STALINGRAD Bolt Action Mega Battle!

Now this is the BIG-ONE!

A frankly collosal, but perfectly workable multipiece model, that will dominate even the most ambitious built up city that you are ever reasonably likely to encounter in a game of Bolt Action.

I am so excited and can’t wait to try it out in my next “Stalingrad Mega Battle”!

The ladder makes each level accesible in game terms (though I might add an homebrewed special rule requiring a courage test to climb it), to squads and weapoms teams. Dominating the battlefield it is ideal for deploying FOO’s. Snipers, spotters and even weapons teams.

A fun additional  option with the TTCombat ‘Water Storage Tanks’ set, this model beautifully represents what has happened after an oil tank has gone “Bang”, or a water tank has been hit by high explosive!

A fun option to allow for the reguar Water/Oil Tank to be destroyed and represented on the table. It is also a great little piece providing a degree of hard cover to troops on the tabletop.

Manufacturer TTCombat:

Water Storage Tanks

A superb model with bags of character and gaming possibility. It presents a characterful feature for the industrial/rail sectors of Stalingrad and a great observation point for spotters, snipers and Forward Artillery Observers at high level, but also a ground floor source of hard cover for a squad or weapons team.

I painted the metal components with G.W. ‘Iron Warriors’ dry brushed with ‘Lead Belcher’ and washed with the now ectinct Forge World ‘Dry Mud’ Pigment. The Brick work was achieved by Painying te entire area with 2 coats of Vallejo ‘Red Leather’. Then  creating a wash consisting of 50% Vallejo German Camo Beige WWII (70.821) and 50% water, andy liberaly applying to the whole model, sponging of the excess, and gently drying with an hair dryer.

https://sarissa-precision.com/collections/industrial-28mm/products/water-tower-brick-tower-28mm?variant=37593355845781

I love this superb model (which is part of a set, More to come).

I have seen oil tanks next to the factories on the banks of the Volga in historical maps and images taken before, during and shortly after the battle of Stalingrad, and have been looking for a suitable product for quite some time. Happily I have finaly found  this great kit.  It supplies some industrial flavour and gaming risk to my “Stalingrad Mega Battle”.  I intend to use it as an oil storage tank with house rules on exploding when hit by heavy weapons.

It is a great place for a sniper or an MMG to set up, but a risky one if hit and found to be ful of petrochemicals.  During the battle of Stalingrad many similar tanks were hit and destroyed, some of which had been thought by later waves of Soviet defenders to be empty. This I suspect may well have been based upon lies from commanding officers and commissars not wishing to deter the troops from defending in those localities. This provides a tantalising element of jeopardy to the defenders or whoever captures them, in that no one will know whether they are full, or not, unless they are hit and the home-brewed chart is consulted.

Manufacturer TTCombat:

Water Storage Tanks

After 8 months of adding significantly to my project, I realised that I haven’t had a game with it for far too long!

Great to have Justin (every gaming group needs a Justin!) from Ministry of Miniatures  round for a fantastic enjoyable game.

Particularly great to get a load of new miniatures and vehicles on the table.

Please support his excellent channel.on YouTube with likes and subscribe.

I really enjoyed doing this! A relatively quick and fun project that took me about 25 minutes to convert and assemble.

I have really enjoyed my “Stalingrad Mega Project” which now seems so crazy as I was originally dreading it, partially as so much was unfamiliar and required a fair bit of initiative initially to get going in terms of knowledge. It is now an area that I would humbly suggest that I have a reasonable overview of, with the odd bit of specialist knowledge in areas.

I have now assembled circa 180 of Warlord’s fantastic plastic Soviet Infantry with 150 of them painted. Easy to convert and kit-bash due to their separate arms and weapons, I am on my fifth box of them (they come in a box of 40)!

I really like owning unique, kit-bashed and converted miniatures, and this is the latest to get assembled and painted.

Osprey books are a constant source of new information and inspiration for my hobby, and upon reading my recently acquired copy of ‘Soviet State Security  Services 1917 – 1946’, I found more material to add more depth and colour to my Stalingrad Soviet army. I have not seen anyone else field NKVD Border Guards, and I decided that I would like to have some of my own on the tabletop. I have decided to start with an NKVD Border Guard officer to lead my Shtrafbat  platoon. Instead of leading from the front, I very much wish to give the effect (not dissimilar to the film ‘Enemy at the Gates’), whereby these guys are herding the unfortunate troops forward, whilst very much hiding behind them.

