Actually, just one tank, a Panzer IV. One of the neat things about Konflikt 47 is that many of the weird variants of the historic vehicles is the base Bolt Action kit with added (mostly resin) parts. By keeping the rift-tech to the turret, you get two distinct builds in the same box.
I cut away part of the Schürzen to simulate battle damage. Off topic question. German nouns are often capitalised. Does this hold over when you use them in an English sentence? So, is it Schürzen or schürzen? Not that it matters much.
The transfers are modern Turkish airforce markings, but there is no mistaking the flag so I think they do the job nicely.
I’ve done some more work on my Turkish themed force for Konflikt 47. Adding to the existing units are Spinne Llight Panzermech and a unit of border guards. The panzermech is a weird science walking tank, which is a part of the K-47 world. It fits in much the same role as an armoured car, although the legs allow for better off-road performance over a wheeled vehicle. Did I mention the weird science part?
In our world, anti-tank rifles quickly fell out of favour. In K-47, the emergence of light armoured walkers and heavy armoured infantry saw their re-introduction in a specialist sniper role.
I have also completed a border guard squad. Keeping up the eclectic theme of the force, this squad uses older style uniforms rather than being equipped similar to late war Germans. The models are WWI Ottomans from Woodbine Designs. They are really very nice minis.
Border Guard units are armed with rifles but may also take panzerfaust
A German Liaison officer and attendent keep an eye on the patrol. Under my home brew rules, the presence of a German office allows for the Turks to deploy rift-tech units like the panzermech.
Gebirgsjäger from Black Tree Design
Next up, some more vehicles and onto support units like medium machine guns and mortars. In rugged landscape of east and south Turkey, both these units will be useful assets for commanders. D.
Painting is progressing slowly on my Turkish army for K-47. Base coat on the Panzer IV and some progress on the first of the border guard troops, which are WWI figures with the odd panzerfaust added.
Figure from Woodbine Designs, an ace WWI Ottoman range
I think they’ll come up OK. I have the next fortnight off work so it will be nice chance to make a bit of progress.
I don’t know about you, but I headed for an authentic Turkish hobby shop and with the aid of google translate and paypal picked up some suitable transfers.
OK, they are air force livery, but hey, I’m off fighting a weird war, so they’ll do me nicely.
Turkey has an almost bewildering array of armoured vehicles, although it possesses relatively few of any given model. The most modern tanks are a preciously guarded resource by the higher command. Unlike the other belligerent nations, whose older stocks after 8 years or more of war are all but destroyed or relegated to training units, older Turkish vehicles are available to be put into service. The existential threat posed to Turkey in the K-47 world sees every available asset put into use. Turkish leaders hope that deploying the out-dated tanks will buy time for sufficient stocks of modern material and vehicles to be built, and help turn the tide on the Soviet invasion in the east and respond to the threat from the US/UK to the south and west.
Valentines in British service (15mm Battlefront)
During the interwar years, like many nations, Turkey acquired French tanks, 100 Renault but there is some confusion as to whether these were FTs or R35. These were added to the existing fleet of T-26 and BA-6 from Russia and handful of British Daimler Dingos and Vickers Light Tanks.
M4 Sherman (15mm PSC and 1/56 Warlord Games)
Between 1940 and 1943, the Turkish government made use of US lend lease arrangements to purchase M4 Sherman, M3 Stuarts, Valentines, and additional light tanks. Universal Carriers were also acquired at this time, adding valuable battlefield mobility to a military largely stuck with a mix of pre-war Soviet ZiS and US Ford trucks, civilian cars, and pack animals.
The core of the Turkish tank regiments is German made Panzer IV, mostly now up-gunned to the 75mm heavy anti-tank gun.
Tiger I (15mm Battlefront)
So far, all of the tanks mentioned were actually in Turkish service up to 1945. There are probably others. In additon, in the game, pretty much anything goes. At a minimum, Panzer III, Stug III/IV and Tigers all make sense. That is before the weird stuff rolls out. For Konflikt 47 this provides a fun smorgasbord of choices that helps make Turkey distinct from the other belligerent nations. Heaps of modelling opportunities too.
OSS Report 1947-9996C/4 to Allied Joint Command Mediterranean. Classified assets on the ground in Eastern Anatolia have captured images of what appear to be German rift-tech enabled units. This is a concerning development since it is understood that the German expeditionary force is operating further North, much nearer the Black Sea coastal plain. This leads our analysts to conclude that Germany has made rift technology available to the Turkish Republic.
This appears to be a Spinne Light Panzermech, light walker. Relatively fast and with moderate to long operating range it is often used in a reconnaissance role. It is usually armed with a turret-mounted light anti-tank gun and co-axial light autocannon.
Also seen was a Schwerefeld Projektor mounted on a Panzer IV chassis, designated as a Panzer IV-X by German forces, they are a potent rift-tech weapon designed especially to counter heavy armour.
A wee WIP update, with the there-is-a-lot-left-to-do models disguised with a black and white filter. In addition to painting, I have finally got around to reviewing the crazy mix of armour that Turkey had in 1945 and thinking about how to bring it into K-47. This mostly consists of finding the right entries in the Bolt Action armies of books.
The first of the vehicles for my Turkish K-47 army, a Panzer IV-X. Another WIP update. I am enjoying this project having picked it up again after a couple of years pause. I find posts like this help me to keep the momentum going.
The rift-tech versions of the Bolt Action kits are fun, as most of them have metal and/or resin parts as additions to the base Warlord models. It is like a two for one offer, especially for the Panzer IV where I can just swap the turret. In keeping with the late war theme I have chosen the Ausf. H with the long barrel and schürzen.
I removed one of the panels to represent some battle damage and used a Soviet crew member as the commander. This will help give my Turkish panzer a different feel. I almost like the Ausf. H version more than the rift-tech gun. Either will work in K-47.
The photos are terrible but I’m feeling pleased to have completed the first two squads of my Turkish Army for Konflikt 47.
Squad the first, a regular squad armed with assault rifles, ready to defend their home land. These are Warlord Games German grenadiers with fezzes from the SS set with the eagles cut off. I resisted the urge to paint the hats red. The army, where they wore them at all, wore misshapen khaki ones, so that is what I went with. This might be an alternative diesel-punk future but verisimilitude still matters.
Squad the second are Gebirgsjäger, who will give some veteran grunt and provide access to rift-tech for the force. These are metal, and I’m pretty sure they are some of the fun and characterful models from Black Tree Design.
Back to the paint desk. Those Soviets won’t stop themselves and I need to be ready.
I am still working on my Turkish army for Konflikt 47. Slowly, but paint is being applied.
These are WIP. Next up will be some highlights and pick out some detail. On the right is a basic infantryman armed with an assault rifle. He is wearing a fez, but khaki because he is on a battlefield, not on a parade ground. It is silly enough not wearing a helmet, let alone making an unnecessary target of yourself. On the left is a Gebirgsjäger who will be part of a Überwachung (Observer) squad.
Überwachung are Germans deployed to advise the Turkish troops on rift-tactics and keep an eye on the political reliability of their new allies. When upgraded to veteran status these squads gets the Rift Tech is Expensive rule, which allows a Turkish force to include units with rift technology.
Another Gebirgsjäger, this one with a bit of detail added.
