Kampfgruppe Emmenthaler

Hi all,
thought I'd take and post up some pictures of my completed late war SS Kampfgruppe Emmenthaler. This my first ever 20mm project (not counting the boyhood dabbling in Airfix)and I think it's turnned out quite well for a first attempt.

Having said that I've wanted to do some rapid fire wargaming in 20mm for years and to that end I have squirreled away various plastics kits and diecasts in 1/72 scale for some years. Getting my hands on a box of Valiant Germans finally got this project going (and kept it cheap). To keep costs down I decided to use as much of my hoard of kits as I could the result is something that resembles one of those horrible cheesy/power gamer armies that German players are always accused of. Loads of big cats and elite panzer grenadiers. To balance things out and prove I'm not some sort of uber gamer my next two Kampfgruppe are going to be based around a infantry battalion and a Volks grenadier regiment.

Anyway on to the photos all infantry are Valiant 1/72 plastic miniatures and the vehicles are from all over the place I'll try and give details if I can remember the source.

The whole Kampfgruppe laid out.

Kampfgruppe HQ led by Oberst Emmenthaler decide on their next move. The radio truck is a conversion of an old Esci Opel ambulance the car is a Ready to Roll resin. The table is scratch built.

Sdkfz222 from the Kampfgruppe HQ, an old Airfix model with a valiant crewman

SP 37mm AA attached to the HQ to give some cover from allied air power. Model is Haswega(?) with Valiant crewman.

The inevitable Panther tanks, these are re-painted diecasts off the front of a magazine about tanks sold in the UK last year.

Attached Tiger 1s from one of the SS heavy tank battalions. Again re-painted diecasts from a magazine. these came with the first issue and cost £1.99 each bargain!

Mobile fire support in the form of a Stuka zum fuss plus a spotter in a kubelwagen. Esci made the half track with rockets and Airfix the Kubel. Lack of research meant I stuck a crewman in the halftrack a few weeks latter I found out the crew retired a safe distance and fired the rockets remotely ...........

Panzer grenadier battalion HQ , the car is from the Ready to roll range

panzer grenadier company with truck. the Opel blitz is again a resin Ready to roll vehicle. I really like the ready to roll stuff cost wise they cost the same as plastic kits but there is none of the annoying sticking together to do.

The second Panzer grenadier company.

The third panzer grenadier company.

The Machine gun company and truck. the Ford truck is another Ready to roll offering.

Well that's the lot I really enjoyed this project and still have loads of Valiant Germans left so more Kampfgruppe are on the way.

Cheers Jon