Panzers in Normandy - SS Panzer Abteilung 17 Götz von Berlichingen

 SS Panzer Abteilung 17 Götz von Berlichingen

The next unit I want to complete is my 17th SS Götz von Berlichingen, as I collect information a recently released book for the 80th anniversary of DDay arrived on pre order and this week I finally sat down for a read on a very wet Mayenne day. 

The book was published by Maranes Editions Bayeux, authored by Stephan Cazenave & Stephane Neuhaus. I met the authors at the Normandy military Book Festival at Chateau d’Audrieu in June this year. 

Chateau d’Audrieu

The book has a lot of great photos relating to panzers of the unit, ideal for modelers and Normandy military historians. I suspect a number of the vehicles will enter my collection over the next 6 months. 

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

The Strivsvagen 103 Swedish army project

The S Tank 

Possibly the most recognisable cold war tank the Strivsvagen 103 or S tank. Work on improving the Strv S finally ended in March of 1966. A year later, in September of 1967, the tank was accepted into service. It received the index Strv 103, although Bofors documents kept calling it Strv S for some time. Ten years of work were not wasted: the army received an unusual, but technically excellent vehicle, ideally suitable for fighting in Scandinavia.

A big Cold War favourite of mine, I have six S Diecast tanks in my collection and one plastic with dozer blade, I have given them a repaint then gloss varnish, wash and weathered them so they all match. 

Photos to come! 

Cheers

Matt

Able Archer - Algerian Army list 1962-1990

 Algerian Armed Forces 1962-1990

The Algerian Armée National Populaire (ANP) came to into existence in 1962 after the independence movement was a success against France. The Algerian nation supported a number of liberation movements in Africa during the 70s and 80s and was a major contributor to the OAU (Organisation of African Unity) and sent advisors and money to support the rebel movements all over Africa. The government also openly supported terrorist organisations such as the PLF, PIJ and PLO up until 1990s. The government also sent troops and equipment to support Arab countries during the 67 and 73 Arab Israeli wars. 

My Army lists only commence after the independence of Algeria. Tactical doctrine is based on the soviet model. 

Algerian involvement in local and international Wars, Sand War (63-64), October war (Yom Kippur) 1973, Western Sahara (75-76), 

Main Battle Tanks 

T34/85  (1963)

T54 (1964) 100mm D10T

T55 (1967) 100mm D10T KTD2 laser range finder (1982)

T62 (1977)  115 U5-TS + 12.7mm AA gun

T72M (1979) 125mm 

Armoured vehicles 

M8 Greyhound A/C

Saladin 

BDRM 2 

BTR 40 (1964)

BTR 50 (1964)

BTR 60PB (1970)

BTR 152 (1964)

OT-64

BMP 1 (1970)

BMP 2

Panhard M3 APC 

SU 100 

Man handled AT system

157 x Zis2 57mm AT HEAT 3 crew

37 x D44N 85mm AT infa-red sight, HEAT, 4 crew

3 x T12 100mm AT gun HEAT 4 crew 

AT 3 Sagger missile 

AT4 spigot 

AT5 Spandrel 

Milan 

Recoilless gun 

120x B10 82mm 

58x B11 107mm

Artillery systems 

Towed 122mm howitzer D74

Towed 122mm howitzer M37

Towed 122 howitzer D30A APHE, APBC, HEAT, APFSDS (1990) illumination, smoke 4 crew 

Towed 130mm howitzer M46 APHE, APBC, HEAT illumination, smoke 6 crew 

Towed 152 howitzer ML 20S APHE, APBC, HEAT illumination, smoke 6 crew 

Self propelled 2s1 (Gvozvika) 122mm howitzer APHE, APBC, HEAT

Self propelled 2s3 152mm howitzer APHE, APBC, HEAT

Mortar 82mm BM37 (max range 30 inches)

Mortar 120mm M43

Mortar 160mm M43

Rocket propelled artillery 

BM 21- 122mm Ural-357 mounted 40 tubes  HE, smoke, illuminate, phosphorus chemical smoke, crew 3 (1980)

BM14/16 Zis 151 mounted 8 tubes - 140mm rocket HE, smoke, phosphorus chemical smoke, crew 6 (1962)

30x BM24 - 240mm Zis-151 12 tubes  HE, smoke, phosphorus chemical smoke, crew 6 (1962)

Missile artillery systems 

SA2 guideline 

SA3 Goa 

SA6 Gainful

SA13 Gopher 

Anti air systems 

60x ZPU-2 twin barrel 14.5

40x ZPU-4 4 barrel 14.5mm 

20mm 

23mm 

37mm

57mm 

ZU -23-4 23mm twin crew 4

ZSU-23-4 23mm twin Shilka crew 4 

85mm AA gun (KS 12) 

100mm AA gun (KS 19)

140mm AA gun  (KS 30)

Missile Anti Air 

Sa7 man portable 

SA8 Gecko

SA9 Gaskin 

SA14

SA16 

Aviation 

MiG 15

MIG 21

MIG 23

SU 25 

28 x Mi 2 helicopter 

Mi 24 helicopter 

Mi171 (Mi-8AMT) troop carrier 

Alouette II

Alouette III

References 

https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/Algeria%20Study_4.pdf

16. Luftwaffe Feld Division Praga RV Part two

 

 16. Luftwaffe Feld Division Praga RV 

A project over summer was to complete my Luftwaffe  Felddivision 16 for Normandy. First I airbrushed my vehicles and guns then done the crews and infantry. This is the first vehicles off the deck are some resin Praga trucks from ready to roll range. They are the only photos I have of the 16 Felddivisions vehicles 

Cheers

Matt

Part Three - Whisky on the Rocks - Swedish order of Battle

Invasion of Gotland 1981

Part Three

“Admiral Ivan Kapitanets was relieved the briefing was over, finally his command will launch its offensive against the west, the but first the Swedish island of Gotland needed to be taken, he would leave the political animal Major General Vladimir Platov’s 11th Guards army to take the mainland, but his Naval Infantry would take the key to the eastern Baltic, the island of Gotland. Then the placing of  surface to Air missile batteries to control the skies over the baltic and Northern Europe.” 

