World War Two Gallery

Before I ever bought any 28mm World War Two figures I already had PILES of World War Two stuff in both 15mm and 20mm – which had been used for various rules over the years – Tactical Commander, Hell by Daylight, WRG’s Armour and Infantry, Crossfire, Flames of Warhammer, Disposable Heroes and Coffin for Seven Brothers, Blitzkrieg Commander, I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum, and I’m sure others…

I’m not sure what the first 28mm WW2 troops I bought were. I think it all started with Pulp Adventure skirmishing with Savage Worlds. Nazis are the ultimate bad guys in Pulp Adventure skirmishing so I think I started with the Afrika Korps and some LRDG/SAS troopers as heroes trying to keep Nazis from finding the Arc of the Covenant or foiling their plans to raise the dead at secret bases deep in the desert… As the Pulp Adventure gaming lead to Weird War Two (and more world War Two stuff became available in 28mm) I slowly added to the collection. 

More recently I have tried out Bolt Action for larger engagements and would be keen to try out Flying Lead for smaller scale engagements.

Most of the forces presented in this gallery are based around a single platoon of infantry with various optional supporting elements from the company, battalion, regiment or division.

CANADA

Most of the Canadians

Canadian Armour 

These Shermans are all from West Wind Productions. They are painted as a troop from B Squadron of the 1st Canadian Hussars (6th Armoured Regiment, 2nd Independent Canadian Armoured Brigade) who were in direct support of the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade on D-Day.



Here's another picture of the Firefly - more pictures can be found in this post: Canadian Sherman Firefly


Canadian Reconnaissance 



A Canadian Humber of the 7th Reconnaissance Regiment (17th Duke of York’s Royal Canadian Hussars). The model is and all metal kit from Black Tree Design. I did a step-by-step series of post about how I put it together - you can find them here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6.


Canadian (or British) Paratroopers

THE PLAN was originally to just put together a single platoon of Paratrooper that could be passed off as either members of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion (For D-Day or Varsity or the Race to Wismar) or any British Paratroopers for WW2. As packs never seem to have the exact stuff make-up to easily put together a platoon and to get that one odd figure one needs to make finish up a platoon I often seem to find, by that time, I have the core of a SECOND platoon and instead of doing something sensible like giving those extras away or just keeping them to have as a spare section for slightly larger engagements… the OCD part of my gets it in my head to just fill out that SECOND platoon… and thus I have TWO platoons of paratroopers… Of course, since I’ve got two platoons, it almost makes sense (in my insane little brain) to just make get another and be able to field a whole COMPANY. Of course that requires that you believe that having two whole platoons makes sense in the first place… which I don’t really…

The entire force (so far…) - made up of figures from - West Wind Productions, Black Tree Design,  Wargames Foundry, Bolt Action Miniatures, Crusader Miniatures, and Artizan Designs

1^st Platoon

Platoon HQ:

Platoon Commander (subaltern), Platoon Sergeant, Batman/Runner/Signaller all from Wargames Foundry

3x Para Section, each with:

Sergeant and Corporal (both with Stens), a Bren-gunner and seven Riflemen (including Bren #2 – all with SMLE Rifles)

First section all from Wargames Foundry

Second Section all from Wargames Foundry

Third Section a mix of Wargames Foundry and West Wind Productions

2^nd  Platoon

Platoon HQ:  Platoon Commander (subaltern), Platoon Sergeant, Batman/Runner/Signaller all from Bolt Action Miniatures

3x Para Section, each with:

Sergeant and Corporal (both with Stens), a Bren-gunner and seven Riflemen (including Bren #2 – all with SMLE Rifles)

First section I think these are all from Artizan Designs - except for the prone Bren #2 who is from Wargames Foundry and one of the section leaders who is from Crusader Miniatures.

