The Road to Falaise Bobs on going 15mm WW2 Adventure

Dont usually do a mid week update, but on my new mid week break, got quite a bit of bitty stuff done, did all but varnishing on M18’s and last bit of Kellys Heroes( will do a full update an post on what are you painting forum on them)

Did the texturing on British infanry platoon below and varnished the Germans pre flocking.

But the important , started work on my Tiggers, Now got to say the Battlefront Tigers are glorious models and a lot easier to put together than they look on instructions

So having done the base Zandri Dust coat and overall wash with Agraz Earthshade with dry brush of dust again over top, time to camouflage them.

As they were in independent Battalions and not part of Panzer Lear wanted a different camouflage for them, with the 3 I had built I also added the Sturmtiger and the 2x 105 Stugs for anti/infantry support.

Now I’d love to say I copied above, but in actual fact went by gut feeling and only after the even did I find I had something close.

As I wanted that the same effect as I got with the blotch scheme on the other tanks I 1stly added  stripes of Athonisan Camoshade, starting with the Sturmtiger (in case got it wrong easiest to re do)

The original plan was for the green stripes to start on the right and fade as they got to left side and the vise versa with the brown stripes using Agrax Earthsade, but space and the fact it didnt look right made me go all across for both

I again dry brushed Zandri Dust over the top to fade them down a bit and ended up with a simpler (needed on 15mm models) effect to the one above.

I should be able to finish the painting stage by Sunday so will add to this entry then.

Saturday update

Finishing them after all the work on Wednesday was fairly quickly done so here they are ready for decals.

Painting infantry in any scale tends to be the longest thing to do, as you dont have to just paint them , but base them as well, often the basing can take as long as painting the figures,

Although I have to finish the later on my last Platoon of Panzer Grenadiers, and 3rd Platoon of British. I have done all the painting, which hits two actual landmarks :

One I’ve painted all the infantry for all 3 forces I intend to do (well rifle platoons some heavy wpns to for Germans and British to do)

Two I’ve done the infantry for both British and German starter boxes

Will still be some odd figures to do, as in above hvy wpn teams and gun crews for various guns, but compared to the bulk painting of above!

The British were done differently from other two forces,in that no contrast paint was used.

Base coat of GW Zandri Dust

2x washs of Seraphim Sepia to get nice khaki effect

Then block painted belts and gaiters  GW Nurgling Green.

Rifles and entrenching tools just got a GW wash of  Reikland Flesh shade

Metallic bit on guns was the Dark Gun metal from Vallejo.

The and overall thinned out wash of GW Agrax Earthshade

I them picked out the face details with White Base ( more a cream really) from Privateer press.

Rank markings were done with a Wolf grey from Army Painter, and yellow/black 11th armoured shoulder pads added.

And from the back!

Now I managed to finish above and two more lolly pop sticks worth to complete Motorised Rifle Platoon  (Rifle Brigade) and 3 bases for foot figures for carrior section ‘

Above took a good chunk of Sunday and Monday morning, so yesterday afternoon finished of base painting of Hellcats and in the evening put on most of the Decals, just need to put on vehicles names

When I finished my 1st Zug of Panzer Grenadiers I realised that with a few additions from on the Beach Germans I could build a 2nd Zug, so I did and the main focus of this week was to paint them. Annoyingly I miss counted and need one more mg42 , luckily one was left on sprue so they will be done during the week.

In the spirit lets get all the infantry out of the way so I can paint more tanks, I decided to start the British or finish them if earlier instalments, so based the platoon from the starter box, now the cover shows only 3 bases , so I assume that’s the figs needed for the carrier squad. But there is enough for a Motor platoon and a enough extra to still do bases for carrier squad so that’s what I have done.

I also sprayed my jeeps and Halftrak for the last bits of Kelly’s heroes and 4 Hellcats I picked up on e-bay

I had found a site doing Zveda kits at reasonable prices so I got some German heavys for later in the war:

3x King Tigers

1x Ferdinand (sorry John)

1x Jagdtiger (Kevin likes them)

and ermmm! as Sturmtiger, only one I’m not going down the route of having more than were made.

so in the evenings I built them

With these the selection was pretty much decided by what I had painted, I’d only picked up the starter box in last couple of weeks, the tanks were all fromm bootcamp but still fit as hadn’t put on decals till got home,

For narrative,  these fit with a hastily collected response force of Panzer Lear Division,  racing to stem the Invasion.

