Australians in New Guinea 1\72nd Scale

Recently a friend a I decided on a new project (as if we needed a new project but what the hec).

World War 2 on the Western and Eastern Fronts seems to get most of the attention so we decided we were long overdue to do something in the Pacific Theater of Operations.

I've always had an interest in the Commonwealth troops in WW2 so I chose the Australians for the New Guinea Campaign (who would be supplemented by US troops later). My friend is panting the Japanese forces.

We've just started but I thought I'd post some of the progress I've made. I used figures for my first two  companies (organized for Test of Battle-Command Decision) from Airfix, Revell and the old Matchbox Anzac set.

The Airfix Australians are the oldest set available. The prone Bren Gunner is a neat figure and Airfix figures are classics so a 1\72 plastic army would be incomplete without them.

Of the three sets I used I liked the Revell the best. The figures are "thicker" and I like that and of the three sets Revell is the only one that features figures with helmets and the famous "Digger" slouch hat.

Getting a hold of Matchbox WW2 figures can be a challenge but I found a box on eBay for a reasonable price. It's a neat set and the fact is all three sets fit well all  mixed up in the same units.

Can't paint a war-game army without Osprey. The figures pictured below are all in the later war jungle uniform, a kind washed out greenish color. The figures have been given a nice coat of "mud" to the knees up as New Guinea was a bit of hell hole where more men died from disease than they did from Japanese bullets.

The Battalion CO stand and the Radio stand.

The Battalion HMG section.

One squad. The Digger hat very much in evidence.

One of the few stands with just the Revell figs. The figures with the helmets definitely added to the mix. 

Zulu War 1879 Imperial Foot

Like my other Zulu War figures I've organized my units to be used in two sets of rules. For a skirmish type game I use The Men Who Would be Kings. In TMWWBK Regular Infantry are in 12 figure units.

For larger games with more spectacle I want to use Black Powder. By combining two units from TMWWBK I'll have one unit for Black Powder.

Two companies for the TMWWBK plus two Lieutenants, one for each company and a Captain in the middle to command both. With this organization I can easily use them for The Sword and the Flame too. The figures are all HAT.

"A" Company 90th Foot, Hat figures

"B" Company 90th Foot. Hat figures

The gallant Captain commanding A and B Companies. (will have to name the officers one of these days)

The 90th Foot combined for Black Powder. Black Powder favors large units (usually) and in the Zulu War supplement British Regulars are usually in 16, 20 or 24 figure units.

A and B Companies 13th Foot. The 13th are metal New Line Designs 20mm. The Men Who Would Be Kings uses the smallest unit sizes of the three sets of rules I'm familiar with for the Zulu War. The other set is The Sword and the Flame and units sizes in the TSTF are 20 figures for infantry, 12 for mounted.

B Company, 13th Foot. The Sgt. is giving direction to the lads.

As of yet unnamed Lieutenant of B Company.

This fine fellow is the Captain of A and B Companies.

Zulu War Naval Brigade

When I decided to get involved in 1\72 Colonials I had in mind organizing them for The Sword and the Flame (TSTF) rules. In TSTF each infantry unit has 20 figs plus a officer\leader.

It wasn't long however before I discovered two other sets of rules that I liked. One is The Men Who Would Be Kings (TMWWBK). The basic organization in TMWWBK for regular infantry is 12 figs.

The other set is Black Powder which is supported by the scenario supplement dedicated to the Zulu War. Black Powder organization tends to be larger than either TSTF or TMWWBK.

What was I to do?

I decided  to design my units with enough flexibility to do any of the above rules; that's what.

If I were to play TSTF it would easy enough to make a composite unit of RMLI and RN to make 20 figures in a unit.

If I were to play TMWWBK I have 12 RMLI and 12 RN plus officers for looks.

If I were to play Black Powder I would  combine the RMLI and RN to make one large unit of 24 figs plus officers.

Yeah, I had to paint a lot of extra figures to go from TMWWBK to Black Powder but it was fun.

All the figures in this series of pictures are from HAT.

Royal Marine Light Infantry (RMLI)

RMLI Sergeant

RMLI Sergeant ordering an advance

The Royal Navy Contingent (RN)

RN Bluejackets from HMS Shah

RMLI Officer

The combined unit of RMLI and Bluejackets led by a mounted officer from one of the line regiments

RMLI and RN Bluejackets combined for Black Powder

RMLI with Sergeants keeping order on the right. Unit size is for The Men Who Would Be Kings.