R.C.W. Reinforcements from Brigade Games

My latest arrival was a carton from the US containing the bulk (so far) of the RCW figures I have purchased - a mix of Brigade and Copplestone.

The Copplestone are slightly nicer in my opinion but the Brigade ones are fine too and I think they are close enough in scale to mix together, although the former are a bit bulkier all over. There are also slightly annoying differences such as the Copplestone all having bayonets fitted whilst the Brigade ones don't....but that's a minor issue really.

Now I have to set to and get some serious painting done - so far I have only managed a few of the Hinterland sailors and the Tsarina!

Here is the full list and an image of the recent arrivals - a total of 56 miniatures. The last of my first round of orders for this period, from Siberia Miniatures in Russia, are here - the PO attempted delivery yesterday and left a card so I just have to arrange to uplift them from the depot.

Late War WW1 Game
Today I managed to slip the leash of familial restraint and do something I WANTED to do on a Sunday - which of course, was play with toy soldiers with me mates!

Rick had set up an imaginary scenario in the late war period, with French and American forces pursuing a depleted German force who were fighting an offensive rearguard action. I assume this was envisaged to be part of the 100 Days Offensive in 1918 - as per the quote below from Wikipedia...

"By late April 1918, the danger of a German breakthrough had passed. The German Army had suffered heavy casualties and now occupied ground of dubious value which would prove impossible to hold with such depleted units. In August 1918, the Allies began a counter-offensive with the support of 1–2 million fresh American troops and using new artillery techniques and operational methods. This Hundred Days Offensive resulted in the Germans retreating or being driven from all of the ground taken in the Spring Offensive, the collapse of the Hindenburg Line and the capitulation of the German Empire that November."

Our forces consisted of three battalions of Americans supported by the lone French aircraft on our left, a battalion of the French Foreign Legion, a small tank and battery of guns in the centre and three battalions of French infantry with two HMG and a trench gun on our right - I commanded this force. 

Opposing us, the Germans had two battalions in each position, supported by HMG's. In the centre, they occupied a ruined village and had the support of an A7 tank, and on their right, opposite the Americans, they had artillery.

My three battalions did very well against the two battalions of Germans, employing concentrated fire power of an HMG (4 dice) seven bases of infantry (1 die each) and an LMG (3 dice) to take out the first battalion and HMG for virtually no loss to my command. I was then able to flank the second battalion facing my advance and put three battalions of fire onto this single unit, with the inevitable result.

One of the two German battalions in the centre advanced to support their left wing but soon beat a retreat. The A7 tank lumbered slowly towards my force but by this time, the Legion Etrangere and the artillery had got in on the act and were causing casualties in the ruined village.

On the other flank the Americans made hard work of overcoming the stubborn German resistance but eventually were able to drive off their opponents, albeit that only one of their three battalions remained on the field to claim La Gloire! The two German battalions in the centre realized the game was up, and we ended around 2pm.

Here are some pictures I took of the action

 The partially destroyed village occupied by the German rear guard

 The French on our right begin their advance

 On the Allied left, our US allies move forward....

 ...whist overhead, they are supported by the French airforce

 A general view of my three battalions moving against Adrian's Germans

The view of my advance from the German lines

 Another view from the position of Adrian's second battalion

From the rear of the German centre commanded by Paul

 The Poilu's storm forward with great elan.

 The German high command look a bit concerned

On the German right, Barry's force is making life difficult for Mark's Doughboys

 But they are still advancing in good style - tres bon, mes amis!

 The scene of our first triumph - the German HMG and first battalion were previously in possession of this hill

My attacking force concentrates fire on Adrian's remaining battalion

 As my right wing swings in to envelope him from the flank

A last view of my advance from Adrian's position before his unit was destroyed

Barry's force moves forward to engage the Americans

Above and below - the French advance moves inexorably towards  the village in the centre of the table

The A7 moves into position to act as a mobile pillbox - it had two HMG's from three of its four sides

But the game is over - apart from the troops in the picture, the rest of the German force had been destroyed

The Foreign Legion supporting my attack on the village

R.C.W. - The Tsarina and The Baroness


Here are a few images of the Westwind figure of the last Tsarina of Russia, Alexandra Feodorovna, formally Princess Alix of Hesse.

In some of the pictures she is being confronted by my Cheka agent The Baroness

R.C.W. Additions from Old Glory

Yesterday, I arrived home to find a small parcel from Old Glory. This contained an Austin WW1 Armoured Car, a set of two Russian HMG crews and a pack of Russian cavalry. 

Being technically accurate, they are all from the OG WW1 ranges, but I have filed off the shoulder boards (the Bolsheviks did away with them and the Whites retained them) and I am sure they will work very well for the Russian Civil War. 

My Brigade Games order was shipped yesterday and the Siberia Miniatures order from Russia has cleared their customs and is en route.

I also received the pack of Westwind Miniatures Tsar, Tsarina and two children - will take an image of them shortly and add to this post.

Now I need to get on with some painting!

Here are the Tsar and his family - they are excellent figures with very clear and crisp detail so should paint up really well!

R.C.W. Reinforcements Arrive - Hinterland Sailors

Urrah! I have been looking at the beautiful figures on the Hinterland site for 18 months now and have finally taken the plunge and bought 18 of them - the command group of three figures, the "Firing Line" pack x 2 - 5 figures each - and the "Unit Builder" pack of 6 identical firing figures.

Its not very easy to see the detail in the raw metal but here are a couple of pics anyway, including the last one with a size comparison against the Statuesque model of Catherine Z-J, as they are quite diminutive and I was worried they might not work well with what I have already purchased....

Above the three command figures

I have two packs of these five figures

And one pack of 6 of the figure on the left. Hinterland kindly sent me an extra free figure in the shape of the kneeling Hussar on the right - seems like a hint that I need to purchase some of these figures next....!

And finally the size comparison with the Statuesque figure

These should be great fun to paint so hope to make a start tomorrow night and maybe have something to post in a couple of days time.....

R.C.W. - Two more "Chekist-ettes"

Here are the other two figures I got from Bad Squiddo. They are "Sky Pirates" by Statuesque - based I assume on the characters below:

 There are four figures available, but two of them have their flying goggles down over their eyes, so I only got this pack of two - I am picking the "leader" sans helmet is based on the beautiful Welsh actress herself!

R.C.W. - First Female Cheka agent

The Cheka - The All Russian Extraordinary Commission for combating Counter Revolution and Sabotage - was known as the Sword and Shield of the Revolution. Founded at the end of 1918, it was the precursor of the GPU, NKVD and KGB. Its units dressed in black leather and operated as an elite within the Bolshevik armed forces in a similar manner as the SS did vis a vis the rest of the German armed forces 25 years later.

From “The Russian Civil War 1918–22” By David Bullock 

“One high-born female known as “The Baroness” played the role of stool pigeon amongst the prisoners at the notorious Lubyanka jail number 11 in Moscow. Nina Maslova, the nymphomaniac lover of a Cheka agent, plied her sexual charms in exchange for needed information. Still another female, a Hungarian known by the sobriquet of “the Remover”, personally executed over 80 young men, each in a way suggesting sexual obsession.”

 Here is my first painted female Cheka agent - she is a figure I got from Annie at Bad Squiddo games - Adora Belle from Discworld Miniatures. As she is dressed all in black, she was actually very quick and simple to paint - the sculpting detail on the face and hair is excellent, helping me to achieve a reasonable  finish that I am happy with in only a couple of hours

The only "down side" is she is a bit too tall - 30mm I think - but I am going to explain that away by making her character 6'2" or something similar!