The entire, Complete, (for now) army. More shots at the end of the post. Completed Army pic 1/4.
Big post, this one. After completing first the trio of 28mm British 8th Army Valentine Tanks for for Dave Stone’s Season of Scenery Challenge painting challenge (that allows vehicles) followed by a trio of 15mm US Shermans, I decided to use my painting momentum to get the outstanding DAK Halftracks done, and then pushed on through some of the outstanding infantry, a couple more vehicles, more infantry, a couple of flavour pieces, and then a push through the final blocks of infantry and command. As I’ve been pretty well behind in my post, and these models are all part of the same force, I’m just going to drop them all in the one, large post and then be done with July at the actual end of July…
This month’s work on the army. July pic 1/3.
This month’s work on the army. July pic 2/3.
This month’s work on the army. July pic 3/3.
The army was built using the Grenadierkompanie army list in the original 1st Edition Flames of War Core Rulebook. I’ve got a few of the books from first, and a big pile of them from 2nd or 3rd, so I think given that level of investment, I’ll probably go with that ruleset for friendly games in the War Room. I’m pretty sure that FoW is good with grandfathering lists from previous editions and sourcebooks, so I should be able to use these in a modern game with someone else, should the opportunity present itself sometime. Anyway, I’ll take you through the models I finished this month…
The first pair of models I got back onto were this pair of Sd.Kfz.7 Half Tracks – purchased to go alongside as the haulers for my pair of Flakartillerie 88s I finally completed 2 years ago in 2019 as their transport option. Although I had started them, they were completly repainted, essentially using what was on there originally as a coloured prime coat.
Next up, I decided to keep the momentum going with some infantry bases. I planned to work on the 2nd Grenadier Platoon, but instead ended up with the Medium Machinegun Platoon on the desk, so that’s what got painted instead. They had already been based and had some of the basic uniform colours painted in, so it wasn’t a completely horrible experience, so I pressed on….
…and immediately painted the easy-win, single base model of this Antitank Rifle stand. They look pretty crap in this photo, but kinda cool in hand. I thought this would be a flattering angle…
The following pair of models were this pair of scout vehicles, still motivated by Dave’s challenge, I thought I might be able to get motivated enough to also get these two done as well – a Sd.Kfz.250/1 light half track and a Sd.Kfz.253 recon vehicle. I can’t actually recall why I bought these – I do remember that I got them after the rest of the army. I know that the 253 is an artillery spotter, so it might have been to go alongside the pair of StuG III Gs rather than the 88s as my understanding is that they were rewed by artillerymen rather than actual tank crews from the Panzer Divisions.
These had been painted in dunkengelb, with a flesh wash over the top. I had to go over most of that since the look of it didn’t appeal in 2021, but it did still work as a basic basecoat to go over. The 250/1’s gunner was a mess, since I couldn’t figure out which model I was supposed to use, where the original gun or gunshield were, and so forth. Going with my recent “just get it done” ethos to these models, I just clipped the gunner off at the knees so he’d fit, and luckily found a gunshield of a vaguely correct size, drilled a hole through the lead and poked his MG through it. Glued my new correctly-heighted amputee into the crew compartment and painted it up. Good enough!
A pair of previously-painted StuG IIIs, sharing a pic with the Sd.Kfz.253.
Apparently the StuG IIIs have not been shown here on the blog before, so here they are as a bonus image, though they’re not being included in the month’s tally since they were completed some years ago now. Looking at them here, I think they might actually need to go back into the queue for a repaint. While they’re not terrible, they’re a lot lighter and …rougher looking than the rest of the vehicles in the force. It shouldn’t take much to get them back shipshape.
On a very related note, I did some cleanup on this Tiger I as well. I know it’s not the proper version for the Desert War, as it lacks the dust filters on the engine, but given it was purchased during the early days of Flames of War, I was limited to what was available – both in terms of the official range and also in terms of what my FLGS at the time had in stock. So, as I’ve heard recently – good enough for Government work! – and another pick for Dave’s challenge.
