Having bought the
1938: A Very British Civil War Source Book and discussed it with Lenin last weekend it not only looks like this project is a real goer but I've also got him hooked (he ordered the Source Book when he got home!).
As with most other projects I always try to justify my "investment" by trying to ensure I get multiple uses for the figures, vehicles, terrain and the like. So my first thought was to look at the stuff I already have to see what might be suitable for 1938.
Figures
Obviously I'm keen to get some 1938 specific figures but it would be useful if at least some of them had alternate uses or were sourced from my existing collection or other developing projects.
Police and Auxiliary ConstabularyThe most obvious choice for these would be to source them from my IWI
Musketeer Miniatures collection; however, the
Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) wore a rifle green uniform that I really can't see an easy way of justifying on the mainland several years later. I am considering getting some more of the RIC figures but getting them done in the traditional blue uniform rather than the green. I think the uniforms and equipment should work.
Picture from the Musketeer Miniatures websiteThe Musketeer RIC
Auxiliaries figures, whilst a nice mix of police and army uniforms, are again based on the RIC green and so I am reluctant to use them in this role; however, I can see them be useful elsewhere (see below). So as to Auxiliary Constabulary I am wondering whether I might use some of the
Anglian Assault Guards I already have for Spanish Civil War:
As you can see these still need to be finished
For the regular army I can see an opportunity to utilise some of the
Crusader Miniatures figures I have just bought for my early WW2/
Operation Sealion project:
It is, of course arguable as to whether the new uniform patterns etc. would have been available in 1938 but since it is an alternative history project in any event I don't have too much trouble stretching it a little. Of course I would only be using these figures for only a small number of the key units.
For the others and also for any Territorials I plan to use some of the excellent Musketeer WW1 BEF figures:
I do have some Renegade WW1 figures but they are significantly larger than the other figures I am planning to use and, in any case despite what I said above, these are so nice I must have some!
I am also wondering whether this might be an area where I could usefully make use of my Musketeer RIC Auxiliaries:
The BUF Legion and Fascist MilitiasFor the BUF (although I think this should be British Union or BUF&NS by this time) I think I need some very distinctive figures and
the upcoming Musketeer ones seem just the job.
Of course this is another area where the Anglian Assault Guard might be used as an alternative to using them as Auxiliary Constabulary.
Local Defence Forces and MilitiasWith Wargames Foundry having a sale over the Christmas period I decided to pick up some packs to expand my early WW2 project and, in particular, figures suitable for Operation Sealion. So some of the Foundry Home Guard were an obvious choice. I avoided the traditional Dad's Army figures and opted instead for the ones in steel helmets which can then be used for 1938 as part of the Local Defence Forces.
Obviously these can be supplemented with the
upcoming Musketeer militia figures for example.
The less well equipped militias provide an obvious opportunity to utilise my existing Musketeer IRA figures:
The key gap with these figures is, of course, in the area of standard bearers which, as with the Spanish Civil War, is likely to be a major differentiator for the various factions. I am hoping that I may be able to utilise some of the Anglian SCW standard bearer figures but, unfortunately, a few of them are simply too SCW to work. This will need a bit of thought and possibly some head swaps!
OthersThis is obviously an area for a fertile imagination and Lenin and I have already discussed the idea of some US forces appearing either as volunteers (a la SCW) or as a more official but covert intervention for some reason to be determined.
Clearly there will be advisors from the various interested foreign powers as was the case in the SCW. It is likely that the Anglian range is going to be where most of those will be sourced, although I do have some early WW2 German figures which might be appropriate.
I also have several of my Pulp collection which might see service including the various seafaring types.
Vehicles
As with the figures there are some obvious overlaps with the vehicles I currently have, or am planning to get for, Spanish Civil War, early WW2 and Operation Sealion.
For later in the conflict, once Soviet supplies have started arriving I can see a use for my Anglian T26:
Most of the other Anglian vehicles are a little too obviously SCW to be ideal although their Panzer I (which I was already considering purchasing) might be appropriate.
Force of Arms are another potential source with several possible vehicles in their range (which are cast in a fine resin and very easy to assemble) including their
FT17 (which, if the paint scheme is selected carefully might also be usable for WW1, the Soviet-Polish War and SCW):
They also have a Citroen truck which is relatively generic:
along with their Gaz truck which I picked up for use in the Winter War:
And then there is the Bedford 30cwt in two variants:
Adding the Matchbox Models of Yesteryear die cast conversions I already have for SCW this should provide enough variety.
Another excellent figure from Paul Hicks for the command pack of the Militia he is sculpting for Musketeer Miniatures.
Picture from the Musketeer Miniatures website
As you can see these still need to be finished
It is, of course arguable as to whether the new uniform patterns etc. would have been available in 1938 but since it is an alternative history project in any event I don't have too much trouble stretching it a little. Of course I would only be using these figures for only a small number of the key units.
I do have some Renegade WW1 figures but they are significantly larger than the other figures I am planning to use and, in any case despite what I said above, these are so nice I must have some!
Obviously these can be supplemented with the upcoming Musketeer militia figures for example.
The key gap with these figures is, of course, in the area of standard bearers which, as with the Spanish Civil War, is likely to be a major differentiator for the various factions. I am hoping that I may be able to utilise some of the Anglian SCW standard bearer figures but, unfortunately, a few of them are simply too SCW to work. This will need a bit of thought and possibly some head swaps!
They should also be available through Musketeer soon.
In Chapter two we had a much tougher time getting ourselves and the Power Armour back out. Particularly due to the intervention of a rather tough US robot. We took a few casualties but, thanks to a stray mortar round, managed to get away.
Whilst he held them off, the village headman rescued the others. The rules worked pretty well and, if anything, rather better than the earlier game (of course simply having played the earlier game might have contributed to that!) so we're likely to be seeing these ones again.
After that the Auxiliaries were caught between the first and second sections in a brutal crossfire. However, a courageous charge by some of the men from the rear tender did play havoc with the first section and, in the end, more Auxiliaries escaped than did historically and the IRA suffered several more casualties.
Lenin made excellent use of the available cover and my stormtroopers ended up getting cut down rather quickly. Which upset Lenin no end, as the other figures he had painted especially for the game didn't even make it to the table!
Initially the Nationalist advance was slow, with an attempted flanking manoeuvre by the Legion being blocked but eventually the lower Rep of the Militia began to show with more Hunker Down results and, with the volume of fire reduced the Nationalists were able to advance across the open ground to the barricades.
The troops and terrain were rolled for randomly as outlined in the rules and we then proceeded with the trial game. We initially started with three possible enemy forces (PEFs) on separate areas of the board but as the game progressed one of these split a few times and we ended up with six PEFs. This combined with the other forces which can be triggered as you move across the table gave an interesting game. In the end the PEF at the far end of the table turned out to be the main enemy force which turned out to be a little more than we could handle resulting in a desperate last stand by Lenin's officer after both my entire force and his own troops had been killed to a man.
These are definitely going on my shopping list!
Two Hour Wargames have released Larger Than Life, their rules for Pulp adventures.
