|
Following on from the success of our WW2 Australian Home Guard project which allowed us to fund 18 unique new miniatures, it was suggested that we create a range of 28mm Chinese for the Second World War. So we have decided to launch another 100 Club campaign to try and fund the production of such a range. What is 100 Club you may ask?The 100 and 300 Club was an early form of “crowd funding” that helped Eureka Miniatures produce some of the more unusual miniatures in our back catalogue from 15mm Tlingit Indians to 28mm Portuguese Infantry from the year 1900! Essentially customers would suggest a subject they would like made and how many they would like to buy and it would get listed on our website. When enough interest for the item was registered (hence the 100 and 300 club names), the interested parties would be contacted and our sculptors would get the go ahead to create the items. This form of the 100 and 300 clubs is no longer active but when a customer suggests a period or subject we think might be financially viable or ties into one of our existing ranges we are happy to float the idea publicly underneath the 100 Club banner. This project:This project proposes the production of a line of 28mm miniatures suitable to represent a standard WW2 Chinese rifle platoon with appropriate support options for use in WW2 historical wargames. If successful, the miniatures produced will be sufficient to represent a standard sized force in a company level game. To this end, the core focus of the project will be the production of sufficient sculpts to represent an accurately armed WW2 Chinese rifle section with era-appropriate support options and leadership. To represent the above this project proposes the production of a rifle section including: - 10 riflemen - a 2-man LMG team - 2 riflemen with grenade dischargers - a sergeant - a corporal It will also include a platoon leader and the following support options: - a 3-man machinegun team - a 3-man Mortar team - 2 suicide anti-tank infantry Possible stretch goals include: - a Guerrilla cell - helmeted versions of core troops The MiniaturesSupply shortages, dispersed industry, diverse climates, factionalism, and immense geographical distances meant that Chinese uniforms and equipment were widely varied throughout the war. To ensure that the miniatures produced for this project are as versatile as possible we will be focussing on representing the most common uniforms and equipment in use over the period. The miniatures, attired and equipped as per the below, will be appropriate to represent Nationalist, Communist, some warlord, and some Japanese collaborationist forces (such as the armed forces of the Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China). They can also be used to represent some of the Chinese forces in Burma such as some elements of the Chinese Expeditionary Force and/or Y Force. Uniforms: The miniatures will be sculpted wearing the most common uniform worn by Chinese troops: a light cotton jacket with four pockets, a stand fall collar, and five front buttons; worn with a pair of baggy cotton trousers with puttees. Headgear will be the Chinese ski-cap (similar to a German field cap) with a cloth peak and fold-down side-curtains, usually worn buttoned at the front with two buttons. Though it varied in quality and colour this uniform was used by the Nationalists, Communists, some Warlord factions, and some Japanese collaborationist forces. Footwear will be a mix of leather shoes, traditional Chinese slippers, and woven sandals. Select miniatures will also be modelled with various era-appropriate accessories such as cloth ammo pouches, woven sunhats, and swords. If the project generates sufficient interest, we also plan to produce alternative versions of the core sculpts with German M35 helmets, the most common helmet worn by the Chinese throughout the war. Guerrillas: Throughout the war, guerrilla soldiers fighting for both the Nationalists and the Communists were attired in standard uniforms (as described above), civilian clothes, or a combination of the two. Operating in Japanese occupied territory, Chinese guerrillas either camped in remote areas, such as in the mountains or rural outskirts; or blended into civilian populations. They were often under equipped and forced to make do with whatever resources they could scrounge up or loot from the Japanese. If the funding goal is met for the guerrilla cell, they will be sculpted wearing a combination of civilian clothes and military uniforms and will carry a mix of Chinese armaments and looted Japanese weapons. Weapons: With the exception of the guerrillas, noted above, the miniatures will be armed with the following weapons as appropriate to their role: - Rifle: Chiang Kai-shek rifle - Pistol: Mauser C96 - SMG: Thompson submachine gun - LMG: ZB vz. 26 - Grenade Launcher: Chinese Type 27 “knee” mortar - HMG: German style Maxim machinegun - Mortar: Chinese Type 20 82mm mortar - Grenade: China made a version of the German Stielhandgranate.  some examples of Kosta Heristanidis’ 28mm WW2 Japanese  Project TimelineBelow are the proposed figures which require us to raise AUD$5000.00 to complete. We will close the pre-orders on 30th April and if we have enough pledges to complete the range, development will begin. Sculpting will be by Kosta Heristanidis and will take a minimum of three months. We expect to ship in September 2021. Any funds over AUD$5000.00 will be put towards additional figures such as guerrillas and helmeted versions of core troops. Please pre-order using the list below via the Eureka web site. If the required money is pledged, we will ask for a 50% deposit. The balance and shipping will be charged when we despatch. 28mm WW2 Chinese: 100WWT200 Chinese Rifleman (10) AUD$2.95 (£2.05) 100WWT201 Chinese LMG team, 2 figures (1) AUD$6.00 (£4.20) 100WWT202 Chinese rifleman with grenade discharger (2) AUD$2.95 (£2.05) 100WWT203 Chinese SMG (3) AUD$2.95 (£2.05) 100WWT204 Chinese sergeant(2) AUD$2.95 (£2.05) 100WWT205 Chinese corporal (2) AUD$2.95 (£2.05) 100WWT206 Chinese HMG and three crew (1) AUD$14.75 (£10.40) 100WWT207 Chinese mortar and three crew (1) AUD$14.75 (£10.40) 100WWT208 Chinese anti-tank suicideman (2) AUD$2.95 (£2.05) 100WWT209 Chinese artillery crew (4) AUD$2.95 (£2.05) As a 100 club project bonus, all those that are involved and spend over $30AUD will receive one random rifleman from those pictured below. Anybody that spends $100AUD or more will receive all four of the above Riflemen. And if you spend $200AUD or more you will receive all four Riflemen, plus a surprise set of 5 individual figures that will be revealed during the campaign.  (The above riflemen were sculpted by Alan Marsh in the early 2000’s and will be available for the first time as part of this 100 Club) To pre-order and register your interest go here: 100Club WW2 Chinese (28mm) | Eureka Miniatures UK (eurekaminuk.com) |
Comments