I didn’t use it in every game, but with my overall force being a little on the softer side, due to being mostly infantry – it was nice to have the option to bring out something as fearsome as a Tiger. I guess I could swap it out for the proper version without much hassle these days and repuspose this model for Europe, but I’ll leave that as an option for down the line when I have far more painted 15mm armour.
After getting all these done, I got stuck into my second Grenadier Platoon – having completed painting the first one 2 years ago, back in June 2019, which, like the Machinegunners had been based and had some of the basic uniform colours painted in (about 40%?) and some other details such as boots. Getting these done was a much more of a slog, and my enthusiasm for painting 15mm Germans had pretty much completely waned at this point.
At this point I could see that actually finishing this army was both achievable and in sight, though it was clearly going to be painfully tedious to get through. With this in mind, it was time to pivot again to the wheel bogies that came as part of the metal 88 Flak kits. My plan was always to turn them into little mini-dio-scenery-bits to place next to the actual guns. Simply because I had them anyway, and so why not use them to make a couple of little bases that make the whole thing look a little cooler?
The completed Luftwaffe contingent. Though after taking these photos, they may also have one of the Kübelwagen. I can’t remember the minutia of the original list.
So I finally made them up. The wheels were already basecoated in dunkelgelb again, and I’d based the two Luftwaffe crew, so I needed to finish them – though 2 minis was not that painful to do.
Now it was time for the worst part of the entire project. The third grenadier platoon. Based, but not painted at all. Just primed white. Painting these 30 little mans in the same mish-mash of worn, borrowed and stolen campaign uniforms was just fucking horrible, espoecially given how over painting these infantry I already was at this point. They took me over a week just to get these six bases done. Not fun, and only something I was able to make myself do since I was well aware that they (pretty much) completed the army.
From L-R: Luftwaffe Command, DAK Grenadier Commander, DAK Grenadier 2IC, Unknown (Zug Leutnant?)
Except, they didn’t quite. Some Command stands were next, including the Company Commander and the 2IC, as well as a couple of others. The 88’s Luftwaffe Command stand needed a bit of touching up, and there’s a final command stand I can’t remember. Perhaps a Leutnant stand for the Grenadierkompanie? I’ll have to check. It’s also possible I built one too many unit leader stands back in the day, but whatever…
With those all done, it just left one final model – this Motorcycle Sidecar that is part of the Command unit. Like a lot of the models, it was built and partly basecoated, though the rider had to be located, cleaned up, primed and then painted entirely. And then it was done. It meaning both the sidecar as well as the actual entire army!
Completed Army pic 2/4.
Then all I needed to do was sit down for an age and type out this post, and I still need to go outside and photograph all of these little models. Then photoedit them, upload, caption, tag, edit and finish off the post, and write a conclusion…
Completed Army pic 3/4.
Of course, an army is never completely completed, as we wargamers all know. Looking forward, I’m now going to repaint those StuGs, and at some stage I’ll likely add a Zug of Panzer IIIs with perhaps a single IV to go with them. To make the army legal for post-rulebook versions of the list, I’ll have to get some trucks for the infantry, unless I change the entire force to a Panzergrenadier one and get a bunch of halftracks instead.
Completed Army pic 4/4.
Sadly, while I’ve been looking, I’ve been unable to locate models of the Sd.Kfz.251/1 Ausf A or B so I can have the correct version for the time period, with only the later versions being even vaguely readily available. I’m also not John from Just Needs Varnish who can just magically MacGyver commercial-quality WWII wargames models out of bits of plastic and cardboard and toenail clippings, so I can either put the idea onto the backburner for later or just buy a box of Ausf Ds and hope nobody notices and/or cares.
