Finished: 15mm Crusader AA, 2CAB

Hi folks,

Another pair of 15mm scale Battlefront anti-aircraft tanks. These are resin and metal 20mm autocannon armed Crusader tanks.The Shermans await their turn at the painting desk. 

This pair has been marked up as belonging to HQ squadron, 10th Canadian Armoured Regiment (The Fort Garry Horse), 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade. 

As per the previous pairs of these vehicles, I used my standard weathering, decaling and radio aerial methods. These vehicles need more stowage, which I may add later. 

An impressive amount of accumulated AA for my allies - and I've yet to put a German aircraft on a table. 

Finished: 15mm Crusader AA, 4CAD

Hi folks,

As I'm avoiding doing big 'projects' (painting whole companies) for my WW2 Normandy collection I've been picking through bits and bobs outstanding from otherwise completed or planned units. This has led to a load of 20mm Crusader AA tanks making it out of the lead mountain and onto the painting shelf. 

This pair are 15mm scale plastic models from Battlefront. I've decalled them up as being from HQ squadron, 28th Armoured Regiment (The British Columbia Regiment), 4th Canadian Armoured Division. 

Usual basing applied, there was no easy mounting point for aerials so I've left them for now. I also applied my standard weathering. 

Finished: 15mm Polish Crusader AA

Hi folks,

Trying to keep up my momentum with blog posts and painted units. 

This week, I finished a pair of 15mm Battlefront resin and metal Crusader AA tanks. These were intended for my Polish Cromwell force (10 Pulk Strzelcow Konnych). Equipped with two 20mm autocannon, they were supposed to provide local air defence to tank units.

I've two more pairs of these tanks in the painting queue (both for Canadian units). Honestly, I've more of these vehicles than I would ever need if I ignored tactical markings, but when I drew up my painting plans I included a pair with each Squadron for my various forces. Each regiment would have had 11 or so of these, and I've probably got a regiment worth...

I've also never used an allied AA unit on the table, yet seem to have loads of them. Up next - more allied AA!

6MMRPC: Finished! Crusader AA tanks and Universal Carriers

Hi Folks,

So a little later than planned finishing these guys off, but finished they are. These 5 vehicles represent the last of what I had prepared prior to moving to Middlesbrough. With the end of the painting challenge approaching, I'm glad to have got these cleared, but it does mean I am on to assembling and painting new stuff - and I may have to change my painting process to work within someone elses home and the wet cold winter days.

So, here we have 2 Crusader MkIII Anti Aircraft tanks. These tanks are armed with two 20mm Oerlikon guns. Normally called cannons, during WW2 they were normally called machine guns. Nowadays we would consider these to be autocannon. They were heavy calibre rapid firing guns, mainly used for anti aircraft roles.

Each Armoured regiment during the Normandy operations had 8 of these tanks, normally operating with 2 issued per squadron but commanded normally as part of the HQ squadron. Prior to D-day there was a real concern about German aircraft posing a threat to ground units. In hindsight we know this wasn't really an issue, but in planning the landings such things were taken into consideration. Due to the lack of German aircraft, these tanks were rapidly withdrawn, their crews used as replacements for losses in the regiments. There is mention of them being used in anti infantry, escort and scouting roles alongside the regiments Stuart III's.

As with all my 144 RAC tanks these guys have turret numbers rather than the geometric squadron signs. Both have crew in the turrets, mainly because the hole in the turret is so large it looks odd without someone there. The command vehicle of the two has an aerial added. I may revisit this and add one to each and an extra for the command vehicle. Turrets are magnetised, decals are all as correct as I can make them!

Next up, my last 3 Universal Carriers:

Again, the command vehicle has the radio aerial - again, I might revisit this and use my standard format of one for each vehicle and two for the command vehicles. These guys are all marked up for the 7th Bat. Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, the same as the other 9. This effectively gives me the full list option, with spares if I swap in the WASP's (replacing up to two squads of 3 UC's). I had thought about decalling 2 squads up as 2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry, but I am strongly edging towards trying to get the new packs of the Universal Carriers for those. If they ever become available to purchase in the UK... These models are the last of my Forged in Battle minis.

So, 10 days to go until the end of the challenge. I'm not sure whether to try and do something else in that time - perhaps some Full Thrust minis. Or I might start detailing some more vehicles... choices choices! I have spent some Jokers in the last few weeks, as I have been finishing units. So far I've managed to find 2 packs of 5.5" Medium Guns (like hens teeth in the UK), the missing Churchill Croc, another pack of Wasps and lastly (but not for a while, because they are fucking useless) 3 Humber III and 1 pack of Humber LRC from Wayland games - already 2 or 3 weeks spent waiting (but I got them during their 20% sale and am in no real hurry - thankfully. Maybe I will get them before xmas...).

Thats all for now folks!

6MMRPC: Progress

Hi Folks,

My last full day in Scotland and all modelling supplies are now packed and my desk cleared for the first time since it was assembled.

