30 Day Kit Build Challenge part 3

 #30daykitbuildchallenge

The final week of the challenge I finally had some time to sit down and complete a lot of kits, all PSC which are simple, some I will revisit to add finer details and stowage when I return home to France. Again focusing on allied kit, but three german Styers also slipped in. For the first time I have not built a aircraft in the build although did pick up a box then put it back...... 

M1a1 Shermans for my yanks

British artillery, cabins left open until crew and vehicle painted

British trucks, like these a lot

Steyr heavy cars for my germans 

total week three 15

total count 24

cheers

Matt

30 day Kit build Challenge update 2

 

 30 Day Kit build Challenge update 2

An update for last week another 3 kits from PSC, simple builds for my French 2DB. quite a bit behind my target at the moment though!

count week 2 = 3

total for build = 9

cheers

Matt 

30 day Kit Build Challenge week 1

 

 #30daykitbuildchallenge

Ok off to a crackings start but that is easy with PSC kits, although sometimes not the most accurate 1/72 kits on the market with actual scale off sometimes (a lot) and parts that are not correct (shermans) they do make kits that are really simple to put together, I purchased a lot of them last year on sale and they have been sitting in my kit cupboard ever since. I have elected to try to concentrate on Allied kit in this build, first up some british kit , stuarts, bren gun carriers, some trucks and a battery of 25lb guns, plus limbers, tractors. Then some shermans for my Free French, then onto some other bits I think, I have a bunch of Panzer IV to assemble Fijimi......purchased a long time ago.

Week 1 total 6 kits

Bren carriers, an easy simple build

Stuarts, love these, really like them

cheers 

Matt

30 day Kit build challenge 2022

  

April 30 day Kit challenge!

So what is the 30 day kit challenge? Well, something I shamelessly copied from Gunbird and his blog "20mm and then some" back in 2017 when we chatted about doing something about our piles of shame.

When I moved to France I found I had a lot of unbuilt kits, particularly modern and ww2, plus some ww1 aircraft make up the majority. I also suffer from half built kit syndrome, as I like to paint the interiors, the pilots or drivers then assemble the kit. So with that in mind I'm starting the 30 day kit build, if you like join me and blog about it, steal the picture below if you like

Join me if you wish on Facebook, Blog and Instagram using the tag 

#30daykitchallenge 

Or join the fun on the 

The Wargamers Forum

RULES

Goals are simple, you will build your part built and new kits during the 30 day challenge:

• Any material (plastic, resin, metal, wood).
• New in the box or partially built, it matters not.
• Gun, tank, truck, aircraft, ship, figure animal? Your call.
• Kit must be basically finished, based if you prefer that, to qualify as a build.
• The completed kit must be ready for primer.
• Resin and metal upgradesets can be applied after the build.....the goal is to get kits built and ready for primer, not to finish them with paint and varnish etc.
• You decide how many kits/models you want to build in the 30 day period.
• You set the penalty for not meeting your goal (and after that it is the honor system)

Anything beyond that is up to you

My goal is the period from 1/4/2022 up to 30/4/22, each day I plan to work on a kit until I have completed my goal.  My goal is grand total of 30 kits, If I can build more kits n the month, then bonus.

My penalty is that if I don't make my target, is not to buy another kit for the rest of the year :(.

So, starting with Day #1 (1st April 2022), I'm starting with some Allied /72 PST kits first then onto some more tanks and aircraft.

Cheers
Matt

Firepower 21cm GRW 69 Wefer Wurfmörser

 21cm GRW 69 Wurfmörser (Elephant)

My first post this year and nearly time to return to Europe after our three month holiday in Australia. It has been a very restful break with not much modelling at all occurring even though I had good intentions, I did manage to get a few games in though with my Aussie mates which was great.

Exciting news on the 20mm front for those who like unusual kit for their miniature armies SHQ miniatures have released a 21cm GRW 69 mortar. In 28mm I am not aware of any manufacturer... :( What is this beast you say,……

21cm GRW 69 Wefer Wurfmörser 

21cm GRW 69 Wefer Wurfmörser 

21cm GRW 69 Wefer Wurfmörser 

21cm GRW 69 Wefer Wurfmörser 

SHQ 21cm GRW69

Developed by Skoda in late 1943 originally in 22cm, it was changed to fit the 21cm round for production saving and use of the 21cm rounds already in production for the other wefers.  The idea of a breech loading mortar was not new, but a little ambitious with either a 85kg or 110kg projectile, making it a difficult man handling exercise for loading, harking back to a ww1 type round that required a platform or winch system to load. The mortar could deliver a 110kg 21cm round 5400m and a 85kg round 6400m......cleary the design had city or fixed defensive position fighting in mind as it weighed 2800kg the same as a 122mm howitzer. Elevation 40-70 degrees verticale and 60 degrees traverse using a track on which the wheels were mounted. It also had a slow rate of fire of 1-2 rounds per minute because of the cartridge weight and had to be brought back to level for the loading procedure. 

