“DISPATCHES”
APRIL 2014
Hi there! It
seems like only yesterday I was preparing to go off to the annual “Westcoaster” and now, after a hectic 2 1/2 weeks
stateside it’s back to Hong Kong and writing this
month’s “Dispatches”… So, here goes…
1.
Being Released in April –
Russia has three important
releases this month…two for
WW2 and one for a place that is very much in the news at the moment – The
Crimea! Let’s begin there…
A.
“Cannons for the Crimea”
This latest “Crimean War”
release shows one of the coastal Artillery pieces utilized by the Russians to
defend their mighty fortress of Sevastopol, the home port of the Tsar’s Black
Sea Fleet.
For month after month British
and French forces laid siege to this great port city. Opposing them were
many batteries of defending cannon among them these large guns mounted on heavy
steel swivel carriages firmly ensconced behind the high, thick walls of the
city’s many fortresses.
CR015 “Coastal 8
inch Cannon”
This swivel-mounted gun comes complete with its
semi-circular angled stone base.
CR016 “Russian Artillery Officer”
Wearing a traditional forest-green frock coated uniform this Russian officer
observes the enemy positions before giving the order to “fire!”
CR017 “Battery Pennant Bearer”
This Russian gunner proudly carries the battery’s pennant.
CR018 “Gun Crew Set #1”
Two Russian artillerymen in action! While one holds a cannon ball
the other prepares to ram it home.
CR019 “Gun Crew Set #2”
An additional pair of Russian gunners – One with a
lighted fuse pole and another with the moving spike to help rotate the gun.
AVAILABLE : Mid
April
B.
From
the Tsar’s Russia of the mid-19th Century to Stalin’s Russia in 1941…
After “Operation Barbarossa” erupted in the June of 1941 Hitler
issued his infamous “Commissar Order” that authorized German
troops to kill every and any Soviet political officers
that fell into their hands…
WS270 “Goodbye
Commissar”
A Wehrmacht officer, pistol in hand, pushes a “political officer”
towards his unfortunate fate…the Russian, still defiant, already suspects the
worst!
WS273 “German
Sniper”
This standing Wehrmacht rifle expert takes careful aim.
WS274
“German Officer being shot!”
Elsewhere, a Wehrmacht officer reels backwards…A female Russian sniper
has found her mark – “One bullet…one dead fascist!”
AVAILABLE: Mid April
C.
“Moving to the Western Front…”
From the vastness of the wartime Soviet Union to the
more confined spaces of Northern France…
DD125 “US
Military Policeman”
An always useful USMP directing traffic somewhere near Normandy,
June 1944.
DD225 “US
M20 Armoured Car”
Fast, agile and always ready these speedy, lightly-armed vehicles were often
the eyes and ears of battlefield commanders throughout the European Theatre of
Operations.
This “summer” version of the M20 comes with a standing vehicle
commander plus a partial body M20 driver.
DD226 “Sitting
Machine Gunner”
In support of the reconnaissance vehicle the infantry have provided the heavier
.30 caliber machine gun.
DD227 “Tommy
Gunner”
Backing up the machine gun is a standing U.S. infantryman with the
Government-issued M1928 Thompson Sub-Machine Gun.
From American GI’s in action we move to a few British Commandos on yet another
covert mission somewhere on the enemy occupied coast of France…
DD231 “Dead
and Gone”
A commando has “taken-out” a lone German sentry…Here he drags the body
away to conceal the evidence as other Germans wonder “What happened to
Fritz?”
DD232 “Kneeling
with Rifle”
Crouching down, this Commando is on the alert for the approach of any other
German sentries or patrols.
DD233 “Kneeling
with Sten Gun”
One more Commando, kneeling this time, with the ubiquitous Sten gun at the ready.
DD234 “Sten Gun with Silencer”
Commandos used all kinds of weaponry…One of the most useful was the Sten Gun equipped
with a “silencer”.
DD235 “A Quick
Knee to the Groin”
The polite way of saying…”a swift knee to the balls!”
Fighting in a non -conventional manner demands utilizing all
methods of hand-to-hand fighting…none of them nice…as these two figures
amply illustrate.
AVAILABLE: Mid to Late April
D.
“…Meanwhile back on the Eastern Front!”
One great little tank and
three great looking girls…pity they are all so lethal – at least to Germans!
RA054 “Russian
T-70 Tank”
These small, recce, tracked
vehicles were perfect for scouting in advance of the heavier T34’s and Josef
Stalin tanks.
Introduced in late 1942 and
early 1943 captured versions were also utilized by the Germans.
Our model comes with a partial
body tank commander.
RA055 “Standing
Guard Female Sniper”
The Russian Army of WW2 was the only army to employ women in a full combat
role. This female sniper with her hessian-camouflaged rifle edges closer
to the enemy.
RA056
“Steady, aim…Fire!”
These two female soldiers are working as a sniper team…The sitting woman
observes the enemy and selects a suitable target…Her comrade takes careful aim
and gently squeezes the trigger!
AVAILABLE:
Mid to Late April
E.
“Little Battle at Little Big Horn”
Here’s another great little
two-figure “action” set portraying the life and death struggle between
one of Custer’s corporals and a Cheyenne Dog Soldier.
TRW053 “Fight
to the Death”
AVAILABLE: Mid to Late April
2.
BEING RETIRED THIS MONTH
As to be expected there’s a
fair number of retrial's this month and quite a lot of variety among them…take
a closer look…
|
AG001 |
Standing Hoplite |
|
AG002 |
Hoplite on Guard |
|
AG003 |
Hoplite Officer w/Sword |
|
AG004 |
Hoplite Soldier w/Sword |
|
AG005 |
Hoplite w/Long Spear
(Horizontal) |
|
AG006 |
Hoplite w/Long Spear (45
Degree) |
|
AG007 |
Hoplite w/Long Spear
(Vertical) |
|
AL008 |
Turkish Soldier Standing
Firing |
|
AL009 |
Turkish Soldier Kneeling
Firing |
|
AL010 |
Turkish Soldier Kneeling
Loading |
|
AL011 |
Turkish Soldier Standing
Ready |
|
HK160 |
Shrine Offering |
|
HK185 |
Celebrating Chinese New Year |
|
HK186 |
Forbidden delights |
|
HK187 |
Gleesome Threesome |
|
NA243 |
French Line Infantry Standing
Firing |
|
NA244 |
French Line Infantry Biting
Cartridge |
|
NA245 |
French Line Infantry Loading
From Pouch |
|
NA246 |
French Line Infantry Standing
Ready |
|
NA247 |
French Line Infantry Prepare
to Repel |
|
NA248 |
French Line Infantry Kneeling
Firing |
|
RTA007 |
Mexican Pioneer |
|
RTA023 |
Juan Seguin, TX |
|
RTA028 |
John Davis, KY - Standing
Firing Rifle |
|
RTA035 |
General Manuel Castrillon |
|
SP047 |
Bomb-damaged French House |
And that, as we like to say,
is that for another calendar month. However, I would like to add a very
big thankyou to all those K&C collectors who came
by to see us and talk with us at the recent “Westcoaster”.
Thanks also to those K&C
dealers who took part in the show…I hope you had a good one!
Adios for now and best
wishes, great sales and happy collecting to one and all.
Andy C. Neilson
Co-founder & Creative Director
King &
Country