MATCHBOX a Lesney Products item, proudly present some additions to their ranges of kits. On the right are illustrated three new items in the Purple 1:76 scale kits. They are the PK-76 Sd Kfz 234/2 Puma Armoured Car; PK-77 Sd Kfz 124 Wespe Mobile Gun; PK-78 Ml6 Half-Track. Moulded in two colours so the younger modeller is able to achieve an attractive finish without painting, the kits are supplied with decals and a realistic diorama base which sets the model up in an attractive setting. The first two kits include scale figures, posed to add further realism. The experienced modeller will be pleased to use the detailed paint plan which is included with the kit, together with useful modelling hints which will be of help to all kit constructors.
Then there is the PK25 Siskin IIIA which is claimed to be the first kit of this aircraft to be produced. Similarly moulded in two attractive colours so that it does not need painting, the kit comes with a pair of alternative sets of squadron decals and, like all "MATCHBOX" kits, is supplied with a multi-position display stand. An instruction leaflet is included together with full paint plans for the more experienced modellers. Like all kits in the MATCHBOX Purple range this retails at 30p. Then come two further additions, the first from the Orange range of kits which retail at 55p - the PK-III JU87 GI/D3 Stuka, moulded in three colours that does not require painting and with two alternative sets of squadron decals; two detailed paint plans are included. The second model is in the Purple range of kits retailing at 30p and, like the Stuka, is scaled 1:72. It is the PK 26 Henschel 126, moulded in two colours with two sets of decals and two full paint plans. Each kit is made with the traditional MATCHBOX quality and all the parts are clearly numbered to facilitate perfect fitting and easy assembly. Each box also contains a step-by-step diagramatic instruction leaflet together with useful modelling hints.
MATCHBOX have also put out in 1:76 scale the A34 Mk 1 Comet tank which fills the gap in the later Second World War armour scene. To the usual Matchbox standard, this simply constructed kit produces a basically accurate finished model, supplied with alternative transfers for the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry.
MAINLY MILITARY, sturdy advertising supporters of this magazine, are seemingly now handling a very attractive range of 00 and 1:300 scale model buildings suitable for wargamers. Moulded in glass fibre resin, models can be painted to choice. In the 25mm range there is a derelict farmhouse; a derelict cottage; a variety of mediaeval, Napoleonic and modern artillery positions, pillboxes, machine-gun nests and foxholes plus a very attractive "Atlantic Walt" pillbox with steps and removable roof for 75p. In the 1:300 scale there are nine models available which include a Mosque and two houses suitable for North African campaigns, three houses suitable for Tunisia and Italy and a very attractive church and two cottages for a European theatre. The prices vary from 15 to 30p each and a full price list is available on request. I have not seen these models and if MAINLY MILITARY care to send further details I will be delighted to c consider them and publish a review of these products. There is something about terrain (and buildings` in particular) that I find among the most fascinating aspect of wargaming so that I look forward very much to viewing these products of MAINLY MILITARY when they come before me. At the time of writing, my son and I are painting up a large number of the now out-of-production 5mm Regimental Blocks of MINIATURE FIGURINES, then we are going to build-up,on scaled hardboard bases,complete villages, farms, etc., which, in some profusion, will dot the landscape over which these minute formations will march and manoeuvre.
I hear from a slightly downcast Neville Dickinson and an equally depressed Works Manager, Ron Miles that MINIATURE FIGURINES proposed replacement of their entire Napoleonic range (as advertised) has sadly fallen behind scheduled because of the unfortunate illness of designer Dick Higgs. Only just returned to the workbench, Dick is slowly getting back into his stride but he is way behind -- so impatient wargamers should not continue to write indignant letters both to me and to Miniature Figurines if figures mentioned in the catalogue are not immediately available. We are all aware of the prolific outpouring of figures from Miniature Figurines casting machines and those of us who personally know Neville Dickinson and his excellent staff are equally aware of their burning ambition to turn out more model figures than anyone else - so far, they have probably managed to do this so they must be granted a little licence if, for unforeseen circumstances, their output drops a bit. It will rise again, never fear!
If Dick Higgs has not been around, then someone else down there has been designing figures because only yesterday Ron Miles, with a well recognised satisfied smirk on his face, pressed a small box of sample figures into my hand, saying "Our latest, for review in Wargamer's Newsletter!" And very interesting they were too, consisting of a crew of 16th/17th century pirates including the captain, the ship's cook (with a wooden leg) and pirates with muskets, cutlass and dagger, sword and pistol, gunners with porte fire, rammer and ball and the ship's cannon itself. These open up all sorts of new and stimulating vistas and make me wonder if those at Miniature Figurines have a crystal ball or have been reading my mail because one of the stories in my forthcoming book SKIRMISH WARGAMING (to be published by Patrick Stephens early next year) deals with an affray between pirates and the Authorities.
