SdKfz 231 and 232 from Plastic Soldier Company (plus hints and tips for assembly)

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The latest 15mm offering from the Plastic Soldier Company is the SdKfz 231 box set.

I say '231', but the set allows you to build any five vehicles from:

  • the SdKfz 231 8-rad
  • the SdKfz 232 (the one with the radiator aerial)
  • the SdKfz 263 (command car, also with radiator aerial)
  • the SdKfz 233 "Stummel" (the one with the gun)

Now I already have one SdKfz 231 8-rad (and a couple of 'obsolete' 6-rads) so what I was after was another two 231's and then three 232's to make up a six vehicle heavy armoured car platoon of the sort used in Poland in 1939.

Here's the five vehicles from the PSC box set:

Very nice models that are relatively easy to put together (see below for more).

One thing to note is that they are considerably shorter than a Battlefront SdKfz 231: about 0.5cm shorter, in fact. You don't really notice unless lined up next to each other and, anyway, my Battlefront 231 is a later model with the extra front and rear armour, so looks different anyway.

Putting Them Together

The assembly instructions come in the form of the usual picture-diagram guidelines. Below you will find a few extra hints that, let me assure you, will make your life a bit easier:

Part 3: Assemble Hub Top

I found that the turret knob didn't fit in the hole in the hull top, so I'd advise you to widen the hole a little bit before you glue it to the hull base. Just easier to do at this point than later.

I just stuck a knife in the hole and rotated it a few times!

Part 4: Assemble Lights etc

You can't really see this in the diagram, but the wider set of lights goes at the front i.e. in the plate with the pickaxe and axe on it. Makes a big difference, as it won't fit together if you get these the wrong way around!

Secondly, when you are clipping the plates from the sprue, make sure you clip or then carve the surface of the plate flush i.e. don't leave a little nubbin of plastic where you clipped it. The assembly at this point has zero tolerance for a not-properly-clipped plate. Zero!

Part 6: The Mudguards

The mudguards, the mudguards!

I am sure even the great Piers Brand now occasionally wakes from a fevered sleep shouting "the mudguards, the mudguards", as these are a complete pain to fit.

The basic problem is that the mudguard tabs fit onto an inclined surface, so if you try pressing them straight into place, the mudguard slips down the incline.

Okay, you think, I'll just glue them, then position them gently, then leave them to dry. Problem is, if you do that, then you generally get a loose mudguard: either at one or both ends or somewhere along the middle.

The trick is to turn the vehicle over. Where the star shape pipes are in between the wheel holders is the key to getting the mudguard to fit. That is a flat surface, albeit a small one, where you can hold the central bit of the mudguard in place for long enough for Superglue to bind.

So, put a little blob (little!) where the notch is at the end of each mudguard. Put a little blob of glue on each of the main tabs on the two main bodies of the mudguard. Put a blob of glue on the central bit, where you are about to apply pressure. Flip the vehicle, settle the mudguard in place, and hold the central bit in position, making sure the central tabs and ends of the mudguard are all lined up and flush too.

Now work out how to unglue your fingers from the assembly and you are done.

Note:  leave the mudguards to fully dry before carrying on. If you don't, you'll only pop them off again when you are holding the vehicle in the later stages of assembly.

And yes, when you ignore me and they pop off...that is me saying "I told you so"!

Part 11: Aerial for the 232

Two things here. Firstly, the back aerial stand is the long legged one, not the short legged one. Small point, but worth making.

Secondly, if you are careful, you can build this so the turret still rotates.

Yes, you can!

I found that they key here is firstly to glue the tripod onto the turret. The diagram doesn't show this, but the side legs go just behind the widest part of the turret - literally just behind, I mean right just behind - and the front leg goes onto a little square etched into the centre of the top front of the turret.

Then glue the top of the back legs to the aerial. While the glue has some cohesion but is still drying, flip the radiator and glue the back legs to the front of the nubs on the rear hull. The diagram seems to have them on top of the nubs, but I couldn't get that to work, so fitted them just in front of them, resting on them in fact. Now just place the front hole on the aerial on top of the knob on top of the tripod, but don't glue it in place. You should then have a aerial that has solid back legs, but allows the turret to rotate.

I'm not sure how hardy this is going to prove to be, as the vehicles are yet to hit the tabletop, but they seem okay during the painting, basing, decal and varnish stages.

Final Word

These are recommended. At effectively £20 for five vehicles, you can't go wrong, despite the sometimes annoying assembly.

I shall definitely be buying another box's worth to use as early Afrika Korps vehicles.

 

IABSM AAR: The Battle of Pszczyna

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Played a great game of IABSM earlier this week, using the fifth scenario from my newly-published scenario pack for Poland 1939, The September War.

The game covers the German 5th Panzer Division's attack on the town of Pszczyna, held by the Polish 6th Infantry Division.

Click on the picture below to see whether the Invader's assault succeeded...

TFL Painting Challenge: Another Big One!

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Yes, it's another big entry into the painting challenge, including two first submissions of the year.

