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Bolt Action Project VLOG – Building WWII Armies

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Hey there folks! We're going to be kicking off the progress on a number of Bolt Action armies and of course we're going to be sharing it with you all in another Project VLOG.

Bolt Action Project VLOG - Building WWII Armies

Our focus is going to be on a Soviet force and talking with you folks in the community about work on a Fallschirmjager force for the Germans too.

If you want to get involved keep an eye out for the various galleries and videos we'll be putting up.

suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

Tiger marsch!

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All good things come to an end..
I really enjoyed this project tremendously and I'm a little sad somehow that it's now finished.
(Although I'm glad I don't need to google German names for a while now..).

Anyhow, here's 'Drei Zehn', Kurt Dörflinger's Tiger tank. Kurt and his sidekick Untersturmführer Schultz are Ostfront veterans and sit in a Tiger since Kursk. This is their new ride since their deployment to Normandy.
Both were secretly hoping for a King Tiger but at least they know this cat like the back of their hand..
Kurt is affectionately called 'Der Alte' by his crew and Schultz earned the nickname 'Der Panzerknacker' due to his habit of always having a Panzerfaust handy for fear someone could sneak up on their backside..
Neither of them knows or cares for their crew mates' real names. For convenience they simply call them 'Franz & Gustav' in memory of their very first crew back then in '41.
Both are very keen to up their tally of 25 kills and are looking forward to the battles to come..maybe they might be rewarded with a King Tiger after all!

Tiger marsch!
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

Tiger Painting in Progress

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Here the Tiger with all its base colours applied.
It looks rather colourful at this stage but the wash with Argax Earthshade will dull it down nicely.
I haven't had any instructions as to what specific Tiger it is going to be so I think I will make it a fictional Tiger Ace's panzer.
I've also painted the StuG's Schürzen in Ambush camouflage pattern. I will leave them seperately for now so they won't be damaged on their way to the BoW HQ.
Plus I rather leave the fiddly task of glueing them on to John 😉

Tiger Painting in Progress

A Tiger in the making...

A Tiger in the making...No Comments
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

PaK 40 finished

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The penultimate unit of the FJ project is done, next is -last but not least- the pièce de résistance..the mighty Tiger tank!
I'm not sure yet wether or not to paint it as Wittmann's 007. Is this too cheesy?
On the other hand.. 😎

Feel free to comment below!

PaK 40 finished
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

'Till'

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I've got no idea where he belongs to tbh. The mini is fairly small compared with the other metals and the plastic figures. He was in the special weapons bag together with the figures below.
Possibly a ammo carrier for the Panzerschreck? Comment if you know the answer to this conundrum..

Anyways, his name is Till, short for Tillmann but everybody in his company calls him 'Till'. He was born in 1927 and joined the FJR6 only a few months ago. With only 17 years of age he's the youngest Fallschirmschütze in his Kompanie. And the shortest. He was so looking forward to serve in one of the most elite outfits of the Wehrmacht and now that they have indeed invaded France he wants to fight to the last to defend Europe against the decadent Amis and Engländers.
And now his Unteroffizier gave him the task to look after this silly crate. Incredible. He doesn't even have a rifle! Himmel! If he'd only know what's in it..it sure is heavy. Maybe he should take a peak?
Just as he decided to open the crate he was taken prisoner by Henry, a US Ranger and later shipped to a POW camp in Minnesota. He never found out what was in the box he carried around during the battle of Normandy..

'Till'
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

Sniper & Panzerschreck Teams ready for action

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After a little BA hiatus I have now finished the Panzerschreck team and the sniper with his mate.
I was tempted to convert plastics instead of using metals for this but although imo there are some issues with the sculpting in terms of scale (gas mask containers) I have to admit I do like Mr Hick's characterful and life-like work as he manages poses I would struggle to recreate in plastic without a lot of green stuff.
Anyhow, the last two items on the list are the PaK40 and the...Tiger!

Sniper & Panzerschreck Teams ready for action

Flammenwerfer 41

Flammenwerfer 41No Comments
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

SdKfz 251

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Okay, here the whole SS PzGren squad and their ride in all their camouflaged glory.
The figures are al kitbashed. I suppose this squad won't be all too popular in a game looking at all those StG44s..hehe..

SdKfz 251
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

SS Panzergrenadiers

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Here the finished SS PzGren squad.
The halftrack and converted crew are primed and ready to be painted 😎

SS Panzergrenadiers
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

Third Squad finished

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After a bit of a delay I have indeed finished the third squad today.
As per usual to MG42 teams and 8 men.
Next in line are the SS Panzergrenadiers with Hanomag and the metal FJ special weapons, followed by the arty and the Tiger 😎

Third Squad finished

Fallschirmjäger 10.5 cm Leichtgeschütz 40/1

Fallschirmjäger 10.5 cm Leichtgeschütz 40/1No Comments
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

Oberfeldwebel Böse

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I've started building the third FJ squad and painted the squad leader.
The Recoilless Gun is next in the painting queue.
The metal crew has got plastic heads as I think they fit in better with the rest.

