by Dick Bryant
Great Northern War Dan Schorr has done the English translation for The Great Northern War 1700 - 1721: Colours and Uniforms’ by Lars-Eric Höglund and Åke Sallnäs. Some 192 colours and standards are illustrated in full colour, based on Olof Hoffman´s drawings from 1686 in the Swedish War Archive, and there are extensive descriptions and illustrations of Swedish, Danish, Saxon and Russian uniforms, accompanied by a number of regimental histories and other material. Published by Acedia Press, and available in the US from Dan Schorr, 85 Tolman Road, Harrison, Maine 04040, e-mail: dschorr@megalink.net, web: www.megalink.net/~dschorr/index.html. Quality Castings has added 15 Israeli figures to go with their expanded Middle East line of vehicles. An infantry platoon, riders and drivers, light mortar, 81 mm mortar, artillery crew, AT gun crew, and command packs are available now. PO Box 11714, Alexandria, VA 22312, tel. (703) 354-5469, web: www.qualitycast.com. Amazon Miniatures reports that they have taken over production of several of Dixon’s older ranges, as well as the new Han Chinese range. They now offer Chou/Zhou, Ch’in/Qin and Han armies. www.amazonminiatures.fsnet.co.uk Battlefront Ltd. of New Zealand produces 15mm resin and metal WWII vehicles and figures, distributed in the US by Military Miniatures USA, (www.MilMinUSA.com). Recent remastering of the Soviet KV-1 and KV-2 has led them to offer an exchange for previously issued models of these vehicles, as they were found seriously underscale. Other recent releases include the Italian M13/40 medium tank, L6/40 light tank. Three variants of the CV33/35 tankette (twin MG, Solothurn ATR, or Lancia Flamme), Fiat SPA TL 37 tractore, Fiat 508 CM Torpedo Militare, Elefantino 47/32 ATG and crew, and infantry command. New German items included a 37mm AA gun & early war crew along with dismounted tank crews for early and late war. There is an American M4A3 Sherman with T34 Calliope Rocket Launcher, British early war infantry and command, and a British Crab flail tank. Available from A.T.A.K. Miniatures, 38 Shady Lane, Mercerville NJ 08619. web U.S.A. http://www.nerc.com/%7Eatak/ Comrades in Arms provides Red Army organizations for Command Decision and any other game using platoon level stands for the period 1941 to 1945. Bob Mackenzie has produced a remarkably useful resource in 100 pages, covering everything from Rifle Divisions through punishment battalions and SU Brigades to Heavy Howitzer Brigades. Many specific idiosyncratic units are represented, along with the more standard units. Conversion data are supplied for Command Decision, Clash of Armour, Spearhead, and TAC. Available from Brookhurst Hobbies, 12188 Brookhurst Street, Garden Grove CA 92840, tel.: (714) 636-3580 Dixon has released some new 25mm figures in a line they’ve titled “The Army of Henry VIII and Flodden.” The first batch has personality figures for Thomas Howard and Edmund Howard, with attendant standard-bearer and drummer, four varieties of bowman, Scots heavy pikeman, pikeman, and two versions of peasant pikeman, all with the usual head variants. A few hundred years later, there are Dahomey warriors, including King Behanzin, men with mixed weapons, and a variety of armed and unarmed women, opposed by French Foreign Legion in skirmish line, advancing, command, some Marines, and three packs of Tirailleurs, as well as some native bearers and pack mules. Also useful for this period are two river steamers in resin at $99 and $119. Available from Wargames, Box 278, Route 40 East, Triadelphia, WV 26059-0278. The Face of Battle is a set of WW2 1-to-1 skirmish rules. Meramic Enterprises has made a “Light Edition” available for free download at www.meramic.com/tfobhome.html; this includes the rules for infantry combat. The Full Edition, which will cover vehicle combat and provide the remaining rule chapters will only be available for purchase. For more information contact, Mike Ball: tfob@meramic.com Fist Full of TOWs 2, a revised edition of rules for Modern warfare in which each player commands roughly a battalion, is now available. A free downloadable version for evaluation is available at www.tyler.net/tbeard/fft.htm. The full printed version costs $25.00 plus $4 shipping in the US from the author, Tyrone Beard, at 100 Independence Place #409, Tyler, Texas 75703. GHQ has released two packs of individual WWII French figures in 1/285, one of infantry, and one with machine guns, mortars, and other support weapons. In 1/2400 naval, there is a new model of the WWI battleship Canada and a late-WWII version of the carrier Enterprise. Old Glory has a number of additions to their 15mm Franco Prussian line, including French Dragoons, Hussars, and Mittrailleuses. There are also Prussian Cuirassiers and Hussars with command, and Bavarian infantry command, Line and Jagers advancing or skirmishing, and artillery. The 25 mm War of 1812 line is also being rounded out, adding American militia, Canadian Voltigeurs, Western Indians regiment with command, and British marines with command. Somerled, The Viking Slayer, is Old Glory’s title for a new series in 25mm, including Norsemen attacking with axes or spears, mounted Norse raiders, Norse command, 9th Century Irish warriors with axes and command, Scots with spears or axes, Pictish/Scottish armoured noble cavalry, Scots High Command, a casualty pack,and vignettes of Somerled the slayer and a Viking King. There is also a Viking ship with 20 crew. The 25 mm Fall of Rome line gets new