French 75mm artillery

 French 75mm artillery 

Completed another 75mm French artillery piece, 3d resin gun with battlefield/ blitz crew, painted with the new AK French uniform colour which I really like, it looks really green in the photo but it is more khaki, but not as light as English uniform. Planning on painting my Simons soldiers French in the coming weeks. 

Cheers

Matt

WIP Wednesday

 Part of the kit challenge for April, a mix of manufactures. For the last two weeks working on plastics kits as the desire to paint is on a downshift at the moment due to jet lag from my rapid visit to Oz for my sons wedding. 

PSC plastic Lloyd carrier and 6pdr, plus resin frontline truck for my French civilians 

PSC 105mm guns a very basic kit

Hasegawa 155 long toms 

Thirteen kits completed of the goal of 16. 

Cheers

Matt

 

Belgian Artillery - Krupp 105 mm modèle 1898/190

Belgian Artillery Battery 

The Belgian infantry division had a support regiment of two medium battery’s  of 10 guns, they were predominantly light and medium guns of German or French origin. The German Krupp models were in the majority, ammunition though was in short supply. The 12th Regiment supported the 1st division of the Chasseur Ardennais. 

Artillery observer team, FAA with a EWM periscope 

Krupp 105mm Artillery piece 

Cheers

Matt

Chasseur Ardennais- Vickers Utility tractors and guns

 Chasseur Ardennais- Vickers Utility tractors and guns 

More additions this week for my Chassuers, these are lovely Vickers Utility Tractors and guns are from Early War miniatures, the seated gun crew are EWM also,  the drivers are SHQ though.  Markings are hand painted. 

Cheers

Matt

WIP Wednesday -Artillery

 More artillery bits underway, all Early War miniatures some big guns for my British heavy artillery, airborne light artillery, correct six pounders for my British airborne who have currently Airfix guns and some Belgian Chassuer Ardennes 1940 AT and light artillery. 

Cheers

Matt 

50th Infantry Division Tyne tees part 3

50th Infantry Division Tyne tees part 3 artillery 

 

Back working on my Tyne Tees, last month you may recall I built four priests. Two of these will join my Tyne Tees Northumberland regiment along with some towed 25 pounders. I competed the crew this eeek in preparation for the vehicles being completed over the weekend. 

First up gun crews and drivers, figures are all PSC crews. 

Then some Bren crew for the OP

Cheers

Matt

Mad March WIP II

 I purchased these last year in preparation to add artillery support to my American Armour, I have also pitched some 155mm towed but need tractors for them to complete the battery. 

These are fast build Italeri, I think I had them built in around 3 hours. Nice little fast build kits although the tracks leave a little to be desired. I will add American crews from Alder or AB after I have painted them. 

Cheers

Matt

French 75mm Artillery piece

 

 French 75mm Artillery

Work on the renovations of the house is coming along nicely but hogging all of my time at the moment as we rush towards Christmas. We are up to the final plumbing and painting stage so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel on the top floor although finishing touches will possibly not be complete until mid January. I can then move all of my figures and books back into my storage room in preparation for my winter painting offensive! 

This week I finally managed to sit down and get some time on the painting table to complete some pieces and catch up on some painting projects. First off was to take off the drop sheets protecting everything then dust everything off before commencement (as the bathroom renovation is directly above my current painting room). then I decided to complete part of a ancients commission order before taking a break from 28mm and painting of my 20mm ww2 figs. 

Nice detail in the HAT caisson

Really nice piece for composition, now I need to revisit my other guns

This 75mm artillery miniature is from the 1/72 HAT soft plastic range, two come in the set both with caissons and can be open or closed. The crew are from Battlefield /Blitz range (currently unavailable). They will join one of my French infantry regiments at this stage, I also need to complete the horse limber and other plastic artillery miniature as a towed set. 

I plan to complete another 1940 Infantry regiment this year also, as I have picked up some of Simons Soldiers to complete the HQ and add some support weapons. I also picked up some Foundry bits while I was in the UK.

more coming this week, but for my Dutch. 

cheers

Matt

Firepower 21cm GRW 69 Wefer Wurfmörser

 21cm GRW 69 Wurfmörser (Elephant)

My first post this year and nearly time to return to Europe after our three month holiday in Australia. It has been a very restful break with not much modelling at all occurring even though I had good intentions, I did manage to get a few games in though with my Aussie mates which was great.

Exciting news on the 20mm front for those who like unusual kit for their miniature armies SHQ miniatures have released a 21cm GRW 69 mortar. In 28mm I am not aware of any manufacturer... :( What is this beast you say,……

21cm GRW 69 Wefer Wurfmörser 

21cm GRW 69 Wefer Wurfmörser 

21cm GRW 69 Wefer Wurfmörser 

21cm GRW 69 Wefer Wurfmörser 

SHQ 21cm GRW69

Developed by Skoda in late 1943 originally in 22cm, it was changed to fit the 21cm round for production saving and use of the 21cm rounds already in production for the other wefers.  The idea of a breech loading mortar was not new, but a little ambitious with either a 85kg or 110kg projectile, making it a difficult man handling exercise for loading, harking back to a ww1 type round that required a platform or winch system to load. The mortar could deliver a 110kg 21cm round 5400m and a 85kg round 6400m......cleary the design had city or fixed defensive position fighting in mind as it weighed 2800kg the same as a 122mm howitzer. Elevation 40-70 degrees verticale and 60 degrees traverse using a track on which the wheels were mounted. It also had a slow rate of fire of 1-2 rounds per minute because of the cartridge weight and had to be brought back to level for the loading procedure. 

