Marines in Action 1945

Here are some shots from out in the field photographers on some goad forsaken island in the Pacific of the USMC's finest in action-

105 mm Field Artillery pounds the enemies' lines.

Fire teams pin down the enemy.

Then Sarg. lobs in a pineapple.

Ma Duce (Browning .50 cal. MG) always makes an impression when she speaks.

Here comes the armor to soften the enemy for the next assault.

The next target, a Japanese pillbox.

All the figures are plastic pieces I have painted for my Bolt Action Pacific Theater games. The pillbox is a homemade terrain piece.

Thank God For Our Veterans

                                          From the first Great War of the 20th Century...

now called World War One...

to the Inter-War conflicts, like the "Banana Wars"...

  

the Second World War...

Korea...

Vietnam all the way to...

the conflicts of the 21st Century, the United States has been protected by the men and women of our Armed Forces. These veterans, like 21-year old USMC Lance Corporal Thomas E. Wall (in 2011), have given their youth, health and bodies to keep America free. God Bless Them All!

(The black and white pictures are all miniatures I have put together and painted over the years. The WWI pieces are 25mm USMC troops, the Banana War figures are 28mm USMC, the WWII vehicles are an M-3 Lee tank and the famous Jeep with a .50 cal. Ma Duce. The Korean War is represented by an Army Bazooka team while the Vietnam man is an Army Advisor with the M-3 "Grease Gun" SMG, all are 28mm miniatures.)

"Bull" Allen the Medic Hero of Mount Tambu

 

News from the front: August 1943 New Guinea, our brave photographer catches the Australian Medic Hero of the Battle of Mount Tambu Corporal "Bull" Allen in the act of rescuing a wounded American soldier. Through the heat of this bloody battle against the Japanese, Bull single handedly carried over his shoulder 12 wounded GI's to safety for medical treatment. A grateful US Army has awarded Leslie "Bull" Allen the Silver Star (the second highest military award in the US) for his heroic actions under fire. 1st Lady Ellenor Roosevelt has acknowledged the bravery of Corporal Allen as she his written Allen a personal note of thanks for his selfless act of bravery. With men like, this victory of the Japanese Empire is surely assured.

The Battle of Mount Tambu was a month-long fight that was part of the brutal Salamaua-Lea Campaign from April 22 to September 16, 1943. In the battle the Allies suffered less than 1200 casualties while the Japanese took over 8000. In the firefight where Allen saved the 12 American soldiers, his own unit was not involved in the action. But after seeing two American medics killed trying to rescue their comrades, Allen took it upon himself to save as many as he could. Risking his own life a dozen times through a hail of rifle, machine gun and mortar fire, he doggedly carried each man to safety. It didn't matter that they were not men from his own unit or even country, Allen did his duty as a man helping other men.

Allen had previously seen combat in the Syrian and North African Campaigns and was awarded the British Military Metal for his bravery as a stretcher bearer. After the New Guinea Campaign, he may have suffered from what would now be called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which may have led to him being reduced in rank after striking an officer. In 2013 a move was made to posthumously award this brave man the Victoria Cross, Britian's highest military medal, as of today no such award has been made.

The below link is about the campaign to honor Bull Allen the Victoria Cross":

Call for World War II hero Leslie 'Bull' Allen to be posthumously awarded Victoria Cross - ABC News

This is a metal piece I painted in 2019.

This actual photo of Allen rescuing an America soldier is attributed to Gordon Herbert Short.

Bastone, Bazooka vs Panzer

News From the Front

Winter 1944, and the American's are hard pressed to hold back the latest German offensive on the Western Front. This Bazooka team outside of the key crossroads town of Bastone, is taking aim on advancing Panzers in a desperate bid to buy time for Patton's 3rd Army to reenforce the US positions.

 

By late 1944, the 2.36 in (60mm) bazooka struggled to stop the most powerful German tank designs, like the Tiger, Panther and King Tiger.
 