I cut the cap of a Soviet officers cap from the ‘Soviet Infantry’ set  and glued it on top of the pre-cut head from the ‘British Infantry Sprue’ , which though an older product, has a range of  heads with frankly brilliant range of facial expressions.

Inspirational literature:

https://ospreypublishing.com/uk/soviet-state-security-services-191746-9781472844064/

To make this model from 2 sprues available from Warlord Games:

https://store.warlordgames.com/products/soviet-infantry-plastic-box-set?aff=42

https://store.warlordgames.com/products/british-infantry-sprue?_pos=5&_sid=dfcc04064&_ss=r&aff=42

Scenery based on kits from Thyme Again: https://www.tymeagain.co.uk/store/wargames-terrain-and-accessories/28mm-model-kits/28mm-north-eastern-europe-at-war

After happily finding myself the beneficiary of an extra day of paid holiday I thought that I would do my bit for King and Country by drinking the new King’s health,…..several times……and possibly a bit more, just to make sure that I was being suitably festive.

Warlord’s new Sdkfz 250/9 kit is wonderfully detailed and has some relatively fine and delicate details. Unfortunately whilst enjoying some real fantastic real ale and drying the paint on the model with my trusty hair dryer, my relaxed over enthusiastic blasts of hot air (from the hair dryer) melted part of the plastic roof.

Who would imagine that Booze, hairdryers and thin pieces of plastic would not be an advisable modelling mix!

To remedy this minor miniature catastrophe I reached for my trusty clippers and a paper clip and got cutting and bending. I am happy with the on the spot improvised repair and disaster has been averted.

This model is available from Warlord Games: https://store.warlordgames.com/products/sd-kfz-250-alte-half-track-options-for-250-1-250-9-250-11-variants?_pos=1&_sid=06b2ace87&_ss=r&aff=42

Scenery based on kits from Thyme Again: https://www.tymeagain.co.uk/store/wargames-terrain-and-accessories/28mm-model-kits/28mm-north-eastern-europe-at-war

This was model took a fair bit of time to assemble, however I am delighted with it now that it is painted and table top ready.

The Sdkfz 250/9 is well set for taking out enemy infantry, weapons teams and soft skinned vehicles. It is capable of knocking out enemy armoured cars and even though unlikely a T34 (on a damage roll of a 6) with an up close arse shot from behind using it’s autocannon, which has 2 shots and and crucially 2 chances at getting a kill. This is also particularly effective against infantry in cover in the ruins of Stalingrad, with a +1 to kill and a 1 inch template for each of it’s 2 shots (provided both or either of them hit). The coaxial MMG has 6 shots that are possibly a better option on rare occasion such as 2 man officer or weapons teams.

The vehicle is tracked, so it can cross the rubble that covers much of the city, and allows it to shoot and scoot when it needs to.

I plan to use mine by racing up the enemies flanks primarily to hunt enemy weapons teams and not directly take on enemy armour, but if there is a chance of firing it’s 2 shots at the rear of an enemy tank or armoured car, it’s worth a go.

I’m looking forward to using this fun little fella and am considering fielding an whole platoon of them

This model is available from Warlord Games: https://store.warlordgames.com/products/sd-kfz-250-alte-half-track-options-for-250-1-250-9-250-11-variants?_pos=1&_sid=06b2ace87&_ss=r&aff=42

Scenery based on kits from Thyme Again: https://www.tymeagain.co.uk/store/wargames-terrain-and-accessories/28mm-model-kits/28mm-north-eastern-europe-at-war

This Battle Report is dedicated to Gerry from OTT who has been suggesting it for a L-O-N-G–T-I-M-E, knows at least 3 of the players from events at OTT(please can we have more Weekend BoOtcamps, they were all GREAT!) and the pub afterwards!

This video was the first from ‘The Ministry of Miniatures’, please support Justin (not OTT Justin) (every gaming group needs a “Justin”)and his channel on youtube:

Thanks for coming Helena, Stewart and Rick, it was a really great way to spend an afternoon!

Yes, yes yes and Y-E-S! I have finally got this Monster of a Gun and all it’s crew assembled and painted.

Th mighty Flak 88 was rightly feared by infantry, aircraft and tankers alike being deadly to all, including the heaviest tanks on the battlefield. The power of the ’88’ is very much expressed vigorously through the stats and impact in Games of Bolt Action.

