Red Actions Freikorps

 

A very long time ago I had a plan to use AK-47 as the basis of a Freikorps vs Spartakists wargame, set during the early years of the Weimar Republic. I did some work on this including some political flowcharts and even bought some Peter Pig figures for the Freikorps, but didn't take it any further. I have now located the figures and have enough for a 300 point batallion, based on the Freikorps in Latvia army lists on the Pygmy Wars site. The force I rolled up looks like this:

Freikorps in Latvia

VI Reserve Corps

1 Battalion of 2 Companies (4 bases each)

2 MG bases

1 half battery of 1 heavy howitzer

1 Squadron of Cavalry (3 bases)

1 Erhardt A/C

1 Manhandled infantry support gun

The only things I don't have are the Erhardt armoured car, but I've ordered one from QRF in their January sale for a very reasonable price, and the cavalry which I can probably convert from either WW1 German Uhlans or RCW lancers. I also could, in theory, deploy an armoured train instead of the armoured car, but that would be a little excessive (I shouldn't really have even the armoured car without a second infantry battalion!). This lot would be a very neat side project to the Reds I think.

Airfix Roland CII Update

 

The four Airfix (Heller) Roland CII models are looking a lot more like aircraft now, having had the wings and tail planes glued on this afternoon. I need to do some more filling and sanding before I add the undercarriage and can start on the painting. I'm hoping that they will be finished by this time next week at the latest, assuming nothing goes terribly wrong that is?

Red Actions! Reds

 

I've now done a stock check on my Peter Pig RCW stuff and have ordered a few packs to top up what I've already got, giving me enough infantry, cavalry, artillery limbers and tchankas to cover all four of the 300 point forces that I worked out from the army lists. The early Soviet one will use the standard infantry in peaked caps, while the Infantry Shock Brigade, Flying Column and Independent Cavalry Brigade will be made up of pointy hat figures, to cover the units in all three armies although not at the same time. While I was about it and to avoid the pack price rise next month, I ordered some top-up cossacks and cavalry in peaked caps to use for the Whites, which will be handy when I eventually get round to doing the other side of the project. To wrap it up I splashed out on an all whistles and bells armoured train for the Whites too, although I very much doubt it will ever see action?

Airfix Roland CII Kit Build Update

 

The Airfix (Heller) Roland CII kit building is moving along after a bit of a slow start, which is just as well now that I've set a date this time next month for the game. The fuselage halves are being glued together at the moment and, after some filling and sanding, the lower wings and tail planes will be fitted next. I'm hoping to get quite a lot done over the weekend to offset the time I don't have next week, so they should look a bit more like aircraft, not gherkins when I'm finished?

Red Actions! Army Orbats

 

I've been number crunching the Red Actions! army lists from the Pygmy Wars website to see what I can do with 300 points and the figures in the lead pile. Here's the 'best fit' options, taking into account what I already have in the way of figures, artillery and machines guns:

REDS

Early Soviet 

Regiment 1

2 Battalions of Regular Infantry (4 bases each)

1 MG base

1 Cavalry Squadron (4 bases)

Regiment 2

2 Battalions of Veteran Infantry (4 bases each)

2 x MG bases

2 x Field Guns

Total Points = 302

Red Army Flying Column 1921+

3 Companies of Elite Infantry (4 bases each)

2 MG bases

A half battery of 1 Field Gun

Garford Putilov A/C or a Plane

Total Points = 286

Red Army 'Shock' Infantry

Battalion 1

3 Companies of Regular Infantry (5 bases each)

2 MG bases

1 Field Gun

Battalion 2

2 Companies of Regular Infantry (5 bases each)

2 MG bases

1 Regular Cavalry Squadron (4 bases)

Total Points = 304

Red Army Cavalry Independent Brigade

3 Squadrons of Regular Cavalry (4 bases each)

1 Tchanka

A half battery of 1 horse gun

1 Regiment of Regular Infantry (3 companies / 5 bases each)

1 MG base

Total Points = 312

WHITES

Volunteer Army Cavalry 1919-1920

Regiment 1

2 Squadrons of Regular Cavalry (4 bases each)

1 Tchanka

1 Horse Gun

Regiment 2

2 Squadrons of Regular Cavalry (3 bases each)

1 Tchanka

Total Points = 285 

Caucasian Army 1919

Cavalry Regiment

3 Squadrons of Cossack Cavalry (4 bases each)

Infantry Regiment

2 Companies of Plastoon Infantry (4 bases each)

1 Tchanka

1 Support Squadron of Cossack Cavalry (4 bases)

1 Field Gun

Total Points = 311

Volunteer Army Infantry Division 1919-1920

Coloured Conscript Battalion

3 Companies of Coloured Conscripts (4 bases each)

2 MG bases

2 Field Guns

1 'Officer' Company (3 bases)

