Alvis- Straussler Hefty trucks

While I was researching my Belgians, I came across a reference to the Alvis designed hefty artillery tow truck, finding info on this beast is quite difficult as it seems a number of models were produced and all called "hefty".

The most common image is the trial  version, but I believe the Chassuer Ardennes actually purchased the fifty vehicles of the C model. I could find little or no record of how many were built of each type, it seems several different were in production at the same time, all seemed to have the pivot in the chassis though. The Belgian vehicle document mentions 50 ordered and 35 Alvis Hefty tractors purchased for Chassuer Ardennes for artillery tows unknown if they were all delivered though, as of yet I have found no pictures of the vehicle in service are available.

A early model referred to as the mountain model, could not find much information about this model at all.


Not sure if this is the army model that was sold to the Belgians, but it looks like the Hefty B

Production model, this is the one I will scratch build I think the Alvis Hefty C

Hefty type B  Used by the RAF 54 in service (cannot find any more details or more pictures of it though) 

Someone scratch built one (airfix forum)

The type C ( I think) this is the one I think I will scratch build as the tow weight is correct

Although all of the Belgian pictures are of the trial vehicles

I am waiting of a Belgian produced artillery book to arrive to look at the images in it, before I dive into the scratch building of this beast.

Cheers
Matt

Academy 1/72 Sam 6

Sam 6 Missile

Next cab off the rank is Academy models Sam 6, a absolute cracker and easy build IMO, little or no flash, parts went together well and I built it over a weekend, it will join my soviet army, thinking about a second one also. The one piece track assembly is really nice and looks better than the rubber tracks, I lowered the finish height of the missiles so it could be transported easily, yet to add a few bits before painting, waiting on black dog bits to arrive from BNA model world.

Cheers

Matt

Rafah Six day war Batrep

Rafah 6 day war

Last nights club game was the defence of Rafah Highway during the six day war, Frédérich and I played the Egyptians, we needed to block the road to Rafah, I commanded the remainder of the 26th division from our ongoing campaign, only a single coy of two Js3m and a single SU100, Fred commanded the 6th mechanised with two coys of mixed T54 and T55, and a coy of T34-85 to make up the remainder of the blocking force.

The Israelis were commanded by Chris, he rolled well in the previous campaign roll so received in addition to his two companies of centurions, a extra 1 m48 coy, and a coy of super Sherman's, along with a M5 FO for air support, and a radio truck.

I set up in a flank ambush position, basically to slow the Israelis as they entered the table on the Rafah road. I set up line abreast with two JS3 and one SU 100 in dead ground. In the opening move I managed to get a flank shot and heavy damage one centurion immobilizing it with a ambush interrupt fire move, then in my normal move destroy a second with normal shooting. Both JS3 withdrew towards my secondary position after both coming under fire from the remaining 4 centurions. 

Israeli Centurions in the foreground, M48s on the left flank, in the rear M5 halftrack FO and Radio halftrack.

move two 

Chris used his superior gunnery and fire and move to thwart my remaining long distance shot, causing panic with a glancing shot of light damage on the SU 100 as my other two tanks withdraw to the secondary position. 

Egyptian JS3 and SU 100 on ambush order

Turn Three

Chris continued to move and fire putting pressure on Freds positions now and ignoring my SU 100, as now all I could see was dust, failing my observation roll as they were now outside close range.

Turn Four

Our prepared positions of the first T54-55 company was not effective enough to stop the centurion guns, at medium range,  after a heavy damage and destroyed T55 in one turn, the remaining tank of the company abandoned its vehicles after a deplorable demoralised morale roll. My company of two JS3 and the SU 100 reached the high ground, almost into the rear of the advancing centurions.

Turn five 

Chris continued his advance with ineffective fire coming from Freds vehicles, as they were in hull down position only two fired leaving one in ambush, and the whole company of T34/85 could not spot the oncoming Israelis because of the dust cloud.

My JS3 and Su 100 started withdrew to the alternate position but one JS3 bogged in the sand (rolling a D8 on the shakey ground table crossing a sand bar) and was abandoned the second JS3was hit from an extreme range by a bloody sherman on overwatch (waiting for me to climb the large dune) who needed a D10 +9 to hit Chris rolled a 10 hit and 6 destroyed. The SU100 then fled the table to fight another day failing its Morale role, becoming demoralised but remaining in the vehicle.

Turn six

Chris advanced with all three companies with the M48s doing the main damage on the move.

Fred second company of T54-55 second suffered supression from air cover then succumb to close shooting from the M48s, losing one with a catastrophic kill and  second heavy damaged, the ramning vehicle stood its ground, still in Ambush...

egyptian T54-55s mixed coy

Turn 7 

Chris successfully managed to flank the remaining T55, destroying it,  Freds remaining T34/85 departed also after he failed his command roll (more the 70% destroyed).......so a breakthrough was achieved. We had to hold for 8 turns....we failed on the 7th!

Red match destroyed, yellow heavy damaged, orange demoralised, Able archer rules were used.

Cheers
Matt

Bolton Paul Defiant mk1 RAAF 1/72 WIP build

Built this kit while on holidays last week, a simple build, this one is destined for my Australians to take on the sneaky zeros!

30 day kit challenge BTR-60p

Next four BTR60 kits from S models, two are destined for my engineers and two will become command variants, waiting for S models to deliver variant kits

30 day kit challenge Mig 21 and CR42

Recently off the build desk and ready for painting a mig 21 and Cr42 both have taken around 8 days to complete, I had better get a wriggle on, next are some Smodel BTR 60s, waiting for S and S kits to finish them off, could be two week wait, so some 54mm metal Napoleonics next.

Mig 21

Revell CR 42 from the box but scratch built larger wheel struts ready for paint destined for my Belgians

Cheers

Matt

Mig 21 Zvezda 1/72

First kit off the shelf of doom a Zvezda Mig 21 for my Cold War Polish, a easy kit to put together, one afternoon, managed to get the pilot painted and placed,  now to paint the Exterior.

Cheers 

Matt

30 day kit build challenge

So what is the 30 day kit challenge? Well, something I Copied from Gunbird and his blog "20mm and then some". As I have moved from a house to a unit I need to make room with the tons of kits that I have. So with that in mind I'm starting the 30 day kit build challenge also

Goals are simple, you will build kits during the 30 day challenge:
Any material (plastic, resin, metal, wood).
New in the box or partially built, it matters not.
Gun, tank, truck, aircraft, ship, animal? Your call.
Kit must be basically finished, based if you prefer that, to qualify.
Finished kit must be ready for primer.
Resin and metal upgradesets can be applied after the build.....the goal is to get kits built and ready for primer, not to finish them with paint and varnish etc.
You decide how many kits/models you want to build in the 30 day period.
You set the penalty for not meeting your goal (and after that it is the honor system)

Anything beyond that is up to you

My goal is, in the period from 6/6/17 up to 6/7/17, is to work on a kit every single day, up to a grand total of 20 kits. If I can build more kits n the month, then bonus, if I can't build too many during the week and have to finish them in the weekend, no problem. 20 is my goal and I'm sticking to that.

My penalty is that if I don't make my target, is to sell any unmade kits at the end in my stash.

So, starting with Day #1 (22nd of May 2017), I'm starting with a kit.
Feel free to join in btw.


Cheers
Matt