The Old, the Quick and the Obsolescent

With another so-called heatwave making painting difficult / unpleasant, I am using the time to make up some metal kits.

First out of the blocks was a British M1800 Bromefield 10" Iron Howitzer ('The Old').  This will be a drop-in[1] option for my 20mm Napoleonic gun crews.  This piece, was only used in sieges during the Napoleonic period and rarely at that, BUT it's just so full of character I couldn't resist getting one.

The armoured vehicles are to fill out my 20mm WW2 collection, and add some recce capability ('The Quick'), and some second-rate equipment ('The Obsolescent') that was fielded in NW Europe when there was nothing better available - it's also cheap (support points) in Chain of Command.

The kits are by the now sadly defunct MMS Models, and clockwise from bottom left are: a Panzer II 'Luchs' (light recce tank); a Panzer III Ausf J (still awaiting its main armament, a 5cm KwK 38 L/42); a Unic P107 half-track (a French hand-me-down used by 21st Pz); a Daimler Scout Car[2]; and a Tetrarch CS to support my upcoming Airborne platoon.

Of these, I have to say my favourite is the Panzer III, and I'm justifying getting one on the basis of several being in Panzer Kompanie Mielke at Arnhem; and I'm particularly partial to the marks with the short 50mm gun.  But, having put the kit together I have to say I found the Luchs has rather caught my fancy. 

All these kits will need some additional cleaning and filling, but I'll do them all together in a single session when they're all ready.  With the exception of the Tetrarch, I will be fitting figures to the vehicles (removable in some cases) which is why most still have their hatches missing - they will be fitted when I work out how the figures will be placed / posed.

Notes:

[1.]  I mount my gun crews on a large base and their guns on a separate base that can be dropped in amongst the gun crew.  This has two benefits: one the gun being on its own base is closer to the correct height compared to the gun crew; and, two I can easily swap between 6pdrs, 9pdrs and howitzers.

[2.]  Note the roof folded back, Chain of Command only lists the Daimler Scout Car as roofless but all marks after the first had a roof that could be folded back.