AV's Corner

Time for the next platoon to get painted.

2012-01-27T22:37:00.000+01:00

Now that my 90. Leichte Afrika Division Schützen Kompanie is done it is time to concentrate me more on my French Escadron de Reconnaissance Early War force.
The platoon that is ready to get painted is a Deep Reconnaissance platoon with 4 Panhard AMD 35.

What will follow after this platoon is a bit unclear as the weather forecast is showing that the temperature will drop below the 0 degrees Celsius. So this means I can't give new platoons a layer of primer or even get painted platoons sealed with varnish because, when it is freezing, I don't have a room with a warm enough temperature to use a spray-can and get a good result. I don't think it is wise to go and spray in the living room or kitchen. Oh well I can't do nothing more then wait and see what happens. Maybe I find a way to solve this problem.

Thanks for reading!

Battlefield in a Box: Italian Vineyards 2

2012-01-23T15:15:00.002+01:00

This weekend, in the few hours of free time I had, I decided to enhance my Battlefield in a Box: Italian Vineyards. For this I choose to use the same flock and static grass basing that I use for my Early War French Escadron de Reconnaissance Compagnie. It is a mixture of GFS010 Hobby Round: Spring Undergrowth and a static grass that can be compared with GFS001 Hobby Round: Green Static Grass (both Gale Force Nine). There is one thing I am considering to do and that is to place some little magnets in the fields and vineyard rows to keep the vineyard rows in place during game-play.
How the vineyards looks now can be seen on the 2 pictures below.
And if you want to compare the pictures with how they looked before I enhanced them look here: Battlefield in a Box: Italian Vineyards

Thanks for looking!

90. Leichte Afrika Division Schützen Kompanie part 9: The Company

2012-01-21T10:34:00.002+01:00

A slide-show of my 90. Leichte Afrika Division Schützen Kompanie.

With all options added the total of this Company is now 1530 points.
As said in an earlier post I will add trucks to the Afrika Schützen platoons and Pioneer platoon somewhere in the future. Also will I build some objectives.
Side note. Just saw that I started with this Company in March 2010. Never thought that it would take almost 2 years to complete it.

Thanks for looking!

90. Leichte Afrika Division Schützen Kompanie part 8: Light Artillery Battery

2012-01-19T11:00:00.000+01:00

Finally a post of a new painted platoon. The DAK Light Artillery Battery.It took me weeks to get this platoon painted but now it is finally done.
The Battery contains: four 10.5cm le FH18 Howitzers, one Staff-team, one Command SMG team and two Observer Rifle teams.
With this platoon painted my 1500 points DAK Kompanie is now completed. In a later stage I will add trucks to the force. How my force looks on paper can be seen here: 90. Leichte Afrika Division Schützen Kompanie part 1: The List. Later on I will post a slide-show containing all the painted platoons.
One different thing about this platoon compared to the others is the base-edge. Where the other platoons had the base-edge painted the same colour as the whole base, for this platoon I used a different colour compared to the base itself, Vallejo Desert Yellow (977). This means that I have to repaint all the base-edges of the other platoons.
Now on to some pictures.

DAK Light Artillery Battery

Staff team

Command SMG team

1 Observer Rifle team

1 10.5cm le FH18 Howitzer

Thank you for looking!

The Ancible Issue 13

2012-01-17T15:36:00.000+01:00

This issue of the Ancible is for a great part dedicated to the game "Uncharted Seas". With a big article about the game itself. Further an article how to build and paint the ships and an Uncharted Seas Battle report.
Then there are also articles about the Tänhauser boardgame, Talisman and Malafaux Twisting Fates.
For me personally this Issue has not much to bring although I must say that those Uncharted Seas ship look great and maybe in the future some can be a nice objects to paint.
For those who like to read more you can download the new issue here: The Ancible Issue 13

Thanks for reading.

Army file for the Poles in Itay pdf.

2012-01-16T10:25:00.000+01:00

First things first. I like to welcome all new followers of my blog. I hope you all will enjoy my scribblings and posts.

And now for those who are interested and play FoW and always keep an eye on my army files, on to the Poles in Italy army file. This is the newest and last army file I have built. As most of you probably may already know I decided to stop make these kind of army files and go back to were it all started; Making army files only for those forces I collect and play with.
Now about the army file of this pdf briefing. I know there is a lot of fuss about this pdf briefing on the Battlefront forum. Most about what is wrong about this briefing. As I don't play Poles myself and never faced them I can't judge about this.
This army file is made using the current Poles in Itay pdf briefing that is currently on the Battlefront website for download. I hope that I have made at least some people happy with this army file. The army file is available in XLS and ODS format. For download look here: Army Files.

Thanks for reading!

Irregular Magazine issue 11 / Winter 2012

2012-01-15T11:22:00.000+01:00

Today I downloaded the latest issue of Irregular Magazine. While looking at the index there were 2 articles that caught my eye almost instantly.
First there is this article about the battle of Stalingrad 1942. Although it is a short article but for me, being a WWII freak and FoW player, it was a nice read. The other article is the one on how to make snow-bases. I haven't read this article completely yet, mostly what I did was quick scan, but it looks like a great tutorial.
The other articles look promising. Although I don't play the games mentioned in the magazine I always find it interesting to read. There is always something in the issues which maybe can come in handy on a later date. For the complete contents and to download the issue go here: Irregular Magazine Issue 11

Thanks for reading!

Battlefield in a Box: Italian Vineyards

2012-01-12T22:14:00.002+01:00

Arrived, at my doorstep all the way from England, has the Battlefield in a Box: Italian Vineyards box.
This box contains 8 Vineyard rows, 2 Vineyard Fields and 1 little bag with static gras.

The stuff looks great. Specially the Vineyard rows. The only thing left for me to do is to Enhance the Terrain with static grass.
One thing that is wrong is that 1 of the Vineyard Fields has less to no structure on it. Compare the 2 pictures below and you will see what i mean. I am not entirely sure if it has to be this way or if it is a defect. Don't know what I will do, or keep the field and give it a muddy look or send an email to Battlefront and ask for a replacement, if that is possible.

Field with structure

Field without structure

8 Vineyard rows

1 complete field

Thanks for looking.

The strange behavior of 'Comments' 2.

2012-01-05T16:47:00.000+01:00

OK I have enough of it. It is getting frustrating that each time I post a comment it disappears and is placed in the spam filter of the persons blog I posted a comment. I tried all kind of things but nothing seems to work.
The other way around, when people give a comment on one of my posts, everything works fine.
So if you want to know if I posted any comments please check you spam filter. It is probably the place where you can find my comments. There you can also mark that my comments aren't spam.
I am out of solutions.

Thanks for reading.

The strange behavior of 'Comments'.

2012-01-02T10:54:00.000+01:00

This is something I only found out yesterday and today. Each time I place a comment on someone's post on a blog page I follow, the moment I post the comment, it disappears. It seems that this problem is acting up longer then a few weeks and seems to be a problem with blogger.
The strange thing is that it don't happen on all blog pages.
For example some of the blogs of which the comments disappears are:

-15mm paint shack

-BLMA (BigLee's Miniature Adventures)

-WWPD

-The Angry Lurker

But there are many more.

A few blog pages which don't have this problem are:

-Wargame News and Terrain

-Don't throw a one

So don't be mad at me if you think I am not giving any comment on any blog post. It is something I can't do nothing about. I never removed one of my comments. I will keep posting comments maybe one day it will all work again and you can read them.

Other thing is how many people, that are following my blog, have posted a comment that I never read because the same thing happened to them. Thus if I didn't respond on any of your comments I can't help it simply because your comments were never published.

Thanks for reading.

2012 A look forward.

2012-01-01T14:10:00.000+01:00

Let me start by wishing everyone a great and healthy 2012. With lot's of painting, gaming and spending time with your loved ones.

What are some of my New-Years Resolutions.
I have decided that I won't start a new FoW army. I first going to finish my Early War French army and I will buy, once in a while, some new blisters to expend my already existing armies. I will concentrate more on new book(s) like the new rulebook.
This leaves me with some more money to spend on other things I like besides gaming.
An other resolution is to paint more. Nothing more to say here.
What a big failure was last year, making my own terrain, is now something I certainly going to spent more time on.
Having different armies is nice of-course but if you don't do anything with it, it is a waste. So I have decided that this year it is time to play more games.
I am going try post more messages on my blog for you all to enjoy and I am even going to try to improve the quality of my posts. In writing and pictures. Last part will probably the hardest thing to do for me but I can always try. :-)
I am going to try to do more those things I really like and enjoy to do and spent less time behind the television or my computer. Time to stop with social media?????? Hmmm already don't spend much time on that.
I have some more New-Years Resolutions but these are private and not for everybody's ears.

Well this is my first post in 2012 let's hope many will follow.

Thank you for reading.

2011 A look back.

2011-12-30T15:56:00.000+01:00

We have reached the end of the year thus it is time for a look back.

The blog.
At the beginning of the year I set in my mind that i wanted at least 100 messages placed on my blog or close to that number. As you all can see I am not even close to it, as a matter of fact I even post less messages than last year.
I can come with a lot of excuses but the simple fact is I just didn't post enough. But to give some examples, I had planned to post more messages about Dutch WWII History. Also had some other projects planned but which never came of the ground. And real life got in the way, namely work. Hopefully next year is a better year.
Positive things are that this year the number of followers went over the 100 and that I had more than 15000 visitors, counter is now over the 17000.

Painting.
First there is my DAK kompanie. It should have been finished months ago but now with the year almost done I still have to paint 1 platoon. This was a frustrating project simple because of the fact that it was hard to get all the required platoons for my list. Now I hope this last platoon will be painted in the beginning of 2012.
About the new project I started this year, the "Escadron de Reconnaissance" for Early War. This project is on schedule maybe even a little ahead of it. This has always been planned as a long term project but if I can keep up with the painting there is a change that this company is already done before June / July coming year.
The failed project. I had planned to built a lot of terrain this year, like bocage, hedge and fences, just all kind of terrain for the FoW table. When you followed the blog you can see that I never posted anything about this. This was simple because I never even started with building any terrain. I feel so ashamed. This is something I really hope I can get of the ground next year.

Army files.
Maybe most of you already know but it was the year that i stopped with make army files for FoW briefings. I have one more planned and after that I only will make army files of those briefings I really like and army's I have myself. And I will update, if necessary, older files made by me.
Speaking of updated files maybe people should check it out because some files are updated.

Personal life.
Two major things has happened this year in my life. A surgery and a new job.
First the one with a major impact on my life. At the beginning of the year I had a 4 hours long brain surgery to remove a tumor from brain. It all went well and I am feeling great. Had a check up a some weeks ago (MRI scan) and all is looking great. There was nothing to see.
The other major thing is that I found a job. Maybe not the greatest job of all but it is good to work again and earn some money.

I like to thank all my followers and readers of this blog for being here and staying here and, hopefully, enjoying all my scribblings.

You all have a Great and Happy New-Year.

See you in 2012.

A new fresh look.

2011-12-26T11:22:00.000+01:00

Some of you may have already noticed, others will when they read this post.
As you all can see I have changed the look of my blog. It is not that I didn't like the look of the old one any-more, one of reasons is that I just thought that after two and a half years and now that we are getting close to a new year it is time for a new fresh look.
At first I wanted to change the old blog by hand. Because that one was an old template I had to do all change by hand using HTML but at 1 point it became such a mess that I decided to choose one of the blogger templates and made the changes I liked. At the end this was much easier and it is now much easier to change things because I longer have to do it by hand.

What has changed.
Let's start with the minor things.
First the background. The background stayed the same but now it is fixed in place it no longer moves when you scroll up and down.
The header. The picture of the US paratroopers is gone and replaced by a picture which shows a little more what this blog is all about, painting WWII minis. I am not to happy with the picture and maybe will replace it later on but somehow I can't manage to take a nice and good looking photo.

What major thing has changed.
The blog it self. It just became must more clear to look at. The blog posts are in the yellow background while the links and other stuff are in the transparent part.

I hope you all like this new look and comments are always welcome even negative ones. :-)

Thanks for reading.

Almost Christmas time

2011-12-22T09:14:00.000+01:00

Be good.

The Christmas present that I bought for myself.

2011-12-20T10:37:00.001+01:00

I and the family never buy or bought presents for Christmas. This because of the fact that a few weeks ago it was my birthday and not only mine and at the beginning of December in the Netherlands we celebrate an other feast called Sinterklaas, a childerens feast. Although more and more people, mostly grown ups, instead of celebrating Sinterklaas are now give presents with Christmas.
Because of the fact that I and the family don't give presents I usually buy something for myself around Christmas time. This year the choice fell on some FoW blisters.

On the picture you can see 4 blisters with Panhard AMD-35, 2 Blisters with Renault AMR-35 and 1 Blister with a mortar platoon. All are for my French Early War company from the Blitzkrieg book.
With the blisters I can build: 1 Panhard AMD-35 platoon, 1 Renault AMR-25 platoon and 1 Mortar platoon.
This brings me 1 step closer to the end of a complete Escadron de Reconnaissance company.
Now all I have to do is to find time to paint it all.

Thanks for reading.

An apology and the new Ancible

2011-12-17T16:39:00.003+01:00

I like to start to say Sorry that i don't give comments on other people's blog. The reason is that I don't have much time left because of the Christmas madness at work. And when I get home I am too tired to do something. I even haven't been painting minis for weeks. Hopefully with the start of the new year I have more time to give comments and start painting again. BTW this doesn't mean that I don't read the blogs.

Next I like to tell that I saw that the new issue of The Ancible is up for download. Issue number 12. I am a little late because it is already available since November.
In this issue you will find:
- Incursion SNAFU

- Watching Paint Dry
- Twilight
- Discworld
- Wargods
- Confrontation

The Ancible.

Thanks for reading.

Persons from Dutch WW II History: Hannie Schaft, The Girl with the Red Hair

2011-12-11T12:04:00.001+01:00

Jannetje Johanna (Hannie) Schaft; Haarlem, 16 September 1920 - Bloemendaal , 17 April 1945

Hannie Schaft was a Dutch Communist and resistantance fighter during World War II.
She was born as the daughter of Peter Schaft, a teacher who felt strongly related to the SDAP (Social Democratic Labour Party), and Talea Aafje Freer who was a Baptist.
She attended High school and in 1938 she started to study rights at the Municipal University of Amsterdam. Here she became befriended with her Jewish fellow students Philine Polak and Sonja Frenk, who both later during the war went into hiding at Hannie's parents home. Because of this she felt, when the war began, personally touched by the persecution of the Jews.

