Together at last. Basing done and ready to hit the table. A couple of months ago I started on a new project, a Budapest Pocket Defender list for Bolt Action. One of the nice things about this army is that I did not buy anything new for it. All of the models have come from the cupboard. It is an eclectic little group, with models from Black Tree Design, Artizan and Warlord Games, and contains both Hungarian and German units making for something that looks a little different on a WW2 table.
Pioneers (Black Tree Design) in their Hanomag (Warlord Games)Grenadiers, mix of Black Tree Design and ArtizanWarlord Games MMGMedium Mortar (Artizan)The whole force is led by these German officers (Black Tree Design)Hungarian sniper team made from Warlord plastic GermansHungarians with an anti-tank rifle; useful against soft-skins (Warlord Games)Hungarians from Warlord Games
This force may grow yet, but with the addition of a tank, maybe a Wirblewind (painted but never really had a part in my mid-war Italian theatre themed army), I think we are good to go. And that is a nice feeling.
If you want to hear me wooble on about the AIF in the Western Desert campaign, you can. Right here on episode three of the Ghost Army Podcast on Soundcloud or via your favourite podcast app.
It is mostly about constructing lists for Bolt Action.
Work on my Budapest Pocket Defenders continues. These support choices complete the initial models I intend for this Bolt Action list. My plan is to base them all at once in a vague effort to tie the otherwise disparate group together.
First is a medium mortar from Artizan.
I think the spotter is from Warlord Games. He tells me his name is Harry.
Medium machine guns have a mixed reputation in Bolt Action. I nearly always include one in a German list, it just seems right even if they can be a bit fragile in the game. (You can thank me later for not saying they’re hit and miss.) This one is by Warlord Games.
A sniper team, painted as Hungarians but made from Warlord Games plastic Germans. I don’t know why the spotter has a book.
I also painted a pair of forward observers from Warlord Games. I’m not sure if they will get much use, but at least they are not bare metal in a box, which is a win all of its own.
Not far off from a full family portrait. Yay! I’m pleased with how quickly this little project came together. And just in time as the opportunity for actual gaming returns. In a suitably social distanced way, of course.
Maybe I’ll see you over a battlefield sometime soon.
There is a new kid on the blogging block: Soul Marmalade. Another project from me, and is intended to create an online presence for a hobby that is mostly not-online. Soul Marmalade has no paint brushes. It is dedicated to words and my efforts as a poet! This is probably the last time I will mention it here at Faith and Steel, which is dedicated to gaming and miniatures.
But, I’m a wee bit excited because I have just released my first book of poems, published by the Melbourne Poets Union as part of their Red Bellied Poets series.
this is a proof copy; the actual books are like this but even more beautiful
You can get copies by emailing mpu editor-in-chief: tinagiannoukos AT gmail.com or contact me because I still have some author copies.
Die Jungs can’t be expected to walk everywhere, so I assembled and painted a half-track, a Sd. Kfz. 251/1, for cruising around Budapest. I’m quite pleased with how it turned out.
The scheme is based on images of the late war Ambush camo pattern. Big patches of red-brown and dark green are applied over a sand-yellow base. Over the top are dots, green on the yellow and light-grey over the brown and green areas. The effect is quite striking, especially with a bit of weathering. A layer of dust has tied the colours together nicely.
This half-track was designed by a German firm Hanomag and came in many variants. The design was so successful it lent its name to the vehicle, although not in official paperwork. Only the support weapon teams to go now to have my Budapest Pocket Defender list ready for the table top. Vorwärts!
More troops off to Festung Budapest as part of my Budapest Pocket Defenders project. Apparently it can get cold there, so it is just as well this squad have great coats. They are German grenadiers from Black Tree Design. I painted them more or less simultaneously with the Pioneers I posted last week.
Next unit for my Budapest pocket project, a unit of German Pioneers. This will be a veteran squad, most likely ready to dig in on an objective. In Bolt Action, veterans are hard to shift, and the squad based flame thrower will add a bit of a challenge for enemy units who get too close.
The miniatures are from Black Tree Designs. I took a bit of time with their faces and insignia. I think they came out OK. The basing will wait, I am going to do the whole army at once. Now onto some Heer Grenadiers. The force is very eclectic, both matching the theme of the desperate -and doomed- defense of Budapest. It is also being achieved by not buying anything new, all the models so far have come from the existing backlog.
