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

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 

 

 

Fallschirm Aufklärungs Abteilung 12

This parachute reconnaissance battalion was created at the begining of January 1944. An independant unit attached to II. Fallschirmjager - Korps, it was led by Hauptmann Gotsche. I have quite a few spare fallschirmjager, so it will be an easy build. A lot of accounts mention no or not many Armoured cars were available, I plan to at least have 1 Italian Armoured car (1 destroyed at St Lo). And possibly one other in the 1st company, the remainder of the battalion in VW kubelwagens. The support coy, will have heavy cars. Flak 20mm and a pak 40. 

Theoretical establishment  
Stabs Kp 

1Italian armoured car AB 41/43.

222A/C

1 Kp- (Lt Von Konitz)

2 x Kubel wagon 8 figs 

2 Kp- (Lt Runge): 

2 Kubelwagen 8 figs

3 Kp- (Lt Tereux)

2 Kubelwagen 8 figs

4 Kp- (Haupt. Raabe): Heavy coy

Flak 20 4 figs light car 

81mm mortar 3 crew

2 x MG42 6 crew

5 Kp- (Lt LLig): 

1x 120mm mortar 4 crew heavy car

 1x 7,5 cm pak 4 crew 40 heavy car 

Sources

Mourir Pour St Lo, Didier Lodieu

Armes Militaria”, nº263, Juin 2007, www.militaria-mag.com

341 StuG Brigade

341. Sturmgeschütz Brigade 

This unit was formed as 341. StuG.Abt. in December 1943. It was reorganized as 341. StuG.Brig. in February 1944.In May 1944 the unit was located near Narbonne in southern France and it was still forming. On 1 June it had 19 StuG and 9 StuH which can be compared to an authorized strength of 45 assault guns. It remained in southern France during June and recieved further assault guns. On 1 July it was at full strength, having 33 StuG and 12 StuH.

Commanders 

Hauptmann Dr Karl Ernst Bumm February 14 1944 - 6th August 1944 wounded

Hauptmann Gunter Dreyer August 1944 - September 1944

Hauptmann Dr Eric Barkley September 1944- 8th December 1944 KIA

Movements 

24.7.44
Bv.TO with AOK 7.
Br.B.nr.1615/44 geh.

Daily report :
I) Troop transports:
a) Movements:
Sturmgeschützbrigade 341 leaves the Toulouse region in 5 convoys towards Pz.Gr.West.
1st convoy leaves on 25.7.44.

28.7.44
Bv.TO with AOK 7.
Br.B.nr.1643/44 geh.
Daily report :
I) Troop transports:
a) Movements:
Sturmgeschützbrigade 341:
1st convoy to Saint-Etienne-de-Montluc (northwest of Nantes, movement at 22:00.) 

2nd convoy to Couëron (northwest of Nantes, movement at 22:00.)
3rd and 4th convoy on 26.7 at the entrance to Nantes.

29.7.44
Bv.TO with AOK 7.
Br.B.nr.1648/44 geh.
Daily report :
I) Troop transports:
a) Movements:
Sturmgeschützbrigade 341:
1st and 2nd convoy to Rennes, movement planned at nightfall.
3rd convoy to Redon, movement in the evening.
4th convoy to Beslé* (north-east of Redon), movement in the evening.

* Beslé station is a railway station on the Rennes to Redon line, located in the municipality of Guémené-Penfao.

30.7.44
Bv.TO with AOK 7.
Br.B.nr.1655/44 geh.
Daily report :
I) Troop transports:
a) Movements:
Sturmgeschützbrigade 341:
1st convoy and 2nd convoy unloaded early on 30.7 at La Boussac and Pleine-Fougères (east of Dol).
3rd and 4th convoy stopped at Rennes; continuation planned for 30.7 after dark.
5th convoy at the entrance to Nantes.

31.7.44
Bv.TO with AOK 7.
Br.B.nr.1662/44 geh.
Daily report :
I) Troop transports:
a) Movements:
Sturmgeschützbrigade 341:
3rd convoy unloaded early on 30.7 at Combourg (south of Dol).
4th convoy unloaded on 30.7 in the evening at Rennes.
5th convoy on 31.7 at Redon, continuation planned at nightfall towards Combourg.

