Lavochkin Fighters

A bit of a **** day at work, so some retail therapy was needed. This should be a good resource and clearly relevant to the ongoing Bag the Hun Continuation War project, not to mention the Eastern Front as a whole and even the early stages of the Korean War.

Bag the Hun Scenario - Bag the LaGG

I've been looking for some more potential scenarios featuring the LaGG-3, and have identified a couple that would work well as simple dogfight games, to be aptly titled as "Bag the LaGG". Both feature a pair of veteran Hawk-75 pilots in a three to one clash against LaGG-3's of 524 IAP.

Here's the first potential scenario:

"On the 21st, WO Viljo Ikonen and his wingman from 1/LeLv 32 intercepted five LaGG-3s over the River Svir, one of which was destroyed and the other damaged. Claiming a share in the destruction of the Soviet fighter, SSgt Niilo Erkinheimo (in CU-558) took his tally in the Hawk 75 to five.'

...and here's the other one:

'The squadron flew 33 sorties on 16 June, and during the course of one of the missions a pair of 2/LeLv 32 aircraft led by 2Lt Kalevi Tervo engaged six LaGG-3s over Mäkräjärvi. One was shot down and the others tried to escape, but a second Soviet fighter was destroyed before the higher speed of the LaGGs saw them flee the pursuing Curtiss pilots.'

Sussu Swansong Scenario Scrapped

I started drafting another scenario over the last couple of days but I don't think it's going to give a good game, primarily due to too many aircraft involved and the clunkiness of the bombing rules in Bag the Hun. I really wanted to include a bomber escort mission for the Finnish players but it's not really going to work, so I've scrapped this one in favour of a different action involving La-5FN fighters. It's a bit of a shame but better to cut my losses before I purchase, prepare and paint up twenty Lavochkins!

Bag the Hun Soviet Aircraft Progress

After a very busy few days I've found some time to shift the Soviet aircraft for the Continuation War project further along. The I-153 Chaika squadron is now assembled and magnet based, along with two Pe-2 light bombers for the 'Crazy Ivan' scenario, leaving the I-16, LaGG-3 and La-5 FN fighters to be prepared, the latter probably not in the initial painting plan. I also have three MBR-2 floatplanes to glue together but they aren't the best castings I've come across, so may well be left in their packets. 

Heroics and Ros 1:300th scale Fokker CX

A key factor in my decision to go for 1/300th scale for the Continuation War project was the availability of some pretty obscure aircraft, a case in point being the Fokker CX, widely deployed for reconnaissance missions by the Finnish Air Force. This was the radial engine version, which isn't available in 1/600th scale, unless you fancy some chopping about with the online version.

Here's the Heroics and Ros model of the Fokker CX and it's a cracker. I ordered one just to see if it was a decent casting and I'm very pleased I did. I have a couple of potential historical scenarios that could feature one of these, so there's no excuse not to assemble and paint one when I get round to the Finns. At the moment, I'm still plugging away at the Soviets, which will be painted first.

Bag the Hun Finnish Blenheims

This weekend I was away from home, so nothing was shifted on the workbench for the Bag the Hun Continuation War project. This week, I'm going to write up another couple of scenarios to make up for lost time, one of which will be a big multiplayer style game based on this (from Osprey Aircraft of the Aces: P-39 Hawk Aces):

"1Lt Hillo led six Curtiss fighters from 1/HLeLv 32 on a bomber escort mission to Mergino on 28 May 1944. They were attacked over the target by 20 La-5s from 415 IAP, and the Finns, whose ranks included a pair of Bf 109Gs on attachment from 1/HLeLv 24, fought back and claimed six enemy fighters shot down for the loss of CU-555."

This scenario clearly requires some medium bombers, so the obvious and most historical options would be a flight of four Bristol Blenheim Mk I or MkIV bombers of LeLv 42, the only squadron that was equipped with the aircraft at the time. 

Luckily, I have eight Blenheim IV models from the excellent Leading Edge range, formerly sold by Museum Miniatures but now out of production. These are lovely models and I have painted some before in North Africa camouflage for the RAF. I'm really looking forward to painting the four I've put aside in Finnish two tone camouflage instead!

Collectair La-5 FN

Collectair La-5 FN

Collectair La-5 FN

Raiden Miniatures La-5FN 

A couple of potential scenarios for the Continuation War project feature the Lavochkin La-5 as opposition for the Curtiss Hawk-75 fighters of LeLv32. In late 1943 - early 1944 the Soviets introduced the La-5 which then ran rings around the virtually obsolete Hawks, at which point the Bf-109G began to re-equip the Finnish frontline squadrons. 

I already have eight 1/285th scale Raiden Miniatures La-5 FN fighters painted up in the late war grey and blue grey camouflage, so I've acquired some 1/300th La-5 FN's from the Scotia Collectair range to see what they're like. These arrived in very swift order but I was away, so have only just opened the package to check them out.

I'm really quite impressed with the detail and look of the models , although they are less chunky and clearly lighter in comparison to the Raiden version, regardless of the scale difference. I may need about twenty of them, depending on the scenario, so the price tag is also a very significant bonus!

