Year: 2023

Somua S35

This Somua S35 was on display at the Bovington Tank Museum.

Somau S35

The Somua S35 was a French cavalry tank of the Second World War. Built from 1936 until 1940 to equip the armoured divisions of the Cavalry, it was for its time a relatively agile medium-weight tank, superior in armour and armament to its French and foreign competitors, such as the contemporary versions of the German Panzer III medium tank.

Somau S35

The Somua S35 was optimised to fulfil the latter role; it had good speed, an adequate range, a gun powerful enough to easily destroy its to probable opponents the German Panzer III – and armour thick enough to be practically immune to the fire of both at normal battle ranges; the armour of any German tank in May 1940 could be penetrated by the S35’s 47 mm gun up to a range of 1,000 meters (3,300 ft). So it could carry out deep strategic penetrations and destroy enemy armor reserves trying to prevent them, possessing a good anti-tank capacity.

Somau S35

The Somua S35 was a well-designed tank, and it was considered to be one of the best tanks of its time. However, it was not produced in large numbers, and it was not available in sufficient numbers to make a decisive difference in the outcome of the Battle of France.

After the fall of France, the Somua S35 was used by the German Wehrmacht, and it saw action on the Eastern Front and in North Africa. It was also used by the Free French Forces, and it saw action in the liberation of France.

Somau S35

The Somua S35 was a successful tank, and it was considered to be one of the best tanks of its time. It was well-designed, well-armed, and well-armored. However, it was not produced in large numbers, and it was not available in sufficient numbers to make a decisive difference in the outcome of the Battle of France.

More photographs of the Somua S35 at Bovington.

I have a few of these in 15mm scale including a Flames of War Objective.

Flames of War French Somua S-35

Flames of War General de Gaulle

Ork Fighter Bomma

This is the original Forge World Ork Fighter Bomma. The model was retired when the new plastic kits were released.

Ork Fighter Bommer

I purchased my Ork Bommer way back in 2003 at GamesDay. This project originally started off as a large transport for Epic, find out more here.

See the full workbench feature on the Ork Fighter Bomma.

Hawker Tempest II

This Hawker Tempest II was on display at RAF Cosford.

Hawker Tempest II

The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. It was an improved version of the Hawker Typhoon, and was designed to address the Typhoon’s unexpected deterioration in performance at high altitude. The Tempest was renamed after it diverged considerably from the Typhoon. It emerged as one of the most powerful fighters of World War II, and was the fastest single-engine propeller-driven aircraft of the war at low altitude.

The Hawker Tempest was powered by a 2,210 hp Bristol Centaurus V air-cooled radial engine. The Hawker Tempest was a highly successful aircraft, and was considered to be one of the best British fighters of the Second World War. It was fast, powerful, and well-armed, and proved to be very effective in both ground attack and air-to-air combat.

The Hawker Tempest II was designed to use the Bristol Centaurus 18-cylinder radial engine, as an alternative to the liquid-cooled engines that were originally proposed. The new engine and cowling were the only major differences between the Tempest II and the earlier Tempest Vs. The carburettor air intakes were in the inner leading edges of both wings, an oil cooler and air intake were present in the inner starboard wing. The engine installation owed much to examinations of a captured Focke-Wulf Fw 190.

Incom T-47 Snowspeeder

The Incom T-47 Snowspeeder is a two-person, all-terrain vehicle used by the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War.

Incom T-47 Snowspeeder flying towards an Imperial AT-AT Walker.

Though you can get an “official” Snowspeeder model for Star Wars Legion, I have been thinking for a while about getting the Revell 1/52nd scale model kit of the Snowspeeder. Mainly as I wanted to use it as scenery (more than as a vehicle in the game) and partly down to cost. The Revell kit was £8 and the “official” Snowspeeder model was over £30 when I last looked on Amazon.

Incom T-47 Snowspeeder

The Incom T-47 Snowspeeder is a heavily modified version of the Incom T-47 Airspeeder, which was originally designed for industrial cargo handling. The Snowspeeder is equipped with two forward-facing heavy laser cannons and a harpoon cannon mounted in the rear. It can also tow cables, which can be used to disable Imperial walkers.

The Snowspeeder is a fast and agile vehicle, making it ideal for use in combat. It is also well-suited to the harsh environments of planets like Hoth, where it was first used in combat. The Snowspeeder played a key role in the Battle of Hoth, helping to defend the Rebel base from an Imperial attack.

The Snowspeeder is a versatile and effective vehicle that has proven its worth on the battlefield. It is a valuable asset to the Rebel Alliance, and it has helped to turn the tide of the Galactic Civil War.

The Incom T-47 Snowspeeder was first seen in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back. It has since appeared in several other Star Wars films, television shows, and video games.

The kit contains 23 parts.

Painting the base of the Forge World Grey Knights Dreadnought

I have had a Mark IV Forge World Grey Knights Dreadnought on my workbench for a while. After getting some weapon arms for the model. I gave the main model a black undercoat and started base coating with a metallic paint. The weapons I had given a white undercoat. Getting it out from storage, I decided to almost start again and gave the model a base spray of Leadbelcher. I gave the model a wash of Nuln Oil Shade. For the next stage I used some Citadel Leadbelcher. I took a large brush and gave the model, what I would call, a heavy drybrush. I then did a lighter drybrush of various silver paints.

