DISPATCHES
May 2022
Dear Partners,
Welcome
to this May Edition of ‘DISPATCHES’ and the first I have been able to actually write in Hong Kong itself for several months.
As
many of you know I spent almost 10 weeks in San Antonio, Texas after initially
going over to the States for just 3 weeks for the ‘Official Opening’ of
KING & COUNTRY TEXAS.
Now
while I was still enjoying all the freedom and fresh air of Texas, China and Hong
Kong were undergoing massive lockdowns and travel restrictions that have
created all kinds of supply, transportation and production problems until
today.
What
this means is that K&C’s own output, as well as other companies, has been
much reduced and takes far, far longer to develop and produce than previously.
So,
apologies in advance, this ‘DISPATCHES’ will seem a good deal ‘slimmer’
than normal. Anyway, that being said, let’s take a closer look at what we have
managed to release this particular month... Now,
read on...
1.
BEING
RELEASED THIS MONTH
A.
“A
Little Feminine Company...”
When most people think of a typical wild west town they usually picture a livery stable, a general
store or a clutch of various wooden shop fronts and, of course a saloon
complete with swinging doors. At the beginning of the great westward migration
these were not actually towns, much more like small, rough and ready
communities of mostly men and relatively few women.
Back in those Victorian era days, respectable women
did not go into saloons and also very much upheld the
morals and behavior of the age.
Other women however (and a few, shrewd men) saw the ‘need’
and the ‘opportunities’ for certain establishments to be built and soon
once a saloon was opened, the rest of the wild west town would follow.
In the towns that sprang up along the main routes of
the huge cattle drives between the end of the American Civil War and the late
1880s all kinds of saloons and ‘houses of ill-repute’ opened up to provide
feminine company for those cowboys with a few bucks in their pockets and the
urge to spend it.
Among the ‘Soiled Doves of The Old West’
who worked in these establishments were women from many different backgrounds
and various ethnic origins. Texas in particular had a wealth of ‘Saloon
Senoritas’ with a Hispanic heritage and here we present two such ladies for
your perusal...
CD018 ‘Isabella’
With her alluring figure, flashing dark eyes and
cascade of tumbling hair Isabella would catch the attention of
any red-blooded, ‘cowpoke’ riding into town with a pocket full of cash
and a thirsty desire for a long cool beer and the charms of a very pretty
woman.
CD019 ‘Rosalita’
This more fulsome-bodied senorita is a little older
than her friend, Isabella, but even more capable of handling any cowboy
that might step over the line and forget his manners... or his cash!
AVAILABLE: Early May
B.
“An
Ancient Roman Temptress”
In the annals of Ancient Roman decadence there was no
shortage of individuals, both famous and infamous who reveled in the luxury,
extravagance and corruption of its orgies and sensual excesses.
One of the best known and most notorious was Valeria
Messalina...
RnB042 “Messalina”
This high-born woman was the cousin of two emperors, Nero
and Caligula and the great-grandniece of
the Emperor Augustus.
A powerful and ambitious woman she become the third
wife of the Roman emperor Claudius.
Little is known of her early life prior to her
marriage to Claudius in AD38. She would go on to bear two children by the
ruler, a daughter Claudia Octavia and a son Britannicus.
When her cousin, Caligula was murdered
in AD41 by his Praetorian Guard her husband Claudius was
proclaimed the new emperor and Messalina became empress.
After this accession to power, Messalina rapidly
gained a reputation as ruthless, predatory and sexually insatiable!
Over the centuries she has been notably featured in
many ancient histories as well as more modern novels, films and television
series.
Our K&C version of the empress portrays her at the
height (or perhaps depth) of her seductive powers during her husband’s
reign.
AVAILABLE: Mid May
C.
“Rallying
Round The Flag!”
This month introduces four more ‘recruits’ to
our dramatic American Civil War range of 83rd Pennsylvania
Volunteer Infantry Regiment soldiers.
CW132 “Crouching Advancing”
This volunteer cautiously edges forward, rifle and
bayonet ‘at the ready’.
CW133 “The Walking Wounded”
A corporal assists a wounded comrade to the nearest
aid post.
CW138 “Kneeling Infantryman Firing Rifle”
AVAILABLE: Early May
D.
