Finished!: British Recce Troop 1

Hi folks,

As posted elsewhere, I have maintained the motivation I was seeking while painting camels, and have 'finished' the first troop of Recce vehicles for my British collection.

These are 15mm Battlefront miniatures. Specifically 3 Humber IV's and 2 Humber Light Recon Cars (LRCs) for my August 1944 2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry Squadron.

I've used the older (now OOP) Battlefront Humber models, although I did review these compared to the newer (much larger) once here. I did this mainly as I already had most of the force and only required three vehicles to finish the list. The newer models were sold on to club members and I managed to find three more of the older models.

Technically, these are I think more Humber III's than IV's. But they will do for my purposes.

As mentioned elsewhere, I've changed my painting method for this force in order to try and speed up painting. In this case, I lost time due to a varnish issue (as a result I am giving up on Vallejo gloss varnish). The new technique is to assemble and add stowage, spray with Russian Uniform, give a quick base coat of bottled 70.924 Russian Uniform, wash with my home made black wash, drybrush with a mix of 70% Russian Uniform and 30% Iraqi Sand, then a lighter drybrush with the quantities reversed. Tidy up the panels, paint the stowage and wheels, quick brown wash on those then highlight.

I then did the usual varnishes and decals, before adding Tamiya Weathering Master for dust effects (this shows really poorly on camera). I'm now switching to using a floor polish for my gloss coat.

I've found that not spending time edge highlighting really speeds up the process (obviously). Also, using cheap makeup brushes for drybrushing works really well. I still need some more practice - I'm thinking my drybrush technique is a bit rough.

You can really see the difference in how the weathering looks depending on the lighting between this last image and the first one.

Decals, which are hidden by the weathering, include the bridging weight, Recce AoS, Highland Division sign, WD numbers, recognition stars and allied stars.

As usual, two aerials for command vehicle. It will also have two crew members which I've still to paint. The other Humber A/C's will have one crew member each. Turrets have all been magnetised as well (other than on the LRC's which are glued down).

With the new painting style, I've managed to make some progress on the other two troops. I'm hoping to have one more finished in the next few days. Other vehicles still need more prep in the form of stowage and base spray, so that will slow down the rest.

Hope everyone is doing well and keeping safe.

#6MMRPC Painting chart update

It's been a few months since I updated my painting chart for the 6 Months Miniature Mountain Reduction Painting Challenge (!!!). Not long to go till the official end of the challenge - although I started a month later so will be running on by 4 weeks.

The chart is not showing a great deal of green on it - I've introduced yellow to show the models that are basecoated but not finished. This is mainly down to the time of year which has prevented me from using the Army Painter varnish I usually use. However, I have painted all the crew figures for the packs I had open up to recently. Then I opened more packs and have more vehicle crews to do...

Currently in the works are all my Universal Carriers (15 total), Wasps (3 total), Loyds Carriers (4 total), 4.2" Mortars (small job, I am assembling and painting these on the bases - 4 of them) and Churchill Crocodiles (only 1 assembled but 2 still to open).

I'm currently sorting out the Universal Carriers as I'm unhappy with the weapons fits. Somehow I've lost many of the Bren gun extras I had and I'm not quite there with the .50 cal mounts. I have read accounts of the .50 cal Universal Carriers in use but the few pictures I have seen show the guns mounted in different places. I decided to put them in the same place as the .303 Vickers MG's on the MMG Carriers.

I've had to use several .30 cal machine guns mounted in the back for the extra hull MG. One thing I am really unhappy with are the total lack of reference pictures for Recce Regiment Universal Carriers. From reading the book I have on the history of the Recce Corps, it's clear that all their vehicles tended to be very heavily armed.The .30 cals are just going to have to do.

The PIAT armed carriers are coming together (with the help of the PIAT gunners I got from Dai in a swap). They look a little crude with the PIAT gunners standing in the back, but hey ho! The only other way I can see of doing it is to put the PIAT's where the front mounted Bren guns are, and mounting a Bren gun in the back. But I have none of the spare Bren's!

Aside from the weapons I also have the usual stowage to sort. The Forged in Battle Universal Carriers already have stowage modelled on them, but the FoW models will need a bit of detailing.

I also remembered that the Fireflys I have basecoated need some camo on their guns! And the Crocodiles need some thought regarding how I am going to mount them on bases, and what sort of bases I use - I want the fuel trailers to be detachable.

Still, even small progress is still progress so I'm chipping away with the aim of getting as much basecoated as possible for the better weather!!

