Another medium sized project has been completed and it is only the first week of February. I am pleased with myself.

Guru says, “Don’t stand to close to the edge when you pat yourself on the back”.

The 2/7th landing at Sadau Island to provide artillery support to the Tarakan landing. The balance of the Regiment arrived on Tarakan with the first wave of infantry. (AWM)

Elements of the 2/7th with Matilda Tanks of the 2/9th Armoured Regiment in action on Tarakan (AWM)

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop Gun 1

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop – Chaplain

WW2 Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Platoon – PIAT Team

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop -Lieutenant’s support team

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop -Lieutenant support team’s M3A1 Scout Car (2)

The 2/7th in the Western Desert

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery – Medic

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop Gun 2

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop Gun 3

WW2 Australian Field Artillery Troop – Forward Observer on foot

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop Gun 4

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop – Captain’s support team

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop – Captain support team’s M3A1 Scout Car (1)

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop – Morris CS9 Self Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop – Forward Observer in Universal Carrier

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop – Infantry Squad 1

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop – Infantry Squad 2

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop (1)

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop (2)

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop (3)

Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop (4)

The 2/7th firing on Japanese positions on Tarakan (AWM)

In August 2022 I finished the Monastery (Gothic Buildings) for the season of scenery challenge.

The twelve buildings making up the monastery are all on standard mdf place mats

Last Friday I completed the cemetery of four tiles to go with the monastery.

Yesterday I finished the other sixteen tiles to use for Stalingrad, giving me a total of 32 buildings etc.

Not the Children’s fountain but it is a playground!

Take a seat

Yuck!

Tickle those ivories baby!

Straight out of the back of the panel van.

On second thoughts I’ll give the bath a miss.

Mirror mirror on the floor……………….

Hmm, Gilt bed ends! Now how am I going to get that in my backpack!

A rest today so I can prepare for our grand attack. I am no longer a Russian Spitfire pilot, but fighting for the glorious Reich!

This game was part of us getting ready for Stalingrad. Thanks to W for the photos.

Ground terrain not important but the clouds are!

Now how do I fly this thing? Guru thinking. BTW that’s a video not a photo – I move slowly these days!

Trying to get closer to the enemy but years of fine dining prohibit it!

The “good guys” storm into action to defend the motherland!

ME109 going down! Well done Comrade Guru!

Now to get another one

Guru banking to get on the tail of another German plane.

Got him!

Germans on the run as another Russian plane attacks the stricken 109 from below, while another Fascist is in flames, and cannot steer or change altitude!

Well done Comrades, Vodka all round!

A great game designed by Drew using 1/48 scale planes.

The planes were found extremely cheaply and come pre-painted. Some of the paint designs cannot be used, but I found the ones that I purchased OK. We used some poetic license and used Spitfires painted up as Stormoviks, although Britain did supply at least 35 Spitfires to them in 1943. They were mounted on a telesopic inspection mirror from Bunnings which cost less than the planes

Drew used a modified Bolt Action and the following stat cards.

Yes we know that the red star has only 5 points.

I was going through my Grandfathers old photos from New Guinea and they inspired this slightly different post.

The Second Australian infantry rifle squad.

It is the same as the last few I have been painting, with NCO equipped with Owen Gun, a second rifleman armed with Owen Gun, a Bren Gun Team, and six rifles. They are to provide the infantry support for the Artillery.

As this was the last unit of the WW2 Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Platoon – I will do a round up of the platoon tomorrow.

More Australian infantry, this time to support the Australian 2/7th Field Artillery Troop.

The structure is the same as the last few I have been painting, with NCO equipped with Owen Gun, a second rifleman armed with Owen Gun, a Bren Gun Team, and six rifles. They are to provide the infantry support for the Artillery.

Let’s hope he is finished!

With a grandmother named Nellie who also just happened to marry a Smith we grandchildren had “lotsa” fun with “Not On Your Nellie” and “Granny Smith” when growing up!

But what were its origins?

Unfortunately we are not sure, but the most common hypothesis is that the phrase comes from Cockney rhyming slang in the 1930’s, and is a shortening of “Not on your
Nellie Duff”, to rhyme with ‘puff’, meaning the air of one’s lungs.

In Australian slang the meaning -“certainly not” is the same but the term Nelly has different connotations. The first refers to a cheap wine (I call it cats pi$$ which generally comes from New Zealand), and the second usage of Nancy is similar to “Pansy” meaning an effeminate male. Of course we cannot forget “Negative Nancy” and we have all seen these on table moaning about their dice rolls!

Anyway I have digressed so back to the original purpose of this post!

A follower………………………”NOYN!”