Few weapons in Bolt Action are treated with as much fear and respect as a ‘Super Heavy Anti Tank Gun’. With a direct fire Anti Tank round it has a whopping range of 84 inches (frankly I think they missed a trick in it not being ’88’ inches!). This is enough to reach any corner of most table-top battlefields. Understandably this allows it to effect the enemies choice of movement and acts as a real deterrent and area denial piece.

I used it once in my first ‘Stalingrad Mega Battle Game of Bolt Action’ (ably filmed by ‘Ministry of Miniatures:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6P8qrAAzoI&t=892s )  and it wreaked havoc, taking out a KV1, damaging another and knackering a T34 before the crew were taken out. The dual factors of placing it in a building giving it ‘Heavy Cover’ and it’s ‘Gun Shield’ kept the crew alive and fighting for a lot longer than I though possible.

The model has a clearly distinct look and with some great crew miniatures it really stands out on the table-top.

It has the option to include a spotter and can fire as a ‘Medium Howitzer’, so it can can be hidden and still fire, as well as hit units visible to the spotter, but not the gun, which is a crucial advantage in the skeletal city of Stalingrad.

This model is available from Warlord Games: https://store.warlordgames.com/products/flak-37-8-8cm?aff=42

Scenery based on kits from Thyme Again: https://www.tymeagain.co.uk/store/wargames-terrain-and-accessories/28mm-model-kits/28mm-north-eastern-europe-at-war

It was so effective in the game that I have decided to get another one, and the ‘Alarmmeinheiten Platoon’ list in the Stalingrad Campaign book allows me to field 2 in 1 platoon!

Stalingrad Campaign book: https://store.warlordgames.com/products/flak-37-8-8cm?aff=42

I was so fired up to get this model up and running so that I could use it in my first Stalingrad Mega Battle with my gaming mates, that I made a bit of an oversite.

Annoyingly there are s areas above and below the main gun that have not been filled in properly. As soon as I noticed this, this was all I could see when looking at the model.

Luckily the solution was an easy application of ‘no-nonsense-fine-surface-filler’:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-fine-surface-filler-white-600g/71551

which dried quickly with a few blasts from an hair dryer and takes acrylic paint wonderfully.

This model is available from Warlord Games: https://store.warlordgames.com/products/flak-37-8-8cm?aff=42

Scenery based on kits from Thyme Again: https://www.tymeagain.co.uk/store/wargames-terrain-and-accessories/28mm-model-kits/28mm-north-eastern-europe-at-war

Further Hiwis to add to my Axis forces in my Stalingrad Mega Battle. Soon I hope to have a full squad up an running.

Using the ‘Osttruppen’ rules for these chaps is 4 points a man. Having the ‘inexperienced’ and the ‘shirkers’ special rule, they are very cheap. Resultantly I don’t expect great things of them but, at that low points cost I can field a platoon of them to act as screen for an artillery piece, sit on an objective, or if the worst comes to it’s often inevitable worst, get more German dice in the bag!

A 5 man squad of these guys with an LMG is only 40 points! That is a lot of fire power (though inaccurate fire power) for its cost, and a few of these units will help you at least slow down the enemy with pins and the odd kill. They are also ideal for sitting on an home turf objective, where they are not required to move (let alone assault), allowing you to have a minute amount of your armies point cost tied up in guard duty, maximising what you can throw at the enemy elsewhere.

Miniatures by Warlord Games:

Armies of Germany 2nd Edition

Soviet Winter Infantry plastic box set

Blitzkrieg German Infantry plastic boxed set

Bolt Action Campaign: Battle of the Bulge

Research Material Osprey Books:

https://ospreypublishing.com/uk/german-army-193945-3-9781782002192/

Scenery by Tymeagain:

https://www.tymeagain.co.uk/store/index.php?route=product/search&search=urban%20ruins

A great little addition to my ‘Stalingrad Armoured Kampfgruppe’ plastoon (see page 146 ‘Campaign Stalingrad’) is this 2 man Flame Thrower Team.

It has been kit-Bashed with a metal German Soldier head from Warlords ‘Germans in plain steel helmets’ metal sprue, and Africa Corps Plastic sprue. Both heads have been chosen because they are wearing goggles, to add to feel of being mounted mech infantry, like  many of their platoon compatriots.

