DISPATCHES
JULY ‘09
Devising…
designing… and manufacturing toy soldiers or military miniatures (you
decide) is a fascinating business. Perhaps that’s why, even in these difficult
times, new companies are continuing to come into the market place and
competition has never been so keen as it is today.
Some of our
competitors I am sure have looked at K&C’s
success and thought “I could do that” or even “I could do that
better!”
Well, that’s the
beauty of the free market… all or any of us can put our money where our mouth
is and come up with products that may or may not sell… Ultimately the collector
makes the final decision and I’ve always welcomed that. Where I sometimes get amused
is when any of the new competitors promote their own product by either
denigrating K&C or underestimating our market appeal and competitiveness.
The toy soldier/military miniature
battlefield contains more than a few casualties who have made that little
mistake…
And now… read one…
1. AVAILABLE IN JULY
As promised in the
June “DISPATCHES” here are our Canadian releases as part of our two-fold
D. Day assault…
On D. Day Canadian troops were assigned
A Canadian officer,
revolver in hand, assesses under fire, his position. Next to him his radio-man
relays a message. Covering them both is a kneeling rifleman.
A standing Canadian
NCO fires off a burst from his Sten Gun while another rifleman takes aim.
A lone Canadian
soldier caught by a burst of enemy machine gun fire.
A typical stone
Many Canadian
regiments had strong Scottish connections. This brave piper, regardless of
enemy fire, pipes his comrades forward.
This MP is from the
Canadian Provost Corps and points the way ahead for his fellow soldiers.
DD120 “Grenadier”
Our final Canadian
soldier of this release is a dynamic figure throwing a “Mills” bomb grenade
at an enemy position.
SPECIAL NOTE: All our Canadian troops are from the “Canadian
Scottish Regiment” of the 3rd. Canadian Infantry Division.
In the middle of
our Canadian releases is this brand-new figure of Gen. Bernard Montgomery,
D. Day’s Ground Forces Commander.
“Monty” is typically dressed and wearing his double-badged black beret and an RAF leather flying jerkin.
Providing some of
the armour support during the
Our latest fighting
vehicle is a Cromwell Mk IV of the Welsh Guards of the Guards Armoured Division. Although this division did
not land until D. Day +11 it took part in some of the heaviest fighting in the
Normandy “bocage” and saw almost continuous
action until the German surrender in May 1945.
Our model comes
with two crew figures and a detachable “back pack” of extra supplies.
Available
NOW!
On
King
& Country’s latest “Strictly
Limited” set is being released to mark the 65th. Anniversary of what
might have been the most momentous day of the Second World War.
We have chosen to
port
Among the figures
gathered around Hitler are General Gunther Korten , Luftwaffe chief
of staff, Field Marshall Wilhelm Keitel and a senior Waffen
SS officer. In front of the group is large table spread over with two printed
Eastern Front maps. Colonel von Stauffenberg
completes this historic “SL” set.
Just 888 are being produced.
In addition to
these “Strictly Limited” figures K&C is also releasing two sets of 2
figures each to enlarge the scene.
A standing, arms
folded, Wehrmacht General confers with
his Army adjutant.
An East Prussian
Party official from the local Gauleiter’s
officer listens to a highly decorated Panzer officer.
Both of these
“add-on” sets make for a superb small-scale diorama worthy of any serious
WW2 collection.
AVAILABILITY: Mid-Late July
When the Civil War broke out in 1861
thousands of young men flocked to the colours looking for adventure… and glory.
Many of them believed that the cavalry offered all of that and more. Hard
campaigning and harsh-military realities soon put them right on that score!
K&C’s latest American Civil War release prepares
to mount up and ride off in search of battle with eight new figures… All of
them Confederates and proud of it!
CW041 “Mounted Bugler”
CW042 “Cavalry Flagbearer”
CW043 “Mount-up”
CW044 “Prepare to Mount”
CW045 “Firing Carbine”
CW046 “Sergeant holding Carbine”
CW047 “Loading Carbine”
AVAILABILITY: Mid-Late July
Available
NOW!
During June and July most of our World War
Two focus has been on the British and Canadian soldiers taking part in D. Day.
Now, it’s about time to show some of the bruised and battered defenders…
A wounded Wehrmacht officer tries to let his superiors know the
position is coming under fire…A kneeling soldier aims his Schmeisser
Machine Pistol at advancing Allied troops…A German rifleman cautiously moves
forward…And the officer’s German shepherd nervously crouches near his master…The
Invasion has begun!
This very useful
diorama piece is cast in sturdy polystone and is typical of hundreds of similar
reinforced concrete machine gun positions up and down Hitler's "Festung Europa" (Fortress
Accompanying this
piece are a new crouching 2-man MG42 gun team and…a turban-clad volunteer from
the "Free
AVAILABILITY: Mid July
2. SO, WHAT’S COMING IN AUGUST???
August promises to be another bumper month
for both dealers and collectors with a varied batch of releases… and a
couple of surprises…
After seeing this headline you might be
forgiven for thinking there’s more German aircraft appearing… Well, not just
yet… but we’re still talking fighting airmen in battle.