As a student after she had refused to sign the declaration of loyalty*, she went back to her parents. She took an increasingly active part in the resistance and helped with hiding stolen ration cards and identity cards. Her pseudonym became Hannie and her nickname was the girl with the red hair. Eventually she joined the Council of Resistance (RVV), an organization that, by its close links with the CPN (Communist Party Netherlands), who were greatly distrusted by other resistance movements. Along with Freddie and Hilda Oversteegen she committed several attacks on Germans, collaborators and traitors.
*The declaration of loyalty was a declaration that students had to sign in 1943. In that statement they had to promise that they would "refrain from any action directed against the German Reich”. The statement was introduced by the Germans on 13 March 1943, the students had until April 10 the time to sign the declaration. Those who did not sign, could no longer follow any college.

On June 8, 1944 she with resistance fighter Jan Bonekamp committed, at Heemstede, an attack on the NSB (National Socialist Movement) member and confectioner Peter Faber. He died six days later. Schaft and Bonekamp then committed on June 21, 1944 an attack on W.M. Ragut . Here Bonekamp became mortally wounded, which made Hannie Schaft to decide to went into hiding. On September 5, 1944 ( Dolle Dinsdag / Mad Tuesday ) an attack of Hannie Schaft and Jan Heusdens on policeman Willemsen failed. Hannie Schaft and Hilda Oversteegen had planned to liquidate Fake Krist on October 25, 1944, but other Haarlem resistance fighters killed him before they could execute their plan.

On March 1, 1945 NSB policeman William Zirkzee was shot by Hannie Schaft and Hilda Oversteegen. This took place near Krelagehuis at the Leidsevaart in Haarlem. On March 15 Hannie Schaft and Hilda Oversteegen committed an attack on Ko Langendijk . This was the barber from Ijmuiden who started to work for the Sicherheitsdienst. A previous attempt on him in January by Bonekamp had failed.

Hannie was hated by the Germans, because at the end of the war she commited many, in their eyes, senseless attacks. She was, on 21 March 1945, arrested at a roadblock at the Jan Gijzenkade near the Mauermuur (Haarlem) when she was carrieing underground papers and a weapon. At the police station of Haarlem the Germans discovered with whom they were doing. It was Emil Rühl who brought Hannie Schaft from Haarlem to the House of Detention on Amstelveenseweg in Amsterdam.

Although at the end of the war, an agreement existed between the occupiers and Interior Forces (BS) to kill no women, Hannie, three weeks before the end of the war (on April 17, 1945), commissioned by Willy Lages, was shot in the dunes of Bloemendaal. Here she, after a glancing shot, coolly would have said: "I shoot better", which made member of the SD Maarten Kuiper to empty his machine gun at her.

On 27 November 1945, her remains were reburied with military honors at the Honour cemetery Bloemendaal at Overveen . Queen Wilhelmina, Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard were also present. For her fight against the Nazis Hannie was in 1946 posthumous honoured with the “Resistance Cross 1940 - 1945” and the “Medal of Freedom”, an American special award.

Because Hannie Schaft could serve as a political symbol of communist resistance for the Dutch Communists, which many did not like, her name lost much of its luster during the Cold War. In 1951 the government even went so far to deploy police and army - including four armored vehicles - to make the anniversary of her death impossible. Much later, when the communist hate had died down Princess Juliana unveiled on 3 mei 1982 a bronze statue, made by Truus Menger-Oversteegen, in the Kenaupark in Haarlem.

Thanks for reading.

Photo: Noord-Hollands Archief

What you can find when cleaning up a closet part 2

2011-11-26T09:00:00.000+01:00

After "What you can find when cleaning up a closet part 1" here is part 2. As told in part 1 this has nothing to do with WWII but I found it interesting enough to tell here because it is about minis and a bit about casting.
What we have here are rubber molds from my childhood times. That is about 34 years ago. I found a date saying 1977. (I am feeling old now.) They were stashed away in a metal box.
The molds are to be used to cast historical minis.
As being a child at the time these molds are selected, it was not to form an army but they were more selected as what I thought where cool looking minis.
There are 10 molds and the molds are from Prinz August. Looking at it now I regret that I never bought the molds to cast horses to pull the cannon.
I am wondering if these molds could still be used to cast minis.
Let's take a look.

The molds

Mold example 1

Mold example 2

Pictures of the molds I have

Casted minis

Painted when I was 11 years old

More material

Thanks for looking.

What you can find when cleaning up a closet part 1

2011-11-25T11:57:00.001+01:00

A few day's ago I was cleaning up a closest and boy what you can find when you haven't looked in it for many years. That is besides all the junk you can throw away.

First there is this box filled with 1:72 models mainly filled with WWII minis.
It contains, all kind of British troops, German troops, Australian troops, USA Airfield troops and USA WWI troops.
Some vehicles and last a Airfix pontoon bridge in HO-OO scale. This bridge has a total length of 65 cm.
All what you see here is between 30 and 35 years old.

Troops in a box

Vehicles

Pontoon bridge in original package

Pontoon bridge full length

The next thing I found was a bag full of large scale WWII models. Product name is unknown to me. Like the Airfix minis what you see here is between 30 and 35 years old.
Now lets see what the bag contains.

American troops

American para troops

American Hospital

Country unknown to me

German

This was part 1 for now. Soon there will be a part 2 but that part ain't about WWII stuff but something completely different.

Thanks for looking.

About the DAK Light Artillery Battery

2011-11-14T10:26:00.001+01:00

The latest purchase for my DAK army, is the new DAK Light Artillery Battery box (GBX51).


Box cover

The box contains the following teams: 1 Staff team, 1 Command SMG team, 2 Observer teams and 4 10.5cm leFH18 howitzers.

Box contents

About the box contents.
There are 2 things I like to tell about. First, the less important one, what I miss is a diagram how to build the Howitzers. After laying out all the parts there was one thing left and I absolutely have no clue what to do with it. See picture.

????

Then second and the important part, the minis.
The first thing that I noticed was the look of the minis. They are, compared to the older models, not so bulky. They are thinner and finer. The height is the same although that is not how it looks but the new models have a much thinner tab and thus look smaller. This would be not such big problem if it wasn't that a few minis in the box are the older ones so you can see the difference. Take a look at the picture below to see the difference.
Further the minis have lots of flash and some are even not nicely cast.
It is not that I dislike the minis it is just that you can see the difference compared with the other older minis of my DAK army.


The difference

Thanks for reading.

90. Leichte Afrika Division Schützen Kompanie part 7: 5cm PaK38 Platoon

2011-11-09T23:17:00.001+01:00

The completed PaK38 platoon with 4 gun teams and a Command SMG team.
None of the teams are sealed yet because I still haven't bought a new spray-can of varnish.
I am not too happy how the bases turned out but they will do, maybe in the far future I will change them.
With this platoon finished I only have to paint 1 more platoon: The Artillery.
Hopefully I can go and pick up the box this weekend.

The 5cm PaK38 Platoon

Thanks for looking.

PAK38 Update.

2011-11-07T17:10:00.000+01:00

First pictures of my almost painted DAK PAK38 platoon.
Painting is almost done. The crew need some minor painting, not much, and then of-course the base.
I also have to figure out what color the ammo had for the PAK38 guns.
Sorry for the somewhat bad pictures.

DAK PAK38 platoon

The Command team

One of the guns plus crew

Thanks for looking.

On the painting table.

2011-10-28T17:58:00.000+02:00

Finally I can do some more work on my MW DAK company.
On my painting table is the MW PAK38 platoon.
The first problem that I faced with this platoon is that everything from the gun that could be bend was bend. So the first thing I had to do was to get it all straight again.

PAK38 platoon primed black

It seemed that there was a curse on my DAK company. It was a project that I started on March 2010 and the planning was that it would be all done at least by the end of that year. But because of all kind of problems, like the lack of Stug D's and PAK 38 because they weren't available for order, the end date that the company would be finished was replaced more and more into the future.
Now finally it seems that things come to an end. After the PAK38 platoon I only have to paint an artillery platoon. For this I ordered the brand new GBX51 DAK Light Artillery Battery box with the 10.5cm leFH18 howitzers. I can even already go and pick up the box. So with almost a years delay the company will finally be finished in several weeks.

Thanks for reading.

Today in Dutch WWII History: The Winter Famine

2011-10-25T08:32:00.000+02:00

The winter famine was in the winter of 1944 to 1945. This was a severe winter with a great scarcity of food and fuel at the end of the Second World War in which twenty thousand Dutch people died of hunger and cold.

The Cause of the scarcity
The cause of the shortage must be sought in a reprisal by the Germans, following the general railway strike after 17 September 1944. In retaliation the German occupation forces blocked all food shipments to the west of the Netherlands. The blockade lasted six weeks and caused a famine in the western Netherlands disaster of catastrophic proportions. During this period, the South Netherlands was liberated. As the front line was now the Netherlands - roughly along the major rivers - there could no longer be coal transported from Limburg to the west of the Netherlands. Because the rivers and the IJselmeer were frozen shut, and because land transport is no longer possible, the west of the Netherlands was cut off from all supplies, fuels like coal, clothing and medicines. In the face of liberation in the first months of 1945 more than 20,000 Dutch died of starvation because of the blockade.

Life during the winter famine
People weren't allowed to be on the streets after eight pm in the evening (curfew). Because gas and electricity were no longer available, there was no light, no heating and no possibilities for cooking. With a mechanical flash-light you could have some light but many had to do with a candle and went to bed early.
If there even was a little food in the house, it had nevertheless to be cooked or heated. For that they often used an old tin can with a hole in the bottom, a little miracle heater. In there little twigs or wood chip were burned.
Due to the lack of fuel, the tarred wood blocks, that were installed between the tram rails, were robed. Also trees were cut down illegally. In the Amsterdam Jewish quarter and Nieuwmarkt neighbourhood the wood was taken from the empty houses from the deported Jews.
The schools were still open, but gradually the classes became smaller because many children were sick or stayed home. Shortly after the liberation, many malnourished children were placed for a few months with foster parents, including from the the United Kingdom, to return to strength.

Famine trips
Inside occupied territory, the situation was worst in the Randstad. Especially in large cities, the problem was acute. So the people themselves went in search of food. On the streets children were looking for something to eat in the bins.

At central kitchens, on presentation of a voucher card, people could get once a day a watery stew or soup of potato peelings. This led to long waiting rows which was not easy in the biting cold. Some people even tried to eat tulip bulbs and sugar beets.
Many people, especially women, cycled or walked to the east or north of the country, in order to find food, to exchange the little money they had or possessions (textiles, silverware, gold jewellery) for food. The so called famine-trips. Many farmers gave shelter to those who covered the street. Those people were called famine hikers. Some farmers did abuse the situation and enriched themselves.
In the cities it was sometimes very difficult to find a grave for the dead. The ground was frozen hard and the energy for excavation and transportation was lacking. Wood for coffins could also be better used as fuel. In Amsterdam the corpses were stored in the empty Zuiderchurch.

Help
In February 1945 Swedish white bread was distributed which was arranged by the International Red Cross. This bread was baked in the Netherlands, the meal came with a special transport ship from Sweden. At the end of the war in April food drops by Allied aircraft took place such as Operation Manna. Contrary to popular belief, these two events are stand alone projects: there never has been Swedish bread dropped over the Netherlands.

Thanks for reading.

100 Followers

2011-10-24T10:38:00.002+02:00

A week after announced that my blog had reached the 15.000 hits I can now proudly announce that I have reached an other milestone. There are now 100 people crazy enough to follow this blog. Still haven't figured out what goes on in those peoples mind that made them decide to even follow my blog.
Anyway a great welcome to all new followers hopefully you will enjoy the ride. And a thank you to all the old followers for staying.

Thanks for reading.

Update for the 11th Armoured Division During Market Garden army file

2011-10-22T11:00:00.001+02:00

Some errors were found by 1stBN (from the FoW forum) and me in the Motor Company of this army file. I have now solved these errors and problems.
Next, the links that send you forward to the different sheets in the file are, if I am correct, now also working in the Excel file.
A new excel and odf file (Version v1.1) is up for download.
Army Files.

What you can expect soon:
Because I have no FoW to paint at the moment I am working on 2 new piece's of Dutch WWII history. Hopefully I can have the first one up soon.
My next painting project will be for my MW DAK company.

Thanks for reading.

Hit 15,000 times.

2011-10-17T10:33:00.001+02:00

Today I reached the total of 15,000 visits on my blog. These 15,000 blog visits are good for a total of 28,705 page views. Where it took me 2 years to reach the 10,000 visits it only took 6 months to have 5,000 more visits to reach the 15,000.
As always the most visitors are from the US followed, although at a great distance, by the UK . The rest follows on an even greater distance.
The most popular posts and page are the ones about the home made army files.
I only need 7 more followers to reach the 100, but at the moment it seems that I am stuck at 93.
A great thanks to all followers and readers of my blog, I hope that you all still enjoy and will keep enjoying my blog.

Thanks for reading!

Irregular Magazine - Latest Issue

2011-10-16T08:34:00.000+02:00

Just released, well yesterday to be exact, Irregular Magazine Issue #10 Autumn ‘11; Visions of the Apocalypse.
Filled with nice story's, painting tutorial of a space ship from the Firestorm Armada range, and lot's more. Most breathtaking is the nice cover of this issue.
You can download a copy here: Irregular Magazine.

Thanks for reading

My 2011 / 2012 FoW project 6: Fusiliers-Voltigeurs Platoon (Colonial) painted.

2011-10-15T11:27:00.000+02:00

First Sorry for the long wait but there is finally an update for this blog. I had some trouble at work that had to be solved first. Next I like to welcome all new followers of this blog.
What we have is a painted Fusiliers-Voltigeurs Platoon (Colonial) for my France Early War Escadron de Reconnaissance army. Just like the Fusiliers Machine-gun Platoon this platoon is not from Battlefront but from Forced in Battle.
The colors I used are all Vallejo.
Uniform and great coat: Green Brown (879)
Helmet: Olive Green (888)
Pack: German Camo Orange Ochre (824)
Blanket: Flat Earth (983)
Boots: Chocalate Brown (872)
Webbing, Canteen: German Camo Beige (821)
Gun stocks: Beige Brown (875)
Gun metal and tin-can on back: first German Grey (995) then drybrushed with Gunmetal (863)
When all the basecoats where done they all did get a wash of Game Color smoke with a few drops of the basecoat color added to this wash thinned down with water. After that a little drybrush is done using the basecoat color.
Base: Is painted using US Field Drap (873). Then after this has dried I used a mixture of GaleForce nine Spring Undergrowth (GFS010) + some cheap flock Fibres Medium Green, to flock my base. Also some real small pebbles are added. All this together gave a sort of rough terrain look.
With this platoon painted I now have 2 completed platoons.


