Iraq 1941 - Iraqi 1st Infantry Division

Yesterday we had what could be described as the army's elite, remembering everything is relative. Today the noble footsloggers. They very much are leg infantry because despite being trained by the British the equipping only went so far. Thus they have no integral transport for the infantry, unlike their erstwhile trainers.

The typical Iraqi infantry division was modelled upon the British infantry of that period. So it has 3 brigades of infantry each of 3 battalions. 3 regiments of artillery with horse-drawn limbers. 1 squadron or regiment of cavalry which also fulfills a recce function. 1 horse-drawn LOG column and a motorised combined HQ, staff & signals unit.

The sources mentioned yesterday proved valuable again. Especially the Morval Earth site. The artillery is a ix of HAT WW1 German and Airfix RHA. HQ & LOG are diecasts. The cavalry is Zvezda Soviet cavalry with new heads. The infantry is HAT WW1 Turks straight from the box.

 Arty, HQ, LOG, Cav, Inf

 Aerial shot

PS The matt varnish I used was Humbrol Acrylic. I followed the directions given on the can and I got the super-dusty-been-in-the-desert-forever look you can see in the photos. Any help, tips or advice to avoid this is welcome! 

All the best!

Iraq 1941 - Iraqi Mechanized Troops

Hello all,
As you will remember I'm keen on the campaigns of the early part of WW2 and the one in Iraq fits the job description nicely. At first I was bereft of ideas on how to proceed. I knew it was going to be a Megablitz battle and that was it until I remembered my Grandfather has given me a copy of 'The Road Past Mandalay' by John Masters. In the book Masters details his involvement in the Iraq 1941 campaign. This was a good start.

I then purchased the Osprey campaign book 'Iraq 1941' by Robert Lyman. A good reference book; well illustrated with copious photographs, colour plates and maps. Spoilt in parts by Mr Lyman's rather confusing writing style and his anti-Iraqi bias. I feel a more even-handed editor could have eliminated some of the more glaring errors. I like the book a lot.

Finally I stumbled across this web page Morval Earth which is a fantastic resource for all manner of the esoteric including this huge section o Iraq 1941. Lots of fun, chock full of good gen. A real diamond of a web page.

I thought the siege of RAF Habbaniya was ideally suited to a small game: relief columns battling the desert and Iraqi defenders; RAF aircraft of various types defending and attacking; besieging Iraqi mechanized troops; aerial support from Fliegerfuhrer Irak. It's got it all. I already have sufficient figures and vehicles in the WDF boxes but had no Iraqis. I decided to created Iraqi 1st Mechanized Brigade and Iraqi 1st Infantry Division. The Iraqis had been trained and equipped by the British so their organisation follows that of their instructors.

So, for 1st Mech Bde I used HAT WW1 Turkish Infantry with some head swaps onto Revell 8th Army for the infantry. Trucks are all diecasts. The artillery is supposed to be 18lbrs but I used what I had which is HAT WW1 German Artillery. The Iraqi kit is described as olive green which I tried to recreate the colour on the vehicles and equipment followed by a heavy dry brushing with buff. The matt varnish added an unasked for further heavy dusting. Oh well, it is the desert after all. The photos aren't the best either!

Iraqi 1st Mechanized Brigade for Megablitz

 Left to right: POL & LOG Columns, Tankette & A/C Battalions, 

HQ/Staff & Signals, Mechanised Artillery Regiment, Motor MG Company, Motor Infantry

Note the Capacity Markers in the back of the MG & Infantry transports

 Close-up of the armoured units and the POL & LOG columns

 Close-up of the HQ, Artillery and Infantry units

All the best!

Real Versus Fake

Real?

1943 Norman Rockwell painting of a war-winning female worker. The model this image was based on wasn't even a manual worker. However, the image portrayed here smacks of realism. she looks like she's been working hard to produce equipment for the front and could handle that riveting gun with skill. It suggests, no, shouts, female empowerment. Also look at the buttons on her denims. First Aider, Volunteer Fire Warden and union buttons. The picture is fake but looks real.

Fake?

This is the popular image of Rosie. It isn't, never was meant to be anything other than a generic female worker. But look at the full face of make-up and neatly done hair. Now compare it to the image of Rosie above. This picture is basically anti-union, paternalistic and sexist. The only button she is wearing is a Westinghouse Corporation one.

In conclusion both pictures are fakes. Both are wartime propaganda. But one states that women are skilled, capable and intelligent while the other suggests quite the opposite.

