MiG 17 PF WIP

  MiG 17 PF WIP

As the summer sales are on at the moment I have gone a little crazy and pickup a number of kits for my collection from early war ww2 through to current. With that I continue my MIG obsession at the moment, another MIG15 and two MiG 17s purchased as commenced. Simple Plastyk builds, one will join my Egyptians and Iraqis.

Israeli Parachute Battalion

Israeli Paratrooper 35th Brigade

Another spring project is to complete my Israeli Paratroopers and a few support element for them, a helicopter or two, tank company and half tracks. I will use these units for 6 day War, Yom Kippur war and Lebanon.

Six day War 

During the Six-Day War, the paratroopers fought on all fronts: the Sinai Peninsula, Judea, Samaria and the Golan Heights. Paratroopers and armor broke through the Rafah positions heavily defended by the Egyptian 7th Division from behind, with the unit suffering heavy losses. Many troops were further killed in action during the evacuation of the wounded. The following day, the unit entered Gaza. Paratroopers made a helicopter landing at the Um Katef artillery positions in the enemy's rear line. A battalion raced against the 7th IDF Armored Division for the honor of being the first to reach the Suez Canal, paratroopers reached Sharm El Sheikh and likewise participated in the attack on the Golan. During the recapture of East Jerusalem from Jordanian annexation. Reconnaissance paratroopers equipped with Jeeps mounting 106mm recoilless rifles waged a campaign of destruction against Egyptian armor formations. During the Battle of Firdan Bridge the paratroopers destroyed dozens of T-55 tanks right off the freighter in Alexandria harbor.

Yom Kippur War 

The Yom Kippur War saw the paratroopers fighting in some of the most difficult battles of the war. In the Sinai, paratroopers assigned to armored units rescued the beleaguered 'Budapest' outpost and destroyed the Egyptian forces. Paratroopers armed with LAW missiles helped contain an Egyptian armored thrust. Paratroopers of Danny Matt's brigade crossed the canal, as the spearhead of General Sharon's divisions, and established a bridgehead. Others, attempting to break open a route for them, ran up against the massive "Chinese Farm" fortifications. For three days, paratroopers and armored corps of General Sharon's and General Adan's divisions made repeated attempts until they finally succeeded in breaking through and rescuing their comrades. The battles for the "Chinese Farm" prevented the Egyptians from closing in on the bridgehead and eventually succeeded in opening an access point to it. On the West Bank of the Suez Canal, paratroopers fought in the city of Suez and advanced upon the city of Ismailia. On the Syrian front, paratroopers captured the peaks of Mt. Hermon in a heliborne operation. Other troops conquered Quneitra in the Golan Heights and Tel Shams and acted as armored infantry in the thrust into Syrian territory.

During an operation known as Operation Nightgown Sayeret Tzanhanim paratroopers were dropped off at a grassy opening near Kasr al-Hayr on the main Baghdad-Damascus Highway. They headed for a bridge where a brigade of Iraqi T-62 tanks was about to cross en route to the Golan Heights battlefield. The paratroopers attacked the Iraqi armor from the front causing a bottleneck. The Sayeret Tzanhanim paratroopers also attacked the trapped brigade from the rear with machine gun fire and RPGs destroying the brigade. The paratroopers then placed explosive charges underneath the bridge full of destroyed Iraqi tanks destroying the bridge. This prevented crucial Iraqi reinforcements from ever reaching the Golan Heights front destroying an Iraqi tank brigade in the process. Operation Nightgown was one of the smallest Israeli special operations ever mounted and also one of the most important. Approximately a dozen paratroopers destroyed the Iraqi tank brigade.

Entebbe Rescue Operation 

On the morning of the fourth of July 1976, a team of crack Israeli troops headed by Paratroop Officer Dan Shomron succeeded in rescuing the 87 passengers and crew of a hijacked Air France airbus at Entebbe, Uganda. The force, transported in four Hercules aircraft, succeeded in landing undetected at Entebbe's airport, and in taking the 13 terrorists and their Ugandan collaborators by surprise. 

