“DISPATCHES”
DECEMBER 2009
Last month we
talked about just getting back from
After
We’ll be showing
them a whole big bunch of new releases… Here’s some for you…
1. WHAT’S ON RELEASE IN DECEMBER?
As we indicated in
November’s “DISPATCHES” this month’s releases are very wide ranging and,
we hope, will appeal to a broad spectrum of collectors…
This is the
beginning of an occasional new series that will focus on the soldiers of the
Our first small
release shows three members of one of
Raised in 1803 by Capt.
James Skinner the Regiment, by 1903, became known as the 1st. Duke of
York’s Own Lancers (Skinner’s Horse).
Our first mounted
figure shows a “Subahdar” (or Indian
Lieutenant) in parade dress.
SOE002 “Skinner’s Horse Lancer”
Carrying a long,
steel-tipped bamboo lance complete with cavalry pennant this Lancer looks great
alone… or in multiples!
All British Indian
Army Regiments had a mixture of British and Native
Available
NOW!
In last month’s “DISPATCHES”
we made a small error… it should have said “
Built from the
turn-of-the-century up until the late
Utilized to ferry
crew and supplies between ship to shore and for patrol purposes these
feisty little craft were a familiar sight from
Our version comes
with a cox’n and a sailor manning the forward firing
Lewis Gun.
More sailors can be added as passengers or
as armed Naval Landing Parties.
Dressed
in their “winter-blues” these three sailors are armed and ready for
action. USN012 can
accommodate 2 sets of 3 sitting sailors as well as more standing.
Available
NOW!
In support of our
fighting sailors are a great new batch of “
During the
tumultuous and turbulent Twenties and Thirties at least one Battalion of US
Marines was always stationed in
A young, confident
USMC officer, swagger stick in hand, assesses the situation.
Standing holding
his pump-action trench shotgun this young Marine corporal is afraid of nothing…
and noone!
With either rifle
or pistol all Marines are expected to be “Marksmen”. This campaign-hatted Marine squeezes off a round from his COLT 1911
Automatic.
Fitted with a
telescopic sight this Springfield-armed sniper prepares to pick off an
enemy combatant.
A Marine Lance
Corporal takes a break from “humping” that big, heavy Lewis Gun.
A
USMC007 “On Guard”
A
standing Marine, with bayonet fixed stands at ease… but still alert.
A walking Gunnery
Sergeant armed with a Thompson Sub Machine Gun.
Manning his
water-cooled, .30 cal. Browning machine gun this Marine
watches the situation develop…
Every Marine, no
matter what his specialty, is, first and foremost a Marine Rifleman.
Available
NOW!
D. STOP PRESS!
RAF007-01
Hawker Hurricane in
new markings “SDN” of 501 Squadron “
E. From
“ROMMEL’S LONG-AWAITED & MUCH-NEEDED REINFORCEMENTS”.
This desert version
of our recent BBG release was always planned as a “double-release” and
here it is… the second one!
A dust-weathered,
mottled-brown on sand camouflaged radio truck is a welcome addition to Rommel’s
Signals unit.
Our vehicle comes with an Afrika Korps
driver.
Rommel (and
Goebbels) always recognized the value of good publicity for the folks back
home. Here a standing, mike in hand, German War Correspondent makes his
report. Filming nearby is his cameraman complete with movie camera on tripod.
Watched
over by a kneeling NCO this MG34 gunner and a rifleman put down some “heavy
fire” on the enemy.
Two
AK riflemen in action.
Firing his Schmeisser Machine Pistol from the hip this
NCO also gives out orders to a kneeling, firing rifleman.
During the war in
North Africa, Erwin Rommel believed in being in as many places as he
could, in meeting as many of his men and commanders as possible and seeing for
himself what the situation was really like… either in or behind the
frontline.
He made ample use
of the Luftwaffe’s resources to get him all over the battlefield and
his command.
Among his most
useful “Desert Taxis”, as he often referred to them, was the Messerschmitt
108 “Taifun”. Designed and
developed in the
Our Afrika Korps
version is in typical worn and weathered Luftwaffe tropical paint scheme of
dark mottle over sand colour. Through the clear canopy you can see a fully
detailed cockpit.
