Terrain Tuesday - Signage and bits

  A bit of ww2 terrain fillers this week, signage from the italeri 1/72 box set

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - Ohh la Vache

 Ohh la Vache 

Some cows for my modern and ww2 wargaming terrain filler. Based on the Normand cream cow that makes up the majority of soft rind cheeses in the Camembert and Brie valleys around us. 

Terrain Tuesday - Statue, Wayside Cross and Hay Bales

 Another week of bits completed, first up a statue of the Madonna and child  I picked up at a brocante for a village centre piece, a simple paint job and based, then a roadside cross and finally some hay stacks 

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - Hot food van

 Hot Food Van

A Citroen  Hot Wheels car was picked up a few weeks ago whilst shopping, I opted to paint it in split colours. I do intend adding a table and garbage bin on the grassed area as soon as I find them in my model railway bits box, it will join my Cold War collection. Now I need a name for it! My wife suggested to call it Matts chew and spew….. as she detests take away….

Happy with the results 

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - WW2 bits

 

 Terrain Tuesday

A bit of terrain completed before Christmas. A few roadside shrines, the cross is metal and possibly Ral Partha the Madonna is plastic. The plinths are bases glued together. 

Roadside Madonna 

Roadside cross

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - ww2 bits

A fettlers railway shed, entrenchment, hay stack and some French fuel drums for a supply dump. 

Cheers

Matt

Operation Deadstick (Coup de main) - Pegasus Bridge part 1

 Operation Tonga - Pegasus Bridge part 1

One of my primary projects for 2024 is to build an accurate Pegasus bridge table on a permanent setting, with that in mind I have started to collect a number of period photos together, plus intelligence photos, postcards of the village. I will also identify the gliders and build them as per the description of the destruction upon landing. I will be using three or four books on the subject plus a few local photos from my visits and actual measurements for scratch building or 3d printing. I will also build specific tiles for the table to cover both the Bénouville bridge (pegasus), and the Orne river bridge (Horsa), plus the village of Bénouville up to the cross roads and perhaps the chateau Bénouville and the edge of the village of Ranville.

I plan to build all the buildings at 1/76th scale approximately so the templates are not to large. For he bridge over the canal I have purchased the 20mm resin bridge from ravensthorpe for Pegasus bridge but have already started to add a few modifications to the resin piece including new hand railings and more accurate supports and the boom gates. The bridge over the river Orne will be a 3d printed piece. The narrow gauge rail line will be likely N scale track to reduce the footprint of the line. I have purchased the Bénouville chateau also as a 3d file, not sure if i will add it to the table though as it is huge. 

The Bridges and environs

Aerial view of Pegasus bridge, the train station, water tower,  german trenches are clearly visible, along with railway line, towpath the layout of the Gardens behind. If you visit today the ground has changed a lot, the canal was widened in the 60s, the AT gun was moved and the bank on the village side considerably reduced.

The 

The Bénouville Gare (railway station) and water tower was still in its position on DDay along with the rails. I have only ever seen it on a pegasus bridge table once. The station and tower were removed in 1960, a similar station remains today which I have taken photos and measurements from.

A photo of the construction of the second bridge (replacing the swing bridge) in the mid 30s, note how the bridge if off set to the road alignment to the village of Bénouville, this was changed when the new bridge was installed in the 60s. A much better view of the light railway line, the station and water tower, directly behind it was a deep drain which runs through a culvert under the road behind the cafe Gorondee also. 

British soldiers crossing the bridge heading to Ranville. note the boom gates, metal pedestrian fencing the bank revetments, the edge of the gunpit, and the British load sign

A postcard from 1960, note the bridge footings and shorter span bridge, with the proud jetty. The old 1960s bridge in the museum grounds is one panel longer than the ww2 bridge, this is a photo of that bridge before it was moved.

A photo of the bridge after the war as the sandbags are missing on the control shack, the Pegasus sign is up on cafe Gondrée, note the large trees on the right where the train station is.

A photo of the bridge with major howard, note the footings of the building in the foreground, the germans had a MG nest in this area, note the old mill building is attached to cafe Gondree still.

Cafe Gondrée, note the brick front and shutters as it was directly after the war.

Cafe Gondrée 2017, there was no hedge during the action.

Myths about Pegasus bridge

1. First building liberated was not in fact cafe Gondree, but the building opposite . 
2. Commandos of lord Lovatt ; Bagpipes not played at Pegasus bridge as per the "longest day" but as the commandos crossed Horsa bridge. 
3. Resistance told allies germans had explosives on the bridge, however they were not wired up
4. Scars counterbalance are from the combat with the patrol boat
5. In 1944 the bridge was shorter (photo extension) and the road was made of wooden planks either side of the rail line

Bibliography

cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - TV crew

 Another table piece for my Cold War collection this time a camera crew covering the troubles along the border….. figures from Elhiem miniatures range. 

Cheers

Matt 

Terrain Tuesday - Crashed P51D WIP

 Crashed P51D

Terrain Tuesday build this week is a crashed airfix P51D, the kit is not the best P51D around with lots of filling required to make it look good so perfect for modelling a crashed aircraft…… so a day assembly to compete. Painting this week when the weather improves for airbrush work. 

I have taken inspiration from this one 

P51D "Esther" from the 504th Fighter Squadron, 339th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force, S/N 44-14321 that crashed while on take off on Feb. 5,1945. The pilot was Lt. Vernon Barto

.

A bit of filling where I cut off the wing, and some candle work on the prop, otherwise out of the box. 

Cheers

Matt 

Terrain Tuesday - light poles

  Always adding a bit of 20th century and modern bits to the collection. Some street lamps from model railway supplier, I was hoping to get some more cows done too but next week I suspect. 

I sculpted the paving with green stuff, I did think about adding LEDs but that is for the more permanent pieces I purchased for my city blocks. 

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - Desert terrain part two

 Desert terrain 

Last week as the Yom Kippur War bug continues to bite I completed some desert shrub foliage cover pieces that could be used for both 20mm and 28mm. Simple mdf base with coir hair mat and, home made tufts and some noch shrub. Quite effective and happy with the result, 30 odd more to come once I make some new tufts in the coming week or so. 

Desert tufts 

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - Haystacks

 

 Hay Stacks 

I have been meaning to paint these for some time, the first 4 are complete and I have 16 more to complete the lot. Quite happy with the result and they match my fields (door mat) much more to come 

Cheers

Matt