10mm WWI german Army

 German Infantry in close up, based 7 to a base, these figures are from the battlepack.

 The contents of the Early was German Battlepack.

77mm Field guns in Eastern front colours

 German Ulans, painted with Shacko cover.

10mm WWI Russian army

Close up of Russian infantry, mixed packs including the new ones from Pendrakens WWI Range.

The full army as it stands so far, with command and artillery.

The command made up of the Field telephones, wounded, generals and carrier pigeons. 

Cossacks 

Russian HMG's

Russian 76.2mm field guns and 122mm Howitzers with heavy naval guns at the rear made up of bits and bobs.

Austro-Hungarian Army

A nice little 10mm  Austro-Hungarian army.  I went for a mid blue colour for the uniforms.  The basing is done with 7 infantry per base, this I found is just enough to look like a section without looking crowded.  The figures are a mix of the different austrian figures.

the whole army with command bases, 1 General with staff car and standard and 2 sub commanders, 1 with pigeon and basket and the other with a wounded guy on a stretcher.   

Austrian Ulans and Dragoons, with early war uniforms, I decided not to paint them as if they had shacko covers. 

The artillery are the Austrian field gun and howitzer,  The guns at the rear are scratch built siege guns. 

Baccus WWI British

 They are finally here baccus is launching a full range of WWI.  These troops are the first and are infantry in field cap.  Ideal for early WWI.  You get a basic collection of figures, the only down side been having to cut up the bases but thats not unusual in 6mm anyway.  I look forward to the new figures.

WWI 1/3000th ships

 The full collection of my WWI  ships, the German Pacific cruiser squadron and the british ships for both the battle of coronel and the Battle of the Falklands  where the Germans came to a sticky end. 

With the ships are  several transports and tramp steamers to give a load of scenarios to play little games of the period.

 Clos ups of both the Germans and British.

 Here are 3 passenger ships converted to merchant raiders.  All the ships are from Navwar

How To Make Barbed Wire Entanglements

 Welcome to another 'How to' post.  This time I am dealing with barbed wire.  These are the entanglement type rather than the coil, most seen on the eastern front WWI, ACW and Russo Japanese war.

 You don't need much, and cost is very low.

Aluminium Mesh
Cocktail sticks
Hardboard or plywood - everyone has a bit knocking around
Drill bit of the thickness of the sticks

 First cut the sticks into 1cm segments, or larger if needed, and plug them in to the holes.  Holes should be 2cm apart, on 3 lines, each 1cm apart.

 Flock the base, much better to do before wire is on.

 paint the sticks, very important, try painting after wire is on and you will go mad.

 Make it look good

 put the wire on in a zig zag this way you cover all the directions and don't over lay too many sticks.

 level off the edges.

 and a finished base of barbed wire.  It takes  vary little time and looks quite good when finished.

A full set of barbed wire for your figures to play with!

10mm German East African Army

 

German officers and C in C

Von lettow vorbeck himself (on the larger base) with his staff car he acquired from the British landing forces at Tanga. He ran the car until 1917 when the car ran out of parts. I also have 3 other Commanders Captain Looff of the german light cruiser Koenigsberg, and 2 other sub commanders.

 

German East African Schutztruppe

Schutztruppe Company, made up of 6 Platoons with 2 HMG, and Captain. German infantry numbered very few in Africa but numbers were boosted by local German settlers in the colonies as well as volunteers and merchant marine crew who found themselves stranded in Africa. Ofcourse they were also boosted by the crew of the Koenigsberg.

 

Schutztruppe Askari

Schutztruppe Askari made up the same as the German infantry. German Askari were very well trained along the same lines of regular German infantry, unlike their British counterparts, and also received new rifles, (captured from the British at Tanga). They are in early uniform, with cap rather than hat.

 

Field Guns

The Germans only had limited guns at the outbreak of war, at Tanga they only had 2 which arrived late in the battle, however the British nicely left all their artillery on the beach when they evacuated Tanga, also the Germans captured Belgian and other British guns as the war went on. Also a German transport ship took several field guns with them to supply German east Africa, so to keep it simple I got some 77mm guns from Pendraken Miniatures and asked Dave to swap the German crew for Askari, I also kept the gun shield as I thought it looked cool!

 

Mountain Gun

The Germans captured mountain guns from the Indians at Tanga and in later battles, these were given to Askari crews who manned then for the war.

 

Rugga Rugga

Rugga Rugga, a lose descriptive term for German African tribesmen who volunteered to fight for Von lettow vorbeck. Given that the other colonial powers of Belgium, England and Portugal were not all that popular many tribesmen took up arms with the Germans, They were led by their own officers and armed where possible with modern rifles, but only when enough could be taken from the Entente Powers.

 

Koenigsberg Crew

The 188 surviving members of the Konigsberg formed a land based force called the Königsberg-Abteilung, They also manned guns and riverine/Lake ships, here I have based a company on a regualr german company, with sailors manning HMG's.

The Koenigsberg Guns

I was going to use another model for these but decided to go for German 150's, I know its not the correct barrel but the overall heavy feel is better than the alternatives. I didn't put the shield on and gave them Askari crew with German marine officers. The Koenigsberg guns proved their worth, been the heaviest artillery in east africa, most survived the war and a few are still around if you search the net for them.

WWI East Africa

I have always been a WWI fan and used to do alot of 6mm, but recently have enjoyed the joy of Pendraken 10mm Scale WWI figures.  These troops are all from my east african army.

 British 18lb field guns, with horse drawn limbers, the limbers are scratch convesions of the ECW limbered horses.  Based in a battery of 3.

 British Imperial infantry, with vickers HMG and Officers.

 Indian troops with HMG and command.  The Indian forces played an important part in the fighting in east africa and despite a rather terrible start they proved good troops as the campaigns progressed, but I use them as cannon fodder in games as we mostly play 1914-1915, and they were no match for Shutztruppe.

 3 Armoured cars from my middle eastern collection, not that much use but they look good as armoured cavalry.

 British K.A.R. in early uniform with red Fez, sadly pendraken does only the later war Kings African Rifles in hat, so I am using german Shutztruppe Askari as K.A.R. Askari.

 Allied natives, Pendrakens native troops from the WWI range, ideal if poor allies for the british.

 Indian Mountain guns, gives my Indian infantry some well needed support.

Most important of all an idiot to command my army, not any exact idiot but as all british commanders were well meaning but stupid people I oftern think not including a command would help my british win better!  Anyway, here is a staff car with general and a forward sub command or Forward obsereves with bike.