A project with the working title, “I don’t remember buying these, I wonder if I have enough in the cupboard to make a wee army”. I’ll think of a snappier title later. Anyway, a random squad of Hungarians have moved to the painted pile (bases pending).
I haven’t done very detailed faces, but I’m quite happy with how this squad turned out.
The squad includes panzerfausts, so I’m guessing late war. A brief search found some Germans from Black Tree Design and some support weapons (more Warlord). There is a fun looking list in the Fortress Budapest book, a mixed Hungarian-German Budapest Pocket Defenders. I think I will be able to come close to creating a small army for this list. Maybe I will buy a tank to match, although I my Wirblewind will fit the theme nicely.
A long and wordy post, mostly for me as a record of the reading I have been doing around the Korean War.
For a war that is so often labelled as forgotten, there is a surprising number of books. Many of which seem to be called The Korean War. Wedged as it is between the second world war and Vietnam it is understandable that it often appears lower in understanding and awareness of people in the US, UK and Australia. Among gamers this strapline is misplaced. However, it is a complex conflict, occurring in a time of enormous change in politics, culture, and technology, so a certain amount of confusion and misunderstanding is not surprising.
Perspectives and memories of the Korean war vary widely (in this it is not unique). The war is not forgotten in Korea (North or South). Indeed, in the North in particular, it is not even over. Japan, officially at least, has the usual myopia over its role and actions in the early to mid-twentieth century. I think China, who in some ways should know better given the interaction with their neighbour over many years, has its usual understanding of the facts subsumed to the perceived needs of the ruling party.
A useful antidote to perception bias is to read widely, although my reading has still been skewed to the Australian experience. Nearly all of my books have been borrowed from the wonderful Goldfields Library. How ace are libraries?
TLDR; Where to start and don’t want to read 15 books? For gamers, the Osprey Men-At-Arms is probably the quickest overview if you want a little more than Bolt Action supplement. For a comprehensive military overview, either Hastings (more military) or Cummins (more politics) are the place to start. Both are good, but you probably only need to read one. From there, it will really depend on your interests. Probably the best book I read, the one that fired my imagination the most, was Scorched Earth, Black Snow. Although it focuses on Commonwealth units in 1950, I think even US readers will find this engaging and evocative.
Korean War Histories
The Korean War, Max Hastings (1987). By weight, Hastings wins. Lots of other authors refer to Hastings, and with some reason as it is a comprehensive overview of the war. Its main limitation (if the size doesn’t daunt you) is it is a very western view, with mostly US and UK voices. This is in part because of the material available at the time (it was first published in 1987). With this caveat, Hastings is a successful military history.
The Korean War: a history, Bruce Cummins (2010). I don’t know if Cummins and Hastings get along, but Cummins doesn’t like Hastings’ book. This alone makes this history worth reading. The disputes between the two are modest, residing in interpretation or emphasis rather than the narrative of events. Cummins has the advantage of access to additional scholarship and source material since Hastings published. He also frames the hot war of 50 to 53 in the longer history of the Korean Peninsula, which helps understand how it this war did not really erupt from nowhere, even if Korea was not well known in the West.
Brothers at War: the unending conflict in Korea, Shelia Miyoshi Jager (2013). A comprehensive history of the Korean struggle, written using the widest range of voices of any of the books I have read on this topic, including Chinese sources. Those looking for details on particular battles will need to look elsewhere (but plenty of material is available, e.g. Hastings or works on specific battles or units). However, those looking to understand the origins and ongoing repercussions of the Korean War should read Miyoshi Jager.
The Korean War 1950-53: Osprey Men-at-Arms, Nigel Thomas and Peter Abbott (1986). The usual, useful overview of the conflict, along with photos and references for painting.
Australian Experience in Korea
Scorched earth, black Snow: Britain and Australia in the Korean War, Andrew Salmon (2011). Scorched earth, black snow zooms in on not just the first year of the war, but the experiences of the British and Australian battalions during that year. This tighter focus compared with the grander histories leaves plenty of room to bring lots of colour and detail on the battles, individuals and locations involved.