Even if Dick Higgs has not been active, someone has been working down at Miniature Figurines because in a list that accompanied the pirates, I find that there is a whole new lot of 15mm scale material available including fences, gates, hedges and walls with two types of bridges to come, plus brick walls, corner and tee pieces for hedge, etc. Then there are Prussian Line Infantry; Austrian Line Infantry Command; Austrian Grenadiers; Landwehr Infantry; Cossack cavalry and commanders; Austrian Jagers; dismounted Dragoons; pikemen; peasants with pitchforks; Scottish pikemen, infantry and musketeers and Royalist musketeers marching. In 25mm scale (the same as the pirates) there is a fine set of additions to the Seven Years War range, including Prussian infantry with Potsdam Grenadiers; French Line and Light Infantry; Russian Infantry including Fusiliers, Grenadiers, Pandours, Ukrainian Cossacks; Pavlov Grenadiers and Line Infantry Standard Bearers and drummers. The Hungarian Infantry of the period include Gradisca Slavonian Frontier Officer; Line Grenadier Officer; German, Hungarian Line Fusilier and Grenadier officers; standard bearers and drummers with Croat Pandour other ranks and officers; Frontier Infantry Officers and Colonels. Finally, there are English Cavalry of the period including Officer of Horse; Horse Grenadier Officer; Dragoon Officer; Trumpeter of Horse; Horse Guidon; Horse Grenadier Guidon and Colonel of Line Infantry. There are also French cavalry including Officers and Guidon bearers and a nice new range of Russian cavalry including Don Cossacks, Zaporozhian and Ukrainian Cossacks; Dragoons; Carabiniers and Hussar Officers and trumpeters.
Not advertised in WARGAMER'S NEWSLETTER and also a little bit high in price for the average wargamer, are the almost incomparable range of 30mm WILLIE FIGURES turned out by Ted Suren of 60 Lower Sloane Street, London. There are few amongst us who can afford to have regiments of these but if you want some interesting individual figures to add colour to your forces, then splash out a bit here! For instance, there are some wonderful figures of the Thirty Years War period, Napoleonics of course and the Colonial wargamer will draw a sharp breath at the different types of British and Native infantry, Dervishes, Zulus, Boers (including a mounted officer wearing a top hat) and other figures in Ted's "Dolly Gray" range. Or if you want to find a relatively unique aspect of Colonial wargaming, see Ted's English infantry, Sepoys and their Sikh opponents for the wars of 1845-46 and 1848-49.
Intriguingly written on notepaper from the Green Park Hotel, London, came a letter from Richard Zimmermann, together with four sets of rules published by Z. and M. Enterprises in the United States. Richard's address is 2806 North 79th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53222, U.S.A. Arrangements are in hand to market these rule books in this country and what follows is largely an advance notice because, only arriving yesterday, there has not been time to do more than briefly glance through them. First there is THE WARGAMER'S HANDBOOK by R.Zimmermann which seems to contain rules for wargaming in six periods of history - Ancient; Mediaeval to Renaissance; American Revolution; Napoleonic; American Civil War and Introductory World War II. Suitable for wargaming with 20 or 25mm figures these rules, all under one cover could be very useful to the wargamer. Then there is the WARGAMER'S GUIDE TO THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR by William B.Protz Jr., which are notified as "A practical set of wargaming rules for the 15mm to 30mm miniature figures (adaptable for the 30 Years War)". Like all the other rules, these are replete with diagrams of formations, line drawings of soldiers, etc.
Then there is UNIT ORGANIZATIONS OF WORLD WAR II compiled and edited by D.Myers. This is a booklet of Tables of Organization and Equipment (TOE) for Great Britain, Germany, Japan, United States, U.S.S.R. and others and is an attempt to solve the problem of how to organise model soldiers into units corresponding to "the real thing". Each chart identifies division-to-platoon sized units that can be easily duplicated in any scale and, as scale vehicles and model figures are now available in both this country and U.S.A., with a particular scale to the wargamer's choice the 81 charts that apply to all scales could well be invaluable. Finally, there is ANGRIFF! (Attack!) by D.Myers and R.Zimmermann - a practical set of World War II wargaming rules for the HO and MICRO scale enthusiast. Over the years it has been apparent that there is a considerable diversity of view between the British and American concept of wargames rules which might mean that either these rules will fail to "catch on" with the British wargamer or else, preferably they will open up new and refreshing aspects of our hobby. Prices are not known at the time of writing but there will be more about these rules in the Newsletter in due course.
That wildly enthusiastic Canadian soldier John Mansfield continues to send me regular copies of his bi-weekly News Magazine SIGNAL. Perhaps his recent engagement has affected his sense of perspective -- old John rarely mentions model soldiers these days but gives lots of information about boardgames. Neither does he ever mention Wargamer's Newsletter when reviewing magazines, but I know of his great admiration for us so I will forgive that! However, in SIGNAL copies number 80, 81 and 82 are far more details of the greatest variety of boardgames than I could ever reproduce on this page. So, if that is your field of interest, then you had better get a copy of SIGNAL from PO Box 830, CFPO 5056 757 Baden Baden 1, West Germany, or better still send £1.00p and get eight copies over the course of the next year. As I said, there are dozens of boardgames but, just sneaking in, SIGNAL mentions GHQ of America (English Agent New Hope Design who advertise in this magazine) releasing four ships in 1:1200 scale - they are French sailing ships and include a 40, 74, 80 and 121 gun ship with prices ranging from $2.75 for the 40-gun vessel to $3.75 for the 120. Then he talks of a range of Starguard figures of Star Ship troopers in 25mm, well detailed with separate weapons available from McEwan Miniatures of 380 D Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84103, U.S.A. Middle Earth fans please note that the American firm of Der Kriegspielers (write OUTPOST, 1146 Holly Street, San Carlos, Calif. U.S.A. 94070) have put out a really vicious looking 54mm Ore!