This picture is of Ruby Loftus. A British munitions worker seen here milling the breech ring of a Bofors Gun. An incredibly difficult job worked to fine tolerances.

Links:

Rosie the Riveter

We Can Do It!

Ruby Loftus

UATH!

Invincible Indian Infantry Immenseness

4th Indian Infantry Division.

September 5 2013 and the divisional infantry brigades were complete. And now, a mere eight months later, the rest of the division's toys have caught up! Compared to the Italian infantry division I finished last week this Indian-job is a BEHEMOTH. So much artillery for a start.Then there's all the other stuff as well.

The infantry brigades and part of the HQ units have already been covered here.

Pictures!

Left to Right:

Staff & Signals (Dodgy diecast conversion)

HQ (Corgi diecast)

Divisional Recce (PSC)

Divisional MG Bn (Frontline)

The divisional engineers were clearing a mine-field but returned in time for the divisional pic.

As above

Divisional AA Regt & LOG (Airfix)

Divisional AT Regt & LOG (Zvezda, Corgi)

Divisional Fd Arty Regts.

25pdrs & LOGs (Airfix)

18pdr & LOG (Irregular, Corgi)

Infantry Brigades' Transports

(Zvezda)

4th Indian Infantry Division

All the best!

Regia Aeronautica (Version)

The toys get airborne in this blogpost with the Regia Aeronautica. My difficulty was I didn't have any Italian warplanes to hand so I had to think laterally to get what I wanted. So I bought a Revell Micro-Wings P-40E Warhawk and tried to turn it into a Macchi 202.Cue much bodging and hacking. first I had to trim off the huge air-scoop thing under the Warhawk's nose. Then fill it with greenstuff and get a more bodged stream-lined shape. Then I had to cover the aft section of the huge cockpit glazing. Again with green stuff and again much bodging. What I was left with after all the surgery looked reasonably like a 202 if you did this with your eyes: -_-

Here are some pictures of the bodge-in-process:

Air-scoop off. Putty in.

Underside. New nose and putty in-fill on landing gear

Gaps in wing roots & tail plane filled with putty

Close up of putty bodging on wings & tailplane

The putty was left to harden in its own time. I then turned my attention to those unsung heroes of all air operations: The Groundcrew. For without them no aircraft would ever fly nor engage in meaningful acts of war. Now, this being a Megablitz unit some creativity is called for. Sadly I have none so this is what I came up with:

I really like this chap. He looks like he knows his stuff and could probably re-arm, re-fuel and generally do an operational turn-round on his aircraft on his own. 

So what of the aircraft itself? Well, if you'll forgive the obvious bodges and remember to look at it with your eye-lids half closed here it is:

And finally the complete Regia Aeronautica unit:

I hope you all had as splendid an Easter as I did and I'll be back with more toy-based nonsense soon!

I Marmittoni

Today's blog post is a 1940ish Italian infantry division. It has two infantry regiments, each of three battalions (Airfix). The HQ unit is a Fiat 500 (Early War Miniatures) with a couple of figures. The divisional artillery regiment (HAT) is represented by a 75mm gun and two figures. The artillery LOG vehicle is a 1/100 model Zis (Zvezda). The divisional LOG train is represented by a diecast bus with added detail. The division has no anti-tank unit but does have a fearsome AA capability: 20mm HMG. The division is also very lucky to have Recce capability in the shape of an attached Bersaglieri m/c unit. This infantry division is a small unit and is almost immobile once emplaced but it does have some firepower. Well, a little.

Pictures!

1. HQ & AA 

2. AA & HQ

3. LOG Battalion

4. Recce Battalion (r)

5. Artillery Regiment

6. Artillery Regiment

7. Infantry Battalions

8. Infantry Battalions

9. Infantry Division On Parade

 PS I Marmittoni is the Italian way of saying 'The Squaddies', 'Les Poilus', 'The GIs' or 'Las Guripas'. I believe it is a reference to the large cooking pots the infantry used to use to prepare meals. Unless someone knows different?

Updates as they happen!

1940ish Italian Armoured Division

In line with my policy of vagueness where dating of units is concerned I have finally completed the build of this Megablitz unit. Well, it is Easter time after all. As is well known Italian armoured divisions of WW2 did not have the best kit compared to their erstwhile allies the Germans. This is, however, irrelevant unless you're a Fl*mes of W*r groupie and love only heavy armour and big, bigger, biggest guns. I'll stick with the tin tanks and dodgy organisations of '39-'42. Unless someone's putting on a late war game and then I'm in. I know, I know.....

