8th Army Bren Carriers for Bolt Action

    The ubiquitous Universal Carrier could carry machine guns, anti-tank rifles, mortars, infantrymen, supplies, artillery and observation equiment in every theater during the WW2. By 1945 approximately 57.000 Carriers were produced in UK. 

   Carriers were also produced in allied countries. So, since 1934 to 1960 around 113.000 models were prodused in total. It was the most produced armoured fighting vehicle in history! 

The Bren Carriers

   There are two Bren Carriers in the 8th Army starter army box of Warlord Games. These two Bren Carriers together with my two SAS jeeps are my SAS desert raiders. I added various gear, backpacks, helmets and weapons on the vehicles.

   I added a third passenger to both Carriers in order each vehicle to have a driver and four more infantrymen. The first crew has heads from British Commonwealth Infantry box and the second Scottish heads with Tam O'Shanter hats from 8th Army starter army box.

The Desert Raiders

   Recently we had dinner in the Kebab & Curry Indian restaurant in Pireaus. We ordered vegetable soup, chicken Makhni, chicken Korma, beef curry extra spicy, mushroom rice, prawn Biryani, bread Naan and my favorite chicken Tandoori. Everything was delicious!

Prawn Biryani

Mushroom rice

Chicken Korma

Chicken Makhni and beef curry

Vegetable soup

Naan

Chicken Tandoori

   That's it for today! Stay tuned for more!

The Italian Alpini for Bolt Action

    The Alpini are the Italian Army's specialist mountain infantry. The name comes from the mountain range Alps. During WW2 Italy fielded six alpine divisions. They fought alongside the Axis forces in the Balkans, France, Africa and on the Eastern Front.

The Alpini

   All the above Alpini are Warlord Games miniatures. The majority of them are wearing an Alpine Hat (Cappello alpino), which is the most distinctive feature of the Alpini troops' uniform. Due to the black raven feather of their hats, the Alpini are known as "Le Penne Nere" (The Black Feathers). The rest of the soldiers have the M33 steel helmet.  

Alpini support group 

   The Italian Alpini support group consists of an HQ (an Officer, a Medic and a Forward Observer), a Breda M37 8mm medium machine gun and a 81/14 model 35 mortar.

The Medic, the FO and the Officer

   One of the Alpine Hat's symbol is the fregio, a coat of arms indicating the wearer's regiment. It is black for soldiers and golden for officers.

The MMG team

The medium mortar team

Alpini weapons teams

   The Alpini weapons teams consists of a Solothurn 20mm anti-tank rifle team, a sniper team and a Brixia model 35 light mortar team.

The anti-tank rifle team

The light mortar team

An Italian Brixia light mortar

The sniper team

   Another Alpine Hat's symbol is the nappina, a small piece of wood covered by a coloured tuft denoting the battalion. The nappinas' colours are green, white, red and blue. The four colours of the flag of the Kingdom of Italy during the WW2.

Flag of the Kingdom of Italy

   Apart from the Alpini support group and the Alpini weapons teams, I have two Alpini Infantry Squads. The soldiers of the first squad have white nappinas while the ones of the second, green. I painted all the miniatures' trousers Dark Sea Blue, the Alpine hats and the majority of tunics Stegadon Scale Green, while the rest of the tunics German Field Grey, the socks Russian Uniform and the steel helmets German Cam Dark Green. All paints are Vallejo apart from Stegadon Scale Green, which is a Citadel Base paint.  

The first Alpini infantry squad

The squad's NCO

The MG-42 light machine gun assistant gunner and gunner

Alpini with a Panzerfaust

The second Alpini infantry squad

The squad's NCO

Alpini with a Panzerfaust

The family photo

   If you'd like to see the post of the Alpini WIP, please click here

   That's it for today! Stay tuned for more!

Black Watch infantry for Bolt Action and Lefkes of Paros

    Today I added another infantry section to my British 8th Army for Bolt Action. This time a Scottish one and to be specific a Black Watch one. During the North African campaign, several Black Watch battalions served and played also a major role under the British 8th Army. The Warlord Games "British 8th Army Platoon" box contains Scottish Highlander heads and gives the opportunity to build such soldiers.

   The ten-man infantry section consists of an NCO with a Thompson submachine gun and nine soldiers, one with a Bren gun LMG and eight with Lee Enfield rifles.

   The above NCO with the Black Watch tartan kilt and the Platoon Commander, whom you will see below, are metallic figures of the British Commando Command pack of Artizan Design miniatures. All the rest are Warlord Games plastic figures of British 8th Army Platoon box.

The NCO and soldiers with the Scottish Tam O' Shanter (TOS)

The Black Watch tartan kilt

The Platoon Commander with a Thompson submachine gun and his two soldiers

The ten-man infantry section

   Very close to the place we live is Lefkes, a traditional mountain village, which was built in 15th century in the center of the island to hide from pirates. We visited the village for a walk and a light dinner.  

Lefkes

The entrance of the center of the village

My wife

Our table

   We ordered beef burgers, a pork souvlaki, eggplants with feta cheese, salad and wine.

   A stray cat kept company to us during our dinner. Actually, the whole village is full with cats! 

   After that, we returned home for a few last drops.

   That's it for today! Stay tuned for more!