I said there would be no listing of boardgames but I must be patriotic and I read in SIGNAL that there is a fine game called MERCENARY available at £2.35p from Game Testers, 16 Narrow Lane, Harden, Bingley, West Yorks, UK BD16 1HX.
HINCHLIFFE MODELS LIMITED have also been busy adding to their range of 25mm wargames figures and seem to have been concentrating on the topical American War of Independence with some new British infantrymen. Then there are two new Napoleonic cuirassiers; cavalry and standard bearers for Union and Confederate armies, with paper flags that can be coloured plus a pole, tassels, etc. The Ancient wargamer is catered for by additions to the Assyrian range in the form of light and heavy infantry, light and heavy cavalrymen with spears and bows together with a special new Assyrian cavalry horse. Hinchliffe's 1975 catalogue is out priced 60p from their Meltham address - although I wrote an article on Colonial wargaming for this I have not seen the catalogue but hope to do so shortly.
Here in Southampton, as in most other towns of reasonable size, we have shops dealing exclusively in plastic materials. These emporiums have many items of interest and value to the wargamer. Among them are sheets of coloured plastic which can be obtained in different shades of green or brown that make excellent terrains for wargames tables. I have been using this type of material for some years, laying it over slabs of polystyrene to make hills, valleys, etc. Perhaps its greatest value lies in the fact that very realistic roads and rivers can be rapidly marked on the plastic surface in poster paint and equally rapidly wiped off with a damp cloth.
The plastic is heavy enough to fall into and maintain low lying ground such as valleys and dips but is not too stiff to conform to the shapes placed underneath it - also, it is possibly cheaper than green baize cloth! They also sell heavy gauge transparent plastic sheeting which can introduce an interesting new aspect into your wargaming by hanging a sheet right across the middle of the wargames table and then arranging your armies behind it ready for the start of the battle. The semi-transparent sheet allows a distorted view but not enough to be able to identify cavalry, infantry or guns - when the sheet is removed there are often surprises!
MICRO MOLD have added two more to their Bellona Diorama Series of vacuum formed scale scenic accessories. There is a Napoleonic Revetted Breastwork in 1:72 scale and a trench system layout (The Somme" suitable for either World War I or World War II actions in 1:200 scale. Both come complete with a brief description, and for the Somme diorama there are instructions on the construction of gun emplacements.
Some of the more intelligent wargamers in this area have been playing an interesting new board game called KINGMAKER which is set in the second half of the 15th century with the object of controlling a king with no legitimate rivals. Any number of players can take part, each controlling a faction of nobles within the State and movement takes place over an attractively coloured map of England. The game provides for battles, sieges and wargamers are using it as a basic map for wargaming campaigns, fighting sieges and battles with commercial figures when they arise. The game retails at £3.69p from Philmar Limited of 47/53 Dace Road, Old Ford, London E32 MG. Again, I have not seen- this game and have had no practical experience of it but it sounds good.
MODEL FIGURES AND HOBBIES of Groomsport, County Down, have released further models in the ENSIGN range of die-cast ships, complete models and not kits, they are already painted and look most attractive. Ensign also put out a fine range of 1:1250 scaled aircraft and are also agents for the German HDS Company 1:1250 scale models. As an example, there is a most attractive painted Narvik Class Destroyer Z-38 at 80p, available in eight models in kit form with interchangeable parts. Send a stamped addressed envelop to Model Figures and Hobbies for further details.
Middle Earth wargamers! Did you know that there is a Sword and Sorcery Society (Windmill House, Windmill Lane, Smethwick, Warley, West Midlands B66 3ET) who produce their own two-page booklet of the Society's Wargames Rules at 35p?
Those among us who find terrain building one of the most attractive aspects of wargaming will be interested to hear of the new CASTLE MAKER kit available from Sinclair Toys Limited, 161 Mawney Road, Romford, Essex R07 SRP. The rubber moulds of this kit allow the wargamer to cast building bricks in plaster of Paris to a shape that allows them to be built up to all the major pieces of a mediaeval castle, including towers, battlements, pillars, steps and staircases and main walls. The bricks are glued together with special ahesive and, after you have used the basic kit at £4.95p, you can build further structures by buying additional adhesive and plaster of Paris. This sounds most interesting and I will endeavour to find more details and report later.
Hinchliffe have issued some fine 25mm Turkish Renaissance figures, both foot and horse, together with an Ancient Persian standard bearer and fine new Greek cavalry. The Turks include Janissaries, Azabs, Fanatics, artillerymen, Spahis, Dellis, Light cavalry "Akinji" and Tartars.
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© Copyright 1975 by Donald Featherstone.
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