As the challenge enters it's last month I've been trying to keep motivated with the aim of finishing off the models I had prepped prior to moving. As of today, I have my 2 Crusader AA tanks and some Universal Carriers still to do - which I will be starting next week, I hope.
This week I finished off the 3 M3A1 Light tanks (Stuart III's) and 6 Universal Carriers.
The M3A1's was an American light tank that was used by the British forces. By 1944 this tank was considered obsolete by the the Americans, and the British Armoured Divisions had upgraded to using the M5 and M5A1 (Stuart V's). However the independent armoured brigades still had the old kit in the form of the M3A1's.
The Battlefront models I used are the American versions, as there are no models available for late war Brits. The rear of the hull is different from the one shown in the pics and there are no visible bolts on the hull side - and there are also track guards, but otherwise I am happy enough with what I have done. Had I looked more closely at the pictures before hand I would have at least trimmed the bolts on the hull armour down.
I followed my usual process of marking out the command tank with 2 aerials and then added 2 crew members to the turret - this is mainly because I took the view that as recce tanks I would have a crew member visible in each turret, so the command tank has to have 2! Unfortunately I somehow managed to leave the gunners hatch rather than the commanders hatch open on one of the tanks - the commander must be off to an O-group or busy on the radio...
Again, sorry for the pics - some of them seem to wash the colour a bit making the tanks look a little pale. As usual these tanks are from 144RAC, 33 Armoured Brigade. They bear the markings of the Recce troop, part of RHQ Squadron. I've not included any tactical markings as it turns out that's what the regiment used the turret numbers for. I'm still trying to decide whether to remove the tac markings I have put on my Shermans. The turret numbers are also yellow rather than the white in the coloured book picture above. This is based on some comments I had seen that the turret numbers were not white in black and white pictures, and that they most likely were the colour that the regiments geometric tactical signs would have been.
Other pics:
Looking good. You'll have to take a picture of them all together when the challenge ends :-).
ReplyDeleteThanks Cameron - thats the plan! It should be a decent increase on last years numbers as well.
DeleteVery nice, you've done a grand job on them.
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul. They were nice little models to paint.
Deletevery nice hard wear on these carriers and once parked up difficult to spot
ReplyDeleteThanks Des. They have been substantially upgraded to fit into the Flames of War lists - nominally 1 with a .50 cal, 1 with 2 x Brens and 1 with a PIAT and Bren per 'squad'.
DeleteSuper good vehicles mate. Those Stuarts look especially good. How different are they compared to the Honeys?
ReplyDeleteThanks Dai - these versions were, confusingly, called Honeys as well. The main difference from the earlier Stuarts is the turret. It's more like the later models turrets and is much less angular. It is also missing the small raised cupola on top of the turret that the earlier desert versions had, and replaces them with 2 small triangular hatches. The rest of the tank is very similar - it may even be the same as the desert version.
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