First Legion: Forthcoming Releases

Welcome to the first First Legion newsletter of the new year. I hope you enjoy these figures as I much as I do! First up, some new German figures for their Napoleonic, Battle of Waterloo range
 

Brunswick

The Duchy of Brunswick was officially reconstituted in 1814, just a week before Waterloo, from the recently disbanded Kingdom of Westphalia, a satellite state created by Napoleon as part of the Confederation of the Rhine

Frederick William the Duke of Brunswick was against the French domination of Germany and with Austria’s assistance raised the famous “Black Legion” to continue the resistance against their French opressors.  Uniformed in black, many of these troops fought with the British both in the Penninsula and during the 100 days campaign which climaxed at Waterloo

Specially trained as light infantry, the Avant Garde Jaeger Battalion had two companies of light infantry and two companies of Jaegers and they wore some of the most unique uniforms of the period. Presented here with the level of sculpting and painting that First Legion is known for, these figures will make an excellent addition to any serious Napoleonic figure collection!

Next up, yet more Germans, leaping forward in time a century or so to the Soviet Union in the 1940s!

GERSTAL039 - German BMW R75 Motorcycle Combination
 24th Panzer Division - Stalingrad 1942

The Reconaissance battalion of a German Panzer Division functioned much like the cavalry of horse and musket armies, able to move rapidly and find and fix the enemy. The BMW R75 Motorcycle was an integral part of German Reconaissance units. This highly detailed model is made up of a mixed media construction, primarily resin with metal, photo etched, and plastic parts

The driver and passenger are separate figures so the model can be displayed with an empty passenger car if desired or the driver of this bike can be used with the GERSTAL041 Motorcycle as well (and the Feldgendarme of GERSTAL041 can equally well sit on this version). We are extremely proud of this wonderfully detailed model!

GERSTAL041 - German BMW R75 Feldgendarme Motorcycle Combination
16th Panzer Division - Stalingrad 1942

The German Feldgendarmerie, or military police, played an important role in keeping order and discipline amongst the troops.  This was even more important at Stalingrad as discipline started to breakdown during the period of the Kessel and order had to be maintained

 

This highly detailed model is made up of a mixed media construction. The Felgendarme is a separate figure so the model can be displayed by itself without the figure or you can use the GERSTAL041 driver for this bike with the covered passenger car (and the Feldgendarme of GERSTAL041 can equally well sit on the GERSTAL039 bike)

The following figure would make a wonderful addition to any diorama featuring the Feldgendarmerie!

Last, but by no means least, is this cracking little vignette featuring a sharp-shooting German sniper, very reminiscent of the film starring Jude Law and Robert Duvall [I think!], the name of which I'm ashamed to say I can't quite recall. A cracking film though!

GERSTAL040 - German Sniper Behind Wall - Stalingrad 1942

This beautifully sculpted and painted German Sniper has taken up position sitting on a broken pipe behind a shattered section of wall.  He is prepared to be there for the long haul and has brought a thermos with him to help him cope with the freezing temperatures of Stalingrad

Happy hunting!

Thomas Gunn: Recent Releases

Hello again, fellow collectors. Please find below a reproduction of the latest releases newsletter from Thomas Gunn

Dear All

Firstly a Happy New Year to you all and here's to a great 2012 for all you collectors out there. Without any further delay here's the latest releases from TGM for January 2012.  All these sets are available next week including some of the replacement SS011/12 Cavalry figures. Anybody who needs these cavalry figures please let me know at your earliest convenience

SS031 Battle Group Part 3
A great accompaniment to our Mine Clearers from last month or any other action dio your imagination stretches to!
A two man set featuring a kneeling firing figure with no base for maximum flexibility and another figure hastily fitting a bayonet for the forthcoming close combat!

Available in Waffen SS colours (200 sets) as the A version and DAK colours (100 sets) for the B version. Priced at a competitive $64 which is still amazing value when you think of the limited production run and the detail that comes with this set!