Well I have been giving thoughts towards my Cold War game next year and a linked Cold War weekend war game. The weekends gaming will be a what if invasion of Gotland circa October 1981. For those with long memories a Soviet Nuclear Submarine S363 grounded itself  off the coast of Sweden in October 1981. 

The Gotland Regiment 

Major General COL Lars-Eric Wahlgren

PB 18 - Gotland Brigade in Visby:Headquarters and Staff Company

1st Armored Battalion 

with a staff company, 12x Stridsvagn 102R centurion tanks in one company, 28x KP-car m/42 wheeled armoured personnel carriers and 24x Rifle Squads with 8x Pvpj 1110 90mm recoilless rifles in two companies, 4x M/40 105mm howitzers in an artillery battery and a logistic company

2nd Armored Battalion with a staff company, 

12x Stridsvagn 102R centurion tanks in one company, 28x KP-car m/42 wheeled armoured personnel carriers and 24x Rifle Squads with 8x Pvpj 1110 90mm recoilless rifles in two companies, 4x M/40 105mm howitzers in an artillery battery and a logistic company

3rd Armored Battalion 

with a staff company, 12x Stridsvagn 102R centurion tanks in one company, 28x KP-car m/42 wheeled armoured personnel carriers and 24x Rifle Squads with 8x Pvpj 1110 90mm recoilless rifles in two companies, 4x M/40 105mm howitzers in an artillery battery and a logistic company

Artillery Battalion

with 12x 155mm Haubits m/F towed howitzers in three batteries

18th Armored Reconnaissance Company 

6x KP-car m/42 wheeled armoured personnel carriers, 12x Jeeps, 12x Recon Teams, 2x Rifle Squads and 4x Pvpj 1110 90mm recoilless rifles

18th Anti-tank Company 

with m/48 recoilless rifles and Bantam anti-tank missiles
18th Engineer Company
Logistic Battalion

KA 3 - Gotland Coastal Artillery Regiment

In Fårösund trained and fielded a wide variety of units, which in case of war would have come under direct command of the Gotland Military Command: three mobile Coastal Guard Platoons (Sjöbevakningspluton) armed with light Robot 17 anti-ship missiles. One heavy anti-ship missile battery armed with Robot 08 missiles. 

The 7th Coastal Artillery Battery 

In Bunge with 3x mobile 152mm M/37 cannons. Besides these mobile units the regiment also controlled the following fixed artillery positions: 4x batteries of three 75mm Tornpjäs m/57 automatic guns each at Kappelshamn, Ljugarn and St Olofsholm on Gotland and at Ryssnäs on Fårö, 1x battery of three 120mm Tornautomatpjäs m/70 automatic guns at Slite and 1x battery of three twin-barreled 152mm Kustartilleripjäs m/51 heavy coastal artillery guns at Bungenäs. Furthermore, the regiment trained a few smaller units, which maintained minefields with controlled mines along the coast of Gotland and Fårö. Additionally the regiment fielded a limited number of 75mm m/65 automatic cannons, which were a mobile version of the 75mm Tornpjäs m/57 automatic guns and the small minelayer HSwMS Fårösund (16).

Lv 2 - Gotland Anti-Aircraft Battalion 

In Visby with Robot 69 and Robot 70 man-portable surface-to-air missiles, as well as 20mm lvakan m/40-70 and 40mm lvakan m/48 anti-aircraft autocannons.

4th Independent Armored Battalion 

In  Visby with a staff company, 12x Stridsvagn 102R centurion tanks in one company, 28x KP-car m/42 wheeled armoured personnel carriers and 24x Rifle Squads with 8x Pvpj 1110 90mm recoilless rifles in two companies, 4x M/40 105mm howitzers in an artillery battery and a logistic company

5th Independent Armored Battalion 

In Fårösund with a staff company, 12x Stridsvagn 102R centurion tanks in one company, 28x KP-car m/42 wheeled armoured personnel carriers and 24x Rifle Squads with 8x Pvpj 1110 90mm recoilless rifles in two companies, 4x M/40 105mm howitzers in an artillery battery and a logistic company

32:a Gotlandsbataljonen (the 32nd Gotland battalion)

Thee armored brigade thus became reorganized into five large battalions with KP-bil(instead of bicycles) with each two companies of either tank destroyers Stridsvagn 74. During the 1970s, the brigade was re-armored with Stridsvagn 102, which, like the KP-bil, underwent a renovation in the 1980s.

Gotland Regiment (P 18), Gotland Artillery Regiment (A 7) and Gotland Anti-Aircraft Battalion (Lv 2)

Visby
Faro island anti shipping defenses 

Local defence company 

Hopefully that makes sense in someway, I will break these into Rapid Fire Able Archer Organisation next 

Cheers

Matt