Gazza's Stuff

[Mortis57]

M47 Company #2


M47 Battalion (so far) - Plus a couple of other units


Updated Jordanian Forces

[Mortis57]

As I get back to an Adler Armoured Panzer Grenadier Battalion that I've had sitting around for quite a few years, I can't help wondering if I've got too many Panzer Grenadiers.

Top Row (From left to right):
Arm'd Panzer Grenadier Battalion - 2nd Panzer Grenadier Regiment (H&R)
Arm'd Panzer Grenadier Battalion - 1st Panzer Grenadier Regiment (Adler) to replace H&R
Arm'd Panzer Grenadier Battalion - 1st Panzer Grenadier Regiment (Adler) (Dug in)

Bottom Row:
Panzer Grenadier Regiment RHQ
Arm'd Panzer Grenadier Battalion - 1st Panzer Grenadier Regiment (H&R)
1st Motorised Panzer Grenadier Battalion - 1st Panzer Grenadier Regiment (H&R)
2nd Motorised Panzer Grenadier Battalion - 1st Panzer Grenadier Regiment (H&R)


<Edit>PaK 38 and 36(r) options for the A/T Platoons.</Edit>


I also have all the transport for the 1st Panzer Grenadier Regiment but, as yet, none for the 2nd - unless you count the converted French halftracks for 21st Panzer (of which I've got nearly enough for the Arm'd Pz Gren Bn.

Once the Adler battalion is finished, I'll 'demote' the H&R arm'd battalion to the second Pz Gren Regt as a motorised unit.

[pmskaar]

That is certainly a very nice collection of Panzer Grenadiers you have, Gazza! Are the H&R ones the older type or the newer ones?

I already have a fair amount of the GHQ German infantry so I don't feel the need for more right now but some of the 2D6 figures look pretty good as well. I know when it comes to infantry, there are lots of opinions as to what people prefer.

[Mortis57]

That is certainly a very nice collection of Panzer Grenadiers you have, Gazza!

Thanks! There's far too many really for actual gaming purposes. If we wanted to field a full Panzer Grenadier Regiment these days we'd use a higher level set of rules were an element/model represents a platoon rather than an individual squad or vehicle.

Are the H&R ones the older type or the newer ones?

The vast majority are of the older type - although I still quite like the GR08 (Panzergrenadiers in Action) pack. Most of my new style H&R (and 2d6) figures are in other units (fallschirmjager etc) and nationalities (Soviet Naval Infantry).

[

I know when it comes to infantry, there are lots of opinions as to what people prefer.

That's so true - Adler's 'big' heads being a bone of contention with some - personally I don't have a problem with them. Baccus' figures (as well as their vehicles) are too big for me (although maybe they'd fit in with the GHQ WW2 US Paras - aren't they rumoured to be on the large size?) as they don't fit in with my existing stuff. If i was starting from scratch it may be different (although maybe if I was starting these days I might go the 3mm route for everything).

[Mortis57]

I took a few photos earlier for a FB group - I might as well post 'em here too.

Panzer RHQ & BHQs


Panzer IVH Companies


Panther G Companies


StuG and Panzer IIIM Companies


Other Panthers - Panther F Company and an IR Panther Company.


The Bigger Cats


And just in case I don't have enough Panthers or Tiger Is, H&R have some new sculpts coming out which look rather nice. I've ordered a company of 17 Panther Ds. Four of which have a commander in an open cupola.

[redleg]

That's a great looking collection Gazza! What are the largest units you will play at 1:1 scale for vehicles?

[Mortis57]

That's a great looking collection Gazza!

What are the largest units you will play at 1:1 scale for vehicles?

Maybe 1 battalion (or equivalent) per player. It can vary depending on the rules being used, the player's experience etc. Even the scenario - a defending player can generally command more troops as he doesn't usually have to worry about moving them.

[Mortis57]

Started on the Adler Panzer Grenadier Battalion. Bases painted; antennae added; nearly finished undercoating the figures.


<edit>
Sorted out the paints for the various camo schemes. I'm mostly going for pea dot and spring oak leaf patterns with the occasional bit of plane tree here and there along with field grey. From left to right: Pea Dot (921, 874, 833, 950); Spring Oak Leaf (825, 979, 833); Plane Tree (833, 826, 896). All the paint codes are Vallejo and I took the schemes from the Flames of War site.

[Mortis57]

Just received an order from H&R and these are going straight to the top of the painting queue.

A company's worth of their new Panther Ausf D. It's a really nice model and comes with a separate cupola - either closed or open with a tank commander. I'd ordered 4 with a commander and 13 closed but actually got 13 of each - just need to find a use for the extras. I can't wait for the Ausf A and G to become available - although it's going to be expensive to replace my current Panther G's (about 100 of them).

An overall view of the 17 Panthers.


A close up shot.


<edit>
A few comparison shots between the new H&R Panther Ausf D, the old H&R Panther Ausf G, and the 2d6 Wargaming ersatz M10 Panther.

[pmskaar]

The detail on the new Panther Ds by H&R is fantastic. I may get a few just to check them out but I already have a lot of GHQ Panthers that I think are fantastic as well plus a couple by 2D6. Considering the "new" GHQ Panthers were first sculpted and produced almost 40 years ago, they are excellent.

[pmskaar]

The new H&R Panthers look really good, Gazza! I do already have a lot of the various GHQ Panthers which I really like but maybe would consider getting a few of these for comparison. The GHQ are almost 40 years old now with the "new" sculpts having come out in the mid 1980s. They are still excellent.

[Splod]

The new H&R kit is outstanding. I just wish it were easier to tell which were the new quality sculpts in their range!

[BurtWolf]

I was surprised to see the quality on the new panthers, I wish GHQ would produce a generic commander or so etching like the HR scheme for open hatch. Maybe a turret pack?! Anyway cool comparison.

[Mortis57]

Thanks chaps, as I mentioned above I really like these new panthers. One thing I should have mentioned above is that they haven't officially been released yet. I saw a couple of photos of painted examples (along with some of a new early Tiger I) on a Facebook group. I emailed Andy at H&R asking about their release date, item code, cost etc. Andy said that he hoped to release them in September (but I still haven't seen an annoucement). Unlike their other stuff these new Panthers and Tigers are cast in pewter and will be a bit more expensive than their older stuff (he wasn't too sure what the price will be but said it would be about £1.20 or £1.50 each). I don't know if they will, therefore, be part of their normal range or maybe the start of a new 'premier' range.

I just wish it were easier to tell which were the new quality sculpts in their range!

Yeah, that is a bit of an issue. Even before these new Panthers/Tigers came out the H&R range consisted of sculpts from a number of sources: the original H&R sculpts, new sculpts by Navwar, former Skytrex models, and the old Armstrong Models range (which are the newest and the start of the newer higher quality - IMO - models). Now, obviously given that I have so many of their older models, I don't have a problem with them as long as they look right. Some of the Navwar sculpts (for me at least) were very disappointing (such as the Hungarian Csaba armoured cars).

[BurtWolf]

So could you put one of those open hatch turrets on a GHQ panther hull? Would it look odd? I’m a GHQ guy on the models but maybe in this case mixing and matching, albeit expensive, might be cool…