The Korean War: Australia in the giant’s playground (2010), Cameron Forbes. This book focuses on Australia’s involvement in Korea, with insight into Australia at the time as well as placing the role of Australian forces in the wider struggle. Forbes quotes many documents from the time, letters, newspapers and reports that helps bring the history to life. It includes material on the air force and navy contributions.
A Different Sort of War: Australians in Korea 1950-53, Richard Trembath (2005). Dry but extensive survey of the Australian experience in Korea, includes many quotes from the time.
The Battle of Maryang San: Australian Army Campaign Series; these are great a series, researched and produced by the Army History Unit. It is well worth checking if the campaign or theater you’re interested in is covered by this series. This Korean contribution is no different.
Memoires
The Last Call of the Bugle, Jack Gallaway (1994). Gallaway is one of the books frequently quoted in the sources of more recent books on Australians in Korea. It is worth reading for an insight into those who fought. Some of the language is dated but it is a classic of the genre.
Wild Knights in No-Man’s Land: The Korean War recalled by an Australian Infantry Officer, Bruce Matthews (2004). The memoire of a New Zealand reservist who volunteered in the Australian Army to head to Korea. I’m not convinced that Matthews is always accurate on events he is not directly involved in, but this is fascinating for focusing on the late stage of the war just before the armistice. By this time the battlefield was more static, though still deadly, occurring in a series of trenches and dugouts, with fierce night-time encounters in no-man’s land.
Mates, Mortars and Minefields: Korea, Ernie R. Holden (2006). Another late war memoire, where Holden deployed with 2RAR in 1953. This work is a wonderfully quirky, self-published affair. Worth the read if you can track down a copy from your library.
Royal Australian Air Force in Korea
Across the Parallel: Australian 77th Squadron with the USA Air Force in Korea, George Odgers (1952). This book is remarkable for when it was published, 1952, while the war was still on. Odgers was writing the official RAAF history of the second world war when he asked to go to Korea and report on 77 Squadron there. As well as a fascinating story from a part of the war sometimes overlooked, written as it was at the time, it is a bit of peek into values at the time around race, gender and politics.
A unique flight: the historic aircraft collection of the Australian War Memorial, Michael V Nelmes (2008). Includes a chapter on the Mustangs and Meteors used by 77th Squadron RAAF in Korea.
Indigenous Australian Involvement
Two books not directly related to the Korean War but a fascinating reminder that there is no single soldiers experience. Both have sections on the Korean War, including brief biographies of Captain Reg Saunders who was deployed with 3RAR (and with 2/7th Battalion in WW2).
Serving our Country: Indigenous Australians, War, Defence and Citizenship, ed. Beaumont & Cadzow.
Defending Country, Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Military Service Since 1945, Riseman and Trembath.
In the crazy back and forth fighting across the Libyan coastal plain, one battle was more static, but no less brutal. The port of Tobruk, taken from the Italians in January 1941 was subsequently besieged by Axis forces from April until December. At over 240 days it is the longest ever siege endured by British forces.
The models are all 15mm from Battlefront; mostly metal although some of the vehicles are resin.
All three armed services were critical to the successful defense of Tobruk. The Navy, RN and RAN, kept the garrison reinforced and supplied and allowed the evacuation of wounded soldiers. The RAF and RAAF, some based inside the perimeter, kept the Luftwaffe at bay and supported the troops. The bulk of the defenders were made up of the 9 Div AIF, who relieved the by then veteran 6 Div just before the German advance out of Tripoli triggered the Torbruk Handicap that led to the Great Siege.
This is a selection of my Western Desert force. While it could be used to represent many of the battles in 1940-41, it is motivated mostly by the 9 Div and supporting elements from the British 3rd RTR, 3rd Hussars, 51 Field Regiment RA and 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers (a specialist machine gun unit).
A 25pdr of 51 Regiment RA in a stone sanger
Battalion HQ staff officers c0-ordinate the defense
2pdr a/t were outclassed later in the war, but at this stage were more than a match for Italian tanks and could even stop the Panzers of the 5 Leichte Division, although often at great cost to the gunners
Cruiser tanks from the 3rd Hussars; 7 RTR were also present (with Matilda tanks)
An aerial view
Not sure when these will reach the table, but it is bonza to be close to finishing this army after so many years incomplete. Now I’m thinking I need an Axis force to oppose them, but there is always another project.
