Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Fallschirmjager two

 The remaining rifle platoon of warlord metal and plastic figures, overall quite happy with them, support crews to come. 







Sunday, March 17, 2024

Egyptian Army part 1 Transport

 Egyptian army 67-73 part 1 transport

First up some transport for my Egyptians, I have a mix of plastic, Diecast and resin models from grubby tanks, some 3d printed models. The plastic kit include trucks, APCs, midsole trucks, artillery, plus T55s, T34/85 and SU100. I do need to add some more detail bits to them, but good to get them done for our club games next month. 

First up my first troop transport trucks. 






Cheers
Matt

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Fallschirmjager part one

 Next off the desk are some fallshirmjager that I have been working on since before Christmas, I detest camo at 28mm it is hard to capture in scale…. The miniatures are from Warlord and will be used in my skirmish collection, although I am not that impressed with the figures and may sell them on I think. 

Squad one




Sniper


Officer 


Action shot!

Cheers

Matt

Monday, March 11, 2024

Yom Kippur Egyptian Order of Battle Operation Badr 1973

Yom Kippur War Egyptian Order of battle 

Egyptian Organisation 

The Egyptian army during the fifties and early sixties was based on the English model of Divisions, brigades and regiments. After the revolution in 1952 the country removed much of its ties with the old and drifted towards the Russian Divisional structure, and was fully changed over by 1965. Two armoured divisions, one mechanized division, four infantry divisions were the main force for the invasion.  

Armoured Division 

Structure was two or three regiments per division, each Armoured regiment had up to 31 tanks, with 3 companies per regiment,  each company 10 tanks per company, including a command vehicle for the company commander, the company operated in three platoons. 
Each Tank regiment had a company of one platoon of four  ZSU-57-2 twin barrel 57mm anti aircraft vehicles on a T54 chassis. The majority of the tanks were the T54 or T55 with infrared searchlights, (no white light was possible from these). The T55 were fitted with the latest Soviet stabilisers so they could fire on the move, some of the T54 were also were retro fitted. The 25th independent tank brigade had latest T62 tanks with three battalions, the 21st Armoured division in reserve had a mix of T34/85 and IS3M tanks. 

Mechanised Division

Structure of a division was 3 mechanized infantry battalions. A battalion was formed of 5 companies each mounted in btr152 personal carriers. The division armour was one battalion of 31MBT a HQ coy and three coys, the first and second coysT55 and T54 and the 3rd company was T34/85 (280 with upgrades).  Anti air assets had a Praga AA for the armour and towed assets 40mm bofors and russian ground mounted 30mm ZSU. A recon battalion in BDRM 1 or BDRM 2 and jeeps. A battalion of three companies of 6 tanks each were attached infantry Divisions and consisted of Czechoslovakian  SD-100 assault gun, (they had 148 delivered by 1956, the SD-100 is based on the SU 100) a anti tank company with 9M14 Malyutka sagger jeeps and towed recoilless 82mm were also attached to each battalion of infantry. Other division assets included a Signal company, military police, medical coy and engineer coy. 

Infantry Division 
Structure of the division 2 infantry battalions in trucks and two mechanised battalions along with one tank battalion of three companies a mix of T55, T54 and T34 tanks. 
Each infantry company consisted of a HQ coy and three rifle cots mounted in BTR152, Soviet RPD machine guns, Belgian bazooka, and B-10 82mm recoiless gun in the HQ. A battalion of three companies of 6 tanks each were attached infantry Divisions and consisted of Czechoslovakian  SD-100 assault gun, (they had 148 delivered by 1956, the SD-100 is based on the SU 100)


130th Amphibious Brigade 
This mechanized brigade was loosely based upon a soviet naval brigade. It had three company’s consisting of a BTR50pk and one of two companies of three PT76’s with an infantry platoon. At the start of the war the brigade had seventy-four BTR-50 or OT-64 SKOT armoured personnel carriers and 24 PT-76 amphibious light tanks.


Artillery (Muqhadem) 

The Egyptian artillery were supplied with soviet 122mm M30 or the 152mm D1. The HQ had a defence platoon, radio exchange and observer element and could be concentrated, six guns made up a battery and three battery’s made up a regiment 

Some armoured infantry artillery regiments were supplied the Frankenstein T34/122 Self Propelled 122mm mounted on the T34 chassis, with two battalions of 18 vehicles in each were in service. 

BM-11 and the BM21 rocket artillery (100 in service)

12 surface to surface misfiles were in service Frog 7 and nine surface to surface Scuds were also in service. 

The Soviet M240  heavy mortar is used upon the positions of the bar ev line, 24 were in service 

Air defence 

Sam 2, Sam 3, self propelled Sam 6, handheld Sam 7, and ZSU 23/4 
12 Commando battalions also took part in the offensive and were divided amount various divisions. The played a reinforcement roles after the Israeli counterattacks successfully crossed the Nile. 