Oberfeldwebel Böse
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

Panzerbüchse 41

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This one took a little longer as planned but here it is in all its glory 😎

Panzerbüchse 41
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They've got a medic!

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Always useful in the game so I've made one up for the FJs.
Next up is the Panzerbüchse 41..

They've got a medic!
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

MMG Team Finished

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I know the helmets without camo cover are a little Early War but I kinda like them like this 😎

MMG Team Finished
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

Painting Fallschirmjäger Camo

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Here's how I paint the Luftwaffe Splinter Camouflage for the FJs.
Again, it's not meant to be an exact replication of the pattern but merely an approximation that is recognisable and most importantly quick&easy to achieve.
As mentioned before I admire people who paint raindrop strips but I don't think it's actually necessary in this scale (I know you disagree @cha1nzz..).
The last step of 'sharpening' the edges with the base colour isn't anything I'd do on flat surfaces like the base I've used for this demo but on a mini with numerous creases and folds it's pronouncing the pattern and makes it look somewhat tidier.

Painting Fallschirmjäger Camo
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StuG finished

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The Sturmgeschütz is now ready for action. The crew are self made from the old Heer plastics and some FJ spare heads.
It is meant to be an SS vehicle hence the pea dot pattern camo uniforms.
I have the Schürzen built and will paint them as well (probably in Ambush pattern camo) but will leave them separate for now.
Next in line will be the MMG team which is now primed and ready for painting.

StuG finished

SS Panzergrenadier Test Figure

SS Panzergrenadier Test FigureNo Comments
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

Mortar finished

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The Rugby World Cup sort of messed up my hobby plans for the weekend I'm afraid..
Here the finished mortar and a comparison shot next to a plastic FJ. The metals are as mentioned before a little bit smaller but I think it's not gonna be all too noticeable.
The StuG got its camo and is now waiting for the wash. Next time it'll be finished as well..
Then it's going to be the first part of the third FJ platoon and the HMG I think. I also will try to build and paint a test figure for the SS Panzergrenadiers I will throw in as crew for the Hanomag.

Mortar finished
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

FJ Mortar w.i.p.

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Not much to show off today but despite a ..challenging..day at work I've managed to start the mortar team.
All base colours are applied apart from the camo which is going to be next before the wash.
As the camo is a little more intricate than a plain uniform I've decided to paint the figures seperately hence the temporary single bases.

FJ Mortar w.i.p.

Fallschirmjäger snap shot

Fallschirmjäger snap shotNo Comments
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

The FG42

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German: Fallschirmjägergewehr 42, "paratrooper rifle 42") is a selective-fire battle rifle produced in Nazi Germany during World War II. The weapon was developed specifically for the use of the Fallschirmjäger airborne infantry in 1942 and was used in very limited numbers until the end of the war.

It combined the characteristics and firepower of a light machine gun in a lightweight form no larger than the standard-issue Kar 98k bolt-action rifle. Considered one of the most advanced weapon designs of World War II, the FG 42 influenced post-war small arms development, and most of its design was copied by the US Army when they developed the M60 machine gun.

The FG42

Oberst der Fallschirmjäger Steiner

Oberst der Fallschirmjäger SteinerNo Comments

Next Batch Ready To Be Painted...

Next Batch Ready To Be Painted...No Comments
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

SdKfz 234/2 Puma

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I've finished the command figure for the Puma. Easy to convert and I like him better than the out of scale figure included in the kit. At least there is some more consistency.

I've decided to paint the Hanomag as an SS vehicle and might do a small squad of SS Panzergrenadiers to go with it. FJs (other than the Herman Goering Division) did not use it just like the LW Field Divisions didn't.

Plus it's kind of historically more accurate as FJs and SS units fought side by side in Normandy. I've also worked a bit on the second half of 2nd squad, pictures as soon as they are done.

SdKfz 234/2 Puma
Tank Commander W.I.PNo Comments
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

Progress On Second Squad

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The first half of the second FJ squad is finished and I've also converted/ kitbashed a Forward Observation Officer, Oberleutnant Falk.

As every squad will have two LMG teams I try to make the poses as little repetitive as I can. Thankfully the FJs are fully compatible with the Grenadiers and the rolled up sleeves add flavour as well. The only conundrum now is the SdKfz 251 that is part of the army box.

As far as I'm aware the FJs didn't use Hanomags, in fact they've been lucky if they had a lorry at their disposal. Question is how to get it into the army without being completely random.

