The Mystery of the 'Bermuda Rectangle'!

As you know, I am just returning to the hobby of scale model making and tabletop war-gaming after a gap of two or three years. One of my main occupations at the moment, though, is cleaning up my junk-filled 'man cave' attic space so I can start making models again, but it's been a big job...

Errr, well my attic isn't quite this bad, it just seems like it sometimes! :)

I'll say this again - it's unbelievable the amount of junk that can build up in a household over just a couple of years. My attic became a store-room for box after box of crap, Christmas decorations (I think we could decorate three or four houses with the amount of crimble lights we have - not to mention the TREE Christmas trees of varying sizes) and the wife's shoe and out-of-season clothing collection.

Anyway (rant over)... Maybe. 😁

The point of this post is to highlight just one of the problems I am having with a hobby that was temporarily abandoned and that is - my forgetting just what stuff I had bought!

Example: In yesterday's post I mentioned how I would love to buy a couple of PSC 1/100 Panzer IV Ausf H tank models for my Kursk project. Well, while trawling back through my old Milgeek blog posts looking for a particular link I wanted I found the following post dated May 1st 2017...

GF9 Tanks - New Panzer IV Model

Apparently, I had already bought a Battlefront Panzer IV H model!! BUT the irony is, it's disappeared under all the piles of rubbish I still have to clear away. Awwwww, bum-fluff!

Still, IF I can find the models it will have saved me buying new ones. Pretty handy as my finances are tighter than they were three years ago.

The sprues of my GF9 produced Panzer IV Ausf. H.... Wherever it is!

So, there you go - my attic is a either a portal to another dimension - in which case I hope the great ancient beings on the other side enjoy 1/100 model making - OR lurking underneath the remaining detritus I have the biggest 'carpet monster' ever!

...Oh, bit of a related postscript. Having discovered I had bought this model I checked through my Flickr photo gallery and actually found some pics I had taken of the kit (see sprues above) AND I had already started researching paint schemes for this model and save a nice graphic which will come on handy...

I like the two-tone 'splinter' camo - bottom row, third along!

1/100 KV-1S Turret Conversion

Following up my mention of a purchase (link here) of  couple of 3D printed model conversion parts (something new to me), I got a nice surprise in the post this morning...

After cleaning these parts up I will be mating these turrets to a couple of Zvezda KV-1 chassis. And voile! Two KV-1S tanks...

These 'heavy' Soviet tank models - as I pointed out in my original post - will not give me parity with the German Tiger 1 for my Kursk war-game. In fact, despite the fact that these were considered 'modernised' (at the time) versions of the original KV-1 tanks, the Russians had lightened the tank's armour to improve mobility, thus negating one of the few major advantages of the KV series.

Still, these monsters will look quite impressive on the game table and will provide a little variety in what might otherwise be a T-34 heavy force.

Next: I prep the 3D printed turrets and build the Zvezda plastic chassis.

Ford Trucks... 2nd (Re-)Starter Project

Yesterday I discussed what would be my first re-starter assignment - my Armourfast M4, which is mainly a painting job - and today I'm going to reacquaint myself with the other models I have chosen to get me going in the hobby again. These will be a pair of Hunor 1/72 resin 1939 V8 Ford trucks...

Now these models must have been the very last thing that I was working on before I stopped model making in 2018. I didn't even stop construction at a obvious place (unusual for me) and I seem to have has some sort of 'cunning plan' in mind...But goodness knows what that was!

I checked back on my blog - thank goodness for my blog - and it seems like these models turned out to be a bit of a challenge (I don't think I have had a resin model yet that hasn't been). You can check out 'the story so far' by following this link: Kitnoob's Finnish m39 Ford V8 Truck Saga.

But here's just one little pic which will give you an idea of how painful this build was...

😣

...But, of course, it's me we are talking about so I was obviously loving this! 😂

This appears to be the last photo I took, but it gives a bit of a false impression about how far along I was as this was just a dry fitting test. There were still several issues I still had to resolve before putting the major parts together...