SS032 Battle Group Part 4
The last of our Battle Group series also features a two man set with one kneeling figure priming his potato masher grenade and the other reloading a fresh clip into his rifle

Available in late war Waffen SS colours (200 sets) as the A version and DAK colours (100 sets) for the B version. Priced once again at a competitive $64

ATW002 Quad 50 Flak Gun
The Maxon M45 power turret mounted four .50 calibre Browning M2 heavy barrel machine guns - this was the famous quad fifty.  The multiple machine guns excelled in duels with aircraft flying up to 1,500 feet, and also provided AA fire units with local defence against ground attack or infiltration. In its secondary role of engaging ground troops, the quad fifty was evaluated post-war as "vicious and effective" when facing light armoured vehicles and enemy infantry. The reputation the weapon gained in World War II kept the quad mounts in America's wars up to and including Vietnam

The Quad turret could be mounted on a half track or on one of 2 trailers, our model is the later M55 version. Issued mainly to Airborne Anti Aircraft (AAA) units the M55 version also found its way into other GI units because of its effectiveness against air and ground targets

Available in 2 versions with 150 being produced in the Normandy and a further 150 in the BOB colour schemes. The gun will fully rotate and elevate. The 81st AAA Battalion were issued the Quad 50 and were an organic part of the 101st Airborne Division . Our model therefore comes with a gunner and a rookie officer (wearing his trench coat) from the 101st scanning the skies for the Luftwaffe. Priced at $110 it's a must for any collector of the American Airborne series

Also available this month (but covered in last month's notes) are LOA001 Lawrence, LOA002/GW002 Hotchkiss MG set and last but not least GW001 Flamethrower, a set which has been very heavily pre-ordered and looks set to be very popular. On a personal note I would like to add we have more WW1 figures with gas masks in the works and these will hopefully follow later in 2012

NAPS001 unfortunately missed the December boat and will now be here in February, hopefully at the same time as some of our new French Napoleonic infantry!

More pictures of all the above are available on our website at www.tomgunn.co.uk.

Kind Regards Tom

So, there you have it, more very keenly priced releases from TGM. Happy hunting!

King and Country Dispatches

Welcome to the first K&C dispatches of 2012. We begin with those figures referred to in last month's post that are now available for sale

APPEARING IN JANUARY 2012…

“Return to Waterloo”

As previewed in December’s dispatches six all-new French Infantry-of-the-Line to add extra depth, colour and numbers to the Emperor’s Army at Waterloo…

NA243 “FLI Standing Firing”
NA244 “FLI Biting Cartridge”
NA245 “FLI Loading from Pouch”
NA246 “FLI Standing Ready”
NA247 “FLI Preparing to Repel”
NA248 “FLI Kneeling Firing”


“DESTINATION TOBRUK!”

“The Desert War” fought between 1940 and 1943 in the harsh, unyielding environment of North Africa is one of K&C’s most collected ranges. These latest add-ons are sure to please quite a few of the fans of K&C’s “Desert Rats”…

EA058 “The M7 Priest” (British version)
EA061 “M7 Priest Crew” (add-ons)
EA063 “Foreign Legion Marching w/Rifle”
EA064 “FL Marching w/ Light Machine Gun”
EA065 “FL Marching NCO w/ Tommy Gun”
EA062 “Morris CS8 British 15cwt. Truck
Special Note: This 15cwt truck is a “Series 250” release
EA067 “Aussie Officer w/Binos”
EA068 “Aussie Sergeant w/ Tommy-Gun”
EA069 “Aussie Bren Gunner”
EA070 “Aussie Advancing w/ Rifle”
EA071 “Aussie on Guard”
EA072 “Bringing up Supplies”
EA073 “Aussie w/Rifle at the Trail”
EA074 “Dead Afrika Korps”

“THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY”

LW045 “Franz von Werra’s Me 109”
Just 250 of this model are being made
FOB071 “Standing Bobby”
FOB076 “Tommy on Guard”
FOB078 “Prisoner & Escort”

Amongst the new releases being announced for later this month and on into February will be two small sets of figures to mark the 70th anniversary of that fateful day, February 15th 1942, when Singapore fell, and was formally handed over, to the Japanese and an ox cart, laden down with baggage, which was originally designed for their 'Life of Jesus' series, together with the following

“Napoleon ventures deeper into Egypt”

Four more additions to this colourful series which is proving to be one of K&C’s most popular

