Happy New Year-1918 Style

 

  Another New Years' Celebration full of lights in the sky. But on January 1, 1918, the fire in the sky wasn't from fireworks.

Rather it was from two sets of massive warring forces the Allies vs the Central Powers. Here an Imperial German 77mm field gun.

And its opposite number the famous French Soixante-Quinze (75) mm. None of those fighting in the Great War knew that 1918 would be the last year of the terrible conflict. Yet it was and New Year's Day 1919, saw a World that while not at total peace, as least saw the guns of the Great War silent.

These are metal pieces from Old Glory that I painted for my Great War Armies back in 2010.

May 2023 be a good one for you and yours, and hopefully the current guns of war will fall silent as they did in the Great War 125 Years ago.

Speedy Red Racer

Speedy "Lucky Eleven " Red Racer is often used in clandestine missions in the post Great War World.

Pilot Jazz "Lightning" Bolts is the man called upon when the delivery (no matter what the cargo) absolutely has to get through.

"Lucky Eleven" is a plastic kit of the famous Bee Gee 1932,

air speed record holder at just under 300 mph.

Jazz is a 25mm piece from Old Glory that I painted in 2011.

1914 Trenches are Bad News!

Frontier lines between Germany and France, some hasty trenches, light wire entanglements and a small prewar concrete defense work. Held by an understrength platoon, a section of Chasseurs and two HMG's.

With time pressing, the end of the line is but wire and some light wood works, finished just in time as...

The first Germans have arrived, a strong platoon-five sections of infantry and Jagers, a section of Grenadiers, Command section and three HMG's 

The sight awaiting the attacking German's.

For France...

light trenches for the regulars...

while the chasseurs and one HMG make do with hasty log works.

Pillbox-the Hard Nut of the Trench Line

No soldier crossing "No Man's Land" wants to face the reinforced terror of a pillbox with a manned machine gun.

Protected by barbed wire entanglements,infantry support and sweeping fire from the machine gun, this pillbox is the hard point in a line of defences in one of the countless ruined villages found on the Western Front.

I made this pillbox from scratch in Spring 2010 which is also when I painted the early war 25mm metal German soldiers from Old Glory.

My History is made in the Sky

Jazz "Lightning" Bolts has been flying since the the first days of powered flight. In his time, he has served in more air services then he can remember. His life has been and always will be flying.

Jazz is a metal piece from Old Glory.

Lewis and I go everywhere together

Flits Corrander, aviator-ace-adventurer never goes anywhere with his favorite bang bang, his Lewis Gun.

Everywhere Flits goes Lewis clears away any unwanted problems.

Flits is a 25mm metal piece from Old Glory Miniatures.

Light MG-Heavy Fire Power

Taking position in a bombed out building, Hans readies his 08/15 light machine gun for the next advance across no mans land.

Hans has served in the Jagers since the start of the and war he greatly appreciates the mobile firepower of the 08/15 but does not consider this a "light" weapon.

Hans is a metal 25mm piece from Old Glory.

I live on the ground but my Life is in the Air

Raul l'Faucon, senior aviator adventurer, has devoted his life to the exploration and exploitation of the skies. Armed with his trusty .455 Webley (a gift from a grateful RAF pilot), he stands ready to take to the skies for his next adventure.

An ace fighter pilot in the Great War, he has become a free lance aviator due to a disagreement with his superiors in the military (his radical new ideas on the use of air power were seen as to avant guard and expensive).

Raul is a metal 25mm figure from Old Glory Miniatures the mono-plane Revanche is from a previous posting of the same name.

Post 500 "Two Centuries of the USMC"

From the Shores of Tripoli to the jungles of Vietnam here stand the men of the USMC ready to fight for freedom.

Our first fought pirates in Africa, the British in 1812 and Indians in Florida, the next fought brother against brother in the War Between the States. In a hurry to reach Belleau Woods, a "Devil Dog" from the trenches of the Great War has jumped positions with the veteran of the Spanish American War.

While fighting in the Banana Wars of the 1920's and 30's, this old leather neck stops for a quick smoke with his pipe. With his Tommy Gun in hand, our next Marine is ready for service from China to Wake Island. Calling in fire support in the tropic jungles of the island hoping campaigns of World War II. this radioman does his duty in Hell on Guadalcanal; while our last in line looks for VC in the steaming jungles of South Vietnam.  Two centuries of the 236 year history of the USMC-Happy Birthday.

Death in the Grass

In the latter days of the Great War, swift death is hidden in the tall grass. With rapid bursts of fire, the German 08/15 LMG gunner stiches a path of death across a battlefield of Northern France. This a metal 25mm figure from Old Glory.

Big Bang Intermission Two

A Jager light mortar fires in support the troops in the trenches in the mid years of the Great War.

These are 25mm metal, Old Glory figures.

We Bring You this Battle Intermission with a Bang

A mobile light mortar adds needed fire power to Wurttemburg troops on the Western Front in the later years of the Great War. The gunners are wearing the new "coal shuttle" style helmet. These are 25mm metal figures from Old Glory.

French 75, Queen of the Battlefield

Wearing the new Horizon Blue uniforms and metal helmet, this crew of the famous 75mm fieldgun helps to hold the northern battle lines.


The French 75mm did yeoman service in two world wars. In 1915 the horizon blue uniform replaced the red pants and dark blue uniform the French were wearing in the first year of the Great War.



These are metal 25mm pieces from Old Glory.

Imperial German Field Artillery, 1916

The Krupp Model 1896 77mm field piece was the mainstay of the Imperial German Armies for the first years of the Great War. It was an effective weapon with a maximum range in excess of 9200 meters. While not as good as the famous “French 75,” the 77mm was an important tool for the Imperial Army and did fearful destruction on the frontline formations of the enemies of Germany. This model and crew are from the Old Glory WWI range of figures.

World War I US

1918 US Marine Devil Dogs going through the wire. These are 25mm metal Old Glory figures