DISPATCHES
November 2012
As I write these notes at the tail end of October it’s hard to believe
that I only just got back to Hong Kong on the 9th of October after
Chicago and three additional “meet “n’ greets” in Los Gatos (Sierra
Toy Soldiers) and two “first-time” events with Bill Sager in
Miami and Tim Tyler (Troops of Time) in Jacksonville… Many, many thanks
to all of those great K&C dealers and the guys (and some wives) who
came along to all three locations.
On the 22nd of
November I’m off again on my annual “Euro Pilgrimage” to Italy, France and UK.
There’re two gatherings in Italy – Carpi and Florence followed by
Paris and the big London Show.
Talking of London it’s going to be very interesting to see how the new show
location does!?! In the meantime, without further ado… Here’s what
happening in our “neck of the woods”… this month and next.
1.
BEING RELEASED IN OCTOBER
As we mentioned in last month’s “DISPATCHES” … November is “Battle of
the Bulge” time. And as you already know the German side has been very
well taken care of so… It’s time to bring on the “good guys”…
BBA054 “The M4A3E8 Easy-Eight SHERMAN”
This is actually the first “real” Easy Eight K&C has ever
produced… Many moons ago… around 1999 we manufactured a “Hybrid”
that utilized a proper “Easy Eight” turret complete with 76mm gun
but we “married” it to the body of an Israeli “Isherman”.
Now, this time it’s the “real-deal”… It’s big, bold and brassy
and it’s one helluva tank… And it’s “snow-camouflaged”
as well.
To go alongside this “beauty”…
BBA061 “Kneeling Loading Rifle”
BBA062 “Standing Firing Rifle”
BBA063 “Advancing BAR Gunner”
BBA064 “Advancing Radio Man”
AVAILABLE: NOW!
This popular and colourful series just gets
bigger and better… Here are the latest…
NE018 “Standing
Guides Officer”
With arms folded this soldier looks every
inch… an officer and gentlemen.
“LES DROMADAIRES” (The Camels)
Faced with
a desperate shortage of cavalry in Egypt, Napoleon ordered the formation of a
regiment mounted on camels!
Instead of using regular cavalry he chose
infantrymen from his many
demi-brigades to make up the strength of his new
unit.
These soldiers enjoyed the same privileges
and pay as Dragoons and were
uniformed in, as
Napoleon described it, “The Oriental Style” with huge offwhite cloaks and baggy, loose fitting pantaloons.
Here are our first selection…
NE028 “Camel
Cavalier w/Musket”
Musket
held aloft and scanning the horizon.
NE029 “Camel
Cavalier with Baggy red pantaloons”
NE030 “Camel
Cavalier w/Rifle Across”
Another of
the patrol still wearing his old French uniform.
NE031 “The
Leader”
This “Camel Cavalier” looks through his telescope to see, if any,
sight of the enemy.
NE032 “The
Bugler”
Relatively few regular cavalry served with Napoleon in Egypt. Here,
however is one of the exceptions. This bugler has adapted to the local weather
conditions. He also carries a “Mameluke-style” sabre.
AVAILABLE:
Mid November
Dressed in
dust-covered field-grey these Wehrmacht “soldaten” are a useful “add-on” to our first four
field-grey “classics” issued in October.
WS211 “Unteroffizier
w/ Schmeisser”
This standing NCO pulls back
the cocking handle on his machine pistol.
WS212 “Kneeling Ready”
The battle is about to
begin and this soldier is ready…
WS213 “Kneeling w/ Ammo Box”
Another soldier carrying an
extra box of machine gun ammunition.
WS214 “Wait!”
As this soldier moves
forward he orders his comrades to stay under cover.
WS215 “Just Looking”
One soldier bends down to peer round a corner while his comrade leans
forward to get a better view.
WS220 “The Winter Tiger1”
The second of our new, early-production models of this iconic German
tank. This second version has been given a thin coat of whitewash to help
camouflage it… Already however the original “feldgrau”
is showing through.
The vehicle comes with a new Tank Commander figure.
AVAILABLE:
Mid November
2. “JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!”
In 1941 and ’42 a bunch of 90 American
fighter pilots were formed into the “1st
American Volunteer Group under the command of a former U.S. Army Air Corps officer called
Claire Lee Chennault. Putting his men into 3 x pursuit squadrons and
using the Curtiss P40 Chennault created a legend…”The Flying
Tigers”.
In a relatively short time they had
racked-up over 300 enemy aircraft shot down with the loss of a very small
number of their own.
K&C is proud to pay tribute to these
brave flyers and their extraordinary aircraft….