The good thing about this particular job is that it will definitely dust the cobwebs off my construction skills. That's if I can find all my modelling tools, which are mostly still under some of the junk in my attic dumping ground!

And...I Change My Mind! 1/72 US Sherman.

As I mentioned, I am currently rummaging through the junk pile which is my old attic work area. It seems that every time I remove a layer of crap I find something new or something I had forgotten about underneath... I daren't even show you a photo, it's too embarrassing!

Now, I thought I had found all of my old projects and I carefully placed them in a separate box and had picked out a couple that seemed like good ones that would restart my model making with. But, no...

One more layer of random 'stuff' and I came across yet another oh-so-nearly completed model that had completely forgotten I had. And this one is another - like my Hurricane model - that is ready to have the final weathering phase to be applied...

Like my Hurricane model., this 1/72 M4 Sherman model (by Armourfast) was a 'fun' project totally unrelated to any of my main projects. So it's ideal to use as a (re-) starter activity, because I would hate to make a mess of one of the models I was making for, for example, my Finnish Army project where each model is a bit of a custom job with a lot of work put into them.

Also, I enjoy the weathering bit, it's the part of the modelling process where you most get to get creative and add your own personal 'style' (I think).

...So, quick change of plan. This Sherman replaces the Hurricane as my re-entry into the hobby.

Despite this model being, basically, a pretty simple Armourfast 'easy build' war-game kit I did do quite a bit of scratch upgrading to it (just to prove that you could make a bog-standard gaming model look a bit more realistic)...

To help get me re-started in making and painting scale models I have managed to find a very useful YouTube tutorial to guide me... (A bit of much needed 'hand-holding' as I'm a bit nervous!)

1/100 'Battle of Kursk' Soviet 'Heavy'

Reading through my old bog posts about the various projects I had on the go two years ago made for some interesting reading (if I do say so myself). One of the projects that caught my eye and my curiosity was my idea for a GF9 TANKS! tabletop war-game based on the famous 'Battle of Kursk'.

Simply, the idea was that, as I had tried several games of GF9 Tanks but they were all small ones - at most involving three or four tanks on each side -I was keen to try out a BIG battle. I had in mind, it seems, something along the lines of at least six tanks on each side, perhaps involving a 'reinforcement' stage to slowly introduce the full compliment over the course of the battle.

Now, when it comes to BIG historic tank battles Kursk must come at the top of the list, so I had begun to assemble a collection of 1/100 models to represent the opposing German and Soviet armies.

Of course, this meant I had to read up a bit about the battle, specifically about the composition of the combating armour forces. But, as it turned out, the interweb let me down a bit here as a couple of the sites that purported to give you a factual account about exactly which tanks were involved were WRONG! (Bad interweb!)

A Soviet KV (I'm not say which model) knocked out with multiple penetrated
hits! Ouch. The KV series was showing it's weakness against the 'Big Cats'.

I had been led to believe that the Soviet forces had deployed the KV-85 as their heavy tank opposition to the German's Tigers and Panthers, but it seems that there was some confusion...

The KV-85 was an interim or transitional tank that came between the KV-1 series and the T34/85. The designation of '85' in either tank relates to the use of the Soviet's new 85mm gun which was developed to replace their 76mm gun which had been used in the T-34 and KV-1 tanks (but was beginning to be ineffective again the new heavy German designs).

What Soviet 'heavy' can I put up against the infamous Tiger?

In their desperation to field the new 85mm gun the Soviets needed a new turret design large enough to accommodate the bigger weapon and this was - initially - achieved by sticking a larger cast turret on their existing KV series chassis. It was something of an contingency plan, quite similar to how the British stuck their new 17 pounder gun in their Sherman Firefly, and was only intended as a stop-gap until a completely new purpose-built tank design could be produced.

In the case of the Soviets that 'purpose built' design for the 85mm turned out to be - ironically - another fudged design - the T-34/85...But that's another story...

Anyhoo...Back to my story...

