Panzer Lehr Normandy 

Another big project this year is to complete my Panzer Lehr for Normandy, I have commenced reaserch and will be using Simons soldiers and Elhiem miniatures. Half tracks and tanks will be PSC from the stash plus a few other 1/72 plastic and resin kits. 

I have completed the first battalion infantry this week and hopefully will be done by early August. Research has commenced on vehicle camouflage and markings. 

The miniatures are from Simons Soldiers range, as usual built for Rapid Fire. 

Cheers

Matt

Tyne Tees Part Three Artillery crew

 

50th Infantry Division Tyne tees part 3 artillery 

 

Back working on my Tyne Tees, this month you may recall I built four priests for the Wargamers Forum plastic “Mad March” plastic and resin kit build.  Two of these will join my Tyne Tees Northumberland regiment along with some towed 25 pounders. I competed the crew this week in preparation for the vehicles being completed over the weekend, if the weather is good. 

First up gun crews and drivers, figures are all PSC crews, as per normal I have added the TT patches. 

Then some Bren crew for the towed OP

Cheers

Matt

Wip Wednesday ww2 buildings

Work in Progress Buildings 

 Back to upgrading some buildings this week as I want to start basing and adding walls and outbuildings, gardens etc to my layout. I have about thirty to refurbish for my Mayenne/city table, some will not take much, other need a lot of work. I have been breaking up bricks, cork and tinting kitty litter with washes to make bags of rubble. 

First up a old warrior, possibly 20 years old, I have a number of these I think from Queens Hussar (could be wrong) I will bring the brick up to the normal bright red orange of our region, then add a few bits of interior pieces, damage, rubble, signage then add the yard and out buildings on a base to fit my town tiles. 

Cheers

Matt

Another year older…..

 Another year older….

Well another year older and as normal my wife spoils me, first up a few presents, the biggest surprise was the new Victrix chassuers of the guard (apparently my mate Philippe suggested it!), some books which I had ordered . Then we spent the day in Normandy as tourists visiting some of the museums on the coast and out for lunch in Falaise also on the way. …

Cheers

Matt

British Heavy Artillery Units Normandy 1944

 

 British Heavy Artillery units Normandy 1944

This month I have been completing some British artillery crews and decided to do some heavy pieces, so a little research had to be commenced, so I thought I would share my documents.

59th RA 7.2 inch howitzer in action 2nd September 1944.

The British artillery units who landed after DDay made up 18% of the total 21st army British and Canadian troops on the ground, more than the actual fighting infantry percentage. the heavy regiments were general reserve assigned to army corps.

The heavy artillery regiments in Normandy were:-

1st Royal Artillery Heavy Regiment 

Batteries 

3rd Battery 4 x 7.2 inch Howitzer Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
5th Battery 4 x 155mm Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
16 Battery  4 x 155mm Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
28 Battery  4 x 7.2 inch Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

Location

Assigned to the 2nd Canadian group in July in support of operations including Tractable and Totalize 
tactical plate 1 white, on corps artillery tactical plate

51st Royal Artillery Regiment, Lowland (city of Edinburgh)

1st Battery   4 x 7.2 inch Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

2nd Battery 4 x 7.2 inch Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

4th Battery  4 x 7.2 inch Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

6th Battery  4 x 6 inch Howitzer rubber tyres Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

Location

4th Army Group Royal Artillery in June 1944, supported 1st corps assault on Caen in operation Charnwood, then assigned to support the 1st corps in operation Estonia and the assault on Le Havre. Most commonly used in the counter battery role.

tactical plate 187 white, on corps artillery tactical plate

52nd Royal Artillery Regiment Bedfordshire Yeomanry 

417th Battery (Bedford) 4 x 7.2 howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

418th Battery (Bedford) 4 x 7.2 howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

419th Battery (Bedford) 4 x 155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

420th Battery (Bedford) 4 x 155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

