Ardennes 44 - US Anti Tank Guns , and Terrain bits

 The latest bits for  the Ardennes are off the production line. First up 4 57mm ATGs . It’s taken a bit of trial and error to get a colour I am happy with for the US greatcoat . I ended up with German medium camo brown with a sepia wash and highlight . Very happy with that .

Better get that first shot off guys 

I picked up some 3d resin printed power poles and they have been completed (5 for  winter ,6 for summer)

In my stash I found a pile of oil drums so they have been done as part of the fuel dump . I have an order in for Jerry Can piles to make the rest if it .

I had the good guys at Pendraken make me up some bespoke designed pieces to make 6 inch sections of wire fences. They use a base with various uprights that can then have thread added to make the wire effect . Very pleased with these . 

Prototype 

12 feet later

Happy with the sizes 

The first test piece was complete - love it 

Another decent week 

Gaming ACW - Battle of Seven Pines May 1862

 The first of the monthly meet ups with the North Riding mob . Today saw an early Civil War battle. The Union army under Mclellan has moved up the Virginia Peninsula and is split North and South of the Chickahomey river a days march from Richmond . Johnston sees his opportunity and attacks the divisions south of the swollen river . 

All photos courtesy of Simon T as I forgot to take any . 

Some Union units have built redoubts but they won’t hold the rebel attack for long .

The union command structure managed to cope with the attack initially and was able to re-organise itself. Importantly they managed to rally 5 of the 6 brigades broken on first contact and establish a second line .

The games went into a second day with reinforcements from both sides but the Union realised they couldn’t win , and fell back to defend the river line in one area and were trying for draw by not being hammered on the other side 9f the table . Johnston had joined Longstreet and they took the division forward overwhelming Keyes HQ and destroying brigades . Richmond was saved .

A good game from Jerry and Simon . The new rules tweaks worked well . 

Ardennes 44. Volksgrenadiers

 A first set of Volksgrenadiers for my Germans have been completed . Nice metal Battlefront figures . I have another 4 or these to complete in due course 

I found a ruined house diorama base in the stash and completed that too .

 

The next bit of terrain to add is a stream - I have picked up some new MDF pieces to be released by Pendraken. They need some tarting up of course 

The bridge is a new addition as well - Pendraken resin piece 

 

That’s it for now 

Ardennes 44 - Terrain progress

 While I have been still coughing and spluttering with the winter lurgy - which has made it hard to paint detail stuff - I have managed to progress on terrain building . I have left my permanent table (8x4)with the Ardennes set up on it and have started adding more to it . This last week has seen hedges , rail fences , frozen pond , icy patches , and banks of mist and fog ( yeah !) 

20 feet of hedges initially

It really doesn’t go that far - will need another 12 I think at some point

12 feet of rail fencing added -  with another 12 of wire type. To be completed 

Frozen pond - MDF base , built up sides, green paint , varnish , Matt varnish and tufts 

Icy patches . I used an empty laminate pouch - heated up and cut to shape and given a light overspray of Matt varnish .Then added some of my home made tufts 

Mist / Fog. I had a bag of cushion filler from the local haberdashers (yes we do have one! )

It was scrunched up / twisted and given a grey spray - then repeat a few times . I like it and I think more will be made.

The table is coming together . More terrain bits to add still :-

Wire Fences 

A stream and bridge

Power and telegraph poles

Gardens baseboard for the buildings 

Fuel dumps - a perfect objective marker.

I have added a new Panther for my Panzer Lehr force 

I have also just ordered some rear echelon US stuff . Ambulances , Signals truck , to add to forces .

I am enjoying doing this one - another long term itch scratched.

Ardennes 44. Skorzeny Kommandos and Oddball

 Cough, splutter, wheeze, rasp - that damn Lurgy has me by the throat at the moment. My first proper post of the New Year sees a revisit to the 15mm Ardennes 44 project. I have been acquiring things for a few years to create a winter themed table. While of course it hadn’t snowed at the start of Battle of the Bulge it wasn’t long in coming. So what the hell, let’s jump right in creating a whole load of new terrain and figures .

What better to start the Germans figures off for this than Skorzeny’s Kommandos kitted out in captured American kit and sowing confusion and panic on the roads, or maybe sneaking off to kidnap Ike .

 

While rooting around in the stash for these I also found Oddball from Kelly’s Heroes - issued as Eightball by Battlefront as a limited edition tournament marker. Well he might just be in search of a bank over winter so that’s along too .

A longer gun, large speaker and a mad Canadian going Woof - what’s not to like. 

More terrain works to come .

Storage Wars - new box inserts and Ardennes terrain

 As I am working on the Ardennes project it is creating yet more stuff to store . I have a few empty 48L Really Useful Boxes and to make best use of them they need to be layered . I asked the good lads at Pendraken to make me up some stackable tray stand inserts . 

So a little bit of PVA to stick them together and some masking tape to hold while it dries - job done .

 

I went for 4 that are half the box size and 90mm high that allows the majority of my tress to sit under 

Here is the basic design should ever feel to need to get Pendraken to do some or tweak for your own solutions .

 

More work on the Ardennes buildings has been done  with a Faller N Gauge church that I picked up second had years ago being given a paint job and its first snow scatter. It will be mounted on a MDF  and foam board base to give it that bit more height . I have also sorted out some lighting for it . 

I have been struck with the dread Lurgi since before Xmas and it’s back for a second bout so I don’t really feel like actual painting at the moment or the usual round up stuff . But for now Happy New Year !

And with a second application of snow grass and scatter 

Stained glass added - yes bonkers of course