Lebanon War 

The paratroopers were an important component of the First Lebanon War. The war in Lebanon proved the IDF's fighting ability and tested Paratroop combat doctrine, which had been revised as a result of the lessons of the Yom Kippur War, Operation Litani and other operations. Paratroopers fought in every sector of the war against Syrian troops and paratroops, both in built-up and mountainous areas. One of the better known operations was the amphibious landing at the mouth of the Awali River, north of Sidon, from where the paratroopers advanced to the outskirts of Beirut through the mountains. In their advance, they engaged Syrian commando forces.

Organisation

The Parachute brigades had 3 infantry (or parachute) battalions, plus a number of individual companies (reconnaissance, anti-tank, engineering, communications), as well as a support battalion of 120-mm towed mortars or vehicle mounted M3 mortars. In the case of a large landing operation, paratroop brigades received reinforcement in the form of a battalion of 122-mm howitzers D-30. In 1967 the reconnaissance company of the 80th paratrooper brigade was armed with 10 reconnaissance jeeps, 5 anti-tank jeeps (106-mm BO).

There were 6 companies in the parachute battalion; headquarters, fire support and 4 parachute infantry companies.The company of fire support consisted of a platoon of six 81mm mortars, reconnaissance platoon, anti-tank (jeeps with 106 mm BO) and heavy machine guns (12.7 mm М2НВ).

35th Brigade

101st Paratrooper Battalion "Cobra"
202nd Paratrooper Battalion "Viper"
890th Paratrooper Battalion "Echis"
5135th Paratroopers Reconnaissance Battalion (Gadsar Tzanhanim) "Flying Serpent"5173rd Reconnaissance Company "Palsar"
5174th Anti-Tank Company "Orev"
5105th Engineer Company "Palhan"
"Palhik" Signal Company.

Rapid Fire Able archer Organisation

My build will be a single battalion to start with and brigade recon company, plus one H34 Sikorsky helicopter, with plans to add at least one Huey so I can use one for 67 and for 73 war also.


101sr Paratrooper Battalion “Cobra” Elite morale 

HQ coy
Co,radio, sniper, medic, 52mm mortar 2 crew, 2 jeeps 

1st coy

8 figs, lmg 2 jeeps

2nd coy

8 figs lmg 2 jeeps 

3rd Coy 

8 figs lmg 2 jeeps

5173rd  Recon coy “Palsar”

2 x jeeps 6 figs MMG vehicle mounted

5174th AT coy “Orev”
Jeep 106mm recoilless 

Air support

H34 Sikorsky helicopter 124 squadron

Bell UH1 Huey helicopter 123 squadron 

Israeli Armoured Recon Part 1

 Israeli Armoured recon unit

Next addition to my Israeli army for my Arab-Israeli war collection is a recon platoon of 10 figs, I also plan to add three jeeps, one with a 106mm RCL. I am still looking for a suitable unit to base them on for the six day war. 

The figures are from the platoon 20 range, which I am happy to report that the range has been purchased and will be back in production soon I hear at East Front Miniatures. The radio operator is from the later range, but I wanted one so I purchased him.

Israeli Recon company 

Cheers

Matt

Modern 20mm Technicals and civilian vehicles

Technicals and civilian vehicles

On facebook last month someone posted a T55 turret mounted on a dump truck, so off to our local charity shop this weekend see if I could pick up a suitable piece, while I was there I also picked up some other pieces, some for my BGS build and some other pieces, I like lots of cars for terrain fillers for modern warfare, it makes the terrain look lived in.

While I failed in my task to find a suitable dump truck I did manage to pick up a number of civilian 80s cars, a big bonus plus some suitable ww2 cars! As with most matchbox, majorette vehicles of the 80s lots of sports cars and not many everyday cars suitable for the wargames table. All of these will be receiving a new paint job at some stage and join my box of terrain filler bits!