Fusiliers-Voltigeurs Platoon (Colonial) front

Fusiliers-Voltigeurs Platoon (Colonial)back

Fusiliers-Voltigeurs Platoon Command Rifle/MG team

Fusiliers-Voltigeurs Platoon VB team

Fusiliers-Voltigeurs Platoon Rifle/MG team

Thanks for looking.

Army file for the 11th Armoured Division During Market Garden

2011-09-27T16:34:00.000+02:00

I have completely forgot to mention it here on my blog that I made an army file for the 11th Armoured Division during Market Garden, the Taurus Pursuant PDF.

Some notes:
- Important. The selection of jeep and tractors for the Light Anti-Aircraft platoon. I made it that you can select a jeep for 5 point if you take the SP guns. I know this is not official but in the PDF it says that you replace the Guns plus tractors for the SP guns. Nothing is said about the jeep. This made me decide to make it an option. The 5 points for the jeep is done because I ain't sure what else to do. I think 0 points would be better but as long as it ain't official I keep it at 5 point. It can always be changed. If you have a better solution let me know. Of-course you can always decide to not take the jeep with the SP guns.

- There is no Excel 2007 file because that one I can not update by using OpenOffice. But this should be no problem. If you have Excel 2007 it must be possible to use the standard Excel file without a problem.

- In the Excel file the links to the different sheets don't work for the simple reason that to make these links work in Excel works different compared to OpenOffice. I wanted to delete the links but decided to leave them in so people can see what company's can be found and may I ever have the change to work with Excel again I can make them work again. In the OpenOffice file everything should work fine.

- I hope that the Excel file works for everybody because the changes I had to make to the file were all done by using OpenOffice. Let me know if there is something not working correct.

Look for the links for the files here: Army files

For those who haven't read it on the FoW forum.
I have decided to stop making army files. I don't have the time for it anymore and want to spent more of the free time I have on painting minis. I go back to the point where it all started: Only making files for the armies I am playing. Of-course I will keep the files that I made up to date. Maybe in the future I will make 1 or 2 files but that's about it.

Thanks for reading.

The new Ancible Magazine: Issue 11

2011-09-19T17:45:00.000+02:00

The people of the Ancible Magazine have released issue #11 of their bi-monthly magazine.
For those people who don't know what the Ancible Magazine is, The Ancible is a full colour digital magazine that specilises in the field of Science Fiction and fantasy wargaming and can be downloaded as a free PDF file.
Go and take a look at their site and download the latest but also the older issues.
The Ancible

Thanks for reading.

My 2011 / 2012 FoW project 5: Fusiliers Machine-gun Platoon painted.

2011-09-15T22:17:00.000+02:00

The first full platoon for my Escadron de Reconnaissance is painted. It is the Fusiliers Machine-gun Platoon from Forced in Battle. Only thing left to do is to seal it but my spray can of varnish is empty and I want to wait with sealing the platoon until the Infantry platoon is also painted. The platoon normally comes with Laffly S20TL trucks but I will add these later as they aren't available yet.
I must say that I am pretty happy with the end result and the bases although the pictures don't do them any justice.

Fusiliers Machine-gun Platoon front

Fusiliers Machine-gun Platoon back

Fusiliers Machine-gun Platoon commander

Fusiliers Machine-gun Platoon HMG teams

Thanks for looking.

Today in Dutch WW II History: Stamkaart and Distrubution Coupons

2011-09-09T16:39:00.001+02:00

Well not really a "Today in Dutch WW II History" but something I wanted to show to all of you.
These are some pictures of a Stamkaart (Ration card or "books" as they were called in the UK) and Distribution Coupons ( I have 2 sheets only 1 is pictured here) that were used during WW II here in the Netherlands. These are special to me because it is a gift from my mom. The stamkaart is on her name and the Distribution Coupons were of the family. At the time she was only a child. The Coupons are for food supply and are for Potatoes, Butter, Bread, Milk, Flesh, meat, refreshments and general stuff. The coupons for the meat are used and thus no longer on the sheet. They were at upper right corner.
Coupon-sheets were for the 11th and 12th period 1944 (1 October - 25 November). As my mother lived at that time in the south of the Netherlands (Schijndel) in liberated part of the country she still used coupons to get all the stuff. The sheets were probably already given to the family before the liberation.
The Stamkaart was needed to get these coupon-sheets.
This is the Second Distribution Stamkaart. The first one came in use just before WW II broke out. The Second Distribution Stamkaart was introduced by the Germans when they occupied the country this was done to cut off all the people that were in hiding. No stamkaart, no coupons thus no food. To get a stamkaart people had first go to the German authorities with a legal identity card. Most of the people in hiding had a false identity card and thus couldn't get a stamcard.
This measure has been thoroughly sabotaged by the Civil Resistance. To irritation of the German government there were more stamkaarten provided then, what they thought, the population was big, this without getting it clear where the fraud could be found.
During the war resistance groups go out to raid the distribution offices where the coupons were kept. The stolen coupons were distributed to people who kept people in hiding, so that extra food for those in hiding could be bought.
Even after the war a lot of stuff could only be bought with coupons. In 1952 Coffee was the last product that finally could be bought without using coupons.

Stamkaart front

Stamkaart back

Coupon sheet

Thanks for reading

My 2011 / 2012 FoW project 4: List change and Infantry and HMG platoons primed

2011-09-05T15:13:00.000+02:00

I have decided to change the look of my Escadron de Reconnaissance Company. I decided to make the change for 2 reasons. I did get an HMG platoon, a platoon that I didn't included in my old list but now that I have one certainly wanted to add it to my list and the other reason is that other players who wanted to make a German panzer list decided not to do so after looking at my old list because it was simple too strong for there list. As I don wanted to have an army only to stand on a shelf eating dust but actually wanted to use I changed the list. For the old list look here.

The new list now looks like this:

HQ
1 Panhard AMD-35

Combat Platoons
Deep Reconnaissance Platoon 4 Panhard AMD-35
Deep Reconnaissance Platoon 4 Panhard AMD-35
Reconnaissance Platoon 3 Renault AMR-35 (7.5mm MG), 2 Renault AMR-35 (13.2mm MG)

Weapons Platoons
Fusiliers Machine-gun Platoon
Fusiliers Mortar Platoon

Divisional Support Platoons
Medium Combat Platoon 5 Somua S-35
Fusiliers-Voltigeurs Platoon (Colonial)
All-terrain Towed 105mm Artillery Battery

Air Support
Sporadic Fighter Intercept Moraine Saulnier MS.406

The infantry platoon and HMG platoon that were send to me as a gift are now based and primed.

Infantry platoon

HMG platoon

Thanks for reading.

Found in my mailbox.

2011-09-01T13:11:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I found the following items in my mailbox. An early war French Infantry platoon and early war French HMG teams. They are a gift to me. The figures are not from Battlefront, the usual stuff I buy and paint, but are made by Forced in Battle. The figures look great. They have the same size as the BF figures. The figures have hardly any flash and there are no mold-lines to be seen. Maybe if you want to complain then it is about the variety of poses. The HMG teams come without an Command team but because I have some figures left over from the Infantry platoon I can use these as an Command team. Also both platoons come without bases, so I bought a blister with medium bases from BF to use these. Both platoons are a nice add to my France Early War Escadron de Reconnaissance army.

Infantry platoon.

HMG teams.

Thanks for reading.

Persons from Dutch WW II History: Reichskommissar of the Netherlands Seyss-Inquart

2011-08-17T16:41:00.001+02:00

Arthur Seyss-Inquart, born as Artur Zajtich, were an Austrian lawyer and Nazi politician. He initially belonged to the moderate wing of the Austrian nazi's, later he would turn out to be a hard-liner in the occupied Netherlands. Seyss-Inquart was one of the 22 war criminals who were on trial during the Neurenberg process. On 1 October 1946 he was declared guilty on 3 of the 4 charges. Two weeks later he was brought to death.

Reichskommisar Seyss-Inquart 07/22/1892-10/16/1946

Seyss-Inquart started his political career in 1934 when he became a cooperating member of the Cabinet of Engelbert Dollfus.
In 1938 under tremendous pressure and the threat of German dictator Adolf Hitler, he was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs in the Austrian cabinet of Kurt Schuschnigg.
That same year he played a major role in the connection (called Anschluss) of Austria by Germany (so-called Greater German solution).
Under pressure and threat on the part of the National Socialist German Reich Government President Wilhelm Miklas of Austria appointed him, mid-March 1938, Chancellor, which made it easy for the German to occupy the country without any military resistance. Seyss-Inquart was only a few days chancellor. Hitler appointed him very shortly afterwards governor of the annexed Austria (Ostmark) which he remained until the end of April 1939.
On May 1, 1939, the Austrian Government ceased to exist. On the same date, Seyss-Inquart became Reich Minister without Portfolio, a position he formally held until the end of the war in 1945. Later in 1939, after the invasion of Poland, he also became the deputy of Governor-General Hans Frank of the occupied Polish territories.

In 1940 he became Reichskommissar (official "Reichskommissar für die besetzten niederländischen Gebiete") of the German-occupied Netherlands and in the Ridderzaal he was officially inaugurated by the German Wehrmacht generals and Dutch and German officials. This move from Vienna to The Hague was also seen by many as a degradation; Seyss was within the Nazi Party known as too moderate to resolve the "Jewish problem" in Vienna.
In the Netherlands Seyss-Inquart soon got a nickname: Zes en een kwart (Six-and-a-quarter) this was because he limped.
At first he tried gently to win the Dutch for the National Socialism, this included public appearances, strict standards for German soldiers and the establishment of German-Dutch friendship initiatives. But after the February Strike in 1941 the German oppression was also by Seyss-Inquart, who was put under great pressure by the SS, greatly increased.

When the war was almost lost, he became harder and more fanatically against the Dutch underground resistance. Several times, however, he tried hard to postpone or forbid revenge action by the SS, but because of Himmler's influence this became more and more difficult.

He was responsible for the deportation of over one hundred thousand Jews to concentration camps and extermination camps. Although he knew about the persecution of Jews and labor camps (including Westerbork), he claimed at the Process of Neurenberg that if it was brought to his attention of the existence of actual extermination camps in Eastern Europe, he would have done everything to stop these deportations. To Himmler, he, and that's a fact, several times tried to stop the persecution of Jews, arguing that during the war this would only led to unnecessary unrest, in both material production and among the rest of the "Aryan" population. He did not actually opposed to his superiors, presumably because of career and love of practical impossibility without deposition results.

In the last days of the war, Seyss-Inquart was personally involved in the negotiations with the Allies on food drops in the major cities of western Netherlands. During a meeting on April 30, 1945 in Achterveld Seyss-Inquart refused to surrender. This while he knew the war was lost. This refusal led to irritation at the American General Walter Bedell Smith, he said to Seyss-Inquart "Well, in any case, you are going to be shot" to which the Reichskommissar replied "That leaves me cold." General Smith then retorted "It will."

When the war was lost, Seyss-Inquart went from Flensburg, where he had a consult with the German government under Admiral Doenitz, with a submarine back to the just still "occupied" Netherlands, where he was arrested on May 8 by the Canadian navy and was held for weeks in a special prison in the city Delden Twente, near the castle Twickel where he had a country house.

In 1946 during the process of Neurenberg he was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity (Jews Deportations, executions of condemned resistance fighters, allowing retaliation against 'anti-German' prominent Dutch). In the shortly before his death written letters to his father-confessor (Bruno Spitzl) the later reconverted Catholic Seyss-Inquart laid here more or less an admission of guilt, especially about his performance against Dutch civilians and allowing the Jewish Deportations to Eastern Europe.
On October 16, 1946 in Neurenberg he was hanged. His last words were: "I hope that this execution will be the last act of the tragedy of the Second World War, and that the lesson learned from this war, may be that peace and understanding between people must exist. I believe in Germany. "

His ashes were scattered in the river Isar to prevent that his grave would become a gathering place for former National Socialists.

Before his trial, just as with the other arrested Nazis, they did an IQ test. Seyss-Inquart scored 141, which, after Hjalmar Schacht, Minister of Economy of Nazi Germany, was the highest score.

Thanks for reading.

Updated Army files 2

2011-08-16T16:56:00.004+02:00

Here is part 2 of the updated Army files.

All the following files have the Carrier Patrols and / or Scout Patrols changed. The Boys Anti-Tank rifle and / or Piat anti tank projector that replaces an extra hull mounted MG at no cost. In the old files you bought these upgrades for 0 points. This was wrong and is now changed. You now pay the 5 points that normally the Extra hull mounted MG would cost. Also in the Scots Divisions army file the way you can choose the Boys Anti-Tank rifle and Piat anti tank projector has been changed. One thing, if you use the files check if the OoB has the correct printing size.

Which files have been changed:

-Grenadier Guards PDF (v1.4)

-Hell's Highway - XXX Corps (v3.2)

-Scots Divisions pdf (v1.2)

-Turning Tide - 7th Armoured, 4th Canadian Armoured Division Motor Company (v1.1)

-Turning Tide - 7th Armoured, 4th Canadian Armoured Lorried Rifle Company (v1.1)

-Turning Tide - Canadian Armoured Recce Squadron (v1.1)

Thanks for reading.

Updated Army files 1

2011-08-05T10:21:00.003+02:00

This is for those who don't frequently or never visit the FoW forum. I am busy updating most of the army files I made. Something I started with before the crash.
Now the first batch of updated files are uploaded and can be downloaded. The second batch with updated files will follow soon.
The files can be found here: Army files
Here is a list of witch files are updated so far and what have been changed in the files.

- Sicherung in Warsaw(V1.1)
The Gepanzerte Pionier Platoon option wasn't working.

- D Minus 1 - US Airborne (V3.5)
In the old file you could choose between 2 different kind of Cavalry platoons. 1 from the book or 1 from a seperate pdf file. As this PDF file no longer exist I have deleted this option from the army file.

- Hell's Highway - US Airborne (V3.5) + Glider Rifle Company PDF (V1.5)
The Parachute OoB didn't show the Matador tractor when you did select it. The CoAx MG and Hull MG are now mentioned separately in the OoB and no longer together in 1 row. Also did I change in both the Parachute and Glider Company sheets the formulas in the cells that gives the points for the jeeps that can be selected with the Glider field Artillery battery. These weren't working properly.

- Turning Tide - US Airborne Divisions (v2.5)
Both the OoB didn't show the armor values of the Stuart tanks. Error solved.