AF018 “Curtiss P40”Flying Tiger”
Originally intended to be part of very large
order going to Britain’s Royal Air Force, 100 of the planes were
separated out for the Flying Tigers in China.
Still sporting British camouflage they were
then adorned with the famous “Shark’s Teeth” insignia and a cartoon
flying tiger courtesy of the Walt Disney Studio!
Our aircraft is in the personal #88
markings of former USMC pilot Kenneth A.Jernstedt
who shot down 10.5 Japanese aircraft while flying and fighting with the
“Tigers”.
Planned Production Run: 250 aircraft
AF024 “Flying Tiger Pilot, David “Tex “Hill”
One of the most famous of Tiger pilots “Tex”
Hill had a long and distinguished flying career. Beginning in the U.S.
Navy he flew dive bombers before being recruited by Claire Cheunault
to fly in China. He shot down 12 Japanese aircraft with the Flying Tigers
before transferring over to the U.S. Army Air Corps. Eventually “Tex” Hill
retired as a Brigadier General in the U.S.A.F. many years later.
Our figure shows him consulting his map and
wearing the leather flight jacket with the famous “blood-chit” on the
back.
AF025 “ Flying Tiger Pilot, Kenneth A. Jernstedt”
Ken Jernstedt was
another “double-ace” while flying in China with the American Volunteer Group.
Like “Tex” Hill he also transferred to the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942 after
America entered the war.
The K&C “Ken Jernstedt”
is also wearing the leather flight jacket with the “blood chit” and a
flying helmet.
AVAILABLE: Early December
B.
“ON THE FRONTIER”
Throughout China’s long history there has
been a succession of wars where neighbouring
countries have tried to “smash and grab” whole states and provinces away
from the central power in Beijing.
To help protect the integrity of the
frontier areas of the country different emperors used different methods.
Several rulers built chains of “Frontier Forts” all along the perimeter
of the country.
Our new individual multi section defense
work allows collectors to build a fort as big (or as small) as they need
or have the room for…
IC051 “Chinese Fort Main Gate”
A complete section with open/close gates
plus a wooden ladder to reach the upper platform.
IC052 “Left Tower”
Flanking the gate on both
sides would have been these stucco and wood structures providing shelter and
some accommodation for the garrison of the fort.
IC053 “Right Tower”
See above, this is the opposite section.
IC054 “Wooden Fences”
A straight section and a corner section to
extend on to the Fort’s main structures.
AVAILABLE: Early December
C.
“Letter From Hong Kong
Three colourful
additions to K&C’s most colourful series…
HK205 “The Letter Writer Set”
Up until just a few years ago in Hong Kong
you could still see an old man sitting on a little stool writing a letter for
another old person who alas was illiterate and wanted to let the relatives back
in China know what was going on.
This charming little vignette is a very real
piece of Hong Kong history.
HK206 “Mother & Child”
Again, what was once a fairly common street
sight in H.K… a mother carrying her child on her back has disappeared into
history… except in “Streets of Old Hong Kong”.
HK213 “The God of Fortune”
All of us need a little good fortune…
Perhaps this mythical Chinese figure can help…?
AVAILABLE: Early December
No, it’s not another set of the “Three Wise Men” for the LOJ
series… It’s three mounted Australian figures of the Imperial Camel Corps
on patrol.
Among the mounted units that contributed men to this British and Empire force
was the Australian Light Horse. This December release provides
three individual camel-mounted soldiers… one officer and two troopers.
AL036 “Australian Officer”. Turning in the saddle this officer
looks back towards his men.
AL037 “Aye Ready”
Lee Enfield rifle resting on his thigh this trooper scans the distant desert
horizon.
AL038 “Shirt-Sleeve Order”
“Any fool can be uncomfortable in the field”… This trooper has put away his
heavy wool service jacket and looks much more comfortable with open necked
shirt and rolled-up sleeves. His Lee Enfield remains “at the ready”
resting across his lap.
AVAILABLE: Early
December !
E… “AND NOW TO A VERY DIFFERENT FRONTIER”
In “DISPATCHES” we go from the troubled
frontiers of China to the equally troubled frontier of the Old West with the
announcement of a big, bold, battling new series…”Custer’s Last Stand”.
This project has actually been “in-the-works”
for several years but only now has come to fruition…
The Indian Wars following the end of the
Civil War were an important time for the United States… A growing population
was forever requiring more land to settle and build on as well as to explore
and exploit for its abundant natural resources.
Among the land most coveted were the
treaty-held territories granted to the Native American tribes. Most
Indians reluctantly had to accept and agree to whatever the whitemen
in Washington said. Some however did not… Especially the Lakota
(Sioux) and the Cheyenne.