The following rounds could be fired:

- the 21 cm grenade 5004 HE demolition round
- the 21 cm grenade 5021 anti personnel with a high fragmentation 85kg
- the 21 cm grenade 5031 (cast iron) HE anti personnel and penetrating defensive positions 87kg.

By November 1944 the first 30 werfers were issued and by the end of the war 129 werfers were issued. The werfer was also planned to be mounted on the chassis of the Panzer III and on the chassis of the Hummel as close support weapons.

Like all my toys I like them to be assigned to units and I have found two units that were issued them. The 410th Volks artillery Corps who were issued 9 units in November 1944 and by December had 27 units and were used in the Ardennes offensive. SS Wefer battery 500, in March 1945, I am not 100% certain however I have read that SS Werfer group Kreischer were issued some to a training replacement group in Feb 45 on the eastern front, and issued with only 90 rounds. (all from Lexicon wehrmacht).

Images from Waffen magazine

A Russian Magazine 

I will be adding a unit to my 20mm Volksgrenadier units for the fall of the Reich scenarios, and using the Rapid Fire template and rules for nebelwerfers I think for firing and reload (every other turn). 

410th Volks Artillery Regiment Rapid Fire organisation

HQ Reg staff battery with supply, communications and administration zug

CO +7 VW car, RSO ammunition supply, horse drawn comms van, M/C combo, 

Observer +1 kubelwagen

1st battery 2 x wefers, 2 x sdkfz11 and 8 crew 

Next week we start the 30 kits in 30 days challenge come and join in the fun here!

cheers

Matt

British Heavy Artillery Normandy 1944

 British Heavy Artillery units Normandy 1944

This month I have been completing some British artillery crews and decided to do some heavy pieces, so a little research had to be commenced, so I thought I would share my documents.

59th RA 7.2 inch howitzer in action 2nd September 1944.

The British artillery units who landed after DDay made up 18% of the total 21st army British and Canadian troops on the ground, more than the actual fighting infantry percentage. the heavy regiments were general reserve assigned to army corps.

The heavy artillery regiments in Normandy were:-

1st Royal Artillery Heavy Regiment 

Batteries 

3rd Battery 4 x 7.2 inch Howitzer Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
5th Battery 4 x 155mm Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
16 Battery  4 x 155mm Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
28 Battery  4 x 7.2 inch Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

Location

Assigned to the 2nd Canadian group in July in support of operations including Tractable and Totalize 
tactical plate 1 white, on corps artillery tactical plate. In March 1945 the 16th battery used Russian 12.2 cm guns. 

51st Royal Artillery Regiment, Lowland (city of Edinburgh)

1st Battery   4 x 7.2 inch Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

2nd Battery 4 x 7.2 inch Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

4th Battery  4 x 7.2 inch Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

6th Battery  4 x 6 inch Howitzer rubber tyres Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

Location

4th Army Group Royal Artillery in June 1944, supported 1st corps assault on Caen in operation Charnwood, then assigned to support the 1st corps in operation Estonia and the assault on Le Havre. Most commonly used in the counter battery role.

tactical plate 187 white, on corps artillery tactical plate

52nd Royal Artillery Regiment Bedfordshire Yeomanry 

417th Battery (Bedford) 4 x 7.2 howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

418th Battery (Bedford) 4 x 7.2 howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

419th Battery (Bedford) 4 x 155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

420th Battery (Bedford) 4 x 155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

Location

5th Army Group Royal Artillery

tactical plate 187, on corps artillery tactical plate

53rd Royal artillery Regiment 

8th Battery   4 x 7.2 howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

9th Battery   4 x 7.2 inch howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

24th Battery 4 x 155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

25th Battery 4 x 155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

Location

8th Army Group Royal Artillery

tactical plate 194 white on corps artillery tactical plate

59th regiment Newfoundland 

20th Battery 4 x 7.2 inch howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

21st Battery 4 x 7.2 inch howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

22nd Battery 4 x155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

23rd Battery 4 x 155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

Location 

3rd Army Group Royal Artillery

Tactical plate 179 white, on corps artillery tactical plate 

Available models in 20mm- 1/72- 1/76th

I am happy to use what I can get but do prefer 1/72 and 20mm to 1/76th scale, budget is always a consideration too.

7.2 inch howitzer

Early War Miniatures 7.2 inch Howitzer resin simple kit

Milicast 7.2 howitzer resin mixed media kit

SHQ 7.2 Howitzer  metal model

Thunder model plastic model (coming this year)

155mm M1 long tom

A number of plastic, metal, diecast and resin available

SHQ 155mm M1 metal

Wespe models 155mm M1 resin

Hasegawa 1/72 155mm long tom howitzer any model shop

Atalya diecast towed model only hard to get

Alby models 155mm resin 1/72 (closest to actual measurments)

Marusan 155mm a rare plastic kit from Japan

AHM 155mm a rare plastic kit model 

6 inch Howitzer

SHQ miniatures 6 inch Howitzer

Milicast QF6 rubber tyres 

Scammel Pioneer

a few models available

SHQ scammel artillery tractor metal model

wespe models scammel resin model

IBG models plastic Scammel Pioneer plastic

Thunder Models Scammel Pioneer (not seen this kit yet)

Albion CX22s

One model that I am aware of 

Fankit models Albion CX22s resin mixed media kit

Albion CX25 

only one model I am aware of

SHQ Albion CX 25