Location

5th Army Group Royal Artillery

tactical plate 187, on corps artillery tactical plate

53rd Royal artillery Regiment 

8th Battery   4 x 7.2 howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

9th Battery   4 x 7.2 inch howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

24th Battery 4 x 155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

25th Battery 4 x 155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

Location

8th Army Group Royal Artillery

tactical plate 194 white on corps artillery tactical plate

59th regiment Newfoundland 

20th Battery 4 x 7.2 inch howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

21st Battery 4 x 7.2 inch howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

22nd Battery 4 x155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

23rd Battery 4 x 155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

Location 

3rd Army Group Royal Artillery

Tactical plate 179 white, on corps artillery tactical plate 

Available models in 20mm- 1/72- 1/76th

I am happy to use what I can get but do prefer 1/72 and 20mm to 1/76th scale, budget is always a consideration too.

7.2 inch howitzer

Early War Miniatures 7.2 inch Howitzer resin simple kit

Milicast 7.2 howitzer resin mixed media kit

SHQ 7.2 Howitzer  metal model

Thunder model plastic model (coming this year)

155mm M1 long tom

A number of plastic, metal, diecast and resin available

SHQ 155mm M1 metal

Wespe models 155mm M1 resin

Hasegawa 1/72 155mm long tom howitzer any model shop

Atalya diecast towed model only hard to get

Alby models 155mm resin 1/72 (closest to actual measurments)

Marusan 155mm a rare plastic kit from Japan

AHM 155mm a rare plastic kit model 

6 inch Howitzer

SHQ miniatures 6 inch Howitzer

Milicast QF6 rubber tyres 

Scammel Pioneer

a few models available

SHQ scammel artillery tractor metal model

wespe models scammel resin model

IBG models plastic Scammel Pioneer plastic

Thunder Models Scammel Pioneer (not seen this kit yet)

Albion CX22s

One model that I am aware of 

Fankit models Albion CX22s resin mixed media kit

Albion CX25 

only one model I am aware of

SHQ Albion CX 25

I hope that is helpful to 20mm wargamers

cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - Stone Walls

 Stone walls 

I have a few meters of stone walls to complete for my table, some will be fixed to bases with the buildings others will be more adaptable pieces. 

These are the adaptable pieces, I have based them on mdf, then added flock and some flowers and some bushes from rubberized horse hair. Lots more to come, I will possibly also make some taller ones to portray some ten foot 20mm walls for Normandy. 

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - more tabletop scatter

 Tabletop scatter

Some more 20mm additions completed for ww2 and modern town and ville scatter. Enjoying these pieces in between painting projects. Again mostly HO train bits, the cross is from a rosary sized set on a base and  large saint Anthony was from a brocante, he was missing his head so now has a essex late roman head. 

Tabletop Scatter part 1

 

 Village scatter terrain Part 1

As I move through my renovation projects I have decided to start adding and renovating my village and town accessories, a majority is HO scale model railway pieces which I find particularly good  for 20mm terrain. 

Tree Renovation part two....shrubbery

 

 Garden shrubs

Next up are small garden shrubs I purchased from eBay China, about 3cm high they are perfect to fill back yards, town gardens and the side of a road, great for 28mm, 20mm and lower. I am so impressed with these I am going to buy two more packs at least. The bases were cut from MDF using my 2cm holesaw. I glued down the stump base then added my normal sand mix, and painted the stump a khaki brown, base earth brush, drybrushed the rocks added flock. 

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

Cheers

Matt

Tree Renovation part one ....a little fruity

 

Tree Renovation

 Well last week I commenced renovation of my current collection of 160 trees, plus the manufacture of 180 new trees 20mm and 28mm. Lets just say it is taking longer then expected as I cutting new bases, making forest bases and small rough ground sections, plus painting trunks on old plastics trees, reflocking some and new ground work on all of them, plus washing bark and highlighting bits, adding moss and twigs etc. 