Second Section - a mix of Artizan Designs, and Crusader Miniatures and West Wind Productions

Third Section - mostly West Wind Productions, with one each from Bolt Action Miniatures and Crusader Miniatures, 

Apparently instead of having a light mortar and PIAT in the platoon HQ each Platoon had several 'reserve weapons' allocated to it, namely a Bren gun and a PIAT (and Stens!) (and 2” mortar?) – so some “riflemen” may be issued these to be carried instead or in addition to their SMLE or Sten. Instead of sneaking these into platoon support weapons into specific squads I’ve kept them as separate entities (as in most games they’d be treated as separate teams anyway)

PIAT Teams - Bolt Action Miniatures on the left, Wargames Foundry on the right.

2” Mortars - both Bolt Action Miniatures - I'd need to steal a couple of guys from the regular platoons to act as #2 Mortar Man

Snipers – I think these too would be part of the regular platoons - Bolt Action Miniatures in the beret, Wargames Foundry prone with camo veil

Other Supporting Elements Attached Company/Battalion/Divisional Assets:

3” mortars and crew (x2) - West Wind Productions

Vickers Medium Machine-Gun Team - West Wind Productions 

6 Pounder Anti-tank Gun and crew - Artizan Designs

Medical Orderly - Bolt Action Miniatures 

Some of the guys the Medical orderly couldn't help... (Black Tree Design)

Flamethrowers These should be in teams of two – each team having one guy with the flamethrower and an assistant with a rifle or Sten. Since my paratrooper-infantry platoons are a bit “overstrength” I could steal one or two out of those sections to field with these – should they ever see action. Both are from Black Tree Design. 

STILL TO DO:

I’m pretty much done with these…

Perhaps SOMEDAY it might be nice to pick up another medical orderly or stretcher bearer and a Company Command Team… and maybe a jeep or two or three (one to tow the AT gun, one for the company commander and a recce jeep)… but don’t hold your breath…

GREAT BRITAIN

Commandos 

THE PLAN was to put together a Commando Assault Troop that could be used for raiding the coast of France or Norway or… other places. These were some of the earlier WW2 figures I picked up as Special Forces types can easily be slid into a Pulp Adventure game. The organization of Commando Troops varied substantially from the regular British army platoon structure (and that of most armies, for that matter). Most armies at the time had platoons with a command section and 3-4 sections or squads of 9-10 guys… The Commandos had “troops” with a troop HQ and two “sections” – the sections themselves had a section HQ – commanded by a subaltern – and two subsections that I have seen listed as having anywhere from 11 to 14 commandos in it!?

 Commando Assault Troop (so far…)

With the exception of the Commando Chaplain, the entire troop (so far) is made up of figures from Wargames Foundry.

Troop HQ: CO (Captain), Troop Sergeant Major, Batman/Runner/Siganller

2” Mortar team (part of the Troop HQ, but shown here separately as it will often be fielded as a separate entity)

2x Commando Assault Sections

1st Section

Commando Assault Section HQ: Subaltern + Sergeant

2x Sub-sections





1st Subsection

LSgt(SMG), Cpl (SMG), Bren-gunner, 9x Riflemen (Including Bren No. 2 – all SMLE)

2nd Subsection

LSgt(SMG), Cpl (SMG), Bren-gunner, 9x Riflemen (Including Bren No. 2 – all SMLE)

Sniper Team – these guys may have –organizationally speaking – just been part of one of the sections, but are separated out here as I figured in action they’d generally be sent off to do their own thing and in most games they’d be treated as a separate entity.

Commando Chaplain - for when the war gets weird... The figure is from Bolt Action Miniatures




Commando Command Team which I could use as an alternate Troop Command for my Commando Troop or, more likely, I will use them as Forward observers for directing naval gunfire at targets inland. (The figures are from Artizan Designs).

STILL TO DO:

I have enough figures for a complete second section – to fill out a full Troop – but they are a mix of guys in berets and helmets (and a few left over stocking caps like the first section).

I also have a PIAT team to add to the Troop HQ for later in the war.

