new from corgi

Operation Grapple was the code name given to the British Hydrogen bomb tests carried out over the Pacific Ocean during 1957.  Christmas Island was chosen as the operational base with the island of Malden, 400 miles south-east, designated as the target area.  No. 49 Sqn, RAF Wittering was selected for the tests and a specially modified Vickers Valiant, XD818, arrived in November 1956.
The aircraft had strengthened control surfaces, additional cameras and sensors and metal anti-flash window screens. Piloted by Wg Cdr Kenneth Hubbard, at 09:00 hours on May 15th 1957, Valiant XD818 took off carrying Britain’s first thermo-nuclear ‘H’ bomb, code named ‘Grapple 1’.  Released at 10:36 hours from an altitude of 45000ft and detonated at 8000ft, the shock wave from the 0.3 megaton device was felt by the crew some 2.5 minutes after the blast.  Wg Cdr Hubbard observed the mushroom cloud before landing back on Christmas Island at 11:20 hours.

In recognition of their skill and professionalism, the crew of Valiant XD818 each received the Air Force Cross.

wilderness by atlantic

More than two months after Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia on April 9, 1865, the New York Times reported a most surprising piece of news. On May 12-13, the last battle of the Civil War had been fought at the southernmost tip of Texas—resulting in a Confederate victory.
Although Palmetto Ranch did nothing to change the war's outcome, it added the final irony to a conflict replete with ironie
s, unexpected successes, and lost opportunities. For these reasons, it has become both one of the most forgotten and most mythologized battles of the Civil War.
In this book, Jeffrey Hunt draws on previously unstudied letters and court martial records to offer a full and accurate account of the battle of Palmetto Ranch. As he recreates the events of the fighting that pitted the United States' 62nd Colored Troops and the 34th Indiana Veteran Volunteer Infantry against Texas cavalry and artillery battalions commanded by Colonel John S. "Rip" Ford, Hunt lays to rest many misconceptions about the battle. In particular, he reveals that the Texans were fully aware of events in the East—and still willing to fight for Southern independence. He also demonstrates that, far from fleeing the battle in a panic as some have asserted, the African American troops played a vital role in preventing the Union defeat from becoming a rout.

 

still on the square from revell in ho oo

new in 1-48 from revell

irregular indian caval

rourkes drift

soviets miziel

tommys by valiant by roberto

sioux

Best known of the plains peoples, the Sioux migrated from the American north east in the 18th century. The Sioux played a dominant role in the history of the plains. One outstanding event was when they combined forces with the Cheyenne and Arapaho and obliterated the U. S. cavalry forces under Gen. George Custer at the Little Big Horn in 1876. If the tribes and nations had been able to muster consistent unity throughout the West, the history of the United States would have been very different.
consider this as a painting guide

NEW AWI AT WARRIOR

General John Burgoyne (24 February 1722 – 4 August 1792) was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762. Burgoyne is best known for his role in the American War of Independence.  In the army he had been promoted to major-general. On the outbreak of the American War of Independence, he was appointed to a command, and arrived in Boston in May 1775, a few weeks after the first shots of the war had been fired at Lexington and Concord. He participated as part of the garrison during the Siege of Boston, although he did not see action at theBattle of Bunker Hill, in which the British forces were led by William Howe and Henry Clinton. Frustrated by the lack of opportunities, he returned to England long before the rest of the garrison, which evacuated the city in March 1776.[ During the Saratoga campaign he surrendered hisarmy of 5,000 men to the American troops on October 17, 1777. Appointed to command a force designated to capture Albanyand end the rebellion, Burgoyne advanced from Canada but soon found himself surrounded and outnumbered. He fought two battles at Saratoga, but was forced to open negotiations with Horatio Gates. Although he agreed to a convention, on 17 October 1777, which would allow his troops to return home, this was subsequently revoked and his men were made prisoners. Burgoyne faced criticism when he returned to Britain, and never held another active command. In 1776, he was at the head of the British reinforcements that sailed up the Saint Lawrence River and relieved Quebec City, which was under siege by the Continental Army. He led forces under General Guy Carleton in the drive that chased the Continental Army from the province of Quebec. Carleton then led the British forces onto Lake Champlain, but was, in Burgoyne's opinion, insufficiently bold when he failed to attempt the capture of Fort Ticonderoga after winning the naval Battle of Valcour Island in October. Burgoyne was also an accomplished playwright known for his works such as The Maid of the Oaks and The Heiress, but his plays never reached the fame of his military career. He served as a member of the House of Commons of Parliament for a number of years, sitting for the seats of Midhurst and Preston. He is often referred to as Gentleman Johnny. WI 1 Militia/Minuteman kneeling loading musket