Commitment to stem the American breakout 

The unit was first comitted to combat in the Brécey - Avranches area on 31 July in Kampfgruppe Bacherer along with the iii 897 regiment, 77th infantry division and two battalions II Fallschirmjäger-Ersatz-und-Ausbildung Regiment 2 FJD to retake Avaranches. Heavy fighting occurred whilst trying to retake Pontaubault bridge. It seems that 1st Batterie was the first unit to see action. During its first days of combat, this battery lost twelve of its fourteen assault guns.

StuG III destroyed by AT fire, note the modified Shurzen and debris guard on top of the Mantlet. 

1.8.44
Bv.TO with AOK 7.
Br.B.nr.1672/44 geh.
Daily report :
I) Troop transports:
a) Movements:
Sturmgeschützbrigade 341:
5th convoy unloaded on 1.8 at Combourg.
It was reported on 1 August that the two committed batteries were almost all destroyed, while the third battery was still close to Rennes. It was reported that five railway cars with elements of the brigade were still in Redon on 2 August.


2.8.44
Bv.TO with AOK 7.
Br.B.nr.1681/44 geh.
Daily report :
I) Troop transports:
a) Movements:
Sturmgeschützbrigade 341:
(StuG of the 5th road convoy) 2.8 to Redon, movement at nightfall towards Rennes

According to Tornau/Kurowski the brigade quickly received new assault guns from Paris and Tours. How many the brigade received is not clear, but it was reported that on 3 August four assault guns were in the area of Nantes and it is possible that these were intended for the 341. StuG.Brig.

Fighting Pontorson - Dinan - St. Malo area.

Again the fighting was costly and the ii battery of the brigade eventually was surrounded.

1944 at the corner of rue de Dinan and de Langrolay/Rance in Pleurtuit

The StuH was destroyed by a 57mm from the 121st Infantry Division on the 9th August, an artillery round subsequently hit the vehicle blowing it apart. 

Destroyed by company L by bazooka 121st Infantry Division on the 8th August, St Malo,

St Malo destroyed by C Company 644th tank destroyer battalion 12th August

Withdrawal north east. 

The brigade had 20 assault guns on 27 August 14 and five days later it reported twelve assault guns.

On 1 October the brigade had 544 men which was only four less than its establishment called for. During September casualties amounted to only 18 men, while 133 men arrived as replacements. Five men had left the brigade for other reasons than being casualties. Accordingly the brigade must have had 434 men on 1 September.

No deliveries of assault guns to the brigade has been found among the records of the Inspector-General of Panzer Troops, except 17 StuG III and 10 StuH III sent to OB West on 31 July for further distribution.These arrived 9 August and may have ended up with 341. StuG.Brig. The assault gun deliveries indicated by Tornau/Kurowski may also have been taken from various training facilities in France (there was e.g. an assault gun school at Tours). On 1 October the brigade had 10 combat ready assault guns and 13 in short term repair.

Aérospatiale Alouette III. Ia French Gendarmerie

 A very old kit from the stash is finally completed, I elected to actually paint this one as a French gendarme helicopter, with a Force on force scenario in mind.  I have another two Alouette’s  which will join my French airforce and a mercenary unit in the future. 

A simple build, but the instructions leave a little to be desired, I added Elhiem civilian crew models and added a weight in the mid section so I can add a flying stand if required. The decals were a little old so I clear varnished them, only a few splintered, but not terrible. Overall quite happy with my build results. 

Cheers 

Matt

NATO pilots and ground crew

 Another small project completed. A mix of Airfix and Esci Miniatures. The pilots are a mix of RAF, USAF and Luftwaffe. I could not resist painting some of the ground crews in aircraft carrier jackets. 

Cheers

Matt

Panzerspähwagen AMR-35 VMF701 (f) 8cm Schwerer Granatwefer 34 auf

 Completed two panzerkampfwagen AMR35 VMF701 (f) 81mm mortars for my 91st Luftlande division for Normandy. The either served in the 91st or the 11th Panzer, Wikipedia article 

A mix of Battlefeild/Blitz and AB crew. I did add numbers which the originals did not have according to the images in the salvage dump in Manche, Normandy. The location of the dump points towards the 91st Division.. 

Cheers

Matt

WIP Wednesday - Wehrmacht, Warpac kit, NATO Ground Crew

 As I continue on clearing out my project drawers I decided to paint a number of things this week. First up a 81mm mortar carrier on a H39 chassis, thought to be have used by 91st Luftlande Division in Normandy.  The crew are a mix of AB and battlefield, It has been gloss varnished so only decals, weathering and flock to go.

