I will be out at Cold Wars in a month or so and hope to see what is new and different. For now, the following items of interest have crossed my desk. 20MM Lyzard's Grin Review by Tom Harris Richard Houston of Lyzard's Grin has come out with several new items of great interest to the WWH gamer. He has released Russian and German mounted cavalry, Russian and Italian horse-drawn limbers and teams, and several items of German ordnance. The new releases include: SM-15 Russian Cavalry Officers for SM-88 3.00 SM-16 Russian Cossack Officers for SM-89 3.00 SM-17 German Don Cossack Officers for SM-87 3.00 SM-18 German Cavalry Officers for SM-86 3.00 All of the above have four horses and riders. SM-86 German Cavalry with Rifles, Walking Horse 5.00 SM-87 German Don Cossacks with Rifles and SMGs, Charging Horse 5.00 SM-88 Russian Cavalry in Helmets with SMGs, Charging Horse 5.00 SM-89 Russian Cossacks with Rifles, SMGs and Sabers. Charging Horse 5.00 All of the above have seven horses and riders. The sets of cavalry are German, Russian, German Don Cossack, and Russian Cossack. The horses, riders and weapons are cast separate, allowing for some variation in assembly. The Russian and German cavalry come on a horse that is a cleaned and more animated version of the limber wagon horse. The Cossacks come with abeautiful, completely new horse (one pose in the line pack and three poses in the command pack.) The horses are smaller than Aketon of MLR. which is a blessing to CD2 players since they will easily fit on the recommended-size cavalry stand. The mounted riders are cast in the same basic pose, with the left hand on the reins and the right hand for the weapons. The figures are cleanly sculpted, but unanimated. Heads are somewhat large, though the German head is more proportional than the others. The figures will work well with the more robust metal figures but may look out of sorts with the skinnier soft plastic figures. The mounted figures come with the legs a bit apart, but fit the horses well if the legs are carefully bent in. SM-68 Russian Horse Drawn Limber, 4 horse team (two horses with drivers) 5.00 SM-85 Italian Horse Drawn Limber, 4 horse team (two horses with drivers) 5.00 Also included for review were two limbers with limber riders for the Russians and the Italians. This is essentially the same limber currently used for the Germans and Japanese, but with stuff to pile on the limber and upgraded horses and riders.The Lyzard's Grin limber is spoke-wheeled, with a forward- and rear-facing seat, with a goose neck rail on each side of the limber. The unridden horse for each team has and some extra boxes tied onto the horse. The ridden horses are a combination of the walking horse from the cavalry sets. with the addition of wagon reins and a driver. SM-90 German 105L28 howitzer. Model 1935 4.50 SM-91 German 75L46 FK 40 field gun 4.50 SM-92 German 105L28 howitzer. Model 1939 4.50 For years I have been asking Richard to make a German 105 howitzer (since they are practically impossible to find). Imagine my delight to be asked to review not one, but two versions. The Model 1935 has the broader gun shield, no muzzle brake and wooden spoked wheels. The weapon assembled very easily and is very impressive. The 75L46 FK (field cannon) 40 is the AT gun mounted on the Model 1935 105 howitzer chassis to allow for indirect as well as direct fire. This was the weapon issued to the Volks Grenadier divisions for use as divisional artillery, listed in CD2 as the 75L46 FK40. The 105L28 howitzer. Model 1939, uses the same axle, gun support and aiming wheel as the Model 1935. but then has a narrower gun shield, barrel with amuzzle break, different trails and wheels. These last were metal instead of wood and appeared to be too small. (They were about 1/8" smaller than the wooden wheels found on the Model 1935. and should be the same size or slightly larger.) I also noticed from pictures that the axle may need to be moved slightly forward (but this is an easy operation on the model as cast, since all you have to do is move the axle in front of the pin). All three guns are welcome additions to the Lyzard's Grin line and help fill a long existing gap in 20mm WWII German ordnance. To order, contact: Houston's Ships/Lizard's Grin, PO Box 14522, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0522. US Casts I have been sent a listing from US Casts of the items they offer. The models are cast in polyurethane resin and include 16 items for the US, including LVTs and LCVPs; 16 Soviet items, including a IS-II and a SU-76; seven French items, including a Panhard 178 Armored Car and a Renault truck; five Japanese items; eight Italian items; and 21 German items, including a Marder II and a Marder III. For details and current prices contact: US Casts, PO Box 3229, Santa Cruz, CA 95063. Back to Table of Contents -- Command Post Quarterly # 9 To Command Post Quarterly List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1995 by Greg Novak. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com