AWI 2 British/Continental Infantry marching

AWI 3 British Drummer bearskin hat

AWI 4 Iroquois Warrior kneeling musket

AWI 5 British Light Dragoon Officer with Horse

AWI 6 British Light Infantryman at trail

AWI 7 British/Continental Officer

AWI 8 Hessian Grenadier marching mitre hat

AWI 9 British Grenadier marching bearskin hat

AWI 10 Continental Drummer boy

AWI 11 Continental Dragoon with Horse

AWI 12 British/Continental Ensign (Standard)

AWI 13 Militiaman advancing brimmed hat

AWI 14 Mounted General in Greatcoat with Horse

AWI 15 British/Continental Infantryman firing musket

AWI 16 Queens Rangers Hussar with Horse

AWI 17 Continental Light Infantry, Rhode Island

AWI 18 Continental Militiaman, musket, cap

AWI 19 Iroquois Warrior advancing with tomahawk

AWI 20 British Legion cavalry, tarleton, with horse

AWI 21 British Dragoon Trooper with horse

AWI 22 British Grenadier firing musket, bearskin hat

AWI 23 British Queens Rangers Light Infantry advancing

AWI 24 Iroquois Warrior advancing with musket

AWI 25 British Infantryman thrusting bayonet

AWI 26 Continental Maryland Infantry loading musket

AWI 27 Iroquois Warrior firing musket

AWI 28 Militiaman musket at ready, bareheaded

AWI 29 Scots Infantryman at ready

AWI 30 Hessian Musketeer at ready

AWI 31 Militiaman kneeling firing musket, tricorn hat

AWI 32 Mountainman Militia kneeling at ready, buckskins

AWI 33 American Continental Dragoon Officer with Horse

AWI 34 British/Continental Artilleryman with rammer

AWI 35 Mountainman firing musket, squirrel hat

AWI 36 Militiaman long coat bareheaded

AWI 37 2nd New Hampshire Infantry Regiment, advancing

AWI 38 British/Continental Artilleryman porte fire

AWI 39 British /Continental Infantryman biting cartridge

AWI 40 British /Continental Infantryman advancing at ready

AWI 41 Hessian Grenadier mitre hat charging

AWI 42 American advancing, brimmed hat, buckskins

AWI 43 Militia/Minuteman at ready, brimmed hat

AWI 44 Militia/Minuteman at ready, tricorn hat

Special Packs of 100 pieces,£40.00 Saving up to £30.00

AWI A. British / American Northern Campaign Band of 10 Iroquois Battalion of 20 British Infantry of the Line Battalion of 20 British Grenadiers Company of 10 Greenmountain Boys Company of 10 Minutemen, Rifle Company of 10 Frontiersmen Continental Battalion of 20 Line Infantry

AWI B. British/American Southern Campaign Troop of 5 British Dragoons Battalion of 20 British Infantry of the Line Battalion of 20 British Grenadiers Troop of 5 Continental Dragoons Company of 10 Minutemen, Rifle Company of 10 Frontiersmen Continental Battalion of 20 Line Infantry

AWI C. British Northern Campaign Band of 20 Iroquois Two Battalions of 20 British Infantry of the line Battalion of 20 British Light Infantry Battalion of 20 British Grenadiers