I have decided to manufacture specific 20mm and 28mm as previously I had one size fits all method. I want larger more scale trees for 28mm naturally so they fit better with skirmish games. I also removed all of the trees I had glued on large wood type bases and then manufactured with MDF woodland bases that the trees slot into so they are removable which suits ww2 and large impetus bases better when moving through woods. Still more work to be done on these as I want to complete the trees before I go back to make the larger bases.

First trees completed and renovated were formally orange trees that I had based for arid conditions, these are commercial trees from woodland scenics range. The oranges were repainted as apple trees, new bases, painted the trunks, added rocks and then flocked with 3mm flock. Most of these will go in a walled orchard that I am making and some will be able to be dropped into backyards and gardens as required.

I am really happy with the results and plan to purchase another 20 odd as Normandy and Maine are full of apple trees....

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

50th Northumbrian Infantry Division Tyne Tees Work in Progress

50th Northumbrian Infantry Division Tyne Tees

This month I have started on my 20mm Collection to complete some half completed projects in my project drawers.


On the work desk this month are 100 plus 20mm British Infantry for the 50th Infantry Tyne Tees Division. I hope to have these completed by the end of this week. I have decided to build several elements of the division, first up will be the


69th Infantry Brigade
BHQ
5th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment
6th Battalion, Green Howards
7th Battalion, Green Howards
support elements
I also plan to build the DLI, No.47 commando and the crab flails of the Westminster dragoons, plus RMASG, and other support elements, engineers, artillery etc for Dday and inland.


I also have a lot of support elements and drivers to complete, plus vehicles. Infantry Figures are all Britannia miniatures which I like to paint, some of the crewed vehicles will have some AB and SHQ bits too.

East Yorkshire flashes

The unofficial Green Flashes, not approved until after the war, I have found no solid proof that were worn in France

The official Flash which I will use

Cheers

Matt

P47D over Normandy 1/72 build

Allied Fighter aircraft II - P-47 over Normandy 1944 build II

I want to build specific aircraft to the allied and axis air support of operation Cobra and the breakout east through Mayenne to Le Mans then the push north to close the Falaise pocket. So research first for squadrons etc who flew in the area in support of the US troops, English, Canadian and Polish troops plus those who bombed and strafed the retreating germans through the pocket area.

I build all of my kits in the wheels up mode, and add a hole in the bottom for my plane bracket to fit into, this then mounts on my WWI/SCW canvas eagles telescopic stands. On the new table I am thinking about a mount that plugs into the edge of the permanent table and can swivel and be set at different heights. I also like to add pilots, as most kits do not supply these I need to hunt around my friends who build static kits or buy resin or even metal pilots.

Up for my second build is an 1/72nd Academy P-47D. A little longer build on this one, a beautiful kit with very little clean up though. This time I did not forget to paint the interior, before assembly. I will place the pilot in when I paint him, in the next few days, then I paint the rest of the plane.

Painting to come when some paints arrive from MIG, as I am trying the new real colours on my allied aircraft to see how it performs.

  

USAF squadrons

389th Fighter Squadron

P47D "jenny rebel" 42-76347

84th Fighter Squadron 

56th Fighter group

82nd Fighter Squadron

cheers

Matt

1/72 Allied Aircraft Build I

Allied Fighter Aircraft-Hawker Typhoon over Normandy 1944  build I.

During the shutdown I have been beavering away painting medievals on my painting desk, but on my build desk I have been building 1/72 kits. Last week I ventured up to the third floor and decided to get out my box of shame, predominantly armour kits, but quite a few aircraft.

I want to add specific aircraft to the allied and axis air support of operation Cobra and the breakout east through Mayenne to Le Mans then the push north to close the Falaise pocket. So research first for squadrons etc who flew in the area in support of the US troops, plus those who bombed and strafed the retreating germans through the pocket area.

I build all of my kits in the wheels up mode, and add a hole in the bottom for my plane bracket to fit into, this bracket id for my Canvas eagles WW1 and SCW air collections. With the construction of the new table I am building brackets on the table, that swivel over the table. I also like to add pilots, as most kits do not supply these I need to hunt around my friends who build static kits or buy resin and metal pilots.