The following rounds could be fired:

- the 21 cm grenade 5004 HE demolition round
- the 21 cm grenade 5021 anti personnel with a high fragmentation 85kg
- the 21 cm grenade 5031 (cast iron) HE anti personnel and penetrating defensive positions 87kg.

By November 1944 the first 30 werfers were issued and by the end of the war 129 werfers were issued. The werfer was also planned to be mounted on the chassis of the Panzer III and on the chassis of the Hummel as close support weapons.

Like all my toys I like them to be assigned to units and I have found two units that were issued them. The 410th Volks artillery Corps who were issued 9 units in November 1944 and by December had 27 units and were used in the Ardennes offensive. SS Wefer battery 500, in March 1945, I am not 100% certain however I have read that SS Werfer group Kreischer were issued some to a training replacement group in Feb 45 on the eastern front, and issued with only 90 rounds. (all from Lexicon wehrmacht).

Images from Waffen magazine

A Russian Magazine 

I will be adding a unit to my 20mm Volksgrenadier units for the fall of the Reich scenarios, and using the Rapid Fire template and rules for nebelwerfers I think for firing and reload (every other turn). 

410th Volks Artillery Regiment Rapid Fire organisation

HQ Reg staff battery with supply, communications and administration zug

CO +7 VW car, RSO ammunition supply, horse drawn comms van, M/C combo, 

Observer +1 kubelwagen

1st battery 2 x wefers, 2 x sdkfz11 and 8 crew 

Next week we start the 30 kits in 30 days challenge come and join in the fun here!

cheers

Matt

Wrap up 2021

 Wrap up 2021

2021 is done and dusted, and with the pandemic continuing a very strange year. and tough for our inbound tourist model at French Wargame Holidays.

We completed the year fulfilling 12% of our normal budget with Wargame Holidays and regular B & B, thankfully the Macron Government helped keep us afloat again............we are still here, and looking forward and currently planning for a prosperous 2022 fingers crossed. 

A big thank you to our customers that did manage to attend and play a wargame this year. A big thank you for  your continued support here on my blog, on Facebook, Instagram and the various Forums I haunt. A major change as we have started to attract european guests, French, German and Dutch who managed to travel during Summer.

We are taking Bookings for holidays from now, commencing in late March please contact us via the website to discuss your needs for a tailor made holiday for you and your partner or with your friends here at French Wargame Holidays and L'hotel de Hercé for a relaxing stay in the Loire.

     ______________________________________________________________________________

Totals

Summing up my Wargame painting and terrain progress this year on my goals I achieved about 75% with a few minimal diversions. I may of completed more looking back, but motivation was up and down depending upon the external stresses of this strange year. On the positive side a lot of my stash completed with very few purchases of new lead or plastic. Medievals were again my main focus as I added to my collections to fill them out to match our "Walk the Battlefield in the morning, Wargame in the afternoon" tour and wargames.

2021 Goals achieved

Salon de Guerre redecoration

100% complete, curtains completed and artwork, swords and lances hung, a new Louis XIV cabinet for display for large models and three new chairs.

28mm miniatures painting 

Completed 28mm Infantry 216

Completed 28mm Cavalry 144

Completed Artillery 1

Baggage Animals 9

WW2 and Modern 20mm  

20mm Infantry 99
72 x 20mm vehicles
6 Aircraft

artillery x 9

WW1 Miniatures

4 WW1 1/72 aircraft

Other Science Fiction

1 Imperial Space ship 

12 Space marines ......for my Sons birthday present

Miniatures rebased and touched up

Large scale Figures

1 x 54mm figure

Total Terrain System For Now (TTSFN) Goals achieved

Château board (1500x1200), includes Gaulois fort, dark ages Motte and bailey, and 100 YW castle under construction ATM 40% complete

Standard boards x 6

Roman Fort 

Ploughed fields 

Maize /corn Crop fields 

Harvested crop fields 

20mm buildings x 8 

Dark Age Buildings x 6 

Medieval buildings x 10

20mm ww2 buildings x 6

Bocage mark V 12m

Stone walls 3m

27 pine trees

6 garden trees

8 dead trees

27 palm trees

8 28mm trees

Board game played

19 games, mostly online.

Wargames played

Ancient games x 7

Medieval games x 8

Renaissance Wargames 0

Napoleonic games x 4

Ww1 games x 4

WW2 games x 16

Modern games x 5

Naval games x 4

Fantasy 0

Science fiction x 2

Completing bits from my project drawers was the focus on terrain has helped me a lot this year, as now I have space to plan 2022 which is well underway. I will continue to try to post every week or two as it helps me keep track of what has been completed. 

I will be on holidays in Australia from January to mid March, but I have taken some toys with me to complete!

Let us all hope this pandemic can be over finally so we can socialise and share all of our new painted goodies, and watch our recently painted units flee off the table once again!

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt