WWII Landing Craft

I bought some slightly oversized landing craft, three LCVP's (Landing Craft Vehicle/Personnel) and three Amtrac LVT's (Landing Vehicle Tracked) a couple years ago to do some WWII Pacific beach assaults or landing scenarios.  They were made by BMC and are supposed to be 1:32 (vs 1:54 for 28mm), and would be used with the wonderful little green Marx plastic army men of our childhood.

The LCVP's are actually pretty close to being normal and look good, as I think they actually held about 28 troops, and the alleged scale ones by Warlord only hold maybe 10 or so with bases.  The LVTs definitely look a bit on the large side.

I finally got around to painting mine up.  Still have one LCVP to do.  Decided a fairly plain color scheme, and applied Vallejo Extra Dark Green with an airbrush over black primer for the base coat.  I then went back and dry-brushed Vallejo Green Grey to tone it down and weather it.  Simple black treads on the LVT's, and some Vallejo Gunmetal Grey on the guns.  Nothing fancy.  I may add a few extra details like the ropes, inboard life preserver rings, and rope on the back deck.  I really liked the effect and will likely go with that combination for my allied jungle uniforms in the future.

I did buy a blister pack of Warlord LCVP Machine Gun crew (4 figs) which is perfect for two LCVP's, so guess one will go without or go just one gun crewman on two of them.  I'll get those painted, drill out the stub-ups on the back end where those should go, and get them mounted in the near future.  A quick couple evenings of painting.  Need a few decals though to put some numbers on all the vehicles.

Here they be:

Amtrac LVT's

LCVP's

 

Bolt Action WWII Pacific Jungle Game

I finally got the game table up and running, got the figs painted, got the terrain built... time to play.  I invited the guys from our Basement Generals group up for the game... The Baron (baronvonj.blogspot.com) Jon (jonscurioclashes.blogspot.com), Scott, Greg, Doug and myself.

I  set up a Bolt Action WWII game set in the Pacific jungles.   We've had some issues in the past with too many players in a single game and having things bog down, so I cam up with the idea of one large table, but dividing the table into three sectors.  Each sector would be its own one-on-one game.  I gave each side in each sector its own objectives, unknown to the opponent.  I tried to somewhat evenly match the ides by overall manpower... the sides had anywhere from two or three, 5 to 8 man infantry squads led by a Lieutenant or NCO, and an array of small units, ie. bazooka teams, MMG teams, medium and light mortars, snipers, flame throwers, a tank, medics, etc.  The IJA was allowed to set up 24 inches in, the Allied troops got to set up at the sea wall on the beach.

The Battlefield

Sector 1 had Marines vs IJA.  The Marines objective was to locate and kill the Japanese high ranking officer, a Major.  The IJA was to stop the invasion, kill the enemy, and destroy the landing craft (which was pretty much the objective of all three IJA sectors.

The Marines got some good strikes on the IJA but the IJA wasn't going down without giving as good as they took.  The IJA was aggressive and took the fight to the Marines with gusto... BANZAI!!!    The Marines, however, were able to knock most all of the IJA units including the Major, who joined his troops in the fight (and gave nearby units a +4 to morale roles), but was unaware he was a major target.  The flamethrower came in handy wiping out most of at least one IJA squad.  A pretty close win for the Marines who finished the battle with just two soldiers left.

Major Takashi, Sector 1, and IJA Troops

Marines ready to go

Waiting to fry the enemy when the come around the corner

Sector 2 had Australian and Chindit forces attempting to get to a supply depot and destroy the supplies supporting the IJA's war efforts.

The IJA set up primarily defensive and mostly in ambush which proved deadly for the Ausies and Chindits.  The IJA was able to effectively use some knee mortars to knock out a couple different teams members and put some pins on them, but not so many they allies became combat ineffective.  The Ausie/Chindits decided to focus on one single IJA team at a time and put either kill off or put multiple Pins on it.  Unfortunately I was playing the Allies on this game as one of the Generals couldn't make it to game night, and I spent so much time checking rules and answering questions that we weren't able to finish the scenario.  I had to avoid walking into those ambushes as they got first shot, even at a -1 it still deadly.  Outcome... close but inconclusive, both sides had enough forces to keep fighting.

