Some time ago I posted on the Eureka Miniatures new range of WW2. I do not intend to speak about the range as a complete review was provided in that post.

The one thing I was not sure of was if the figures were as good as they looked in the photos. Indeed they are. The SMG barrels that continually broke off with the Australians have been made stronger and are no longer an issue. i give them a rating of:

Like most armies the Nationalist Chinese employed small groups of scouts to provide intel and harass the enemy.

These have been painted for the Burma campaign of 1942 to 1945. The Chinese Expeditionary Force in Burma was forced to retreat with the British into India. Part of the force (X Force) was placed under the American Command of General Stillwell and equipped by the Americans at British expense. These were used to attack Northern Burma. An additional force (Y Force) that was used to attack Yunnan causing the Japanese to split their forces.

These are some figures sent to me as samples from Eureka Miniatures so that I could see how they painted up and were worth purchasing the 40 other figures I would need to make a small force. I think the results of this first small group means I will lash out on enough to complete the force in due course.

The Chinese Uniform colours vary from bright blue, to light khaki, to jungle green, and everything in between. I have chosen an undercoat of Tamiya TS3 with a light cream dry brush, followed by a brown wash for the uniform and equipment and a green wash over the leggings.

Officers generally had red leather equipment but this also varied.

This will provide an on-table difference to the Jungle Greens of the other allies and is different enough from the Japanese to not cause a problem.

Is this correct – probably not totally, but I can point you to plenty of photos that agree and just as many that don’t. On this point I am not going to enter into any large scale debate because the truth as to what any particular Chinese unit was wearing at any point in time during this campaign is anyone’s guess. They were certainly wearing this uniform in roughly these colours on the retreat to India.

For my scouts I have used SMG’s because they would have been my choice, but mainly because these were the samples that were sent!

The figures are good sculpts and paint up very quickly with good effect using my wargaming standard approach.

For those interested, Eureka Miniatures have the early forces fighting the Japanese in China that were equipped and trained by the Germans. It gives you an opportunity to use early-war German equipment, artillery and tanks against the Japanese.

The Chinese also used early war French, Italian, British, Russian, American, and captured Japanese equipment providing a very eclectic force if you desire.

I have another squad of Scouts the same, and a Company Lieutenant and his team that I will paint up in between other things.