Luftwaffe Praga RV

 Luftwaffe Feld Division Praga RV 

A project over summer was to complete my Luftwaffe  Felddivision 16 for Normandy. First I airbrushed my vehicles and guns then done the crews and infantry. This is the first vehicles off the deck are some resin Praga trucks from ready to roll range. 

Cheers

Matt

Tyne Tees part 5

Completed some more crews for vehicles and Bren Carriers etc. another 30 odd figures to go. Again all figures are Britannia miniatures. 

Cheers 

Matt

50th infantry division Tyne Tees part 4

  Some completed passengers for my trucks and Bren gun carriers, I have a lot more on the complete this week, hopefully completed by the weekend. Crews are from the Britannia range painted with my normal British uniform over a black undercoat then washed in Vallejo mix of black and sepia, followed by a highlight of British uniform and khaki. 

Cheers

Matt

Wip Wednesday - Crashed P-51D

 Last week I picked up as a bonus from a shop purchase the simple airfix P-51D model, the kit is so bad I decided to make it a wrecked aircraft. So I went looking for crashed P-51D locally, however they predominantly were P-51B/C so I finally settled on one that crashed in the Netherlands so I could use it in my Arnhem games. 

I have settled on a P-51d that was crash landed by Maj Shelton W (Shell) Monroe who went on to become the highest ace in the Korean War before losing his life to AA in Korea. 

The aircraft was from the 334th sqaudron and was marked QP-Q serial number 44-13411QP-Q

Markings are per the aircraft below. 

With under and over markings as per this one of the same unit

My version has had a wing snapped off and the fuel tanks damaged ready for paint this weekend.

Cheers

Matt

British tank crews

  As I am building a few British armour pieces this week I added some crew to the desk, the Britannia chaps look quite good and very happy with my finished figures. 

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday

 Always adding a bit of 20th century and modern bits to the collection. Some street lamps from model railway supplier, I was hoping to get some more cows done too but next week I suspect. 

I sculpted the paving with green stuff, I did think about adding LEDs but that is for the more permanent pieces I purchased for my city blocks. 

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

Fallschirmjager support elements

  Off the desk actually more than two weeks ago but managed to get some photos today while packing away and cleaning up my desk for the next project. 28mm Warlord metal miniatures much better than the plastic offerings. 

Tripod MG 42

81mm mortar 

120mm mortar 

Cheers

Matt

Mad March Wip II

I purchased these last year in preparation to add artillery support to my American Armour, I have also pitched some 155mm towed but need tractors for them to complete the battery. 

These are fast build Italeri, I think I had them built in around 3 hours. Nice little fast build kits although the tracks leave a little to be desired. I will add American crews from Alder or AB after I have painted them. 

Cheers

Matt

Birthday Haul

 Last week was my 55th birthday, as a treat we visited the champagne district of France, we stayed in Épernay then visited a number of champagne house (17), Reims cathedral and Museum and managed three 1814 Napoleonic battle locations. When I returned home I had a number of packages awaiting pick up.

The most exciting was the Old Guard band by Warlord Games, some books on Stalingrad, French Indian war bits, French Waterloo uniforms, American airborne medics in Normandy, six T54 for my ongoing Egyptian project for Yom Kippur war, a new gardening trowel and sone zinnias for my garden. 

Very blessed with great gifts from Vanessa, Allison, Mum, and my mates. 

Cheers

Matt

Fallschirmjager two

  The remaining rifle platoon of warlord metal and plastic figures, overall quite happy with them, support crews to come. 

Fallschirmjager Part one

  Next off the desk are some fallshirmjager that I have been working on since before Christmas, I detest camo at 28mm it is hard to capture in scale…. The miniatures are from Warlord and will be used in my skirmish collection, although I am not that impressed with the figures and may sell them on I think. 

Squad one

Sniper

Officer 

Action shot!

Cheers

Matt

 King Tigers last stand in France 

316 & 302 Funklenk-Panzerkompanie, France 1944

Borgward IV 

As always I like to research units before I build them, many people are unaware Tiger II seen combat against Americans in France in 1944.

The Funklenk-panzerkompanie 316 fought in Normandy with tiger I, StuG and the Borgward IV, leaving the 3rd company of Tiger II behind in Saint Denis. The 3rd company Tiger II reformed as Funklenk-panzerkompanie 302 in Eure de Loir. American troops advancing east after the collapse of the front after Pattons 3rd Army breakout and collapse of the 7th Army met the Tiger II on advance to Orleans and Chartres at Chateaudun. 

 I plan to build both units this coming year as I have spare StuG, Tiger I and Tiger II kits not assigned to units currently and I have a Borgward IV B also. 

Genesis

The 6th Company /Panzer-Versuchs-und-Ersatz-Abteilung 300 (Fkl) was raised April 1st 1943 with Field Post no. 56041. According to order no. 6039/43 of OrgAbt. I OKH/GenstdH on July 13, 1943, the company was renamed Panzerkompanie (Fkl) 316. The original equipment was to consist of 36 Borgward BIV and 10 StuGs. On September 21 it was transferred to Fallingbostel, where the unit was assigned to Panzer Lehr Regimental training grounds. This was followed by exercises and trials in the regimental context at the military training area there. 

