TYPE 97 – CHI-HA JAPANESE MEDIUM TANK

With my growing interest in gaming the Pacific theater, fueled by the long anticipated release of TooFatLardies Pacific handbook for Chain of Command. It was time to equip my Japanese army with a troop of three Chi-Ha Kai tanks.

The 1:56/28mm scale plastic model of the Chi-Ha Kai is produced by Warlord Games: It’s very easy to assemble and comes with enough components to make either the Chi-Ha or the upgunned Chi-Ha Kai Shinhoto tank.

Here is how I painted the vehicles.

Apply a thin layer of watered down PVA mixed with fine pumice to simulate dirt and mud on the lower portions of the vehicle (tracks, wheels etc) allow to dry

Coat the whole model using a spray-can of suitable black primer

Encompass the whole vehicle with two thin coats of Vallejo Model Colour Green Brown 70.879 and allow to completely dry

The camouflage will comprise of strong well defined lines which are circular and curved in nature. Vallejo Model Colour Flat Brown 70.984 will be used to create the first layer of camouflage. 

Vallejo Model Colour Refractive Green 70.890 is used to create the second layer of camouflage. 

On completion of this stage the vehicle should appear to have been coated with 3 different colours, each equally encompassing 1/3 of the vehicle.

Apply a wash of Citadel Agrax Earthshade to the body of the vehicle and a wash of Citadel Nuln Oil to the tracks and wheels.

For the next step, you’ll need a thin dry brush and a fine tipped brush

Load the dry brush with Vallejo Model Colour Green Brown 70.879 wiping the brush on a paper towel to remove most of the paint. In tight very light circular motion, start applying the paint in the middle of the Green Brown Camouflage pattern and moving outwards just short of the already applied basecoat that has been washed over with Agrax Earthshade.

Next use a mix of 2:1 ratio mix of Vallejo Green Brown with Vallejo Ivory 70.918 applying the same technique as described above, starting in the middle and just short  of the previously highlight.

Finally use a mix of 1:1 ration of Vallejo Green Brown with Vallejo Ivory 70.918 and use the thin tipped brush to apply a very small light spot in the middle of the camouflage. 

Remember each highlight edge needs to fade into and blend with the previous applied highlight.

Follow the above step for both Vallejo Model Colour Flat Brown and Refractive Green. 

Use Vallejo Model Colour Black Grey 70.862 to paint the tracks, rubber of wheels, tools and machine guns

Once dry apply generous wash of Vallejo Model Colour Flat Earth 70.983 mixed with water over the tracks, wheels and lower portions of the vehicle.

Using a dry brush technique to highlight portions of the wheels, track and lower portions of the vehicle by lightly dry brushing, high spots with a Vallejo Model Colour Green Brown .

Tool handles can by painted with Vallejo Model Colour Brown Beige 70.875 and highlighted by mixing Vallejo Model Colour Basic Skintone 70.875.

Citadel leadbelcher paint can be used to highlight some portions of the tracks, the machine gun and corners of the tools.

Use Vallejo Model Colour Black Grey 70.862 to apply tiny specs on the panel simulating chipped paint.

Apply the supplied decals coat it with a suitable clear protective vanish and its ready for the gaming table

Cheers John

ULTRAMARINES OUTRIDER SQUAD

As expected the second lot of Ultramarines arrived, this is a Outrider squad and I paused my work on my Germanic warriors to paint them, here are some images of the finished figures.

The hordes of Germanic Warriors waiting on my painting bench to be completed.

Cheers John 

TYPE 4 HO-RO JAPANESE ASSAULT GUN

I managed to pick this up at MOAB at the bring and buy for a good price. It's use, by the Japanese was limited mainly to the Philippine campaign with a few making an appearance at Okinawa, in all only 12 of these vehicles were ever produced.

This is a plastic 28mm Italica model sold by Warlord games, one good thing abut this kit is that the sprues include the Chi-Ha and Kai Shinhuto turrets, so you may convert this vehicle into a tank.

Instead of gluing the top portion of the vehicle onto the hull, I instead glued two tiny magnets to the rear underside and used the exiting relocating nobs to secure the top portion of the vehicle.

I also glued a thin sheet of metal onto the hull so that the magnets can adhere to. I put together the tank turrets together (with some help with Greenstuff putty and some very small scratch built additions) with the same set up, so now you have a choice to either field two version of the Chi-Ha tank or Assault gun. 

CHEERS JOHN