Porsche 924 My dream car in 1985 before I knew about V8s....

BMW 733, my uncle had one of these in about 87

Mercedes 350SL two door.....so sexy

Citroen SM I was excited to find this!

James Bond my feature in his swimming lotus esprit!

A caravan, the second one, I think it will join a lakeside camp perhaps

Mercedes Benz 2400, It will join my Bundesgrenzschutz

cheers

Matt

Israeli IDF Artillery and A/T guns 1973 Yom Kippur War

 IDF Artillery and A/T guns

IDF infantry brigades organically had a 120mm mortar and an anti-tank gun battalion, each of four batteries with three tubes. Howitzer battalions were 12 guns, were allocated by the general staff.

M50 howitzer mounted on a Sherman chassis

In 1973 they had available 

• 200 British 25 pounders
• 64 M50 French towed howitzers
• 24 105 Self propelled howitzers on AMX-13 chassis
• 36 M7 105mm howitzers
• M50 self propelled sherman chassis
• 300 120mm towed mortars or Self propelled
• 60 160mm towed heavy mortar
• 300 6 pounder AT guns
• 17 pounder AT guns

The IDF’s 6-pounder anti-tank guns were in the process of being converted to 90mm smooth bore barrels firing fin-stabilized HEAT rounds. These guns were also being mounted on modified half-tracks. Jeep mounted 106mm recoilless rifles, manufactured in Israel, which were organic to infantry battalions, had also supplemented the available inventory of anti-tank guns

In 1973, the IDF is known to have fielded three battalions of M-107A1 self-propelled 175mm guns and one battalion of self-propelled 203mm M-110A1 howitzers (converted from 175mm during the war). This was the first time the IDF fielded heavy artillery. There were 14 battalions of self-propelled medium 155mm howitzers (9 M-50, 3 L-33 and 2 M-109) and seven battalions of self-propelled M-68 160mm mortars. There were also three battalions of M-7 105mm self-propelled howitzers and12 battalions of self-propelled 120mm mortars. In addition to this selfpropelled artillery, there were three battalions of towed M-50 155mm howitzers, two battalions of captured towed M-46 130mm guns (which had been mounted on new Soltam chassis), perhaps four battalions of captured towed D-30 and M-38 122mm howitzers, and up to 12 battalions of towed 120mm mortars. One reduced battery of lightweight M-102 105mm towed howitzers was available for use by helicopter inserted special forces. There was one multiple rocket launcher battalion equipped with captured 12 tube 240mm launchers mounted on 6x6 trucks, and one newly formed, partial strength MRL battalion equipped with four rail 290mm launchers mounted on de-turreted M-50 Sherman hulls.33 

In 1973, available Israeli artillery support for its brigades and divisions proved wholly inadequate. There simply were too few tubes, and the daily consumption of rounds per tube was far higher than the IDF had anticipated. Consequently, its ammunition war reserves, based on a planned inventory of 800 rounds per medium caliber tube, proved far too low. During the war, the IDF employed all of the available 175mm and most available 155mm and 130mm rounds. One quickly learned lesson was the need to increase both the number of available tubes for each division, while also significantly increasing the number of war reserve rounds available for each tube.34

In 1973, the artillery brigades of each of the six tank divisions generally deployed two or three battalions of 155mm self-propelled howitzers, a battalion of self-propelled 160 mm mortars and two battalions of selfpropelled 120mm mortars. By 1977, there were nine divisional artillery brigades, most with four battalions of 33 or 39 caliber self-propelled 155mm howitzers and one battalion of self-propelled 160mm mortars. This significantly increased the weight of shells that could be fired in a salvo, as well as the range of its 155mm howitzers. Moreover, many maneuver brigades now likely, again, had an organic battalion of 120mm self-propelled mortars for direct support and every tank battalion was, again, supported by organic self-propelled 81mm mortars.36