On September 30th the PzLhrRgt. Received three Tigers I , and received eight more Tigers on October 8th
These were transferred to the PzKp. ( Fkl ) 316 , which used it to test the Tiger I in the lead control vehicle detonation role.

In mid-January 1944, the order came that the 316th should be equipped with Tiger II as an experimental company, it was renamed the 1st Heavy Tank Company (Fkl) . At the end of February 1944 it was transferred to Panzer Ersatz Abteilung 500 in Paderborn for training on the new tank. Since the Panzer Jager Lehr Regiment 130 had not yet received a PzJg IV, the company had to them hand over their 10 StuGs to them from the third company. On March 14th the five Tiger II arrived, on March 22nd the personnel sent to Paderborn for training returned to the unit. 

A status report from April 2, 1944 states the following vehicles: 

5 Tiger II 
3 Tiger Ie
51 SdKfz. 301 Ausf B and Ausf C borgward IV
4 3t tractors
1 1-ton tractor 
9 heavy trucks 
3 light trucks 
1 medium-sized truck 
3 staff cars 
6 sidecar motorcycles 
2 light motorcycles 

At the end of April 1944, the Panzer Lehr Division received the order to relocate to France and remain available there as an operational reserve, 316 FKL also moved by rail, the the HQ and radio control company moved into quarters at Saint Denis-les-Ponts, next to Chateaudun. 

On May 18th, the divisional HQ ordered that the 3./PzJgLhrAbt. 130 had to return the ten StuGs. As the 5 Tiger II were hardly operational due to technical problems.

When the Allied invasion began on June 6, 1944, the Tiger IIs of III coy was left at Saint Denis for ongoing repairs and also to be part of the operations reserve for the airfield at Chateaudun from airborne attack. The I and II company’s moved to Normandy attached to Panzer Lehr.  

Combat in Normandy  

On June 8th the StuGs supported panzer Lehr grenadier regiment 902 during a counterattack, it is unknown if the Tiger Is were involved in this counterattack.

On June 11, the company proved its worth as a radio control unit, repelling a heavy British attack in several counterattacks. In the days that followed, the StuGs were mainly used to support the counter attacks with the Panzer Grenadier Lehr Regiment 902, there were only a few attacks using the Borgward units driven in the radio control process. 

On June 19, the Kp. was involved in heavy fighting around Tilly-sur-Seulles , almost all StuGs in the unit were damaged, and one was a total loss. Company commander Meinhardt was killed, as was the leader of the 2nd platoon, Lt. Fisherman.

On June 22 the unit was no longer operational, the remaining vehicles three Tiger I and 4 remaining StuG and 40 PzIV Borgward units withdrawn to Reims for refitting and placed back in reserve. The AHA (Staff I (1)) issued the order No. 27220/44, according to which the first company was renamed as Panzerabteilung FKL 302 and remain in Chateaudun with 7th Armee reserve. The company of Tiger I, remaining II company of StuG control, Borgward IV and Headquarters deployed in Reims and remained as Panzerabteilung FKL 316. On August 19- 24th 316 is withdrawn and redeployed East to Warsaw for the uprising. 

Riecharbeitsdienst “Albert Speer” guard RAD Panzer Grenadier Abteilung 1945

 

 Albert Speer RAD Panzer Grenadier Abteilung 1945

I have commenced my kampfgruppe 1001 nights, part of the unit was Albert Speer’s RAD body guard Abteilung, which was made up of Reichsarbeitsdienst troops from Berlin, many of whom come from anti aircraft batteries around Berlin. One RAD motorcycle company plus the Armoured cars joined the Kampfgruppe 1001 nights to fight in the Seelow Heights. The remainder stayed in Berlin to man 88 gun batteries and to act as infantry in he Spree sector. 

The miniatures are from Simons Soldiers fall of Berlin range, the medic from FAA miniatures which are very perfect for the last days of the Reich wargaming 

HQ company

RAD commander

RAD panzerschrek

Rifle coy

RAD rifle company

RAD Rifle coy

MG Support Coy

RAD MG42

RAD MG team

Rapid Fire Organisation
Panzer-Aufklarungs-Abteilung Speer
HQ, Co + 3 car, medic, panzerschrek
2 x Motorcycle company (RAD uniform) 7 figs, two Fausts
Armoured car company 2 x Sd.Kfz 231 A/C, 1 x Sd.Kfz 263
Support Company Pak 38 Anti Tank mot tow, 4 crew
Sdkfz 7 quad 20mm flak 38, RAD 4 crew
Two kettenkrads plus trailers 2 x MMG 5 figs
It seems that this unit may of increased in size with infantry reinforcements and armoured cars or have been just renamed on the 3rd of April as the “Spree Panzer Grenadier Regiment” (this also may be a mistaken renaming as they were assigned the Wehrmacht Feldpost 43449 and posted to the Spree sector in Berlin).


I hope you found this an interesting unit, I have had a interesting time researching for it. If you have any notes, organisational mistakes or further information please let me know!


Cheers
Matt