Sarthe, août 1944 Histoire d’un Libération

Sarthe, août 1944, Histoire d’un Libération, Fabrice Avoie

 email the author to order favoieauteur@hotmail.fr

Sarthe, Août 1944, Histoire d'un Libération, Fabrice Avoie 2009

Recently researching fighting around my house and the closure of the Falaise pocket from the south in August 1944 , and reference to this book kept coming up. This book fully covers the breakout from Normandy, through Brittany and Pays de Loire and the push east through, Mayenne and Sarthe to Chartres, then north to close the Falaise pocket. The author spent 15 years attending unit reunions in Germany, France and America, to discover first hand accounts and rare never seen before photographs.

Day to day strength reports for german units in the fighting retreat and trying to hold the Mayenne then Sarthe river lines,.

German units include 

• 7th Army HQ units
• 17th SS Division
• 9th Panzer Division
• Panzer Lehr division
• 352nd infantry division
•  708th infantry division
•  91st infantry division
•  77th Infantry division
• 5th fallschirmjager division
•  Sicherungs regiment 1, 194, 195 and 196
• flak elements defending the radar stations at Domfront, Madre, oisseau, 
• Luftwaffe and Flak elements at Laval and Chartres air bases, 
• plus scratch kamfgruppes from retreating SS, Wehrmacht, Fallschirmjager and Luftwaffe units

Allied units include

• US 2nd Armoured Division
•  5th armoured Division
• 79th Infantry division
• 90th infantry division
• 80th infantry division
• 106th cavalry division
•  la 2nd division Blindés Francaise. 
• Plus air support and ground support units and air communication units.

The hardback book has 440 pages and is well worth the €38 price tag.

Recommend for those interested in the southern flank of the Falaise pocket actions, lots of photos, small unit actions and after battle reports to wade through. Probably the best I have seen in English or French on the southern flank of the German army.

Cheers

Matt

Imperial Roman testudo

Roman Imperial Testudo

Ok, just finished off a few odds and sods on the desk, as part of the 30 minute 30 day painting challenge. First of the cab rank Blacktree design roman testudo. A few scratch builds to get it to work

cheers

Matt

Napoleonic Generals

I have been partaking in the 30 minute 30 day painting challenge on Facebook, getting lots done.

I have decided to clear my desk before I put another project on it, currently it is packed with Napoleonic French and Baden miniatures, plus celts and bits.

First up Division General and ADC, actually a touch up and rebase job for these.

Cuirassier General new

cheers
Matt

FIW Indians

I decided to complete these Indians that were in my lead pile last month then sell them to fund new projects. Enjoyed painting the Front Rank miniatures

cheers
Matt

Bundesgrenzschutz grenadiers

Off the painting table some Elheim Bundeswehr, the first batn of my Cold War Bundeswehr, two more battalions to complete my Kampfgruppe.

Cheers
Mart

9th Cuirassiers 1805

9th Cuirassier regiment 3rd squadron

I have been painting a bit of my Napoleonic lead like this month, I finished these guys before I went on summer holidays but failed to take any photos. I have two more squadrons to complete and add the flag when I order it. The figures are from the Elite Miniatures range which I love!

cheers

Matt

New Beginnings

New Beginnings

I have been silent for some time as I have been busy changing my life for the last three years.
For many years I have been thinking and planning to start a business that relates to my wargaming, military modelling and military history hobby. I have tried painting miniatures, manufacturing miniatures and building armies and terrain to sell to fund my hobby. My normal job in construction of course really just funded my lifestyle, my hobby and interests. It was not until 24 months ago after returning to Australia from a holiday in Europe that a plan started to hatch. My wife and I were a little jaded about working 7 till 6pm in the corporate world of Sydney and looking forward we could not see much change in the next ten to fifteen years for us. 

So together we hatched a plan to move to Europe, looking for a different lifestyle and way to earn a living. We looked at what skills we had, and the finances available to start a business in our selected country. We looked at the UK, Germany and France. We settled on France as it offered the best options for us. We started our search for suitable locations throughout Normandy, Mayenne and Brittany.  

We had quite a list of requirements, a city or town that would meet our needs;  it needed to be within 1.5 hours of the Normandy beaches, with ancient, medieval and Renaissance chateaus close by. Good quality restaurants and local produce. Close to a  TGV line to Paris, motorways North, South, East, West and a international airport nearby, and not be too touristy. Amazingly we found such a place, finally we settled on Ville Mayenne, Pays de Loire as it offered the most potential for us, met all of our requirements as is very central.    

The house was the next challenge, we required a house that had at least 6 bedrooms, 3 reception rooms and all the conveniences within walking distance (i.e boulangerie, supermarket, cafes, shops and banks). We then selected a buying agent who gave us four options in Mayenne. I than flew to France to inspect the properties on our list,  two we eliminated early, one a little creepy, the other received an offer before we inspected. This left two properties. We then met with the Mayor to gauge his support for our venture, thankfully he was enthusiastic about our plans and gave us his full support for our enterprise. 

To qualify for a four year entrepreneurial visa, we were required to develop a solid business plan, prove we had invested quite a bit of money in France and had savings to live on while the business  grew to support us. 

We then found our ideal property thankfully our offer was excepted. We become the proud owners of L'Hotel de Herce in March 2018. The house is a "Maison Particular" built circa 1715 with a side carriage way, and a "cour de Honneur" entrance courtyard and private gardens, a 21 room three storey home, with three Grand Salons still with parquetry floors and panelled walls. 

We open as a Chambre de Hote (B & B) in August 2018, with three guest rooms.

The Grand salon on the second floor will become the "Salon de Guerre" (war room), where grand war gaming will be conducted in a gentlemanly manner. We will conduct military history tours of the various battlefields with a 1.5 hours, then return to game them on my table with my miniatures. We have our first event in October 2018, bookings will open very soon.

Book Here

L'Hotel de Herce Mayenne, France

cheers
Matt