Cutting to the chase... Yes the KV-85 was rushed into service specifically to tackle the powerful German 'Big Cats' BUT it only manged to reached the front in September 1943 - while the Battle of Kursk took place in July and August 1943! So, to squash the myth - there were NO KV-85s at Kursk!

In defence of some armchair interweb 'historians', what there was at Kursk was the KV-1S. This had the chassis of a KV-1 but a new cast turret design which still had the old 76mm gun mounted. It's my guess (and just a guess, mind you) that some people who were looking at old blurry photos of KV-1S tanks at Kursk misidentified them - because of the vaguely similar turret shape - as KV-85s... Maybe?

The KV-1s & KV-85 compared. The larger 85mm gun on the KV-85 is a bit
of a give away when trying to identify the two variants of 'KV'. But,  depending
on the turret orientation and quality of original photo reference you might be
forgiven for getting the two tanks mixed up..?

In terms of my GF9 scenario project what did this mean? Well, apparently, because of the inaccurate information I had read I had been desperately searching for a 1/100 KV-85 model to complete my Soviet tank force. And, from what I remember, in 2018 I just could not source a single one! So my project kinda stuttered to a halt and then I put my modelling on hold altogether.

As it turns out, I was actually on a bit of a wild goose chase! I didn't need a KV-85 model at all, what I needed for a Soviet 'heavy' was a KV-1s. And I think I remember there being a couple of resin models of this tank on the market at the time... Pah!

I even had a couple of Zvesda KV-1 models in my stash and these could have been converted into the KV-1S variant with a 'little' work...

However, fast forward to 2020 and I easily found - thanks to booming cottage 3D printing  industry - a KV-1S turret I can buy to convert my existing KV models. I've purchased a couple of these from Butler's Printed Models (UK) and they make them to order and they should arrive in a week or so. Problem solved hopefully.

BPM's 1/100 KV-1s model. It's 3D printed so quality is so-so, but it's cheap
enough, especially if you opt just to buy the turret (£1.65 each)

UPDATE 21/05/2020: Received an email from Butler's Models today saying my 3D printed KV-1S turrets are ready for dispatch! That's better than expected - that's just 3 DAYS from order to completion. (Remember, they make these 3D printed models to order!)

With relation to the KV-1s and it's place in my planned GF9 TANKS! game it definitely isn't an equal match for the German Tiger I if you compare the stats (which is why I am building two). And historically too, the KVs were no match for the Teutonic Cats and they were literally cannon fodder for the Germans.

So, what chance would my Soviet force have? Well, you have to remember what happened in the real historic battle - despite the Germans having - on paper - the technological advantage the general consensus is that history's biggest tank battle ever was not the decisive victory that Hitler predicted.

The German war machine did not break the Soviet's fortitude and, in balance, the victory is seen as belonging to the Red Army...But at a huge cost. Can I replicate this result in 1/100? 

----------------------------------------------

My planned 1/100 GF9 TANKS! Kursk line-up...

Note: This selection may change as I determine game point ceiling and the stats of the various vehicles. I think it's safe to say, though, that the Soviet force will always outnumber the German one as their tanks are (in game parlance) 'cheaper'.

GERMANY

- 1 x Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf. H1
- 1 x Panzerkampfwagen V Panther
- 1 x Panzerjäger Tiger (P) Ferdinand ('Elefant') tank destroyer
- 1 x Sturmgeschütz III 'StuG' Ausf. G assault gun
- 2 x Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. F or G

SOVIET UNION

1 x SU-152
2 x KV-1S
2 x SU-122
4 x T-34/76

Where to Begin? Rummaging About...

Lot's and lot's of head scratching... Just what was I thinking two years ago?

I suppose it's a lucky thing I was blogging my progress at the time as it means that I can actually look back at my posts from the time to get an idea about what I was up to. However, this has also made me realise just how unfocused and fickle a modeller I was, jumping -as I tended to do - from one half -finished project to another. 😵

The upshot of this means - somewhere under all the crap that covers my work bench - there are several unfinished projects and I am having to do a bit of careful archaeological excavation in order to uncover them. I'm like some sort of really rubbish and nerdy Indiana Jones!