‘LES
DRAGONS A PIED’
Three 2-man sets of French Foot Dragoons
to reinforce our first release in April of these colourful
dismounted fighting figures.
NA495 “Foot Dragoons Reloading Set”
Two individual figures rapidly reloading before
opening fire once more on the enemy.
NA496 “Casualties of War”
A pair of dead Foot Dragoons, their muskets on one
side plus a fallen dragoon helmet.
NA497 “Kneeling Foot Dragoons Set”
Two Foot Dragoons preparing to go into battle.
AVAILABLE: Mid May
E.
“TAKING ON
THE HUEYS!”
Requiring a heavy machine gun, similar
to the .50 calibre M2 Browning,
the Soviets began work on this project as early as 1929 and provided the first
working samples by 1931 using a 30-round drum magazine. Actual experience and a number of innovations resulted in a much improved,
belt-fed adaption that led to the introduction of the DShK
1938 which saw plenty of action throughout Red Army service in WW2 and for
many years and wars afterwards.
One country that utilized thousands of these DShK ‘38s was North Vietnam,
especially in the ‘Anti Aircraft’ role.
Batteries of these heavy machine guns were situated throughout the North
protecting all kinds of strategic targets from the attacks of American fighters
and bombers.
In addition, other DShK
‘38s were sent down south to help protect, North Vietnamese Army
regulars and local Viet Cong guerrillas against aerial assault by South
Vietnamese and U.S. Army helicopter gunships which had, until then, been
dominating the battlefield.
Here is the first of K&C’s DShK
’38 machine gun sets...
VN133 “NVA DShK ’38 Anti Aircraft Team”
A kneeling North Vietnamese Army gunner and a
crouching gun commander observe enemy helicopters approaching their position.
Soon, the order will be given to open fire.
Special Note: A
second DShK set will be released this coming June
depicting a young female ‘VIET CONG’ gunner manning her gun in
the horizontal ground defence role.
AVAILABLE: Mid May
F.
‘Panzer
Grenadiers On Patrol’
Four more 2-man sets of K&C Panzer
Grenadiers all wearing the M1944 uniform and carrying an
assortment of weaponry as they prepare to take on the enemy.
By the autumn of 1944 the general appearance of most
German soldiers had changed dramatically since the early victorious years of
the ‘Blitzkriegs’ of 1939-1941.
Practical battlefield experience, raw material
shortages and other wartime economies had brought forward the introduction of
an all-new, much simpler, less fussy and far less expensive uniform closely
modeled on the British Army’s own ‘battledress’.
At the same time other changes included short
canvas gaiters together with M44 lace-up ankle boots and
modified field equipment.
These eight new Panzer Grenadiers also carry an
assortment of weapons including the excellent, battle-proven,
K98 rifle, the superb MG42 machine gun, the newer anti tank ‘Panzerfaust’ and the MP44
assault rifle.
On the Grenadiers’ steel helmets are both the
standard, late-war camouflage cover and the simple but effective ‘chicken
wire’ net.
WH103 ‘The Scouts’
This pair of Panzer Grenadiers would normally
be moving in advance of the patrol seeking out the enemy.
WH104 ‘The Squad Leader Set’
The Squad Leader backed up by a ‘Panzerfaust’
carrying rifleman.
WH105 ‘The MG42 Gun Team’
This 2-man set portrays the gunner carrying his MG42
on his shoulder while his ‘number two’ brings up the additional
ammunition.
WH106 ‘Extra Escort’
Two supporting Panzer Grenadiers both carrying
the classic K98 rifles.
AVAILABLE: Mid May
2.
BEING
RETIRED IN MAY...
USMC034
Stryker
USMC041
USMC
75mm Pack Howitzer & Crew
VN006
Looking
Back
VN008
Decoy
Marine
VN082
The
Battle of Long Tan Set #2
JN015
Japanese
Infantryman
JN033
Kneeling
Rifleman W/ Grenade
JN037
Crouching
Soldier
JN038
Fight
to the Death
And that, as I usually say, is that for another month.
Alas not as many items as we originally planned but a few more than it looked
like we were going to have!
Challenging times indeed!
But, we’re still here and we’re still fighting. All
the very best and as ever... happy collecting.
Great Sales!
Andy C. Neilson
Co-founder & Creative Director
King & Country Ltd.