- North Africa - US Parachute (book 2) (V1.8)
I know I did do something with this file problem is that don't know what it is. A day later my computer crashed.

- Turning Tide - 3rd Canadian, British 3rd, 50th T&T Infantry Divisions (v2.0)
Carrier Patrols. The Boys AT or Piat anti tank projector that replaces a extra hull mounted MG at no cost. Thing is that you could buy these upgrades in the files for 0 points. This is wrong and is now changed. You now pay the 5 points that normally the Extra hull mounted MG would cost. This also count for Recce scout patrols.
This change will be made in all the British and commonwealth files I made.

- Turning Tide - Tank Squadron (v1.2)
Tank Squadron sheet. Combat platoon totals wasn't working correct. solved
Tank Squadron OoB sheet. The sheet didn't show the stats for the Headquarters. solved
Universal carrier patrol. see above.

Thanks for reading.

My 2011 / 2012 FoW project 3: Somua S-35 platoon commander

2011-08-04T17:12:00.004+02:00

This is an other test piece. I wanted to try and find a decent paint scheme for my Somua platoon. I am not completely happy how it turned out and the quality of the pictures doesn't make it any better.
The attena pot at the back is a home made one because when I opened the blister the second attena pot was missing. Because only the command tanks need attena's I will replace the home made one with an attena pot from another blister as soon as I have bought these.
The pictures.

Click on the Read More link to see more pictures

Thanks for looking.

My computer is working again.

2011-07-30T20:17:00.003+02:00

Well it took some time but my crashed computer is working again.
What did I do.
First I downloaded by using an other computer Ubuntu. Then I went to someone who could burn CD's, (the old one I was using as a temporarily replacement couldn’t burn CD's). After that I booted the computer from the CD. This made it possible to go into my computer without installing Ubuntu and thus made it possible for me to backup all the files I needed. When that was done I restarted the computer and used the CD to Install Ubuntu on computer replacing Windows XP. Only leaving me to do is to replace all the backed up files on my computer again. And now most things work again. Lost a few programs.
Me happy.

Thanks for reading.

New editions of Irregular Magazine and The Ancible

2011-07-19T10:15:00.002+02:00

I am a little late with posting this but I must admit that due to my computer crash I missed it.
Released are:
-Irregular Magazine #9 Summer 2011 edition
-The Ancible #10
Both the teams who work on these magazines did another great job.

Links to the sites where you can download the new editions.
Irregular Magazine
The Ancible

Thanks for reading

Panhard AMD-35 Update. Now with decals.

2011-07-18T15:24:00.004+02:00

Before I go on to the Panhard first something else.
I want to apologize for not commenting on others peoples blog posts and my lack of posting. At the moment I am too busy with work. It is holiday season which means that a lot of people are free. So I have a lot of double shifts. Next the computer I am working with at the moment is a very slow and old one. I am mostly using it for the most important things. Work.
Speaking of my crashed computer. With a little luck I have found a solution to get it working again. Hopefully it will be back up and running again this or next week.
Futher I like to welcome all the new followers of this blog.
Now on to the important part.

Here are some pictures of the Panhard AMD-35 that I painted some weeks ago but this time with the decals added. I was looking up to place the decals on the Panhard because the decals are tiny. The roundel is not 1 decal the blue spot in the middle has to be added later. After all it wasn't such a bad job to do and the decals were added pretty quick. Sorry for the crappy pictures.

Thanks for reading and looking.

Back after the crash.

2011-07-07T10:10:00.000+02:00

I am back.
Well for now.
My main computer has crashed. Luckily for me I have a spare computer and I am now reinstalling all the web-pages I am a member of. And programs that were on my other computer.
Gladly, the most important part, my e-mail, is already back up.
Bad thing is that a lot of files are lost. Those files that I didn't made a back up of. :-(
I still have access to the army files because they are on a download site. Bad thing is that I was redoing the files I made. I already had several done. So I have to start all over again.
An other thing is that this "new" computer doesn't have Microsoft Office installed. This means that all files I am going to make will be done in LibreOffice Calc. These files I can convert to Excel 2003 files but not to Excel 2007 files.
Well I am working with this computer I am going to try to get my main computer back up running.

Thanks for reading

Persons from Dutch WW II History: Queen Wilhelmina

2011-06-27T14:29:00.008+02:00

Queen Wilhelmina 31 August 1880 - 28 November 1962

Wilhelmina was Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until 1948. Her mother, queen Emma, was regent until Wilhelmina reached the age of 18 1n 1898.

On May 10 1940 when Germany invaded the Netherlands Juliana (Wilhelmina's daughter) with her kids fled to Britain this to secure the dynasty.
On May 13 1940 General H.G. Winkelman went to the Queen to tell her that the Grebbeline had fallen: Majesty even The Hague is no longer safe. An enemy tank column has reached Rotterdam.
Winkelman advised the Queen to get aboard of the British destroyer "HMS Hereward" to leave for Zeeland. Her initial plan would have been to get aboard the British destroyer, to set sail from The Hague to Zeeland and fight there with her troops until help would came from the Allies. But because the Germans invaded more and more land inwards and because of the bombing of Rotterdam, which made General Winkelman decided to capitulate, the destroyer was commanded by the English command to set sail for England. This way they were sure that, with the big Dutch colony of the Dutch East Indies in mind, the Netherlands stayed at the allied side.

In London she was in charge of the Dutch government in Exile. She also sent radio messages to her people through Radio Orange. She did not mince words. She named Adolf Hitler the 'arch-enemy of mankind'. In her speeches she also expressed her disapproval against the persecution of the Jews that were going on in the Netherlands at the time. And she called up to resist against the occupiers. Even the illegal press distributed her speeches. Her speeches had an important psychological effect on the Dutch people. Despite that it was illegal to listen to Radio Orange and the sentence that the Germans had put on it, many people did listen the Radio Orange.
This led to the confiscation of her Dutch assets by the State Auditor Seyss-Inquart on September 16, 1941. Also it became forbidden to publish pictures of her and other members of the royal family.

Taken from the publication of the forfeiture is the following:
Wilhelmina van Oranje-Nassau houdt, zonder iets geleerd te hebben uit de loop der gebeurtenissen halsstarrig vast aan het bolsjevistische-kapitalische front en plaatst zich hiermee buiten de gemeenschap van het nieuwe Europa. Zij richt tot het staatshoofd en de weermacht van het Groot-Duitsche Rijk verbazingwekkende scheldwoorden. Zij spoort uit de verte de Nederlanders aan op onverantwoordelijke wijze aan tot het plegen van geweld tegen de bezettende macht, welke slechts de hardste represailles ten gevolge kan hebben.

My own free translation:
Wilhelmina of Oranje-Nassau obstinately clings on, without having learned anything from the course of events, to the Bolshevik-capitalistic front, and thus places herself outside the communion of the new Europe. She directed towards the Head of State and the armed forces of the Great German Empire astonishing invectives.She encourages, on a irresponsible way from a distance, the Dutch on to commit violence against the occupying power, which only leads to the hardest reprisals.

Because of this Wilhelmina became the symbol of the resistance in the Netherlands. By placing a picture of her in their underground papers they showed for what they stood.

Wilhelmina during a speech for Radio Orange

During the last year of the occupation the number of listeners to Radio Orange only increased and the colour Orange became the symbol of liberation.

On March 13 1945 Wilhelmina paid a visit to the liberated south of the Netherlands. In May, she moved permanently back to the Netherlands.
After World War II, in sympathy with the Dutch people, Wilhelmina temporarily (September 1945 - April 1946) lived in an ordinary residential house in the Nieuwe Parklaan in The Hague. Furthermore, she took personal visits throughout the country, sometimes by bike.

In 1948 she step down from her throne in favour of her daughter Juliana.
On November 28 1962 Wilhelmina died, 82 years old.

Thanks for reading.

My 2011 / 2012 FoW project 2: Escadron de Reconnaissance HQ

2011-06-22T20:29:00.002+02:00

The first mini for my 2011 /2012 project is done: The HQ Panhard AMD-35.
As you can see it doesn't have the decals on yet. That's because I first wanted to see if I liked the model. I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue with it in the first place. Now as soon as more vehicles are done I will apply the decals. Also I used this model to figure out what kind of camo I want and to practice painting this camo. Because it came out pretty well it now will be the HQ Panhard AMD-35.
The colours used (all Vallejo):
Base colour: Gunship Green.
Camo colour: Flat Earth.
Colour jacket Commander: Flat Brown
Helmet: Russian Green

After applying the base colour I applied a thin layer of black wash. Then after drying the camo was painted. When this was done an other very thinned down layer of black wash was applied. When all was dry I did a little toughing up the Gunship green and the Flat Earth.
The commanders jacket did get a layer of brown wash over the Flat Brown base colour.
I have decided to seal it by painting on the varnish using Vallejo Matt varnish. My intention is to do this with all the models.

Next some pictures so all of you can see how the model turned out.

Click on the Read More link to see some more pictures.

Thanks for looking.

My 2011 / 2012 FoW project.

2011-06-20T16:22:00.003+02:00

I have decided to start my next FoW project. A project for 2011 and 2012.
Because all my Late War and Mid War army's are all Infantry companies I want to do something different this time. The period became Early War. After long thinking I have chosen for an Escadron de Reconnaissance Company from the Blitzkrieg book.

The 1500 points list I will built is this one:

HQ
1 Panhard AMD-35

Combat Platoons
Deep Reconnaissance Platoon 5 Panhard AMD-35
Deep Reconnaissance Platoon 5 Panhard AMD-35
Deep Reconnaissance Platoon 5 Panhard AMD-35

Divisional Support
Medium Combat Platoon 5 Somua S-35
Fusiliers-Voltigeurs Platoon (Colonial)
All-terrain Towed 75mm Artillery Battery

It is a list that can easily expand to 1650 by adding a Fusiliers Motocyclistes Platoon or a Reconnaissance Platoon with 3 Hotchkiss H-35 or H-39 (short gun). Then for a 1750 list I can add a Fusiliers Mortar Platoon.

I already started to paint the first mini the HQ Panhard. I hope to show him soon.

Why the long period to built this list. Simple, at the moment I am in the middle of building a Mid War DAK list which, I hope, will be finished soon. Also I want to see if this MW DAK list can be used as a basis for a EW DAK list when the EW Afrika book will be published.
An other problem is having a job. Since I have new job I have less time to paint.

One last thing. I like to welcome all new followers, I hope you will enjoy the ride.

Thanks for reading

90. Leichte Afrika Division Schützen Kompanie part 6: StuG III D Platoon

2011-06-10T21:24:00.004+02:00

Here they are 2 DAK StuG D.
Not completely finished because they miss the decals. As soon as I have these they will applied just followed by a second layer of varnish to get a good protection.
Both driver minis are lighter then the the pictures show. I hoped to give both StuGs a dusty look, because of the driving through the fine desert sand. Not sure if I managed to catch that look.
Anyway here are the pictures.

Click on the Read More link to see more pictures

Thanks for looking.

Corps Armored Field Artillery Battery

2011-06-04T12:01:00.002+02:00

The Corps Armored Field Artillery Battery is finished and these are the results.
First a list of the problems I faced.
- The mini that operates the Machine gun on the Priest doesn't fit well.
- The 2 minis that are operating the main gun on the Priests had to be pinned. The only base to glue them are there feet.
- The driver and machine gun operator of the M2 Half-track didn't fit at all. Had to come up with all kind of tricks to make them fit.
- The M4 Sherman. This one had a lot of flash on both the hull and tracks that i had to remove first.

On to the pictures.

Corps Armored Field Artillery Battery (1 section)

Click on the Read More link to see more pictures.

The Comand section, left Staff team, right command team both with transports

The Observer M4 Sherman

The 3 Priests

Thanks for looking.

Finally new models to paint

2011-05-28T19:04:00.003+02:00

After months the time is finally there, I have new BF models to paint.
I ordered them several months ago at my game store but because of circumstance never could go to the store and pick them up. But today I finally managed to go.
Now what did I pick up from the store.

First there are 2 blisters for my Armored field Artillery Battery.
Left you see a M4 Sherman which will be the platoons Sherman OP and at the right the M2 Half-track which will be the staff team transport.

Then there are 2 blisters for my Mid War Schützen kompanie.
It are 2 StuG D models. I am most happy with these because I have been looking for these for a year 2. If I ordered them they were never available.

And last a blister with a Panhard AMD-35. Yep an Early War mini, my first one.

I will start with the Sherman and half-track so my Armored field Artillery Battery with 1 section is complete. This also mean that when finished I will stop buying new stuff for my US Airborne for a while.
Next will be the 2 StuG's. I am now going to concentrate me on finishing my Afrika Schützen kompanie. It is about time after more then 2 years.
The Panhard AMD-35 is more of a side project. I will be working on this one between the other painting projects.

Thanks for reading.

The plans for this blog

2011-05-21T18:12:00.003+02:00

I was looking the other day how many posts I placed so far in the month of May and saw that so far it was a grand total of 2. I was a little shocked about my inactivity on my blog. I know that starting with a new job was a reason but not to have only 2 posts so far.
Anyway it made me think what I really want and what my plans are with this blog. So after many hours I know what my plans are for this blog. And now it is time to share these plans with my followers.

The Layout of this blog.
This is something I have thought about many times in the past. I never were sure it was a good and nice layout and maybe had to change it. Now I have come to the conclusion that I like the way it is now and that I won't change anything. There is always a chance I change little things like a new avatar, add or delete Gadgets like the Follow by Email gadget which wasn't a big success. But the main layout will stay the same.

What can you expect to find in this blog.
-The main focus is and will be on the progress of all my Flames of War forces. Don't expect to see posts here about any other game then FoW. This means that most of the posts will be about painting my FoW forces. To bad that because of circumstances I haven't been able to pick up the new ordered mini's from my game-store so this means it is a bit quiet on the painting front.

-I will continue with building Army-files, even though the making of these is put on hold for the moment. As soon as new files are built, beside the forum this is the place where it will be announced.

-All other things that have to do with FoW, like terrain building, After Action Reports and such will also be shown here.

-The Today in Dutch WWII History posts will of course stay. I like to inform people who don't live in the Netherlands what have happened here during the war. This also counts for the post about camps here in the Netherlands. In the near future I am going to expand it with something new. It will be posts about important people in the Netherlands during WWII. These can be resistant fighters, collaborators or Nazi's. I don't know what the exact title of this series of posts will be. The working title for now is: Important People in Holland during WWII: name of the person.

-Everything about WWII that I find important enough to let people know about. This can be books or films or news on the Internet.