Sticking my neck out on colours, next up a painting guide!

cheers

Matt

 

Arab-Israeli War project

As the 50th Anniversary is coming up in a bit over a year and a half,  I thought I had get my finger out and complete my Arab-Israeli war project over the next twelve months. I currently use Able Archer for my rules and have played a few games back in Australia with my collection, but Fred and I mostly played with armour rather than much infantry and air cover. Now I have decided to complete my Israelis over the next two months or so. I then basically need to build all of my Egyptians and Syrians, I predominantly have all of the figures purchased and all of the vehicles, plus most of the aircraft,  I just need to crack on and paint it all.

The Plan

I want to build decent sized battlegroups for both the north Golan heights and the south that can be used for the 67 war and the Yom Kippur war in 73. The Egyptian and Syrian infantry and armour could also be used for other middle eastern nations as subs. I will probably use Able Archer modern rules based loosely of Rapid fire.

Israeli Army

M60 A1 btn of 6 tanks

M48 a3 Btn 6 tanks 

AMX 13 recon coy 2 tanks 

M50 and M51 Sherman two coys of 4 tanks

M5 battalion 

M113 half battalion

AT coy jeeps armed 105mm recoilless

1 motorised battalion inf

1 armoured battalion inf

1 parachute battalion 

188th brigade Golan Heights

M48A3 battalion 4 tanks

Centurion Sho't Kal 105mm x 4

2 paratroop battalions

1 SF coy

artillery battery armoured 

jeeps and trucks

Air support

1 A4 Skyhawk

1 F4 phantom

1 Iai Kfir

2 huey choppers 

Egyptian Army

T-55 battalion 7 tanks

T-62 battalion 7 tanks

armoured recon battalion PT76

2 battalions armoured infantry BTR 152

1 battalion motorised inf trucks

1 commando battalion

Air Support 

MIG 21

MIG 17

Syrian Army

7th Inf division elements

T55 tank batn 9 tanks 

2 inf battalions in BTR 152

artillery battery

Republican Guard independent 70th Armored Brigade

T62 battalion 9 tanks

BMP 1 armoured Inf Regiment

Artillery battery

Anti Tank battery

Air Support

Mig 15

SU 22

so quite a build. I hope to get the Israelis completed this year I hope

cheers

Matt

Israeli special forces - IDF skin divers

IDF Skin Divers

Next few off my desk for my continued Arab-Israeli war build are some Israeli special forces, some 20mm skin divers from platoon 20 range, I will use these for other games also wherever a port facility or bridge needs to be taken out! 

I tried to paint camouflage on the faces in the typical 1980s vertical lines which was common in movies and magazines, the skin suits in black bit with some light grey joint lines which was common in 1970s skin diving suits. Overall pretty happy with the result 

cheers

Matt

Israeli painting guide -1967-73 IDF infantry part 2

 IDF infantry part 2

The new IDF battalion was completed this week so I will add my colours. My paratroopers and some support weapons, vehicles etc will completed in the next month or two, but I am no rush to get the on the table until next years anniversary.

IDF battalion

My regimental colonel in a typical 80s pilots leather coat, with two female drivers! I need to add the 2 man radio section, jeeps and command half track at a later date

Two Browning M1919 MMG 

A basic squad, a mag 58, bazooka and mortar

Battalion HQ, missing  a radio man

my paint colours are 

Helmet with cover Vallejo khaki 988

Uniform Vallejo grey green 886

Webbing Vallejo Khaki 988

Boots and rubber Vallejo german grey

weapon stocks Vallejo mahogany brown

Barrels black Vallejo Black 

Rank stripes Vallejo shadow grey

ammunition Vallejo brass

hope that is helpful

cheers

Matt

Israeli painting guide 1967-1973 Israeli Infantry part 1

 Israeli Painting Guide

A little side project this year is to complete another battalion of Infantry, plus vehicle crew and a unit of Frogmen.  I also want to build more support elements for my collection, artillery, mortars, anti-tank, recon elements and some armoured infantry vehicles. I thought I would post up my uniform recipe for my 20mm figures while i was at it. 

