Anschluss wargames

27/03/2025

Ok… part 2 for today. As we continued west along the route followed by the March we came across buildings that the POWs passed… and villages where the people offered food and water.. it’s humbling to look on buildings that they passed and must have acknowledged… fading images of the Hapsburg Empire.
The last day tomorrow… into Germany where those that survived bombing and straffing by Allied (American) aircraft were freed by American ground forces on 30th April.
More tomorrow.

27/03/2025

It’s been a very busy day today… 240ks but starting early in Prague. Ok… the photos. Number one… it’s a Spitfire, and it’s not… then the Charles Bridge. Famous it seems. Then a bit of culture for those of a literary bent. (One of my favourite books) Following that the main cemetery in Prague… the Russian monument to those who died of wounds around Prague… all 1945 (May mostly)
Then whole looking for the Commonwealth War Graves section I found this lone British War Grave… 1918. What on earth was his story?
Then found the British section.. and the grave of the POW shot on the March. (We couldn’t find his memorial yesterday…)
That’s if for now… more to follow later. It really has been a busy day!

27/03/2025

A busy day yesterday… nearly 300 kliks with interesting stops… first at Chocen to thank the mayor of the town for the people coming out when the column passed through to give food to the POWs. There was a frame with ‘buttons’ on the wall of the tourist information office too… students who joined the partisans and were caught and sent to the death camps. They are remembered in the town each year.
Then on to crossing the Elbe… and a ‘Bailey bridge’, still wooden cleats for surface and narrow… I assume this was put up by the Russians after the war but who knows!
Onward again to Jicin, another town where they stopped, and there were memorials to citizens deported. The photos in a shop window commemorate a man who was killed during the ‘Prague Spring’ in 1968. There are long memories here of the Russian occupation.
A very pleasant town and worth a look if you find yourself in those parts.
Now there followed a hunt for a memorial to one of the POWs shot by a guard… couldn’t find it!
Our last stop was at a brickworks… still in operation which the prisoners were overnighted in. The bunker was a guard post of the period… not intended to be much more than a shelter, but some overhead cover.
after that… on to Prague in rain and an ‘interesting’ evening, the stuff of legend.
A mountain leg today… and visit to British War Graves.

26/03/2025

Day 2 of the drive in the shadows of the Death March.
Photos here of the working mine you can tour at Zabrze… close to the site of the coal mine that the prisoners on the March had been working in since 1943.
After the mine tour… £10.50 UK equivalent… I really recommend, it was over 300 kilometres of small and often poor country roads, with towns and villages mentioned in the diary… photo of a small shop in Bitom (up to 1945 the German town of Beuthen) and in it… lots of stuff celebrating the German past… note the Tee shirt!
Following that… and a brush with the law, in the tiny hamlet of Rymerov a barn where the prisoners stayed for the night, with war damage still visible on the brickwork.
Mountain roads and hairpin bends… not great but think how they felt on foot in snow.
More tomorrow.

25/03/2025

Well… yesterday was the start of a week of following the route of a friend’s uncle who, having been captured in the Western Desert, found himself in a German prisoner of war camp in what then was the Czechoslovakian republic. He was then put to work in a coal mine until January 1945 when, with the Russians drawing near, he and thousands like him found themselves on a death March into Germany, some 900 kilometres in the depths of winter. He made it… and managed to keep a diary too… so now we follow.
The photos show the last chimney of the brick factory from where the March started and the various Polish memorials around and about the site. The church is as it was (but a bit knocked about in 1945! )
I will put more on as we follow the route for the rest of the week.

19/03/2025

A lovely day… and soon leaves on the One Tree. 😀

19/03/2025

What a lovely day… not long before the first leaves on the One Tree… I hope.

16/03/2025

Anschluss is very proud to announce that we are now offering the first of our BRAND NEW range of WW2 Starter Armies.

This range offers you the opportunity to start your army of choice (and subsequent ones too!) at a rather impressive 20% discount on list prices. We think you will be suitably impressed. This gives you the opportunity to either build on the army you already have... or start fighting battles in this scale for the first time at a significant discount, and one which makes our outstanding standards the best priced in the whole market we think.

As you know, our strap line is

'28mm quality at 12mm size'

Head over to get your starter army packs now

This range offers you the opportunity to start your army of choice (and subsequent ones too!) at a rather impressive 20% discount on list prices. We think you will be suitably impressed, and this gives you to either build on the army you already have... or start fighting battles in this scale for th...

06/03/2025

Yes, 8th Army Infantry Companies will be available by the end of March... along with our 'Starter Armies', including 8th Army, which offer a 20% saving over list prices! What is not to like.

As always... 28mm quality in 12mm models. And at the best price!

06/03/2025

And yet more... (but a bit blurry!)

06/03/2025

8th Army... still more poses!

06/03/2025

8th Army... more!

06/03/2025

8th Army anyone? All with SMLEs too... correct for 1940-1942.

02/03/2025

A great day yesterday, well done team and thank you to all of our customers.

01/03/2025

Hammerhead show!

27/02/2025

Latest release….

British Comet Cruiser Tank

Developed from the Cromwell and armed with what, in effect was a cut down 17 pounder main gun, (the 77mm HV) which proved to be the equal of the heaviest of any German opposition.

This tank was designed in 1943, and went from drawing board to production within a year, entering combat for the first time in December 1944 with the 11th Armoured Division. (Though this division was involved in the 'Battle of the Bulge' and had another tale to tell... as you will find in our 'Forgotten Battles' book on the Bulge.)

The Comet remained as part of the British Army until 1958 and was to be found in several other armies until recently. Around 1200 were built.

Unit Price: £3.75
Code: GB 45

26/02/2025

SPECIAL OFFER ON PRE ORDERS FOR HAMMERHEAD

10% off entire order
Use code: Hammerhead25 at checkout. (Discount for pre orders only)

24/02/2025

B (for British) Platoon Pack 32.

LRDG/SAS Desert Raiding Group.

With the remarkable success of 'SAS Rogue Heroes' on TV... yes, we know there was no attractive lady agent, and Paddy Main was not portrayed in a way that he or anyone who knew it would have recognised) These mixed groups were used throughout the desert campaign and provided a massive amount of firepower both in offensive and defensive actions.

The platoon pack includes 2 LRDG/SAS heavily armed jeeps, 1 Chevy with 20mm Breda fitted and 1 Chevy for long range supplies and transport.

LRDG SAS Desert Raiding Group 140225.jpg

Buying the Platoon Pack offers you significant savings over buying individual vehicles.

Unit Price for the Pack: £13.50
Code: B Platoon Pack 32