DISPATCHES

November 2020

 

Dear Partners,

 

AUTUMN IN HONG KONG is one of my favourite times of the year. The weather is pleasantly cool and the skies are a beautiful shade of azure blue. And, as we move into November, Christmas is already on the horizon and all of us here are hard at work getting our production ramped up for the coming festive season.

So, here is what is appearing this month...

 

1.      BEING RELEASED THIS NOVEMBER...

A.     The Pyramid Builders

After the recent release of those voluptuous young ladies disporting themselves around the desert sands of Ancient Egypt it’s worth remembering that the real hard work building all those pyramids, temples, palaces and obelisks was actually the hard work of legions of humble artisans among them being...

 

AE085 “The Pyramid Plasterers Set

A team of three workers combine to carry the raw materials to the worksite, mix it together and then apply it to whatever structure they are assigned to work on.

AVAILABLE: Early November

 

B.      CONFEDERATE HORSE SOLDIERS

When the Civil War erupted in 1861 the Confederacy enjoyed a number of significant advantages... Among them was the fact that many of the finest officers in the U.S. Army were ‘Southerners’ and almost to a man, resigned their commissions to join their own States Militias and Volunteer units.

A fair number of these same officers belonged to Cavalry and Dragoon regiments and had valuable battle experience as well as wide military knowledge of tactics and strategy.

At the same time the rank and file recruits who flocked to these newly created Confederate Cavalry regiments came from rural and agricultural backgrounds where ”ridin’, shootin’ and fightin’ ” were second nature to most of them. Many even brought their own horses with them.

These multiple assets worked to great advantage in the first half of the war when the Confederacy enjoyed its greatest military successes.

K&C are happy to announce our ‘Second Edition’ of a prize selection of some of our best American Civil War cavalry horsemen as well as two exceptional Confederate generals...

 

CW104 “29th Texas Cavalry Flagbearer

The 29th Texas were just one of the many volunteer mounted regiments raised during the war and were in action from 1862 until the South’s defeat in 1865.

The 29th Texas flag combines part of the Texas state flag with the ‘Stars ’n’ Bars’ of the Confederate battle Flag.

 

CW105 “Major General J.E.B. Stuart

James Ewell Brown ‘Jeb’ Stuart was the outstanding Confederate Cavalry officer of the Civil War. Originally from Virginia ‘Jeb’ Stuart was a regular U.S. Army officer since his graduation from West Point in 1854. A veteran Indian fighter he also participated in the capture of slavery abolitionist, John Brown at Harpers Ferry in 1859.

After resigning his commission in 1861 he returned to Virginia and was made cavalry commander of the troops under Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley campaign.

Throughout his military career he established a reputation as a bold and audacious cavalry leader and a ‘master’ of reconnaissance and the use of cavalry in support of offensive operations.

In addition, he cultivated an almost ‘cavalier’ image with his feathered hat cocked to the side and his canary-yellow faced uniform ‘shell’ jacket.

Major General ‘Jeb’ Stuart was fatally wounded in action at the ‘Battle of Yellow Tavern’ in May 1864. Transported by field ambulance to the Confederate capital, Richmond, he died aged just 31 years old on May 12, 1864.

Upon hearing of Stuart’s death, his commander, General Robert E. Lee said that ‘he could scarcely keep from weeping at the mere mention of Stuart’s name’.

 

CW106 “General Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee is the most famous Confederate General of the American Civil War and commanded the Army of Northern Virginia from 1862 until its surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.

The son of a notable Revolutionary War officer, Henry ‘Light Horse Harry’ Lee, Robert was a top graduate of West Point and destined for a glittering military career in the U.S. Army’s Corps of Engineers.

After 32 years in the regular American Army, Robert E. Lee resigned his commission in 1861 after exceptional service during the Mexican-American War of 1849 and holding the post of Superintendent of West Point from 1852 until 1855.

Confederate president Jefferson Davis then appointed Lee commander of the recently-formed Army of Northern Virginia. For the next four years Robert E. Lee was to lead his forces the length and breadth of the Eastern half of the United States winning and losing battles against a great number of Union generals and the growing strength and power of the Union Army.

Although personally opposed to slavery he fought for a Confederacy that strived to retain it.

Our figure shows him mounted on his favourite horse, “Traveller”, an American Saddlebred of 16 hands high. Lee acquired the horse in early February 1862 and rode him in many famous battles and actions.

When Robert E. Lee died in 1870 his horse “Traveller” died a few months later in 1871.

 

CW107 “29th Texas Trumpeter

A new version and a different sculpt of the 29th Texas Cavalry Trumpeter doing what trumpeters usually do!