-Then of-course there are always things that don't fall in the above mentioned categories but deserve a little post on this blog. Like bringing other people's blogs to your attention.

If people have suggestions or like to see things, please don't hesitate and let me know.

Thanks for reading.

The Ancible Issue 09

2011-05-18T22:22:00.008+02:00

For those who don't know what the Ancible is. The Ancible is a full colour PDF game magazine that is specialized in Science Fiction and fantasy wargaming. It used to be a printed magazine for which you needed a paid subscription but since a few issues it has become a free magazine in PDF format. Also the older numbers that once where only available as a printed magazine can now be downloaded for free.

Front cover The Ancible 09

What can be found in issue 09:
- Khador Gun Carriage
- Watching Paint Dry - Painting Article by Andy Walker of The Lair of Brevniks
- Heavy Gear Arena
- .45 Adventure
- Valarie Bruere - on the Spot
- Faction Wars Miniatures
- In the Box - Battletech

If interested and you like to check it out, this issue and older ones can be downloaded here:
The Ancible

Thanks for reading.

An update.

2011-05-10T10:32:00.002+02:00

Finally I have found some time to post a new post. It is a quick one just before I head of to work.
Yep things have changed. I have a new job. OK it is only a part time job but it takes up enough time. And I must say that I am glad that I found this job. Consequence is that I have less time to paint, make army files and to post on my blog. It is all about dividing time now.
First I like to welcome all the new followers. I hope you all will enjoy my blog and stick around.
Something else is that all forces in the Turning Tide book have an army file. A total of 21. I also made a file for the Guards Grenadier PDF. Further there are some updated files.
To check it all out take a look here:
Army Files

At the moment it is very quiet on my painting table. I haven't found time to pick up my new stuff at the game-store. But i wonder if I would have spend much time on painting. Although it is April-May the temperatures at the moment are those that you normally find in the summertime. For those in Australia and New Zealand, summertime here is June, July and August.
Also the last time it did rain here it was at the end of February.
I must say these are the perfect circumstances for priming and sealing models.

Thanks for reading.

I have been nominated for the Stylish Blogger Award

2011-04-30T12:21:00.002+02:00

To my big suprise my blog has been nominated by one of my followers, who has an impressive blog himself, for The Stylish Blogger Award.

The award has some simple rules to follow by:

1. Thank and link back to the person giving you the award
Thank you Joe for the nomination and support of my blog. Visit Joe's great blog: Lead, Paint and the General

2. Share seven things about yourself.
- The main game that I play is Flames of War
- I mostly read Fantasy books. Currently from Julian May.
- Monday 2 May 2011 I start with a new job.
- 24 January 2011 I had a brain-surgery. They removed a tumour.
- I don't consider myself a good miniature painter.
- I hardly watch any TV.
- I live in the Netherlands. (not Holland) ;-)

3. Select 10-15 blogs who you think deserve this award
In random order.

- 15 mm paint shack .
A great blog where he shows his awesome painting skills.
- Kages Flames of War
A great blog to read and watch
- This ain't Living...
A very nice blog to follow. I love the things he do.
- Sane Terrain
Everything you want to know about making terrain and making tabletop tables
- Camp Cromwell
A blog full with battle reports.
- Cim's Warfare
Maybe he has not many followers but do like to follow his blog.
- Bunker 3030
A new blog but certainly needs your attention
- Scary Biscuits Studios
Great site filled with history, painting and gaming.
- Stumpy Heaven
Just check this site out
- MiniStories
Also a great read and much to see
- Lair o the Uber Geek
What can I say you better take a look yourself. He didn't reached 50.000 hits because of nothing.
- Big Lee Miniature Adventures
Probably one of the best blogs about gaming.
- Bunker Hill
An overall good blog.

And all those others I didn't mention above, but else my list would become way to long!

There are more but most are or probably are already nominated.
Go visit the blogs mentioned above. They all are great blogs with all their own roll for the gaming community.

4. Contact these bloggers and let them know about the award

Many are readers and will see the reward !

Thanks to all followers who read my blog.
Hein

Today in Dutch WWII History: The April-May strike of 1943

2011-04-29T11:11:00.004+02:00

At the end of April 1943 everywhere in the Netherlands spontaneously and completely unexpected protest strikes broke out. The reason for those strikes was a recall of the German occupier: that the former Dutch soldiers had to go to prison camps in Germany. Here they to work in the Arbeiteizats (labour commitment). The April-May strikes lasted locally up to 5-6 May 1943. They were oppressed with aggressive violence. First in Hengelo, where the strikes had started.
The April-May strikes are considered as a turning point in the occupation. The Germans now knew that the Dutch couldn't be won for their cause in any possible way. From now on the Nazi's put all further afford in the warfare. Resistance increased and the "going into hiding" started.
This turning point in the occupation of the Netherlands followed on a turning point in the second world war as a whole: the German defeat at Stalingrad, to the Wolga. That defeat didn't remained a secret for long. Immediately afterwards, on 3 February 1943, the Nazi' s declared a period of three days public mourning in Germany and the occupied areas.
Suddenly on 29 April 1943 a recall of the commander in chief of the German occupancy troops in the Netherlands, general Christiansen appeared in the newspapers, directed at the almost 300,000 members of the former Dutch army. They all must go in to captivity in Germany. The occupiers saw two advantages in that measure: a) to provide workers for Germany and b) strip the Netherlands of able-bodied men who could reinforce the resistance.
The recall of Christiansen came in as a bomb. In Twente, first in Hengelo, at the machine factory of Stork, immediately protest strikes and demonstrations started. The example in Twente was imitated almost everywhere in the Netherlands. On a number of places milk stock breeders stops the supply of milk to the dairy factory, and distributed the milk for free (because of that milk aspect the April-May strikes are also called the milk strike).

The supreme police force chief in the Netherlands, SS'r Rauter, declared the politiestandrecht (sorry no english word for this). This politiestandrecht had little to do with justice. It was a terror measure, where 'suspects' immediately, without any form of process, were shot. From Groningen to Limburg strikers were arrested. There were almost two hundred deads, at arbitrary executions and shootings on the street.
In those days in Amsterdam one man, Hendrikus Hendrik was sentenced to death because of the distribution of strike recalls, but there was hardly any strike in Amsterdam. The people of Amsterdam still remembered the bloody oppression of the February strike in 1941 all to well. After the April-May strikes the rest of the country also knew what Nazi-terror implied.
Little was archived of the plan of the occupiers to imprison the Dutch soldiers; it had especially a wrong impact. Only 8,000 Dutch ex-soldiers were employed in Germany, much less than the intention was. Many soldiers obtained exemption of the labour commitment, on the basis of declarations of ' indispensable at work that is important for the warfare' (' kriegswichtig' ). Much of the ex-soldiers went into hiding.
According to the Nazi's the strikers were 'instigated' at the end of April-begin of May 1943 by the transmissions of radio Orange in London. On 13 May 1943 the Dutch were told that they had to hand in their radio's. ' After the war ' one could come back to pick up their radio. Those who kept their radio's risked a heavy sentence: the concentration camp. Still a quarter of all radio's were kept back by the citizens; a trick used was handing in a second, old radio. The radio owners continued to follow the transmissions of radio Orange (the Dutch broadcasting in London) and BBC as far as the noise of yammers that at least allowed.
The brought into line ' Hilversum' remained transmitting, although the listeners already considerably decreased in numbers.
Officially after May 1943 there were two groups of listeners: radio owners with a special license, and people with a subscription on ' radiodistributie' (cable radio). The number of illegal news-bulletins increased as from 1943 enormously, but the large hunger for news couldn't be satisfied with that.

Thanks for reading.

Progress on the Corps Armored Field Artillery Battery.

2011-04-25T11:56:00.000+02:00

An update about the Corps Armored Field artillery Battery I am working on.
The three Priest's, the staff team and Command team are done.
As you can see at the pictures the models don't have a layer of dullcoat yet. This will be done when the rest of the models are painted. I am waiting for A M4 Sherman Observer and a Half-track that I ordered. These plus the Jeep I already have makes it complete for now. The 2nd section of Priest's will be added in the future.
Sorry for the crappy pictures.

Thanks for looking.

The last three Turning Tide army files

2011-04-16T10:26:00.001+02:00

Well the time has finally arrived. It is done.
The last 3 army files for the Turning Tide book are uploaded and ready to be downloaded.
One for the US:
-Turning Tide - 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions Rifle Company (v1.0)
Two for the British:
-Turning Tide - Canadian Armoured Recce Squadron (v1.0)
-Turning Tide - 7th Armoured, 4th Canadian Armoured Lorried Rifle Company (v1.0)

As usual for each file there are 3 variations: Excel 2003, Excel 2007 and OpenOffice.

With these 3 army files there is total of 21 army files to be used with the Turning Tide book.
I like to thank Les for helping me to check all 21 files on errors.

The link to find these files.
Army Files

Thanks for reading.

I have reached the 10.000 Visitors

2011-04-08T11:48:00.004+02:00

It has happened. I just looked at my counter and it has hit the 10.000 Visitors.
With that I mean that my blog has been visited 10.000 times so far, and still counting, and not page views.
These 10.000 blog visiting are good for a total of 19.311 page views.
The far most visitors are from the US followed at a great distance by Great Britain and far behind that the Netherlands and Canada.
Looking at the diagram below the Returning Visits number looks low but this is because after a certain amount of time people who come back to the blog are considered as new visitors and not returning visitors.

Summary.

Now I also like to bring something else under people's attention.
At the left side between the counter and the search my blog, you will find a new item I added sometime ago named "Follow By Email". If you fill in your email-address here then you will automatically get a mail when I have posted a new post on my blog, if I have done everything correct ;-).

And now up to the next 10.000.

Thanks for reading

Latest Irregular Magazine up for download

2011-04-07T18:13:00.001+02:00

For those people who don't know yet. The new Irregular Magazine #8 can be downloaded from their website.
It is free so don't hesitate.
The theme of this issue is Beasts.
Citation from their site

This issue our theme is Beasts.
Cover artist Brynn Metheney has created a stunning cover with a real knock out beasty.
As usual we have interviews, reviews, tutorials, articles, a short story and the results of last issues painting competition plus another episode of our comic Tuk Tuk.

Go to Irregular Magazine

Thanks for reading.

What can be found on my painting area

2011-04-06T12:17:00.001+02:00

The next project I am painting is an Armored Artillery Battery (Priest) to use with my US Paratroopers from the Turning Tide handbook. At this moment I am working on 1 section which are 3 Priest, in the future it is planned to expand it with the 2nd section. Soon a M2 Half-track, a jeep, command team and staff team will be added. The Sherman OP, on the right at the picture, will be replaced by an US Sherman. It is now a left over British Sherman V. The Priest at the foreground is finished. It only needs a layer of matt varnish, but this will be done when all is ready. The 2 crew members inside the Priest are not only glued but also pinned to make sure that they are well fixed to the Priest. The only surface of the mini you have to glue them to the Priest are their feet, which is not a very big surface.

I like to welcome 3 new followers to my blog. Matt Mitchell, econtutor.tmcc and grumpus

Thanks for reading

My try to make a pond two

2011-03-28T11:21:00.003+02:00

Because I didn't like the color of the water and reading the comments on some forums on my try to make a pond I decided to repaint it.
I think it looks much better now. It now has a nice dark color. I also like it better how I painted the gloss varnish on it. It gives a bit of a water look to it.
Take a look at the pictures to see the result.

Click on the Read More link to see the rest of the pictures.

Thanks for looking.

My try to make a Pond.

2011-03-22T17:16:00.003+01:00

The last few days I tried to be creative and made a piece of terrain for FoW. It is a pond or swamp and completely made out of scrap material.
I am not totally happy how the water looks but for this time it has to do. I know what I did wrong so the next time I know what to change. If there will be a next time that I make a Pond :-).
The pictures are not to best. They look shining because of the light-fall on the Gloss varnish and too bright. But I think you get the idea how it looks.

Now some pictures.

Click on the Read More link to see more pictures.

Thanks for looking.

A game of FoW and a Broken Mission

2011-03-20T12:46:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I played my first game of FoW since months.
I used the following 1650 (1625) points list:

3rd Canadian Infantry Company from Turning Tide

Headquarters
Company Commander Rifle team
2iC Commander Rifle team

Combat Platoons
Rifle Platoon #1: Capt. Treleaven ( Rifle/MG team, Piat, Light Mortar), 3 Rifle/MG Squads (6 Rifle/MG teams)
Rifle Platoon #2: HQ section ( Rifle/MG team, Piat, Light Mortar), 3 Rifle/MG Squads (6 Rifle/MG teams)
Rifle Platoon #3: HQ section ( Rifle/MG team, Piat, Light Mortar), 3 Rifle/MG Squads (6 Rifle/MG teams)

Weapons Platoons
Anti-Tank Platoon: HQ section Rifle team), 3 Anti-Tank sections (Six 6 pdr guns)
Mortar Platoon: HQ section (Rifle team), Three 3" Mortar sections (3 Observers, Six 3" Mortars), 3 Piats
Carrier Patrols: 1 Universal Carrier patrol, 3 .50 Cal MG's 1 Wasp patrol

Brigade, Corps and Divisional Support Platoons
Independent Armoured Platoon: 3 Sherman V and 1 Firefly VC
Corps Field Battery, Royal Artillery Platoon: HQ troop (Rifle team, Staff team), 2 Gun Troops (2 Rifle teams, 8 OQF 25 pdr, 2 Observers, 2 Carriers)

Air Observation Post
Auster

My opponent used a German Panzer company that looked like this:

HQ: 2 Panzer IV H + Bergepanther
5 Panzer IV H
3 Panzer IV H
2 Panzer IV H + 2 Panzer III M
4 Flammpanzer III
Panzerspäh Patrol
And made a Kampfgruppe

Because my opponent is going to a tourney which has Hasty Assault as 1 of the missions listed he wanted to play that mission.
The time was set on 2 and a half hour (Tourney time for a round).
In the time-frame we managed to play 6 rounds.
When time was up my opponent didn't claim an objective so i won.
In this mission the defender has 3 ways to win. Claiming an objective, Keeping the opponent out of his board half and when you run out of time. So everything is in favor of the defender.
At the end of the game we both came to the same conclusion. The mission is broken.
My opponent had absolutely no change of winning this game.
He simply had no change to claim an objective even if we would have played on for hours.
As long as I can contest the objectives, which I can do round after round nothing goes wrong for me.
This mission is absolutely not Tourney worthy.

Thanks for reading

More new army files.

