Kubelwagen and Troops

WWII German figure in 1/6th scale by Dragon Models.

My German collection is similar to my American WWII collection but smaller.  It represents a scratch platoon.

When in retreat, field police would set up road blocks and stop all the retreating German troops.  They would form them into ad hoc platoons, provide them with an officer or NCO and form them into a defensive position.

In this way German soldiers could be stopped from retreating and form a position to slow the enemy.

This is a Volkssturm soldier.  A locally raised militia, under the SS, who was responsible for defending his home territory, equivalent to a county in the US.

All sorts of troops might be used to form a local defense unit and so I have an eclectic mix of troops.

Volkssturm soldiers ranged from excellent to terrible, and had equipment ranging from none to fully equipped. 

Here is an under-strength squad ready for combat.

 German kubelwagen Jeep type vehicle for transportation.

WWII German Dragon Figures

Every since the first GI Joe figures I have collected 12 inch action figures.

The vast majority of GI Joes were Americans, as are the most of my collection of 1/6th scale figures.

But I do have a few figures by Dragon and a couple other companies that are WWII Germans.

Unlike GI Joe who as intended for boys, the Dragon Models figures are intended for men.

As such their level of detail is very high, and they have a large number of accessories.

I like the variety of weapons they have.  Here is an MP44 late war assault rifle.

This guy is based on Steiner from the movie Cross of Iron.  He has an anti-tank mine.

On his back is a Soviet Union PPSh submachine gun.  All my WWII German figures are Army, Navy, or SS, with a couple pilot figures.  I don't paratroopers in 1/6th scale.  My intention is that they work as opponents to my WWII US Army troops who are organized as a regular infantry platoon in the European Theater of Operations.  So that's about 40 infantry, plus the supporting elements they might reasonably have attached in direct support.  One 60mm mortar, two light tanks, a couple Jeeps, and some light and heavy machine guns.  
 

Kiss Kiss Club Seems Normal

The Kiss Kiss Club entrance looking across the front.

The entrance from the outside.

Another view of the front.

The dance floor.

The band is playing.
 

Kiss Kiss Club is Surrounded

Fiona Volpe enters the Kiss Kiss Club looking for Mr. Bond.

As her henchmen surround the club, searching for Mr. Bond.

They seal off every exit.

A pair of henchemen at the entrance, in the upper right, and the lower right.  Each armed with a handgun.  Viona Volpe in the upper center, near the bar.

Where is Bond?

He was wounded at the Junkanoo and went into the restroom to treat his injury.
 

Kiss Kiss Club is Finished

Kiss Kiss Club, Nassau, Bahamas.

A wonderful place to stop, have a drink, dance, and enjoy the band.

King Erison Combo is the featured band.  Here is a photo of the bar in the distance.

The restrooms, in pink, and the entrance, near the beach ball.

Covered seated in the background.

Kiss Kiss Club staff in their red over black uniforms.

Largo's yacht Disco Volante, crewmen after James Bond.  Note each has a pistol in his hand.

Restrooms heavily modified from Dollar Tree building, and so is the ticket booth and the bar.  The bandstand is scratch built, the figures are all conversions from cheap styrene figures from Amazon, and a few random figures from other sources.  The firearms are bits of plastic added to civilian figures to simulate guns.  The base is PVA plastic sheeting 1/4 inch thick, very rigid, very expensive.  I got it used, for free, about 25 years ago in a large quantity and I am still using it up.  Trees are swizzle sticks from Dollar Tree.  Chairs are wire and plastic scratch builds.  Dance floor is sheet plastic with contact paper border.  Posters were digitally created by my daughter.  Billboards from Target stores.  Concrete color bases are removable or reposition-able for different scenarios, as are all the buildings and trees.  So the whole thing is very modular.  The whole base is 20 x 16 inches.  I worked on it off and on for a couple years.
 

Random Photos of My Collection

This year is  the year I get my basement in order.  I have been buying boxes and finally go the sheds assembled.  I hope to clear off the tables someone this year.  The project includes building some racks to hold boxes and installing a second railing on my basement stairs for safety.  Dollar Tree row houses, Godzillasauruas in the back yards.

The last several years I have been working on a project to make police for some East Coast US jurisdictions and some West Coast ones for the years 1898 to 2018.  These are most of the actual cars that have been allocated for the East Coast.  Many will get new markings and some will be repainted.  This does not include most of the trucks, command centers, SWAT vehicles, nor fire trucks and other emergency vehicles.

Base temporary markings for a figure I am making.  James Bond in Thunderball, 007.

The original figure is 1/75th scale, hard plastic made in China, and comes in a bag of 100 rather generic civilian figures with a small number of poses.  Many companies sell these on ebay and Amazon.  Some painted, some not painted, in several variations of size, and quality and pose number.

The figure after mounting on a base and swapping the head.  In my role playing rules major figures get a hexagon shaped plastic base.  Stats will go on the underside of the base.  The character name my go on a plaque on the upper base or written on the bottom.  Being styrene plastic these are very easy to convert and I swap legs, heads, arms, even bodies all the the time since the poses are limited.  I save every unused body part and they often get used up in other projects so I don't have to sacrifice a whole figure each time.

Mr. Bond with an HO 1/87 scale Austin Martin.

It is a small car and he is a big guy, but it seems very small with the scale difference.

These figures paint up pretty well even with my marginal painting skills.

Bond, James Bond.