AVAILABLE: Mid-Late November

 

C.      FIGHTING FALLSCHIRMJAGERS

Among the most highly-regarded German soldiers (by their enemies) were the men of the Luftwaffe’s Fallschirmjager (Paratroop) Regiments.

Although by 1944 they were primarily used as ‘Elite Infantry’, the Fallschirmjagers could be found fighting on every battlefront Hitler’s armed forces were operating in. The Normandy front in the days and weeks following the June 6, D.DAY Invasion was no exception.

Here, as promised, is the second batch of Fallschirmjagers in action battling the American, British and Canadians in the mighty struggle to hold on to this ‘Front’ in the West.

These six, dynamic German paratroopers are available individually or as a combined 6-figure ‘Value Added Set’.

Let’s take a closer look at them...

 

LW079 “FJ Shouting NCO

This kneeling Non Commissioned Officer is armed with the superb 9mm MP40 machine pistol, better known as the ‘Schmeisser’.

He cups his hand up to his month and shouts out instructions to his men over the ‘din of battle’.

 

LW080 “FJ MG42 Gunner

The MG42 machine gun was a superlative belt or magazine fed machine gun used extensively by the Wehrmacht, Waffen SS and, of course, the Fallschirmjagers during the second half of WW2.

Because of its high rate of fire it was nicknamed (by Allied troops) “Hitler’s Buzzsaw”. Ammunition (7.92 x 57 Mauser) was supplied by either 50 round metal drum magazine or 250 belted rounds carried by the gunner himself and his ‘Number 2’.

Our FJ gunner is operating the weapon in the prone position and taking aim on the advancing enemy infantry.

 

LW081 “FJ Kneeling Firing FG42

This kneeling firing Fallschirmjager is using the FG42 select fire Mauser automatic rifle developed specificably for the airborne infantry.

It combined the characteristics and firepower of a light machine gun in a lightweight form and was slightly shorter in length.

Considered as one of the most advanced infantry designs of WW2 it was however expensive to produce and only had limited production from its introduction in 1942 until the end of the war.

That being said many of its best features influenced other post war small arms development particularly the US made M60 Machine Gun.

 

LW082 “FJ Sniper

This particular paratrooper is using the ‘Kar 98 Sniper Rifle’. For snipers this rifle was selected as being exceptionally accurate when fitted with a telescopic sight.

Karabiner 98K sniper rifles had an effective range of up to 1,000 metres.

During the course of WW2 an impressive 132,000 of these special rifles were manufactured. Since that time surviving examples have become much-prized collectables!

Our standing sniper can be sighted behind a tree or wall, next to a vehicle or hidden inside a house or up a church or clock tower... you decide!

 

LW083 “FJ Cautiously Advancing

This rifle-carrying paratrooper moves stealthily across the battlefield taking his time and moving ever so slowly.

Sudden movement alerts watching eyes... and usually comes with an enemy bullet!

 

LW084 “FJ Kneeling Rifleman

Another watching and waiting Fallschirmjager armed with a Kar 98 (but no sniper scope) gets ready to open fire on the approaching enemy.

 

LW-S03 “The Fallschirmjager Value Added Setincludes ALL SIX FIGURES.

Buy all six together and save yourself a little money... These days every penny counts.

AVAILABLE: Early November

 

D.     IN DAYS OF OLD... WHEN KNIGHTS WERE BOLD

Moving back in time almost a thousand years to an age of cold steel rather than bombs and bullets...

 

MK206 “Robert de Chevron

Not all knights who made the journey to the Holy Land did so because of their religious beliefs or the virtues of the Crusade itself.

More than a few were tempted by the promise and possibility of plunder and pillaging at the same time.

Here is one such ‘Knight for hire’ who belongs to a mercenary company of professional French soldiers hoping to make their fortune... or die in the attempt.

 

MK207 “Rupert Chevronel, Standard Bearer

Another of the Mercenary Company dismounted this time.

 

MK210 “The Green Knight

Although a ‘Green Knight’ appears in some of the Arthurian legends. Our mounted figure is based on one of the Flemish Knights who accompanied Robert, Count of Flanders on the First Crusade in 1095. The Lion Rampant was a common design feature of Flemish medieval banners and coats of arms. The background colours of green and white are two of the colours associated with Eastern Flanders.

AVAILABLE: Early November

 

E.      FIGHTING FASCISM

From fighting in the Holy Land to fighting on the Eastern Front with additions to our Russian Naval Infantry...

 

RA079 “Victory Over Fascism

With a dead German at his feet and a Nazi flag as a souvenir this Naval Infantryman enjoys the fruits of victory.

 

RA082 “RNI Charging w/PPSH41

Carrying his Soviet-made ‘Burp Gun’ this sailor charges forward...

 

RA085 “RNI Standing Firing PPSH41

A ‘classic’ pose for any fighting soldier.