NE011 “Mounted Infantryman?”
NE013 “The Laughing Drummer Boy”
NE016 “Standing Napoleon”
NE017 “Watching French Officer”



“SOMEWHERE IN LIBYA”

The War in the Western Desert of North Africa between 1940 and 1943 is a fertile playground for K&C enthusiasts who collect Britain’s Eighth Army and Rommel’s legendary Afrika Korps


AK085 “Daimler Dingo Armoured Car (Afrika Korps version)” Series 250
As most AK collectors already know Rommel’s forces were always drastically short of men, vehicles and supplies. However they were very adept at making much use of captured enemy vehicles, weapons and equipment whenever and wherever they could lay their hands on them…
AK086 “General Ludwig Cruwell”
AK087 “AK Photographer” [pictured]
AK088 “AK Feldwebel”
AK089 “AK Hot and Thirsty”
AK090 “AK Rifleman”

This former British vehicle, although well-used and battle-weary, has received large, prominent German crosses painted on it as well as a Nazi swastika flag pinned on top of its rear engine cover for aircraft recognition purposes. The model also includes an Afrika Korps driver as well as a separate MG34 machine gun

“DANGER UXB!”

“Danger UXB” stands for “ Danger Unexploded Bomb” and was also the title of a popular British television drama series of the late 1970’s. The series told the story of a group of Royal Engineers tasked with the difficult and highly dangerous job of defusing unexploded bombs dropped by Goering’s Luftwaffe on British cities during the Blitz and afterwards

 

FoB069 “Bomb Disposal Tilly”
FoB072 “Danger UXB”
FoB073 “Sapper Sergeant”
FoB074 “Sappers at work”
FoB075 “Blitz Police Constable”

Among the vehicles most used by the UXB teams was the little Austin “Tilly”. This latest “Series 250” version has a new paint-scheme, with the bright red mudguards of all bomb disposal vehicles and a male Royal Engineers “Sapper” driver. Just 250 have been produced

“A Few More French Crusaders”

MK086 “Mounted Templar d rawing Sword”
MK087 “French Knight with Lance”
MK089 “Sergeant-at-Arms w/ double-handed Sword”

“KRIEGSMARINE ON PARADE”

One of the unexpected, but great, surprises of our “BERLIN ‘38” series was the huge popularity of the Kriegsmarine sailors on parade. So, we thought we would add a few more

LAH158 “KM Drum Major”
LAH159 “KM Drummer”
LAH160 “KM Fifer”
LAH161 “KM Singing Sailor”
LAH162 “KM Kettle Drummer”
LAH163 “KM Naval Trumpeter”

Finally, but by no means least, indeed for many collectors this may be the most important part of the dispatches post each month, what sets are being retired? In short, quite a lot this month. Here is the full list, and pictures can be seen on the K&C website

“BEING RETIRED”

AK059 “Control Tower”
AL006 “Dismounted Australian Lighthorseman”
BBG038 “Gun Crew Set No.1”
BBG046 “Gun Crew Set No.2”
HK077 “The Street Book Seller Set”
MK043 “Saracen w/ Lance Down”
MK044 “Saracen w/ Lance Up”
RAF010 “MG Sports Car Set”
WS136 “General & Adjutant”
WS137 “Discussing the War”
WS142 “ Cossack Feldgendarmerie with Prisoner”
WS143 “Mounted Cossack Officer w/ Sword”
WS144 “Mounted Cossack Scout”
WS145 “Mounted Cossack Holding Rifle (Looking Right)”
WS146 “Mounted Cossack Holding Rifle (Looking Left)”
WS147 “Standing Cossack and Horse”
WS148 “Mounted Cossack Pointing”
WS149 “Dismounted Cossack NCO”
WS150 “General Helmut Von Pannwitz”

Until next time. Happy hunting!!

