"Elephants!" Topic

Here are some pictures of my GHQ Elephants that I finished a few years ago. I need to get them into a game one of these days.

I was expecting elephants, not Elefants!
But, superb painting nonetheless.

Great work

Amazing how many model Elefants are out there – given that they built 91!

Don't get me started on the Maus

Also great terrain – you must share your secrets

That's good work for 1/56; it is fantastic for 1/285.

+1 BillyNM

I need to get them into a game one of these days.

I don't think I have EVER before MET a miniatures wargamer who had a 1943 German force, who had not put Elefants out on the table in a game. Certainly I have never PLAYED against a gamer with a 1943 German force who had Elefants and did not manage to put them on the table against me.

Amazing how many model Elefants are out there – given that they built 91!

To Frederick's point, I have fought against FAR more Elefants than the Red Army ever did. I think I had fought against more Elefants than the Red Army ever did by the time I was 16 years old.

They seem to be an irresistible force. Not on the battlefields of WW2 nor on the WW2 game table, but among those to game WW2 Germans.

Oh, and -- nice job Pete! Really beautiful and well detailed. I particularly like how you have used two period-appropriate paint schemes. That harder-edged dunkelgelb and gruen is just about perfect! Really pleasing to one who loves him some wargaming miniatures.

Thank you all very much!

I am aware that only 91 Ferdinands were built. Despite their limited numbers, they were an excellent tank destroyer if used properly. They were not used properly at Kursk.

I have a decent German and Russian force for 1943. Most of my German tanks are Panzer IIIs and IVs. I do have StuG IIIs, Tiger Is, Panther Ds, and Elephants although so far, I have not taken the opportunity to put them on the table. I hope to rectify that at DEFCON at Ft. Huachuca in just over a week. The Germans will still be operating mostly Panzer IIIs and IVs.

My Russians now have a full Tank Brigade with a full T-34 Battalion and a full T-70 Battalion. I also have KVs and SU-152s if needed.

Mark, I decided to paint 1 of my Elephants in a Kursk scheme. The other 3 are painted more like some of the post Kursk Elephants but in a pinch I will use them for Kursk. I would love to see GHQ do the Ferdinand sometime.

​Mark, the Elefants haven't hit the table just yet, though the motor pool is expanding. I just printed one in 15mm. The real challenge now is the optics! My vision used to be fine, but now I'm fighting the 'age-related' blur. Even with my LED magnifying lamp, I've realized it's time to ask the optometrist for some dedicated tactical painting glasses.