Panther Tank Company HQ

1x Panther                                11pts

Panzer IV mixed tank Platoon

3x Panzer IV                            16pts

Panzergrenadier Platoon

7x mg 34 team

1x Skdz 251 (3.7) half track

3x Skdz 251 (MG)                     12pt

With panzerfaust                      1pt

Skdz 222 light scout troop

3 x Skdz 222                              3pt

8.8cm Heavy AA platoon

2x 8.8cm AA gun                     6pts

Which again comes to 49pts so just fits.

Not sure the two forces are balanced but intresting to find out.

1. With all the Frantic painting and building forgot this bit!

Luckily now I don’t Wednesday’s I can have a look at this.

For the American’s I have a bit of leeway in that I’ve painted up more particularly as I only wanted to select units I have painted since the league started. I didn’t paint with any real force in mind for both sides, more of what took my fancy, so don’t  think either American or German are going to win any trophies. Saying that they do fit a campaign idea and sort of fit D-day +1 , so we have a beleaguered  Parachute platoon with Anti tanks, and a unit of Light tanks and tank Destroyers racing to support.

So for the Americans we have :
Parachute Rifle Platoon (note these were the ones left unpainted at Bootcamp.)
5x M1919 & M1 Garand Rifle teams
1 60mm mortar
1x bazooka team 11pt
1x M1919 LMG 1pt

57mm Anti Tank Platoon
4x 57mm 10pt

Vet M5 Stuart tank co Hq
2x M5 5pts

Vet M5 Stuart tank Platoon
3x M5 Stuarts 7pts

M10 3 INCH TANK Destroyer Platoon
4x M10 16pt

Which if my maths hasn’t gone totally squiffy is 50 pts exactly.

Well everyone else is wavering away on 40k I’m continuing my FOW/IABSM project, today I finished the painting stage on most of what will be 1st Zug of Panzergrenediers. a 2nd platoon is now sitting on the lolly pop sticks.

This week I decided as part of the game I needed a more mobile German infantry force, hence the painting up of the Hanomags, so now I started the German infantry from German Starter box.

I’ had been playing around with contrast paints , using the gun crews for the Pak 75’s , the 88’s and Hanomag crews to try and find right combination.

1st I tried the the Grey Seer as base on the pak 75’s and Black Templer but found it too dark so had to dry brush Field grey to tone it down.

I then tried wraithbone base and above  on the 88 crews and found light bits to light so had to dry brush to darken up!

I then tried above base with Basilcanium Grey on the hanomag crews  which was still a bit light but closer

So thought need a darker tanish darker base, and used Karak Stone from layer paint range

This seems to have worked and brought up a nice range of Field grey shades as can be seen below:

Well on my 1st free Wednesday now gone part time thought I would use some of new free time to do end of hobbying holiday update.

I firstly finished the Maultiers   but forgot to photo them so will add shot later.

I then decided to start on the mid and late war US Armoured companies has using the former for formally painted a.comp and the latter for Kelly’s Heroes. Specially as found a lot of figures were armed with BAR’s. Not apparently carried by Armoured infantry ( @oriskany?) according to FOW, so used them to make BAR heavy bases to represent A.N.other members of the Heroes,  in film they were armed predominantly with Thompson’s but Artistic licence. Two of the best painted not armed with BARs were selected to be single figure commands representing Kelly and Big Joe  with one with BAR for the corporal.

For my Game as in project report

Decision at Le Mer D-Day -1

I decided needed a bit more of a selection of units other than my current collection of Tanks and infantry.  So from German Starter set , built the 4 hanomags and the 2 x 88’s and the two PAk 40’s from on the Beach( Only the two inf Zugs left).

I also built a 2nd Puma and 3 more 222 armoured cars (Zveda) for a recon unit, and whilst waiting for various stages on inf above to dry finished painting them all!

I also built the remaining vehicles from Stuart’s, as an M8 battery and with the Staurts  and got them all painted.

In addition I finished the 2 Suarts to finish company, the T70 and 3rd Sherman for Kelly’s Heroes.

I avoided doing the Infantry during the bootcamp and now I remember why!

They take a lot longer to do  so in last few days I have only managed to finish the 2nd Platoon of 101st (1st done a couple of years ago)

Here they are about to go into action.

Then I cracked on and Finished my Platoon of Armoured Infantry and their Halftracks.

Monday I had another build day, building 2 more M5 Stuart’s to complete my US Stuart company ,  3 M8’s and the 57mm guns for U.S. airborne AT platoon. So far the Germans have been neglected,  ok for tanks so built both pak 75’s from on the beach, and the two 88’s from German set  with above have4 pak 75’s but had no tows, so got a box of PSC’s medium trucks and built 4 Maultiers, in addition built a 2nd Puma for German recon to go with 3 222’s. All were then primed in Zandri Dust Tuesday morning. Couple of hours I gave them the base eartshade wash followed by a dry over brush of Zandri dust again.

