KING & COUNTRY

DISPATCHES

MARCH 2008

        By the time most of you see this myself and the K&C “WestCoaster” team will already be in Los Angeles… Irvine to be exact at the Marriott Hotel. Every March is “California Dreamin” for us at one of the premier U.S. events.

        This year, apart from me, there will be Helen (our still-almost-new Managing Director), Gordon (brother and diorama builder par excellence) and young Patrick, one of our hard-working, dedicated Hong Kong crew taking part. Gordon, as usual, has designed and built 2 massive 4’ x 2’ display pieces as well as 2 smaller more compact ones. We’ll be showing off some of our newest releases and previewing a few upcoming ones.

        The “Westcoaster” really is a fun event… it may not have the size and scale of Chicago but it’s still very important to K&C and allows us to personally meet and greet hundreds of K&C collectors (and a few dealers).

Well so much for the “promo” let’s find out what’s in store for March and April…

1. WHAT’S COMING OUT IN MARCH…?

A. As featured in last month’s “DISPATCHES” we have our all-new Russian Napoleonics… Thirteen individual pieces including a great mounted officer plus an action-packed Artillery Set with four figures.

All the infantry pieces are in the uniform of the famous “Preobrajenski Regiment” of the Imperial Guard.

Our Artillery Set is also of the Imperial Guard. All of them served in the Guards Division of the 5th. Army Corps at the Battle of Borodino in 1812.

NA137 “Marching Officer w/Sword” 

NA138 “Marching Rifleman”

NA139 “Marching Drummer”

NA140 “Officer w/Flag”

NA141 “Standing at Attention”

NA142 “Kneeling Firing”

NA143 “Kneeling to Repel”

NA144 “Standing Firing”

NA145 “Standing Ready”

NA146 “Advancing w/ Rifle & Bayonet”

NA147 “Advancing Wounded Officer”

NA148 “Mounted Russian Officer”

NA149 “Russian Artillery Set”

NA150 “Artillery Officer w/Telescope”

AVAILABILITY: NOW!

B. First World War German Reinforcements

FW034 “German Armoured Car”

Although the motorcar was still in its infancy it was not long before the Armies of both sides recognized its military potential. Here is our second WWI vehicle — armour-plated and mounting a Maxim’08 machine gun in a rotating top turret our early-war armoured car comes with a standing vehicle commander.

From vehicular horse power to genuine horse power… Five German “Uhlans” in action at the gallop!

FW035 “Uhlan Officer”

FW036 “Uhlan Bugler”

FW037 “Uhlan Pointing Downward”

FW038 “Uhlan on Rearing Horse”

FW039 “Uhlan Pointing Forward”

Special Note: “Uhlans” or “Ulans” were originally Polish light cavalry armed with a lance. The concept was adopted by first the French (under Napoleon) and then the Prussians and Austrians. By 1914 Germany had no less than 26 regiments of “Uhlans” ready for service.

AVAILABILITY: MID MARCH

C.“BLITZKRIEG PANZER IV” (FoB039)

A great alternative to our Afrika Korps version. 5 completely new tank crew figures plus a reconfigured vehicle itself. This model is ideal for the “Fall of France” or the “BARBAROSSA” attack on the Soviet Union in July 1941.

AVAILABILITY: MID-LATE MARCH

D.“IMPERIAL CHINESE ARMY”

IC032 “Making Ready for Battle”

AVAILABILITY: MID-LATE MARCH

2. “COMING IN APRIL”

There’s lots of good stuff in April and it’s a pretty varied mixture as well! Let’s start with…

a) “1776 American Revolution”

It’s been a while since we launched any new American Rev. figures so we thought we should remedy that situation with a big bang…

“HESSIANS!”

When the revolution in the American Colonies began Britain found herself, as usual, quite unprepared. Global commitments stretched the Army to breaking point and reinforcements were urgently required to deal with the upstart rebels… But where to find them?

George III and his Government utilized their Royal links to the House of Hanover to seek help with the many princely states and duchies of Germany.

For a hefty price many of these penniless states were only too happy to rent out their armies in the British cause. The House of Hesse provided a large proportion of these German mercenaries to fight (and die) in the Americas.

K&C’s latest “1776” release portrays a typical Regiment of Hessian Grenadiers wearing their long pigtails and tall mitre Grenadier caps.

Again we are releasing a total of thirteen individual Grenadiers that allows collectors to assemble as large (or as small) a display as their collection (and pockets) will allow.

