British Infantry and Waffen SS in Action

Northern France, Summer of '44. The British have been engaged in tough fighting through Normandy's countryside for three weeks. They are still trying to reach the city of Caen, which was supposed to be the day's objective on D-Day. By now the Germans, having realized that this is the main invasion, have begun a series of fierce counterattacks, using some of their battle-tried Waffen-SS divisions. In this post we see a company of SS Panzergrenadiers in action against a company of British Tommies which has a bit of a surprise in store for them.

The German column is advancing through a section of wooded and hilly terrain leading up to their objective. The intelligence they gathered before moving out indicated that the village and its surrounding area are not occupied. 

However, the night before, the British moved into position on a hill just outside the village and lie in waiting for the unsuspecting German column to come by.

  They are well dug in and concealed in the high ground. On the opposite side of the road, small ridges make it hard for vehicles to move off road. Gradually, the rumbling of engines, the clanking of tank's tracks and the shaking of the earth puts the Tommies on alert that the Germans are coming. The time to spring the trap is almost there.

Watching the column go by, the British commander waits for just the right moment, when the length of the column covers his entire front, and then gives the order to open up.

First, a bazooka man knocks out the tracks on the leading vehicle.

Then a second anti-tank round is unleashed against the trailing tank destroyer...

The Jagdtiger is also left unable to advance or retreat, and with a limited turning radius. These fearful tank destroyers have been neutralized for all practical purposes, as the absence of a turret, makes it hard for them to bring their main guns to bear against the enemy, and even if they could turn and point their guns in the right direction, the high ground is beyond the reach of the gun's maximum elevation.

But the Panzergrenadiers' reaction is instantaneous. These guys have been battle-hardened in the eastern front and know just what to do. All along the length of the column training and experience take over. They rapidly dismount, locate the source of the fire and immediately begin to pour defensive fire on it.

Even the mounted officer at the head of the column quickly doubles back and joins the fray, firing as he goes.

With bullets snapping in the air all around them and ricocheting from their vehicles, these seasoned veterans remain calm and methodically return fire.

But the Tommies are hitting them with all they've got.

Some of these guys still remember Dunkirk and have even fresher memories of the preceeding three weeks.

A hail of bullets, automatic fire, grenades descend on the German column.

Past are the initial days of the campaign when some men were hesitant to pull the trigger. Now, they are emptying clip after clip with their automatic weapons.

The British know they have the upper hand and have no intention of relinquishing the initiative.

Even the officers join in, with their side arms.

But the Germans are also firing back with everything they've got.

Using their heavily armored vehicles for cover, they manouver around them to get into the best firing position.

From behind their half-tracks,

or on top of their disabled Panzers, 

All along the column, these men are making every shot count.

Their officer in charge, a highly decorated career officer, is not the kind that ducks when bullets are flying around him, and least of all today, as he is well aware that he has led his men into this trap.

But the Tommies are picking them off gradually, with well aimed shots from unsuspecting places.

However, the Germans also have some pretty lethal marksmen amongst them,

and in a moment of exposure, some of the Tommies pay the ultimate price.

The British are now laying down some heavy machine gun fire along the length of the column,

and from the high ground.

But the Germans have managed to setup a machine gun team on the opposite side of the road, which is helping to even things out.

Then the British begin to plaster the Germans with mortar fire, which given its indirect nature is very hard to defend against and will tear the Germans to pieces if they remain in their current positions. The situation is now decidedly in favor of the British.

The German officer knows they can't stay there. Unable to move along the road, or attack uphill, he decides to abandon the rest of the vehicles and fall back into the woods behind them. 

But the British officer anicipates their movements...

....and he instructs the reserve platoon to move around the right flank to prevent that.

A squad is dispatched to cut off the German retreat.

Then all of a sudden, after managing to stay calm and composed through the hellish ordeal, a Panzergrenadier's scream can be heard, filled with terror.  

He has spotted a flamethrower, one of the most dreaded weapons, about to open up on them. Even if the men manage to avoid the flames, the burning vehicles, loaded with ammunition would explode shortly afterwards, killing anyone remotely close to them.

Then the unexpected happens. A panzergrenadier with a panzerfaust scores a direct hit on the British man with the flamethrower. The resulting explosion not only kills several British men close by, but it creates enough of a commotion, that it allows the German retreat to proceed.

Covered by a few self-sacrificing panzergrenadiere that remain behind on the flank to hold off the pursuing British, the rest of the German survivors slip into the woods where they will regroup, and make their way back to their lines. They have barely escaped the well laid trap, but at least a few of them have lived to fight another day. Even so, the tide of the war has turned and they know it.

Here is a more detailed description of the British Infantry figures as they were being painted.

Here is a post with the entire British Infantry unit, paint job already finished.

Here is a description of the Waffen SS figures.

