2023-24 New Release Schedule

[pmskaar]

I look forward to seeing more of your excellent work, Pat, when you are able to finish it and present it. Always great stuff.

[BurtWolf]

Interesting list and I’m dying cause I just kit bashed and made my own sdkfz 253s!

I really like the Japanese Su-Ki truck, cool to have on the game board!

As usual GHQ, great new line up and thank you!

[regia-marina]

I have to question the Breda Ba. 65 ground attack plane. From what I have read there were only 11 in service on June 10, 1940 when Italy entered the war. The Italians realized that the plane was not great and were in the process of withdrawing it. By December of 1940 it was no longer in service. For a ground attack plane I would have chosen the Reggiane 2002. It was not only used by the Italians but also by the Germans. It was heavily involved in resisting the landings in Sicily. The Breda Ba. 65 ground attack already exists in 1/285 scale by other manufacturers that are more than acceptable. I'm scratching my head on this one.

[Donald M Scheef]

These are my personal opinions of GHQ’s 2023-2024 season Micronaut releases. To begin with, there are only eleven items in the list but six of them are in my favored time scale of pre-Cold War. This is my list of favorites, in decreasing order of my personal wants:
• USN101; WWII US heavy cruiser Minneapolis, late-war appearance. Note that “late-war” may mean the 1943-1944 appearance following repair after the Battle of Tassafaronga or the 1945 appearance with even more anti-aircraft. The 1943 version had 10 votes in the Micronaut Wish List, tied for 227th place and the 1945 version had 9 votes, tied for 277th place. In either case it provides a number of options when combined with GHQ’s USN15; CA-38, San Francisco. USN15 is clearly an early-war version with the large searchlight tower between the funnels. I intend to purchase at least seven of US101. Three will be finished as-is for late-war Minneapolis, Tuscaloosa, and San Francisco. Three will contribute gun turrets for early-war Minneapolis, Tuscaloosa, and San Francisco on New Orleans hulls. One will trade gun turrets with USN15 to produce an early-war Astoria and a late-war New Orleans.
• IJN062, WWII Japan destroyer Akatsuki-class. Sales of this product may be limited because there were only four ships in the class (and, unfortunately, GHQ packages destroyers in sets of three). Akatsuki-class had 43 votes in the Consolidated Micronaut Wish List, tied for first place. GHQ seems to pay some attention to the list because this is the third first-place item picked off in recent years. This might be either an early-war version (with all three twin turrets) or a mid-to-late-war version with ‘X’ turret replaced by additional light anti-aircraft guns. Regardless of which version GHQ produces, I will purchase at least two packs.
• There’s some confusion about the next item. The initial listing of 2023-2024 Micronauts has “WWI UK DD Laforey class – aka L-Class” but the later listing by batch has UKN DD ‘L’ & ‘M’ classes. I would like either (or both) of these, but I will go with the later listing.
UKN063, WWII UK destroyer ‘L’ and ‘M’ classes. Although both of these classes had eight ships, four of the sixteen were completed with a totally different armament, so probably not represented by GHQ’s product. These had 12 votes in the Micronaut Wish List, tied for 153rd place. I would have rated these higher in my personal wish list if I didn’t already have a complete set from CinC. I will order at least four packs of three and perhaps six packs for a hypothetical set of 16.
If it is the WWI Laforey-class, this had 28 votes, tied for 24th place. Of the 22 ships in this class, 16 had three funnels and 6 had two funnels. Four of the class were at Jutland.
• UKN062; WWII UK heavy cruiser York. Someone in Admiralty botched the concept behind York and her close cousin Exeter. The concept was to build a smaller version of the Town-class heavy cruisers so that a larger number of ships could cover the extensive British trade routes. Then, they built only the two ships. I plan on purchasing four for my hypothetical navy. York had 40 votes in the Consolidated Micronaut Wish List, tied for 3rd place.
• GWT008; WWI Italy destroyer Indomito-class (6 ships). This type had 12 votes, tied for 152nd place. It was on my favorites list because it is a good match for Ardito-class (2 ships), Audace-class (2 ships), and Pilo-class (8 ships). I plan to order six packs of three.
• GWB045; WWI UK pre-Dreadnought battleship Majestic-class. Noted for being the largest (in terms of number of ships completed) class of battleships. I’m not enthusiastic about this class. They were quite elderly by the start of WWI. Most had been disarmed and were used as hulks. However, Majestic and Prince George did participate in the bombardment of the Dardanelles. Majestic was sunk here by submarine torpedo. This class had 8 votes in the Consolidated Micronaut Wish List, tied for 347th place.
Finally, five ships of the modern era. Since I limit my purchases to ships in service in the first half of the 20th century, these are less important to me. All five modern ships are Australian. I think this is a good idea to produce a major part of a relatively small navy. A similar project might be applicable to Taiwan, India, Canada, etc.
• L02, Canberra-class. Two ships in this class. It had 4 votes in the Consolidated Micronaut Wish List, tied for 898th place.
• DDG 39, Hobart-class. Three ships in this class. It had 7 votes in the Consolidated Micronaut Wish List, tied for 426th place.
• FFH 150, ANZAC-class. Ten ships in this class (including two with New Zealand). It had 8 votes in the Consolidated Micronaut Wish List, tied for 347th place.
• AOR 195, Supply-class. Two ships in the class. It had one vote in the Consolidated Micronaut Wish List, tied for 2216th place.
• L 100, Choules (former UK Bay-class Largo Bay). The UK built four Bay-class landing ships. I will give the Consolidated Micronaut Wish List standings of the entire class. Seven votes, tied for 426th place.

Separate from the Micronaut entries, I would like to applaud GHQ’s choice of the following items in Microarmor scale:
• Marmon Harrington Mk. IV
• Bristol Beaufighter. Although it’s the wrong scale for me, I hope GHQ produces one of the versions armed with a torpedo or with rockets for anti-shipping attack.
• Voroshilovets
• Breda Ba.65. Even though it’s a poor performer, the Italians deserve at least some ground support aircraft.
• M3 towed 105mm howitzer. I wonder what GHQ will provide as a prime mover.

Don S.

[Harlan]

When do you think the first batch to drop?

[cinctim]

1st Batch is now up!

[panzergator]

Not the most attractive lot...

[Splod]

Couple of interesting pieces, but nothing I'll race out ti buy. I'm glad to see the Canberra LHD, but I'll wait till year's end once all the new Australian kit is available before picking it up.

[Donald M Scheef]

At least GHQ posted photos of all the new releases. In the past, this has sometimes been delayed for weeks.

Don S.

[Vergeltungswaffe]

Yes, I'd say it's a Christmas miracle to get all the pictures at once.

[BAOR]

BvS10 (Bandvagn Skyddad 10) would be mint for future releases

[cinctim]

All with pictures!

[Donald M Scheef]

Thank you for releasing Batch #2 while the ROCKSTAR discount is still available.
Don S.

[Harlan]

I love the FROG-7. @GHQ, any plans for the 9T29 transloader?

[cinctim]

Batch 3 is up and all with pictures!