140 replies to this topic

[Peter M. Skaar]

It has been a while since I have posted pictures here and I know some previous posts were deleted from when this site was hacked.  Here are my GHQ Hetzers that I painted a few years ago.  I currently have 6 that are done to my current standards and a couple more that I painted about 30 years ago.  I basically have the first platoon and the HQ element done.  I have a second platoon on nails that I will finish at some point.

 

[healey36]

Very nice, Peter. The subtlety of your painting continues to impress.

 

The Hetzer was a brilliant design which, I understand from having read the Doyle/Jentz book, was the predominant (in numbers) purpose-built tank destroyer manufactured by the Germans during the last 8-10 months of the war. If so, one certainly doesn't read many accounts of their use. The test reports I've read from the proving grounds at Aberdeen praised the design, although faulted the relatively thin armor. 

 

You need radio antennae on your Befehlswagen versions (no. 100 and 101) 

 

Paul

[Peter M. Skaar]

Thanks very much, Paul!  There were over 2500 Hetzers produced between April 1944 and May 1945.  For the Germans that is a pretty big production run but as you said you don't here a whole lot about them.

I decided not to go with antennas on these.  I admit that antennas are hit and miss for me whether I put them on or not.  Sometimes it is too fiddly for me to want to do it.  It really depends on the model.

[healey36]

That was meant in jest, I hope you know.

 

I have added antennas to a few 1/285 models with mixed results. I started off using a bit of stretched sprue, but those seemed to break off after a period of time (I don't know if the plastic becomes brittle, or just wear-n-rear from handling on the table). I've also tried using a small bit of steel guitar string, but that often looks way out-of-scale. Works okay on 1/100 stuff, though. A friend of mine has had good luck using small bits of fishing line, but I haven't tried it.

[Peter M. Skaar]

Hi Paul

Yeah, my experience with antennas is mixed.  I use black nylon thread for mine which is pretty thin and flexible.  The thread can get bent out of shape if not careful and can be teased back into shape but putting these on and keeping them on has been a fiddly proposition.  It comes down to the time vs reward thing for me. 

I think for my German command vehicles, besides having the tactical numbers which my old eyes are having a harder time reading without any magnification, I may use national flags on the top of the company command vehicles and maybe the platoon vehicles as well.

[Peter M. Skaar]

Here are some recently completed GHQ WWII German Sdkfz 251 halftracks.

 

 

[Kenny Noe]

Nice!!   Great paint job

[Peter M. Skaar]

Thanks very much, Kenny!  I am working on painting more Panthers right now to add to my late War Germans.

[Kenny Noe]

Can't wait for the "latest" Panther miniature....

 

 

LOL

[Peter M. Skaar]

I am certainly not going to try to paint the digital camo on that one.  I do paint camo in 1/285th scale on both vehicles and even infantry but this looks quite difficult to pull off well.

[healey36]

You're stuff looks brilliant, Peter. You should give pixelated camo a shot. 

[Peter M. Skaar]

Thanks very much, Healey!  The ultra modern period is not one of my real interests but who knows. 

[Peter M. Skaar]

I am doing a Mein Panzer Tutorial in the Core Rules section of that Forum.  Here are a few pictures of the game.

 

[Peter M. Skaar]

I recently added another T-34 M1943 Company to my collection along with the Battalion and Brigade HQ tanks.  The models are by GHQ.  This is the new second company for my Russian T-34 Battalion using the July 1942 organization.  In this organization there were 31 T-34s in the Battalion consisting of 10 tanks in 3 Companies plus the HQ tank.  A full Brigade also had a Battalion of 21 light tanks, typically T-60 and the later T-70 types.  My goal is to have a full Brigade with 31 T-34s and 21 T-70s.

Here are a few pictures.

 

Here are the 2 HQ tanks.  The Battalion HQ is "10" and the Brigade HQ is "01" for my Brigade.

[healey36]

They look brilliant, Peter. A sharp looking company with a nice variation of versions.

 

Found some numbers for Hornet at a booth at Fall-In!, but dang they are small (printed by I-94). Not sure I can see them well enough to cut them off the sheet.

[Peter M. Skaar]

Thanks very much, Healey!  GHQ has lots of T-34 models including the recently released T-34 M1940 which was the first version.  On these for my Summer of '43 tank brigade, there are 2 different hulls and turrets which come in the same pack together.  I did a bit of mixing and matching and added the tiny little cupolas to the Command tanks to give even more distinction to the unit.

I-94 does Aircraft Carrier decals?  I know Fight Deck Decals have a good range of ship decals and now some really good armor decals as well.

[healey36]

Flight Deck makes island pennant numbers, but as far as I can tell, only for the later modern carriers (not the postwar rebuilt Essex-class). I found a set of I-94 aircraft markings (set LW-103) that should work well enough, presuming I can make a job of cutting them from the sheet.

[Peter M. Skaar]

I am adding some Italians to my WWII forces for North Africa.  Here are 17 1/285th scale GHQ M-13/40s in progress.  That should give me a company to start for Mein Panzer. They have a base coat of Humbrol #94 Brown Yellow with some #34 Matte White to lighten it a bit.

 

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[Peter M. Skaar]

Here is some of my infantry and support weapons that I based for the Mein Panzer rules.  For my squads, I use a 3/4" square flat metal base.  For my teams and command stands, I usually use a 1/2' square flat metal base, for prone AT rifles and some smaller AT guns, I use a 1/2"x3/4" base and for the others, whatever looks about right.


A Late War German Squad.  Four figures to a base represents squad in my games.


Here is a Russian Squad.


Here is a German Platoon Command Team.


A German Panzerschreck Team.

 

Here is a Panzerbusche 41 Team for my Afrika Korps.  This is on a 1/2" x 3/4' flat metal base.

[Peter M. Skaar]

I finished my first platoon of Italian M-13/40 tanks for North Africa.  I have another 12 that need to get finished but I now have Italians for my North Africa based Mein Panzer games.  Here they are.