Mount Edgecombe Battery

Polhawn Fort

A family wedding in Cornwall just happened to be located at one of Mr Palmerston's eponymous fortifications, a small battery enfilading Whitsand Bay. I've always wanted to visit this one but now I have had the chance to get up close. It's a wedding venue but used to be a private property, so inaccessible when I was a kid. Not as impressive as some but worth a look nonetheless, especially the drawbridge mechanism.

Flight Testing

I was a bit worried that the flight stand prototype I constructed the other day wouldn't be able to hold on to larger aircraft models, so I cleaned up and magnet based a Scotia Collectair DB-3 bomber to test it out. The DB-3 is the largest aircraft I'll be using for the Continuation War project and, as you can see, it is absolutely stable with no wobbling or falling off, even when held upside down. Job's a good'un!

Bag the Hun Scenario C - Crazy Ivan

This is a bit different, so I'm almost certain to include it in the final cut for the Continuation War Lard Mag article. I've devised what I think are interesting tweaks for the card deck, as well as some special rules to give the eponymous Soviet fighter pilot at least a fighting chance of defending the bombers from the Finnish patrol. This one will definitely require some play testing but I reckon it will result in an exciting game, if only for Lt. Ivanov!

Soviet Paint Shades

I thought it would be handy to avoid any farting about and get some correct camouflage paint shades for the Soviet aircraft, most of which will be in an early war scheme. I will supplement this set with some Vallejo colours but I think most of what I need is included, which means I can start painting sooner rather than later.

Bag the Hun Scenario B (+) - Bomber Bounce

I did some tweaking of the previous scenario to create an alternative version, swapping the low level floatplane action for some medium level bomber interception, with the DB-3 medium bombers replacing the MBR-2 floatplanes. This is not to say I won't consider including both scenarios in the mix, but I'll need to add some distinctive elements to both to avoid it being too repetitive. I have some ideas for this already but it's all a bit sketchy at the moment.

Jiggery-Pokery

I was using a painting jig that I knocked together for my 1/600th scale projects, using an offcut of MDF and panel pins, but realised it was just too small, so I've boshed together a new one designed for 1/300th scale. This has 60mm flat head nails on to which the magnet based models can be attached, with an area left clear at the front as a sort of shelf for useful tools, glue and models. It's pretty big but sits on top of my workbench without any problems. Jobs a good'un!

Bag the Hun Scenario - Bomber Bounce

I've been looking for a decent bomber interception scenario to include in the Lard Mag selection but without much luck, as LLv 32 was not often involved in this sort of thing. However, I have found one potential scenario in which a schwarm of Hawk 75 fighters 'bounced' a flight of three DB-3F medium bombers of 1AP and shot them all down. The DB-3's were the later model, subsequently retitled as the Il-4, but I have a soft spot for the earlier version, so I'll be using those in the scenario set up. I also already have three of them in the leadpile, so why not kill two birds with one stone? 

Here's an after action report by 2nd Lt Alapuro of 2/LLv 32:

‘Whilst patrolling in the Petäjän-mäki area, I spotted three DBs heading north. I attacked one from above and behind in a shallow bank. I quickly silenced the gunner, and the bomber’s port engine began to trail black smoke. Due to my higher speed, I had to pull up and pass it. I curved back around again and fired continuously at the starboard engine until it caught fire. The DB then slipped into a cloud. I banked away to the south, waiting for the aircraft to pass through it, but when the DB did not reappear I flew towards Lem-paala, where I saw a burning aircraft in a swamp southwest of Rahonjärvi.’

A very straightforward set up but, with the addition of some clouds and a few special tweaks to make it more interesting, I think it could be worth a write up?

Bag the Hun 1/300th Revival

As my pre-dreadnought painting was going nowhere, I've decided to shelve it for now and concentrate on the Bag the Hun Continuation War project instead (I really need to come up with a better title for it!) It's my other big project for this year, after the Napoleonic naval fleets, and is aimed at an article for the Lard Mag, so I need to get cracking.

In another switch, I've also decided to go back to my roots and use 1/300th scale models instead of 1/600th scale, mainly as I already have most of what I need, but also due to my declining eyesight, which makes painting very small things harder even with a magnifier. I started Bag the Hun gaming way back in 2004 (!) with the first edition, using Raiden Miniatures in the slightly larger 1/285th scale.

This time, however, I'm using Scotia Collectair models in the main, as they are inexpensive and reasonably detailed, although less chunky than Raiden Miniatures and not as nice as the now defunct Museum Miniatures range. The Soviets will be assembled and painted first including I-153, I-16 and MiG-3 fighters for starters. After that I'll tackle the Finnish Hawk 75, Brewster Buffaloes and a handful of Hurricanes.

Tally Ho!

Flight Stand Fettling

I had a crack at a prototype flight stand for 1/300th scale planes, based on the method I use for 1/600th scale. This consists of a 50mm flat head nail, a 30mm x 3mm MDF hex, a thinner 30mm x 2mm MDF hex for added stability and a two cell 7mm dice frame. The two dice are blue for altitude and red, yellow, green or white for aircraft identification. The Scotia MiG-3 has a 4mm x 2mm magnet glued underneath to attach it to the stand. It's only undercoated in Halfords camouflage matt green at the moment but will be painted to match my hex cloth. Total cost about 30p excluding the magnet, so very cheap. Not too bad?