I do have a 'On the workbench' list on the right side of this blog which should give me a precise overview of what was on the go in 2018. But knowing me, I probably had several 'side projects' on the back burner at the same time. Still, it's a good starting point and I have already identified a couple of the projects that I fancy reactivating.

Top of my list of models that have piqued my interest are the Hobby Boss 1/72 Hurricane Mk. IIc and the Hunor 1/72 Ford 1939 Truck. The Hurricane because I vaguely remember that it was very nearly finished and because it was just a fun project so will be a good one to restart my modelling with (I won't be too worried about spoiling it).

The Ford truck is a wee bit more tricky, but intrigues me as I can't remember working on this one at all. Also, this kit doesn't seem to have gotten beyond the construction phase so it will allow me to reacquaint myself with building again.

Not the most interesting model I guess ('Umph, another truck!') but it looks like I had done quite a bit of work to rescue what looked like a bit of a rubbish resin model and so it would be a pity to waste that. And... I'm kinda excited to see if I can pull off making a silk purse out of what looks to have been a sow's ear!

On the wishlist... 1/72 ZIS-150 Truck

A truck that I would really like a model of for my 1/72 Finnish WW2 army war-gaming project would be an example of the American International Harvester K-7. This has been a kinda holy grail for me and it would nicely finish off my Finnish collection!

The original American International Harvester K-7 in the 'short' wheelbase
cargo configuration for military use.

Trouble is - nobody makes a IH K-7 in 1/72. This is probably due to the fact it was something of a rarity - there were many other US trucks that were made in greater numbers during the war - and also because it was mainly a civilian heavy mover, though it was used in modest numbers by the militaries of America, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union (lend-lease) and, of course, Finland.

The IH K-7 short wheel base model being used by the Finns.

Examples of the International Harvester K-7 (long wheel base) being used by
the Finnish Army as a heavy artillery prime mover.

So, how to model a truck that doesn't exist as a production kit? Well, there is scratch-building if I were a real masochist, but - more easily - there is also a little 'cheat' where I could convert a truck that is similar in appearance...Very similar.

In fact, the Soviet Union was so impressed with it's imported American K-7s that in 1947 they outright copied the design for themselves and called it the ZIS-150! And models of the ZIS-150 do exist...Bingo!

The Soviet made (copy) of the K-7, the ZIS-150.

As usual - with anything I set out to do - things aren't quite as simple as the initially seem to be. To begin with, the closest model I could find to the ZIS-150 in 1/72 was ICM's ZIL-157 which is a slightly later and modified truck developed from the ZIS-150. This would need some conversion to make it look like it's predecessor...

You can see the 'family resemblance' between the ZIL-157 and the earlier incarnations, the primary differences - from a modelling perspective - are the front grill (vertical instead of horizontal xxx), the fenders (the later truck had simplified 'flat' wheel arches) and the wheels (the Russians slapped on nice big chunky off-road friendly tyres). o, a fair amount of things to change if I want to make a 150 model truck.

Still, I have these models and they were a reasonable price! (They are pretty easy to source.)

On the other hand, there is a proper ZIS-150 kit that has come on to the market...

And again, there is a couple of flies in the ointment. For a start, this is the short wheel-base model and I want the long base version (for an artillery mover). Additionally, this is a short-run resin kit and I have had some very bad experiences with this form of kit (don't get me started) AND it is very expensive at 33 Euros (not including shipping)! Eeeek! 😲

So, what will I do. I could just stick to my original Plan A and scratch convert the ZIL-157 trucks - which I already have -  or I could take advantage of the Armada kit's correctly modelled grill, fenders and wheels, but then I would have to model a long wheel base! Swings and roundabouts.

There is a third way... I could buy one ZIS-150 and use it's parts to convert my ZIL-157 kits by making some mouldings from the Armada parts...

As usual - me being me - the slightly weird fudged 3rd way sorta appeals to me. After all, I can't do anything the easy way could I? 😂