The Duke of Rutland's Bavarian Allies

Here is the finished Bavarian Troops that are serving with the Duke of Rutland's Royalist forces in the East Midlands. The troops themselves come from the town of Lenggries in Bavarian at the foot of the Alpine foothills. Them came over with Baron Hörwarth, a cousin and close friend of the Duke and are mainly his staff, groundskeepers and workers from his Hofmark castle estates. They came over to help the Dukes at his request as their skills in field-craft and shooting could help strengthen and train his own troops. However they were required to help with the assault on the city of Leicester and took the attack to the Socialist forces there, where they shooting expertise shows and cause a number of casualties on the defender there before receiving artillery fire from their own side. The force on is back at Belvoir Castle in Rutland building back there strength and training the Duke's troops.

Baron Hörwarth Troops

Baron Hörwarth Command with his per dog Brauneck

 The Baron's Rifles

The Baron's Support

There are still a couple of things to add to this that being two chaps with SMGs and a Flamethrower, but these still have to be painted. The figures are from Tsuba Miniatures and are very nice indeed and I look forward to seeing this range expand. 

The Duke of Rutland's Alpine Club WIP

Here is the first four figures completed for the DoR's Alpine club. Now being a good member of the King's inner circle and all and a member of the BUF he has forged links with some Bavarians chappies to help with his cause in ridding the Socialists from Leicester and the East Midlands. The reason for these link is two fold, firstly extra help, weapons and expertise at someone elses expense and secondly as these chaps are catholics it helps in keeping Lord Quenby on his side and shows a willingness to support the Catholic coarse, politics hrmm.

These chaps or rather Burghers are Baron Von Flinkenstinchen and is personnel from Bavaria, which make up the command of the unit. Shortly these will be followed by the units specialists once I have decided how to paint them. I am hoping and aiming for them to be finished by Partizan on 2nd of June, but in truth I bet they won't be finished.

He is the Baron and the rest of the command.

Baron Von Flinkenstinchen

Sergeant Weisswurst, Veteran of the Great War and the German Civil War

Sergeant Steiner, the Baron's groundskeeper

Doctor Brezeln

The Duke of Rutland's Mobile Artillery

Here is the latest device for the Duke of Rutland to help crush the Socialists in the city of Leicester, a mobile artillery piece. Having received aid from Moseley's government for the attack at Houghton on the Hill, (the last Partizan game), the Duke purchased a 3' naval gun to mount on his yacht. But this gun was too big and cause the yacht to be unstable, so the Duke "acquired" a stream truck from the local brewery, Ruddles Brewery, and mounted the gun to this. Now the wagon is being mobilised to be used in the Assault of Leicester, (the nest Partizan game).

A Couple of Carden Loyds

Here is the latest painted additions to the Humberstone Militia or The Duke of Rutland's Royalist forces, a couple of Carden Loyds from Reiver Castings which are a bargain at £10.00 each and they come with an armoured cover, which I have mislaid. These are great little models with nice crisp sculpts, but there is a little damage or mismoulding on  one of them, but nothing too much and liveable that's for sure. I have enjoyed painted these little buggers in the British Army camouflage pattern of the late 30s, early 40s, but finding the greens has been a pain and I have had to mix them to get the colours.

The Carden Loyd tankette came about from an idea started, as a private project, by the British military engineer and tank strategist Major Giffard LeQuesne Martel. He built a one-man tank in his garage from various parts and showed it to the War Office in the mid 1920s. With the publicization of the idea, other companies produced their own interpretations of the idea. One of these was Carden-Loyd Tractors Ltd, a firm founded by Sir John Carden and Vivian Loyd and later purchased by Vickers-Armstrongs. Besides one-man vehicles they also proposed two-man vehicles which turned out to be a more effective and popular idea. Vickers-Armstrongs manufactured and marketed vehicles of the latter type worldwide.

Considered a reconnaissance vehicle and a mobile machine gun position, the Mark VI was the final stage of development of the Carden- Loyd series of tankettes.

The Carden Loyd tankette was the prototype for the Universal Carrier.

