Tag: world war two

Operation High Street part III

Post author By lorenzoseventh
Post date 6th Oct 2025
4 Comments on Operation High Street part III

Back in 2021 I accidentally picked up a lucky find in a charity bookshop. It was a hard copy book in their vintage section so it was priced up.

The book by Charles Grant Senior had a garish 1970’s cover you could not miss….

Operation Highstreet

Simply to find such a rare beast in a bricks and mortar setting made me buy it. I mean I had no interest in anything beyond my recently set limit of 1870 (up from 1735 due to discovering the wargame delights of 1848).

I bought it, I read it, I was energised! Suddenly I had this idea to start a small side project with limited objectives.

Buy from real shops – bricks and mortar

Use the book idea

Limit the forces to those in the book

Use Fauxterre

Fauxterre has become my catch all imaginations world for gaming ahistorical forces and situations. Although it is really fantasy that term implies dragons and otherworldly ideas. So Fauxterre 1930 was born – one of several realms……

Mythical Realms

In this case instead of Red v Black I would have Ochre (Vossakia v Azorians) Brown. Ok so the Vossakians look a lot like Russians and the Azorians have more the a passing resemblance to early war US troops.

Charles Grant used readily available models and figures in 1/72 and 1/87 and also used hannomags for both sides.

The theme with ahistorical imaginations gaming is you can mix it up.

Despite deciding to follow the book process I did not want the book period of late WW2. Instead I wanted prewar – biplanes, poor tank development and hardly any blitzkreig etc. ok so monoplanes and tank modernisation would figure alongside motorised units. In other words a bit of everything.

And then I created two projects after rushing to buy the figures in my local shop which I liked. Yes the plastic soldier company Russians were suitable for 1930’s use and so were the US soldiers (1942 m1 helmets though) but for some reason I had a split personality moment and opted for them to be later prewar!! While some other shop bought figures became early prewar: This was solely due to wanting some Adrian helmets in the period. Of course in TORCH 1942 you get Adrian helmets up against M1’s but that’s yet another story.

Confused? Yep the problem with making it up is being consistent with your invention……….no chance!

Back to Fauxterre 1930. I quickly got plain infantry for both sides painted then read about the PSC US support troops scale problems – this typical dip in the project track simply derailed the whole thing!

It’s just one of those things. Since then the project has acquired a lot more equipment (all in the paint queue) and other figures (all in the paint queue) and even some aircraft – yet more distraction.

Finally though, I have managed to heave some figures over the line.

Back to the Russians again, I do like the sculpts (except the flat guy who seems to be reaching between two walls…..)

Anyway first up we get some machine gunners

Then we have some mortars light and medium?

Then we get a couple of anti tank rifles

And finally a couple of 37mm anti tank guns.

In the foreground gun said squeezed sculpt is almost facing camera – ok he looks alright after all……..just real shoulder ache.

Not sure when the next completion might appear though. Either way these chaps will join the infantry who have already had some escapades

Fauxterre 1930+ The Observer

Painting Pedestal 23X: Tacfos* – the game – episode 3

Don’t hold your breath when it comes to Fauxterre 1930….

Tags 1/72, 1/72 plastics, 20-25mm, Charles Grant, Fauxterre 1930, miniature figures, miniatures painting, painting figures, painting miniatures, the plastic soldier company, wargames, wargaming, world war two, WW2

Military History

Rocket Armed Biplanes even in 1945

Post author By lorenzoseventh
Post date 19th Aug 2025
9 Comments on Rocket Armed Biplanes even in 1945

It took me a long time to get to this museum in fact decades. I always meant to go – just my trips south never quite worked for a visit. Then in 2023 it happened. The visit is well worth it.

And then it’s taken 2 years to get round to this post. And that has only happened because Jeff – one inch high guy –

https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com

Posted about an out of print book and mentioned rockets and biplanes. I promised to dig out the info he wanted. Well I did have the photo but not the info boards.

Wikipedia has a site on Le Prieur rockets though

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Prieur_rocket

Over the toilets! Half a Fairy swordfish – mainstay of the fleet air arms force in WW2

The swordfish had such a stable and durable airframe compared to later monoplanes that it was rocket armed in the Indian Ocean battles with the Japanese plus a fighter escort of seafires. The Swordfish was the only biplane to be in action in 1939 and also still in frontline action in 1945!

https://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/ESCORT/BATTLER.htm

Well it seems I did not record many info boards so have fun naming the blanks or correcting my entries.

Next up California dreaming….

Tags biplanes, fleet air arm, Military History, Royal Navy, World War One, world war two

life

We will remember them

Tags life, Military History, world war two

Mid 19th Century Wargaming Scenery wargaming world war two

Buildings Blast

One scene – two battles – thats efficiency for you.

But our world loves colour – sort of – the unity is lost

With my regular “What a Tanker” opponent I took the allies and a makeshift bunch of tanks – churchill, stuart, grant and a “shy” firefly

Surprise surprise the german mechanics and fuel operators were on top gear – out come a tiger, a panther and a sturdy PzIV – needless to say flashy turrets were also on display. Its a pity there is not a special rule in WAT for complicated tech risk due to supply and logistics problems….. but this is just a table game like monopoly.

We took the long table set up with tank groups arriving in diagonally opposite corners – here the germans creep into the centre

rather brazenly the churchill and firefly just drive up the main street

The weaker allied tanks stayed out of town

The churchill caught a sight of movement – fired and took out some buildings

The stuart caught the PzIV in its sights and fired

Despite hugging the old mill house the the stuart was spotted by the panther but no fire………

The king tiger broke ground and took the Churchill head on……..