Late Roman Lancearii and Legionary archers and some Sarmation archers, while the Punic Wars troops are reinforced with Hellenistic heavy cavalry, Tarantine light cavalry and Seleucid Cataphracts. Renaissance Italian armies now have artillery crews and archer cavalry. The 15mm Boer Wars line is supplemented with mounted and dismounted Boers, a bag of Boer artillery and mounted generals, dismounted horses and holders, and a bag of mounted and dismounted Natal Police. Napoleonic 15 mm roundouts include Russian mounted Jagers, British 1815 Center company in firing line, and several British Peninsula bags: Foot Artillery, Heavy cavalry at rest or charging with command, and light cavalry at rest or charging, with command. New 15 mm Ancients include Asiatic heavy cavalry, Bulgars, Alans, Pechenegs, Avars and Cumans for your Asiatic hose armies, and a whole pile of 5th-6th Century Byznatines, with command, heavy cavalry, Skutatos, archers, javelinmen, slingers, Trapexitos, horse archers and Heraclian heavy cavalry. Among the Imperial Romans, the only addition is a bag of bolt shooters and crew. The Normans, on the other hand, get bags of command, knights, medium cavalry, archers and crossbowmen, infantry, Italo-Norman heavy cavalry and Swabian Infantry. The Sassanids get some elephants and bolt shooters, while there are new Saxon command, huscarles, frydmen with spear or sword, peasants, and archers. There are also Viking command, spearmen, swordsmen and axemen and infantry. Finally, in 15 mm, there are a World War II German Sdkfz 7 artillery tractor and towed 37mm Flak 36. West Wind Production World War II 25mm new items include British 1944 PIAT teams, Japanese snipers and jungle fighters, American Army and Marine 1944 bazooka teams, and two bags of French Resistance fighters. Available from Grandiosity, PO Box 750992, Dayton, OH 45475-0992, tel.: (937) 439-2488, e-mail: warweb@grandio.com, web: www.warweb.com. Battle Honors 25mm WWII American in Greatcosts with Rifle, German Anti-Tank and Artillery Crew Germans in Snow Suits Grandiosity Icon Miniatures (formerly Harlequin) has begun to issue the first packs in their Zulu Wars series. So far there are 2 packs of British infantry, unmarried Zulus with knobkerries, iklwas, throwing spears, or muskets, married Zulus with knobkerries or iklwas, and the uThulwana regiment. They have also extended their WW2 line with US Infantry bazooka teams and B.A.R. gunners, a Soviet Assault Group and some dismounted tank riders, and a pack of Wehrmacht casualties. Available from RLBPS, 4827 Treeviw Terrace, Rockford, IL 61109, tel.: (815)874-5351, e-mail: rlbpsb@earthlink.net, web: www.rlpbs.com IT Miniatures has a batch of new 20mm figures for WWI in the Middle East. There are 15 British infantry and artillery crew in a variety of uniform, four British cavalry packs, nine Arab infantry packs, four of Arab cavalry, and some Arab horses and camels. Available from Wargames, Box 278, Route 40 East, Triadelphia, WV 26059-0278. Merrimack Miniatures has released a 25mm Viking Ship. About 13”long, it comes with captain, helmsman, 16 rowers, 18 shields, and 16 oars. The ship has a removable rowing area so that it can also be used for standing figures. Web: www.merrimackminiatures.com. Osprey’s recent titles include: VIII Fighter Command at War, Devastator Units of WWII, Sunderland Squadrons of World War II, M26/M46 Pershing Tank 1945-53, Ticonderoga 1758, Tarawa 1943, Louisbourg 1758, Constantinople 1453, Elizabethan Sea Dogs, Queen Victoria’s Commanders, Portuguese Army of the Napoleonic Wars (1&2), United States Army 1812-1814, Tribes of the Sioux Nation, The US Army in WWII (2), and U.S. Paratrooper 1941-1945: Weapons, Armor, Tactics. Pass of The North: Much of their product line is now being manufactured and sold by Monday Knight Productions, a subsidiary of Geo-Hex. The address is 543 SE Oak St., Portland OR 92714. (503)288-4805. Their Ancient line will be produced by GFI - see the GFI advt. elsewhere in this issue for the address. Redoubt has added French Cuirassiers (officer, eagle bearer, trumpeter, two troopers, and horses trotting, cantering, or galloping) to their range of large 25 mm Napoleonics.A 25mm Confederate Ram complet with crew and guns has been added to their great ACW line. Redout is also offering, in partnership with Grand Manner Miniatures, the Trojan Adventure- a meter long wall representing Troy. Redoubt is represented in the US by Miniature Service center, 1386 Portofino Drive, Yuba City CA 95993. 530-673-5169. Sash and Saber has a batch of new 25mm figures, notably 6 types of ACW artillery guns with crews, Napoleonic Austrian Germans in shako, Napoleonic Austrian German grenadiers and Russian 1812 infantry. Contact and Saber Castings, 119 Dublin Rd. Raleigh, NC 27609, tel.: (919) 870-5513, e-mail: christopherhnc@earthlink.net. Skirmish Campaigns has released another in their series of booklets linking scenarios into a campaign. The most recent effort is Russia ‘41-Into the Ukraine , which is based on the advance of the 11th Panzer Division’s battles with Soviet Tank Corps in the Ukraine during the invasion of Russia in 1941. The book is available from Brookhurst Hobbies and other hobby stores. A free sample scenario (Plow Factory) from the book is available on the Skirmish Campaigns web page: http://fisherts.home.mindspring.com/skirmish campaigns. More Courier Dispatch News About the Hobby. Back to Table of Contents -- Courier #81 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com |