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Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Plans for 2025

2025 goals and plans 




I have a few big goals and lots of plans in sand. I main focus is in two main directions this year Napoleonics and WW2. I really want to complete my French guard cavalry (all front rank) and 20mm Americans this year. The other stuff is all ready to be worked on as the mood grabs me. My plan is for the next three months concentrate on my French Guard and 20mm Americans. 

28mm Napoleonic 

Complete my French Guard Cavalry (96 cav)(front rank)
Complete 4 battalions to French Line in greatcoat (warlord) 1812-14 (156 foot)
Complete  2 regiments of (warlord) Lancers 1812-14 (36)
Complete Baden foot infantry regiments x 6 (200 foot) (Skytrex-Warlord)

28mm Other

Additions 13th century collection 40 cavalry, 60 foot (Mirliton)
Complete my French 1488 Mad War Ordonance army 60 foot, 20 horse, 2 guns. (perry)
5th century Greek 80 foot (immortal-Warlord)
80 Thracian foot, 12 cavalry  (Foundry)

20mm ww2

82nd airborne division 
210 foot, 6 artillery and 18 vehicles, 4 x 1/72 gliders (AB, Alder and Simons soldiers, heller, italeri, airfix SHQ)
US 5th Armoured 
30 tanks, 90 foot, 4 guns and 12 halftracks, 12 trucks and other vehicles (heller, italeri, AB, Simons Soldiers, Alder)
90th infantry division 
70 foot, 21 vehicles (AB, Alder and Simons Soldiers)
US landing craft x 12 various sizes marked up for Omaha. (Airfix and italeri) 
17th SS 
4 x StuGs, 4 x JGD IVL,  60 infantry, 12 vehicles (PSC, italeri, Plana mayor, Battlefeild, FAA)
101 panzer ersatz training battalion 1 pz iii, 2 x H39, 2 x R35, 10 infantry, (heller, first to fight, Battlefeild) 
Panzer Lehr 
15 tanks, 26 vehicles, 60 infantry, 4 guns, 4 x Flak guns.(elhiem, Simons soldiers, PSC, Airfix, Italeri, hasegawa) 
British airborne 
5 gliders with correct markings for operation Tonga. 1 Hamilcar glider (airfix, italeri, planet models) 

20mm Cold War 

67 War Israeli 
7 tanks, 5 half tracks, 60 infantry, 3 jets, 1 helicopter (heller, italeri, dragon, hasegawa, airfix, cpl overby)
67 war Egyptian 9 tanks, 5 APCs, 2 jets
Cold War Russian 
Naval infantry 12 APCs, 3 t55 6 other vehicles, 60 figures, landing craft x 3, 1 helicopter (Britannia, Ammo, elhiem, italeri, S&S models)
Cold War Motorised Russian infantry x 60, 12 APCs, two Sam launchers  (elhiem, sSmodels, Armo)

British Cold War 6 tanks, 8 APCs 40 infantry, helicopter, 2 jets. (Dragon, 3d prints, elhiem, airfix)

That should keep me busy

Cheers
Matt

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Happy New Year

 

 Happy New Year 2025



Happy new year chaps, I gave quite a list this year. Planning on focusing on Napoleonic and ww2, with gusts of coldwar, medieval and ancients, an odd ww1 piece and a bit of Star Wars. 

All the best to everyone 

Cheers
Matt

Thursday, December 26, 2024

100 ersatz panzer Abteilung Normandy 1944

100. Panzer Ausbildungs und Ersatz Abteilung

The unit had been raised in April 1941 in Germany posted to Versailles France in April 1942. The unit was renamed in April 43 100. Panzer Ausbildungs und Ersatz Abteilung. The unit moved to the Cotentin peninsula in May 1944, the HQ element was in first in Apperville 7klm northwest of Carentan. On May 13th the unit was placed under 91st LLD and the HQ moved to Francquetot chateau. 

