From the top,
Boys anti tank gunner. The conversion went one stage further replacing the scrim netting helmet with a smooth one. There is a second crewman for the gun, who will be kneeling.
Waffen SS officer and Verfugungstruppe MG34 gunner.
Pzb.39 anti tank and Mp38/stick grenade.
Sorry about the painting/photography. Blackened ones would look better perhaps.

BEF Vickers MG team

Infantry Tank A12 resin test cast

I received the test casting from Fenris for the Infantry tank A12, Matilda II. The five resin parts are cleanly cast, and include the duck tail skid, which was fitted to the BEF's Matilda IIs to facilitate trench crossing in the anticipated re-run of the Great War. Production is now underway.

Something for the Germans...

I found some drawings of a Phanomen Granit 25H, which was commonly seen in the variants of Ambulance and large Kubelwagen. Looking into the Kubelwagen, I came across some rather nice versons of the 25H 1.5 tonne trucks, which were used as Kfz.69 light general service, and Kfz.70 light personnel truck, similar in use to the British Morris CS8, Guy Ant and Bedford MWD.
Studying many photographs it seems that the Heer, and SS, were not equipped with that much state of the art transport. There were a few 251 A and B variant halftracks, but in general, the Blitzkreig in the West was made possible by walking, cycling, or riding around in all manner of vehicles from the 1930's. Only with the Schell Programme of 1938 did anyone in the German Military make a concerted effort to standardize the numerous makes of vehicle in use.
I decided that my miniature German armed forces should ride into battle in a number of slightly quirky military vehicles, so I built one. I rather like the manufacturer's name as well. Phanomen Granit sounds much more sophisticated than Horch or Opel.
The near finished article in the photographs has a separate load bed and cab roof. I also made the windscreen and cab windows in thin plastic sheet, framed with thicker plastic. Hopefully the casting process will leave the windows with thin enough resin to cut through, allowing myself and any other lunatic to add clear acetate glazing. This will go off with the K2 to my friend who has the unenviable task of turning these daft things into resin.

Scruffy looking Work in progress on the Austin K2/Y Ambulance. I'll be getting this made in resin. Over 13,500 were made by Austin, Bedford and Morris between 1938 and 1945, and they served in all theatres. Many were left behind at Dunkirk, and subsequently used by the Germans. The vehicle is best known as the Katy that starred in Ice Cold in Alex.
The model needs the wheel hubs adding, and will include metal headlamps and a steering wheel.
It will be available in the US as well from my good friends at Company B in a short time.
I thought that the vehicle would be useful for adding to the roadside detritus of 1940, but also as a converted troop carrier for those VBCW types who are always on the lookout for something different to convert for their mad insurrections.