I would recommend Flame Thrower teams to any player looking to take out enemies entrenched in cover, which these guys will find by the bucket load facing them in Stalingrad. The weapon has the great ability to ignore cover to hit roll penalties! If it hits, it has D6 serious chances of killing enemy infantrymen with a +3 to the dice roll., and then what’s left has to take a morale check to stay on the table with a killer D3 + 1 pins.

This small but very effective unit will be used aggressively as a spearhead unit to break a whole in the enemy line, after being moved up in an Hanomag transport, and will pave the way for an Panzergrenadier (Stalingrad) infantry squad to capture a building etc.

he application of some Vallejo ‘Gloss Varnish’ and some ProPigments ‘Black’ add two vastly contrasting finishes to the models, which adds a further level of verisimilitude and immersion on the tabletop.

Miniatures by Warlord Games:

Afrika Korps

Sometimes accidents will happen! Yesterday I was completely chuffed with this characterful new addition to my Stalingrad Mega Project, and today I found him partially disarmed, in a quite literal manner on the floor having half an arm with his SMG broken off.

I have had as some of you know a somewhat colourful life, and I try to look for the win in a bad situation, as many of us who play Soviets are bound to do. One highly improbable but actual blessing in disguise was that the MP40’s magazine had broken off in an absolutely clean line, exactly where the port ends in the weapon. This enabled me to re -glue the arm in a different position, sculpt some green stuff into the gaps and give the figure a new pose.

The new pose looks like he has shot his load (O0owh Er Missus!) and is in the process of having to quickly reload. I like the new element of desperation and reality that the model now has!

A fun quick little project, to get a squad leader for my Hiwi’s painted and in the cabinet.

I used a German Ushanka from Warlord’s Plastic ‘German Infantry (Winter)’ box set, but cut of one of the ear flaps and re glued it in a more dynamic looking position. It looks like he is desperately letting rip with his MP40, with a stance to suggest poise and action, which the direction of the hat flaps in motion further suggest.

I actually quite like this miniature as he is pretty unique, and I enjoyed getting him painted in an evening.

Miniatures by Warlord Games:

Armies of Germany 2nd Edition

Blitzkrieg German Infantry plastic boxed set

German Grenadiers plastic box set

Germans Infantry (Winter)

Research Material Osprey Books:

https://ospreypublishing.com/uk/german-army-193945-3-9781782002192/

Scenery by Tymeagain:

https://www.tymeagain.co.uk/store/index.php?route=product/search&search=urban%20ruins

I have started an Heer Veteran squad to be the core of my 3 squad Heer platoon. I originally planned to try a single test piece, but got carried away.

I have finished 4 German infantrymen (soon to be of a larger squad.) and wanted them to stand out clearly from their compatriots in the other 2 Regular Heer squads which were assembled using purely the components from Warlord’s Blitzkrieg German Infantry plastic box set. The intention to make them stand out as Veterans on the table top in a non over the top manner. The first thing I did was give them heads from the German Infantry (Winter) box set. This gives them a very much separate look from their ‘Regular’ mates.

The cherry on the cake which firmly anchors them as ‘Veteran’, was to add a plastic Iron Cross to each model. This looks great across the group as an whole without being over the top. Each Iron Cross suggest bravery on a personal level, and is a relatively discrete detail at 28mm, but one that will clear upon close inspection.

All I need to do is finish the LMG trooper and I will have a new squad to add to my German forces.

Miniatures by Warlord Games:

Armies of Germany 2nd Edition

Blitzkrieg German Infantry plastic boxed set

German Grenadiers plastic box set

Germans Infantry (Winter)

Research Material Osprey Books:

https://ospreypublishing.com/uk/german-army-193945-3-9781782002192/

Scenery by Tymeagain:

https://www.tymeagain.co.uk/store/index.php?route=product/search&search=urban%20ruins

I have been aware that the Wehrmacht recruited and used foreign “volunteers” under various methods of recruitment (more of that in a later article), as auxiliaries and combat troops. I had read about the use of Hilfswillige (Hiwis) in many of the books that I have read on the subject. I thus  in felt that they were a missing part of my Stalingrad Mega Project. I wished to get some on the table top but, was unsure to how they were equipped, what uniform, Civi clothes, or random mixture of both they would have worn.