The first combat the unit fought in was La Fiere bridge counterattack on the 6th with the 1057 grenadier regiment where two R35, one H39 and one panzer III were destroyed according to latest research. On 13 June 1944, the detachment was attacked by reinforced American armoured units on the Etienville - Baupte line near the town of Beuzeville and pushed back. The battalion was deployed to secure the front line.of the Wehrmacht 77th Infantry Division. In the daily report of AOK 7 from June 15, 1944, the deployment of the division is described as follows: "Pz.Ers.Ausb.Abt.100 suffered severe losses and failed due to unfavorable training and equipment. The division can no longer be described as a combat unit. In 1944, the division was disbanded by the Commander in Chief West. However, it is proven that the training personnel remained with the 91st LLD and were used purely as infantry


Organisation 


The original 'Zustandsbericht' of the Abteilung dated 20.5.1944 from the 'Bundesarchiv' gives the actual organisation down to platoon level:

La Fiere bridge counterattack

Stab

Stabskp. with
- Nachr.Zug
- Werkst.Zug
- le.Pz.Zug (5 Pz.Kpfw. Renault R35)

1.Kp. with
- I.(Pz.) Zug (5 Pz.Kpfw. Renault R35)
- II. SchZug [Schtz. = Schützen = infantry]
- III.(Schtz.) Zug

2.Kp. with
- Grp.Fhr. (2 Pz.Kpfw. III 5 cm)
- I.(Pz.) Zug (1 Pz.Kpfw. Somua, 4 Pz.Kpfw. Renault R35)
- II.(Pz.) Zug (1 Pz.Kpfw. Renault B 2, 4 Pz.Kpfw. Hotchkiss 39)
- III.(Pz.) Zug (1 Pz.Kpfw. III 5 cm, 4 Pz.Kpfw. Hotchkiss H39)

3.Kp. with
- I.(Pz.) Zug (5 Pz.Kpfw. Renault R35)
- II.(Schtz.) Zug
- III.(Schtz.) Zug

Weapons listing:
1 Kwk 7,5 cm (f) (1 Pz.Kpfw. Renault B2)
3 Kwk 5 cm (d) (3 Pz.Kpfw. III)
2 Kwk 4,7 cm (f) (1 Pz.Kpfw. Somua, 1 Pz.Kpfw. Renault B2)
8 Kwk 3,7 cm lang (f) (8 Pz.Kpfw. Hotchkiss 39)
19 Kwk 3,7 cm kurz (f) (19 Pz.Kpfw. Renault R35)

The 4 infantry platoons were armed with just 3 light machine guns each.

The manpower strength of the unit was 664 men.

Vehicles in the Baupte yard


RF Organisation 
Stab Coy 1 R35
1st coy 5 figs, 1 R35
2nd coy panzer III d 50mm, two H39
3rd Coy  5 figs, 1 x R35


Cheers
Matt

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Terrain Tuesday - WW2 bits

 

 Terrain Tuesday

A bit of terrain completed before Christmas. A few roadside shrines, the cross is metal and possibly Ral Partha the Madonna is plastic. The plinths are bases glued together. 



Roadside Madonna 

Roadside cross

Cheers
Matt

Saturday, December 21, 2024

Merry Christmas to you all for 2024

  A big Merry Christmas to everyone, we are home in France this year for a cool winter, I do hope Santa is good to you! I will be painting g for the analogue painting challenge as usual! 



Cheers

Matt

Thursday, December 19, 2024

90th Infantry Division in Normandy part 1

 90th Infantry Division in Normandy and Pays de Loire



One of the American projects I am planning to build winter is the 90th infantry division (Tough Hombres) for the analogue painting challenge. The 90th landed on Dday at Utah beach, fought their way through the Bocage west of St Lo, suffering horrendous casualties along the way. They captured the important river bridge at Mayenne allowing Pattons army to break out east the swing and close the gate on Falaise. 

My plan is to build the 357th Regiment, the reconnaissance troop, and a battery of artillery to start with. 

Historical Organisation 

Headquarters, 90th Infantry Division
357th Infantry Regiment Col Barth
358th Infantry Regiment 
359th Infantry Regiment
 
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 90th Infantry Division Artillery343rd Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm)

344th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm)
345th Field Artillery Battalion (155 mm)
915th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm)

315th Engineer Combat Battalion
315th Medical Battalion 
90th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)
Headquarters, Special Troops, 90th Infantry DivisionHeadquarters Company, 90th Infantry Division
790th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company
90th Quartermaster Company
90th Signal Company
Military Police Platoon
Band