First Legion: January Releases

Welcome First Legion fans to what is a slightly shorter post on account of the fact that there are fewer releases from the company this month than we have become accustomed to of late. Nevertheless, there's plenty here to feast your eyes on and get your teeth into so, without further ado, tuck in!

First Legion

February 2014 Releases! Alexander and Macedonian Companion cavalry Alexander and Macedonian Companion cavalry as an addition to our World of the Greeks figure range. These 8 stunning figures set the stage for the heroic charge on Darius' center at the Battle of Gaugamela. The Companion Cavalry were the world's first heavy cavalry initially formed by King Philip II and made famous by Alexander the Great. The unit was made up of chosen Companions and Hetaroi and acted as Alexander's personal bodyguard. AG016 Alexander the Great  AG017 Hephaestion  AG018 Cleitus the Black  AG019 Macedonian Hetairoi with Spear #1  AG020 Macedonian Hetairoi with Spear #2  AG021 Macedonian Hetairoi with Spear #3  AG022 Macedonian Hetairoi with Sword #4  AG023 Macedonian Hetairoi with Sword #5  Alexander and Macedonian Companion cavalry Eastern Auxiliary Archers ROM073 Eastern Auxiliary Archer Commander  ROM074 Eastern Auxiliary Archer Standing Firing  ROM075 Eastern Auxiliary Archer Standing Loading  ROM076 Eastern Auxiliary Archer Kneeling Firing  ROM077 Eastern Auxiliary Archer Standing Firing  ROM078 Eastern Auxiliary Archer Kneeling Loading  Eastern Auxiliary Archers German 6th Parachute regiment - Normandy Fallschirmjager German 6th Parachute regiment at Normandy in 1944. Together with the 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division, these troops counterattacked at Carentan against the 101st Airborne at the Battle of Bloody Gulch thus making them the perfect complement to our Waffen SS and US Airborne figures. NOR026 German Fallschirmjager Lieutenant with STG 44  NOR027 German Fallschirmjager MG42 Team  NOR028 German Fallschirmjager Firing K98 Rifle  NOR029 German Fallschirmjager Kneeling Firing MP40  NOR030 German Fallschirmjager Running with MP40  NOR031 German Fallschirmjager Kneeling with Panzerfaust  NOR032 German Fallschirmjager Throwing Grenade  NOR033 German Fallschirmjager Panzerschrek Team  NOR034 German Fallschirmjager with K98 Rifle Grenade  NOR035 German Fallschirmjager Running with MG42 Ammo  German 6th Parachute regiment - Normandy Fallschirmjager   Happy Hunting!

JJD: February Releases

Here goes with the latest batch of soon to be released figures from JJD with additional images courtesy of Toy Soldiers Club in Canada

Happy Hunting!

JJD: Special Announcement

John Jenkins

New Arriving In January JJ DESIGNS COLLECTORS' CLUB 2014, MEMBERSHIP FIGURES This coming year, there will be a choice of 3 Membership figures. Each Membership set also includes the following; THE 2013 COLLECTORS CLUB ANNUAL, PRODUCT LIST SUPPLEMENT AND THE 2014 CALENDAR JJCLUB-2014A -- Battle of Fort Carillon 1758, British Light Infantry, 55th Foot Regiment, Private Jenkins The 55th Foot Regiment, was Lord Howe's regiment, and these soldiers displayed the field modifications introduced by that energetic and gifted commander. The main goals of which were to improve functionality in the American wilderness. Hats were cropped, and coats were docked short with the lace removed, so as not to encumber the men in the thick forest. The hair was also cropped short for ease and comfort, a measure Lord Howe was also to follow. Hatchets were carried instead of swords, and an extra cartridge box at the waist brought the total ammunition carried by each man up to 36 rounds. Each man would also carry in his knapsack a large supply of meal, which he was expected to cook for himself. JJCLUB-2014B -- Peninsular War 1807-1814, British Royal Engineers, Lt. D.P Jenkins There were never more than 30 engineers at any time serving with Wellington's army in the Peninsular. They were all officers and came under the board of Ordnance. Their main function was to organize and oversee the sieges. The Duke was to write in a letter to Lord Liverpool after the costly siege and assault of Badajoz "...our engineers, though well-educated and brave, have never turned their minds to the mode of conducting a regular siege, as it is useless to think of that which it is impossible in our service, to perform." The main problem stemmed from a lack of proper grounding in siege operations and having only unwilling and unskilled working parties of infantry to work with. It was this lack of trained subordinates which hindered their work. When released from the pressure associated with a siege, allowed time and given unlimited labour, the engineers demonstrated remarkable resourcefulness. The supervision of the construction of the Lines of Torres Vedras is an example of what they were capable of. JJCLUB-2014C -- Great War 1914-1918, Army Service Corps, 9th Divisional Train ASC, 104th Company, Private Benjamin Davies. Each Division of the army had a certain amount of transport under its command, known as the Divisional Train. It was the "workhorse" of the division in terms of carrying stores and supplies. It mainly composed of 26 officers and 402 men of other ranks, who looked after 378 horses, 17 carts, 125 wagons and 30 bicycles. Therefore although the British army was probably the most mechanized of all the Great War armies, it still relied heavily on horse power for the transportation of supplies, guns, ammunition and men. Because roads were so completely broken up by alternate frost, snow and rain, the only way to get ammunition to the forward batteries was to carry it up in panniers slung on horses and mules. These "warhorses" shifted millions of tons of rations and ammunition up to the front line. The statistics show that 900,000 British men died in France between 1914, and 1918, which was 1 in 8 of those who went to war. A million horses were also sent overseas, only 62,000 were to return. John Jenkins Collectors Club  Happy Hunting!

