VICKERS MACHINE GUN manned by Australians in the PACIFIC

This weekend has provided me with some time  to finish off my Vickers Machine gun and progress further with my Australian Infantry Platoon as CANCON is getting closer.

I have scratched built the Vickers gun and converted Perry plastic  28mm figures as the crew. 

Japanese sniper in the palm trees has his sights on the gunner.

Completed Vickers gun with Australian crew.

Vickers gun with crew prior to painting.

The starting point of the scratch build.
 Once more  I used odds and ends of plastic,brass rods and whatever was lying around for the build.

On completing the Vickers , I moved onto converting  Perry's 8th army figures to man the gun.

Completed Vickers gun.

Green stuff putty was used to help with the conversion work.

I also modeled the spent ammo belt which runs out the other side of the MG.

Two crew members the loader with a metal slouch hat and other member pointing out targets.

The other 2 crew members, one opening a ammo case while the other is carrying in more ammo.

Figures and gun painted and flocked.

Gunner

I modeled the gunner in such a position, to portray him  blasting away at a target.  

I also constructed a Log entrenchment for the Vickers.

It's constructed with fallen branches off a tree in the local park , trimmed and super- glued in place. I also added some fine flock, this was a very quick build.

 

I decided to make the log emplacement without a base so that it would sit on-top of  and blend in better with the terrain on the gaming table.

I also made one for the 2 pounder gun I  recently constructed.

Here is the 2 pounder in place, if you notice I had to leave a gap in the front of the log emplacement to accommodate the chassis of the gun.

cheers John 

Australian Scratch built 2 pounder anti tank gun 28mm

Continuing with my Supports for Pacific Aussies, a scratched built 2 pounder anti tank gun with Perry plastic converted 28mm figures for the crew.

This gun is covering the road between Primary jungle. 

Completed gun with crew

Completed models, prior to painting.

Start of the building process for the 2 pounder

The platform for the gun was constructed using plastic sprues,Evergreen styrene sheet and brass rods. 

The actual gun portion was made by milling metal wire with my hand motor and soldering them together.

Next step was to start modifying some Perry 8th army Plastic  figures for the crew.

After viewing some images on the web I decided to model  one of the guns with side shields this gun will be destined for the Pacific. 

You may have  noticed, I actually modeled two, 2 pounder guns, one for the Aussies in the Pacific theater the other for a future project : 8th army in the Desert theater (which keeps being put on the back burner, for the past 2 years).

Australian 2 pounder crew in the jungle with side shields attached.

Some conversion work was carried out to facilitate the crew using a hobby knife and Green stuff putty, the shorts where also converted to long trousers.

Some of the metal helmets where substituted with slouch hats , ammo rounds and  ammo container where also modeled. 
I probably should have removed the bayonet for the crew.

Completed gun based on a magnetic sheet with Milliput added to the surface for texture, before applying the Milliput putty I super glued  some brass rods  onto the magnetic sheet to provide rigidity and strength to the magnetic sheet.

The wheels where modeled using 2 plastic bases in the Perry 8th army plastic kits. Follow the link for instructions on how its done; Modelling wheels.

The gunner is permanently fixed in place.

Model is painted with the base colour being: Vallejo model colour Russian uniform and I used the same painting technique  as for painting Late war British vehicles.
The grasses where made with my DIY Static grass applicator.

 The  crew painted; Junior Leader on the right.

 More crew members.

The Junior leader of the gun is positioned standing at the rear of the gunner, I decide to place him here after viewing many images on the web with the commander taking up such a position.

Junior Leader peering over the gun shield on Overwatch,  for  Japanese tanks.

Cheers John