Saturday 12 March 2016

57mm RR and crew in 20mm

Yes one more very slight addition to my Vietnam Conflict project. I really need to get some games with that project this year. Anyway today is a 57mm Recoilless Rifle with three crew.

While the dead figure is by SHQ, (He had been waiting on my painting table for a good 6 months) all the rest are by Britannia. I bought the crew thinking the RR would be included but  it was not. I remember thinking at the time. "Cor! that's a bargain" not realising the Recoilless Rifle was not included. LOL It all makes sense now.

Anyway I went to the 57mm as opposed to a larger calibre as my US troops are not overly blessed with armour, yes I do have some M113's and a Patton but this level of support should be rare on the table top. As a consequence Viet Minh Anti tank should be equally rare. Britannia do make a larger gun but this was much more common and the 57mm while heavy enough to carry through a jungle would be easier.

The crew  consist of a spotter, who could also be an officer, a loader and one other. Giving a 3 man crew. All mounted on separate bases in case the gun or the crew take hits and can no longer fight and have to be removed.

The basing is very simple as well. Starting with a 2mm thick MDF base just coated with sand and painted a cheap acrylic brown. Clumps of static grass and bristles from a wall papering brush make up the reeds. Simple yet effective. And one wall paper brush lasts an age. I have so far managed to do 1 15mm FOW Parachute company and both the US and the Viet minh in 20mm (1/72nd scale) and still have about 1/4 of the brush unused. So considering the brush was only 99p (at the time) a very quick and easy basing product.

I am not saying this is my Vietnam project finished, but I think it is for now at the least.

Thanks for looking today and I hope you are having a fantastic weekend!


All the best Clint

17 comments:

  1. Very very nice Clint, and the tall grass really helps add to the atmosphere too. It'd be nice to see your Vietnam project feature in a BatRep or two at some point, or maybe just a showcase :-)

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    1. Thank you Blax. I think a game should happen soon, so a bat rep will follow soon after.

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  2. Nicely done. They look great. Get playing with them is what I say

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    1. Thank you Damon. A game is coming, the only real problem is getting time at the club at the moment. We have a show coming up and need to prepare that a little more.

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  3. A nice group of figures, Clint. I have to agree with Simon and Damon that a batrep using your Vietnam figures is long overdue. Yes, get playing, mate!

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    1. Thank you Bryan. I know I know I know. It is all in the works and the good news for you is that I intend to use the 2 Hour Wargames rules "FNG". So you will be more familiar with the mechanics than me I suspect.

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  4. Very nice mate. Really enjoying your Vietnam figures and I love the basing.

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    1. Thanks Lee. When I "Finally" get to play you will see a very different game to what "Smiffy" puts on in scale if nothing else, just one US squad at a time!

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  5. Damn bloody good. GREAT shading technique and the basing sets them off to a tee. Well done. PS Batrep also.

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    1. Thank you Irqan. It make take a month or two but a Bat rep will be along. Then like buses several all at once.

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  6. Clint, is it possible to see them all together? Love the look of these guys, would really like to see both armies as a whole....

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    1. Thanks Gobbo. I can do that for you let me sort a game out and then do a group shot. Before I do a bat rep.

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  7. I don't think anything we do is ever finished, nice work sir!

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    1. Thank you Fran. I agree never finished, I have all the riverine craft and all the helicopters to go and artillery and maybe, just maybe a US fire base. Yes sir plenty more still to do but I am over "Critical mass!" for a game and one is due.

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  8. Lovely job Clint! A group shot of both forces would be excellent.

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    1. Thanks Bob I will endeavour to get a group or group shots of them all.

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  9. A nice piece to round-off your Vietnam stuff(for the moment). Was a casualty an obligaory accessory to every VC RR team ?

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