Anyway, an army is finished. Not something that happens every day, and even though it’s made of teeny-tiny army mans, I’m pretty chuffed about it – and a big thanks to Dave for running this month’s challenge, as well as to all the others who run similar mini painting challenges. Extra painting motivation is great, it can often get stuff that wouldn’t normally be touched onto the painting table and out of the backlog – and occasionally, as in this month – has a surprisingly positive result!
Azazel's Bitz Box. 
Wonderful work on the entire army mate, glad the challenge has helped to get things finished, as that’s what they’re all about, and glad you wanted to participate again this year
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Thanks Dave – I haven’t been getting as much painting (or as much in terms of “proper” terrain) done as last year, but getting an army table-ready is pretty cool, since it’s such a rarity for me…
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These look great! 🙂 Quite an achievement getting them done! I wouldn’t bother with replacing the Tiger or re-painting the StuGs, since they look good and fit in. Thanks for the mention, but I was hoping to keep the toenail clippings part of it a trade secret! 😉
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Thanks John. I’ve recently gotten hold of the most current set of rules for this army, and (since this was built off the V1 basic rulebook) there are.. a few changes to make it legal in modern terms. I may even decide to hammer it into (modern) shape which would involve a bit of armour juggling, but that will just mean I have to finally get some more of my 15mm stuff painted up to fit everything in neatly…
Having spent a bit of time in the last couple of weeks assembling little tanks, and seeing the small differences in detail between different Ausführung just makes me appreciate your modelling skills and attention to detail all the more…
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Thanks Azazel, I really appreciate your kind comment! 🙂 You’ll no doubt be upset to learn that I’m more prepared these days to overlook skill and attention to detail and go with what looks about right! Hope you’ve enjoyed working on tanks though and I ‘ook forward to seeing them at some point! 🙂
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More than welcome – I’ve only ever been able to get to the point of what looks about right – every time I try to go much beyond that I get bogged in a quagmire of unclearly or badly or incompletely-documented unit markings – often with a side of being unable to source the “correct” decals….
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Wow, a whole army in one post? That’s really impressive, both at the army scale and for the individual units. You must now be heartily sick of edge highlighting in white now!
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Haha thanks mate. (Un?)fortunately I often get inspired as soon as I finish models of whatever type and immediately jump into doing more until I eventually leave them to sit for ages. Like, when I finish some goblins I often immediately start on some more goblins, etc..
So now I’ve got a pile of semi-built little tanks alongside a slightly larger pile of spray-basecoated little tanks.
Wish me luck getting them to the end sooner rather than later!
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That is a really impressive achievement. I can see why you may have got sick of them in the end but surely seeing the full line up makes it worth it.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Thanks Pete. Any further Flames of War armies I start on will be so much mroe uniform in their uniforms after this experience!
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Excellent work
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Thanks mate! 🙂
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Awesome work getting all those done! It’s made me wonder what happened to my German army I used, maybe 30 years ago… mostly unpainted plastic excepting the couple of vehicles/guns I bought. (30 or 40mm) I recognise most of the vehicles you have there and know the names. I’d go with Panzer Ausf D’s, maybe you could mod them to resemble an A, but I’m not the tank enthusiast to be sure.
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Thanks Tarmor. I’ve got them worked out in the interim. Panzer III Gs for mid-war Afrika and a mix of Panzer IVs with the short 7.5cm L/24 gun and the early model long 7.5cm L/43. Luckily I actually had the right models tucked away on a shelf at the back of a bunch of other stuff!
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Great work – 15mm WWII is on my to-do list as well at some point, I think it has real potential for some epic gaming.
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Thanks Warburton. It’s been on mine for a bunch of years as well. Looks like I’m now at the point of pulling that particular hobby trigger. 🙂
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That is a great looking army, mate and congratulations on getting it finished! I can’t remember seeing a lot of armies completed at that scale and not only is it impressive but it seems like it doesn’t take up tons of storage space as well which is a big plus. I hope you’re able to enjoy some gaming with this army in the future!
