Yesterday's Mail Brought the Red Guards at Kursk

I spent most of my lunch break getting my dungeon party ready to head back into the Ever Expanding Dungeon. But I also spent it rifling through this:

This isn't even close to the actual color.

It arrived late yesterday and I have, in the hours in between, decided to pursue the "The Red Surge" 4 scenario campaign, which covers July 11 and 12, 1943, in 1/32 and 1/35 scale.

Although I have almost everything on hand for these scenarios, there are a few items I don't.

Most notably for the first two scenarios: a flamethrower for the Soviets.

So, I ordered a box of 1/35 Russian assault troops.

I realize the scale may be different, but I'm OK with that as long as my squads aren't mixed too often. 

I also ordered 2 boxes of 1/32 Airfix Russian infantry to supplement what I have, as a full platoon is required for one of the scenarios.

And since the money was flying away anyway, while I was at it, I ordered The War Game Rules (a thank you to Jim Wright for pointing me in their direction) and Wargaming in the Age of Marlborough from On Military Matters.

That officially burns up the entirety of my Christmas cash - now just waiting on deliveries.

Over the next few months, I'll be saving for 1/35 model kits - a PAK 36, Kubelwagen Type 82, an Sdkfz 251, T-70M Soviet Light Tank. I also would like to acquire 1 1/32 short barrel T-34 model from CTS. The two I have are the long barrel (which, I have realized, makes them T-34/85). I'm not going to fret that much, but since I need 3 at least for these scenarios, might as well get the third with the right barrel.

Of course, none of this should be taken as pre-empting my conducting a Little Wars style tank game with paper models which I am still working on and still hope to pull off.