So, in no particular order, we have:

  • Thomas returns with some more troops for French Indo-China
  • Mervyn is still playing with those barbarians: more figures from the world of Conan
  • We then have plenty more re-basing from Stumpy. Surely the collection must be just about done by now!
  • Mr Burt pops in some Carthaginian cavalry
  • A large submission from John de Terre Neuve: ghoulies, and US Marines for the Pacific
  • Mr Luther has finished some Commonwealth troops for Burma CoC
  • There's a Frostgrave warband from Carole
  • Also returning this week is Doug Melville, with a colossal entry involving some AWI Hessian types and a load of figures for Call of Mr C.
  • Mr Plowman has joined a cult
  • And last, but by no means least, Egg has gone all piratical on us, and sends in a Buccaneer for the Soviets to shoot at

Once again I have linked the names of the people above to their gallery, with the page opening in a new window so that you don't have to keep flicking backwards and forwards through things.

Today's pictures:

AWI American Regulars from Doug

Egg's Buccaneer

Steve Burt's Carthaginian Citizen Cavalry

Some of Thomas' troops for Indo-China

Keep 'em coming!

Converted Polish Infantry Guns Completed

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The latest unit to roll off my painting table is a platoon of 75mm wz.02/26 guns for my WW2 Polish collection. 

When fielded as a two-gun platoon, these will represent an infantry company's division-level Infantry Gun Platoon; when fielded as a three-gun platoon, these will represent a cavalry squadron's brigade-level Horse Artillery Platoon.

The guns themselves were nicknamed "orthodox" by the Poles, as they were old re-chambered Russian guns left behind on Polish territory after WW1. Always good to be equipped with the latest kit!

As for the models, the guns are from Battlefront by special order. I think they are down as Finnish or something as Battlefront doesn't really acknowledge its Polish range at the moment: far too busy in the desert!

The crew are actually WW2 Soviet artillerymen with head-swaps using Peter Pig's excellent range of heads. I've used infantry helmets for most of the crew, with an officer type wearing a rogatywka.

The limbers are general purpose Battlefront limbers, again with the driver having a swapped head.

Finally, I've also now reorganised my Polish cavalry squadron gallery. Click here to see them all (will open in a new window).

CoC: Storming the Citadel

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Although this site is mostly dedicated to the TFL company-sized games (IABSM, CDS, Q13) I like to publicise what else is going on at Lard Island. It therefore gives me great pleasure to announce the publication of the latest pint-sized campaign for Chain of Command, the platoon-sized WW2 game.

Here's what the TFL website says about Storming the Citadel:

"This Pint Sized Campaign for Chain of Command is the first covering the attack of PanzerGrenadier Division Grossdeutschland at Kursk.  The action here covers the build up to the attack, with actions in no-man’s-land as the Germans attempt to seize observation posts and clear minefields, followed by the first day of this epic battle as the Germans storm through the Soviet outpost line and the first line of defences.

"Six battlefields provide a campaign up to ten games long, by which point you’ll have a clear winner and be set up for the next campaign in the series which is already being prepared and follows Grossdeutschland into the second line of Russian defences and attempting to break into open ground beyond.

"This classic Pint Sized Campaign is designed to be run using the campaign rules in At the Sharp End and with Chain of Command rules.  Can you breach the Russian defences and seize the initiative in the East, or will you defeat the fascist invaders and restore the safety of the motherland.

"Twenty-seven pages long, this Pint Sized campaign provides the background history to the campaign with situation maps.  Uses period maps to show the location of the actions and then provides a complete campaign with forces for both sides, support options for players to select from and full victory conditions for all six battles and the campaign as a whole."

You can buy Storming the Citadel for the pint-sized cost of £3.80 by clicking here.

Painting Challenge Update: Normal Service Resumed!

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It seems as if last week's exhortations worked, as we have an update so large that I decided to do it today, Friday, as opposed to my usual Saturday post.

The update includes three returnees with their first entries of the year, including one who took the challenge in year's one and two then had a year off last year. Rumours of a trip "at Her Majesty's Pleasure" or of a secret mission to the former eastern bloc are, of course, utterly unfounded!

So, in no particular order, we have:

  • Mervyn with some Scottish horsemen
  • Koen de Smedt submits his first update of the year: vast numbers of 28mm figures including a couple of Frozen tableaus!?
  • And Ashley is also back with a bang, sending in some good looking walkers in a couple of scales
  • Also returning (from his long trip, LOL) is John de Terre Neuve, who has obviously spent his year away painting and sent all his entries in at once!
  • Andy Duffell has gone Japanese...well, apart from the burnt out CMP truck
  • The painting machine that is Matt Slade sends in a collection of 28mm beasties
  • Egg is still modernising: twelve assorted vehicles in 15mm
  • And last, but by no means least, Chris Stoesen takes a break from writing scenario packs and submits a very nice looking log cabin

I have also, at Egg's suggestion, linked all the names in the list above to their galleries, with the galleries set to open in a new window. Let me know if that makes browsing the galleries significantly easier as, if it is, I'll keep doing it and, if it isn't, I won't bother next time!

Now just because I've put some links in doesn't mean we'll be losing the weekly photos in this post. Here are today's...