The firefly got a line on the King tiger

The stuart was now being targetted by both the Panther and PzIV – no one was getting any hits on anything except a barn door

Finally some allied success – the Grant crept up on the King Tiger – in my last WAT game post the Grant had been the “dark scary dog” for the big german cats.

not this time – those roller bearings and cogs? (Frank Tank Rants has fantastic tank tech data to keep you happy for hours) were well oiled as the Grant failed to fire……Another allied tank gone

Meanwhile the Stuart was holding its own against the “B” team of the Panther and PzIV. The problem was the Stuart was hitting its target without any impact

If that was not enough the big tiger with two kills already turned up

Retreating – the stuart almost escaped before a fatal shot landed.

The Firefly finally put in an appearance but was nochantly disposed of by the king tiger

The Firefly was last allied tank standing – game over. This one was quite quick which was useful as my regular opponent does not get much game time. That is why WAT is an excellent pick up game. Also I had time and the idea to get almost all my model buildings on the table.

The buildings are a right old mix – some date from the 1970’s complete with enamel paint through decades old paper buildings where the damage is due to little insects! when in storage – ok the steeple was down to straight crushing. and some are ceramics from germany

The next battle involved Austrians and Piedmontese/French so I got good use from the temporary set up.

Tags 19th century wargame rules, mechanised warfare, Scenery, tanks, too fat lardies, what a tanker, world war two

1/72 scale figures metal miniatures new additions wargame shows wargaming

Vapnartak 2022 Aquisitions

Post author By lorenzoseventh
Post date 14th Feb 2022
4 Comments on Vapnartak 2022 Aquisitions

I do not normally post about what I buy to indulge my hobby. However this occasion fits nicely.

Apart from recognising that for the first time since 2019 I attended this show, one I have rarely missed, it solved a problem.

What do you do when your sidetrack project becomes a Cuckoo in the nest. You buy another nest, metaphorically speaking, and stick it in it. I had attempted to paint and kitbash my way through the sidetrack project Fauxterre 1930, while progressing my main project of 2021 – Wars of Italian Unification 1848/1859 (in themselves ever more complicated but still fascinating).

So, having gone round the show in quick time I felt there was little to tempt me or solve my current project woes. “Or so I thought”.

Early War Miniatures was one of many (but not all) bigger traders busy selling at VAP22. With no bring and buy or competitions, plus only a select few demo/participation games, it was easy to get around but also the smaller sellers were not too diminished as they were spread across all 4 floors.

At Early War Miniatures I encountered a sell off of some completed figures. And they were exactly what I wanted for my Fauxterre 1930 project. Although I had opted for US and Russian forces – original plan – I had drifted into the interwar period and French forces had loomed into sight complete with Char B tanks, Renault’s and various quirky looking vehicles.

Net result was I came away with a prize and of course my wallet much lighter.

The effect was that a mini deluge in buying followed. There is a lesson in there somewhere.

The figures come next followed by the rest of my purchases with some kit armour and finished EWM tanks to finish.

The rest of my buys were somewhat “erratic” of course……….

So a big thank you to Early War Miniatures who fixed a growing problem. Pendraken as ever met my needs for all sorts of extras while Helion Books invariably come up with attractive titles to feed my reading. Great Escape Games provided the tufts and some humour.

Last of all for those who stuck the journey………..

Thats all folks – just maybe for patient “John the Varnish” the next post should be about Wars of the Italian Unification although Fauxterre 1930 is still squawking away!

Tags 1/72 metals, 20mm metals, 25mm metals, Early War Miniatures, EWM, Fauxterre 1930, helion books, interwar period, pendraken miniatures, Scenery, Vapnartak, world war two

metal miniatures wargaming world war two

Gifted

John at “just add varnish” blog was having a clear out and thought I might like some between the wars armour. That is ww1 to ww2 so 1920/30’s era.

Thank you John. These were most welcome and have allowed me to dabble in some tank or tankette gaming while I paint up my infantry.

So here they are. A wopping 15 items! Generous John or what.

The John@justaddvarnish inventory

First Column

French AMR33 or AMR35 reconnaissance tank by Early War Miniatures
French Renault NC27 by Shapeways
2 x Soviet FT17 – based on Hat kit
Italian L6/40 by Frontline Wargaming

Second Column

Mexican Revolution armoured truck by Shellhole Scenics
Vickers Light Dragon gun tractor maybe by Early War Miniatures
Laffly W15T gun tractor Paint & Glue Miniatures
1930’s sedan by Frontline Wargaming

Third Column

Morris C8 gun tractor ex Matchbox
6 wheeled Crossley armoured car by FRontline Wargaming
4 wheeled Marmon Herrington armoured car may be by Wespe Models
Japanese type 95 Kurogane Scout Car unknown manufacture
Austin Putilov armoured car (in kit form)

Here are some of them in close up. They show the excellent artwork by John@justaddvarnish

Thanks John these will definitely be appearing again in my “between the wars” games I have entitled Fauxterre 1930 and Fauxterre 1930+.

Tags 1/72, 1/72 metals, 1/72 plastics, 20mm, armoured fighting vehicles, Fauxterre 1930, Fauxterre 1930+, tanks, world war two

1/72 scale figures wargaming world war two

The Painting Pedestal: No smoke without fire

Post author By lorenzoseventh
Post date 13th Oct 2021
2 Comments on The Painting Pedestal: No smoke without fire

Fauxterre 1930 looks a possibility.

Can you guess the manufacturers and vehicles modelled?

They are a work in progress but I don’t intend to be kind to them – they should look grubby and rough. And I am not happy about all this post Baroque malarkey………but thats the essence of erratic wargaming I guess.