First World War Foray

Well here we are, the New Year has arrived, so welcome to 2012 and here's hoping for a good one. I don't know about you but I'm not really one for making New Year's resolutions in the traditional sense however, I have resolved to embark on two new collections and one of them will be themed around the First World War

Currently I don't have any First World War figures in my collection, not a single solitary one, but that may be about to change. Towards the back of the latest edition of Toy Soldier Collector is an article reviewing two new planes by John Jenkins Designs [JJD] together with a very interesting armoured car, the Ehrhardt E-V, an impressive looking model I'm sure you'll agree which comes with a rotating turret and is priced at about £105

The E-V/4 Panzerkraftwagen Ehrhardt was one of the first examples of a type of high and flatsided armoured car design that the Germans used almost until the start of the Second World War for internal policing duties. It weighed nearly 9 tons, had a crew of eight or nine, and carried an armament of up to three machine-guns

Conception and design

The Belgians were the first to demonstrate the potential of the armoured car in mobile warfare, with the Minerva Armoured Car. German infantry and cavalry were at times distinctly inconvenienced by the hit-and-run tactics employed by the Belgian armoured cars. Having suffered somewhat at the hands of these vehicles, the German Army decided to produce its own armoured car, but without any practical experience they approached the car manufacturing companies Ehrhardt, Daimler and Büssing, and ordered a prototype armoured car from each

During 1915, the three companies produced the ordered prototypes. In all three cases the companies chose to ignore the fact that the Belgian armoured cars were little more than converted touring cars, and developed what they perceived to be more suitable vehicles. As a result all three prototypes were massive vehicles, the largest of which was the Büssing. The Ehrhardt and Daimler designs were very similar. Both placed the engine in the front, surrounded by armour, and had a large box-like body at the rear with a turret or cupolas on the top. Both sported a clumsy appearance and were far too heavy for the effective fulfillment of the operational tasks the German Army demanded of them

The Daimler and Ehrhardt prototypes were both reliant on the use of double wheels on each side at the rear and had flanges on the single wheels at the front of the vehicle, in an effort to reduce ground pressure and so enhance the cross-country mobility of the vehicle. All three cars had a crew of eight or nine men, carried an armament of at least three machine guns, and possessed a maximum armour thickness of 9 mm

Operational history

Along with some improvised conversions the three prototypes were formed into one unit and sent first to the Baltic and then to the Western Front. Conditions on both fronts were so bad that armoured cars could achieve very little, and the vehicles were eventually deployed on the Russian part of the Eastern Front, where they could at least use their mobility to some effect

It was then that there emerged a need for more vehicles, and so Ehrhardt was contracted to build a further 20 vehicles. These vehicles were 1.72 tons lighter than the original Panzerkraftwagen Ehrhardt of 1915. Designated the Panzerkampfwagen Ehrhardt 1917, these vehicles were completed with revised frontal armour. The vehicles were sent to the Eastern Front and served there until the end of the fighting late in 1917

Thereafter they were retained in Germany for internal policing duties. They were so successful in this role that an additional 20 vehicles were ordered and produced in 1919. The E-V/4 was thought to be just what internal policing required, for its height gave it the capacity to tower over crowds and offer police units better control of riots. They were in use almost until the beginning of World War II

I think this would make an excellent start to the collection which I have chosen to theme around late war and Stormtrooper figures. As you probably already know Thomas Gunn have recently announced the release of a number of WW1 figures sets for their new range and included amongst the first few releases will be the flamethrower figures pictured below. I think they would look fantastic when paired with the JJD vehicle

As we all know K&C have been producing a series of Great War figure sets for quite some time, some of which have already been retired. I reckon the following pieces would fit in very nicely with the late war theme I have chosen to focus on and would make very suitable accompaniments to the JJD and TG releases pictured above

German infantry with late war pattern helmet

 

This set of grenadiers has recently been retired and will probably be the first set I buy, if I can still get hold of it!

German officer with pistol and field telephone

Although not entirely in keeping with the theme I have chosen the following pieces are also quite interesting and certainly worth keeping in mind

Kaiser Bill's Staffwagen. Kaiser Wilhelm II, Germany's Imperial Warlord, liked to be as close to the action as his generals would allow. In order to do so, comfortably, he had several special staff vehicles built to carry him

Two different depictions of Kaiser Wilhelm II

The fabled and imposing Paul von Hindenburg, one of Germany's greatest generals and future President of the Republic

Private Adolf Hitler as he might have looked before being promoted to Corporal and eventually invalided out of the action!

Once again, have a happy 2012 and happy hunting as you go in search of those special pieces to add to your own collections