I think I also have a 3” mortar team (which would be supporting from the Commando Support Troop).

I have some spare figures I thought I might try and make into a Steratcher Bearer & Orderly (RAMC attached) and/or a demolitions team or some other sort of “specialists”

NEED TO GET: Nothing really…

NICE TO GET : Commando Vickers MG team? Demolitions teams? Forward Observers?

Chindits

A small platoon-sized patrol for harassing the Japanese behind-the-lines in Burma (see below - way down at the bottom of the page)...



The whole force - with two exceptions noted below, the entire force is from Warlord Games/Bolt Action Miniatures



Patrol HQ: CO (1^st Lieutenant) (the the Thompson SMG and SD cap - from Artizan Designs), Sergeant Major (pointing, with an M1 Carbine - from The Assault Group), Batman/Runner/Siganller (from Warlord Games)



2” Mortar team

1st Section

Sergeant (SMG), Bren-gunner, 6x Riflemen (Including Bren No. 2 – all SMLE)

2nd Section

Sergeant (M1 Carbine), Bren-gunner, 6x Riflemen (Including Bren No. 2 – all SMLE)

3rd Section

Sergeant (M1 Carbine), 7x Riflemen (SMLE)

Medical Aide and wounded

Vickers MG team(s) – somehow I ended up with TWO of these!?

Mule Team

STILL TO DO: All done for now!

NEED TO GET: Nothing really

NICE TO GET: A third Bren-gunner...? 3" mortar team...? Foarward Observers? Perhaps a few more sections or a full second platoon...!? 

Still to come for the British - Desert Commandos and SAS/LRDG as well as a few Homeguard and 1940 BEF types. 

SOVIET UNION



The whole force. The are a mix of many different manufacturers - West Wind Productions, Black Tree Design, Army Group North Miniatures, Bolt Action Miniatures, Crusader Miniatures, The Assault Group, Artizan Designs, Blue Moon Manufacturing, Plastic Soldier Model Company, First Corps, and probably others I'm forgetting at the moment...




Soviet Infantry

Teh Corps of the force is a Soviet Rifle Company of Three platoons with four sections each and a junior officer and sergeant commanding.



First Platoon



Second Platoon



Third Platoon



A pair of machine-gun teams from the company's MG Platoon.



Medium (82mm) Mortar teams from the battalion's Mortar Platoon. Both from West Wind Productions.



A few Anti-Tank Riflemen from the Battalion AT Platoon. The anti-tank dog is probably from the REgimental Pioneer company... but he some how snuck into this picture...



Officers, Staff and characters. These would make up the company command, perhaps some forward observers, and perhaps visitors from the Battalion or Regimental HQ – there’s even medics, spies, a General and good ol’ Comrade Stalin himself in this lot.



Scout Section from the Regimental Reconnaissance Platoon



Snipers - perhaps also part of the Regimental Reconnaissance Platoon?




Another Scout section - for winter scenarios... most are from West Wind Productions, but there are three sniper from Black Tree Design.



A few flamethrowers from the Reginamental Pioneer company (Or was is "Chemical Platoon"...?) and an infantryman with a captured panzerfaust that I could slip into any of the platoons...




An NKVD section with a supporting MG team - to keep everyone honest and advancing towards the enemy - most of these are from Black Tree Design - thoght there's one - front and centre - from  Bolt Action Miniatures.



A Platoon of Naval Infantry


Soviet Artillery



A few guns for direct support on the table



ZiS-3 76mm Divisional Anti-tank gun from Crusader Miniatures - though one of the crew came from somewhere else...?



45mm M1942 Anti-tank gun from Plastic Soldier Model Company



45mm M1937 Anti-tank gun from Bolt Action Miniatures.



76mm M1943 infantry gun also from Plastic Soldier Model Company


Soviet Armour



A platoon of (or perhaps a really understrength Company!?) T-34/76 from West Wind Productions.



