VC with “No’n La'” headgear

14. July 2021 thomasriepe 28mm, 28mm figure, 28mm Miniatures, 28mm Wargaming, Empress miniatures, Head swap, Paul Hicks, VC, Viet Cong, Vietnam war, wargaming

Here is another VC soldier with the traditional vietnamese “No’n La’ ” headgear. The head is from Empress as is the body of the figure.

As usual I used GW contrast paints

Below is a picture next to the original figure:

The start of a M551 Armored reconnaissance Vehicle

16. June 2021 thomasriepe 28mm, 28mm figure, 28mm Miniatures, 28mm Wargaming, 3D printed miniatures, 3d printed model, Empress miniatures, M551 Sheridan, Sheridan, tank

The M551 “Sheridan” AR/AAV (Armored Reconnaissance/Airborne Assault Vehicle) was a light tank developed by the United States and named after General Philip Sheridan, of American Civil War fame. The first combat deployment of the Sheridan was in Vietnam. it had several advantages: it did not get stuck in the mud as often as the 52-ton M48 Patton tank did, nor did it throw its track off as often. This was enough to win the tank crews’ love. The light weight and high mobility proved their worth, and the gun proved an effective anti-personnel weapon when used with either the M657 HE shell or the M625 canister round, which used thousands of flechettes as projectiles. The reliability of the engine system and gun of the tank was, however, not fully up to the task. So that many M551 had to be repaired quit often. A serious setback was the typ of Ammo for the main gun. it used a powder charge in bags so that projectile and charge had to be loaded after each other. This system made the tank very prone to explosions when hit with an RPG.

I got a 3D file of the tank through a kickstarter ( 3D printable US Vehicles of the Vietnam War). This was printed on my Anycubic photon resin printer and i must say the files are really worth every penny I paid!

The stowage is from the kickstarter too. The comander figure is from Empress.

Now on to painting of the vehicle…..

VC RPG gunner

15. June 2021 thomasriepe 28mm, 28mm figure, 28mm Miniatures, 28mm Wargaming, Empress miniatures, NVA soldier, Paul Hicks, RPG, VC, Viet Cong, Vietnam war, wargaming

This is a figure with a head swap. The figure is a regular NVA RPG gunner . I changed the head against a head with a traditional hat to make him look more like a VC. The head and the figure are from Empress.

Here is the original miniature next to the one with the new head:

A little support for the VC

10. June 2021 thomasriepe 28mm, 28mm figure, 28mm Miniatures, 28mm Wargaming, Empress miniatures, Paul Hicks, VC, Viet Cong, Vietnam war, Vietnamese civilian, wargaming

An angry “mama san” and her brother who lost his leg to a booby trap. They seem to be quite inocent.

But ever so often you find out, the hard way, that inocence is not very often to be found

They got a little present from up north , in the form of an old german MG.

Home from the paddy field

4. June 2021 thomasriepe 28mm, 28mm figure, 28mm Miniatures, 28mm Wargaming, Empress miniatures, Paul Hicks, VC, Viet Cong, Vietnam war, Vietnamese civilian, wargaming

She is on her way back home after a long day in the family rice paddys.

Or is she on her way to join the other VC of the village tonight?

Both miniatures together:

Son of the village headman

2. June 20212. June 2021 thomasriepe 28mm, 28mm figure, 28mm Miniatures, 28mm Wargaming, Empress miniatures, Paul Hicks, Viet cong officer, Vietnam war, wargaming

Here is the next vietnamese civillian figure. He is dressed in a bit better clothes . So I thought he might be the son of the village chief.

Or he might be a leader of a unit of Viet Cong:

Armed with a french gun with folding stock.

And both figures together:

Just a harmless woman tending the field

1. June 2021 thomasriepe 28mm, 28mm figure, 28mm Miniatures, 28mm Wargaming, Empress miniatures, Paul Hicks, VC, Viet Cong, Vietnam war, Vietnamese civilian, wargaming

This is another one of the VC in disguise by Empress Miniatures. A very nice sculpt, especially the face.

But if she gets disturbed, she runs to the hidden weapons and gets the gun out:

And both figures next to each other:

My first Seal team completed

28. May 2021 thomasriepe 28mm, 28mm figure, 28mm Miniatures, 28mm Wargaming, Empress miniatures, Navy Seals, Paul Hicks, Seals, Vietnam war

Here is the last Seal for my first team. Armed with a M16 grenade launcher combo.

Below is the complete team:

Next up some 3D printed goodies….

Seal armed with a chinese made AK47

26. May 2021 thomasriepe 28mm, 28mm figure, 28mm Miniatures, 28mm Wargaming, Empress miniatures, Miniature Wargaming, Navy Seals, Paul Hicks, Vietnam war, wargaming

After a longer brake, I had a lot to do in my daytime job, here is the next Seal. He is armed with a chinese AK47. the report of the gun would not give him away as an American. He is taking aim with a pistol equipped with a silencer. The figure is from the Seal pack by Empress Miniatures.