I did intend to paint the base for the model next, but upon checking the workbench feature for my Grey Knights, I realised that I needed a paint I didn’t have. For my Grey Knights I painted the flocked (well sanded) bases with Bestial Brown and then drybrushed with Bleached Bone. I bought a pot of Mournfang Brown. I used this to paint the base of the Dreadnought.

I didn’t have any Bleached Bone either. I drybrushed the base with Citadel Ushabti Bone, which is a replacement for Bleached Bone.

Forge World Grey Knights Dreadnought

Forge World Grey Knights Dreadnought

See the workbench feature on the Grey Knights Dreadnought.

Chaos on the ebb

The original Warhammer world was “destroyed” in 2015. The Warhammer: The Game of Fantasy Battles changed forever when Games Workshop (though they said Archaon was responsible) destroyed the world.

Warhammer

Of course we know now that the Old World in Warhammer is coming back.

Reading the most recent Old World Development Diary entry, The Main Factions Revealed we found out what the core factions will be in the game.

List of core factions

I quite like the fact that Chaos is almost non-existent in this era.

The battles of Warhammer: the Old World take place in the decades immediately before the Siege of Praag.

This means that Chaos is not as strong as it was in previous incarnations of Warhammer.

Chaos Daemons have existed in the past and will again, but there is an ebb and flow to the power of Chaos – in our period Chaos is at its lowest ebb in a long time.

You can still play Chaos if you want, but I like the fact that the focus is on the core factions.

Home Guard Thornycroft Type 2 Bison

This Home Guard Thornycroft Type 2 Bison was on display at Bovington.

The Bison was an extemporised armoured fighting vehicle frequently characterised as a mobile pillbox. Bisons were produced in Britain during the invasion crisis of 1940-1941. Based on a number of different lorry chassis, it featured a fighting compartment protected by a layer of concrete.

The Bison was not very mobile, and was only intended for use in static defence. However, it was relatively cheap and easy to produce, and could provide valuable protection for troops against enemy fire.

Bisons were used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) to protect aerodromes and by the Home Guard. They acquired the generic name “Bison” from their main manufacturer, Thornycroft.

It’s a good illustration of the desperate state of the defence of the United Kingsom in 1940. Take a lorry and add some concrete to turn it into an armoured vehicle. They were really no more than mobile pillboxes.

With a variety of chassis to work on, Bisons inevitably varied in detail, but were made in three distinct types:

Type 1 was the lightest. It had a fully armoured cab and a small armoured fighting compartment roofed with canvas.

Type 2 had an armoured cab roofed with canvas and a separate fully enclosed fighting compartment resembling a small pillbox on the back – communication between driver and crew must have been difficult.

Type 3 was the largest and heaviest. It had a contiguous cabin and fighting compartment completely enclosed in concrete armour.

Another photograph of the Home Guard Thornycroft Bison.

There are quite a few gaming ideas and scenarios that could use the Bison.

Operation Sealion

The year is 1940. The Germans are preparing to invade Britain. The Home Guard, a volunteer militia, is hastily being assembled to defend the country. One of the Home Guard’s most important tasks is to defend the airfields. These airfields are vital for the RAF to operate, and they are also the targets of German paratroopers and glider forces.

One airfield in particular, RAF Manston, is poorly defended. It is manned by a small detachment of RAF personnel and a few armed guards. The Germans know this, and they plan to capture the airfield in the opening hours of the invasion.

The Germans launch their attack on the night of September 7th. The paratroopers and glider forces drop onto the airfield, catching the defenders by surprise. The Germans quickly overwhelm the defenders and take control of the airfield.

The Home Guard is alerted to the invasion, and they begin to mobilize. They know that it is essential to retake RAF Manston, or the Germans will be able to use it to fly in reinforcements and supplies.

The Home Guard attacks the airfield the next day. They are met with stiff resistance from the Germans, who are well-entrenched in the concrete bunkers and pillboxes that surround the airfield. The fighting is fierce, and the Home Guard suffers heavy casualties.

However, the Home Guard eventually prevails. They storm the bunkers and pillboxes, and they drive the Germans from the airfield. The Home Guard has retaken RAF Manston, and the Germans have been denied a vital foothold in Britain.

The Home Guard’s victory at RAF Manston is a major turning point in the Battle of Britain. It shows that the British people are determined to defend their country, and it gives the RAF a much-needed boost in morale.

The Bison

One of the Home Guard units that fought at RAF Manston was equipped with a Home Guard Thornycroft Bison. The Bison was an improvised fighting vehicle frequently characterised as a mobile pillbox. It was based on a lorry chassis with a concrete fighting compartment on the back. The Bison was not very mobile, but it was heavily armored and could provide valuable protection for troops against enemy fire.

The Bison played a key role in the Home Guard’s victory at RAF Manston. It was used to transport troops and supplies to the front lines, and it provided valuable fire support during the fighting. The Bison’s armor proved to be a lifesaver for many Home Guard soldiers, and it helped to turn the tide of the battle.

The Bison’s victory at RAF Manston is a testament to the ingenuity and determination of the Home Guard. It shows that even improvised weapons and vehicles can be used to great effect when defending one’s homeland.