KV-1 tank from Army Group North Miniatures.

KV-2 tank from Army Group North Miniatures.

T-26 (single turret) model from Army Group North Miniatures (More pictures of it HERE!)

BT-7 from Army Group North Miniatures. (More pictures of it HERE)



Dismounted tank crews - mostly for crews that survive their tank getting hit and bail out, but possibly for scenarios where they are caught resting outside their tanks and have rush to them when surprised - or if a player character in a rope-playing game of some sort. the are a mix of Bolt Action Miniatures and West Wind Productions. (the West Wind ones - on the left and right - I think are actually German Tanker figures that I painted with a khaki wedge cap instead of feldgrau to pass them off as Soviets!)


Soviet Reconnaissance 

BA-64 Armoured car from Bolt Action Miniatures. (More pictures of it HERE!)

Other Soviet Stuff... 

Assorted Casualty Markers. Mostly from West Wind Productions and Black Tree Design, but I think there's a Dixon Minatures cowboy casualty in there somewhere - he was wearing a "duster" and I thought it looked "close enough" to a Soviet great coat... Probably not enough casualty markers to mark every dead - if I were ever to field the entire company in a single, en masse attack on a German position – but enough to litter the field with some of the dead and injured...



....and should those dead ever rise (in a Weird War Two setting) I have a small horde of Russian Zombies! It may not seem like much of a horde (compared to the 100+ regular Soviet infantrymen I have!?) but it’s a large enough horde for a small group of player characters in a role-playing game (or heroes in a smaller skirmish) to deal with – and I do have LOTS of other zombies I could add in that aren’t specifically Russian – but could be passed off as such  - as there are a bundh of my other horde in various shades of khaki rags - or poor 1940s Russian civilians that have also been turned…

To Do: As far as I'm concerned this force is DONE. I can think of no other things I could possibly want to add to it at this point - Indeed I'm not entirely sure how it got to be such the huge force that it is... What was I thinking!?


FRANCE

Early War Infantry

 

This is a small force of Early War French for defending France in May of 1940. At the corps of hte force is a standard Infantry Platoon - with various attachments from the Battalion, REgiment, Division, Corps or Army!

Platoon HQ: CO (Lieutenant), Sergeant-chef, Signaler

1st Section

2nd Section

3rd Section

Hotchkiss Mle1914 Machine-gun Team – from one of the battalion’s four MG Platoons

Mle 1927/31 81mm Mortar Team – from the battalion’s Heavy Weapons Platoon

Medical Aide – from the Regimental Medical Services Squad

Officer and signaler. Could be either the  Company Commander (Capitaine) or a Forward Artillery Observer Team...?

Early War Artillery  

The trusty old Soixante-Quinze (75mm Mle 1897 gun) – state-of-the-art in 1914… 1940… not so much – but according to the Bolt Action lists I can field one for FREE due to the Forward Artillery Doctrine rule – from the Division’s Light Artillery Regiment

Early War Armour

I have one small REneault R-35 to support the infantry. I would have been from one of the Bataillion de Chars de Combat - armoured battalions that were attached to  Infantry Divisions to provided support.


Légion Étrangère

I have a small force of French Foreign Legionnaires for fighting in North Africa...



The entire force - an understrength platoon. All figures are from Artizan Designs.



Platoon Command and others.



First Section



Second Section



Third Section.



GERMANY

I have a number of German forces that I am working on as opposing forces for a number of my allied forces. I have early and later war Heer (regular army) infantry (a platoon of each) to oppose... well... just about anyone! I have a platoon of later war SS to oppose my Canadians in Normandy and my British Paras in Arnhem. I have Deutsches Afrika Korps mostly to oppose my British S.A.S. and commandos and the French Foreign Legion. I have some Fallshirmjägers should I ever feel like gaming Operation Sea Lion... 

As with most of the forces I’ve put together for WW2 Skrimishing in 28mm the German forces are all based around a platoon with various optional supporting elements from the company, battalion, regiment or division.