Japanese Princess from Mr Duffell

Sniper's mate from Kohn

20mm PSC Hanomags from John

Egg's Moderns Mixture

IABSM AAR: Spoiling Attack, Russia, 1943

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Joe Patchen sends us another of his excellent I Ain't Been Shot, Mum battle reports.

It is Fall, 1943. The Russians have had quite a summer, pushing the Germans back along a broad front after their failed Kursk offensive. The local situation is fluid. 

A small infantry force of two Russian platoons holds a ford and bridge over a river with the aid of a couple of 76.2mm AT guns. Their job is to push across the other side and pave the way for a platoon of SP guns and two platoons of T-34/76s to push across and exit the far side of the board. The tanks are expected in the not too distant future. 

Unbeknownst to the Russians, a strong German armoured reconnaissance force of armoured cars, panzergrenadiers, and a couple platoons of tanks are on their way to spoil the anticipated offensive. They're tasked to reach and blow the bridge if possible or at least jam up any attempted Russian crossing.

Click on the pic below to find out what happened next...

IABSM AAR: Charge at Krojanty...Twice

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It’s off to Poland, 1939, again, as Bevan, Dave and I play another action from my scenario book for IABSM: The September War.

This time, the game was from scenario #03:  Charge at Krojanty. Based on an episode from the larger fighting around the Tuchole Forest that took place over the first couple of days of September 1939, the action would involve a large force of Polish cavalry surprising a German infantry platoon that had paused for a rest. Each side would then gradually be reinforced, developing into quite a large encounter.

There are several object lessons here for would-be Polish and German commanders. Click on the picture, below, to read all...

Objective Markers from Baueda

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As previously mentioned on this blog, some of the games from my new scenario book for IABSM, The September War, covering Poland 1939, require one or more objective markers. As also previously mentioned, my first thoughts were to use Army Group North's excellent Polish Eagle crest markers, shown to the right.

They look great but, of course, are artificial:  as the name suggests, they are a 'token' rather than being something that belongs on the battlefield. I therefore thought I'd try some of Baueda's portfolio of objective markers, starting with two of what look like the easiest to paint: the fuel dump and the ammunition dump:

Well they do paint up very easily, and will certainly do the job. If you look on the Baueda website you will also see how a decent painter can turn them into mini works of art!

I must confess that I'm still not sure which I will use - the tokens or the objectives - but at least now I have the option.

PS  Another AAR from The September War appears here tomorrow.

 

Painting Challenge Update: Very Quiet

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It's been a very quiet week for the painting challenge. After a couple of months of frenetic activity, only a very few entries this week.

Come on, the rest of you, get those brushes out and start painting!

Today's entries are:

  • John Davenport with some nice modern Soviet tanks
  • Some British Paras from Carole. So, how do you feel about painting that many Denison smocks?
  • Mr Helliwell offers a couple of Gaz trucks and lots of half-Russians!
  • There's more AWI goodness from John Haines
  • And finally Ralph Plowman has some fanstasy/sci-fi 28s, and a very nice 15mm walker

So that's it:  five entrants this week. Not good!

Soviet tanks from Mr Davenport

Ralph's Walker

Some AWI infantry from Mr Haines

British Paras from Carole

Soviets from Mr Helliwell

Painting Challenge Update Number Eleven

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After a week of Poland, it's back to the painting challenge for update number eleven. I am still sure that the challenge is far busier this year than it was last year!

So, in no particular order, we have:

  • The maestro, Matt Slade, with a big red dragon (and it is big!), a giant and a scorpion
  • Mr Weathersby sends in another of his hand-rigged Napoleonic ships
  • Chris Kay finishes his vikings
  • Here comes the cavalry, courtesy of Egg
  • Mr Hodge, fresh from proof-reading The September War, sens in over a hundred little Frenchmen
  • We have some archaeologists from Carole
  • The Mad Padre has scenery and elves for us to look at and admire
  • With an all new background, Mr Helliwell sends in more ACW figures and a few bits of scenery
  • Kev, our favourite Fat Wally, also does the ACW, with a suitably Kev-like, huge entry
  • And last, but by no means least, Mervyn pops in some Dark Ages types

Today's pictures are below. Just a few, as I have to nip to the post office to pick up a package: more miniatures!

Brian's hand-rigged Napoleonic ship

More cold war goodness from egg

confederate band from kev

papped!

Polish Tankettes

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To finish off Polish week on Vis Lardica, celebrating the publication of The September War, my new scenario pack for IABSM covering the German invasion of Poland in 1939, here's a picture of some painting I completed last weekend: a unit of five Polish TKS tankettes.

These are Battlefront models and, as you can see, I have built two of them with the 20mm cannon and three of them with the standard MMG.

Now these things are small: significantly smaller than an Italian tankette or a Bren gun carrier. Although I can see that it would be nice to have a bit of protection against smallarms fire, I think you'd have to be crazy to ride one of these into battle against panzers!

Whilst I was researching The September War, I came across the fact that every year there is a big military re-enactment in Poland celebrating one of the battles of the campaign. Here's a couple of pictures of a TKS tankette from two of the re-enactment days.

As I said: these things are small!