The next best thing if we want to stick with the Luftwaffe theme would be the LW Field Division but I couldn't find any information if they actually used 251s. Does anyone here know? The Puma and Tiger are SS, maybe it should just be an SS Panzergrenadier vehicle..

Progress On Second Squad
NCONo Comments
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

StuG W.I.P

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I really like the Warlord kit's crisp details and ease of build. Only the Schürtzen are somewhat fiddly and I secretly hope @warzan prefers the beauty of the StuG not to be obscured by them...but I will build the just in case.

The gun options are a nice touch as well and the only thing missing is the iconic Saukopf mantlet.

Hatches are open as I will add crew later on and the gun shield of the MG34 would otherwise not have the support to stand upright.

I will also add antennae before starting to paint it.

StuG W.I.P
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

Prime Time...

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Although I usually don't do this I've primed the StuG parts in their sprues as I liked the idea to have the tracks in black and the rest Panther Yellow. I am really happy with Battlefront's Spray paints so far and would recommend them without hesitation.

I've got my cans from eBay, worth checking every now and then. The mortar team will be my first metal figures for this project, first non plastic miniatures in quite some time actually.

Nice sculpts no doubt (Herr Hicks' work if I'm not mistaken?). Ever so slightly smaller than the plastics as it is rather often the case but I don't think that will be too noticeable on the battlefield.

The plastics are for the 2nd FJ squad. The chap with the fieldcap is the squad leader. The NCOs seemed to have liked the FG42 particularly..

Prime Time...
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First Vehicle Finished

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...well, nearly!

There will be a custom made commander and maybe some more weathering. The second squad of FJs is currently being assembled and primed.

I quite fancy doing some metals after (note to myself: buy super glue first!). And there is also a StuG waiting...

First Vehicle Finished
suetoniuspaullinus Entries by this blogger

Final Test Figures

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I'm slowly getting the hang of painting the splinter camo pattern quickly and the first test figures are done, re-done and changed back again only to be repainted yet again..but now -finally- I'm not going to change anything and stick with this paintscheme.

The camo is obviously not a 100% copy but rather meant to give an impression of the Luftwaffe Splinter pattern. So I won't be painting tiny green strips (although I do admire people who do this without having lost their sanity!).

Hungover 'Hans' is just a fun conversion inspired by the story of a Fallschirmjäger who drank too much Schnaps the night before a combat jump mission, overslept and consequently nearly missed his bird.

His Kameraden managed to drag him on board just before take off.

Having been in a rush and probably not quite sober had forgotten to put on his trousers, helmet and weapons, just donned his smock and boots and grabbed his chute before running after his mates. He was given a pistol by his NCO and -tongue in cheek - told not to be taken prisoner by the Allies as his state and appearance would damage the Fallschirmjäger's reputation.

I'm sure the guys will have use of him!

I've also made good progress with the Puma and hope to have it finished tomorrow or Friday.

Final Test Figures
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Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 - The Lions of Carentan

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Okay gents,after seeing the chaps over at the Riverside Studio making some serious progress I really had to get going with the German Fallschirmjägers.

I usually start an army with..research! Books in the good old days, now the world wide web! Well, the occasional (e)book maybe.

For this army in particular I thought the distinctive camo pattern would be a defining feature and I spend a few moments there to find the paints/ colours I would go with. In order to get a 'feel' for the uniform I always paint the first squad individually. More often than not I decide to chance some aspect half way through and repaint the first figures...

Once satisfied I then paint the rest of the infantry in batches of 5-6 models. After every squad of footsloggers I throw in a vehicle or heavy weapons team to keep things interesting. I'll let you know how I progress and try to update this as often as I can!

Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 - The Lions of Carentan

The Green Devils are coming...

The Green Devils are coming...No Comments

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bucketknight
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1809xp

Funniest thing about the introductory video is John’s face as Warren talks about his “staying power”. 😀

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

Great topic, and a great PLOG! 😀 8th Guards (technically, Guards, not Guard) Army is indeed a great choice for an infantry-heavy Soviet army. As Warren says, these used to be the 62nd Army, which was the primary defensive army that held the streets, ruins, and sewers of Stalingrad. Absolutely brutal guys, life expectancy less than 24 hours, fighting chest-deep in human sewage with flamethrowers, that kind of thing. They were also at the worst part of Kursk, spearheaded the drive back across Russia and the Ukraine, took part in Bagration in 1944, and as Warren says, were definitely mixed… Read more »

stoney997
Cult of Games Member
5143xp

I’m wondering if the army’s going to include Vasily Zaitsev, the famous sniper. I think he was wounded out a few months before the 62nd became the 8th Guards though and I’m not sure whether he rejoined them or not..

williamwidrick
Member
75xp

Gooey bond!? John does not sound(or look) convinced!