I mostly game the Yom Kippur war but can backdate a few pieces if I wanted to play six day war games.

In 1973 IDF had 8 Infantry Brigades and 3 paratroop brigades (includes reserve brigades). The IDF  armoured corps had 15 half tracked infantry battalions, so this guide focus is for that period.

IDF Infantry painting guide

Helmet

The model 1951 French Helmet was the issue helmet during the war, often covered in mesh or hessian and with the black rubber band. The Hsat harness was from British design and the same as the parachute helmet the Hsat mk II helmet, which was used in some paratroop units.

Original IDF model 1951 French Helmet with HSAT straps in my collection

Hsat MkII british paratrooper helmet

Uniform

Paratrooper

The IDF purchased a number of of French lizard uniforms in the late 60s and a number were still in use in 1973, particularly the paratroopers and the Golani brigade.

French lizard camouflage paratrooper fit out

The Lizard camouflage is reasonably simple a beige sand primary colour, the stripes are horizontal, with the brown under the dark green. A simple number of stripes

Base colour 

german camouflage beige

Brown  984 flat brown

Green Luftwaffe Camo green

i wash with a waterdered down black vallejo wash

Highlight same colours

Regular

IDF regulars wore a green uniform of local manufacture, like all green uniforms it begins green but fades with use to a olive green colour and also takes on the dust colour well

Original IDF green 1973

Original motorised jacket with fake fur collar

Webbing

IDF webbing note the UZI magazine on the bottom set of pouches. The green bottle was not issued until the eighties previous was a aluminium french model with a black lid

Boots

Black general purpose boots, the pre 1980 boot was ten lace holes

Red Paratrooper and Special forces boots, note these are the later post 80 model with the blue liner and dog tag pocket in the top of the boot.

Weapons

SMG

9mm Uzi 

Rifle 

FN D 

Rifle Grenade

FN D rifle grenade

Infantry Support Weapons

FN Mag 58 machine gun

M 1919A6 machine gun (7.62)

MG42 rechambered 7.62

Mortars

52mm mortar carried in each company

81mm Mortar

soviet 120mm mortar

French Brandt Mortar

Bazooka

The Bazooka was the Belgian made M20

hope you found the article helpful

cheers

Matt

Tree Renovations Part 9.......Palms

 Palm Trees

As they say, a change of scenery is as good as a holiday! 

I have decided to complete some palm trees from the collection, similar basing to my other trees, lots of work, undercoat base coat, ink wash, highlight, I made the root systems for these from green stuff, before I decided to make a resin mould in the two different tree trunk sizes to speed things up for the next 40 odd trees. really happy with the results.

I will use these in the middle east for my modern games and pacific island WW2 games, I am also setting some aside for my 20mm Middle eastern city fight games for gardens and such and making traffic islands with trees etc. 

I say Pierre, I think we have taken a wrong turn......

cheers

Matt

Tree Renovation Part 6, Work in Progress Palms

Palms 

When I ventured upstairs earlier in the week I also found my Palm trees, suitable either for the desert or Pacific beach landing scenarios.  I purchased in bulk around 80 odd palm trees in three different sizes again from China. So possibly by the end of next weekend they will also be another 80 odd completed trees. Repainting the trunks and foliage, washing then highlighting, plus I will make a master and cast a root base for the three different sizes, so I do not need to green stuff each one individually. I now want some date Palms and will possibly order some in a week or two after I complete my european tree project.

cheers

Matt

Zil 157 20mm trucks

off the desk in last weekend a bunch of kits that have taken me two weeks to do as I done four of them in a production line while on a business trip. Great simple kits to do too.

Three will be standard trucks for my middle eastern nations

And this one will get a S and S command body

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