Tuesday, 25 August 2015

French Indo-China

Now i Don`t game Indo-China, but when I saw this photo I knew I had to try and build one -

Based on a Matchbox M16 chassis
The gun is HAT Industrie and the crew S&S + Raventhorpe
Loads of various stowage too.
  


M52 LMG team by Elhiem
 
 Snipers (Elhiem)
 
Spotter/comms team and various infantry (all Liberation Miniatures)






Sunday, 23 August 2015

Spanish Tercio Sahariano circa 1958

Tercio Sahariano

In 1957-58 Spain fought a short war to hold onto its Western Sahara possessions against locals supported by Morocco. 

This was a very small scale local conflict, one which I think is highly playable. 
Also the kit used was an interesting mix, making it visually appealing too.

Now I`ve already done a couple of Legion squads with S15T transports, here -
http://baberonwargames.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/tercio-saharino-circa-1958.html
But wanted to expand the unit to a full company under our rules.

 M3 half-track
An ancient Hasawaga 1/72nd scale model, repaired, stowed up and re-painted
All the decals and markings are all hand done




Jeep
Another very old model resurrected for this project
The Jeep is Skytrex, the driver Britannia (DAK) 


Command element
These are Raventhorpe Med. Germans, I added the STG44, the aerial and altered the heads
 Legionnaires
Mostly Liberation Miniatures Iraqis with various Raventhorpe heads
 The NCO with the blue scarf is Britannia (DAK)

 MG42 team - Raventhorpe Med. Germans



Wednesday, 12 August 2015

Pancho Villa`s medical wagon

Trains played a hugely important role in the various revolutions in Mexico!
The vast distances involved are often over-looked by wargamers who are mostly interested in the tabletop battles.

All armies used trains to transport thier supplies, artillery and ancillary units between cities and battles. 

The possession of rail lines and rolling stock became major objectives as was deigning such things to the enemy, all sides took time to rip up track to prevent their enemies advance/retreat.

Pancho Villa`s Army of the North had several trains to carry his artillery, supplies and even his aircraft. Each train had its own medical units with carriages or wagons set aside just to look after the wounded. J Hinds - "Battles of the Mexican Revolution" describes them as white-washed with large blue crosses! Why blue and not red crosses - I have no idea??

Anyway here's my attempt, along with a medical unit made up using IT Miniatures British WW1 field hospital figures and a Combat Miniatures Japanese officer with some minor alterations and head-swaps.

When I posted these pics over on The Guild, one of the lads there "Cowboy" came up with a simple plausible answer to the "why blue crosses" question -
Cruz Azul/ Blue Cross symbol was used by charitable aid societies founded in the last quarter of the 19th century in Mexico. In many places they were the only providers of medical/nursing care to the poor. The Spanish Red Cross only began its work in Mexico about 1898 and had a very small presence for some years. Perhaps this explains why the significance, meaning of the Blue Cross was better known to most Mexicans at this time