A IBM models BTR 60, an ACE BMP 150 and a resin BMP 150 for my Egyptians. The ICM kit is nice, but parts are very fine. The ACE is a SOB, the tracks particularly are painful. The resin kit is a Armo kit, not sure how long I have had this but it must be 20 years at least. 

ACE kit, the tracks are a absolute nightmare… metal handles added with wire 

ICM model a nice kit but lots of fine parts 

Finally Esci and Airfix NATO Ground crew. They will be perfect for airfield based scenarios. As they are soft plastic a little cleaning up with a sharp scalpel is in order. I elected to base them on coins then build up the base with plaster, I possibly should have just cut them off at the feet and pinned them. 

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - ww2 bits

A fettlers railway shed, entrenchment, hay stack and some French fuel drums for a supply dump. 

Cheers

Matt

Russian tank and SP crew

 I have been completing pieces from my project drawers again, first up some ww2 Russian Tank and SP crew, a mix of Orion and Plastic Soldier Company. The Orion figures are soft plastic so the clean up is a little difficult, the psc are nice but oversize IMHO. 

PSC, Orion, PSC

Orion, PSC, PSC

PSC, PSC,PSC

PSC, PSC, PSC

Cheers 

Matt

Wip Wednesday

  On the build table are a few items first up a 1/72 Heller areospatiale Alouette III. I am undecided if it will join my French Armee or airforce elements.

Cheers

Matt

Winter Wargames Escape Plan 

It’s a dull time of year, my insightful wife has suggested we gather for all day wargaming! 

Escape winter with our all day wargaming escape plan 

225€ per day, Bed, Breakfast, Wargaming 

Add meals- transfers - touring, if you want to brave the elements 

This winter book a two to five night holiday at the warm and cozy L’Hotel de Hercé in the Loire. 

Come by yourself, with a mate or your partner (we will spoil her) in one of our 4 star guest rooms. 

Winter Wargame with convivial company 

Play with one of our thirty two 28mm and 20mm armies from Caesar to Cold War, plus our wide selection of board games. 

For full details contact us and book here 

Cheers 

Matt

Winter Wargames Holiday!

Winter 24-25 Wargames

November 2024 to March 2025

It’s a dull time of year, so my insightful wife has suggested we gather for

"All Day Wargaming" Holidays

This winter book a stay with us at warm L’Hotel de Hercé. Min 2 Nights, come by yourself, with a mate or bring your wife and we will spoil her. Enjoy your discounted room rate, 

Escape Winter with our Wargame Holiday from €225 per day; Bed, Breakfast, Wargaming,
add meals - transfers & Tours if you want to brave the elements winter wargame with convivial company. 

Sounds like a great idea Book Here! 

Able Archer -Arab Israeli Wars - Morrocan Armed Forces

 Morrocan Army 1956 -1990

Moroccan Army organisation 

The Moroccan army was very different to its fellow Arab nations coming with western style professionally trained and officered by men who had attended the French Military schools and colleges, many of the senior Officers and Ncos had fought in the French army in the Congo, French Indochina, Algeria, and Western Sahara campaigns and then after independence constant border wars with Algeria and the conquest of Spanish Morocco. 

The Moroccan army follows the French “Javelot” divisional doctrine developed in the 50s. The infantry Brigade consisted of four or five regiments of Infantry with attached artillery and if motorised light armour, as required by the task. The infantry Regiment consisted of four to six companies with support elements with enough regimental HQ officers to form small or large subordinate combat sized/battalion teams as required. Each regiment consisted on paper of 812 officers and men and was commanded by a chef de battalion, the regimental support element had two sections of mortars, two sections of heavy machine guns and two sections of light recoilless rifles. Each combat team/battalion as assigned was commanded by a captain. Each platoon was commanded by a 1st lieutenant and sous lieutenant, it had two light 60mm mortars, two MMG teams, two manhandled anti tank weapon teams, and three rifle grenade teams, then typically broken into two fire and movement teams lead by Sergeants. Motorised and airborne regiments had an attached armoured car or light tank regiment, a motorised anti tank and motorised recoilless rifle platoon plus vehicles to carry the motorised infantry this bought the strength up to 1271 officers and men. Administration and Supply elements were only attached at the brigade level. 

