Battle of Sunchon

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Sunchon, an air battle fought in 1951 near the city of Sunchon, North Korea.  The Royal Australian Air Force's 77 Squadron (recently converted from P-51 Mustangs) was conducting a bomber escort mission with 12 Gloster Meteors when they were attacked by an estimated 40–50 Chinese MiG-15 jet fighters.


This was to be the RAAF's largest aerial engagement during the Korean War and Australian pilots performed admirably, despite their Meteors having inferior manoeuvrability to the Soviet-built MiGs. They managed to score the RAAF's first victories of the Korean War, losing three Meteors in the action with two pilots captured and one missing presumed killed. Accounts naturally vary, with the Australians claiming at least 10 MiGs splashed, but Chinese and North Korean sources stated it was only one.  Two MiG kills were later confirmed.  As a result of this action, 77 Squadron's Meteors were considered inadequate for aerial defence and re-roled to a ground attack role for the remainder of the war.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sunchon_(air)

Kätzchen APC - Part 2

I've been agitating for awhile for somebody to step up and make this vehicle in 28mm.  After yesterday's entry here I made a glib post at the Lead Adventure Forum about anybody taking it up - to my delight Company B has just posted that:


Masters already done.  Casting to begin in Dec.

Here it is next to a JTFM Halftrack.  Joint JTFM and CompanyB model.

Excellent!
http://www.companyb.biz/

Kätzchen APC

Gepanzerter Mannschaftstransportwagen Kätzchen (early designation) or Vollkettenaufklarer 38(t) Kätzchen
...a WW2 fully tracked APC for the Germans.

In late 1943 Heereswaffenamt WA Pruf 6 asked Auto Union to develop a light fully tracked reconnaissance vehicle capable of carrying 6-8 men in an open-topped superstructure. The vehicle was to be capable of speeds in excess of 50 km/hour, and was to be moderately armored. The prototypes were tested in the summer of 1944 and were well liked for both their layout and mobility. Problems were encountered with the gearbox and for this reason, and also because of the decision in Sept./ 1944 to limit all new constructions to 2 chassis types only. Namely the Auto-Union with Parts from the Panther or the CKD (Hetzer 38T).

It was eventually decided to just order a prototype from CKD in Prague, maker of the Hetzer 38(T) Panzerjager. The CKD prototype was actually built in 1944. It was wider than the Auto Union model and heavier, being much better armored. Its front plate was 50mm, sides 30mm and rear 20mm. It retained the general layout with the open top and the engine in the rear, but disposed with the kugelblende for the front MG, wich was instead mounted behind an armored shield as carried by the SdKfz.250 and 251 halftracks. A rear mount for another MG was also provided.

1/76 scale model, by Fine Cast Models

There are few models available in 15mm and 20mm, but none in 28mm yet (darn it...)

http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/Katzchen.htm

http://mainly28s.com/odds/Katzchen.htm

Kugelblitz: Experimental AA Panzer

Another of the 'proposed panzers' this was planned to rectify the deficiencies in other armoured AA defences, such as the Wirbelwind.

Instead of a quad 20mm configuration (which was found to be inadequate) this was the same PzIV chassis with an enclosed twin 30mm turret, each firing 450 rounds per minute.  Some prototypes were completed and may have seen combat in the latter days of the war, but records are incomplete.

I think the rounded turret gives it a kind of early Warsaw Pact styled appearance


I'd like to find a turret in 28mm to slot onto an existing PzIV when needed, but that might be a big ask.
Found it in micro armour (1/300) scale though: http://www.navigatorminiatures.com/product.asp?P_ID=4992&strPageHistory=search&strKeywords=pz&numPageStartPosition=1&strSearchCriteria=any&PT_ID=752


and also in 15mm: http://www.peterpig.co.uk/german.htm


More on this vehicle here:

http://www.panzerworld.net/flakpanzeriv.html

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/kugel.htm#kugel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kugelblitz