Eventually this would lead to war that would
involve the U.S. Cavalry and the Indians. The most famous engagement of
those times was The Battle of the Little Bighorn which
took place on June 25/26, 1876.
This new series intends to paint a portrait
in miniature of the bloody climax of those fateful days.
Our first initial release of just seven U.S.
cavalry items will be followed up in February by seven more.
TRW020 “Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer”
The commander of the famous 7th Cavalry and
already a hero from the Civil War. Custer together with 210 of his men would
perish on and around “Last Stand Hill” just above the Little
Bighorn river.
Here we show him wearing buckskin trousers
with a decorative blue shirt and colourful red
neckerchief. In his hands a pair of matching Royal Irish Constabularly revolvers.
TRW022 “Captain Myles Keogh”
An Irish soldier-of-fortune who somehow
ended up in the 7th Cavalry. Tough, experienced and reliable Keogh is
seen wearing a Civil War kepi and the black embroidered “Patrol”
jacket. With one hand he keeps Custer’s personal guidon
upright… with the other he takes careful aim.
TRW023 “Bugler”
Already wounded this seated Bugler attempts
to contact the other units of the 7th.
TRW024 “Swinging the Carbine”
With no ammunition left this corporal has no
choice but to use his carbine as a club.
TRW025 “Kneeling Firing Carbine”
Due to the stifling
mid summer heat this trooper has discarded his heavy wool jacket and is
fighting in “shirt-sleeve order”
TRW030 “Dead Horse”
Although many
horses were killed by Indian bullets and arrows others were shot by their
riders to provide some cover on the sparsely covered hillside.
TRW031 “On His Knees”
Clutching a serious head wound and his
carbine by his side this wounded trooper will not last long.
AVAILABLE: Mid December
SPECIAL NOTE: Remember, a second exciting batch of 7th
Cavalry “personalities”, troopers and casualties will appear in February
followed in April/May by no less than seven mounted Indians plus another
seven fighting on foot.
F. “FROM CUSTER TO NAPOLEON”
It’s not too big a leap as we’re actually
going from an elite U.S. Cavalry
regiment in the 1870’s to an elite cavalry regiment in the Age of
Bonaparte…
K&C are pleased and proud to announce an
entirely new French Napoleonic Cavalry Regiment… The Horse Grenadiers of
the Imperial Guard… Or to give them their proper “nom”… Les
Grenadiers de la Garde Imperiale”…
This heavy cavalry unit was reputed to be the finest horse mounted regiment not
just in the Emperor’s own army but in all of Europe!
Our bearskin clad chevaliers include.
NA217 “Officer Turning in Saddle”
A classic pose for an officer… looking back at his men.
NA218 “Officer with Regimental Guidon”
NA219 “Bugler”
NA220 “Grenadier w/Sword (looking front)”
NA221 “Grenadier w/Sword (looking left)”
NA222 “Scout Grenadier w/Musket”
And a couple of senior French officers….
NA239 “Mounted Bessieres”
A one-time commander of the Horse
Grenadiers… this richly decorated officer was one of Napoleon’s most trusted
and respected generals.
NA240 “Mounted Cuirassier General”
Another fine addition to the Emperor’s staff.
AVAILABLE: Mid-Late December
3.
Being
Retired:
BBA031 105 Field Gun
BBA035 Winter Motorcycle MP
BBG014 Snow Patrol
BBG049 Stug III Ausf. G
CW053 Brevet Major General
George Armstrong Custer
DD117 Piper in Action
DD118 Dismounted Military Policeman
DD119 Monty in Normandy
DD120 Grenadier
LAH126 BDM Girls
LAH127 German Red Cross Lady
LAH128 German Nurse
LAH129 Old Veteran
LAH130 Hitler Jugend (Small)
LAH131 Hitler Jugend (Medium)
LAH132 Hitler Jugend (Tall)
LAH148 SA Bugler
And that is that, dear friends…. at least for another 30 odd days.
With best wishes for good health!
Andy C. Neilson
Co-founder & Creative Director
King & Country
Dear
Partners,
Supplementary
In addition to the
first three Australian figures of the Imperial Camel Corps we are adding three
variations…
AL036(B)
Australian Officer
AL037(B) Aye Ready
AL038(B)
Shirt-Sleeve Order
These above
versions will have the “regulation” army-issued camel blankets to replace the
more exotic “privately-obtained” ones.
Both sets will be
available from the same release date… early December.
Andy C. Neilson
Co-founder & Creative Director
King & Country