NEW RELEASES FROM KING &
COUNTRY!
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NOVEMBER is upon us and, before, we know it, Christmas will be too!
As you are about to discover there are quite a few items in this month’s
release schedule that will make excellent gifts for family and friends who love
history… As well
perfect presents from yourself… to yourself.
So, without further ado let’s go ‘look-see’ what’s in store
for November…
1. "COMING IN NOVEMBER"
Why not begin with an old, long-time favourite…
‘NAPOLEONICS’.
For colour and spectacle ‘The Age
of Napoleon’ is hard to beat and here you can see why… Continuing our catalogue
of the Grenadiers of the ‘Old Guard’ at the time of Waterloo we have 2 x small
Two-Figure Grenadier Sets…
NA399 "The 'Old Guard' At Rest"
A standing Grenadier converses with his sitting,
pipe-smoking comrade...
NA400 "Guardsmen-At-Ease"
It’s fair to say that looking at these 2 x
casually-posed Grenadiers on ‘Guard Duty’ the enemy must be far-away and
certainly nowhere in the close vicinity.
NA405 "Mounted Aide-de-Camp"
The Emperor employed dozens of these dashing young officers
to convey his instructions and orders all over the battlefield and beyond.
They would also, on occasion, act as his personal ‘eyes and
ears’ reporting on how well officers and regiments carried out the instructions
and orders carried to them by these self-same ADC’s
And now for something a wee bit different…
NA410 "The Hussar Hussie #1
Monique"
From ancient times armies have always acquired female ‘camp
followers’; women who accompanied their men into battle and fed them, tended
their wounds, sometimes even carried their packs and equipment... as well as
providing other ‘creature comforts.’
All for the sake of a little protection
and safety in a distinctly violent and unsettled world.
In Napoleonic times the practice continued and even
increased as Napoleon and his Armies traversed the continent and beyond.
Different regiments attracted different kinds of female
companions. The Cavalry being among the smartest turned-out also tended to
welcome some of the prettiest ladies...
Here, is one such young lady, Monique, who has attached
herself to the 7th Hussars.
NA411 "Hussar Hussie #2
Sophie"
Yet another fetching young lass,
‘Sophie’ is much enamoured with the officers of the
3rd Hussars... As they no doubt are with her!
AVAILABILITY: Early November
2. "THE U.S. ARMY AT WAR 1944/45"
Over the years King & Country
has produced more World War Two American G.I.’s than all other toy soldiers
companies combined!
We’ve had them fighting through Italy and France in 1943 and
’44… We’ve had them storming the beaches
of Normandy on June 6 and battling their way through the Norman ‘bocage’ after D.Day.
We’ve taken them to the ‘Bulge’ in the winter of 1944 and
had them defend Bastogne against all odds when no one
thought they had a chance.
Now, they’re taking the war into the very heart of the Third
Reich with this latest batch of “Fighting GI’s”…
Decked-out in the Olive Green M1943 field jacket these
newest ‘Dogfaces’ come in a range of useful battlefield poses reflecting the
reality of street fighting in Nazi Germany in the closing months of WW2.
Here is the first group of 5 X GI’s to be released…
DD307 "Charging Rifleman "
As his buddies provide ‘covering fire’ this GI runs forward
from one firing position to the next.
DD308 "Snap Shooter"
This next GI is warily moving forward holding his M1 Garand
in the ‘ready’ position in case a sudden ‘target of opportunity’ presents
itself. Very much a ‘hunting’ pose.
DD311 "Machine Gun Team"
The .30 cal. machine gun was
usually not part of the regular rifle platoon weapons list... They were
attached to battalions and companies who would then supply them to platoons
whenever or wherever it was deemed necessary.
Our 2-man team would provide a volume of suppressing fire
that would allow the riflemen to position themselves best for an attack on the
enemy.
DD313 "Turning BAR Gunner"
The standard U.S. Army Squad Light Machine Gun was the M1918
Browning Automatic Rifle (the B.A.R.). It used a twenty-round box magazine and
performed in a similar squad support role as the British Bren.
Our BAR Gunner appears to be looking around a corner to get
a better view of the enemy.
SPECIAL NOTE: Additional ‘Fighting GI’s’ will be released in
December…
AVAILABILITY: Mid November
3. "THE RATS OF TOBRUK"
This nickname was given in particular by Field Marshal Erwin
Rommel to the ‘Diggers’ of the 9th Australian Division (plus one brigade of the
7th) as well as other British, Polish and Indian units defending the besieged
Libyan port city of Tobruk.
