Burma: Japanese Support Weapons

Although it might seem a bit out of the blue, I have, for some time, been preparing to do a campaign set in Burma during World War 2. Most of the WW2 games I have seen are focused on Normandy, as if that was the sum total of WW2, but there were many other theatres of war. 

I picked Burma for a number of reasons. The first was pragmatic, because I was offered a chance to buy a lot of Chindits for next to nothing and I jumped at the chance because they were lovely models. I have to confess that when I bought them I had no idea what the Chindits even were. The more I read about the brave men who fought the Japanese in the jungles of Burma, the more I knew I wanted to honour them by painting a whole load of them. 

My Father-in-Law served in Burma, although as a RAF radio operator he was in the rear echelons  so was spared much of the hardship of the troops fighting in the jungle. Never the less, that personal connection with the campaign made me want to represent it even more.

Finally, I bought the Bolt Action rules, mostly to see if it would be any good for VBCW, and liked the look of the game. I have never really done a true historic wargame before, so I wanted to do it right- cue lots of reading around the topic and research- not least form the Ospray books. 

Now Mr Pulp Citizen, my regular gaming buddy, and I have always had an agreement we call "You paint it, and I will game it." meaning that if one of us is interested in a period or game, if we paint both sides in the conflict, then the other will game it. Now Pulp Citizen has little or no interest in historic gaming, WW2 or Burma, but in accordance to our agreement, he has consented to play the game when I get the figures  and scenery together. 

Here is a taster of the Japanese figures I have been painting, a MMG and a light mortar (or knee mortar to give it it's correct term). For the Japanese I will be using Bolt Action and West Wind. For the Chindist I will be using Wargames Foundry, Bolt Action and The Assault Group (TAG).