Heer (Regular Army)

I have two platoons worth of regular army (Heer) infantry – one for earlier in the war, one for later on.

Early War Heer Infantry  

The whole Early War Infantry Platoon. These are a mix of Crusader Miniatures  and West Wind Productions. I'd bought a "platoon box" of Crusader miniatures ages ago but, at the time, the "platoon box" didn't really supply you with a full strength platoon all properly organized. It was basically eight of their regular packs in a box for the price of seven. So I ended up with some not-so-useful extra command figures and only two sections of infantry. Shortly thereafter I picked up another section of infantry made by West Wind from ebay, or perhaps in a trade, to round out the platoon with a third section. Later still I picked up the light mortar team from Crusader to make a full-strength, fully-kitted out infantry platoon.



The command section - Officer, Platoon Sergeant, two Runners and a Light Mortar Team (with alternate commanders - in hats or in helmets) - all from Crusader Miniatures.



First Section - all from Crusader Miniatures.



Second Section - all from Crusader Miniatures.



Third Section - all from West Wind Productions.

later war mortar team from Artizan Designs.



German army cameraman from Bolt Action Miniatures. I’m a sucker for these odd and unusual figures…

Heer Armour

Stug IIIC/D fromArmy Group North Miniatures. The commander I got in an odd lot off of ebay, so I have no idea who the manufacturer is. I seem to recall I had to shave off an arm and modelled a new one with green stuff.



Tiger I from West Wind Productions.

Deutsches Afrika Korps

also Heer (regular army), but dressed for service in North Africa.



The big man himself; commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps, General Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. The figure is from Artizan Designs. I thought it might be handy for a "Get Rommel" type scenario - as most of my allied forces for North Africa are special forces (Commandoes, SAS, LRDG, etc...)

In addition to General Rommel here I have a platoon of Panzer-Grenadiers In various stages of completion and a Panzer IV to give them some punch. I'd like to get some trucks at some point - to ferry the Panzer-Grenadiers around as personnel carriers or just as cargo haulers for the LRDG and SAS to blow up...


Fallshirmjägers

I have a small force of Fallshirmjäger - a platoon plus a few supporting elements (machine-guns and mortars) - just enough to cause some havoc in southern England for my Canadians stationed there to have to run about and round up! Or perhaps they're there to assassinate Mr. Churchill! I also read about an action (I think in Sicily...?) where German and British paratroopers were both dropped at almost the same time to capture the same bridge - but from opposite ends... that might be fun to game out...



Fallshirmjäger support elements - mortar and machine-gun teams from Bolt Action Miniatures


Gebirgsjäger

German Mountain Troops. I really just picked these up to use for Pulp Adventure skirmishing - I thought I might throw them into Beyond the Mountains of Madness - should I ever get around to running that...



This is the entire force - not even a platoon - I have no intention of adding any more to it. The figures are from Brigade Games “Ends of the Earth” line.


SS

I also have a small force of SS troops - a platoon plus a few supporting elements (machine-guns and mortars) to oppose my Canadians in Normandy (12th SS Division) and my British Paras in Arnhem (9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions).



SS mortar team from Artizan Designs.


Kriegsmarine

As with the Gebirgsjäger above I really just picked these up to use for Pulp Adventure skirmishing...

Kriegsmarine tropical U-Boat crew. The figures are from Brigade Games “Ends of the Earth” line.



Kriegsmarine not-so-tropical U-Boat crew.



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

I have a few forces from the United States. Regular Army Infantrymen and a few paratroopers that can be used in European operations (or possibly even North Africa or Sicily) and U. S. Marines for the South Pacific.




Marines



One squad of jarheads from Battle Honors.



USMC Jeep from Company B.



A couple of medics from The Assault Group. The gun on the ground might look like a casualty, but he is in fact a medic clutching his medical bag and crawling forward (presumably under fire) to reach his fallen comrades! 