The French Javelot structure was developed originally for nuclear war in Europe but proved its value in the 56 suez crisis, shocking the English with it combat teams approach. It was further developed by the French fighting experience in Indochina, Congo and Algeria and served its purpose for the frontier type fighting of the Moroccan army, during the 60s and 70s. 

Uniforms and equipment 

The infantry deployed for the Arab Israeli war were equipped with French uniforms, rank structure and unit structure. The uniform was either medium green or lizard camouflage, the French M51 (American m1) helmet, and French 1950s TAP infantry webbing equipment. 

Personal weapons were very mixed and included the MAS-36  (MAS-36 LG48 and MAS-36/51) and the rifle-grenade capable variants, the MAS-49/56 (airborne & infantry) , FN FAL rifles, AK-47 and the MAT-49 sub machine gun (Officers and Ncos). Squad automatic weapons included the French  AA-52 NF1, MAC 24/29 and the FN Mag-58 were also in service. Heavy machine guns include the American browning 30 cal and the M50 50 caliber HMG. Mortars were Brandt 60mm and the Brandt 27/31 81mm mortar. 

Troops arriving in Syria 

Moroccan Armour and vehicles

Moroccan operated T54s Yom Kippur War

The armour available to the Moroccan army for Yom Kippur War.

AMX13 FL 

One hundred and twenty French AMX 13 FL light tanks (4 AMX CD recovery) arrived in 1966 out of service by 1990. 

T-54 Main Battle Tank 

40 Russian T-54B D10 TG 100mm 

80 Czechoslovakian T-54B built models with the latest 100mm D10T2S stabilised gun

ten T-54AR 

Ten T54 AK command tanks. 

M-48a3 main battle tank 

Twenty six M48a3 MBTs formed the first tank regiment vehicles by March 1974

SU 100 SP Anti tank - SP artillery 

Twenty six  Czech built SU-100 SP guns

M56 scorpion SP anti tank 

50 x American M56 scorpion 90mm Self propelled Anti tank guns, (I have not found any record of them being deployed in Syria)

SK105 kurassier 

Purchased 109 units in 1979 nine served in the Arab Israeli wars 

Armoured cars

Panhard EBR 75

Thirty six panhard EBR 75 

Panhard AML 90

one hundred and ninety  Panhard AML 90

AML 60-7

thirty AML60-7

M8 Armoured car

Forty M8 Armoured cars. 

Armoured personnel carriers 

OT- 64

ninety five Czech OT 64 

M5 and M3 halftracks 

forty American M5 and M3 halftracks (ex French stock) 

Panhard M3 VTT 

fifty Panard M3 VTT APCs. 

Soft Skins 

hotchkiss M201

(French made - American ww2 Jeep)

American mutt jeeps

Series II and series III Land Rover Santana (Spanish built) 

J40 Toyota landcruisers

mini Mokes armed with recoiless M20 75mm! 

Moroccan paratrooper mini moke with recoilless rifle and 30 cal. 

Trucks

Romanian Bucegi SR11 3t, Berliet GBD (6x6)

 American general M813a1 (6x6)

French ACMAT TPK 425 (4x4) 

TPK 640 (6x6) trucks 

I have seen some Simca Marmon also in a parade but nothing in export documents. 

Mack F900 heavy transport trucks for tank transport.

Anti armour 

M20 super bazooka 

RPG-7

 M20 75mm recoilless rifle

M40a1 106mm recoilless rifle 

D44 85mm AT gun

MGM 32A Entac missiles. (500)

Artillery 

Towed systems included -

twenty American M2A1 (now a M101A1) 

Thirty eight HM-2 105mm howitzers ( model 1924)

eighteen soviet M-46 122mm

twenty M114 155mm howitzers

Self propelled systems included :-

ninety eight Amx53 155mm sp howitzer

thirty self propelled AMX mk61 105mm howitzer

twenty self propelled M44 155mm howitzer

Thirty six BM-21 122mm rocket launchers 

Anti aircraft equipment 

Information for this part is taken from export lists, but also includes captured equipment. I have more research to do here, but I have types as follows.  

Towed systems :- 

ninety ZPU-2 14.5mm

nineteen  ZPU-4 14.5mm

ninety Zu 23-2 W23mm

thirty 50 cal M45 Qaud

sixty AZP S60 57mm

missile systems SA-7 Grail

French Hawksystem (cannot locate source for this but have a image of one deployed for the Algerian war in 73) 

I am not sure if the MIM-72 Chaparral launchers were available in time for the Yom Kippur war. 