Here is post with the Waffen SS figures in action wearing the spring cammo pattern, defending the Siegfried Line.

Vehicles featured in this post:

Forces of Valor German Sd. Kfz. 186 Jagdpanzer IV Jagdtiger

Forces of Valor German Sd. Kfz. 251/9 Kanonenwagen 'Stummel'

Forces of Valor German Sd. Kfz. 251/1 'Hanomag'

21st Century Toys Sd. Kfz. 251/1 'Hanomag'

Figures featured in this post:

Airfix British Infantry, Atlantic British Infantry, BMC British Infantry, Britains Herald British Infantry, Marx British Infantry, Matchbox British Infantry, Steve Weston (SWTS) British Infantry, Conte Collectibles Waffen SS, Conte Collectibles German Infantry, CTS German Infantry, Italeri German Elite Troops, Toy Soldiers of San Diego (TSSD) German Elite Troops, MPC German Infantry.

US Infantry - Part II

In this post I'd like to introduce you to a few more of the GIs in my collection. That is, those that have not been painted, or that already came factory painted. The unpainted ones will eventually join the ranks of the painted company once they have matching uniforms, but since it might be a while before that happens, I won't keep you waiting to meet them.  

Atlantic US Infantry (Marines) - Part I

This is one of my favorite sets from Atlantic. The figures are posed with enough movement in them and they are well proportioned. The kneeling guy's bazooka is a separate piece, so unless you glue it, you have to put it in place every time you handle him. I bought these guys on eBay labeled as GIs, but I recently discovered that they are actually Marines. Even so, they pass just fine as GIs.

Atlantic US Infantry (Marines) - Part II

Here are another 6 figures. If you are counting that makes 11, which is 1 more than the usual in the typical Atlantic set. The highlight of this batch are the flag-raising guys. Again, the flag comes separately and it requires a few tries to assemble the three pieces right, but the effort is well worth it. A mini tribute to the Iwo Jima flag-raising marines. This is the obvious clue that they are in fact marines.

Dulcop US Infantry - Part I

I found these guys by chance at a soldier show a couple of years back. A solid, well done set of figures. The base it a bit unusual. It has a lip all around the upper edge of the base, and if you look at them from a certain angle, their bases seem to be floating above the ground.

Dulcop US Infantry - Part II

The Dulcop poses remind me of the Airfix set. They don't have prone guys, but the rest are kind of similar. The color reminds me of the Army Men from Toy Story.

Britains Deetail US Infantry - Part I

The two men on the sides belong to the first series of GIs released by Britains. Aside from infantrymen, Britains also produced extra sets with heavy weapons. Here we have what they called the recoilless rifle. I've also seen it referred to as a 75mm gun. In any case, it is a nice addition to your army, which can provide some indirect fire support at critical times.

Britains Deetail US Infantry - Part II

These are the rest of the poses in the Series 1 set. Note that the right arm is made separately and attached to the figure. As a result of this, the arms often move up and down and can sometimes come off. The later series 2 figures were cast as one whole piece. Also, these guys have a tan base. The later figures came with green bases. 

Britains Deetail US Motor Boat

Here is a simple two man team with a boat ready to attempt an amphibious crossing. The boat does not look like much, but having an engine it provides a big advantage over having to row while dodging bullets. On the downside, with that engine it would not be of much use for a surprise/stealth crossing. Coming to think of it, I think the figures are quite a bit nicer than the actual boat.

First Gear US Infantry

These are the rest of the Britains Deetail guys, as they are presently made by First Gear. You can see that they make them in a couple of different uniform color schemes. Note also the difference in the bases.

Charbens US Infantry - Part 1

Charben was a British manufacturer that made figures in the 60s and 70s. I am not sure if these guys are from back then or if they are new production figures based on the old molds. The sculpting is not very detailed and some of the poses don't feel very natural. They are also on the smaller side of 54mm.

Charbens US Infantry - Part 2

The bases of these figures are also a bit small which does not make them very stable. Now that we have the negative points out of the way, I am still optimistic that once they are painted the colors will give them a lift in appearance and they will fit in with the rest of the unit.

CTS US Infantry Set 1 - Part I

These guys were just released a few months back. The sculpting is nice and some of the poses are quite original, like the kneeling guy with the two pistols.

CTS US Infantry Set 1 - Part II

The standing bazooka man and the flamethrower guy are nice variations for these weapons.

CTS US Infantry Set 2 - Part I

This is the second release of GIs by CTS. The guy I like the most is the one on the radio. I like the intensity that he portrays. The prone BAR man is also a good addition to the unit.

CTS US Infantry Set 2 - Part II

These three poses are what made me get a a couple of these sets. I had the Long Tom artillery pieces from 21st Century Toys, but I did not have crews for them. There is a loader, a guy on the phone, and another one that seems to be ready to fire the gun.