Sector 2

Australians move inland

Australian and Chindits

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Australians take hits

Sector 3 had Marines attempting to destroy the IJA small tank (hence a couple extra bazooka teams for the player... then get to a mountain and destroy the radio signaling unit

Sector 3

IJA Light Tank and Troops

Both Marines and IJA units were aggressive and the IJA initially beat the Marines down... a straggling Marine infantry unit made it ashore and helped bolster the struggling Marines.   The IJA had a Banzai charge which resulted in all but two men on each side being killed in the close combat... a second close combat fight was to come... or was it... The Marine commander pulled up a flame thrower unit and decided to toast both of the units Marine and IJA locked in close combat, killing all the IJA and one Marine, but the IJA fled.  War is brutal.  The Japanese tank closed and tried to knock out some Marines, but was ineffective.  A bazooka team got in some heavy cover and with one shot set the tank on fire, stunning the crew and jamming the turret, but failed to knock it out.  The next round the same unit was able to deliver a killing shot to the tank.  Primary objective accomplished... but at what cost??

Bazooka takes out the tank

Marines take hits

Don't care, gonna flame everyone

Jungle Terrain Project

My ongoing quest to eventually host WWII South Pacific and Southeast Asia theaters battles had necessitated my creating jungle terrain.  After watching some good UTube vids of the Terrain Tutor, I delved into getting started.  First you need several supplies... I used Masonite for the bases, polystyrene foam insulation, assorted plastic plants from either fish supplies or from local craft store, plastic palm trees and bamboo, craft paint, hot glue gun, Woodland Scenics (WS) scenic glue and WS scenic cement, which is just pre-watered down scenic glue, and finally a bowl of expired herb spices (basil, oregano, other Italian spices), from the kitchen cabinet.  The latter gives a great scent to the terrain.

I cut the bases to assorted shapes on a bandsaw and beveled the edges with a grinding wheel.  I cut pieces of the polystyrene to fit as needed on the bases as raised plant beds for either individual or small groups of plants, or in longer strips and glued them in with wood glue. 

I used hot glue gun to attach the plastic plants to the polystyrene as I read that regular PVA glues were not good for adhesion of the plastic the plants were made from.  I then painted the bases with brown craft paint.  Once plants were mounted then I could use the scenic glue diluted roughly 50/50 spread across the bases and under the plants to then put on the herb ground cover.  On a couple bases, I put the ground cover on before the plants, and poked holes through the ground cover into the foam and mounted bamboo to make bamboo groves.

Australians for WWII Pacific

So now I have USMC, Chindits, and Japanese... What am I missing... of course Australians!!  I did up a squad of Australian Militia, and have a jungle division infantry team, command, MMG team, and Flamethrower, mortar, and sniper teams waiting in the wings to be painted.  Below is the Militia squad with commander.

Chindits for WWII Pacific

Ok, so along the same lines, I've been adding to my WWII line for Bolt Action.  I did up some Chindits for Jungle Play.  Again... I've just bought a good half dozen or more blisters packs full last September at a local con called RECRUITS in Lee's Summit, MO.  A couple Warlord dealers with a fairly decent selection and some minor discounts.

Medium and Light Mortar Teams, and Vickers MMG Team

Based so team casualties can be removed.  Something new I tried and liked.

AT-Rifle, PIAT, Flamethrower, Radio Teams

Always need some indigenous jungle guides!!