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Thanks Kuribo! It only takes a couple of trays in a single case, which is nice. Though you know what they say about “finished” armies… I’m in the process of reorganising it to fit with the current (4th edition) rules, rather than the 1st edition set they were built around. A bit of swapping models in and out, and with a few smallish additions, Ein Grenadierkompanie becomes Zwei Grenadierkompanies…
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Pretty f’ing epic Az! As for the Sd.Kfz.251/1 models, don’t sweat that at 15mm!!!! More gaming with them would be better! Really impressive man, made me smile to see the Army all together to fight your other Commonwealth stuff.
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Thanks Mark. I did manage to track down some approppriate Zvezda 251s online. Shortly after that I found that they’re not used at all in the latest army updates for mid-war DAK, so I’ll decide later whether to paint them for use in other games or use them for another German foirce entirely…
As for them fighting some Commonwealth stuff, my box of unpainted FoW I dug up after posting these only had a few random mid-and-late war German, Soviet, US and British stuff in it to add to the random stuff I’d already painted, but no real 8th army-appropriate models. Closest I came was the rather generic set of 10 M1 Shermans I painted a couple of years ago…
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I understand. Though at present hobby stuff for me has gone onto the back burner with a lot of stuff like the garage+. When I built my France 1940 French stuff, I ended up at QRF, Old Glory, Wargames Models of Ohio, and a few others. Generally I prefer metal or resin, so I avoided 3D printed stuff. Zvezda does make good stuff as you know, even if plastic. The rarer stuff is not usually found from Zvezda. Some models I found from the rare stuff were fine, others were in need of TLC. Understanding you’re using an army list too, where I generally have not as I don’t play FoW. Hell, lately I’d be lucky to play Civ V or Angry Birds 2!
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Yeah, I’ve recently picked up a fractured knee and as a result will be off work for some time, so I’m hoping to make some positivity (?) of this time by getting more painting done (as well as video gaming, since F2F ain’t happening anytime soon). The part 2 to my comment above was that after finding I had nothing to oppose my DAK, I went online and picked up enough stuff to put together a pretty decent 8th Army force, so I spent much of September assemblng (most) of it while awaiting some key spray paints that took 2 1/2 weeks to arrive…
I’m basing my lists off the current FoW rules, as it’s a pretty simple game from memory, and I know the new edition is more streamlined. What with the nature of WWII/historicals being so open, I figure I can pivot the models to any other system as well, whether it be What A Tanker, Crossfire, Battlegroup, etc. The only real consideration is having stand-based infantry rather than individial bases (I actually purchased sets of metal Battlefront British Airbourne and SS years ago to base individually and play 15mm Bolt Action with – though they’ll probably be assembled and painted for FoW/etc whenever I get to them now…
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Wonderfully impressive stuff mate! and much larger than my 20mm force. I wouldn’t worry too much about the Tiger 1 inconsistencies, anyone who would complain isn’t worth gaming with anyway!
Cheers Roger.
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I’m pretty sure that’s the wrong attitude to have, Roger.
In fact, if an armoued model has the wrong number of rivets, then the modeller should be banned from using it until they convert it to be completly accurate!
😉
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Superb effort mate, looks bloody brilliant!
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Thanks Alex. I’ve worked on (and will be working on more) updates/upgrades to them over the next while. 🙂
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Nice collection of Flames of War stuff you’ve put together there. Yes, I know what you mean about John, he can spin some fun magic out of hair, dryer lint and discarded toenail clippings!
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Thanks Ann. I see a fair bit more of the old 15mm WWII in the immediate future. After all, I’ve painted these things so I may as well try to use them for something! 🙂
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Really neat work mate, or may be you have already picked that up from all the positive comments from our mates!!
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Thanks Pat! Much appreciated! 🙂
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Interestingly, the FoW Sd Kfz model is actually of a 6, not the 7 that it purports to be. Nicely painted models! 🙂
Regards, Chris.
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Thanks, and that’s an interesting note! 🙂
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