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

Luftwaffe Flak 88 - 16 Luftwaffe Field Division part four

 Luftwaffe Flak 88 

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 

16th Luftwaffe Felddivision - Part Three

16th Luftwaffe Felddivision. 

Completed my luftwaffe field division  infantry regiment using SHQ figures which are closer to 1/76 rather than 1/72 but are lovely figures never the less. I have a regimental HQ stab coy, two Stab HQ for the two battalions, 6 rifle companys and support coy of MMG and Mortar, plus anti tank battalion assets. I need to add a motorcycle Feld Gendarmerie platoon, a regimental Kitchen platoon, Sanits platoon, sniper and supply wagons to the Regiment HQ. 

For the remainder of the division I am currently working on the supply, medical, anti armor regiment, Anti aircraft regiment, artillery regiment and support vehicles and wagons at the moment, hopefully complete them over the coming two weeks. 

1st Battalion Luftwaffe Felddivision

2nd Battalion Luftwaffe Felddivision 

Really happy how the luftwaffe camo smocks have come up and the anti tank gun colours also.  I have built the division so they can be used in Normandy, Russian Front and Holland. 

Regimental Stab (still requires medic, kitchen wagon and field police) 

1st battalion Stab HQ

1st Company Luftwaffe Felddivision 16

2nd Company Luftwaffe Felddivision 16

3rd Company Luftwaffe Felddivision 16

2nd Battalion  Luftwaffe Felddivision 16

6th Company Luftwaffe Felddivision 16

7th Company Luftwaffe Felddivision 16

8th Company Luftwaffe Felddivision 16

9th Company Luftwaffe Felddivision 16

10th Company Luftwaffe Felddivision 16

10th Company Luftwaffe Felddivision 16

Cheers

Matt

Dutch Army Part 3 - The Black Devils

The Black Devils

Established in 1665 Dutch Marines were the only volunteer regular unit in the Dutch ground forces. On the tenth of May the Marine Regiment was preparing to depart from Rotterdam to the Dutch East Indies and join the other marine units already posted there. About 650 marines were in the barracks in Rotterdam when the invasion began with a further 200 as part of the training and recruit centre. 

 They became famous for their action during the invasion when the marine regiment in Rotterdam consisting of 100 marines, some artillery, Armoured cars and Naval personnel defended the Willemsbrug traffic bridge across the Nieuwe Maas river and prevented the link up for four days against the German Fallschirmjager who had tried to take the bridges by surprise on the 10th of May. 

The name the black devils was thought to be christened by Oberstleutnant Von Choltitz “ die schwarzen Teufel ” when the 6 marines who were still alive defending the Willemsbrug bridge surrendered. 

I have decided to build a complete battalion for the regiment, structured at full strength like a infantry regiment with support elements, a 81mm mortar, MG section, AT rifle and RHQ and recon coy. The miniatures are all SHQ. 

Regimental Head Quarters 

Co plus 7, AT rifle, reconnaissance platoon cycles. 

RHQ command element, radio trailer and car to be added

Reece platoon

AT rifle platoon 

Battalion Head Qauters

BHQ OC plus 4

1st company

10 figures, Lewis lmg

2nd Company 

10 figs Lewis lmg 

3rd Company 

10 figs Lewis lmg

Support Heavy weapons

81mm mortar 4 crew

MMG 3 crew

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

#30daykitchallenge part four

 Wrap up

Well thirty days of putting 1/72 kits together, completely over it actually, still have ten kits to go that have been started up to three years ago, but very happy with my results. A total of 56 kits assembled ready for undercoat, I hit my goal of 50, but run out of steam in the last week. 

Ok so more resin and plastic plus a few metal guns 

Airfix scorpion, the tracks were a pain in the A

Wespe resin Dutch Paag trekkers, fiddly kits

Mirage 2000 a nice fitting Helier kit

Skyhawk starfix kit a very old kit 

T55 enigma a mixed resin and plastic kit

DD Sherman’s Britannia I think 

SHQ 15cm Howitzer 

T-62b Britannia for my Egyptians 

Para motorcycles 

PT76 plastic a very nice kit for my Egyptians 

Airfix bofors 40mm for my Dutch 

More T-62b these need the Syrian upgrades 

British airborne locust and 6pdr SHQ

Britannia Churchill funny, I want to scratch build the which and add cable after painting 

Airfix Buccaneer awaiting pilots 

Total 25 kits 

Cheers

Matt