Eva

This is Bad Squiddo's version of Norwegian Resistance fighter, Eva Klovstad. She worked her way up through the resistance, eventually becoming the leader of a unit of 1,200 fighters.  The photo that this figure is based on (it can be seen here) shows her with wearing socks with an Argyle-style pattern.  There was no chance that I'd try to duplicate that pattern, so instead she's got striped socks.  She's lucky that I painted the Norwegian flag on her arm!

Slightly blurry but here's the flag!

 

Cartagena de Indias

There is a thread on LAF at the moment that includes a discussion on "pirate buildings", or more broadly buildings that could be found in the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy, roughly 1650 to 1720.  This has inspired me to dig out these photos from my visit to Cartagena de Indias in Colombia, back in 2007.  These photos are all from the historic town centre, which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Lots of pastel coloured buildings throughout the old town.

The Puerta de Reloj - gateway into the old city, which dates to 1738 - so, regrettably, after the end of the Golden Age of Piracy! 

Here's a detail of the cobblestones!

The next series of photos are of the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, overlooking the old city.

Blas de Lezo, one-armed, one-eyed and one-legged Lobo del Mar, who led the successful defense of Cartagena through a 67-day siege by a British fleet during the fantastically-named War of Jenkins Ear.

Back to the city walls!

Vera

Czechoslovakian Vera Oravec (she became Vera Laska after she married Andy Laska after the war ended) started her resistance against the Nazis at age 15 when she helped to smuggle refugees out of occupied territories.  Read here for more on her fascinating life.  

I got a bit carried away the red and yellow colours on her skirt and socks - I've no historical basis for this choice but it was fun to give her a splash of colour!

Elzbieta

Next up for the Bad Squiddo Women of the Resistance is Elzbieta Zawacka, aka Agent Zo. Elzbieta was a member of the Polish Resistance and a member of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), the British agency that trained and supported resistance to the Nazis in occupied Europe.  She is seen here stripping out of her SOE 'striptease suit', which was a coverall suit for parachute jumps, designed so that it could be swiftly removed and buried by SOE agents after landing behind enemy lines.  She already has her spade in hand so she can hide the suit before infiltrating back into Polish civilian life.

Her jump helmet is by her right foot, to be disposed of along with the striptease suit.

02h00 - a failed kidnapping

I trotted out 02 Hundred Hours to Bonsor on Friday night to try the Capture scenario. A group of partisans are tasked with the capture of a German officer.  I recruited experienced 02h00 player Gord to play the Germans and for his first time playing the game, Colin led the partisans.

The task for the partisans is to capture a German officer.  They know that he is located in one of the three buildings around the plaza.

The German sergeant is based in the large villa, from where he emerges to supervise the patrolling sentries.

Action under way.  Note the markers on the roofs of the three buildings.  As the partisans look inside each building, the marker is flipped.  Two are dummies, and one marks the location of the targeted German officer.  Meanwhile the partisans sneak onto the table, and have already started to fight with the sentries.  

The partisan sergeant attacks a German gendarme, as the German sergeant moves to intervene.

Elsewhere, a pair of partisan recruits tussle with another German sentry.

These provide a distraction for the partisan leader and her helpers.

The gendarme is taken out, so the partisans turn their attention to the German sergeant.

German reinforcements start to arrive!

Partisan sergeant and his friend have defeated the German sergeant, and are now free to move toward the villa.  Alas for the partisans, the villa is empty - they will need to check elsewhere for their prey!  The alarm has definitely been raised, and German reinforcements move toward the plaza.

Elsewhere the partisan leader eliminates another sentry.

The German officer then enters the action, and shoots the partisan sergeant.

The partisan leader and her companions inspect the next house, and again find it empty.  They use the building for cover as they engage the German guards.

Finally, after killing the German sergeant and officer, and many other sentries, the partisans realise they have missed their chance to capture their target, and withdraw.  They did not achieve their primary objective, but met the secondary goal in that more than half the partisans survived (just barely) after inflicting heavy losses on the Germans.