TRASH into TREASURE:  The Mountain Fortress

I’m always scrounging/saving something from the trash with the intent of transforming it or incorporating it into a gaming project.  Bits of used sprue, the clear contact lens packets (for windows), Styrofoam or polystyrene (for terrain or buildings), can lids (for basing groups of figs), or any other general crap that catches my eye.  Of course, this always draws a shake of the head from the Mrs. and a look on her face that says ‘Really? What are you going to do with that?  My sad sweet little man’.  As with all gamers or hobbyist, I think it’s about using a little imagination and creativity, plus a healthy desire to save some money here and there… prefab terrain, etc, isn’t cheap.
My latest find came while driving around during the city’s spring cleanup (any and all trash to the curb for pickup… no questions) looking for old used furniture for the Mrs. to refurbish (see dear, you do it too!!!).  Anyway, my Spidey sense was tingling as I drove past a box and immediately backed up to get a better look at what my eyes had spied.  In the box I find a brown plastic mountain thingy with a crane claw on top, mixed in with some Hot Wheels track.  I grabbed the mountain, and ditched the track.  The mountain thingy turns out to be from the Fisher-Price Geo Trax Mountain Blast Construction Quarry set from 2003.



I got it home and immediately began tearing off the crane/claw, shaving the tabs that hold the top to the bottom (now they just act as guides while allowing easy removal of the top if you want to put stuff inside), and removing a few other unnecessary bits.  I then washed it to get whatever child spit and coodies off that might be on it, which foreseeably might lead to disease, pestilence, and early death.  Children… Gods little petri-dishes!  I glued in some thin card stock over certain area to hide holes and make spots for figures to sit.  I sprayed on a coat of black spray primer, followed by a very light misting coat of brown.  I wet-brushed on a medium dark gray, followed by some lighter gray to highlight.  This was followed with moss flock (adds a pleasant smell as well), and then some turf grass in areas.  Finally, I glued the base to a cut-to-fit piece of brown Masonite, textured side up, which I can add additional grass, brush, weeds, etc to, and which will make it easier to pick up and hold too.  I’d like to create a couple interchangeable things, depending on the scenario, for the top of the mountain, ie. gun emplacement, radio tower, observation post, ray gun, etc.



It’s now set for use with any jungle, woodland, mountainous, or mysterious island, war gaming scenarios.  It’s not super high, which is ideal for storage and perspective, but has several levels, hidey-holes, and interior that can be used.  I foresee its use for some WWII Pacific Island scenarios, ie Peleliu, where the Marines had to assault fortified and entrenched Japanese defenders.

I added ground covering, which smelled great as it was made up of outdated herbs and spices from the kitchen cabinets.  It looks like a good jungle floor of old leaves and stuff.  I also used it on my jungle terrain bases.

Next Up… Scratch built tropical pacific huts and Guard Towers

Imperial Japanese Army Soldiers, Pacific

BANZAI!!! BANZAI!!! BANZAI!!! So echoed all through the line, the ferocious yell of the Emperor’s fanatically dedicated soldiers, bayonets fixed and gleaming in the moonlight on a hot and muggy Pacific night. Only about 60 men, about a third, remain of the company. Tattered uniforms, worn with pride, drape on bodies worn thin with hunger. A dingy, torn white flag, with its single large red center dot, hangs near motionless from a wooden staff held aloft by a stern-faced soldier, selected for this prestigious honor for his bravery and devotion. He and the lieutenant, the ranking officer remaining, stand in front of the bristling group of men. Ahead of them a short expanse of jungle, an upward sloping field, barbed wire, and the guns of the enemy wait. With a turn, and the flash of a sword through the night air, the final charge begins...

I’ve been working on my Imperial Japanese Army for the Pacific for the last year or more. I finished several months back but am only now taking the opportunity to post a few pics. Overall I’m happy with the way they turned out, nothing is ever perfect. Now I just need to get them onto the table and into the fight. I painted up nearly 70 figs, probably more than I’ll need. The figs are from Battle Honors, which aren’t quite as robust (thick not weak) as Warlord’s Bolt Action line, but I like them. I’ll be pitting them against the U.S. Marines I did, and the Chindits and British I’m still working on. We’ll go with Bold Action rules, which worked well enough in a previous trial, although it might be more prudent to play test the rules a few times with just a couple of us to get the rules straight before we bring in the whole Basement Generals gang.

Officer Corps

Jungle Transportation

Destined to Meet: US Marines vs IJA

Human  Tank Destroyer and HMG Crew