Some more random photographs

These little frogs keep popping up.

 

Sunrise over our place.

Western Desert reading - Bardia

Bardia: myth, reality and the heirs of Anzac by Craig Stockings.

I borrowed and read this book a little while ago and have kept it hanging around while i got round to blogging it. Its not the sort of coffee table ra ra Anzac book that has been spewed out lately but is well researched and written.

It basically covers the battle for Bardia in January 1941 where Commonwealth forces attacked the small defended town and for the loss of 130 killed and 326 wounded captured 35000 or so Italian prisoners. Being an Australian its always been on my radar as the main assaulting unit was the 6th Australian division but this book really goes into the why and how of the Italian defeat.

There is a lot of background on the events leading up to the battle, the battle itself and the aftermath. Craig Stockings covers a lot of ground that fills out this period and theatre of the early war especially with regard to the Italians and their preparedness to be part of an axis alliance. He also shows how the British and Australian armies had partly learnt from the first world war, as many of their leaders were veterans, especially here with a deliberate assault on a defended position but still had a way to go with armour and its use. The planners were well aware that tanks were vital but his explanation of events show how unsupported infantry struggled against entrenched and committed Italian troops. The British army was still learning this lesson in Normandy when they were only just adopting combined units.

This is a book that will be on my list to get out again and reread because there is so much good quality information contained in it.

5/5  

A Dragon Stug IV arrives

The Dragon Stug IV with a Deagostini/Altaya Panzer IV for size comparison.

 

No markings apart from crosses on the sides and rear of the hull. If i had to nitpick the only thing that lets this model down is the tracks which don't sag like the real ones would. 

The main gun actually elevates.

detail, detail, detail

A lovely model down to the periscopes for commander and gunner. Even the triangles for the side skirt holders to hang off are really fine and this model is a tribute to the skill of the assemblers of these models.

I picked this model up from Mil Sims in Melbourne for $16 while i was down there visiting the parents.  Its one of those shops which has had a strong internet presence for a long time which continued on from their paper based catalogue in the days of snail mail. For me its one of those places i seldom get to go but always enjoy putting around in the store. I've just found out they are having an Easter Saturday only sale too, bugger.