2011-03-13T12:46:00.004+01:00

Some more new Army files.
First there is a file for the Scots Division PDF. Named Scots Divisions pdf (v1.0)
It is made for the current available PDF on the BF website.
Then there are four new files to use with the Turning Tide book.
Those are:
-Turning Tide - Armoured Squadron (v1.0)
-Turning Tide - Canadian Armoured Squadron (v1.0)
-Turning Tide - Tank Squadron (v1.0)
-Turning Tide - Ranger Battalion (Brittany) (v1.0)

As usual available in Excel 2003, Excel 2007 and OpenOffice.
This means that I have about 5 more large files to make from the Turning Tide book to have all army's covered.
In the mean time I also try to do some painting. :-)

Thanks for reading.

The last file of the Poll is up for download

2011-03-08T12:34:00.000+01:00

As the title says the file hat ended up is up for download. OK i have to be honest it is already up for download a few day's. The name of the file is: Turning Tide - Armoured Recce Squadron (v1.0)

Also the following list of files have undergo an update if you haven't noticed yet.
North Africa - US Parachute (book 2) (V1.7)
Turning Tide - British 6th Airborne Division (v2.0)
Turning Tide - US 1st and 29th Assault Divisions (v1.1)
Turning Tide - US Airborne Divisions (v2.1)
Turning Tide - Ranger Battalion (Normandy) (v1.2) (minor mistake)
Turning Tide - US Light Tank Divisions (v1.6)
Turning Tide - US Medium Tank Divisions (v1.6)

The last 2 files of list fall in the category how stupid can a human-being be. With the last update (before this one) of these files I updated an old file instead of the most current one and deleted the most current one. What follows is that the 2 files needed to undergo a complete new update.
Sometimes you can feel stupid

I like to thank Les for helping me.

The links to the sites for download:
Army Excel Files
Flames of War Army Excel Files

There are 4 more file of the Turning Tide book almost done. Just a few more things and then the checking on errors process before they can be uploaded for download.

I like to welcome the following new followers. Matt, daddyl1, Brigada Tripeira, WebGriffin, MiniMike, Nate brooks, Screaming Eagle, fesusdirk, Sidney Roundwood.

Thanks for reading.

Today in Dutch WWII History: The February Strike

2011-02-25T12:56:00.000+01:00

On February 25, 1941, Amsterdam was in the grip of a general strike to protest against the persecution of Jews. A day later the strike expanded to the Zaan, Kennemerland (Haarlem and Velsen), Hilversum, Utrecht and Weesp. In Amsterdam the public transport came to a halt and also nearly all other municipal services lay down their work. The shipbuilding and metal companies in North, at Hollandia-Kattenburg, and also in supermarkets as the Bijenkorf were at strike. Throughout the city, shops and offices were closed. Many students left their classrooms. Thousands of people were moving that day through the center of town. Their suppressed mind sought a way to express themselves against the German occupiers who invaded the Netherlands on May 10, 1940 and more openly wanted to impose their regime.

In the period before February of 1941 the German pressure on the whole political and economical life became more and more brutal. In June 1940 the German occupier started with their first of the many anti-Jews measures by removing all the Jews out of the municipal protection authorities.Soon followed by the measure that Jews were no longer allowed to be adopted in civil service. In October 1940 came the "Ariërverklaring" (Aryan declaration) which made an even more emphasis on a separation between Jews and none Jews.At the end of 1940 the personal certificate became obligatorily.
In preparation for the strike in February a lot more has happened. Amsterdam unemployed performed actions on projects in North Holland in the Gooi and near Amersfoort, where they had been employed. They turned against the extension of the work-time. Labor Workers marched in the capital and demanded increase in their benefits. When the German occupier wanted to force the north Amsterdam shipyards metalworkers to go to work in Germany, then also there protests started.

The end of 1940 and beginning of 1941 outlined themselves a tightened up anti-Semitism. The by Mussert led NSB (the Netherlands acting pro-German fascist movement) and WA (Uniformed troops) wished to manifest itself more emphatically and went about organizing provocations in neighborhoods where many Jewish families lived. Owners of hotels and pubs were forced to hang placards with the words 'Joden niet gewenscht' (Jews not allowed). The anti-Jewish measures became more grim. Seyss-Inquart (by Hitler appointed Reich Commissioner of the Netherlands) declarated that all persons who where "wholly or partly Jewish blood" had to report themselves and had to pay the associated fees. This registration would prove disastrous for the subsequent deportations.
More and more groups of the WA went into Jews neighborhoods and provoked fights. Market stalls were destroyed, shopwindows smashed and Jews beaten. On Sunday, February 9, 1941 it came to a heavy fighting on Rembrandt Square, near the Jewish quarter. Jewish boys resisted and clashed with WA. In the next two days the defending groups kept themself ready, on February 11 on Waterloosquare it came to a real battle with the WA. On February 12, in the early morning, the Germans closed off the old Jewish quarter. On Monday, February 17 emotions became high again on the Dutch Ship Building Company in Amsterdam North, a number of workers who were single were chosen by lotnumber to go to work in Germany. All the workers left the yard and on other yards the workers laid down their work. On Wednesday, February 19 men of the Grüne Polizei stormed the Koco ice cream parlor in the Van Woustraat, which was owned by German Jewish refugees Cahn and Kohn. When they invaded, shoting the owners shot ammonia from a bottle into their face. Both Cahn and Kohn were arrested. In the weekend of February 22 and 23 revenge actions took place in the Jewish neighborhood. Bloodhounds were released on Jewish people. Young Jewish men were taken to the Jonas Daniel Meyer Square and 427 of them, in the age off 18 to 35 years, were taken as hostages. They were taken to Buchenwald and Mauthausen. They died within one year of abuse and deprivation. The manhunt in the Jewish neighborhood aroused strong indignation and was the direct cause of the February strike. In the evening of February 24 on the Noordermarket a short open-air meeting took place which was attended by many municipal workers. The strike parole was announced. That same night, at many addresses in the city the by the illegal CPN made manifest "Strike, strike, strike!!!" was printed. In the early morning hours, this manifest was spread at the gate of numerous companies.

The municipality tram went on strike this morning, followed by other municipal services. The tram disappeared from the cityscape and soon it became clear to many Amsterdam people that there was a strike. From one company after another men and women came on to the street. The strike movement was given its own dimension, there is a growing atmosphere of spontaneous solidarity among the population, relief of rejoicing over the fact that their abhorrence and protest so massive and united showed. All of Amsterdam was in the grip of the February strike. The Germans were stunned. It had never occurred, that their would be a strike against anti-Semitism and Jewish persecution. The occupation authorities took refuge in a series of measures. But they could not prevent that the strike one day later expanded to the Zaan, Kennemerland, Utrecht and other places. The February 1941 strike, as briefly outlined above, entered history as one of the biggest acts of resistance in the struggle against Hitler's fascism.
Each year on February 25 at the monument of the Dock Worker on the Jonas Daniel Meyer Square the 1941 February strike is commemorated.

Thanks for reading.

Today in Dutch WWII History: The bombing of Nijmegen

2011-02-22T09:50:00.001+01:00

If you speak in terms of victims the bombing of Nijmegen was one of the biggest bombardments on a Dutch city. The bombardment was carried out by U.S. pilots who mistakenly thought that they were flying above the German city Kleve. 880 people were killed plus an unknown number of persons in hiding.

How could this all happen?
Hundreds of American and British planes departed on 22 February 1944 at 08.00 hours to Germany. Their target was a carriage factory in the German city Gotha. The attack was part of a major offensive named "Plan Argument" which was directed against the German Air Force.
When they arrived in Gotha, the weather was so bad that many of the planes had to turn around. Given the numbers of planes it wasn't easy and it became a chaos. Eventually they split in smaller groups and went for new targets. When it appeared that it even was cloudy on these targets, the pilots were given the task to attack an objective on German territory by themselves. But the pilots didn't bombed any place before they crossed the border but just after they crossed the border, on Dutch territory.

On February 22 several Dutch city's were bombed, besides Nijmegen there were Arnhem (57 deaths), Enschede (40 deaths) and Deventer (1 Death). All city's where not far from the German border. Nijmegen was hit the hardest of all. The pilots wanted to bomb the bridge over the Maas river but were hampered by other US airplanes. Because of this their bombs fell in the middle of the centre of Nijmegen.
Thinking that their mission was successful they flew home back to England satisfied. While they turned home safe and unharmed Nijmegen was burning.

Nijmegen burning

At first the low flying planes didn't cause any panic to the people of Nijmegen because the sky was often used by German planes. But soon the air raid went off and many people ran for the shelters. After the first bombardments many people thought that it was safe again and came out of the shelters to look at the damage.
However the bombers came back and more bombs were dropped. One of the buildings hit was a Kindergarten. But also the Saint-Stevenschurch was hit.
Because the main water-supply was hit too it was very difficult to extinguish the fire. The city kept burning for 3 days.

For the German propaganda machine the bombing was a real windfall. They told it was a deliberate attack authorized by the Dutch government in Exile. The German propaganda machine tried everything to set up the Dutch people against the Allies but it was in vein. The people of Nijmegen saw the bombing as an accident and with the liberation the American liberators were welcomed as heroes.

German propaganda posters

Although the bombing, in terms of civilian casualties, was about as heavy as those in Rotterdam, the event was rather hushed. The event is often mentioned as "the forgotten bombing". Probably there was less talk about it because it was a mistake of a friendly nation. Only twenty years after the bombing it was commemorated for the first time.

Next is a link to a book in PDF format about this tragedy. I am sorry to say that it is in Dutch.
De Fatale Aanval

Thanks for reading

Photos: Historiek.net

Army files number 3 and 4 of the army file poll

2011-02-21T11:09:00.002+01:00

Here are the next 2 files of the poll. The one that became number 3; Commando (Beaches) and the one that became number 4; Commando (Orne). Both from the Turning Tide book.
The Commando (Beaches) file contains a new option. In Cell 11 you first have to select a Support Division. Some of the support platoons that can support the Commando troop must be from the 3rd Division, 3rd Canadian Division or 50th Division. It can't be a mix. So selecting a Support Division is important to get the right points for these support platoons. Standard it is set on 3rd Division. In the Breaching Group (row 38 and 50) you can only select how many engineering teams you want. I leave it up to you to fill in what exactly you take.

In the Commando (Orne) file you have the option to take the 51st Highland Division Lorried Rifle Platoon (row 56) this is the Lorried Rifle Platoon from the 7th Armoured Division. See page 69 Turning Tide.
As always there is an Excel, Excel 2007 and an OpenOffice version of these files.

Now, for those who haven't noticed it yet, something about some other files. There are some updated files for the following company's because they contained some mistakes:

Turning Tide - US Airborne Divisions (v2.0) (Problem with the Corps Armored Field Artillery Battery)
Turning Tide - US Light Tank Divisions (v1.5) (Problem with the Recon Platoon)
Turning Tide - US Medium Tank Divisions (v1.5)(Problem with the Recon Platoon)
Turning Tide - 3rd Canadian, British 3rd, 50th T&T Infantry Divisions (v1.2)(Problem with the Independent Armoured Platoon)

The next files also have an update although they didn't contain any mistakes. I just made some changes in the data.
Hell's Highway - US Airborne (V3.3) + Glider Rifle Company PDF (V1.4)
D Minus 1 - US Airborne (V3.4)
North Africa - US Parachute (book 2) (V1.6)

The links to find all new files:

- Army Files. (Page on my blog)

- Flames of War Army Excel Files.

Thanks for reading.

Field Battery, Royal Artillery platoon: The 2nd part. Finished.

2011-02-15T10:06:00.000+01:00

Finally the second part of the Field Battery, Royal Artillery platoon for my Canadian Company is done. I started with this part at the end of November 2010 ( Field Battery, Royal Artillery platoon: The 2nd part) but because of all kind of circumstances it took much longer then planned to paint this part.
One thing I am considering is to repaint the shells with another color.
It will now form together with the first part of the platoon (Field Battery, Royal Artillery Platoon end result) a platoon that contains eight 25 pdr guns. The Canadian Company with the Field Battery, Royal Artillery platoon can be from the Turning Tide handbook or, if I wish, from the old Monty's Meatgrinder handbook.

The pictures:

Field Battery, Royal Artillery platoon: The 2nd part.

Field Battery, Royal Artillery platoon: The 2nd part. The 25 pdr Guns.

Field Battery, Royal Artillery platoon: The 2nd part. Observer and Command teams.

Field Battery, Royal Artillery the full platoon

Thanks for looking.

Chemical Mortar Platoon

2011-02-10T11:43:00.000+01:00

A new platoon is added to my US Airborne Company. The Chemical Mortar Platoon.
I can use this platoon when I build an Airborne Company from the Turning Tide handbook or, if I wish from the old D minus 1 handbook.
Normally I paint a platoon like this in a day or a weekend but now it took me more then a week. I was and still am glad that I already can paint for an hour spread over the day. I am not that happy with the end result but for me it is good enough.
The platoon also has the option to include a jeep with a .50cal AA MG and jeep with trailers. But because I won't use these I have decided not to included them at this point but will buy them later on.

The pictures.


Chemical Mortar Platoon

4.2" Chemical Mortars

Command and Observer teams

Bazooka teams

Last I like to welcome the following new followers to my blog: Laparson, Tecian, Ken dawg, Frederik Hansson, Matt D, William Yankausky and Rens vanVliet.

Thanks for looking and reading.

Back Home.

2011-02-01T11:59:00.001+01:00

Hello everyone. Just a short message to let everyone know that I am back at home after a week at the hospital.
Yesterday at 12.00 PM local time I arrived at home.
The surgery on the 24th went very well and as it seems now they could remove everything. Ofcource i am still under control.
The first night was the most painful one but after the night it all went by fast and from then on I am feeling pain free and I don't use anymore tablets (Paracetamol) to kill the pain for more then 3 days.
Now the weeks of recovery have started. The coming weeks I have to just take care to do things the easy way. And no bending for 6 weeks.
Sitting behind the computer is still tiring to do so you won't be seeing me much in the beginning but hopefully that will improve in time.

Thanks for reading.

Update for Turning Tide - US Armored Recon Company and Dieppe files

2011-01-20T22:56:00.001+01:00

Even though there was an intensive search on mistakes in the files before publicing, I have to tell to my regret that we still found a few mistakes in both files.
For both files a v1.1 is now up for download.
I hope there are no more mistakes to find.

