German & American WW2 Armour & supports.

I've been a bit busy of these last few weeks, accelerating my collection of hardware for the upcoming World War Two campaign, so this post will be a mixed bag, starting with a smart little German 'Puma' eight wheeled armoured car, the sdkfz234/2 variant with 50mm L/60 KwK gun.

The Puma sdkfz234/2 

This particular model is a JTFM 'Diewaffenkamer' resin model with a 'Bolt Action' commander speaking into his headset.

Oils and enamel were used on the vehicle with with the addition of acrylics on the tank commanders face.

This reconnaissance armoured car had a rear driving position for a hasty retreat.

Nippy but expendable.

The aerial is a 3amp fuse wire which I'll replace with some 10amp fuse wire to make it more satisfactory.

Decals from Warlord Games

This vehicle will form the other half of my reconnaissance platoon for the German Battle Group.

The Wespe
The Wespe 105mm self-propelled gun provides indirect supporting fire for the German Battle Group.

A Warlord Games resin kit with metal parts

The Camouflage and washes are thinned oil paint mixed with enamels.

The Sdkfz251/D Halftracks.
JTFM enterprises in Canada provided the sdkfz251/D half tracks for the panzer grenadiers, the nice thing about JTFM Diewafemkammer range of vehicles is that they come with 4 panzer grenadier crew and plenty of stowage, spare helmets, MG42 machine guns, rucksacks etc. so no real need for sourcing extra bits of kit.

This JTFM model has the tracks cast as part of the main body just to make constructing the kit that much easier and faster.

Sherman M4A3 75mm Tank
And finally this week, forces representing the U.S.A in the form of a 'bolt Action' Sherman M4A3 75mm tank with crew provided by Warlord Games.

 The raw beastie, resin and metal kit from Warlord Games comes with one tank commander.

M18 Hellcat 'Tank Destroyer'
And an M18 Hellcat Tank buster with a 76mm gun. storming passed a knocked out panzer III.

The panzer III brews up as its ammo catches fire and burns off.

A very nippy little vehicle the M18 Hellcat can reach speeds of up to 60mph, capable of outflanking and out running the much heavier German armour.

Anyhow, got to order a few more items and then draw up a map of the combat zone....then let loose the Dogs of War.

until then,
Cherrio
Peter.

Oops and MERRY CHRISTMAS and have a very HAPPY NEW YEAR.

WW2 28mm 1/56th German Panzer Grenadier Platoon Supports.

German Panzer Grenadier Platoon  - 

Almost there
Continuing with the German Grenadier platoon based on units of a Panzer Division 1944 & 1945.

The King Tiger.
I've finally done it, after much hesitation, I've given into purchasing arguably the biggest German active 'Armoured Beastie' of World War Two; The Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger II Ausf.B "Konigstiger sdkfz.182. or Tiger II. Having picked the tigers camouflage scheme of dunkelgelb (a dark yellow colour), red-brown and green and added decals and splashing the paint around a bit, below is the finished result. Vehicle manufactured by Warlord Games, crewman to be added later.

The Armour
All my German armour is based on units that fought against the British airborne Division at Arnhem, during the battle two Royal artillerymen from the airborne division knocked out a King Tiger from Pz.Abteilung 506 with a 75mm pack howitzer at Oosterbeek, they also used a 6 pounder anti-tank gun apparently to no effect and some PIATS...although they destroyed one of the Tigers tanks tracks which set fire to the tank, there are photos on the web which show possibly the rear left lower side of the turret cracked open? I think these two guys were from the 1st airlanding anti-tank battery Royal Artillery.

At 68 tonnes and armed with the deadly 88mm gun, this was an allied 'tankies nightmare..'

....saying that one of these monters was 'popped-off by two tenacious Brtish artillerymen firing a pack howitzer at Oosterbeek during the battle of Arnhem 1944.

The turret numbers indicate a tank of the 2nd Company, 1st Platoon, 4th vehicle Abteilung 506. 

Observation post and command vehicles.
For a Campaign game I need some command and observation post units to match the British, so I acquired a kubelwagen and a schwimmwagen together with panzer grenadier observationpost/command element.

The Kubelwagen
Used very much in many role during world war two, the engine was in the rear similar to a Volkswagen beetle.

Warlord Games kubelwagen comprises a resin and metal kit

the cork from a bottle of Port comes in handy....so does the Port

a 75mm mdf base with granite sets and rocks, grass tufts made by me, see my tuft blog post :)

I can't have enough grass tufts....and Port

decals form Warlord Games

Humbrol enamels mixed with artists oil paint on both the base and the vehicle

a tenacious driver painfully aware of the kubelwagens atrocious suspension

especially on a cobbled road

 The kubelwagen wasn't really powerful enough to be used as a tow.

 But cheap and easy to produce.

 It saw many theatres of war.

 This is a Warlord  Games model which has the option of a raised canopy. 

 The Schwimmwagen

The schwimmwagen an amphibious version of the kubelwagen

 the schwimmwagen has oars equipped to aid steering when navigating a river.

 and a propeller which drops down for propulsion when in the water.

And a machine gun to zap people with

The Observation post.

available from Warlord Games

not sure about how I painted the binoculars, I might change them.

radio operative is included in the observation post pack

 All these vehicles and figures manufactured by Warlordgames UK.

Anyhow the German infantry vehicles comprising three sdkfz.251/D have eventually been acquired from JTFM in Canada (my previous order having gone AWOL in the post), then I'll start on my U.S. 3rd Armored Division with an M18 Hellcat tank destroyer from Warlord Games and a M26 Pershing from JTFM Diewaffenkammer for a 1945 game.

Until next time.
See yous.