CastleArts announces the release of

CastleArts announces the release of a new Samurai Artillery piece in 10mm (N scale) which
Consists of the following:

Base 40 x 40 resin perforated
1 Samurai that lights the fuse
1 Samurai from the command with fan
1 Ashigaru Standard Bearer
1 Ashigaru with wick
1 Ashigaru recharging
4 wood pavise
2 guns

Castle Arts

Osprey books for pre-order

Osprey Publishing Ltd. announces that the following titles are available for pre-order

DARK – Bug Hunts

They said there were no monsters. But there are.

It is the 23rd Century. Across the cold void of space, alien monsters prey on humanity: infesting generation-ships, destroying colonies, and transforming humans into hosts for their foul spoor. From the insectoid hive-beasts of Klaatu, to the xenomorphic parasites of the outer rim, this book contains the sum total of human knowledge of the myriad forms of alien menace; where to find them…and how to kill them. In this guide you will find details of mankind's greatest champions, the marines of STAR Industries. With their state-of-the-art technology and advanced combat tactics developed over a century of warfare, the STAR marines battle the alien, wherever it may strike.

Contents

Introduction 

The Alien Menace: Know Thy Foe, Infamous Infestations, The Ongoing Threat 

STAR Industries Marines: Origins, Organisation, Tactical Remit, Weapons and Wargear 

Tactical Manual: Planet-side Surgical Strikes, Deep Space Boarding Actions, Defensive Actions, Open War 

Conclusion

MAA 503 – Hitler's Russian and Cossack Allies 1941-45

Given the merciless way in which the war on the Eastern Front of World War II was conducted, it is difficult to envisage anyone changing sides during the conflict. Yet after the German invasion of Russia in Operation Barbarossa, well over 400,000 former Soviet citizens went on to fight for Nazi Germany. These included not only the ‘legions' recruited from non-Russian ethnic groups eager for freedom from Stalin's dictatorship, but also some 100,000 Russians and Cossacks. What began as small local security units of ‘Ostruppen', enrolled for the ongoing campaigns against Soviet partisans, were later reorganized, given special systems of uniform and insignia, amalgamated into larger formations, and eventually committed to the front line. This book offers up an essential guide to the appearance, formation and equipment of the myriad Russian and Soviet units that fought for the Germans. It uses rare photographs and revealing colour illustrations to create a peerless visual reference to the troops who switched from one ruthless superpower to another and met with a horrific fate when the fighting was over.

Contents

Introduction 

Uniforms & insignia 1941-42: the Eastern Battalions 

Uniforms & insignia 1943-45 

Cossack units: uniforms & insignia 1941-42 

1st Cossack Division, uniforms & insignia 1943-44 

XV Cavalry Corps, uniforms & insignia 1944-45 

Plate Commentaries 

Index 

Osprey Publishing Ltd

Osprey announces the release of

ACE 127 – Polish Spitfire Aces

Of all Allied airmen, Polish pilots had had the most experience of fighting the Luftwaffe by the time the war came to Britain. As the Battle of Britain raged, they quickly proved themselves as highly aggressive and skilful interceptors, especially when flying the famous Spitfire. The Polish Air Force eventually became the largest non-Commonwealth Spitfire operator, using some 1,500 Mks I, II, V, IX and XVI to devastating effect. Top scoring USAAF ace of the ETO, Francis "Gabby" Gabreski and a whole host of other Allied and Commonwealth aces flew with Polish squadrons, adding even more to their fighting quality. Conversely, several Polish pilots were attached to other Allied squadrons throughout the war, demonstrating their prowess alongside airmen from a whole host of nations. From an expert on Polish fighter aviation, this is a peerless account of the fiery, talented Polish "Spit" pilots, whose country had been overrun and whose aggression and determination to shoot down Axis aircraft was unmatched.

Contents

Get the Spitfire 

Defending Britain 

Hot summer of 1941

Against the Focke-Wulfs 

Dieppe landings 

Mk IXs 

Mediterranean adventures 

Tactical air force 

Get a Spitfire 

Appendices 

CAM 282 – Leyte 1944

The loss of the Philippines in 1942 was the worst defeat in American military history. General Douglas MacArthur, the 'Lion of Luzon', was evacuated by order of the President just before the fall, but he vowed to return, and in August 1944 he kept his word when he led what, at the time, was the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific War on the island of Leyte. This is the full story of that fateful battle, one of the most ferocious campaigns of World War II and one of huge strategic and symbolic significance. In the face of stubborn Japanese resistance, including the first systematic use of Kamikaze attacks, the US forces ground slowly forwards before another amphibious assault took the vital position of Ormoc in the last decisive battle of the campaign. Based on extensive research in the US Army's Military History Institute, along with other archival and veteran sources, this important study sheds new light on the operation that saw the US finally return to the Philippines and in doing so placed another nail firmly in the coffin of the Japanese Empire.

