Hunting Tiger

The Jagdtiger (Hunting Tiger) is a German casemate-type heavy tank destroyer of World War II. It was built upon the slightly lengthened chassis of a Tiger II.

The 72-tonne Jagdtiger was the heaviest armored fighting vehicle used operationally by any nation in WWII and the heaviest combat vehicle of any type to be produced during the conflict. It was armed with a 12.8 cm Pak 44 L/55 main gun which could out-range and defeat any AFV fielded by the Allied forces.

It saw brief service in small numbers from late 1944 until the end of the war on both the Western and Eastern Front. Although 150 were ordered, only around 80 were produced. Due to an excessive weight and an underpowered drivetrain system, the Jagdtiger was plagued with mobility and mechanical problems.

The Tank Museum’s Jagdtiger was abandoned and captured by the Americans in Paderborn in April 1945. Although it had been captured by the Americans, after the war Paderborn became part of the British Zone of Occupation. Both the Jagdtiger and the Pre-production King Tiger now in the Tank Museum were seen at Haustenbeck by British Ministry of Supply Researchers on the 25th August 1945.

After being tested at Sennelager it was sent to the School of Tank Technology at Chertsey in the UK before arriving at the Tank Museum in 1952. It is missing its rear engine plate cover, its third suspension unit and two road wheels on its left hand side but still retains its original Zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste.

 

Spartan Assault Tank

The Spartan Assault Tank also known as the Land Raider Spartan, this armoured carrier was designed to punch through the most overwhelming enemy defences and deliver a knock-out blow of massed Astartes infantry. It became a common assault vehicle during the Great Crusade, where its nigh-impervious chassis could shrug off regular anti-tank weapons as it ferried up to 26 Legionaries – or 13 Terminators – into the fray, with a surprising turn of speed for its size.

These Sons of Horus Spartan Assault Tanks were part of The Fall Of Outpost Sigma-12 display at Warhammer World.

The Fall Of Outpost Sigma-12 at Warhammer World

One of the newer displays at Warhammer World was this Horus Heresy battle, entitled, The Fall Of Outpost Sigma-12.

Traitor forces breach the Imperial Fist’s last defensive lines at Outpost Sigma-12 on Cthonia. Undermined by the Sons of Horus’ subterranean onslaught, the Loyalists are determined to fight to the last in the name of the Emperor.

They ultimately reap such a toll of Traitor lives that any victory won was a hollow one. This battle would be one of the last fought during the Horus Heresy, for shortly after its bloody conclusion Horus launched his assault on the Emperor’s Palace on distant Terra.

Solar Auxilia Malcador Heavy Tank in Plastic

The Las Vegas Open had quite a few previews. One that caught my eye was the announcement of plastic kits for the Solar Auxilia for The Horus Heresy.

When an even heavier armoured presence is required, the Malcador is deployed, a legendary design with roots in the Age of Strife. It boasts a surprising turn of speed for a vehicle of its bulk, and can run rings around heavier squadrons of Baneblades and Stormhammers.

The Malcador Heavy Tank was available as a resin kit from Forge World. They had a lovely example painted up for the Death Korps of Krieg.

The Malcador Heavy Tank is a venerable pattern of armoured vehicle that predates the Leman Russ tank in the Imperium of Man’s service. It is not widely used by Imperial armed forces at the present time and is in fact little known even within the Imperial military. In many regions of the Imperium, the Malcador passed out of common service many millennia ago. The few Malcadors that remain in the Emperor of Mankind’s service have been relegated to the Departmento Munitorum’s strategic reserve, to the arsenals of second-line Planetary Defence Forces or are maintained in active service only by a few units of the Imperial Guard due to ancient tradition.

I’ve always liked the Death Korps of Krieg Malcador Heavy Tank, now that it is available in plastic I might get one.

Malcador Heavy Tank Miniatures Gallery.

Percival Provost T.1

The Percival P.56 Provost is a basic trainer aircraft that was designed and manufactured by British aviation company Percival.

The Provost entered service with the RAF during 1953 and quickly proved to be more capable than the preceding Prentice. It was a relatively successful aircraft, being exported for multiple overseas operators. Various models were developed, both armed and unarmed, to meet with customer demands. The Provost later adapted to make use of a turbojet engine, producing the BAC Jet Provost. During the 1960s, the type was withdrawn from RAF service in favour of its jet-powered successor. It continued to be used for decades after with various export customers.

Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport in Plastic

The Las Vegas Open had quite a few previews. One that caught my eye was the announcement of plastic kits for the Solar Auxilia for The Horus Heresy.

Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport

The Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport was available as a resin kit from Forge World.

Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport

The Dracosan Armoured Transport is manufactured to standards only usually required of war machines destined for service with the Legiones Astartes. It is large enough to accommodate a full strength Solar Auxilia Infantry Section of twenty auxiliaries, and heavily armoured enough to protect them from intense enemy fire.

Dracosan Armoured Transport Miniatures Gallery

RAM II Tank

The Tank, Cruiser, Ram was a cruiser tank designed and built by Canada in the Second World War, based on the U.S. M3 Medium tank chassis. Due to standardization on the American Sherman tank for frontline units, it was used exclusively for training purposes and was never used in combat as a gun tank.

This Ram tank was at Bovington.

Another photograph of the Ram tank.

The green tide is coming back…

I was a little surprised to see on the Warhammer Community details announced of all the models that will be released for Orcs and Goblins for Warhammer The Old World.

I was really surprised by the sheer quantity of miniatures, new and old, that are going be available for building a green horde.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the range of models that will be available and the fact they are going to re-release models that are in some cases over thirty years old.

When I heard about Warhammer The Old World I did think I might raise a Dwarf army, but now I am seriously tempted to build an Orc and Goblin horde. Knowing that I can easily use my existing models, I think this could be a fun army to build.

I love the fact that the Orc Warboss on Wyvern will be coming back, this time as a resin model.

I also saw that Snotling Swarms and the Snotling Pump Wagon are on the release schedule. 

I am also tempted to get some Trolls, models I never got when I originally built my army.

Excited?

Yes.

Legion Vindicator Siege Tank

This Space Wolves Legion Vindicator Siege Tank was part of a diorama at Warhammer World.

Space Wolves Legion Vindicator
Space Wolves Legion Vindicator

The Vindicator is a dedicated siege tank, deployed by the Legiones Astartes to breach enemy fortifications and destroy the heaviest enemy vehicles. Slow, ponderous, but heavily armoured, these tanks rumble into range before unleashing a devastating salvo of demolisher shells or piercing bursts of energy from a magna laser destroyer. Vindicators are especially useful in the confined terrain of cities or other enclosed battlefields, where they can smash buildings to broken ruins and forge a path through otherwise impassable obstacles.