"1/600 WWII Pacific Coastal Forces" Topic

All,

Continuing with my WWII in the Pacific forces, I present my 1/600 minis from PT Dockyard. Not a large force, just big enough to give me some (hopefully) interesting games, and I can always add to them later, if necessary. I'd bought these long before "Cruel Seas" was ever out (at least in public), but they'd sat on a shelf, untouched, until a bunch of guys (like that dastardly Sunjester, for example) started popping out coastal action batreps. Those batreps convinced me to finally get off my butt and knock these things out. As always, they're not beautiful, but they'll work for me, and some of you may be turned off as I gave them a really heavy wash to dirty them up.

So, here's what I've got:
-some sort of merchant ship, much bigger than everything else
-4 x US PT Boats
-1 x US LCM
-2 x 85' "Luggers"
-2 x Japanese T-1 MTBs
-1 x Japanese Type C Gunboat
-2 x Japanese 46' Daihatsu barges
-2 x Japanese Daihatsu gunboats

Two of the PT Boats, from the port beam.

Japanese Daihatsu barges converted to gunboats.

And the 1200 ton merchant.

To see more pics, please check the blog at:
link

So there you go, I am now in the coastal actions business, and happy to be there. Not sure when I'll get their first games in, I've got a lot of dogfighting, then ground combat to do before PT Boats get into the fight.

V/R,
Jack

Very nice. I'm a big fan of dark washes, especially, as Newt observed…

"They mostly come at night…mostly."

I want to play at your house.

You've built exactly the kind of versatile coastal combat collection I've been eyeing myself.

I saw this comment:

I've got a lot of dogfighting, then ground combat to do before PT Boats get into the fight.

That got me to poking around your blog, wherein I discovered that you have an entirely separate blog for tracking the progress of your Pacific War gaming: oldleadbreed.blogspot.com

So, if I understand it:
1/600 coastal naval forces
1/600 air forces
10mm ground forces

Is that correct?

- Ix

Thanks KPinder, and Aliens references are always welcome (fighting back the urge to bust out with some of Hudson's profanity-laced pearls).

Yellow Admiral, well, I'm in North Texas, so if you're in the neighborhood, feel free to stop by ;)

Regarding the Old Lead Breed, you've almost got it nailed:

-You're missing naval surface action with Axis and Allies War at Sea miniatures (about 1/1800?). I played some destroyer and cruiser actions during the Dutch East Indies, plan on doing more in the Solomons.

-Regarding dogfighting, I started off in 1/600, but then I sold it all off and went even smaller, what I call "Tiny Air Combat." They're somewhere around 1/900 to 1/1200, not exactly sure.

-I see you saw I just completed 10mm Marines and Japanese for the Pacific, but I haven't actually used them yet. I will use them for reinforced platoon to company level games, but so far all the gaming has been in 15mm, which I will continue to use for smaller skirmishes.

Regarding blogs, I've got:
-Blackhawkhet, for showing my painting and terrain, though there still lurks a few batreps there.
-Cuba Libre, my modern alt-universe where a second Bay of Pigs-style assault by Cuban exiles in 1990 was successful, and now Free Cuba roams the world, fighting for freedom.
-Old Lead Breed, my WWII in the Pacific blog
-Little Lead Crusade in Europe, my WWII in Europe/Med blog
-Sword of Gideon, my Arab-Israeli Wars blog

Thanks guys!

V/R,
Jack

-Regarding dogfighting, I started off in 1/600, but then I sold it all off and went even smaller, what I call "Tiny Air Combat." They're somewhere around 1/900 to 1/1200, not exactly sure.

ZOMG!!! That's the wrong direction!

I have a smattering of the CAP Aero 1/1200 planes, but I only use them for airborne attacks on my 1/2400 fleets. I have *joked* about using them for dogfighting, but never really thought that possible. I'll have to spend more time poring over your blog(s)…

- Ix

Nah, they're perfect! Check'em out:

F4F Wildcat

SBD Dauntless

P-38 Lightning

A6M Zero

Check out the fights here:
link

And if you like modern:
link

V/R,
Jack

YA, 1/600 air and naval combined make for excellent games.

Not talking large carrier battles here, but mostly small unit actions, with planes from various sides beating up on small boats, warships, cargo vessels, and subs.

Works for virtually any theater too.

I'm especially fond of Mossies and Beaus beating up on U-Boats and other German coastal craft during the "fight-back" period ordered by the inept Hitler, in the English Channel and Bay of Biscay. Germans get long-range escort fighter, Ju-88s to try to keep that from happening. Need to run some sorties vs. cargo ships and VP boats too, when I get the time.

Jerries get the same fun vs. British coastal convoys too, in and around the Channel. Stukas and Ju-88s diving on hapless cargo vessels far below make for very scenic games.