Thanks for reading

2nd Army File from the poll: Turning Tide - US Armored Recon Company (v1.0) and 1 file for Dieppe

2011-01-20T13:19:00.002+01:00

The first new file is Turning Tide - US Armored Recon Company (v1.0).
There is not much to tell about it. Works the same way as the other files.
One thing I like to say is that I want to give credits to a person, on the FoW forum known as Lap1964, because he helps me with checking the Turning Tide files on mistakes.

The other file is Dieppe - Forces (v1.0) from the Dieppe PDF. This a Mid War file.
I started to work on this file some time ago but never finished it. Now, between building the other files, I also decided to finish this one.

For both files there is an Excel 2003, Excel 2007 and an OpenOffice version.

The links:
- Army Excel Files. (Page on my blog)
- Flames of War Army Excel Files.

A last note: the Turning Tide - Ranger Battalion (Normandy) has been updated to v1.1. The OoB wasn't working properly and you couldn't fill in points in Cell D3 in the Ranger Company sheet.

These are the last files for a while.
I think everybody who follows this blog will know the reason.
As soon as it is possible for me I will start working on the other files again.

Thanks for reading.

A Personal Message

2011-01-19T11:35:00.002+01:00

First lets welcome the new followers. Normally I do this at the beginning of each month but because of the reason below I do it now: Max Messina, Scary Biscuits, Daywalker and FoxPhoenix135. Sorry if i forgot someone. May I welcome you to.

Normally the following isn't something I would tell everybody or tell it on the WWW but somehow this is something I like to tell. Although it ain't the nicest story.
Between now and Sunday it will become silent on my blog for some time. How long it will take I don't know.
Why? Simple said: I need to undergo Brain-surgery.
If everything goes as planned then coming Monday (24th) i will undergo the surgery.
I know about the tumor for about 6 years but until a few months back there was no reason to do something about it. When it started to grow the decision is made to remove it or remove as much as possible.
Because mine is a low-graded tumor there is no panic but when i do nothing it will grow and it will become a high-graded tumor and thats not good at all. So it is better to remove it now.
After the surgery i have to stay about a week in the hospital and be careful for another 6 weeks. And not driving a car for 6 months.
So I think I won't be found much behind my computer the first couple of weeks.

How about the Army files?
I am working on them and I hope that I can have a few done before I go to the hospital.
Those that aren't finished will be done as soon as I am feeling up to working on the files again.

Thanks for reading.

Today in Dutch WWII History: The Bunker Drama.

2011-01-17T14:08:00.002+01:00

In January 1944 in Konzentrationslager Herzogenbusch the Bunker Drama took place.
A German woman, who is kept prison in the Camp, provided all kind of information about the other prisoners to the camp leaders. By doing this she hoped that she would be released sooner. The other women in the barracks warn her to stop doing all this. After a last warning they cut her hair.
The leader of the barrack is locked up for this in the camp prison (Bunker). Ninety women from her barrack wrote their name and number on a list in the camp administration to protests against this act.

Two days later, on 15 January, all these women were brought to the Bunker. 74 women were locked up in one Cell: Cell 115. The size of the cell is about 9 square meters. Because the cell is full and there is absolutely no room left in this cell, the other 16 women were placed in another cell. Cell 117.
In Cell 115 panic broke out . There was no fresh air and it was very hot. More and more women became unconscious due to the lack of oxygen.
At Sunday 16 January after 14 hours the the door of the cell goes open.
Ten women didn't survive the night:
Helena Bagmeijer-Krant
Nelly de Bode
Maartje den Braber
Lamberta Buiteman-Huijsmans
Anna Gooszen
Mina Hartogs-Samson
Johanna van den Hoek
Lammerdina Holst
Antoinette Janssen
Huiberdina Witte-Verhagen

This drama soon became known outside the camp and all kinds of resistance papers wrote about this drama. The Germans were very annoyed that the news leaked. The camp-commander Grünewald is discharged and sent to the Russian front were he got killed.

Cell 115

Photo: FP Media VOF

Thanks for reading.

1st Army File from the poll: Turning Tide - Ranger Battalion (Normandy)

2011-01-15T11:33:00.000+01:00

The first file of the Poll is done.
It is the file that had 1st place: Ranger Battalion (Normandy).

Something new is added in this file.
Row 12 of the Ranger Company sheet. Here you first select an Assault Division.
Some of the support platoons, Boat section and Assault Engineer Combat platoon (left out the DD Tank platoon because this one is already rated as Confident Trained and has the same point cost in both the 1st and 29th Assault company), that can support the Ranger Company can be from the 1st or 29th Assault Division.
Selecting an Assault Division is important to get the right Skill and Motivation and the right point cost for the platoons. Standard it is set on 1st Assault Division.

Although I added this new feature to the file it ain't sure it will stay. There are some things unclear for the Ranger Battalion on the subject of which Assault Division supports the Rangers.
On page 186 of Turning Tide it nowhere says how it should be done, like in other forces, and there are no markings in the diagram. So I asked a question on the forum, see this LINK, and hope that BF will come up with an answer.

There is, as always, an Excel 2003, Excel 2007 and an OpenOffice version.

The links:
- Army Excel Files. (Page on my blog)
- Flames of War Army Excel Files.

Thanks for reading.

Poll: "Which Army file to build?". The Results.

2011-01-11T11:25:00.002+01:00

The poll is closed. A total of 34 people have voted (including me but that was more to avoid a tie). ;-)

The results:
Armoured Recce Squadron 3 votes
Commando (Orne) 4 votes
Commando (Beaches) 5 votes
Armored Recon Company 9 votes
Ranger Battalion (Normandy) 13 votes

So I know what i have to do, start with a file for the Ranger Battalion (Normandy). :-)
Thanks for voting and I hope you will all vote again when I put up the next poll.

Thanks for reading.

Army File: Turning Tide - 3rd Canadian, British 3rd, 50th T&T Infantry Divisions (v1.0)

2011-01-10T18:13:00.004+01:00

Yep another file from the Turning Tide book.
This time it's for the 3rd Canadian, British 3rd and50th T&T Infantry Divisions. The file is intensively checked on mistakes and it seems that this file is bug free.
I have to tell that the OoB is so big that it no-longer fits on 1 sheet of paper (Size A4 standard size were i live).
Read the Notes, 1st sheet, what you can do.
Also good to know is that when you take the 3rd Canadian division and take the Pioneer Platoon with the option to take Canadian-built C15TA Armoured trucks that there won't be stats for the C15TA Armoured Truck on the OoB because there are no stats listed in the handbook. It will only show a "-".
As usual the file is available in Excel 2003, Excel 2007 and OpenOffice.

The links to the sites for download:
- Army Excel Files (page on my blog)
- Flames of War Army files

As a last note for those who don't know yet there is also an updated version of the Battalion Armii Krajowej file v1.1. It is updated to the latest, updated, version of the Battalion Armii Krajowej PDF.

Thanks for reading.

New Irregular Magazine availabe for download.

2011-01-08T13:19:00.003+01:00

Available on the Irregular homepage is the new issue of Irregular Magazine. Issue 7/ Winter '11. Titled Frontiers.
Although i haven't read this issue yet it is worth downloading cause i much liked the older issues. Although the magazine contains reader submitted content it feels as a professional publication.
What can be found in this issue. Lets quote Irregular here.

"This issue our theme is Frontiers, and our themed content includes: Palm Crossing – a Frontier town for Traveller RPG; two fantastic short stories; a historical article on the Zulu War; artist Brynn Metheney tells us about the landscape and creatures of Morae River as well as reviews of Tea Wars, Musket & Tomahawk, New World Disorder, Clockwork & Chivalry.

Cover artist Diego Gisbert Llorens has created a beautiful cover which explores Frontiers of the mind and soul, as well as place.
We’ve got an interview with games designer Alessio Cavtore, talking about his new ventures since leaving Games Workshop.

The tutorials section should keep you busy over the next few months! David Heathfield has supplied yet another great painting tutorial, this time looking at painting cloth and zenithal lighting. We also have a scenery tutorial on making chaos trees, and a guide to painting Colonial British troops for the tabletop.

Once again we have plenty of reviews, and the group review this time was on the Warheads range from Urban Mammoth.

The winner of the historical painting competition is revealed, and our new painting competition gives you the chance to win a limited edition, large scale, resin figure from Hitech Miniatures, check out our competition page for all the details.

We also have a free set of skirmish rules from Alternative Armies, Flintloque.

We also have another episode of our comic Tuk Tuk.

Time to get reading – go on, download your copy now."

Link to the site: Irregular Magazine

Thanks for reading.

Two painted army's

2011-01-04T22:55:00.001+01:00

With the start of the new year I have decided to put up 2 pictures. For each of my main army's for Flames of War 1 picture.
One picture of the US Airborne Division and one picture of the 3rd Canadian Division. Both pictures show what i have collected of each army so far.
At the end of the year i want to see how much each army has grown in strength. As in extra platoons added.

First we have the 101st Airborne Division. The whole army pictured can be used with the MW North Africa handbook or the LW D minus 1, Turning Tide and Hell's Highway handbooks.
Missing in the picture is the Guards Armoured Platoon.

101st "Screaming Eagles" Airborne Division.

Next we have the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. The whole army pictured can be used with the LW Monty's Meatgrinder and Turning Tide handbooks.
As can be seen in the picture 1 part of the Artillery platoon still needs to be painted.

3rd Canadian Division Regina Rifles Regiment

Now lets see what 2011 will bring.

Thanks for reading.

New Years Day.

2011-01-01T11:33:00.002+01:00

First of let me start by wising everybody a:

Happy New Year!

May all your wishes and dreams for this new year may come true. And of course have a lot of painting and gaming pleasure.

I must admit that I am not the person that is going to write a long story looking back how the past year went by. It was a year of ups and downs. I have painted just that what i wanted to have painted except for 1 platoon. I could have played more games but I think because I only play 1 game system I shouldn't complain.

Now what will 2011 bring me.

It will start hectic that is one thing for sure. This month i have to undergo a brain-surgery. Yep I know a great beginning of the year.

Looking at the gaming I hope I can do play some more games this year. About the painting I just continue painting the stuff i like to paint for my Flames of War army's.

Concerning this blog. I just will keep on going the way the blog is going now. Filling it with posts that, hopefully, keep my followers interested in keep following my blog. And that it even attract more people to follow it.

Lastly I like to welcome a new follower: Wargamer.

Thanks for reading.

Again a new file from the Turning Tide Handbook: Task Force A

2010-12-29T16:08:00.003+01:00

This file is for the US Task Force A from the Turning Tide Handbook.
It is a complete new army that hasn't been publish in a book or PDF briefing before.
The file has been throughout been tested on mistakes, I even had some help, so lets hope that there won't be any problems to find this time. May you still find one please let me know.

As usual the file is available in Excel 2003, Excel 2007 and OpenOffice.

The links to the sites for download:
- Army Excel Files (page on my blog)
- Flames of War Army files

This will probaly the last file for a while. I am still working on 1 other(Combined file for the 3rd Canadian, British 3rd and 50th T&T Divisions) but it will take awhile before that one is done. After that i start on the files from the poll. Also i like to spend some more time on painting.
One other thing is that some time in January there is a major thing going to happen in my private life. I will tell more about this later on.

Thanks for reading.

A New Poll: "Which Army file to build?"

2010-12-27T11:08:00.001+01:00

I have put up a poll. It is a poll specially for those who make use of the Excel army files i build.
It is a list of 5 army's from the Turning Tide book. You all have 14 days to vote then the poll will close.
After that i will see which option has the most votes and that will be the first army of which i will make an Army file. The rest will follow in the order of how many votes they received.
For me it is also a sort of way to see how many people appreciate that i build these files.
May your army not in the list. Don't worry there is a chance that i will put up more polls in the coming year.
Happy voting!

Thanks for reading.

Christmas

2010-12-23T17:35:00.001+01:00

I like to wish everybody a

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

And that SANTA may bring you all the nice presents

you wished for.

That your Christmas meal taste delicious.

But beware that you don't eat too much.

After all who wants to end up sick in his or her bed on,

New Years Eve.

A note about the army files.

2010-12-23T11:47:00.000+01:00

First i like to say that I have yet again uploaded new files for the US light and medium tank divisions. I really feel sick and shit about this, that I have to redo the list for a third time in such a short period.
I am very sorry for this and i hope you forgive me.
Next what i like to say is that may you find a mistake in one of my files then first take a look if there is a new version available. I don't want to clog up my blog with posts that i have uploaded updated files over and over again. However each time I upload a complete new file and tell you here in a post I will also tell if there are files updated. Also if the file is updated after a long period of time then I will tell it too.
If you have a file with a mistake or problem and there is no new version please let me know of the problem so I can update the file.

Thanks for reading.

Again corrections on the Turning Tide - US Light and Medium Tank Divisions Files

2010-12-23T00:15:00.001+01:00

I uploaded new files for the Turning Tide - US Light and Medium Tank Divisions. Many more mistakes were found.
I am sorry for all the hassle i am causing.
Next time i will do more my best to keep it mistake clean.

Thanks for reading.

Correction on the Turning Tide - US Light and Medium Tank Divisions Files

2010-12-22T10:56:00.000+01:00

Someone pointed out a mistake in the Turning Tide - US Medium Tank Divisions File.Thanks for that.
After checking the file myself i found i out that I simply forgot to check 1 sheet on mistakes.
The problems solved are:
The Corps Cavalry Recon platoon didn't show the points on OoB.
Both the Armored FaB platoons points didn't work correctly on the OoB
The points of the Corps field artillery Battery were working wrong.
All problems are solved and it works OK now.

As I used the Turning Tide US Medium Tank Divisions file as a template for the Turning Tide US Light Tank Divisions file the latter one contained the same mistakes. These are solved too of-course.
For both files v1.1 is up for download

Thanks for reading.

More new files from the Turning Tide Handbook

2010-12-21T17:40:00.001+01:00

Well here are some more new files from the Turning Tide handbook. Yep I have been very busy. ;).
The following Files are added to the list:
- Turning Tide - British 6th Airborne Division (v1.0)
- Turning Tide - US 1st and 29th Assault Divisions (v1.0)
- Turning Tide - US Medium Tank Divisions (v1.0)
- Turning Tide - US Light Tank Divisions (v1.0)

I hope that these files are working fine and don't contain any mistakes. May you find one please let me know so i can fix the problem.

Files are available in the following versions Excel 2003, Excel 2007 and OpenOffice.
And here are the links where you can find them:

- Army Excel Files (page on my blog)
- Flames of War Army files

Between the painting I am working on a file for the Canadian 3rd, British 3rd and 50th Infantry Division. But this will take while before it is finished. Little complex to make. After that is done i will also make file for Task Force A.

Have Fun.