This time, it’s the
men of the Luftwaffe Field Divisions. By 1942 the huge losses in the
Army’s manpower meant that the Wehrmacht had to seek
out additional troops. One huge potential source was Goering’s Luftwaffe.
Already over-manned
and under utilized the Luftwaffe appeared to have “men-to-spare”.
Goering insisted however that he would only allow these airmen to be trained
and used as ground forces if they could be retained under his overall command
and they could then be designated as “Luftwaffe Field Divisions”.
Eventually some 21 divisions were raised and 5 fought in
Utilizing his
camouflaged tent cover as a smock this feldwebel
observes enemy positions.
LW019 “Machine Gun Team”
LW020 “Panzerschrek
Team”
This weapon was one
of the “scourges” of Allied armour in
LW021 “Kneeling
LW022 “Attack Set”
Three assorted
Luftwaffe riflemen.
A young NCO, pistol
in hand, and a rifleman advance cautiously.
A
seated Luftwaffe airmen
manning a portable searchlight.
LW027 “Spotter”
AVAILABILITY: Early August
Providing some much
need heavier support are two adaptations of a very useful half-track…
WS131 Sd. Kfz. 251/22 “Pakwagen” Ausf. D (Summer)
This camouflaged
half-track mounts the well-known and deadly Pak.40 anti tank gun.
Our model is very
representative of those taking part in the
In Wehrmacht
markings our 251/22 has a 3-man crew to man the gun.
BBG022 Sd.
Kfz. 251/22 “Pakwagen” Ausf. D (Winter)
After we made the
first summer version we thought “this could look equally good as a
AVAILABILITY: Summer Version—Early August
Winter Version—Mid August
As mentioned in
last month’s DISPATCHES our Confederate releases in 2009 would be in two
halves… Here’s the second…
A trooper dismounts
to examine a fallen comrade… “Is he alive or dead?” His forlorn horse
looks on.
A Confederate Army
doctor tends a seriously wounded cavalryman propped up against his dead mount.
Two Cavalrymen
carry this wounded officer to the nearest Aid Station.
The South’s most
famous General receives a report from his almost equally famous Cavalry commander,
J.E.B. Stuart.
CW057 “Jackson & Longstreet”
Two of Lee’s most
trusted and respected subordinates… General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
and James Longstreet.
His camp bed spread
over with a fresh uniform… a portable table with the general’s hat, revolver
and binoculars and… Lee’s own Campaign Chest topped with his personal eating
and drinking utensils.
CW056 “
A typical officer’s
tent helps complete the scene…
AVAILABILITY: Mid August
D.
“Streets of Old
And here’s
something else…
HK178 “Happy Day”
HK181 “God of Wealth”
AVAILABILITY: Mid August
Over the years
K&C has recognized the importance and value in providing collectors with
“scenic” and “architectural” pieces that can offer an adaptable
setting for figures and vehicles over a wide historical time span.
Well, here are the
first two structures of what promises to be an ongoing series of buildings that
can enhance and enrich many different collections…
K&C has
designed an entire Middle Eastern “
A
typical Middle Eastern brick and dried-mud entrance to a village or small town. Above the open gate is a walkway for
watchmen or guards to patrol.
Again, another very
typical structure so redolent of
SPECIAL NOTE: All of these new pieces have been designed to be used
in multiple positions providing collectors with a constantly changing choice of
settings for their figures, vehicles or accessories. Take a closer look…
AVAILABILITY: First two pieces Mid August
3. “BEING RETIRED or heading to the happy
hunting grounds…”
Another fairly
large bunch of retires sets this month… So dig in…
LAH024 “
LAH025 “Presenting Arms”
LAH028 “Marching
LAH029 “Blood Flag Bearer”
*LAH030 “Marching Rifleman”
LAH037 “Standing Attention Standard Bearer”
LAH038 “Bugler”
LAH039 “Standing Saluting”
LAH075 “Winter SS w/Sword Up”
LAH076 “Winter SS w/Flag”
LAH077 “Winter SS w/Sword Down”
*LAH078 “Winter SS Presenting Arms”
WS082 “Winter MG42 Set”
WS106 “Hitler’s
All of the above
items are great little movers… the only reason they are disappearing is because
we’ve got even better stuff coming!
5. “ADVANCE
Finally, both Helen
and yours truly are off to OZ at the end of July to meet most if not all of our
Aussie dealers plus a whole big bunch of K&C collectors. We’ll be
announcing our new Australian series either very soon or when we arrive… All of
us at K&C are very excited about it and I think many of our other K&C
dealers and collectors around the world will be too… Can’t wait to share it
with you! Until then all the very best and… we always appreciate your support
and business.
Andy C.
Neilson
Co-founder &
Creative Director
King
& Country