33 replies to this topic

[Begemot_]

Thought I would use this thread to post photos of my miniatures, many of which have previously appeared in my AARs posted in the AAR thread.

 

The latest additions to my Toy Box are these GHQ Panzer II Fs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The full platoon:

 

 

 

In the paint shop:

 

 

[Peter M. Skaar]

Excellent work on those Panzer IIs, Begemot!  Your attention to detail is amazing.

[healey36]

Yup, terrific job on the scheme and the numbering!

[Begemot_]

Pete and Healy - Thank you for your kind remarks. More to come.

 

 

Begemot

[Begemot_]

For this day, 9 May 2025, here are examples of GHQ Red Army infantry figures I've painted and used in my war games. I painted them to show the variety of colors that could be found in the various items of clothing and equipment.

 

Frontoviki (front line grunts):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A platoon leader (he has an officer's map case on his left side):

 

 

A company command group:

 

 

A battalion command group:

 

 

 

 

Begemot

[Mark Hinds]

Nice job on those.  BTW, you can also number them using technical fountain pens.  MH

[Peter M. Skaar]

Great work on those Russian infantry, Begemot!

[Begemot_]

Mark and Pete - Thanks for the comments.

 

 

Begemot

[Begemot_]

M60s in MASSTER Camouflage

 

This was a project to paint a platoon of M60A1s in the MASSTER scheme, circa 1975. This was a camo scheme that came before MERDC and was used in Germany by the US 7th Army. Its use continued for a time after the introduction of MERDC in US units. Tankograd books on Reforger exercises of 1976 and 1977 show US units wearing either scheme. This is a camo scheme that seems, to me anyway, inappropriate for Germany, but it appears to have been widely used. I got to Germany in the spring 1976. I don't recall noticing this pattern in the 2nd Brigade of the 8th Infantry Division. My battalion, the 1-39 Infantry, was still painted in olive drab. We repainted in MERDC in the late spring of that year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A comparison of the MERDC and MASSTER schemes:

 

 

 

 

I couldn't find any references that showed any officially approved patterns for this scheme and the photos I did find of vehicles wearing MASSTER showed great variety in patterns. I based my interpretation on tanks belonging to 3-64 Armor of the 3rd armored Division (Link to examples:  https://www.flickr.c.../in/dateposted/ ) to include what appears to have been retaining the OD in the running gear portion of the tanks. I also noted that MASSTER painted vehicles often wore black stars, so I put them on my models. Much thanks to Flight Deck Decals for making these available.

 

Judging the colors was a process of looking at as many examples of the scheme as I could find and compensating for apparent light conditions then trying to get the right tones. I think I got fairly close.

 

Models are GHQ 1:285 M60s painted in oils.

 

 

 

 

[Peter M. Skaar]

Excellent work on the MASSTER scheme Begemot as well as the other M-60A1 done in MERDC.  Your skill in painting both types is phenomenal!

[Begemot_]

GHQ Hetzer in the ambush scheme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[healey36]

That's some terrific work, Beg. I recall using an ambush scheme on a few H&R King Tigers nearly five decades ago, but I doubt they were as sharp as this little Hetzer. Very, very nice.

[Begemot_]

Here is a platoon of GHQ 1:285 scale M60A1s painted up as they would appear circa 1976 in Germany. They are painted in the winter verdant MERDC pattern, which was what they wore year round, even though there was a summer verdant pattern in the MERDC system. Too expensive in time and materials to repaint every few months.

 

These models appear in one of the Jossa scenarios in the AAR forum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Peter M. Skaar]

Excellent work on the MERDC pattern on the M-60A1s, Begemot!  Your Hetzers are also amazing with the ambush pattern.

[Begemot_]

M88 Recovery Vehicle

 

This is GHQ's 1:285 scale M88 Recovery Vehicle in the winter verdant pattern MERDC.

 

I encountered one of these in the wild on a summer twilight on the Grafenwöhr training area in 1976. It came grumbling down a dirt road until it got to my location where it turned around, its engine roaring, the ground trembling under its treads and flame coming out of its exhausts. The poor beast was lost. It rumbled back down the road looking for home. Made quite an impression on me.

 

So here is my effort to represent on of these creatures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Begemot

 

 

 

 

[healey36]

A terrific job on the M88, Begemot. That's a complex camo scheme and I'd say you nailed it.

 

We had an up-close-and-personal look at the M88 back in August 1994 (can't believe it's been thirty-some years). We were there doing a photo shoot on another vehicle, but we got a chance to climb all over and inside one of these beasts, a number of which were in for refurb/upgrade:

 

 

 

There used to be another example at Aberdeen, but I'm not sure where it went after BRAC (much of the collection was dispersed to other US Army locations). They are massive vehicles, with just an extraordinary amount of gear aboard. Remarkably roomy inside, as I recall, compared to an M60.

[Begemot_]

Healey - Glad you liked the M88. I never got to see inside one of these things. I wasn't armor branch but I've been inside an M60 a few times (I remember a night trying get some sleep at the bottom of the turret, trying keep hands, head and feet within the open turret basket and clear of things that could rip them off if the turret was rotated while I was snoozing). An M60 is quite roomy compared to a T62. The Army brought a T62 to Baumholder for viewing so I got to crawl around and inside it. Very tight for someone over 6 feet in height.

[Begemot_]

I've done a building or two. Here are a couple of TimeCast buildings for 6mm I painted for use in Northwestern Europe WW2 games. They are TimeCast's Belgian farmhouse and barn, but I painted them using stone colors that photos showed were common in the Normandy and Brittany regions. One of the interesting features of the stonework was the variations in stone colors. It was a bit tedious to do, but I was pleased with the results.

 

The farm house:

 

 

 

 

 

The barn:

 

 

 

 

 

Begemot

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Peter M. Skaar]

Both of those buildings look excellent, Begemot.  I really like the variations in the stone colors.

Your work on the M-88 is also excellent.  This is actually a somewhat older casting by GHQ but you have definitely brought out all the details on this one.

[healey36]

Yeah, I would agree...terrific job on those buildings, especially the color variation in the masonry. Just extraordinary. I've got some 1/100-scale stuff that doesn't look that good.