1 Plane (fighter)

Total Points = 300

OTHER

Freikorps in Latvia

VI Reserve Corps

1 Battalion of 2 Companies (4 bases each)

2 MG bases

1 half battery of 1 heavy howitzer

1 Squadron of Cavalry (3 bases)

1 Erhardt A/C

1 Manhandled infantry support gun

Total Points = 312 

As you can see there's plenty of choice variety and some really interesting units to think about. I did an absolute minimum of creative accounting with these lists too, which shows how well the system works when creating balanced, realistic forces that still offer lots of value. I just have to make up my mind which one (or two) of these I want to have a crack at. I think I can do most of these forces with little or no additional expense, although I doubt that will stop me ordering more metal from Peter Pig. I may just base up and paint a load of figures into a core force from which I can assemble units as required.

Red Actions! Reboot

 

Just after I've drawn up plans for 2023, along comes an extra project that's been a blip on my radar for years. A random email from a fellow club member about basing for the RCW, after we had a chat about Red Actions! and It Rolls For Ivan at the club a few months ago over a game of AK-47, and I now have another 15mm project to dive into in the very near future. 

This is a no-brainer as I already have a pretty good smorgasbord of figures, guns and vehicles in the lead pile, so a minimal cost project with lots of interesting units to paint up pretty much straight off the bat. I'm now working out some possible force using the Pygmy Wars army lists, with the aim being to decide which side I'll be on in the conflict, with Andrew picking up the opposition. 

I've just managed to squeeze this on to my 'to do' list for 2023, so watch this space.

Magic Carpets

 

My wife ordered a rug the other day which arrived this morning, so was duly ignored and dumped in the kitchen to await approval. In the meantime, I got on with some work and forgot about it, until the other half opened the big tube-shaped parcel and discovered not a bespoke, hand-knitted piece of floor furniture, but my Deep Cut Studios desert aerial wargaming mat instead. 

This was far more exciting than a mangy flea-bitten floor rug, but I have yet to un-roll it for a proper inspection due to other things getting in the way. It turns out I ordered the neoprene backed version, although I don't remember doing so, which is even better than I expected. It also means my Agacher Strip War project is one step closer to the start line! 

Airfix Roland CII Kit Bash

 

Here we go with the first project for 2023, a kit building bash of four Heller / Airfix Roland CII two seaters for Knights of the Sky. These four are being glued together for a game next month set in late 1916 or early 1917, so I have about four weeks to knock them out, although I think I will be able to get them done fairly quickly once I get started. The first job is to assemble the fuselage halves with the radiators, engine blocks, windows and pilot seats installed, then add the wings and tailplanes. I've built this kit before and it's fairly easy, fingers crossed, so I'm looking forward to it.

Projects 2023

This year I'm scaling back my projects to focus on only nine things, roughly divided between land, air and sea, as I have concentrated on air and naval projects for the last couple of years which hasn't always worked out and has meant that land warfare subjects have been short-changed. The land projects that I've chosen include some quite big things but, with only a few to tackle, I'm hoping to be able to keep it fresh by switching between them, rather than doing lots of little things that I don't seem to finish in one go. I've also included some optional projects that either need a small effort to finish off or are projects for which I already have forces assembled but could be developed further with minimal outlay. 

So, without further ado, here are my projects for 2023:

Naval

WWII British, German or Japanese early war fleet for Find, Fix and Strike (1/3000th).

French and British Napoleonic Squadrons for Grand Fleet Actions and similar fast play rules (1/2400th)

Chilean / Argentinian / Peruvian 'What If?' pre-dreadnoughts for Tsushima or Broadside and Salvo (1/2400th)

Air

1917 German, French and British aircraft for Knights of the Sky (1/72nd)

A jet age Wings at War themed project, possibly Wings Over Suez or the Angolan Border War (1/600th)

A Bag the Hun scenario writing project for the Lard Mag. 

Land

Opposing small scale armies for Strength and Honour and/or the English Civil War (2mm)

A 300 point ASFR White Army for Red Actions! (15mm)

The Sandbox Skirmish post-colonial project or an AK47 unit will also get a re-boot (15mm) if I can squeeze one of them in.

2023