World War 20mm – A Battlegroup Endless Project

My first attempts at 1/72 3d printed models from the Night Sky licence held by PSC.

First a Panzer IV/70(A), a jagdpanzer design I’m always fond of as it looks so daft!

Next an Alkett produced Sturmgeschütz III with Sauköpf mantlet and waffle pattern zimmerit…

All in all, very pleased with the look and detail of the prints. Certainly saves alot of building time over kits, but the open hatch option is key.

While obsolete to the Allies, the Red Army had a fondness for the Valentine tank and it was kept in production to supply them. Often used as a recce tank, they saw service right till the end of the war on Europe.

1/72 PSC kit, with added Smoke Dischargers and fuel tank with AB crewman…

It’s an addiction, I can’t go too long with doing some field grey…

Another useful German with box who will be good for set dressing and joing the other Loader Team models.

First batch of US vehicles done…

As the next Battlegroup books is on the war in Italy, a quick test to see how ‘Italian’ the board can look with the scenery we have to hand…

A few more dipped Yanks… a light mortar, another medium mortar, another MG Team and a useful chap to act as a spotter!

Possibly the second to last batch of US Infantry figures that need doing…

This time a Comms Relay Team, a FAO, an MMG Team and a Bazooka Team (with a greatcoat wearing chap painted as if  he is wearing the olive Drab rain anorak occasionally seen worn in Normandy at the start of the campaign).

All by AB Figures as usual!

300 point Defence Line game using the special lists included in Battlegroup Bagration with Partisans attacking Police Regiment positions near Lvov.

Turned into quite a bloodbath for the partisans with less than a third of them surviving and huge numbers of Germans arriving as reinforcements.

But thanks to alot of pins being removed and one heroic man with a Molotov, somehow the Partisans managed to secure victory by the skin of their teeth… the 5 non-numbered chits also helping! Fun game, very quick turns, but went on for quite a while as it started very cautious. By the end, the few surviving partisans were hiding in bushes.

I do however wish all my radios worked as well as the partisan radios in calling mortar fire support… only once did they fail to get through! Now accuracy was an issue but the radios worked…

Some more ‘dipped’ US Army support weapons – .50cal HMG Team and an 81mm Mortar Team.

More US troops using my speedy dip method…

This time a Forward Headquarters, Forward Artillery Observer, MMG team, Bazooka Team and a sniper.

With the platoon already completed, this gives me a nice playablenforce while I move on the remaining figures.

Completed the last 17 figures for the AB Figures US Infantry platoon, all done using a ‘dip’ method for speed…

The full platoon…

Second squad done using the fast dip method…

Afrikakorps 8cm Mortar Team, with a later tropical look to work for Italy too…

Full squad done to test various colour options with the dip…

Little test I’m working on, with a ‘dipped’ US Infantryman compared to my usual style.

Looking for a happy medium between fast to paint and looks nice. Need some colour adjustment, but may be on too something… its certainly fast!

The last few winter Russians are finally done, leaving me with one empty box!

Yet more from Xan Miniatures that breakdown as follows for Battlegroup;

2 x 82mm Mortar Teams

Comms Team

AT Rifle Team

…And two useful dudes with ammo boxes!

Final vehicles for my Normandy British for a while… two PSC Sextons with AB crews…

Next up an Achilles Tank Destroyer, this time the ropey Hongwell diescast, with completely new running gear from the spare sets on the PSC Sexton kit!

Another dug-in tank, this time for the Ost Front… a KV1.

Another carrier, this time one with a little more punch!

PSC carrier with AB crew.