ever 'go' with a .22 semi-automatic rifle, the highlight of mine and the rest of the lads' day!

A selection of the many .22 tactical rimfire weapons on display at the show

We've all been airsofting now for a number of years and more recently have been contemplating trying our hand at target shooting with 'real' guns. Most of us have decided to join gun clubs and apply for our FAC's and so it was that we ended up at the BSS, to educate ourselves and 'get the ball rolling' by immersing ourselves for a few hours in the world of shooting sports

As an airsofter, I was particularly interested to see what sorts of 'replica' weapons were available that would give me a similar feel to the kind of thing I was used to using on the skirmish field. Since the show I've been scouring the internet for manufacturers and retailers of these more tactical firearms

Suffice to say there was far more at the show than we, or anyone else for that matter, could ever hope to take in in a single day, let alone a few stolen hours, but one thing we were all struck by was just how 'relaxed' the whole thing was and, dare I say it, how normal it all seemed

Being a fan of anything WW2, and especially anything WW2 and German, this is what I was really drooling over. I want one! Made in Germany by GSG this is a faithful 1:1 replica of the real world weapon, the grandfather of all assault rifles, in .22 rimfire calibre. Gorgeous!

Nothing to boast about really but seeing as it was my first ever go with a real live firing weapon I was quite pleased to get nearly all of the 20 shots I paid for on target, and the grouping of some of them wasn't too bad. This was done with a Smith and Wesson M4 replica .22 rimfire rifle. Nice!

One of the group bought a beautifully hand-crafted hunting knife, designed and made by a French couple who trade under the name of Wild Steer, two of the others bought a couple of cheap and cheerful range bags and a pair of boots, another invested in an air pistol, a replica of a Heckler and Koch if memory serves, while I bought a couple of Lithium Polymer batteries for my airsoft guns. I walked away with far more than that though. I am now determined to join a gun club and apply for that FAC. A whole new world of adventure is just around the corner!

First Legion: February Update

Just a quickie for all you FL fans out there this month, not so much a new releases announcement as an advance warning 'heads up' about a number of pieces due for release shortly

First up, a number of 'Winter Russians' wrapped up well against the bitterly cold temperatures so characteristic of the infamous Russian winter. Further details are available on the company website

Next up, two light armoured cars, both SdKfz. 222's to be precise, each worked slightly differently and both representing vehicles from the 16th Panzer Division's Recce Battalion. Feast your eyes on these!

The models are made from mixed media (resin, metal, plastic, brass,  photo etch, etc...) and have the following features:
- Opening & Closing Metal Screens on Turret
- Fully Rotating Turret
- Gun Raises/Lowers into Ground Target or AA Firing Mode
- Non-Attached Stowage Accessories Included
Extremely realistic weathering and superb sculpting and painting - Perfectly Fits Tank Crew TC004/TC005

Don't you just love them. Just in case you aren't sold on them already, here are a few more images.

First Legion is pleased to present the latest vehicle for our Battle of Stalingrad figure range, the SdKfz 222 Light Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle of the 16th Panzer Division! This incredibly detailed vehicle adds to your display options for the Reconnaissance battalion of the 16th Panzer Division particularly when coupled with existing sets VEH003 SdKfz 232 and our BMW Motorcycle Combinations. Now you can put together a realistic and extensive looking armored column featuring tanks, trucks, prime movers, and reconnaissance vehicles! The model has many features such as a fully rotating turret, a gun that can be displayed lowered to engage ground targets, fully raised in anti-air mode, or in any position in between, and opening and closing anti-grenade screens on the turret. It also comes with extra stowage kit that are separate parts and can be removed from the model. Tank crew figures TC004 and TC005 were made to fit in the turret of this model, though they can of course be used with our other models as well.

Happy hunting!