Thomas Gunn Miniatures: New Year Releases

New Year releases from Thomas Gunn Miniatures

Thomas Gunn

New Releases Expected Late January! French Foreign Legion FFL012 -- Arabs Advancing - Two Arabs to fight your FFL opponents, one sneaking forward on the ground holding a knife whilst the second advances cautiously, rifle at the ready. Limited to 100 of each version. FFL013 -- Arabs Firing / Wounded - One Arab kneels to the ground having just been wounded whilst his brother in arms provides covering fire. Limited to 100 in number. FFL014 -- Parade Soldier (Stubble) - Features a Legionnaire on parade with Kepi and Havelock. FFL015 -- Parade Officer - No parade would be complete without an officer and we have added a fine looking figure to inspect the troops. FFL016A -- St Etienne MG Set (Gunner White Kepi) - St Etienne HMG set. Features a 2 man crew, 1 gunner and 1 loader with their St Etienne ready to fire. The A version gunner sports a Kepi with Havelock whilst the B version features a gunner with plain white Kepi and sporting a beard. Limited to 100 of each version FFL016B -- MG Set (Gunner Cap)  FFL020 -- Parade Soldier (Beared) - Comprises another soldier on parade or guard duty. This time with plain white Kepi and a beard. Limited to 100 in number. FFL021A -- Officer (White Kepi) - A great addition to our FFL 016 HMG set, an officer readies himself to give the 'fire' command! Our A version wears a kepi with Havelock whilst the B version wears a plain white kepi minus Havelock but does sport a beard. There are 100 of each version. FFL021B -- Officer (Cap)  French Foreign Legion African Wars Features 2 more Privates from the 24th Regiment charging into action. Supplies to the troops in the far flung corners of the empire were sometimes erratic in getting through. We therefore try to show some of our soldiers in locally acquired items rather than the official uniform guide you see in Hollywood films! Our A version soldiers wear locally made white trousers with one soldier wearing a leather style slouch hat. The B version wear the more traditional blue trousers with one figure sporting a nasty head wound and the other wearing army issue Sola Topee hat. Limited to 100 of each version. SFA003A -- Charge (White Trousers)  SFA003B -- Charge (Blue Trousers)  African Wars Berlin 1938 Parade Series The SA were the strong arm wing of the Nazis used by Hitler to enforce his policy, with use of any means deemed necessary! We have two more additions to this series in the form of mounted figures! BER007 -- Mounted SA Officer - Mounted SA Officer on white and grey horse reviewing SA troops as they march past. Limited to 100 in number BER008 -- Mounted Police trooper - Great for a parade item, these SA mounted Police are ideal on parade or actually policing the parade - you choose! Limited to 100 in number. TG-FREE008 -- Von Kleist - A Field Marshall in the German army, Von Kleist was awarded the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords for his service to the Reich during WW2. Serving with distinction on the Western front in the early part of the war, he was then transferred to the Eastern Front until 1944. Kleist was dismissed by Hitler in March 1944 who wanted more ruthless Generals prepared to carry out his orders, regardless of the human cost. Von Kleist was handed over to the Yugoslav government at the end of the war by the UK government. The Yugoslavs sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment for unspecified war crimes. Three years into his sentence Von Kleist was handed over to the Soviets who then charged him with amongst other things, with being kinder to the Soviet people than the Soviet government! Von Kleist died in solitary confinement in a Russian prison age 73, the highest ranking German officer to die in Soviet captivity. This figure is limited to 100 pieces WWII German forces   Happy Hunting!

Figarti: New Releases

A few more releases from Figarti including a couple of cracking German tanks

Figarti

New Releases expected Late January / February 2014!
F30 German Collection

• ETG-083 -- German Panther G Tank - Ambush Camo 
• ETG-097 -- Winter Tiger I 

F30 German Collection

F30 American Collection
Battle of the Bulge

• ETA-040 -- Rifle Squad-- Two American Riflemen 
• ETA-041 -- Here They Come! Set 1-- Two American Riflemen 
• ETA-042 -- Here They Come! Set 2-- Two American Riflemen 
• ETA-043 -- Radio for Help!-- Two American Infantrymen on Scenic Base 
• ETA-044 -- Fill the Gap! -- Two American Infantrymen 
• ETA-045 -- Got Ya, Fritz! -- Three painted metal figures 

F30 American Collection

 

Happy Hunting!

Latest Additions: Part 2

Shortly before Christmas I also purchased the following. Again, all recently retired sets from K and C, this time picked up from Mike and the team at King and Country UK

The flag bearer, together with the SS officer and his young HJ son, will all feature as part of the Liebstandarte parade scene I already have set up, and have featured before in previous posts. The plan for the street poster drum is to have it as a feature of the Berlin street scene along with the bill posters and advertising hoarding which I already have

The Berlin street scene diorama is one of the projects I'm really looking forward to developing over the course of the year, and I'll be posting about it as it progresses. Until next time.....