Anyways here's the pics I've kept you waiting for. To be fair some of the toys have appeared elsewhere on this blog but this is the first time the entire unit has been on parade. The division is also very well equipped compared to the historical versions. I can give and I can take away.

Division In A Box

Divisional Artillery Regiments: Field, AA & AT

Divisional LOG & POL

Divisional Recce Battalions

Divisional Bersaglieri Battalions & Transport

Division On Parade

Happy Easter!

PS: Welcome to new blog follower Michael Awdry whose blog on 28mm Victorian Wargaming is utterly splendid! Don't take my word for it, go and have a look yourself.

On Radios & AA Guns

Hellooooo!
I'm back from a month long doss-about doing anything but blogging. I haven't been entirely plastic-idle though, you'll be delighted to hear!

I have completed the Radio Truck and AA Regiment of Divisione Ariete which now just leaves a couple of battalions of Bersaglieri to knock together and it's done! And so am I, with Megablitz units at least. Fear not though, Dear Reader, I've been attracted to a new 'Bright-Shiny-Thing' after reading the latest issue of WSS magazine. What is it? Well, all I'll say is it REALLY caught my interest and involved blood suckers.

So, what about these Megablitz units then.The first model is the divisional AA regiment. It comprises the Cannone 90/53 mounted upon a Lancia truck.A pretty deadly AA and AT gun which was built in insufficient numbers for the real war but which makes an imposing and a pretty deadly model.

AA Regiment Deployed For Action

As Above But From The Other Side

Regular Checks Are Vital In The Desert

"Up 20 & Left a bit!"

Ammo Supply Is Essential

 The second unit is the Divisional Radio Unit. Represented not by any old Italian radio wagon, no sir. What we have here is an early example of Italienisch-Deutsche Freundschaft in the form of an Opel ambulance being re-imagined into Un Camion di Radio. Nice.

It's been finished in the now traditional Vallego Green Ochre. The camo pattern is Sand & Cabbage. The vehicle had a watered down wash of brown Army Painter slapped on and allowed to dry. The camo net is a piece of bandage. I soaked it a water and Vallejo Desert Sand for a short while. Dried it out on a radiator and then gently pulled the weave a bit more open. The net supports are cocktail sticks which are little thick. I've now found something which would have been better and which will appear under future camo nets. I used white glue and patience to fix the net in place. Once dry I applied Cabbage with Vallejo German Uniform. Once dry i dry brushed everything with Vallejo Buff. 

Nets Out, Doors Open, Tuned In, Coffee On

Parked Up, Trees of Oasis el Khazi in the background

Close-Up Of Man Working

Close-Up of Man Sitting On A Box Reading A Newspaper

Laters Taters!

PS Welcome to new blog followers Andrew Gifford, Wargaming Pastor & The Mad Padre. Peace be with you.

Project M13/40 #3

Avanti con i carri armati!

I finished these on Friday but then real life intervened as it often does. Worry not, chumrades, a good time was had by all.

So, to match my earlier work on the Western Desert Force, the Italians have grown from a bit of infantry and couple of trucks to something like an armoured division of that period-ish. I'm still after one of those Italian AA guns on a truck, I think Italeri do it. Once that's built I'll do a post to show the assembled armoured might.

I undercoated the toys in brown rather than black and it paid off in terms of shading and being easier to cover larger areas. I then painted them up with Vallejo sand-green ochre which gave them an already worn look before any highlighting. The LOG column's windscreen is simply a dark blue/black mix and then a lighter blue worked into the corners while the paint is still wet. I really liked the Italian camo scheme of sand & cabbage so HQ and 2Bn got that treatment. High lights were done with Vallejo buff paint and a trimmed down brush as per normal. I also put a brown wash over the vehicles to get that 'the scrapyard's this way' look. The toys are all mounted on foam core with a sand and gravel mix as a ground cover.

The pictures:

HQ (M41)

1Bn (M13/40)

2Bn (M13/40)

3Bn (M11/39)

The Lee/Grant's even more rubbish little brother?

LOG & POL Columns

Armoured Fist!

PS A big hello to new blog members Mad Padre, Rebel Barracks and Irish Highlander. All their blogs are first class and well worth a look. Thanks for following, chaps!