Red Devils Platoon

Presenting my 28mm WW2 British Airborne force.  In fact, this project was the main reason for my accepting Dux's dare to get into the painting challenge in the first place, so that I could start and actually finish a new army.  

I must admit that I have had a bit of a love/hate relationship with these guys, but it has been very satisfying to build and get a new army onto the table in a short period of time.  Initially this force was planned for Bolt Action, but what you see here has been re-tweaked to comply with the historically correct orbats used in Chain of Command rules (which I very much like).

Corporal "Tommy" Aitkens's No 1 Section takes up overwatch position on a hill

No 2 Section under Corporal "Spider" Webb does likewise in a ruin

With the rest of the platoon covering him, Corporal "Squizzy" Taylor leads his No 3 section forward

The force currently comprises 54 figures - 3 x 9 man Airborne infantry sections, a Platoon HQ which includes snipers, a PIAT team and a 2inch mortar (proxied by the prone Bren gun team until I get the figures).  The support elements available are a 5 man Vickers MMG team, a 5 man Light Howitzer detachment, a 3 man Sapper team with a Flamethrower, a medic (already submitted for the Hero bonus round) and a Forward Observer team.   I still have another infantry section and a two man PIAT team to come as reinforcements...plus a big chunky Churchill Mk VII Heavy Tank!

PIAT team

Platoon Sharpshooters
I would like to thank everyone for their suggestions on tackling the signature camo denizen smocks, which I found somewhat daunting.  I really appreciated the advice and quite like the end result, though they came out darker than I had originally intended.  I spent quite a bit of time on the basing too, and have tried something a bit different.  All Officers and Senior NCOs have yellow flowers on their bases to help indentify them.  Similarly, anyone not armed with a trusty Lee Enfield .303 rifle has a small white rock on the base.  That should make it easier to pick out out the stens, brens and other special weapons on the table.  Models are a combination of Bolt Action and Crusader - the latter are a bit chunkier but not overly so and I think it adds nice variety in the force.

I'm reserving my Platoon HQ figures for a future Painting Competition entry so you'll have to wait for those :-)

And so my Red Devils are ready for their first outing on the table - watch out Jerry!

Painting Challenge wise these guys netted me 296 points to take me past my 500 Challenge target - Hooray!

PS Here is my entry post for the painting challenge: http://analogue-hobbies.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/from-paulj-28mm-wwii-british.html

Colours used are: Undercoat in white

Basecoats:

Denizen Jacket - Khaki

Trousers - English uniform

Gaters, helmets, wrist bands, scarves - dark US green

Rifle woodwork - brown

Berets- GW Khorne red (scab red)

Flesh - GW bronzed flesh 

Jacket camo pattern: US dark green, Brown GW XV-88, German camo brown

Heavy GW Agrax Earthshade wash all over

Finish with a Khaki highlight on the webbing and gaiters