Well maybe just this once! Ten days ago, Mark, from the “Man of Tin” Blog posted on some plastic robots.

I immediately had the idea that they might work well for a “quirky” Xenos Rampant force. I searched for the SCS Robots and found them on Amazon. For just over a dollar landed each I thought they were worth a try. I had very low expectations but was pleasantly surprised.

There were twelve lots of four robots and two lots of two making a total of 52 figures.

Here are the ones I decided to start with – 4 tracked robots on 40mm bases (front), four on 50mm bases (rear) and two on Bolt Action large oval artillery bases. They are approximately 40mm high or larger. So are a decent size.

I thought these two were ideal to turn into this:

Robot riding a robot! I could make two of these and they will do as leaders.

All those I have worked on so far have been cut from their bases with the two riders pinned to their mounts and glued together.

I have kept the irregular shaped bases to use as part of a Sci-fi scrap metal dump.

These four will even do as “Savage” robots.

There are also four, what I will call, objective bases.

And four bits of broken wall that I should be able to use.

These guys have a rocket propulsion unit on their backs so will make ideal flyers.

Some traditional “Lost in Space” B9 “look alike” robots.

Some strange ones.

And some Battletech type minis as well.

I thought they were good value at under AU$60.00 with free postage. More on these as I get around to painting some which may be soon as I get sick of painting Australian WW2 and destroyed buildings!

The game can be played with any sets of miniatures rules. We used GuruAction – my version of Bolt Action designed for the game. The objective is to be the first Australian group of soldiers across the table, cleaning out the Italian trenches as you go.

The difficulty is you do not know what the next trench piece is. Could be straight, tee, a bend or even a dead end! You draw a card for this and then another card to see if it is empty or not!

The Australian players Drew and Rob, were playing against each other as well as Guru’s Italians. These was even occasions where the Aussies tried to join up with the other Aussie’s trench, or even to try the dastardly and unthinkable act of blocking the other Aussie trench!

Rob Force was lucky enough to draw a straight section on turn 1 There was an Italian sniper there which was quickly dealt with.

Drew Force was not, drawing a right angle, with his second draw heading in the direction of the other Aussies. Drew was also unlucky enough to draw an enemy sniper which gets to fire first. He missed but Drew Force didn’t.

A “T section” had Rob Force still moving straight ahead, again unhindered.

Drew force encountered a full Italian section, but charged and immediately routed them.

Rob Force also encountered more Italians and who withstood the Aussie fire, but went to ground.

At the rear of Drew Force an Italian command group was hiding in a dead end, and were promptly dealt with by the Drew Force Lieutenant’s command group.

As the two trenches draw closer together the Italians facing Rob Force went into ambush.

After inflicting a few casualties the Italians retreated to the next trench section.

Drew Force on the right and an ever increasing amount of Italians block Rob Force’s advance.

The trench systems so far.

More Italians Face Drew force. The game ended with both Aussie forces being wiped out. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE!

Rob force was the first to go, unable to get through the Italian build up in the trench they were attacking. Drew force was gradually being dwindled man by man and only just failed the objective of reaching the other side of the table.

This is a “Wine and nibbles” game which is a lot of fun to play.

Su, compagni in forti schiere,

Marciam verso l’avvenire,

Siam falangi audaci e fiere,

Pronte a osare, pronte a ardire.

Trionfi alfine l’ideale,

Per cui tanto combattemmo:

Fratellanza nazionale

D’italiana civiltà

Artillery Observers, Artillery Observers, or Forward Observers (FO) are soldiers responsible for directing artillery and mortar fire support onto targets.

The Forward Observer team waiting for the enemy to move a safe distance away before calling in fire.

An artillery observer usually accompanies a tank or infantry unit. Spotters ensure that indirect fire hits targets invisible to those in the fire support base.

Field Artillery is unique in having the option of their forward observers deploying in a universal carrier.

Just a few more infantry to complete and the platoon is finished.

Our large game of Stalingrad using “Rob Action” rules has been the incentive to finish the cemetery for this project.

I have used the ” ” because I am not sure that we gamers are ever finished. For instance I have the recent Midlam Miniatures “Nuns of Midlam Abbey” Kickstarter in the mail as a type.

Although I am certain that I have enough of the actual buildings for a reasonable sized game.

More of the “Stalingrad” project in coming days.

Artillery Observers, Artillery Observers, or Forward Observers (FO) are soldiers responsible for directing artillery and mortar fire support onto targets. An artillery observer usually accompanies a tank or infantry unit. Spotters ensure that indirect fire hits targets invisible to those in the fire support base.

Later I will complete the Forward observer with Bren Carrier as this is allowed in the Bolt Action list.