A Colby Book About The Signal Corps Today

For those who like to wargame the Cold War there is nothing better than a book written during the Cold War.

C.B. Colby wrote a large number of books about the US Military, police and other boys subjects from the 1950's to the 1970's. This one was published in 1966 and is filled with cutting edge 1960's technology.

Most of Mr. Colbys books follow this format, a photo a the top of the page and a paragraph explaining the subject in detail. In this case a radar used to predict the weather.

As you can see from the table of contents the book covers a wide range of vehicles and equipment. I look for his books on Amazon and in used book stores, I have about a half a dozen of them. Prices range from less than $10 to more than $40 for these slim volumes, depending on condition, and demand. I often buy rather poor condition ex-library versions since I am not a book collector and don't mind a dog eared page or missing dust cover.

Desperate Measures

Just when you think you know everything there is to know about the WWII German army, this book comes along with new information. This book is filled with descriptions and photographs of WWII German weapons I never knew existed.

Desperate Measures, The Last-Ditch Weapons of the Nazi Volkssturm by W. Darrin Weaver, published by Collector Grade Books, 2005. Not only does he list guns manufactured just for the VS but also how many, when and were they were made. The also discusses captured weapons used by the VS. The book as loads of photos many are close up details showing serial numbers, markings and unique characteristics of specific models of guns. He also includes many film stills that are familar but provides an analysis of the weapons being used by the VS. Very good book.

Pack Howitzer

These are some of the figures for the Waterloo 1815 75mm US Army pack howitzer.

The soft plastic takes regular model glue perfectly.

Only one figure requires assembly and his arm has a tiny peg on it so it fits perfectly.

A bonus bit, a field telephone!

Pack Howitzer

The US Army had a pack howitzer in 75mm during WWII.

It could be broken down and carried by pack mules.

It could be parachuted in also.

Now Waterloo 1815 makes one in 1/72nd scale in glueable soft plastic.

Four of these little guns come in one box with a four man crew for each one. There is no flash and it fits together well, if you can figure out which parts go where. The instructions are terrible and I visited several websites to find good photos of them so I could fit the thing together.

German Camels

HaT Colonial British camel set with Hat Germans on Horseback, with Atlantic headgear.

All in 1/72nd scale plastic.

Cut off the top of the heads and glue on a sun hat from the Atlantic Afrika Korps set and the European Germans are suddenly transported to North Africa.

Cut off some of the original bags and boxes and add my own German bits from the spares box. Jerry water can, MG34, and a few other ammo boxes and such.

A German patrol stops at the ruins of a small village. A Stug III in the background. I have seen a few photos of Germans on camels, certainly they were in North Africa for years so a few of them on camels is not unreasonable. I like to build unusual units like this but I keep them small due to the lack of documentation.

Italeri US Army & Easter Island

The lizards are really taking a pounding, despite their thick near bullet proof hides.

The lizard attack wavers.

They begin to turn and run from the American firepower.

The smallest ones flee first, their hides are not at tough and the bullets do some small damage to them.

The largest ones leave, only reluctantly. Their eyes and mouths sting from the impact of the .30 caliber persuaders. The American Army and Indiana both get victories never recorded in the history books.

US Army, Italeri, Easter Island

The mist clears a bit and the mortars are able to bring effective fire down on the giant beasts.

Some of the bravest infantrymen get too close to the giant lizards.

More troops move up to take the giants under fire.

The Americans are making progress and some of the lizards have already fled the area of the stones.

Italeri US Army & Easter Island

As the troops sweep over Easter Island a strange blue / gray haze hangs over the island.

The mortar teams find it hard to adjust for fire under the strange light and are only able to use direct fire methods at close range.

Indiana hates snakes, and giant lizards are not far behind.

The company .30 caliber machine guns are holding down the right flank with their high rate of fire.

Ammo bearers bring up more rounds as the machine guns clatter away.

Indiana Pacific & Italeri US Army

The last Indiana Jones movie mentioned that he served in the Pacific in WWII. It got me wondering what he may have done.

Observing giant monitor lizards on Easter Island certainly is one possibility.

The giant heads are powerful stones with mystic powers, too powerful to be ruled by giant mosters. So naturally he would have to call in the Army.

OSS Agent Jones directs a company of US Army soldiers in repelling the giant monsters from the area of the stones.

Monsters this size can eat a man in one gulp.

Indiana Jones from Matchbox, lizards from Secret Saturdays, The Desktop Heads of Easter Island provided the stones and the US Army courtesy of General MacArthur and Italeri.

Easter Island

This is a product called Desktop Easter Island.

In the little box is a small book and some figures.

There are four poses for the figures.

They come wrapped up nicely in bubble wrap.

Out of the package they feel like stone, but I suspect they are a heavy resin.

Battle Kings

Shopping at one of my local stores I found a few sets of Battle kings.

Each one has three troops, two vehicles, a bunker and a cannon.

Apart from the color the bunkers and cannons are the same.

Each set has a little scenario on the back of the card.

The figures are about 1/72nd scale, more or less. The vehicles are generally from the regular Matchbox line, but repainted. A pretty good value.

Disney Two

These figures would make good amusement park or circus figures.

Cinderella and Pinochio are all about 1/72nd scale.

This one set has all of these figures together.

The figures would work okay for 1/72nd scale wargames.

Even in war people need entertainment, at least a few of these may end up in Berlin, in 1945!