But with luck and in the right position (rear, roof top or track hits giving the best chance) and a lot of guts, even the 2.36 Bazooka could stop these behemoths. 

The 3.5 inch (90mm) "Super Bazooka" would give the infantry a lot more tank killing power, but that would be in the next war (Korea). So, for the rest or the European campaign the 2.36 would have to do.

These are kit bashed plastic pieces I painted in January.    

Thorn in the Side, somewhere in France Fall 1944

Latest New from Europe

Date line September 1944, somewhere in Southern France

Our intrepid reporter "RJ" took this action photo of a raid by French partisans somewhere behind the lines in Sothern France. The raiders went by nick names rather than their actual name for obvious reasons. Left to right "Jock," "Algieres," "Dockman" & "Trigger." The mission-destroy captured Allied equipment like the M3 halftrack in the rear of the photo.  The mission was a success with no loses to the raiders who are anxious to keep being a thorn in the side of the enemy until they are driven from France.

The pieces:  

The pieces are all plastic. The partisans are from Atlantic that I painted earlier this week. 

 

News from the Front-"United Nations Advance in Korea"

Our reporter with the United Nations forces moving through North Korea has sent some photos of the victorious troops as they follow up the defeated enemy.  

The M-26 Pershing Tank with its 90mm cannon and three machineguns gives a solid punch to the United Nations Forces as they chase the routed North Korean Army (NKA) invaders.
 

Armed with the new and improve "Super Bazooka," American soldiers have little to fear from NKA tanks.

These US Marine Corps (USMC) artillerymen offer powerful and accurate fire from their 105mm howitzer supporting the Allied advance.

British commonwealth troops make up the second largest force of the United Nations Allied forces, the Americans have the most UN troops in Korea. One of the heroes even shows off his captured PPSh-41 Soviet Submachinegun.

This USMC Jeep with its .50 Cal machine gun, affectionally known as the Ma Duce by is users, gives excellent fire support to the victorious UN troops.

The M-16 halftrack with its four .50 Cal machine guns is known as the "Meat Chopper" for its ability to cut up attacking NKA troops.

When direct heavy fire power is needed, the Churchill ARVE withs its 290 mm main weapon is called into action. 

All these weapons and the United Nations soldiers using them have chased the defeated NKA troops almost to the Chinese border, General Macarthur says the war is all but won and the boys will be home by Christmas. 1951, should be a year of peace, we hope.

                                         The retreating enemy using a Russian T-34 85 tank.

These are plastic, resign and metal pieces that I have put together and painted in the last two years.

Form the Pacific Front-How to Handle Enemy Pillboxes

 

In the Island-Hopping Campaign, the enemy use a variety of dug in positions from simple slit trenches to re-enforced concrete "pillboxes"

 When facing pillboxes, the more firepower you have the better. A 75mm canon firing HE or WP on a Sherman like Dolly above, or the older Lee, below, is a positive game changer. 

The flamethrower, either mounted (like this field modified Stuart/Satan that replaced its hull mounted .30 cal. MG with a flamethrower), or man pack, is horrible yet effective weapon to use against dug in foes.

2.36 in (60mm) Bazooka gives the infantry some heavy fire power to blow through bunker walls.

The Aussies have even had success with their 55. Cal (13.97 mm) Anti-Tank Rifles. 

Even the sniper, in the right circumstances, can help take out a pesky dug in position.

The above figures are a combination of metal and plastic pieces that I painted in the past three years.

Shots from the Pacific Theater

Pictures of our brave Allied troops facing the Imperial Japanese forces.

                                    Bazooka team advances to attack an enemy pillbox.

Colonel Chesty Puller USMC accesses the latest situation at the front in an undisclosed location.

                The infantry's friend, armor support from an M3 Stuart light tank.

                  An Aussie antitank rifle team lends its firepower to their Allies.

These are all plastic pieces I painted in 2019.