Whilst waiting for the above stages to dry  I cracked on with crews for 57mm, and managed to base them by tale end of last night.

Today whilst waiting for bases to dry I cracked on with Maultiers , Bob patent quick wash camo added, tracks and base colour to windows done.

I initially meant just to get base colours on Armoured infantry,  but carried away and finished them. I had learnt a bit from 1st use of contrast paint on Paras.

As with paras used base coat of Aggaros Dunes, but didn’t go as heavy as on Paras, so that Jackets and Gaiters would remain a lighter green.

I then darkened up the trousers helmet and pouches with GW cathonian Camo shade, boots and Rifles Riekland Fleshshade, in layers to get shade wanted.

Bit of Vallejo dark, gun metal, for wpns , followed by picking up face detail ( who would have thought on 15mm figs), using my handy dandy magnifying glasses aka bootcamp and voila they are painted.

1. Although I was happy with Paras, think nailed it with these  Battlefronts gorgeous minis help.

My other little project was laying out table for their 1st outing, not as professional as @lloyd table, but don’t have resources,  plus it’s more modular, now I admit roads a bit modern but it what I have.

Feel it needs some more hedges and walls and found some on Ebay, so hopefully they will turn up for next Wednesday,  Problem with bootcamp’s is trying to even get close.

As I sit post diagnostic thingy , Thought use time for latest update.

Have only got to Varnish my M10, 36’s and the blog forgotten Jumbo Shermans ( need some gloss protection on metal bits), having put on all the decals.

1. I also put the Flock on my 2nd platoon of 101st

I also finished all but decals my M3 halftracks for my Armoured infantry platoon

Today so far has been on of finishing off units, 1stly I’ve finished the painting stage of the U.S paras. I used wash post the contrast coat phase to brown boots and rifles, dark green on helmets and packs , the used Vallejo dark gun metal on wpns.

I used my recently purchased magnifying glasses to pick out details of faces, finishing them in a few hours.

I then stuck them to the bases and used GW texture paint to hide the circular lines and break up base surface, colour not important as will paint most of base army painter green before putting on a dark wash prior to flocking as with British Infantry

With the Lollipop sticks free, I now stuck my Armoured infantry platoon down using pva.

Yesterday I base coated most of the built British Army painter  Green, which is darker than the Death Guard green used on Yanks.

As I’m trying to get a reasonable match to my previously completed British , but with out all the stages, I then tried one coat of GW Earthshade wash, on a test M5 Stuart which wasn’t really dark enough.  So after block painting the track and mg’s in dark gunmetal,  tried another coat of Earthshade,  think need to thin it a bit next time as it left a few dark blotches which I toned down with a very light brush of PP paints army green.

I think the effect is close enough.

The new one is on right, once detail is done decals added and a bit of sand weathering done think it will be pretty close.

Spent 1st day of holiday, tidying up small games table( sort of), plus built 4 more Stuart M5A1s for Brtish 11th Armoured Division.

Adding them to the 3 Churchilll Crocodiles for Grenedier Guards.

I also finished the British company command unit, apart from bases.

I then finished the painting stage of M10/36’s

And for those doubting if I would ever do them at bootcamp @Laughingboy,  I have clipped of my platoon of U.S. Paras , and stuck them to lollipop sticks , prior to painting. Going to try nee Contrast paints, so watch this space.

As with all my projects I do a lot of background reading , either new research or going back through the Historical or Sic fi library that I have grown over the years. Building the American force, was a new area which in discussion with @oriskany I realised that my knowledge of U.S. forces and their operations post D-day was a bit lacking. I did some background research from wikipedia (see below) but don’t like just using one source (my History degree training coming to the fore) so for background reading for down time in my fortnight hobby holiday (probably in pub) got the following from Amazon.

Read a few of Stev Zalogas Books on Armour and always found them Entertaining. Also picked up this on one of the Battles.

Whilst building the MMG carrieres below, wasnt sure if they had only 3 to a platoon as with the Scout section or 4 so first of all tried FOW Fortress but they were not shown (probably for D-Day British book) , as it happened as part of project I’d dug out below :

Which not only has the history of the Battle but the TOE of all of 7th Armoured units. Although I’m doing 11th Armoured the only main difference between its TOE is that the tank regiments had Shermans in 11th rather than Cromwell’s as the 7th was the only division that use the latter for all its units, Cromwell’s in most armoured division being only used by the Recon Regiments.

For anyone without a historical background it also does a good breakdown of all the equipment used by the division including AT guns, infantry wpns , trucks etc.

Well worth a read if you can get a copy.

