More Slimming Down, And Research

Well, I didn't do any more on the Division Azul, but I did become aware that the figures I've bought are correct in all but two respects.

First of all, the Blue Division apparently never got issued jackboots. They were issued ankle boots and gaiters. ARRRRRGH.

Secondly, I'll be needing to model a few of them with their blue shirts turned out over the collars of their field grey tunics. I searched high and low for evidence to support this, and found...

...this. The machine-gunner appears to be the only man in the boat to have turned his collar out, and every other photo I found showed only Blue Division men with their shirts worn as per uniform requirements, i.e. inside their tunics. Which is a relief, as it means I can ignore that particular bit of green-stuff madness. Even better, I found this photo:

Which purports to be Div Azul men marching up to the Krasny-Bor front. Note the large number of visible jackboots. O joy! O fortuna! No need for green stuff after all! Success! Obviously this means that the blueshirts, er, 'appropriated' jackboots as often as they could, and it appears that some of them either never bothered or couldn't find any in their size.

In searching for pictures of Blue Division troops displaying both ankle boots and blue shirts, I came across this interesting little gem:

There's a Wordpress blog post about it here, and it's available on Amazon here. He seems to have also written at least two bande dessinees about the Spanish-American War, called Terre Libre and De Sangre Y Ron Mi Cuba. WHY can't we get stuff like this published in English?!

Anyway, what I have been doing, however, is lots of e-Baying - stuff for my friend JY, and stuff that's mine that I want shot of.

So... if you're in the mood for some Dark Angels, Space Marines, Urban War, Lord of the Rings, Orks, Dark Eldar, Flames of War, or anything like that, head on over to my eBay profile here and have a trawl through what I'm selling.

I'm still umming and ahhing over selling my Dark Eldar army - the Kabal of Thorns - in its entirety, which consists of:

• Archon (converted)
• Archon's Court (mix of manufacturers and figures)
• 4 Incubi (kitbashed)
• Venom
• 2 Haemonculi (old, 3rd Edition metals)
• 9 Wyches (new)
• Raider (old, 3rd Edition vintage)
• 44 Warriors (one squad of 20, two of 12 - all 3rd edition plastics with some conversions and kitbashes mixed in)
• Beastmaster (plastic kitbash) with Donorian Clawed Fiend
• Beastmaster (plastic kitbash) with Razorwing Flock
• 3 Reaver Jetbikes (3rd Edition, kitbashed)
• Talos Pain Engine

What I am selling from my Dark Eldar are five new Mandrakes, five old 3rd Edition Mandrakes, a Finecast Haemonculus, and two old 3rd Edition Archons, as well as two 3rd Edition Warriors with Shredders and a pile of Warriors and Wyches still on the sprues. The two Archons for sale look like this:

I think I may as well keep the army listed above, it's reasonably small, easily finished (ahahaha) and will take to the rebased desert scheme quite well, I think. Plus it has an innate tactical theme - a firebase of Warriors backed by the Archon's Court and the Haemonculi with their Talos, and a flanking force of Wyches and Archon supported by the Reavers and Beastmasters. Around about 1500 points-ish I think. Assuming I ever play 40K again that is!