First up a quick build Hobby boss Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB,  as RAF or RAAF support. I think had it built in possibly an hour, with very little clean up, I did forget to paint the interior, but will do this later before I place the pilot in. The pilot is on the painting desk behind some other 100 years war figures .

Painting to come when some paints arrive from MIG, as I am trying the new real colours on my allied aircraft.

Options I am considering

cheers

Matt

20mm Normandy cafe, what is in a name

Almost completed my 20mm Normandy Cafe all I need to do is name it. I need a name that will work for Normandy, Brittany and Pays de La Loire, so I can use it o on my table in any location. Thoughts guys? I have currently digging through my 1939 copy of the Blues guide to Normandy for inspiration.

Cheers
Matt

Rapid Fire battle of Bréville 1944.

The table has had its first outing, although all of the tiles require more work. Hedges, trees, airbrushing the fields, some pigments, the roadside weeds, crop fields, water puddles and ponds and road connections to be completed  on the whole twelve boards. So a lot to do

Visitors  Cookie and Mick from Perth Western Australia stayed with us on their way to visit the grand white Chateaus of the lower Loire with their wives. They also booked in a rapid fire game with me, giving me the chance to bless the table for its first outing.

We played a scenario I wrote for the 9th parachute regt defending against the german counterattack by the 857th Grenadier  Regiment at Bréville 8th June 1944. The British Commandos were on the left on hold/support orders, the 9th Parachute regiment held the high ground south of Bréville to the woods south of Chateau Sainte Come on hold/defend orders.

Cookie who played as the Germans elected to slowly advance using the two battalions of  infantry to capture the village and advance on the left with a single Stug and on the right with a single Stug in support, the allies used off table fire support from HMS Arethusa 6 inch guns, frustratingly the radio failed to contact the ship for the first two turns, and only really came into effect later in the game.
The Germans advanced unmolested into the village, gaining good firing positions, the 81mm mortars pinned the advancing paras, giving the german infantry time to capture the buildings on the edge of the village. Para rifle and MG Fire managed to cut down a few, but not enough, the Germans managed to place two MGs in the buildings who created great gaps in the advancing paras, bogging the attack down, again the support fire failed to arrive to pin the Germans. On the left flank the german mortar fire and support from the Stug, the HE fire managed to cause casualties amoung the supporting commandos, who although dug in, lost a number of men, and a bad morale roll saw them retreat behind the ridge line, and not offering any fire support nor partaking in the remainder of the battle.
Finally the support fire arrived from HMS Arethusa, pounding the chateau to dust with all four rounds hitting, breaking the two german infantry companies within. In the same turn a para of the second battalion hidden on the edge of the woods managed to get a heroic roll and advanced from cover  and fire his piat destroying the supporting Stug. Things were looking up for the Paras on the right flank. In the middle though the pinned paras suffered under the german machine guns and rifle fire, breaking two companies, leaving the third to assault the church. In the next turn the remaining British para managed to reach and enter  the church, but then suffered from HE fire from the remaining Stug and accurate rifle fire, the para support company also suffered from the 81mm mortar, bringing the battalion test, which it promptly failed, the HQ coy, and support coy both leaving the table, giving the Germans a complete victory to the Germans and in command of the village. 


An enjoyable but tight game, the poor morale and radio rolls really changed the tide in favour of the Germans, plus the accurate german mortar, HE and MG fire. Cookie was thrilled as it was his birthday also!

Stug waiting to pounce

Table overview

TTSFN part five and six

Total Terrain System For Now 

Part 5 added tree stumps and drybrushed some more, then taped the edges of the board

Part six

Sacrificed several teddy bears, clipped, cut and hot glued down the fur, more clippings, then some airbrushing, quite happy with my results so far, loads more to do yet though 

Cheers

Matt