Contents

Origins of the campaign 

Chronology 

Opposing commanders 

Opposing armies 

Orders of battle 

Opposing plans 

The campaign 

Aftermath 

The battlefields today 

Further reading 

Index

FGV – Frostgrave

Amidst the frozen ruins of an ancient city, wizards battle in the hopes of discovering the treasures of a fallen empire. In this fantasy skirmish wargame, each player takes on the role of a wizard from one of ten schools of magic, and builds his band of followers. The wizard's apprentice will usually accompany his master, and more than a dozen other henchman types are available for hire, from lowly thugs to heavily armoured knights and stealthy thieves. Wizards can expand their magical knowledge by unlocking ancient secrets and may learn up to 80 different spells. While individual games of Frostgrave are quick and can easily be played in an hour or two, it is by connecting them into an ongoing campaign that players will find the most enjoyment. The scenarios given in the book are merely the beginning of the limitless adventures that can be found amidst the ruins of the Frozen City.

Contents

Foreword

Wizards and Warbands

Playing the Game

The Campaign

Spells

Scenarios

Bestiary

Spell Cards

The Wizard Sheet

GNM – Osprey Military History Calendar 2016

Showcasing 12 favourite pieces of Osprey artwork from recent publications, including works by illustrators such as Peter Dennis, Graham Turner, Steve Noon and Howard Gerrard, this beautifully illustrated calendar covers all eras of military history and is the ideal gift for the Osprey enthusiast or more general military history fan.

MAA 501 – Armies of the Greek-Turkish War 1919-22

This is a comprehensive guide to the armies that fought a devastating and decisive conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean between the two World Wars of the 20th century. From the initial Greek invasion, designed to "liberate" the 100,000 ethnic Greeks that lived in Western Turkey and had done for centuries, to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's incredibly efficient formation of a national government and a regular army, this was a war that shaped the geopolitical landscape of the Mediterranean to this day. It gave birth to the modern Turkish state, displacing millions and creating bitter memories of atrocities committed by both sides. Augmented with very rare photographs and beautiful illustrations, this ground-breaking title explores the history, organization, and appearance of the armies, both guerilla and conventional, that fought in this bloody war.

Contents

Introduction: the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I - Allied occupation of Constantinople - Allied encouragement of Greek invasion of Western Anatolia 

Chronology 

The Armies: Greek Army - Pontian Greek and other guerrilla forces - Turkish irregulars - Turkish regular army - Caliphate Army 

Foreign interventionist forces 

Turkish and Greek air arms 

Uniforms and weapons 

Colour plate commentaries 

Index 

Osprey Publishing Ltd

Upcoming WWII vehicles from Pendraken

We've had a couple of packages of new vehicles arrive from two of the designers, so I got some quick pics of them before they get re-packaged and sent off for low-temp moulding.  There are 5 new vehicles in this lot, some filling a couple of gaps and some starting new areas for us... so let's have a look!

The Fiat 508CM was the military version of the regular Fiat 508 and was extensively used by the Italian army during the war, with around 6000 being made in total including several hundred for the Wehrmacht.  With it's use in both Europe and Africa, this model is going to prove handy for all manner of WWII games.  We've got this in both top-up and top-down versions:

Next up is something a little different, as we branch out into the Polish!  First we've got the wz.29 armoured car (also known as Ursus), which was built on a 2-ton truck chassis.  Armament was provided by several machine guns, two of them in the sides of the turret (although one was removed in the mid-30's) and one in the rear of the hull, plus a 37mm gun in the front of the turret.  We'll be providing a couple of separate MG's for people to choose whether they want the 3-gun or 2-gun turret.  Only a dozen or so were ever produced, but they made it into WWII and it's also a cool looking bit of kit!

The second of these Polish additions is the wz.34 armoured car, this one smaller and less armed than it's predecessor.  Whilst produced in slightly higher numbers, it hadn't survived much by the outbreak of WWII and was only used in a few recon units.

We're moving onto the French next, with the Laffly S15R, one of the many S15 versions used during the war.  This particular model was the recon and personnel carrier, and we'll likely use this as a base for converting to some of the other versions.

And finally we've got a bit of a hybrid vehicle that originally started life as the Unic P107, a popular halftrack used by the French (and already featured in the Pendraken catalogue).  However, the Germans captured several hundred of them and Alfred Becker (he of 21st Pz Div fame) decided to convert them into a variety of APC's, designated U304(f).  Whilst our model is the basic conversion, it could also be upgraded with the addition of a couple of MG's.

And here they all are lined up to give an idea of size:

And finally, Dave's been slapping some paint on some upcoming releases, so I promised I'd pop up a taster pic...

Upcoming WWII vehicles from Pendraken