The equipment available to the Moroccan army in 1956 was post ww2 American equipment, French and soviet equipment. New equipment was on order and started to arrive in early October 1973.

The major wars and engagements fought by Morroco include Angolan war of Independence (61-74), the Tuareg War (62-64),  Sand War (63-64), and October War (Yom Kippur), Green March (75), Western Saharan war (75-91), Shaba I (77)Shaba II (78) and the 1st Gulf War in 90-91. 

Captured equipment 

BTR 152

T-55

BMP 1

BTR 60

I will add more information as I find it 

Cheers

Matt

Kampfgruppe Kutzen, Laval 5/6th August 1944 Pays de Loire

 Laval 1944

During Pattons 3rd armies breakout from Normandy first through Brittany then into Pay’s de Loire in early August 1944 the first real defensive line it met was along the Mayenne River, only three bridges remained along its 200klm length, one at Ville Mayenne (captured by task force Weaver) and another south of Laval at Houssay and the third near Chateau Gontier (captured by the 2e Demi brigade).

  Laval is the regional capital of the department of Mayenne in Pays de Loire. The city sits astride the river Mayenne a tributary of the Maine then Loire river. The city is a major transport rail and road link for western France.  The Laval rail infrastructure was the main east west corridor between east and western France. Consequently the city was frequently bombed by the allies, the rail viaduct bridge was damaged twice and finally destroyed allied bombing in late July of 1944 cutting the route west to Rennes and Bretagne. Laval also had important rail centre it had two large rail yards (one east and one west of the river) it was also the junction for 6 light railway lines in the region for moving iron, stone, food, linen canvas, livestock and troops east and west and north and south.

Laval also is the crossroads of two main highways, the N157 east west Paris, Le Mans to Rennes and coast, and a huge number of Main departmental roads south to Nantes and Angers,  Tours - Orleans east, and N12 Alençon - Caen- Paris to the North.

The three road bridges that crossed the river in the city were destroyed by the retreating German units on the 6th, the morning the Americans arrived, how ever both river weir walls were traversable on foot after the FFI had opened the sluice gates draining the river.

South of Laval also was a major airfield that was built by the Armee de l’Air in 1914 and used in the defence of France in 1940. Captured by the Germans it was used as a luftwaffe base hosting bombers of ZG76, KG2 and two fighter sqaudrons of FW190 from JG2, and Me109 JG27. Consequently the southern part of the city was heavily bombed by the allied air forces 7 times in 1944 leading up to June.  This lead to the dispersal of the Luftwaffe group to various fields in the region. 

The Borel (Société Générale des Constructions Industrielles et Mécaniques) aircraft factory was in the central city right beside the railway bridge. The factory built radiators and seaplane hulls for Dornier 24 seaplanes were assembled for the Luftwaffe, then floated down the river for further assembly in Angers. It was damaged twice in the June 1944 bombing of the centre of the city. 

Defending Laval

 Kampfgruppe Kutzen was commanded by Oberst Hans Kutzen, tasked to create a blocking line to allow the retreating supply units  in front of the American breakout to gain safe refuge behind the Mayenne defence line. Reinforcements arriving included 9th Panzer, 1st Sicherung and 708th infantry division were rushing to the Pay’s de Loire area to join the river defensive line also but would not be in position fully until the 6-8th of August.  

The kampfgruppe consisted of elements of 

91st Infantry Division, retreating elements 

17th SS anti tank Abteilung (who were not in position fully when the Americans arrived and fought in the rear guard action along the Le Mans highway, jadgpanzer IV )

266 Infantry division, retreating elements 

319th infantry division, retreating elements 

708 Fusilier Abteilung, cycles, buses, French trucks two pak 40s

Heavy Flak Abteilung 842 & 124 (842 at Laval airfield) 

Luftwaffe feld defence unit depot laval ( laval airfield )

Retreating Luftwaffe support elements, formed an alarm company at the airfield. 

V &VI companies of Sicherungs Regiment 194 on cycles (no heavy weapons)

Sicherungs Regiment 195, 3rd battalion plus elements from Rennes, 3 rifle coys no heavy weapons. 

5th Fallschirmjager replacement battalion and various 5th FJR rear elements. 3 coys. 

Cheers

Matt