CTS US Infantry Set 2 - Part III

Here is a close up of the crew. The caliber of the ammo looks small for this gun, but I guess it's going to have to be good enough for it.

Bergen Toys US Infantry - Part I

Here are some guys that I found on eBay. They were made by a company called Bergen Toys and Novelty Co. You can tell that they are older figures, the first ones made apparently around 1938, although they went through multiple releases with slight variations. Bergen Toys  is often also referred to as Beton, and its soldiers as Betons.

Bergen Toys US Infantry - Part II

Note how the poses are very straight, favoring ease of manufacturing. I mainly got them for their uniqueness factor.

Bergen Toys US Infantry - Part III

Always a good thing to have a standard bearer, just in case you want to have your troops parade down the Champs Élysées. I find the guy holding the phone so close to his chest a bit amusing though.

Bergen Toys US Infantry - Part IV

The only clue as to who made these guys is at the base. Apparently it stands for Bergen Toys.

Forces of Valor US Infantry

A decent set by Forces of Valor. Most of their other US figures had been paratroops, so it is good that they came out with an Army division. The machine gun needs some hot water to straighten it, and the bazooka is a bit on the small side. Plus you need to glue the men to their base otherwise they keep coming apart.

21st Century Toys US Infantry - Part I

21st Century came out with multiple series of GIs over several years. Unfortunately I did not record what figures came out in each batch. In all, I have 18 of them. Maybe I am missing a couple, but I don't know for sure, as some of them came from someone else's collection. Overall, I like the poses and the nice factory paint job.

21st Century Toys US Infantry - Part II

The guy who is standing firing is a bit stiff for my taste. The guys walking/standing are OK. The bazooka man and the one moving forward are more my kind of figures.

21st Century Toys US Infantry - Part III

The best one here is the guy who is charging. The guy kneeling behind the fence is also good, but I find the fence a bit limiting in terms of the scenes where you can set the guy. And then there's the gy who can barely stand... I won't tell you what I think about him!

21st Century Toys US Infantry - Part IV

These 4 guys are all nice. The guy throwing the grenade seems a bit off balance, but I that's just how he got glued to the base, which reminds me to point that out. The bases are not part of the same mold as the figure, which is also the case with a few of the weapons, like the flamethrower nozzle. 

Blue Box Elite Command US Infantry

This  set represents General Goerge Patton and some of his infantrymen. Compared to other metal figures, like King and Country and so on, they are not as nice, but they are still OK. As far as the resemblance with Patton, you can be the judge of that. 

Ajax US Infantry - Part I

These figures have more value to me as collectibles. The poses are not so well detailed and the proportions are a bit off in some cases -like the size of the heads. The balance of the figures is also a bit off/awkward as is the case with the man throwing the grenade. One interesting detail is the shape of the antenna of the radio man. Anyhow, we must not forget that these were meant to be toys with mold making technology that is now about 60 years old. 

Ajax US Infantry - Part II

These other 4 figures are closer to 60 mm in size. You can tell that they are taller by comparing them against the bunker in the back. The two in the left are a bit better detailed and proportioned. There is supposed to be a 10th guy which was carrying a flamethrower. Apparently this pose was manufactured by a third party, but sold along with the Ajax figures.

Click here to take a look at WWII Toy Soldiers by Country

Click here to take a look at WWII Vehicles by Country

If you would like to see some painted GIs, click here.

Here you can see some other GIs that did not get painted.

Click here to see even more GIs- the ones that did not fit in this post

And click here to see even more GIs.

Here's a post of the GI's breaking out of Normady.

And here is another post with GIs defending an italian farmhouse.

Where do you get your figures from?

Someone asked me recently where they could buy plastic toy soldiers, so I thought it might be a good idea to share my answer as a post. There are several ways to buy toy soldiers:

You can buy many of them online from sites like Battlefield Legends, Michigan Toy Soldier, Toy Soldiers of San Diego, Hobby Bunker, Classic Toy Soldiers, Minute Men Toy Soldiers, Warstore Collectibles, etc. If you like Civil War stuff you can also check out Cunnyngham Collectibles. I usually buy things from online dealers when I already know what the figures look like.

Another way to buy soldiers is to visit a local Toy Soldier Show. Here is a link to a post about a show I just attended this weekend which should give you an idea of what they are like, as well as a Toy Soldier Show schedule courtesy of Michigan Toy Soldier. Soldier Shows are a good place to see things first hand before buying them, and sometimes you can also find older sets or figures that you were not aware of. Some vendors sometimes have boxes or bins full of vintage figures and you can dig through them and find a nice gold nugget or two.

Then there's also eBay. eBay can be a good place to buy a large lot of mixed figures for a low price, but it can also be a place where people resell stuff that you can buy cheaper elsewhere, or where you can find an old set of figures that is out of production and hard to find, which can sometimes get pricey. So you do need to know a bit about what you are bidding on, most importantly its fair market price. And then you also need a bit of luck so that the listing does not attract too many bidders.