Thanks for reading.

Correction on the Turning Tide - US Airborne Divisions (v1.0) file

2010-12-14T23:24:00.001+01:00

A quick note.
Someone pointed out to me that there was a mistake in the file. The Airborne Divisional recon platoon didn't show the point cost.
After checking and double checking (file on my computer was working Ok) i found out that i placed the wrong version of the file on the blog and website.
I have quickly replaced it with the correct one.
Sorry for all the trouble.

Here are the links again:
- Army Excel Files (page on my blog)
- Flames of War Army files

Leaves in shame.

Thanks for reading.

New Army File: Turning Tide - US Airborne Divisions (v1.0)

2010-12-14T13:15:00.002+01:00

The first new file from the Turning Tide book. Well new. It is more an update of the old D minus 1 handbook.
First lets take a look what has changed compared to D-1.
New are :
1)Airborne Divisional Recon platoon (only for the 82nd Airborne Division).
2)Airborne Anti-aircraft Artillery platoon (only for the 101st Airborne Division).
3)Corps Armored Field Artillery Battery (Priests).
4)Corps Field Artillery Battery (155mm).
5) They now also have Master Sergeant.
What has changed compared to D-1:
The tank platoons are split up in 2. The Medium tank platoon (Sherman's) and Light tank platoon (M5A1 Stuarts). The light tank platoon is only available for the 101st Airborne. Instead of 1 you have the possibility to take 2 Corps Field Artillery Battery's. Only the 101st Airborne is able to take an Anti-aircraft Artillery platoon. The special rule for Turnbull has changed. Further most of the platoons have gone down in points.

Files are available in Excel 2003, Excel 2007 and OpenOffice.

Where to get the new files:

- Army Excel Files (page on my blog)
- Flames of War Army files

About the 2nd link.
I reorganized this site.
On the openings page the first 3 folders have changed. With the explanation what has changed I will concentrate me on the first folder "1. Army Excel Files". The other 2 follow the same concept.
The folder 1. Army Excel Files contains the standard excel files.
If you click on the link you will get 2 new folders: "1 Current Books" and "2 Old Books".
The Current Books folder contain all the files from handbooks and PDF's that are new or in use. Like the new D-Day books but also the books from the Eastfront etc.
The Old Books folder contains all the files from the old handbooks and PDF's. Think of Afrika, Ostfront but also the old Normandy books like D minus 1, Cobra etc.
When you click on 1 of these folders the rest is self explaining.
The only folder where i have some doubts if i placed the right file in the right place (Old books or Current books) is the German Late War folder. So may you find a mistake please let me know.
Although you have to click a few folders to get to the files i think it works better now.
I hope you like this solution. When thing is certain it works easier for me.

Last note: For those people who still like to use D Minus 1, there is a new file up for download. I found a few glitches in the old one. Name is US Airborne D-1 (v3.3).

Thanks for reading!

Random Talk

2010-12-06T17:29:00.001+01:00

First i like to Welcome all new followers.

From now on i will (try to) welcome new followers with the first post of each month. Except if the first post is a History post. In that case i will do it in the next post or i will post a welcome message.

Further i like to say Thank You to all my followers who decided to stick with me. Even to those who are following me anomalously. It means that i don't write it all for myself and all that i write and show is interesting enough to follow.

Yesterday i finally primed my Field Battery, Royal Artillery Platoon. I still couldn't go outside but because it is no longer freezing i could make use of the garage. And just before i went to bed i placed it in my hobby room so it could dry the whole night at a better temperature. So now all i have to do is start painting.

I am still waiting for the new D-Day slipcase to arrive. A friend and i have decided to buy 1 slipcase and split the books: He takes the Earth and Steel book while i take the Turning Tide book. This way we don't have to wait a few more months. But although we ordered it in time at the store it still hasn't arrived. It has something to do with falling snow in England.

Hopefully my next post will be on the painting progress of the Field Battery, Royal Artillery Platoon.

Thanks for reading all this bla bla bla! ;-)

Field Battery, Royal Artillery platoon: The 2nd part

2010-11-30T11:32:00.003+01:00

Since a few day's i have the 2nd part of the Field Battery, Royal Artillery platoon for my Canadian Company. The box is a birthday gift. Thanks guys.
Now with this box in my possession the total of 25 pounder guns in the platoon will be brought to a total of 8 guns.
There are a few things in the box that i don't need anymore for the platoon. The Staff team and a command team but these will always come in handy for other projects like objectives.
Now,of-course, i want to start as quick as possible to paint these but there is 1 problem; I can't go outside to prime them. It is freezing here. I do have an inside location that i can use to prime but in this room it is also pretty cold. I need to find a good solution to prime them cause i don't have it planned to do it all by hand.
And later, after it is all painted let's hope it's a little warmer here so i can seal them without destroying it (misty look after applying the varnish).
Wish me luck. ;-)

Thanks for reading.

A quick one.

2010-11-10T13:17:00.001+01:00

This is an Opel Blitz 3 ton truck and will be 1 of the many transport trucks for my Schützen kompanie. It was a leftover from a blister containing 2 trucks. The other is used to be the supply vehicle for the pioneer platoon. It was my intention to include the "canvas" but it didn't fit to well, not, on the truck so i left it off. The truck isn't sealed yet and missing the proper decals which will be added later when i find some.

Thanks for looking.

Today in Dutch WWII History: The Disaster of Heusden.

2010-11-05T08:53:00.005+01:00

Heusden is a small historic town near the Meuse river with, at the time of the war, 2000 inhabitants.
During the war Heusden didn't had much to complain. The Germans showed little to no interest in the town.
But all things changed in October 1944.
As a result of the advancing Allied armies Heusden became right in the middle of the battle.
The town was filled with retreating German troops and it was also under the relentless shelling of the allied troops.
Normal life on the streets and in their homes became impossible so many of the people were forced to seek shelter in the basement. Many, however, had no basement and sought hiding in other peoples basement.
Many families had sought shelter in the town hall basement because, with its thick walls and vaults and additional external reinforcement of beams and sandbags it had to be safe.
Here they stayed for days, because normal life at home and on the street was no longer possible.
On Nov. 4, the British crossed the canal in Drunen and the rumble and roar that penetrates into the vaults announced the impending liberation. The day passed full of tension and unrest and nonsensical rumors. It was claimed that the Germans would have undermined the towers so they could be blown up to prevent that they were going to be used as lookout posts for the allies. Some men of the air protection, led by Mr Verschuur, went out to investigate. They found nothing suspicious, and so the night fell.

The night of 4 - 5 November 1944.
The Germans are cornered, the Allied armies are on their heels and as a last act of desperation they destroyed all the beautiful old towers along the front-line. Among these towers was the town hall tower of Heusden. It is also evident that they didn't care that dozens of men, women and children were at risk. At that moment there were about 200 people in basement of the town hall, men, women and children.

Town Hall before the explosion.

At about 2.20 AM a violent explosion ripped through the night. With a thunderous roar the elegant tower of the town hall of Heusden came down.
The bells of the carillon, that would applaud for the towns liberation, fell down with sharp and dull sounds in the avalanche of dust and debris. The roof and the vaults collapsed. The thick exterior walls reinforced with beams and sand collapsed inside. Walls, beams, glass, stone, sand and dust fell down on the adults, children and infants in the shelter of the town hall. After this disastrous moment, it became quiet. A wall of dust hung over a mountain of rubble.

Town Hall after the explosion.

Among the debris faint cries could be heard. Some, who were close at the exit of the basement, came crumbling out of it looking gray of sand and dust and were in a shock. Dozens of men and women came to help and worked hard to free the trapped people but dust and darkness were their biggest obstacles.
A battle for life and death raged on in the debris. Dozens were trapped under beams and bricks. They were still alive. Mothers were screaming for their husbands and their children. But the voices became weaker and weaker until it became silent.
It took a week to recover and count all the victims.
Of the approximately 200 people in the basement 134 people didn't survive this German act of terrorism.
Whole family's were killed. Sometimes only 1 child or person of a family could be saved.

Memorial commemorating the 134 casualties.Writing: Passer-by, where you are, on five November 1944 one hundred and thirty four civilians fell victim to the war.

After the Germans retreaded north over the Meuse river, Heusden became part of the front-line and Germans aimed their fire on the town. On December 31 the people were ordered to leave the town only to return on May 9, 1945.

At the end of the war 10% of the population of Heusden was killed.
Heusden paid it's toll.

Thanks for reading.

Photo1: Geheugen van Nederland
Photo 2 and 3: Nederland in de Tweede Wereldoorlog

The last.......

2010-11-02T11:37:00.003+01:00

These are the last unpainted FoW models i have. When these are painted there is nothing left to paint. And it will probably take to 2011 before there will be something new to paint.

What do we see on the photo.
From left to right. A Opel Blitz 3 ton truck. This is just 1 of the many more i need for my MW Schützen Company from North-Africa. This is a company that i am building up slowly. Next is a T-26. Next to that is a T-34/85. Both these tanks are for a Finish tank company i had planned to built but this company has become something for the far future, maybe i will even cancel it completely.
With the new D-Day books coming out i have decided to focus more on my favorite army: The US Airborne.
Because i need 2 new paint colors to buy for the Finnish tanks i think i will start with the 3 ton truck.

Thanks for reading.

Konzentrationslager Herzogenbusch revisited

2010-10-28T16:33:00.003+02:00

This is some extra information on an earlier post about Konzentrationslager Herzogenbusch.
It is information i found on a news tweet today (Thursday October 28 2010).
Today two unique photo's were found at Camp Vught, as the location of the former concentration camp and now memorial centre is called today.
The photo's are from 1944 and show camp prisoners and their guards.
It is exceptional that prisoners and guards are stand together on photo's like these. Moreover it was prohibited to shoot photo's in and close surroundings of the camp, such photo's are very rare.

Prisoners walking on the Loonsebaan guarded by a camp-guard on a bike.

Same group somewhere in the outskirts of the camp probably Gement or the Bossche Broek where they were put to work.

The photo's are from the family album of Klaas Bezema. From research it has become clear that the father of Bezema made these photo's. He was an amateur photographer and kept taking photo's during the war.

Thanks for reading.

Photo's: STIWOT

Today in Dutch WWII History: The Battle of the Scheldt

2010-10-25T12:27:00.006+02:00

This is not exactly a Today in Dutch WWII History because the battle of the Scheldt took place from October 1st - November 8th, 1944.
It was a very bitter, bloody and hard fought battle from both sites. But also know as a forgotten battle. Where most people do know about D-Day, Market Garden or the Battle of the Bulge there are hardly people who have heard of the battle of the Scheldt.
It was also a very important battle. Although the allies now occupied the harbor of Antwerp the Germans still dominated the East-Scheldt area. This made it still impossible for allied ships to go to the harbor of Antwerp and thus creating a shorter supply line.
My first intention was to write the story about the battle myself but instead the following link has a great and nice write up about the whole battle.

The Battle of the Scheldt

Next link is specifically aimed at the battle for Walcheren (Thanks Paul for the link).

OPERATION INFATUATE - WALCHEREN - 1 to 8 NOV 1944

The The Battle of the Scheldt link leads to a page from the Canada at War website. A website dedicated to the contribution of the Canadian army in both World Wars and other wars.

Thanks for reading.

Photo: Canada at War

M5A1 Stuart Light Tank platoon Finished.

2010-10-23T13:16:00.006+02:00

The last details are done.
Adding decals, give them a muddy look and seal them.
Lets start with the decals. This almost turned out to become a disaster.
When i got my sheets with decals i found out they were stuck together. By removing them from each other i damaged most of the decals. Luckily i had enough decals of the big stars that went on the front of the tank. The big problem were the ones that had to go on the side of the tanks. I had to see if there were 10 of then left that i could use. After 1 and a half hour i finally had 10 decals i could use of which 1 has little damage.
Time to add the decals.
First i paint a little layer of gloss varnish on the spots were the decals has to go. Then, when it it is dry, i put some Micro-Set on it, got a decal out of the water and gently put it with a brush on the right spot. I first did all the big stars on front. After the last 1 was done i went back to the 1st one and, because the surface wasn't flat, i gently pushed on the decal with a little pellet made of paper towel or something like that so the decal would set nicely around the raised edges. This is done with all 5 the tanks. After that it was time to add the decals on the side. Same procedure but then without the paper towel pressing because the surface was flat. Only had to line them out nicely.
After everything was dry i painted a thin layer of gloss varnish over the decals. I started with this because in the past when i sealed some models with matt varnish the decals suddenly started to dissolve. So to prevent of happing again i paint some gloss varnish over the decals.
Next was to give them a muddy look. This is simply done by a dry brushing a brown color, i used Vallejo Saddle Brown, on the side front and back. Some places a thicker layer then others.
Then last. Sealing them.

The end result!

Click on the Read More link to see more pictures

Antenna added to the tanks.

Thanks for looking.

M5A1 Stuart Light Tank platoon Update 2

2010-10-20T11:19:00.004+02:00

A second update.
De tanks are highlighted.
First highlighting is a dry-brush with the base color Vallejo 887 Brown Violet.
After that there was a second highlighting by dry-brushing using the color Vallejo 886 Green Grey.
Unfortunately because the models are still very shiny it is hard to see the highlighting.
After that it was time to paint all details, give them a thin layer of wash and highlight them if necessary.
Sorry for the somewhat crappy pictures i shall see if i can take some better one's.

All what is left to do now, before sealing them, is to add decals and give them a muddy look. And maybe do some touching up.

Thanks for looking and reading.

PS. Post #100. :)

Message for Dutch and Belgian FoW players.

2010-10-18T12:57:00.002+02:00

This messages is specially for all Dutch and Belgian FoW players and all other FoW players who live in the Netherlands.
Since a few days there is a new forum on the internet that focus on everything Flames of War in the low country's. Flames of War Nederland en België
It is a forum to bring all players together into 1 place. And to find new opponents.
Just go and take look if you haven't done already.
If your a foreigner but are living in the Netherlands, plays FoW and understand a little bit of Dutch. Take a look too.

Thanks for reading.

M5A1 Stuart Light Tank platoon Update 1

2010-10-17T20:52:00.002+02:00

All tanks are painted in their base color. Vallejo 887 Brown Violet.
As you can see the tracks, MG's and the stowage aren't painted yet. These will be done after the hull and turret are completely done.

After the basis color was dry the tanks were painted with layer of a very thinned down black wash. Vallejo Lavado.

Now i let them all dry for at least 1 day. Then i start with the highlighting.
In the meantime i can paint the 2 crew members. 1 Platoon leader, 1 gunner.

Thanks for reading.