The second and third  Egyptian armies on the Bar Lev line had SU152 in static dug in positions for anti tank positions after the capture of a number of positions. 

Order of Battle Operation Badr





General Command – Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt

War Minister and Commander in Chief, Ahmad Ismail Ali
Chief of Staff – Saad Mohamed Al Hussani Al Shazly

2nd Field Army, General Saad Mamoun/Genl. Abd el Munem Halil.

2nd Infantry Division, Brigadier General Ali Hassan Abu Saada:

4th Infantry Brigade
117th Infantry Brigade
120th Infantry Brigade
24th Armoured Brigade (attached from the 23rd Mechanised Division)

16th Infantry Division, Brigadier General Fuad ‘Aziz Ghali: (Chinese Farm)

3rd Mechanized Infantry Brigade
16th Infantry Brigade
112th Infantry Brigade

18th Infantry Division, Brigadier General Abdel Rab Al Nabi Hafez: 

134th Infantry Brigade
136th Infantry Brigade
15th Independent Armoured Brigade (attached and equipped with T-62)

135th Infantry Brigade (assault force for fort Budapest) brigadier General Salah Abe el-Halim

128th Sa iqa Commando battalion 
Six T34 with flails  
Six OT 64 skot

21st Armoured Division, Brigadier General Ibrahim Oraby 

1st Armoured Brigade
14th Armoured Brigade (detached initially)
18th Mechanised Brigade

23rd Mechanised Division, Brigadier General Ahmed Aboud el Zommer :

116th Mechanised Brigade
118th Mechanised Brigade
129 Commando Brigade 
182nd Parachute Brigade


3rd Field Army, Major General Mohamed Abd El Al Monaam Wasel

Chief of Staff - Maj Gen Mustafa Shaheen
Chief of Artillery - Maj Gen Munir Shash

7th Infantry Division Brig Gen Ahmad Badawi Said Ahmad 

2nd Infantry Brigade 
11th mechanised Infantry Brigade 
8th mechanised infantry brigade  

19th Infantry Division Brig Gen Yusuf Afifi Mohamed

5th Infantry Brigade 
7th Infantry Brigade
2nd Mechanised Brigade  

 4th Armoured Division Brig Gen Mohamed Abd el Aziz Qabil

2nd Armoured Brigade T34/85 & SU 100
3rd Armoured Brigade
6th Armoured Brigade  

6th Mechanised Division Brig Gen Mohamed Abul Fath (southern reserve Suez Canal) 

22nd Armoured Brigade (attached from the 7th Mechanised Division)
113th Mechanised Brigade 
1st Mechanised brigade 
Commando battalions

130th Independent Marine Brigade, Col. Mahmud Sha’ib (northern sector) 

At the start of the war the brigade had seventy-four BTR-50 and some OT-64 SKOT armoured personnel carriers and 24 PT-76 amphibious light tanks

Commando battalion 

30th Independent infantry brigade Col. Mustafa el-’Abassi 


Brigade is tasked with capturing Fort Lahtzanit
Two battalions of infantry
One company of commandos 

25th Independent Armoured Brigade Col Ahmed Helmy Badawy 

96 T-62 tanks


GHQ Reserve, 1st Field Army (West Bank of the Nile)


3rd Mechanised Infantry Division

21st Armoured Division T34/85 and IS3M tanks

Republican Presidential Guard “Brigade” (divisional strength):

Also included:

3 Parachute Brigades:
Western Command (Libya Border) & Southern Command (Aswan/Nile Valley/Sudan Border)
3 Armoured Brigades
2 Mechanised Brigades

Egyptian Air Force 

104th Air Wing 
3 squadrons of Mig -21MF

26th squadron interceptor 
Mig-21 F13 (black raven with a white ’26’ on at least two of their MiG-21s)



Cheers
Matt
  1. 350 T-54s were ordered in 1960 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1961 and 1966 (the vehicles were probably from Czechoslovakian production line). 150 T-55s were ordered in 1963 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1964 and 1966. Egypt lost 820 vehicles in the Six Day War  including 82 T-55.  
  2. 800 T-54s were ordered in 1967 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1967 and 1972 (some of the vehicles were probably from Czechoslovakian and/or Poland production line). 550 T-55s were ordered in 1967 from the Soviet Union and delivered between 1969 and 1973. 50 T-54s were ordered in 1972 from the Soviet Union and delivered in 1973 (the vehicles were previously in Soviet service).

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

King Tigers last stand in France

 King Tigers last stand in France 

316 & 302 Funklenk-Panzerkompanie, France 1944


Borgward IV 

As always I like to research units before I build them, many people are unaware Tiger II seen combat against Americans in France in 1944.