The siege began in April 1941 and lasted until almost
December of that same year.
‘ORIGINS OF THE NAME’
The mainly Australian garrison was extremely adept at
utilizing captured enemy equipment and would go out of their way, after every
enemy assault, to go forward into the battlefield at
night to recover as much as they could that might be reusable.
At the same time the Tobruk defenders dug an extensive
network of tunnels and shelters to supplement their trenches… and used them
frequently when under heavy bombardment.
‘Lord Haw-Haw’, the British traitor and German propagandist
took up Rommel’s description dismissing the garrison as ‘the miserable desert
rats of Tobruk’…
The defenders thereafter adopted the title with pride!!!
ABOUT THE SETS
The original idea for these sets came from a pair of
Australian collectors attending the K&C Evening organized by Peter Nathan
of Elite Military Miniatures in Sydney earlier this year. As soon as I heard the idea, I loved it and
so, here it is!
EA124 "Trench & Riflemen"
Two Australian ’Diggers’ watch over their sand-bagged trench
.303 Lee Enfield rifles at the ready.
EA125 "Trench & Bren Gun Team"
As one Aussie scans the horizon for any sign of enemy
activity his mate ‘mans’ the trusty Bren Light Machine Gun.
EA126 "Trench & ‘BOYS’ Anti-Tank Rifle"
One more Australian infantryman together with his ‘BOYS Anti Tank Rifle’ takes aim at an approaching enemy vehicle.
Although adequate against light tanks and armoured cars in the early part of the war the ‘BOYS’ was
ineffective against heavier armour. It was phased out
by mid war... but still in use at the time of Tobruk.
EA127 "Defense Under
Fire"
Three lying-prone Aussies taking cover from enemy artillery
and mortar fire.
EA128 "Kneeling Rifleman"
One more very useful Australian
infantryman with his .303 Lee Enfield.
AVAILABILITY: Mid November
4. "CHRISTMAS COMES BUT ONCE A YEAR"
For many years now, K&C has produced a special
‘Christmas-Themed’ release. Among our
most popular and requested have been our WW2 Christmas GI sets…
Well here’s one more to add to the collection…
XM017-02 "GI Santa On A
Motorbike"
Someone, somewhere is dreaming of a
White Christmas and this GI has decided to brighten up the drab wartime Yule
Tide with a visit to a local orphanage!
Using typical ‘GI ingenuity’ this soldier has found an old
Santa / St. Nick costume, ‘borrowed’ a military motorcycle and side car and
loaded it up with whatever toys and gifts he and his fellow GI’S could find.
They’ve even donated a whole case of a popular, well-known American drink that
these kids have never tasted before.
This will be one wartime Christmas they will never forget!
AVAILABILITY: Mid November
5. "THE MID-DAY MEAL"
From war-torn Europe to the “Streets of
Old Hong Kong”… All in one mighty leap!
HK269G "The Mid-Day Meal (Gloss)"
Two hard-working ‘Coolies’ (labourers)
enjoy a well-earned rest from their labours and tuck
into some simple but nourishing soup and vegetables.
HK269M "The Mid-Day Meal (Matt)"
Two hard-working ‘Coolies’ (labourers)
enjoy a well-earned rest from their labours and tuck
into some simple but nourishing soup and vegetables.
AVAILABILITY: Mid November
6. "NOTTINGHAM’S EVIL-DOERS IN ACTION"
Although Robin Hood & His Merrie Men may rule the
green-leafed glades of Sherwood Forest the dastardly Sherrif
of Nottingham and his not-so-merry-men hold considerable sway elsewhere in the
Country and Castle that dominates the town of Nottingham itself.
Two more fighting swordsmen and three additional
Men-At-Arm’s prepare to join the Sherrif in searching
and seeking out the elusive Robin as well as gathering in the taxes for the
wicked and equally cruel Prince John…
RH034 "Fighting With Sword Up"
RH035 "The Double-Handed Grip"
RH036 "Kneeling Sherrif’s
Archer"
RH037 "Sherrif’s
Halberdier"
RH038 "Standing Sherrif’s
Archer"
AVAILABILITY: Mid-Late November
7. "“ACHTUNG TIGER!"
There’s not a lot to say about the PzKpfw
VI, better known as “The Tiger”, that has not been said before… It is, quite
simply, the most famous German tank of World War Two…
Perhaps, the most famous tank ever and certainly the most popular and the most
collected!!!
