Off the desk this week some American airborne jeeps for my Arnhem collection, jeeps are Raventhorpe, crews are Alder, loads are a mix of SHQ and scratch built.
4 jeeps 20mm @ 15 points = 60 points
10 crew 20mm @ 4 points = 40 points
Total 100 points
Cheers
Matt
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| Customs tax, best follow the number plate advice! |
I am always on the lookout for civilian bits that will fit my Cold War scenes, I was excited to come across a hot wheels collection of VW cars which in due course will hit the painting desk. This one my my wife’s mothers car in the 80s. Very snazzy at the time in two tone orange and white.
Cheers
Matt
Also this week I completed a simple model from Raventhorpe, a Caterpillar D7 dozer, I copied images from a build on the British Modeler Forum. I need to make the corresponding LCT number now!
Quite happy, acrylic with enemal streaking and grime, and powders. Crewman is Plastic Soldier company.
Cheers
Matt
Over on the Wargamers Forum Alan popped up a video of the defenders of Konigsberg, great volkssturm references for my Berlin build. I have taken a few freeze frames for future reference.
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Another addition to my 16th Luftwaffe Field Division. I want to also add a supply dump and towing vehicle plus a towed version to complete the battery, and two comms coils
Gun is a simple Airfix I think with SHQ crew, which fit nicely with the 1/76 gun.
Cheers
Matt
Completed a few supply Jeeps suitable for Glider or Infantry supply troops. I plan to add some stowage as soon as I paint them!
Jeeps are Raventhorpe with AB drivers
Cheers
Matt
Building some 1/72 italeri 155 kits for my English and American heavy artillery batteries, the models come with a bunch of ammo so I needed to research US 155 ammunition. The US army technical manual images are a good resource for model builders who want to get correct ammunition for their artillery scene, and 1/35th scale modelers also. The 155mm was used by the heavy batteries in every theatre including the pacific. The gun is still in use today in a number of nations so this is also useful for Cold War and current conflicts.
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| The simplest reference! |
The shells were stored it was in a crate which was on a pallet. It was rare for a pallet to make it to the front as it was broken down into carry cases for delivery to the front, it was then broken down again at the gun supply point, a 2 1/2 ton truck could deliver 55 shells this way enough for at least one or two fire missions per battery.
The 155mm High Explosive (HE) shell was the most commonly used ammunition for the 155, but chemical white phosphorus (WP) smoke and illumination shell was also available. The HE shell was green with yellow writing, the WP was blue grey with a single yellow horizontal band and yellow writing, the illumination shell (LU) had a white band and yellow writing. The shell was fitted a lifting ring on the nose and a rope (and later a rubber grommet during late 43 to Vietnam, then a metal/ rubber clamp up to current) on the end of the round to to protect the copper rubbing and movement whilst be transported. The round weighed 95 pounds/43 kilo so was a two man lift at minimum on a cradle. At 20mm it would be difficult to mark but at 28mm add D544 on the HE body.
The fuse caps was stored in a OD green crate that carried 25 fuses with a spanner. The shell lifting cap was grey and screwed out so the detonator Fuse cap could then be fitted, which is either gun metal, black or green before depending upon mission type before it was loaded into the gun.
The cloth charge bag was carried in fiberboard containers packed in three with a triangular protective box. Inside were either three :- M14 37.75 inches long and 6.38 inches diameter it held two M3 Charges, this charge could be reduced depending upon range required. Or the M13 27 inches long and 7.38 inches diameter this held one M4a1 charge. The powder bags are color coded; charges 1-4 are green, 5-7 are white, and 8 is red, the bottom of the charge badge has a red mark to face the igniter on the gun.
Fiberboard transport container
I hope that is helpful
Cheers
Matt
I have commenced my 82nd airborne for the Arnhem campaign, I already have plastic US Airborne with a few metals for my Market Garden Airborne troops. I have a mix of Alder and SGTs Mess plus various artillery bits mostly in the support pieces.
This build will be specific 82nd metal Alder figures for the replacement of the plastic figures in the battalions. I also plan to add correctly marked jeeps, a supply drop area for Groosbek and a new glider artillery battery, plus a AB metal Glider battalion in normal US greens, three Waco gliders also need to be built too.
Cheers
Matt
