Tramp Steamer - Deck Gun?

[drferling]

Hi all,

I absolutely loved watching the tramp steamer contests and am considering building my own tramp steamer.

Does anyone know if their is a suitable 28mm deck gun?  I am thinking of using the steamer to represent a ship used as  Dunsterforce evacuated Baku for example.  All of the Darkest Africa stuff that is getting posted will probably have me thinking about using it their as well.

Thanks.

[Mainly28s]

What calibre are you thinking of? BAM has a beautiful 88mm.  

Olaf

[Bullshott]

Try the London War Room:

http://www.thelondonwarroom.com/Weapons%20For%201889.htm%20page%201.htm

They have a good selection of deck weapons covering Victorian, VSF and pulp settings. Also a very good mail order service to Europe.

[drferling]

Mainly28s - I want to use something WWI.  I do love the 88 though.

[warrenpeace]

Does anyone know if their is a suitable 28mm deck gun?  I am thinking of using the steamer to represent a ship used as  Dunsterforce evacuated Baku for example.  All of the Darkest Africa stuff that is getting posted will probably have me thinking about using it their as well.

Reviresco is the only way to go, in my opinion.  Reviresco has several deck guns in its colonial line, British, German, and French, in several calibers and styles.  This is very useful in that you can scratchbuild a ship and then convert it to various nationalities by changing the deck guns, flags, name, and crew.

For this project you might like the British 12 lbr.  For a tramp steamer you might want to build it without the gunshield.  Here is a link directly to that gun:

http://www.tin-soldier.com/rpg/12lbgun.htm

Reviresco has many useful ship fittings.  So cruise the offerings in the colonial section of the Reviresco page.

The Reviresco figures are small, true 25mm, and they are not of good enough quality to use as main characters in Pulp Fiction type games.  However, they would be OK to use as background figures such as sailors and bearers to help set the scene, especially as they are not too expensive.

[Will Bailie]

Eureka Miniatures has a 6-pdr and a Nordenfelt, plus some jolly Jack Tars to man them:

http://eurekamin.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=87_126_139&products_id=9569

http://eurekamin.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=87_126_139&products_id=9570

http://eurekamin.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=87_126_139&products_id=9571

Admittedly, the Nordenfelt is a bit obsolete by WWI.  If you want a more modern MG, look at Brigade Games:

http://www.brigadegames.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BG-EEP013&Category_Code=BGHMEE&Product_Count=24

(the Brigade gun can alternately be ordered with a German U-boat crew, in either tropical or foul weather gear)

[Hammers]

Admittedly, the Nordenfelt is a bit obsolete by WWI.  If you want a more modern MG, look at Brigade Games:

http://www.brigadegames.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BG-EEP013&Category_Code=BGHMEE&Product_Count=24

(the Brigade gun can alternately be ordered with a German U-boat crew, in either tropical or foul weather gear)

Aye, I was going to say. I bought this for my steamer. The maxim crew is a bit past WW1 and looks a bit more at home in the 20' and 30'.

Speaking of landing crews you ha ve to take a peak at this:

http://regimentgames.com/
I have to get me that set some day.

[Plynkes]

I would also recommend checking out the Richard Houston stuff sold by the London War Room. He has so many naval guns for the late 19th and early 20th centuries it will make your head spin trying to decide which to get.

I have some myself, which came with some ships he built for me.


Old Glory sell a few different types, too.


That Brigade Maxim gun has always struck me as odd. What use can you put it to? The uniforms are wrong for World War One, and the German Navy didn't have U-Boats between the wars until the Nazis started rebuilding their navy. And by that time they surely weren't still using Maxim guns, were they? The AA on pre-war U-boats was a 2cm cannon. It doesn't fit into any period. A nice set of chaps in Great War gear would have been much more useful, or some WWII fellas with the right gun.

Sorry to moan. They look like great figures.  Great War sub-mariners would have me in fits of happiness. I just don't have a use for these.

[Hammers]

That Brigade Maxim gun has always struck me as odd. What use can you put it to? The uniforms are wrong for World War One, and the German Navy didn't have U-Boats between the wars until the Nazis started rebuilding their navy. And by that time they surely weren't still using Maxim guns, were they?

Sorry to moan. They look like great figures.  Great War sub-mariners would have me in fits of happiness. I just don't have a use for these.

You are quite right, in your own meticulous way. I think however that  the whole Brigade "The Ends of Earth" series, just like Artizan's "Thrilling Tales", falls in the Pulp category. The Africa Corps in particular is inspired, I believe, by Indiana Jones and "Raiders of the Lost Arc" and so are the Merchant men.

I converted , with the help of Osprey's "U-Boat Crews 1914–45", my WWI German U-boat men from Renegade's "Early Germans in Field Caps", carving off backpacks and cuffs and adding full length trouser legs with epoxy putty. They wore black leather, you know...

[Plynkes]

Yeah, I know one shouldn't get too hot under the collar when Pulp is concerned. I'm just jealous because I want something like that, but they don't quite fit my purposes.

If those lovely figures had twin MG34s or something, or a 20mm they would be so much cooler. And then the Maxim could be given a nice Great War crew to serve it.

And then, everybody would be happy! WWI, WWII and Pulp gamers!

[Hammers]

And then, everybody would be happy! WWI, WWII and Pulp gamers!

No. Not me.I am sure I would find something to complain about.

[drferling]

What do you guys think of these figures from Pulp Figures?  They look like they would make a terrific crew for a steamer.

How do they scale with Copplestone figures, since their first job will be saving the Brits in a Pulp-afied escape from Baku.  I would omit the tommy gun armed sailors.

[drferling]

Good call on the poses.  I was wondering what Bob was going for with the one leg about to lift off the ground look.

I like the brigade stuff a lot :love:  Thanks for the suggestion.  

I think I'll do a 12lber (sans gun shield) in the front and this on the rear deck:



Thanks!

[Will Bailie]

Just to be contrary to Mr Hammershield - I really like the Pulp Figures tramp steamer crew.  I find all of Bob Murch's figures fun to paint and full of character!  Size-wise, they line up nicely with Brigade Games and Artzan, just a little smaller than Copplestone (but then, Copplestone figures are bigger than everyone else's!).

Although it's not stated on the website, a couple of the figures come with equipment options.  The sailor carrying the sack on his back has the option of replacing it with a slung rifle, and the chap with the bottle can alternately carry a rifle as well.

Will

[warrenpeace]

I like the Pulp Figures also.  I have some Brigade Games figures, and I mostly like them.  But Pulp is a somewhat cartoonish genre, and I think the Pulp Figures perfectly fit the bill for that.  I'm grateful that Bob Murch posts pictures of his figures on the web site.  If you like them you can buy them, or if not then not.