Outside stand
Rommel’s personal pilot and a brand-new portrait study of the great Field
Marshall himself.
Just 999 of “Rommel’s Desert Taxi”
will be available and it comes in its own special box with individually
numbered leaflet.
AVAILABILITY: Mid
December (The
perfect Christmas Gift)
F. “From
the Desert to… the Desert”
From the
These have been
previewed on the internet and at shows in
Webley service revolver in hand, the Light
Horse major leads his men straight towards the Turkish trenches.
Lee Enfield in one
hand reins in the other this Aussie is in the forefront of probably the world’s
last great cavalry charge!
AL004 “Charging with Bayonet”(to
the front)
The classic image of the Lighthorseman…
bayonet pointing towards the enemy… a sight that would frighten any “Johnny
Turk”.
AL005 “Charging with Bayonet” (to the rear)
His dead mount at
his feet this Lighthorseman still has plenty
of Aussie fighting spirit.
AL
This earlier
Australian National flag had a red background instead of the present-day blue.
AL007B “Flagbearer with Squadron Guidon”
Please Note: These first few figures are just the
“advance party” of a major WW1 Middle Eastern range which will include Turkish
Forces… Irregular Forces… and other British
Imperial Troops.
Fighting Turkish Infantry will be released
in the latter part of the first quarter of 2010.
AVAILABILITY: Mid
December
Alongwith our “
SP038 “Desert Palm Trees” (Triple tree set)
A
collection of 3 easy-to-assemble trees on 1 ground-base.
SP039 “Desert Palm Trees” (Double & Single)
A 2-tree
combination plus a single tree version on 2 separate bases.
H. And Finally…
something completely different… Goering’s Luftwaffe… on parade!
A small selection
of Luftwaffe figures in dress uniform plus a famous Luftwaffe ace!
LW008 “
LW009 “Marching
LW010 “Marching Airman w/ Rifle”
LW011 “Standing Airman presenting arms”
LW012 “Standing
LW013 “Standing Airman w/ Rifle”
LW014 “Walking
LW015 “Standing at Attention”
Originally a friend
of Herman Goering, Milch owed a lot to the Reichsmarschall. He was thought to be half-Jewish yet still
achieved high rank in the Luftwaffe. Eventually he fell out of favour but still managed to survive both the war and a
brief spell as a jailed war criminal. He died in 1972.
Gunther Rall (1918-2009) was the third most successful
fighter ace in history with 275 victories (241 on the Eastern Front). He
flew over 600 combat missions, was shot down 8 times and wounded 3.
He claimed all of
his victories in the Me.109.
After the war he
rejoined the “new” Luftwaffe in 1955 rising to the rank of Generalleutnant before retiring. In 2004 he wrote
his memoirs and died, aged 91 earlier in 2009.
AVAILABILITY: Late
December
2. SO… WHAT’S COMING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
NEW YEAR?
Like December we’re introducing a very
“mixed-bag” of releases covering a diverse range of K&C series…
A. “L’artillerie à
pied” or in
plain English “Foot Artillery”
Napoleon often said
that “artillery is the key to most successful battles”. And, to that
effect K&C is releasing five very useful (and adaptable) sets add to
your gun line.
Three different “Line
Artillerymen” serve a classic 12-pounder cannon.
All are wearing the uniform of 1813-1815.
A standing saluting
NCO awaits orders from his mounted officer.
These three extra
figures can be added or combined to form a larger gun crew or to serve NA198
“The French Howitzer”.
NA198 “The French Howitzer”
The short, stubby
barrel is easily recognized as a 6 inch Howitzer. It utilizes the same standard
gun carriage as the 12-pounder cannon.
NA199 “Classic Napoleon”
Bonaparte
in his usual battlefield dress of g
B. “From
As you all know we
like to take you on a little “Magical Mystery Tour” around the world
with our releases… Now we’re back in the Western Desert of Egypt and
EA040
“Major Paddy Mayne S.A.S.”