 

RA087 “The Maxim 1910 Machine Gun Set

This medium machine gun first appeared in Imperial Russian Army hands during WW1.

It saw further service during the Russian Civil War and into WW2. It even saw action in the Korean conflict and... Vietnam!

First adopted in Russia in 1910 it fired the standard Russian 7.62mm round and was protected by an armoured gun shield mounted on two small wheels.

Our crouching Naval Infantry gunner is determined to make every bullet count... Stalin would be proud of him!

AVAILABLE: Mid November

 

Special Note: Thanks to the success of the first Russian Naval Infantry releases additional figures are already ‘in the works’.

 

F.      WAITING TO SCRAMBLE

After the Battle of France and before the Battle of Britain began Britain’s Royal Air Force realized the urgent need to provide Emergency Airfields all over Southern Britain that could be utilized as and when the Luftwaffe attacked their long established airfields... as the enemy would surely do and indeed did.

These temporary airfields seldom had any kind of regular accommodation or other facilities. This meant accommodation, workshops and even messing facilities were usually found under canvas.

Wooden dispersal huts which on normal, regular airfields were located next to parked aircraft were obviously non existant on these temporary locations. These huts were where pilots could rest and relax before being ‘scrambled’ once more to their adjacent Spitfires and Hurricanes.

A solution had to be found...

 

RAF083 “The RAF Dispersal Caravan 1940

One enterprising Squadron Leader used his own pre war Holiday Caravan as his mobile temporary ‘Dispersal Hut’ for his pilots.

After having the civilian caravan ‘camouflaged’ in standard RAF ‘camo’ of that period the moveable ‘dispersal hut’ began to be copied by other squadrons. Soon the Air Ministry itself heard about this simple and practical solution and ordered several hundred from a manufacturer and soon they appeared on virtually every temporary as well as regular RAF airfield all over Britain.

Some were even sent overseas to North Africa and into Sicily, Italy and France (after D.Day).

Our model is typical of the original ‘1940 Battle of Britain’ design and is the perfect accessory for our pilots, groundcrew and aircraft.

AVAILABLE: Mid-Late November

 

G.     “GOOD MORNING VIETNAM”

What’s a normal ‘DISPATCHES’ these days without a little side trip to South East Asia in the 1960’s...

 

VN090 “Shouting NCO

This USMC ‘NonCom’ goes well with the recently-released Recoilless Rifle Set VN089... or you can put him in charge of a squad of ‘Grunts’ fighting their way into Hue during TET’68.

The Choice is yours... the possibilities numerous.

 

VN091 “Stars ‘n’ Stripes Combat Cameraman

Stars ‘n’ Stripes, the U.S. Forces newspaper sent military correspondents and photographers all over South Vietnam to cover virtually every aspect of the war from ‘Search and Destroy’... to ‘Winning Hears and Minds’.

They also had some trained personnel who used motion picture cameras to capture film of the troops in action throughout the country for use on AFNVN (Armed Forces Network Viet Nam).

There’s also a couple of great scenes in ‘Full Metal Jacket’ where the Grunts are being interviewed about the war and their attitudes to it. In the same movie while the troops are taking cover a camera crew moves alongside them filming the action.

Our crouching combat cameraman can fit perfectly into any kind of ‘Vietnam’ scene...

 

VN093 “Animal Mother

If you’ve seen ‘Full Metal Jacket’ as many times as I have then you know exactly who this guy is.

This is one big ‘Badass’ that you do not want to mess with... or meet on a dark lonely night... especially if you are a Viet Cong sniper!

AVAILABLE: Mid November

 

And on that cheerful note I’ll finish November with.

However, you should check out our retirements list and the ‘End of the Run Remainders’ items... There’s always something well worth getting.

 

2.      BEING RETIRED

EA113            Lieut Col John "Jack" Easonsmith

EA114            Double Trouble

EA115            LRDG Attack Jeep

EA126            Trench & ‘BOYS’ Anti-Tank Rifle

NE018           Standing Guides Officer

NE033           Demi Brigade Flagbearer

SP029            The Jetty

SP049            The Roman Gateway / Guard tower

WH007          The Surgeon

WS204          Soldat with Cigarette

WS206          Soldat Drinking

WS207          Soldat Carrying Crate

WS261          Wehrmacht Doctor

WS263          Writing Home

WS269          The Empty Bed

WS274          German Officer being shot

WS275          Ambulance Driver

WS276          The Stretcher Set

WS278          Officer with Map

WS290          Kneeling w/ Bino

WS294          Dead German Soldaten

WS342          Standing Tiger Crewmen

 

In the meantime... adios for now and let’s see who wins the election... I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed!

 

All the best and Happy Collecting.

Andy C. Neilson

Co-founder & Creative Director

King & Country Ltd.