Two Marine casualties - also from The Assault Group.

First Special Service Force

I have started to put together a small force of the joint Canadian-American First Special Service Force (often referred to as the Devil's Brigade). Ultimately I'd like to have a whole platoon, but I'm waiting on Artizan Designs to release a pack of trooper armed with the Johnson LMG. Here is what I have for now:



Forcemen armed with Rifles, Carbines and SMGs



FSSF .30 Cal MG team (converted from Artizan Designs US Paratroopers)



Another shot of the .30 Cal MG team so you can see some of the conversion work – mostly I tried to modify the jackets to look more like the FSSF parkas and rounded the edges of the pant cargo pockets to look more like the Mountain Trousers of the FSSF than the Jump trousers of the paratroopers.



FSSF 60mm Mortar team 


FSSF Bazooka Team #1



FSSF Bazooka Team #2


JAPAN

Japanese Special Naval Landing Force

Here are a few of the Japanese I have finished. I painted them up a while ago. I’d originally picked them up off ebay to use as generic baddies for Pulp Adventure games set in the South Pacific. I didn’t do a whole lot of research. I Googled “Japanese WW2 Uniform” and saw there were green uniforms and there were mustard uniforms… so I went with green – not really realizing that would make them members of the Special Naval Landing Force.

These figures are all from 1^st Corps. I had a few other Japanese from Battle Honors that I also painted like this – but have started repainting them – largely because these 1^st Corps figures are HUGE and the Battle Honors are… considerably slighter and a better match for the Bolt Action figures I have also picked up to use as Imperial Japanese Army.

The Platoon

Command – two will be the platoon command, on will likely be a forward observer, the remaining one might pass for the company commander when he comes down for a visit – or to get things moving!

First Squad

Second Squad

Third Squad

On thing that really, REALLY bothers me about SO MANY lines of modern figures (especially WW1 and WW2) is prone LMG teams – or worse just prone LMG gunners with no loader – where the rest of the bloody line is all standing! I really like that there is a fair variety of crouching kneeling figures in this line – big and chunky though they may be! 

Supporting Medium Mortar team from Battle Honors



SNLF Casualties (from West Wind Productions) 

Imperial Japanese Army

I have enough figures for TWO understrength Imperial Japanese Army infantry platoons - one platoon is mostly from Battle Honors, the other mostly from Bolt Action/Warlord Games. Here is what I've got so far...



An understrength Company of the Imperial Japanese Army Infantry



Company Commander



1st Platoon



Platoon commander



1st Squad



2nd Squad



3rd Squad

This second platoon is currently organized as two rifle squads and a grenadier squad (with THREE light mortar teams!). These could be organized as later war infantry sections – each with their own light mortar team – but one section would be short an LMG team. (at some point I'll probably add an additional LMG team...)

Platoon Commander 

Rifle section #1

Rifle Section #2

Grenadier Section

81mm Type 97 Medium Mortar Team (and spotter) 

Anti-Tank Suicide Teams



Medical Officer and Orderly



Type 92 Medium Machine-Gun Team



Forward Observer Teams

IJA Casualties

Still to come...

I have more French (early war), more British Commandos (both for North Africa), Americans (Northwest European infantry and Paratroops), Italians (both for North Africa and Europe),  Australians, and all sorts of Germans (Heer Infantry and armour - both early and late war, Deutches Afrika Korps, SS - for fighting Canadians in Normandy and Paras in Arnhem, Fallshirmjagers, Gebirgjagers, and I'm sure others... stay tuned.. (or... check back later!)


To see some of my WW2 stuff in action check out Savage Timmy's Playhouse - my separate Savage Worlds blog that I maintained while we were playing a lot of it - most of my gaming with this collection so far had been done with Savage Worlds. The World War Two label should take you to all the posts of games using these figures. The WW2 label will also steer you towards the most recent updates on this blog