“Paddy” Mayne was one of
the true legends of WW2… The winner of no less than 4 D.S.O.’s he served with the Special Air Service
almost from the formation of the Regiment.
Brave… bold… and
sometimes reckless “Paddy” Mayne was
responsible for personally destroying over 130 German and Italian aircraft on
raids on Axis airfields. While fighting he could be superb… out of the line he
could be extremely difficult. A complex but very brave
soldier.
Here he’s dressed
in typical casual
One of the war’s
most famous British vehicles these little carriers usually mounted a Bren Gun… Ours however had adopted the heavier, belt-fed Vickers
Machine Gun. In 7th.Armoured Division markings (“The Desert Rats”)
it comes with 2 crew.
EA042 “The Desert Bentley”
How this pre war “touring
Bentley” came to end up with the S.A.S is interesting… it was won in a
poker game in
K&C’s version comes with a seated S.A.S. driver.
C. “Off we go into the wild blue yonder!”
K&C’s various Air Force series have, so far,
focused mainly on the German Luftwaffe and British Royal Air Force…
We feel it’s about time the YANKS had a go as well… And here they are…
nine sets of figures and individuals plus an iconic
This good-looking
officer with movie star style is wearing the popular “Burberry Trench Coat”
to ward off the damp and cold British weather. He’s also sporting a crushed “50-Mission”
hat as well.
Two,
at attention, U.S. Military Policemen, easily identified by the arm
brassards and all-white uniform accoutrements.
A
saluting NCO in service dress, clipboard in hand.
Three different
GI’s going about their usual tasks on a busy airfield.
By D. Day this
young fighter “jock” had 12 “kills” to his credit flying a plane
called “HOT PANTS”.
A
newly-commissioned officer prepares to join his first squadron… always a
nervous time.
Capt. Nick “Cowboy”
Magura with 11 “kills” demonstrates with
his hands how he shot down his latest victim.
AF010 “Pointing MP”
This
“snowdrop” indicating the way around the airfield.
This
Our model comes
with “gear down” and a figure of Maj. Howard in the cockpit.
*P.P. Planned
Production
D. From Americans fighting in the air in the
mid 20th.Century to other Americans fighting in the “Old West” of the
“2nd. Installment
of the Real West”
Apologies for the
delay in adding to this colourful historic series… We
meant to “add-on” a lot earlier but got side tracked (or is that
bush-whacked) by other ranges…
A dismounted
Dragoon takes careful aim with his carbine.
Another foot
Dragoon… pistol in one hand trying hold on to his rearing mount.
Standing next to
his wounded horse this Dragoon spins around to face the enemy.
TRW012 “Mounted Dragoon Corporal w/Pistol”
TRW013 “Scout firing Carbine”
TRW014 “Mounted Warrior w/Bow and Arrow”
TRW015 “Mounted Warrior w/Lance”
TRW016 Warrior firing Musket”
TRW017 “Running Warrior w/Carbine”
TRW018 “Charging Warrior w/Axe”
TRW019 “Warrior firing Bow and Arrow”
Note: All of our Indians are painted in
Southern Plains Indian style using Comanche… Sioux and
3. BEING RETIRED THIS MONTH…
As always out with
some of the older items to make way for some newer pieces.
World War Two
MG001 “Recce
Jeep”
The very first of the “Market Garden” jeeps complete with two
Paratroopers.
WS108 “New Panzer 1 set”
Unusual little tankette that
comes with two crew figures.
NAPOLEONIC
As there are so many new Napoleonic items scheduled for released in
2010 something has to go…
And it’s the Russians!
NA137 “Marching
NA140 “
NA141 “Standing At
Attention”
NA142 “Kneeling Firing”
NA143 “Kneeling to Repel”
NA144 “Standing Firing”
NA145 “Standing Ready”
NA146 “Advancing w/Rifle & Bayonet”
NA148 “Mounted Russian
NA149 “Russian Artillery Set”
NA150 “Artillery
And that is that for another month. I’m looking forward to
meeting up with some of you guys in
Merry Christmas!
Andy C. Neilson
Co-founder & Creative
Director
King & Country