The Funklenk-panzerkompanie 316 fought in Normandy with tiger I, StuG and the Borgward IV, leaving the 3rd company of Tiger II behind in Saint Denis. The 3rd company Tiger II reformed as Funklenk-panzerkompanie 302 in Eure de Loir. American troops advancing east after the collapse of the front after Pattons 3rd Army breakout and collapse of the 7th Army met the Tiger II on advance to Orleans and Chartres at Chateaudun. 

 I plan to build both units this coming year as I have spare StuG, Tiger I and Tiger II kits not assigned to units currently and I have a Borgward IV B also. 

Genesis

The 6th Company /Panzer-Versuchs-und-Ersatz-Abteilung 300 (Fkl) was raised April 1st 1943 with Field Post no. 56041. According to order no. 6039/43 of OrgAbt. I OKH/GenstdH on July 13, 1943, the company was renamed Panzerkompanie (Fkl) 316. The original equipment was to consist of 36 Borgward BIV and 10 StuGs. On September 21 it was transferred to Fallingbostel, where the unit was assigned to Panzer Lehr Regimental training grounds. This was followed by exercises and trials in the regimental context at the military training area there. 

On September 30th the PzLhrRgt. Received three Tigers I , and received eight more Tigers on October 8th
These were transferred to the PzKp. ( Fkl ) 316 , which used it to test the Tiger I in the lead control vehicle detonation role.

In mid-January 1944, the order came that the 316th should be equipped with Tiger II as an experimental company, it was renamed the 1st Heavy Tank Company (Fkl) . At the end of February 1944 it was transferred to Panzer Ersatz Abteilung 500 in Paderborn for training on the new tank. Since the Panzer Jager Lehr Regiment 130 had not yet received a PzJg IV, the company had to them hand over their 10 StuGs to them from the third company. On March 14th the five Tiger II arrived, on March 22nd the personnel sent to Paderborn for training returned to the unit. 

A status report from April 2, 1944 states the following vehicles: 

5 Tiger II 
3 Tiger Ie
51 SdKfz. 301 Ausf B and Ausf C borgward IV
4 3t tractors
1 1-ton tractor 
9 heavy trucks 
3 light trucks 
1 medium-sized truck 
3 staff cars 
6 sidecar motorcycles 
2 light motorcycles 

At the end of April 1944, the Panzer Lehr Division received the order to relocate to France and remain available there as an operational reserve, 316 FKL also moved by rail, the the HQ and radio control company moved into quarters at Saint Denis-les-Ponts, next to Chateaudun. 

On May 18th, the divisional HQ ordered that the 3./PzJgLhrAbt. 130 had to return the ten StuGs. As the 5 Tiger II were hardly operational due to technical problems.

When the Allied invasion began on June 6, 1944, the Tiger IIs of III coy was left at Saint Denis for ongoing repairs and also to be part of the operations reserve for the airfield at Chateaudun from airborne attack. The I and II company’s moved to Normandy attached to Panzer Lehr.  

Combat in Normandy  

On June 8th the StuGs supported panzer Lehr grenadier regiment 902 during a counterattack, it is unknown if the Tiger Is were involved in this counterattack.

On June 11, the company proved its worth as a radio control unit, repelling a heavy British attack in several counterattacks. In the days that followed, the StuGs were mainly used to support the counter attacks with the Panzer Grenadier Lehr Regiment 902, there were only a few attacks using the Borgward units driven in the radio control process. 

On June 19, the Kp. was involved in heavy fighting around Tilly-sur-Seulles , almost all StuGs in the unit were damaged, and one was a total loss. Company commander Meinhardt was killed, as was the leader of the 2nd platoon, Lt. Fisherman.

On June 22 the unit was no longer operational, the remaining vehicles three Tiger I and 4 remaining StuG and 40 PzIV Borgward units withdrawn to Reims for refitting and placed back in reserve. The AHA (Staff I (1)) issued the order No. 27220/44, according to which the first company was renamed as Panzerabteilung FKL 302 and remain in Chateaudun with 7th Armee reserve. The company of Tiger I, remaining II company of StuG control, Borgward IV and Headquarters deployed in Reims and remained as Panzerabteilung FKL 316. On August 19- 24th 316 is withdrawn and redeployed East to Warsaw for the uprising. 

Saturday, December 9, 2023

Wehrmacht Fuel Drums

 Fuel drums 

About to paint some bits on my desk and come across this reference so I thought I would post it 


The most common was a galvanized drum and the backend diesel drum,   but as the war dragged on by 43 painted drums started to appear, dunkelgelb, civilian versions and captured stock. 

On the top the drums various markings from Wehrmacht, Kreigsmarine, Waffen SS and Luftwaffe. 

Cheers
Matt