coste
Member
155xp

Awesome! I´m looking foward to see more on this Plog ^^

thekommandanteur
Member
6xp

The organisation of the 8th Guards has been covered pretty well in a previous post. The only thing I can really add is that one unit within 62nd Army during Stalingrad and after was the 13th Guards Rifle Division, commanded by Alexander Rodimtsev, which was fighting in the centre of Stalingrad from October til the end of the battle. The 13th had been gutted during the fighting prior to the battle and had only just been reformed and equipped when they were urgently needed in the fighting, so they were committed to the fighting with only 9 out of their… Read more »

spydah666
Member
113xp

Wouldn’t the bomb dogs be known as terriorists?

intelligentmistertoad
Cult of Games Member
13815xp

As Fate would have it I have recently begun working on a Soviet Army for Bolt Action. I had some issues with a dodgy spray can that I have adapted into a weathering feature on some of my models.

minty45
Cult of Games Member
628xp

Got any pics?

intelligentmistertoad
Cult of Games Member
13815xp

I can’t seem to submit them here?

intelligentmistertoad
Cult of Games Member
13815xp

Hi Minty45,

I have just started my first B0W Blog, please find pictures as the army rolls out.:

http://www.beastsofwar.com/groups/historical-games/forum/topic/my-first-bolt-action-army-1/#post-new

bigdook6
Member
14xp

A fantastic two part documentary on fallschermjagers. It’s two hours all together but it’s a great watch with nothing but authentic footage.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BRbBvcQJfJ4
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MwzT__nvNy4

hauptmanncanuck
Member
472xp

Thanks for sharing 🙂

minty45
Cult of Games Member
628xp

I just love all of this history and the stories. Keep it up oriskany & thekommandanteur, absolutely brilliant info thank you. I love the PLOG Warren & John cant wait for more 🙂

minty45
Cult of Games Member
628xp

I know its not WW2 but thought you might be interested to see what 8th Guards Army looked like in the eighties 🙂 During the Cold War, 8th Guards Army stood opposed to NATO forces (specifically the US V Corps) along the strategically vital Fulda Gap in West Germany. In the last years of its existence, in the late 1980s, 8th Guards Army consisted of:[6] Headquarters at Weimar-Nohra 79th Guards Tank Division – Jena, GDR: – disbanded, 1992 17th Guards Tank Regiment (Saalfeld) 65th Guards Tank Regiment (Nohra) 211th Guards Tank Regiment(Jena) 66th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (Nohra) 172nd Artillery… Read more »

suetoniuspaullinus
Member
12198xp

I knew I should have chosen a different user name..doh!

Suetonius Paullinus = First Roman governor of Britannia, commander in chief during the Boudica revolt.

Thought of the Day: I wish there would be a splinter camo spray..

sillymander
Member
47xp

probably already been said somewhere, but you do know Molotov cocktails were ‘served to’ the Russians, by the Finns, to go with the bread baskets he sent them which, due to a typo no doubt happened to be cluster bombs, I don’t know how much they were used by the Russians but I don’t think they would have called them Molotovs.

rahmich
Member
43xp

This is perfect timing, my Bolt action Japanese army has spent the whole summer in storage but has now made it to Qatar. Keep up the excellent BALLS! I have maybe a russian army and a marine army to plan and build to fight against the gaps.

wittmann007
Member
588xp

The Green Devils. Every Tanker in Normandy’s worst Nightmare. This is going to be awesome.

Rot Scheint Die Sonne!

wittmann007
Member
588xp

FJR6 is a bit of a favorite of mine.

If you want anymore info/history lessons on them as a mini feature, I’d be more than willing to assist!

oriskany
Cult of Games Member
60733xp

I’ve heard of these guys. Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 was part of 2nd Division, right? Fought the 101st at Carentan? I’m pretty sure I remember the name from when we visited the site in Normandy last year.

wittmann007
Member
588xp

One of, if not the most, famous Regiments in the entirety of the Fallschirmjager.

Didn’t call them the “Green Devils of Carentan” for nothing!

blaeyn
Member
2625xp

Man, that castle story sounds like a great screenplay idea. Maybe not as crazy as “Castle Keep” in the 70’s, but it’d beat a lot of the tripe (or remakes) Hollywood’s been churning out lately.
Has anybody thought of recreating the battle in “Sahara” (Humphrey Bogart or the Jim Belushi remake, not the Matthew McHanahey (sp?))?

zorg
Cult of Games Member
18732xp

Kelly’s hero’s II ?

grimwolfuk
Member
10506xp

@Warzen warlord have posted this to there store.

http://store.warlordgames.com/products/bm-13-katyusha-rocket-launcher

Im guess this might be added to your army at some point.

stonewall
Member
134xp

What happened to the VLOG??? Will we ever see the painting tutorials??? Finished product and possibly some games??? Hello, Hello!

bwanajoe
Member
304xp

Are the painting videos linked elsewhere? Excellent start by the way.