I rely heavily on Osprey books for my go to reference material for uniform and equipment colours to inform my miniature painting. I also enjoy the back ground information to add to my knowledge, so that I can add period details and flavour to my games of Bolt Action. I found by accident an image of an armed Hiwi in Ospreys’ The German Army 1939-45 (3), Eastern Front‘ from their Men at Arms Series  (Image by Stephen Andrew from The German Army 1939 –45 (3): The Eastern Front 1941-43 by Nigel Thomas © 1999 Osprey Publishing). This provided the answer to my question and the inspiration to start kit bashing a few units of Hiwis for my games of Bolt Action.

I have used the Osttruppen rules (Armies of Germany, page 29) which are suitable for untrained and seriously undermotivated troops, like Hiwis.

I decided to try assembling a single miniature as a test piece for a detachment of Hiwis for Bolt Action. I used a plastic Winter Soviet body, with plastic German rifle arms and webbing form Warlord’s Plastic Blitzkrieg infantry set. I then sculpted an arm band and patch for the Hiwis ushanka. I like the heavily mixed and improvised look that this creates, and can’t wait to get more assemled, painted and on the gaming table!

I watched an episode of TIK History some time ago (I will post a link when I can find it!), where he discussed documents showing how Hiwis were armed, and it mentioned troops with rifles supported by MMG and Mortar Teams. This has given me serious food for though and I will not feel that my Stalingrad Axis forces will be complete without them.

God willing, this single miniature will be the first of many, which I intend to add to bulk out my somewhat under strength and under powered platoon built around 2 Feldgendarmerei squads. This would make sense that the Foreign “Volunteers” were paired with the Military Field Police to keep an eye on them. Usefully there are rules for Military Police in the ‘Battle of the Bulge’ campaign book (page 43), which I will be using for the German Feldgendarmerei, which will allow Hiwi units to re-roll rally tests, and keep them in the fight.

Watch this space for further developments.

Miniatures by Warlord Games:

Armies of Germany 2nd Edition

Soviet Winter Infantry plastic box set

Blitzkrieg German Infantry plastic boxed set

Bolt Action Campaign: Battle of the Bulge

Research Material Osprey Books:

https://ospreypublishing.com/uk/german-army-193945-3-9781782002192/

Scenery by Tymeagain:

https://www.tymeagain.co.uk/store/index.php?route=product/search&search=urban%20ruins

Some times you have glaring gaps in your order of battle/display cabinet, and one of mine has been my Guard division troops. I started of strong and put together 2 under strength squads, then got distracted by more distinctive looking, or unusual units such as Straffbat troops.

These guys are going to be a solid backbone for my Soviet Army in my ‘Stalingrad Mega Battle’. I have 2 squads so far, and intend to build another, and run them all at full strength and Regular rating.

I am using the “No land beyond the Volga” Reinforced platoon as the basis for this platoon, which will allow them to take an MMG, HMG and up to six Anti Tank Teams.

Miniatures by Warlord Games:

Soviet Infantry plastic box set

I plan to anchor them in  the Pavolv’s House building at the centre of the battle, kit them out with as much fire power as possible, and a have the as the central lynchpin holding the Soviet centre ground. Having hard cover, with high elevations in the multi storey Pavlov’s House, They should be incredibly difficult to dislodge, and will have birds eye views to shoot at the enemy from. As a result I will be giving them an Heavy Mortar, an FAO and a multi purpose ZIS 3 Anti Tank Gun, which can also fire as a Light Howitser.

I totally ignored the Soviet Heads sporting a Ushanka. The siberian box set forced me to have a go and now I love the miniatures with them, and the look they bring to the table top!

I like the idea (which is also my justification for using this tank in Stalingrad) that this is a lone survivor of the vast tank armies that pretty much got destroyed earlier in the War.

It has bags of character, but ‘light tank’ armour and a ‘light Anti-Tank Gun’, which means it will struggle against Panzer III and IV’s, but is a real threat to infantry (it has a Co-Axial MMG. so it can fire the main gun or the MMG) and artillery, even if in cover. It will also be great for chasing down Hanomags, Trucks and Armoured cars.

The paint scheme is simple, and I applied an heavy level of weathering and scratches to the paint work, to give the impression of heavy use and ware.

The red star was achieved by use of an airbrush and a Star  Stencil from Anarchy models.

Anarchy Models Stars:

https://www.anarchymodels.co.uk/hs02—allied-stars-39-p.asp

Soviet BT-7 fast tank