Friday 18 June 2010

Vehicles are rare in the Very British Civil War, as fuel is a premium. Many have been commandeered from civilian use and pressed into military service. Some have been converted into Armoured Cars by having armour bolted onto their chassis etc.
My Communists currently possess four vehicles: One staff car (a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost); Two vans (commandeered from the Maynard's sweet factory and hastily repainted) and their prized possession, a home made armoured car (converted from a Model A Ford dairy truck), nicknames the Tachanka.

Two former sweet factory delivery vans converted into troop transport.

The 'Tachanka' began as a humble dairy truck, but was commandeered and coverted into a light armoured car. Inspired by stories of the Russian tachanka- a machine gun mounted onto a fast horse-drawn cart, used to great effect in the Russian Civil War- the Liverpudlian Communist were keen to create their own updated version. Armour plates were welded to the back and to protect the cab and engine, and a Birmingham made Maxim HMG was fitted to the back. Two gunners ride in the back, laying down a steady stream of fire (all be it with a limited arch of fire) while protected from the enemy. The gunners, two brothers from Birmingham who arrived with the gun, fancy themselves a cut above their foot slogging northern comrades, and this is reflected in their home-made uniforms.


A couple of WIP shots showing how I converted the Lledo die cast model A Ford truck into the Tachanka. Basically I used plasticard for the armour plates and Eureka Miniatures for the gun crew. The tarpaulin and grab handle are from a Games Workshop tank kit. I had to build up the height of the bed of the truck so the gun could fit over the top.


Here's a link to Wiki for Tachanka, if you are interested.

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