BR062 “Officer w/Telescope”

BR063 “Sergeant Pointing”

BR064 “Standing Firing”

BR065 “Kneeling Firing”

BR066 “Standing Ready”

BR067 “Standing Loading”

BR068 “Standing Drummer Boy’

BR069 “Marching Rifleman”

BR070 “Advancing Rifleman”

BR071 “Marching Flagbearer”

BR072 “Officer w/Pike”

BR073 “Mounted Officer”

BR074 “Making Ready”

AVAILABILITY: EARLY APRIL

b) “Hitler’s Paris Visit”

From Germans of the eighteenth century to Germans of the twentieth… Following the defeat of France in June 1940 Hitler made his one and only visit to the French capital. Early one morning the Fuhrer and his entourage toured the deserted streets of Paris “sightseeing”. The few pedestrians and policemen were amazed to see a small convoy of German Mercedes staff cars stop and view many of the city’s most famous landmarks. They were even more amazed to see Adolf Hitler among the “tourists”.

WS106 “Hitler’s Paris Visit”

An all-new, second version of our older “Hitler’s Staff Car”. This upgraded, more detailed set is also larger than the first version. The set includes a standing, saluting Fuhrer… his personal SS driver… two seated Nazi officers plus two SS bodyguards (one with Schmeisser) perched on the back seat of the Mercedes. An outstanding set and a definite “best-seller”.

WS107 “German War Correspondents”

Three SS War Correspondents following the Fuhrer’s progress through Paris

(or elsewhere). One saluting officer… one movie cameraman and… one

“snapper” with his favourite “Leica”. A great little set… and useful too!

AVAILABILITY: EARLY APRIL

From a peaceful Paris we go back to the battlefield with a whole batch of “early-war” Waffen SS in action. Clad in their distinctive camouflage smocks and helmet covers these particular troops are perfect for Blitzkrieg action in Poland… The Low Countries… France… Yugoslavia… Greece and, of course “Operation Barbarossa”, the invasion of Russia.

Six different sets of individual and small groups of figures will be available…

WS110 “Riflemen in Action”

WS111 “Over There!”

WS112 “Open Fire”

WS113 “MG34 Gun Team”

WS114 “Marching SS Officer”

Confident, cocky and highly dangerous this SS officer is sure of himself and his men.

WS115 “Marching SS Trooper”

AVAILABILITY: MID APRIL

c) “Remember The Alamo!”

It’s a big jump from Second World War Europe to Texas in 1836 but we’ve made it. And here’s the proof… our latest additions to our “Alamo” series.

These new additions make some welcome add-ons to this “signature” series…

RTA035 “General Manuel Castrillon”

One of Santa Anna’s generals… this mounted figure observes the action through his telescope.

RTA036 “Mexican Soldier with Ladder”

Running forward this “soldado” carries his own ladder.

RTA037 “Wounded Mexican”

This poor soldier has been brought to his knees either by grape-shot or a well-aimed musket ball.

RTA038 “Fighting Duo #1”

The first of these dueling doubles… the enemy are already over the wall and it’s a fight to the death!

RTA039 “Naval Cannon Set”

Many of the artillery pieces used in the Alamo were “dismounted” ship’s cannon… this set comes with two gunners (one wounded) and an extra Musket, satchel and powder horn.

RTA040 “Swinging Rifle”

Either out of ammunition or no time to reload this Alamo defender uses his weapon as a club.

RTA041 “Fighting Duo #2”

The second of our “fight to the death” doubles…

RTA042 “Mrs. Dickinson & Daughter”

Santa Anna spared no male survivors of the battle however he did release, unharmed, several females and children. Susanna Dickinson and her small daughter are probably the most famous.

AVAILABILITY: LATE APRIL

3. BEING RETIRED THIS MONTH…

As usual there’re a few interesting items being “put out to pasture”. Among them are…

Our Vichy French Camel Figures… some of the best and most original mounted figures K&C has ever produced.

AK031 “Vichy French Camel Corps Sergeant (Mtd.)”

AK032 “VF Arab Camel Corps Rider on Drinking Camel (Mtd.)”

AK033 “VF Arab Camel Corps on Guard (Mtd.)”

AK034 “VF Officer w/ Sitting Camel”

From North Africa to… China

IC011 “The Opera Stage”

And back to Egypt…

AE012 “Pair of Pharaoh's Statues”

AE013 “Temple Façade”

AE015 “Hunting Pharaoh”

From Egypt we’re off to WW2 Europe…

WS073 “German / French SPG”

BBA016 “M3A1 White Scout Car”

        And that my friends that… if you see anything you like… grab it! Look forward to seeing any of you guys at the “WestCoaster”… it’s going to be fun!

Until then… Adios for now… hiyo Silver and away!

Andy C. Neilson

Co-founder & Creative Director