Then there are also local hobby shops, but these are becoming less common given the competition from the online world. They sometimes they carry a few plastic figures. If you are looking for a good starter set, some of the BMC soldiers are fairly decent and affordable, and can usually be found at these shops.

So whether you are a seasoned collector or new to the hobby, good luck with your shopping and enjoy the hunt!

Action Report: National Capital Model Soldier Society 2011 Toy Soldier Show

As I mentioned in a previous post, yesterday I had the chance to attend the 50th NCMSS Toy Soldier Show. There is always something special about seeing all these figures and vehicles live, even if some of them are in a diferent scale, time period or material than what I collect. In fact, sometimes it feels like I could just get them all if space and budget weren't a constraint! the other nice thing about attending these shows is that you get a chance to talk to and share experiences with some of the other folks in the hobby, dealers and fellow enthusiasts in person, and that's also enjoyable and rewarding.  Larry Weindorf from Larry's Legions, Gary Green from Warstore Collectibles, and the guys from the Northern Virginia Gamers Society were a real pleasure to chat with. Anyhow, I took a few pictures -just a thin slice of what there was to see- to try to give you an impression of what the event was like.

So this is a view of the dealer room. It was hosted inside the basketball gym at a local college. There were probably about 30 or 40 vendors. On the smaller side compared to other shows I've been to, or the one coming up in Chicago, but large enough to keep you busy for several hours with all sorts of things beyond figures like books, videos, paintings, etc. In terms of attendance, it was very well attended from the start. I got there 10 minutes after it opened and I already had to park in the adjacent parking lot!

One of the vendor displays that I enjoy the most is the one from George Guerriero's Minute Men Toy Soldiers. He spent the entire evening before and the morning of the show just setting up his scenes. A real joy to look at. The other nice thing about stopping by Gerorge's stand is that I always get a good deal from him on my figures and vehicles!

Minute Men Toy Soldier's North Africa display. I only took pictures of WWII scenes, but there was plenty more to see as you can tell by the other scene just to the left.

A western front scene: Fighting in hedgerow country.

Someday I have to get me some of those grassy mats. They really look like the real thing!

A bit of urban warfare. Unfortunately, most of these figures are metal, from King & Country, so they are outside the bounds that I have set for my collection, but they are still the right scale and time period!

Here is one of my favorite details in the whole display. Looks like Santa got himself into a little bit of trouble!

Another stand with a nice display was the one from the Hobby Bunker.

I particularly liked their Figarti Minesweeper Sherman. Unfortunately, that manufacturer is really for collectors with very deep pockets. The price tag on this Sherman, about $250!

Here is another nice display from Crown Miniatures.

I particularly liked their mounted unit.

The Marine Corps Museum was also present at the show and had a stand with the WWII uniform and equipment. I had to snap a picture to document the actual colors as the marines are one of the sets that I am going to be painting in the next few months. BTW, if you ever have a chance to visit the Marine Corps Museum, do so. They have some very nice life-size dioramas and the entrance is free!

The Soldier Show also has another room setup with dioramas and figure displays from members of the NCMSS. Those are not for sale, but are even nicer to look at. This is a really nice and detailed diorama, courtesy of modeler William Herd, of a fighting scene on Italy's Gothic line. The German defenders are fighting from a gun turret and a series of trenches that surround it. The turret is just the tip of an underground bunker, with multiple layers of nice, realistic detail.  

The diorama slopes back to represent the mountainous and rugged terrain of the italian countryside, and makes ingenious use of different figure scales to increase the depth peception in a short distance. Another nice detail are the explosions. It is really hard to make fire look realistic, and not only has William managed to do that, but also he has posed the figures and equipment that were caught in the explosion in mid-air. My quick picture shots don't really do justice to it, but at least you get an idea of the caliber of this scene and the skill involved.

Another nice scene by William Herd. If I recall correctly these guys are alpine French troops.

This is a Tarawa diorama courtesy of modeler David Vickers. Next to it there was a 10+ page document describing all the research and work that went into putting it together. Every detail was researched (like the handles to the tank hatches or the tanks exhaust system) and if necessary it was custom built. Even the palm trees were built from two manufaturers: one makes good foliage with inadequate trunks, the other makes good trunks with poor foliage, so what did he do? He took the best from each and built his own palm trees. Very impressive.

A close up of the action. Definitely an inspiration for when I finally manage to put together my marine landing scene. BTW, did I mention that I also got a few Amtrak's yesterday in preparation for it?

So there it is. Just a few of the sights, but I hope they give you an idea of what the show had to offer.

Click here to see a post about another Toy Soldier Show

Click here to see the Marines holding back a Banzai charge