Prince Albert's Own Leicester Yeomanry

Here is another one in the series of my Very British Civil War series and these are the Leicester Yeomanry  These chaps have reverted back to their yeomanry uniform hence the blue rather than a khaki uniform and as with a lot of the yeomanry units as they believe in the maxim of being seen and heard.This has led to a lot of rash and some would say reckless charges, with charging tanks being top of the list. Now the regiment has formed a sort of anti tank, tank hunter role with explosive charges being carried by them to put those tanks out of action. Well thats the theory as they have yet to score a hit on a tank since charging at Albanich and bothering a French built Char B, still they hope one day to take a tank out.

Now is reality the regiment was in the throws of being converted into an artillery regiment, actually two regiments, missing out on being mechanised, the regiments were fully converted by 1940, which means the regiment was still an cavalry/horse regiment. So I have converted some the troops over, actually just brought an 18pdr and crew and painted them in the yeomanry's uniform.

These chaps can be found with both the City of Leicester Socialist Council and also with the Duke of Rutland's Edwardite forces. All figures and gun and limber are by Reiver Castings and the gun and limber is excellent and the cavalry and crew being rather nice, not the best sculpts but still very nice, well worth checking out.

The Leicestershire and Rutland Post Office Rifles

Here are the Leicestershire and Rutland Post Office Rifles. Formed at the outbreak of the Civil War to protect the post they chaps have recently been uniformed at the Duke of Rutland's expense in new shiny uniforms. The uniforms are of the Duke's own design and have that toy soldier quality to the look, maybe the Duke was looking at his tin soldiers at the time, though he thinks its a Prussian look. The main blue uniform is the standard Post office uniform but the Shakos and wigs have that Prussian feel that the Duke was trying to create. The rest of the equipment again is some what borrowed from the Prussian uniform with the Duke trying to give a more military feel to the unit. I still have the Standard to complete.

The Tiger Cadets

Well I have finished a whole unit this week, I first for me, lol, well its actually taken me three days from metal to based and I am rather pleased with the result.This is yet again unit for my Very British Civil War game and these chaps or rather lads, more will become clear, are destined for my Duke of Rutland's forces.  These lads are made up from the various public/private schools in the area, namely, Uppingham School, Oakham School and Ratcliff School, from the chaps who both rugga buggas and in the school'd cadet force. Uniformed in the standard Service Dress of the British Army but the uniform has taken its colours from the Volunteer Rifle Unit and also from the Leicester Tigers, thus the name "Tiger Cadets". This combination of good sporting skills and cadet training should make these lads a formidable foe, but in true it has made them a rather unwieldy unit, as they think that they are superior to those around them. Only time will tell if this is just youthful enthusiasm or they really are one of the elite units.

The Tiger Cadets

The Tiger Cadets

The figures are from Reiver Castings and are from there their Great War range and actually are dismounted British cavalry. Now the Reiver figures are a little short for 28mm, closer to 25mm but look fine if fielded in the same unit. Now as these are young lads from the various public schools it seemed fitting that they be slightly smaller than the average adult so I have used them for this reason. Now I rather like the sculpt  true they are not the best out there but at £10 for a pack of ten foot figures or four mounted that cant be bad and I cant recommend them enough.

The Finished Renaultque Tank

Yes i have finished the lovely little Pseudo Renault  tank I am very happy with the results. As I has said before it has all the hallmarks of a homemade, home built tank with some crazy mechanic/engineer type saying to himself that looks easy to build and this is the result, so crazy designed boiler plate tanks and I love it. The tank itself is from Akula Armies, a world of dwarves and goblins and the Great War, well worth having a look and at £15 its a steal. The only question is who to give it too. So here it is.

The Duke of Rutland in front of his new tank.

Flags and a New Store for Mrs PK

Here are the chaps with there new Standards for the game on Sunday and also Mrs PK's new general stores. All these have been completed ready for Partizan on Sunday. Gosh I am so excited. If any of you chaps are about at Partizan come over and say Hi.

Humbo Militia

The Duke of Rutlands Own

Mrs PK's New Store