Given its ‘TIGER’ nickname by its designer Ferdinand Porsche
it has been called ‘The most outstanding tank design of its time.’ That it most definitely was BUT it also had
some mighty faults… It was over-engineered… it required considerably greater
resources of materials and manpower to manufacture it and… its fuel consumption
was staggering (at a time when German fuel production was actually dramatically
decreasing).
Its heavy armour and mighty ’88
gun were indeed impressive… and did terrify its enemies both on the Eastern and
Western Fronts… But its manufacturing cost and its requirement for
specially-trained crews meant that it never had the full impact on the Allies
that it might have had. Just 1,347 Tigers were actually built between August 1942
and August 1944. After that time production of the Tiger I was phased out in favour of the Tiger II, better known as the ‘King Tiger’.
That all being said its fighting reputation among its
opponents spread far and wide and led, in some cases, to almost panic whenever
it appeared on the battlefield.
By far the most famous commander and promoter of the ‘Tiger’
legend was a young Waffen SS officer called… Michael Wittmann.
By the winter of 1943, Michael Wittmann
had already acquired plenty of battlefield experience with the relatively new Pz. Kpfw. VI “TIGER”.
During the Battle of KURSK in early July, 1943 the young
platoon leader had destroyed dozens of Soviet tanks, self-propelled guns and
even artillery pieces… He also survived
a collision with a burning Red Army tank!
By the Fall and Winter of 1943 he
continued to add numerous ‘Kills’ to his tally and was recognized for his
achievements by the ‘Top Brass’ with awards and presentations.
One particular ‘presentation’ was special that was when Wittmann and his crew were to meet Jochen
Peiper, another noted and popular Waffen
SS officer.
For Josef Goebel’s Propaganda Ministry this was a major
event to be recorded for posterity… Two Nazi Heroes for the price of one!
These new releases capture the moment…
WS344 "WITTMANN’S WINTER TIGER"
Although the Tiger’s ‘Winter Whitewash’ is beginning to
wear-off the tank stands in all its glory...
As a ‘Command Tank’, the model sports 3 x Radio Antennas,
and 2 x top turret hatches that open and close allowing collectors, if they
wish, to place figures in the ‘open’ position or have everything ‘bolted down’
for battle.
The main gun also elevates and depresses as required.
Interestingly, although the tank itself has a battle-worn appearance the ‘kill’
markings on the 88mm gun are brand-new. This was because, for propaganda
purposes, it made for a better picture to ‘show the folks back home’ just how
successful Michael Wittmann and his crew had been.
In reality, tank commanders would not have wished to draw
even more enemy attention to themselves, their crew and vehicle with such an
ostentatious and obvious display.
WS345 "WHEN WITTMANN MET PEIPER"
This SIX-FIGURE set portrays the moment when Jochen Peiper, also in black tank
uniform, greets the junior officer Michael Wittmann
and his crew.
As you see Peiper gives the
almost-casual half ‘Heil Hitler’ salute while the
younger Wittmann gives the full, extended right arm
salute in reply. Wittmann’s Crew stand-at-attention waiting to be introduced.
WS-S01 "WITTMANN SPECIAL PRESENTATION GIFT SET"
This combined SET brings together the “WINTER TIGER” and the
FULL Six-Figure parade set at a very attractive and affordable combined package
price.
AVAILABILITY: Mid-Late November
8. "BEING RETIRED"
As always, as the new comes in… Some of the not-so-new have
to go out – Such is the way of the Toy Soldier World.
See what’s here that you may have missed!
HK224M "Flower Stall Set (Matt)"
Winter here in Hong Kong is a favorite time to buy all kinds
of colourful blooms for the home. Here a local
florist tends to her flowers and shrubs.
HK132M "Captain & Waiter
(Matt)"
HK133M "Wine Shop Customers (Matt)"
Two customers seated at a table enjoying a delicious hot pot
and a cup or two of rice wine.
AK081 "AK Machine Gunner"
Difficult but not impossible… this gunner fires his
magazine- fed MG34 from the hip.
WH-S01 "Standing at Attention Set"
This little 2-man set gives you two great Wehrmacht figures
at a “special” price.
WH-S02 "On the March Set"
A 3-man marching Wehrmacht set to follow your marching
officer (WH015). If you think 3 look good...try making it 33! Now that will
really impress your friends. A “special value” package again!
And that, as I like to say, is that for another
30 or so days. We hope you find
more than a few things you like... There’s plenty to choose from.
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All the very best and ... GREAT SALES!
Andy C. Neilson
Co-founder & Creative Director
King & Country