Early War Polish Reinforcements from Crusader Miniatures

The Polish Army in 1939 needs all the help it can get to repel the German Blitzkrieg. Here we've added another Polish Infantry Section from Crusader Miniatures for our Bolt Action battles.

The twelve man rifle squad has extra punch with the addition of a BAR Automatic (LMG) squad in it. Backup also provided by an Ursus armored car

Packs are loaded out with everything an infantryman would need.

Crusader Miniatures came up with nice poses for the riflemen.Including the BAR squad

And the advancing sculpts are also very interesting. The detail for metal miniatures is pretty substantial.

If you need to get squads on the table fast, metal figures don't need assembly so are usually faster to complete.

Have A Great Battle!
The Old Crow

Early WW2 Polish Armor for Bolt Action

Here they are, the Polish 7TP JW and 7TP DW Twin-Turret tanks for our early war Polish Army!

The 7TP was the only genuine tank produced in Poland before World War II. The 7TP stood for 7 Ton Polish even though it was a 9 ton vehicle.

It was also the most combat worthy armored vehicle in the Polish Army at a time of the German invasion in 1939, and one of the icons of the pre-war Polish Army.

Several guns were considered but the Swedish 37mm Bofors gun was chosen, since it had been adopted as a standard towed anti-tank gun for the Polish Army, and offered good performance for that time.

The 7TP was the most advanced of all Vickers 6-Ton tank derivatives in the world, and can be considered a Polish design, being a compilation of foreign licences and their own inventions.

Despite all of this, it was not the most modern tank in 1939, but it kept pace with the world's standard for a light tank.

The light tank class constituted a mainstay of armored forces worldwide, and the 7TP could be a match for any enemy vehicle.

In March 1935, the first series of 22 twin-turret tanks was ordered.

All were utilizing machine gun turrets removed from 22 Vickers E tanks during their conversion to single-turret.

Such armament was a forced solution, since a final turret and gun had not yet been chosen for the single turret.

For additional information on the 7TP, check out The PIBWL military site.

Have A Great Battle!
The Old Crow

4Ground Polish Rural Dwelling Model Kit, The Eastern Front

4Ground produces great model kits and this Polish Rural Dwelling kit is another grand example. We showed you the Two Story Terrace and Ox Wagon, and now we'll move on to models we're planning on using on the Eastern front!

The kit seen here contains many swell components.

One of the interesting features on this particular kit is the cracked missing daub portions along the lower sections of the walls. The dwellings were built using woven sticks like wattle fences and then covered with a mixture of materials usually made of a combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw.

Here the mud daub pieces are removed and wattle pieces placed inside.

The interior is divided into two spaces. in the main area there is a fireplace made of the hearth and stone back wall.

Two additional layers build the depth and then a face and side plate go over top of them to finish it. A second stone hearth for cooking is added for a final touch.

Doors and windows have a nice blue trim and a variety of shutters are included.

The porch and roof have a nice wood grain finish and blue accents again finish off the roof.

For thatch, fur is included in three pieces. One for each side and a third for the ridge line.

Here they are in place.

Using PVA glue watered down, you can brush it on to give the thatch a more natural appearance. A stone and wood capped chimney adds the final touch.

Here are a few parting shots of this jolly good 4Ground  kit.

We continue to be impressed with the attention to detail 4Ground gives these model kits.

Have a great battle!
The Old Crow

Bolt Action World War II Polish Army from Warlord Games

Okay, we know we haven't posted in a while so we'll try to make up for it this week with a few postings on a variety of gaming subjects. Today we'll continue with the WWII theme. Warlord Games Bolt Action range continues to expand and there are plenty of choices for any enthusiast or collector.

With the latest Bolt Action release "France and the Allies Armies", it seemed the perfect time to show this beautifully painted Polish army. This Bolt Action supplement covers the armies of France, Poland, Greece, Norway, Holland and Belgium that stood against the German Blitzkrieg, as well as the resistance forces that sprung up in the aftermath of occupation.

The army, painted by Andy Isherwood,  contains over 1500 points of models.

3x command units, 3x medics, 1x spotter, 4x 12 man squads with a BAR in each, 3x HMG, 3x Mortar

2x Sniper teams, 2x Anti Tank Rifle Teams,

2x 37mm Anti Tank guns,

2x 75mm Anti Tank Guns

6x Tankettes (3 with machine guns and 3 with cannons)

2x 7TP's with cannons

1x 7TP with twin turret machine guns, 1x Ursus armoured Car

And what Polish army would be without 6x Cavalry

There is a special motorbike conversion, objective markers, and pinned helmet on stick markers too.

All in all you have to admit this is a sweet looking army!

We leave you with several additional shots for your viewing pleasure.

Have a Great Battle!
The Old Crow