AWI D. British Southern Campaign Troop of 5 British Dragoons Troop of 5 Quees Rangers Hussars Two Battalions of 20 British Infantry of the line Battalion of 20 British Light Infantry Battalion of 20 British Grenadiers

AWI E. American Northern Campaign Battalion of 20 Greenmountain Boys Alarm Battalion of 20 Minutemen Militia Battalion of 20 Frontier Riflemen State Battalion of 20 Musketmen Continental Battalion of 20 Line Infantry

AWI F. American Southern Campaign Regiment of 10 Continental Dragoons Alarm Battalion of 20 Minutemen Militia Battalion of 20 Frontier Riflemen State Battalion of 20 Musketmen Continental Battalion of 20 Line Infantry

MAIN INDEX - 25mm INDEX

mokarex figures for housewives

valiant 1.72

back drops for photos

good back drops are card buildings, these ones here are like movie facades and i bought them in that toy shop in covent garden of whicjh i cant remember the name but its really famous, another is in tottenham court road

machine gunners

THE BATTLE OF PORTA LAME

partizans by skytrex 20mm
The battle of Porta Lame constitutes a significant episode in the context of the Italian resistance movement and is one of the most important battles that took place in an urban centre in Italy in that period.
20mm irregular

It was fought on 7 November 1944 near Porta Lame in Bologna and was engaged by a contingent from detachments of 7th GAP and the other forces of the Italian Social Republic and Germany. Despite the superiority of the latter, the partisans managed to escape the encirclement of their progressive stations causing numerous losses among the ranks

dixon

The situation in the autumn of 1944, allied forces which were advancing  laboriously up the peninsula faced the German armies on the Gothic line in the Appennino tosco-emilian mountains. Resistance forces present in the urban centers of the territories occupied by German troops, encouraged by the recent successes of the Anglo-American army that summer had managed to force themselves into more points of the enemy's fortified positions, preparing  real actions of armed uprising in support of the imminent breaktrough. The province of Bologna, in particular, had already been partially reconquered, the city itself seemed now next its release.0preiser 1.72

 In view of the impressive action in the mountains  detachments of the 7th GAP had installed two bases, the main (230 units), led by Giovanni Martini "Paul" with Ferruccio Magnani "Giacomo" Political Commissar, in the basement of the hospital destroyed by Allied bombing, and a second led by Bruno Gualandi "Aldo" with Lino Michelini "William" Political Commissar. (75 units) in a stable at Slaughter lane near the former river port city. 6 and 15 of November 7, there was a calamity, the position was discovered (the base of the Slaughter lane) by the Germans,and so began the first phase of the battle. The German forces rose in a coordinated plan of attack, and narrowing the scope of action for the partizans, also intensifying the pressure by using weapons such as mortars,  88 mm's. Late in the afternoon  even a Tiger tank that was working in the nearby front.

When, after more than ten hours of fighting German troops occupied the premises of strategic buildings, these  had already been evacuated, and the germans  lost their tracks due to the abundant use of smoke.

At the same time began the second phase of the battle, when the partizans settled among the ruins of the ospedale Maggiore, following the guidelines of a tactical plan prepared to this end, but were quickly surrounded the enemy forces . The rapidity of simultaneous attack not allowed any reaction ordered by German troops. At the end of the day  the fallen was 11 deaths among the Republican, 2 Germans, 13 members of the partisan formations and 1 civilian.

 the importance and significance of the battle  are such as to make you feel one of the most significant among those fought within large urban centres in Europe during World War II.

However, in the days following the clash, the possibility of a joint action between the partisan forces and Allied was destined not to materialize: on 13 November 1944 British General Harold Alexander with a proclamation declaring that the offensive  on the Gothic line was temporarily sold out.
As a result of the non insurrection occurred several episodes of reprisals against partisans: infiltration of police officers and some people, as well as the discovery of other bases , resulted in numerous casualties among the departments of the GAP.

The advance through the Po Valley suffered a setback which would last until the spring of 1945, when, under the impetus of the offensive.Churchill said that all partizan action had no bearing on gthe out come of the war and so we can say that a lot of innocent people were killed for no real gain