Wargamers are always seeking things that are not easy to get, myself included. So with figures coming out from various miniatures suppliers for new periods, particularly in the early part of the 20th century, I could see that there was a need for the available artillery to be extended.

The scale of 15 mm/18 mm was chosen. This seems confusing, but is not really so. Many 20 mm figures, certainly those from IRREGULAR MINIATURES are not all that much bigger than some brands of 15 mm. What constitutes 15 mm and 20 mm seems to be pretty much in the hands of the designer.

Therefore, with the help of a couple of friends we set about to examine some of the artillery models already on the market. We quickly found that what was 'correct' scale was indeed very varied. On the tabletop, the scale of figures around the guns often became the only way of the eye comprehending what the scale really was.

We therefore experimented and found that you could put 20 mm or 15 mm 
figures with many brands and most wargamers could not tell the difference. It did not work in all cases, but certainly in the majority it did.

With that in mind I made some experimental masters in 18 mm scale. However I'm sure all wargamers are familiar with the problem of getting models that are exactly to scale, only to find figures would obviously not fit them. So to overcome this, I decided *not*  to allow strict adherence to 18 mm my only reference mark. 

To ensure the guns 'looked right' I researched as many photographs as possible and used those as a guide, in relation to real life people.  The figures I used as
artillery crew during these experiments and later design phases, were mostly from IRREGULARS or MINI FIGS, with a few plastic thrown in.

I hope that the finished models have been successful in achieving my aim to
produce guns that are pleasing to the eye, but economical to purchase. 

Another problem for many gamers is just what weapons go with which armies.
Some guns were widely used, often in several armies. To help those organizing an army I have therefore set up the following list by Nationality.

In some cases a particular model may be used with slight modification by more than one army.  Mr. Krupp was particularly versatile.  His 7.7 cm  M1898 field gun was also to be found in 7.5 cm caliber in various other armies, with only slight changes.  The Turkish 7.5 cm field gun of WW1 was actually an improved version of the German 7.7 cm.  It was somewhat superior, but looked almost identical except for the shield.  The British 15 pdr of the Boer War and WW1 was almost the same gun.  It was also used by the Japanese and the general
Design further copied right up to WW2.
THE REALLY USEFUL GUNS range available from
EUREKA MINIATURES,
10 Woorayl Street,
Carnegie,
VICTORIA. 3163.
AUSTRALIA.
EMAIL ADDRESS  nicr@eurekamin.com.au
WEB SITE  http://www.eurekamin.com.au/

IRREGULAR MINIATURES. UK.
3 Apollo St.
Heslington Road, YORK.
Y01, 5AP, UK.
Fax / telephone ( 01904 )  671101

IRREGULAR MINIATURES USA.
2034 NE Port Ave.
Lincoln City. OR.