Commonwealth 3" Mortar Platoon

This is a platoon of 3" mortars I've painted up as a weapons platoon for my Australian rifle company. Since Battlefront doesn't make mortar crews in the Australian floppy hats I've used the Battlefront 8th army mortar blister in the British helmets. I'm sure plenty of Australians wore them so it's not much of a stretch. I painted this platoon for use with the "Hellfire and Back" early-war army list book, which only allows for two sections (4 tubes) of mortars. The blister is designed for the mid-war "North Africa" scenario book which allows three full sections (6 tubes) each with their own forward observer. I figured I might as well paint them all up. It's possible that I'll use these figures for mid war sometime with my Crusader and Lee tanks or in a historical scenario so they'll be used as a six-tube platoon at some point. Additionally, it doesn't make a lot of sense to have one section of mortars and loose crews rattling around in my dead lead box when painting them with the ones I did need was very little additional work considering economy of scale in the painting process.

There will be no posts next week as I'm off for a week long vacation to Florida. My lovely wife and I are making our annual pilgrimage to Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights. Soon after I return I hope to be posting some photos of a couple platoons of captured Italian M11/39  and M13/40 tanks that the Australians used. I'm painting then in anticipation of Battlefront's release of their kangaroo decals for them. Too cool. Hopefully the decals will be available when I return. If not I may hold posting those figures until they're properly adorned with the decals.