Bolt Action Germans, Allies and Chinese Armies

I decided to crack on and finish a couple of my Bolt Action Tanks, Panzer III, Stug and a T-34. All of these had been previously base coated but I decided i wanted to add some weathering and dirtying them up a little, so that they look battle worn.

The T-34 didn’t get too much weathering done it, as I’m planning to use it in the Korean War Campaign, and I wanted it to look like a reasonably new tank. The two German tanks I wanted to look like they’ve been on the battle field for a couple of years or more, so they needed some drastic weathering, This was done using weathering powders, and powder pads by Tamiya.

All this time off locked away at home has meant I’ve been able to catch up on a lot of projects.

Publisher: Pen & Sword    Author: Paul Thomas

This book covers the complete range of light tanks in use by the German army during WW2. This includes technical specifications, combat use in theatre and variations all of which is lavishly illustrated throughout.

The book is a paperback, with 126 pages and is mostly images taken during the Second World War, all of which are captioned with useful information. What makes this interesting is the fact that many people don’t generally pay much attention to the light tanks utilized by the German forces, they tend to gravitate to larger vehicles such as the Panther and Tiger tanks. Yet the light tanks formed the backbone of the Blitzkrieg tactics used by the advancing German army in the early part of the war, especially during the invasions of Poland and France.

The book has been broken down into four chapters covering the Blitzkrieg, Balkans and Eastern front and the final chapter 1943-45. Each chapter has roughly 3-4 pages of very useful information prior to the gallery of images. A lot of the images haven’t been published previously or haven’t done so in recent years. As you’d expect from images taken under battlefield conditions that some have been technically taken better compared with others. So, don’t be surprised if some are grainy and not as sharp as you’d expect.

I found this book to be quite an interesting read. I would say that this book would be of interest to those thinking about building a German army for war-games such as Flames of War. It would also be very useful for modelers considering building a light tank kit.

I’ve found it very useful for finding some inspiration for my late German army for Flames of War. I decided to add some light tanks to my force after reading this book, it also prompted me to add a light tank to my growing Bolt Action army as well.

So, I’d definitely recommend this book for any gamer who is considering building a German army, whether you’re planning an early, mid or late war army. This will be especially relevant for those who have or are building an early or mid-war force.

So during my first week at home I’ve been concentrating on painting some Bolt Action bits and pieces. They’ve mostly been Desert Rats,  it gave me chance to sort through everything I had for BA as well and I noted what I required to purchase.

I did a bit of a sort through of what I’ve painted so far for my various Bolt Action armies, along with the items that have been built but still require a lick of paint on them.

I recently picked up a squad of Chinese communists from Warlord for the Korean War expansion.  These were fairly quick and easy to paint,  new only gripe with these models are the heads. I’m not keen on the sculpting in them. They don’t look very Asian never mind Chinese to me. I plan to use them in both WW2 and Korean game Bolt Action.

I recently picked up a squad of Chinese communists from Warlord for the Korean War expansion.  These were fairly quick and easy to paint,  new only gripe with these models are the heads. I’m not keen on the sculpting in them. They don’t look very Asian never mind Chinese to me. I plan to use them in both WW2 and Korean game Bolt Action.

This series of books are photographic collection publications with images taken from archives of official wartime photographers or soldiers who fought in the war and battles covered in the books. Many of the plates in these books being published for the first and offer a unique perspective on the conflicts they cover.

For this review I’m going to look at a trio of books from the range that covers 2nd World War in Asia.

China & Japan at War 1937-1945

This was one of the most bitter conflicts fought during the Second World War and considered by many to be the most bitter of the 20th Century. In fact, there is still a high level of resentment among Chinese of all ages regarding what the Japanese did during the war, and the fact that today Japan still refuses to acknowledge the atrocities it committed against the Chinese people.
It covers the invasion of China by the Japanese Imperial forces in 1937 through to the surrender of Japan in 1945. Millions of soldiers from both countries fought during this terrible conflict, and millions of Chinese civilians suffered greatly.

The author covers the history of this devastating conflict in the photographs taken throughout the war. He has managed to select over 200 images that takes the war from the invasion in 37, the retreat of Chinese forces in the face of over whelming odds, the bitter and violent battles of Nanjing and Shanghai through to the final surrender in 45.

The brutal war in China is often neglected by both historians and war gamers in the west. Yet the author has provided an absorbing yet graphic account of this conflict that ravaged China. The images not only show the armies involved but also the weapons and vehicles utilised by both sides. The book also records the 8-year struggle that the ordinary soldiers of both Chinese and Japanese armies endured during this brutal occupation.

The second book looks at Japans blitzkrieg into South East Asia and the capture of Singapore.

Japan Triumphant- The Far East Campaign 1941-42

In this book the author looks at the extraordinary campaign carried out by the Japanese forces during 1941-42. It was highly ambitious, and they planned to invade and conquer the entire region, and this campaign would put them in to direct conflict with Western Powers.

They fought an array of varying opponents through lightening attacks. Some of which like the attack on Pearl Harbour have gone down in history as examples of stunning victories. During this campaign they fought several armies that included Dutch, British, US and Philippines. The author has again selected a vast number of images that showcase the campaign really well.

It includes many images of Japanese soldiers preparing for battle, as well as the forces they overwhelmed. At this particular point in the war the Japanese looked unstoppable, but this campaign would eventually be the downfall of their military as the supply lines became stretched beyond their ability to maintain.

The final book looks at the Pacific war, and the fight back by US forces.

The Gilbert and Ellice Island Pacific War – Jim Moran

The Gilbert Islands were occupied by the Japanese not long after the attack on Pearl Harbour. As part of the occupation they built a seaplane air base. In August 1942 US forces made a raid on the island, and in response the Japanese re-enforced the islands defences, along with a second base.

Then 1943 the 2nd Marine Division along with the 27th Infantry division had the task of capturing the islands. The battle turned out to be one of the most costly in US marine history.

The book covers the campaign and battles to capture the Gilbert Islands from the Japanese forces. It’s a great reference for everyone wanting to conduct wargames set in the Pacific region, especially those building and playing US Marine armies. As usual with this series of books it has a breath of reference images along with some useful information.
Another great book to add to anyone’s library of reference material.

All of these books are an invaluable resource for anyone wishing to start or is wargaming in World War Two Asia. I now have several books from this range, mostly covering WW2 history, and they’ve been invaluable for me building armies for Bolt Action and Flames of War, but also developing campaigns to play.

Long term I’m hoping they’ll expand more into the post war period, covering some of the more modern conflicts like the Gulf War (Desert Storm).

I can highly recommend not only these three books, but any from the series, as they’re all great visual references. These have been very useful for the Chinese army project.