Obviously this week has been pretty busy with household preparations and cleaning. I managed to get a lot done yesterday so took some time out to get the last few weeks models varnished with my usual Army Painter Dark Tone Quickshade varnish. I may need a new tin of this, as again it seems not to have been sealed properly after the last time I used it, resulting in a thick skin having formed. I added some large ball bearings I had found (a tip care of Paul Alba) and some turps, sealed the tin up and shook it hard for a while. I then opened it and fished out all the large bits that I could. I'll stick with it as long as I can, but I suspect I may have to replace the tin soon.

I found that having based the vehicles first made a huge difference to the amount of mess and my handling of the mini's while they were being varnishes. I managed to get everything done in less than an hour, which I was impressed at as there seemed to be a lot.

So, onwards and upwards! Hopefully it won't take me long to get set up and back into my painting on the other end. Thanks to everyone for their comments wishing us well on the move. Just to add to the busyness that I seem to have every October, yesterday it was exactly 1 year until our wedding day!!!

6MMRPC: Moar green tanks! Huzzah!

Hi folks,

With packing activity progressing I've been hurrying to get up to date with my modelling so I can get things varnished and then all my modelling stuff packed away. Don't get me wrong - packing takes precedence. But there is only so much you can do in a day! I think Amy understands that what I'm working on just now is my way of transitioning through the move - I feel like being able to pick up right where I've left off will help make things a lot easier for me.

This weekend I have been working on getting the three M3A1's, two Crusader AA and single M10C up to a point that they can be varnished. I'd have loved to get all 4 M10C's painted, but without enough stowage they are going to have to wait. These are all Battlefront models.

I also touched up paint on the three Wasp's I had worked on previously. I hadn't put any stowage on them and there were a few other bits I wanted to fix.

As part of the painting process I sorted out the bases, getting the acrylic resin on them, trimming them down and then magnetising them.

Here's the whole lots with the bases on:

I have to say, the Crocs look bloody good with the bases on them (although I know they won't be everyone's cup of tea). For the fuel trailers I just glued them onto the bases at the correct angle for them to line up with the tanks. They are not attached, so can be freely removed.

Some closer shots of the other tanks - as per usual these are WiP and just have the main colours blocked in before they get a coat of Army Painter Dark Tone varnish applied. So there are no highlights or anything on these models.

The M3A1 was a development of the M3 Light Tank. Normally referred to the Stuart in British service (after the standard British naming convention - most Lend Lease American tanks were given the names of American Civil War generals (Grant, Lee, Stuart, Sherman)) the standard M3 was also known as 'Honey'. Apparently as crews described them as 'running like a real honey'.

The M3A1's official name in the British Army was the Stuart III. It varied from the Stuart I (Honey) by having a new turret with turret basket and no cupola. Gun vertical stabiliser were installed and the sponson machine guns were removed. The turret is more rounded and less angular than the one used in the M3 and the removal of the commanders cupola on the turret roof means that there is a different hatch layout than the earlier version.

M3A1 of 144RAC somewhere in Normandy

A rather nice 1:72 Diorama of the picture above. From here - diorama by orionv

In British service, the Stuart V's tended to be given to the Armoured Divisions, while the Stuart III's were still in use by the Independent Armoured Brigades.

Armed with a 37mm gun and three .30cal machine guns, it was pretty lightly armed and armoured for 1944. In fact, I think the Americans considered them to be obsolete.

Next up, the Crusader AA tanks.

These tanks are Crusader III, AA Mk II's. Armed with twin 20mm Oerlikon cannons. Prior to D-Day there was real concern about the Luftwaffe's response to the invasion and integral AA defence for units was seen as critical. The AA tanks came about from obsolete Crusader tanks being re-armed with the 20mm cannons. These were normally issued at a rate of 6 per Armoured regiment (normally to the HQ squadron). They saw little to no use in their intended role and there are various stories about how they were used in action - mainly being used as 'escort' tanks for unarmoured elements or as backup for the Regiments Light tanks. In June 1944 33 Armoured Brigade had 20 of these tanks on strength (6 per Regiment with 2 at Brigade HQ). By December 1944 there were none of these vehicles listed as being on strength of 33 Armoured Brigade, as they were removed from service and the crews used as replacements for losses in the Regiments.

There should be a tubular framework around the top of the turrets, but it's too fiddly for me even to try at this scale. 

Lastly, my single M10C.

Not much stowage on this, as I was running out. The netting looks pretty good, but the plan is to try and add to this with some foliage. If I can get some that looks realistic!

This is an American M10 Tank Destroyer armed with the British 17 Pounder Anti Tank gun. Normally called an Achilles, during WW2 it was called a 17pdr M10 or 17pdr SP M10. Lightly armoured but with one of the best anti tank guns the western allies used, these vehicles are not truly tanks - although they look like them! These are strictly speaking self propelled anti tank guns and were used by Royal Artillery (and Royal Canadian Artillery) anti tank units. Mines will be from 6th Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA. These were the corps A/T regiment of 2nd Canadian Corps.

So with these guys based, I'm hoping to get them varnished tomorrow. This will give them a day or so to dry then everything can be packed away!

Thanks for reading!