They also do one on the opposition and Wittman’unit (for non historical readers Michael Wittman was the top German Tank Ace).

Given how excellent the 7th armoured one was, I ordered it to off Amazon.

Addendum to above 29/7/19

Got a fair way through above book over weekend, goes into background of the Corps, Then gives TOE’s for Wittmans unit including the tactical instructions for Tiger units. What is specially useful for myself is the breakdown of units in the Panzer Lear Division including a brief description of their equipment with nice pictures.

Well after the brief interlude from the Martian Front, got back to some serious Historical hobby (unless your @warzan) . Now I have the Fortress Europe I realised that even with the 2nd British Platoon finished, I still didn’t have a base level British Infantry company , I need to have a 6 figure co command. Digging through the box of British infantry I managed to find 6 suitable figures and mounted them on some lolly pop sticks.

When I found the the partially finished figures above, they were already based  and just needed flocking so could not got through the initial stages

So they are stuck to the lolly pop sticks with pva, and then base coated them in Zandri Dust. to begin the Khaki shading I put a a coat of Serraphim Sepia , as it was getting near the bottom of the bottle it lay a bit dark in places so, a light brush of Zandri dust to lighten it up to get to stage below, where I will start block colouring wpns etc.

Didn’t do much more on above yet as I break up for a fortnight partly holiday and some hospital time next Friday and wanted to get as much stuff built for then.

So to support Above built the 3 Bren carriers from the British Starter box, building them as standard other than putting a boyes on one. When I originally started my 15mm project I  had brought 2 packs of MMG carriers and dug them out, Although not bad models the plastic ones are superior but waste not want not, built them but used the plastic vickers from the Starter set on all but one , and found a apptly dramatic firing group from the plastic soldier bren box.

I then built all the M3 Halftracks for my U.S. Armoured Platoon, and my two Priests.

Finally partly as a command group, but also for my Kelly’s Heroes build, built two Jeeps and a T30, the latte is being used as currently could not find the 105mm version the T19

I Also built the 3rd Sherman for Oddballs troop, suitably converting the 75mm turret using various bits , and added stowage, just need to scratch build another loudspeaker to finish her off.

• Been catching up on the the Sunday bootcamp update and thought we have Vrill, so why not Martians  brought these when the game went out of production   so in my Fortnight off!

Here is one I nearly finished, I intend to re do the eye to match the 50’s movie ones with the 3 lens.

Plus question for you all, should I leave it Matt of gloss varnish it shiney ?

I have some small 15mm ants which will be added to the mix when I find them to be the mutated infantry.

As promised here is the 2nd part of update including a picture of the tufts manufacturer  through still not much more wiser.

This weeks push not only completed most of the Summer clean of half finished British, but I also added to the build up of my US force from the bootcamp.

1stly I finally flocked and added Bush clumps to the Platoon of British Infantry for my Rifle Brigade unit.

I finished painting two Sherman’s from Oddballs company.

1. I managed to obtain from an online retailers an old box of Battlefront Jumbo Sherman’s which I have built .

1. Well have now finished the two Sherman V’s (M4a4) and added the tank id no to side of a third completed some time ago, so with the previous Firefly’s have another troop of 11th armoured completed.

So for Falaise battles I am well into completing the northern prong of trap, but how about the American southern prong.

In odd half hours I”ve been building up the American recon platoon of Stuart’s, nearly finished another platoon of Sherman’s including Oddballs tank shown earlier, a couple of M10’s (with spare turrets for M36’s) and for really late we 2 Pershings.

I have not forgot the meat in out little sandwich and also have built tow more 222 armoured cars, a Puma , the Tiger and Stug from ‘Fury’ starter box and repaired the mg barrel on a previously finished STUG ready for just touching up

I didn’t win any prizes at bootcamp,  particularly Oddballs Sherman, so set about making my own. I converted  a Tank’s  M4A3, as found in base set, a great little model with enough  parts to make separate turrets for 75 & 76mm, plus 105mm , and panels to make late up armoured versions with late muzzle break.

This allowed me to use early 76mm barrel to produce the Kelly’s Heroes 76mm Sherman

As you can see from film photo below it had the 76mm gun in a 75mm turret.

I then added storage from PSC M5 halftrack spares, the M4A3 kit itself and the bits left on sprues  from ‘On the Beach’.

The speaker is a sketch built item from Dropfleet  Commander space Station spares and bits of sprue. which once painted will look about right on 15 mm kit unless put under close scrutiny. I also used the later commanders copula provided for the 105mm suppert sherman as it appears to be the one on the  in photo below , plus 28 mm version as per Warlord.

The commander is a Russian tank commander with a smooth downed headgear.