Sorry for the wall of text this time round!

2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry, 51st highland Division - Daimler I's and Humber LRC's - Finished!

And the next set of completed models....

The Humber LRC's I made a bit of a mess of with pigment, but they will do for now. These models were part of a squadron based on the old Highland Division .pdf - however this changed with me getting the newer Overlord book. This means that these guys will be getting mixed and matched a bit in the future. The Humber LRC's to go with the Humber Armoured Cars, while the Daimler I's will be going with the Daimler Dingos.

The 2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry were the 51st Highland Divisions Recce Regiment. the Highland Divisions own integral Recce Regiment was the 51st Recce, which was switched over to a motorised infantry battallion in the desert prior to the invasion of Sicily. The Derbyshire Yeomanry were not part of the Recce Corps - instead they were part of the Royal Armoured Corps. The Recce Corps eventually became part of the Royal Armoured Corps itself, and the 2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry became honorary members!

These are all Battlefront miniatures and again were fun to paint. 

First up the Daimler I's:

The 2DY were one of the few armoured car regiments in the NWE campaign to be equipped with the Daimler I armoured cars. This happened in September 1944, so strictly speaking after Operation Totalize. However as I was following the .pdf this was the correct option for FoW at the time. My plan now is to have one squadron of these guys and the rest Humbers.

Now the Humber Light Recce Cars:

These guys are light, with only Brens and a Boys A/T rifle. But they are recce units.

Anyway, thats them all based, varnished and made as pretty as I can currently do - apart from the mucked up dust effect on the Humber LRC's!

AAR - Late war Highlanders vs Fusilier Company 16/8/14

A rare Saturday to myself (due to A having a day out in Edinburgh), so Davey and YD picked me up for a day out at the Carluke and Law wargames club.

Myself and YD had agreed to play a 1000pt game of Flames of War, using our respective late war lists. As usual I decided to go with my Highland Division list from the Overlord book. YD went for a Fusilier list from one of his books (I think from Atlantik Wall).

His list consisted of (roughly):

Füsilierkompanie HQ (352.)  p.33	2 1	Cmd SMG team Panzerschreck team	70
Combat Platoons
352. Füsilier Platoon  p.34	1 6	Cmd Panzerknacker SMG team MG team	185
352. Füsilier Platoon  p.34	1 4	Cmd MG team MG team	130
352. Füsilier Platoon  p.34	1 4	Cmd MG team MG team	130
Weapons Platoons
Füsilier Machine-gun Platoon (352.)  p.35	1 2	Cmd SMG team MG42 HMG	70
Regimental Support
Füsilier Regimental Anti-tank Gun Platoon (352.)  p.37	1 2 2	Cmd SMG team 7.5cm PaK40 gun 3-ton truck	110
Support Platoons
StuG Platoon (352.)  p.39	3	StuG G	285
Luftwaffe Anti-aircraft Assault Platoon  Reluctant  Trained Allied Platoon  p.229	1 2	Cmd SMG team Luftwaffe 8.8cm FlaK36 gun	95
Company Points:			1075

We decided to play a defensive mission (No Retreat) as my army included a Breaching Group - meaning I had 'Always Attacks'. On the picture above (I forgot to take a 1st turn picture, so this one is 2nd or 3rd turn) YD is deployed on the right with his 2 Fusilier platoons and the MG platoon dug in and defending the road line and his 88's on the hill.

My army consisted of:

Rifle Company HQ (51st)  p.143	1 1 1	Cmd Rifle team Cmd Rifle Bagpiper team Troop Carrier	40
Combat Platoons
Rifle Platoon (51st)  p.144	1 1 1 6 2	Cmd Rifle/MG team PIAT team Light Mortar team Rifle/MG team Defrocked Priest APC	160
Rifle Platoon (51st)  p.144	1 1 1 6 2	Cmd Rifle/MG team PIAT team Light Mortar team Rifle/MG team Defrocked Priest APC	160
Support Platoons
Breaching Group  Confident  Trained   p.70	1 2 2	Sherman V Sherman Crab AVRE	155
Infantry Anti-tank Platoon, Royal Artillery (51st)  p.154	1 2	Cmd Rifle team OQF 17 pdr gun	115
Recce Platoon (51st)  p.152	3 2	Humber IV Humber LRC III	170
Infantry Field Battery, Royal Artillery (51st)  p.156	2 1 1 1 4	Cmd Rifle team Staff team Observer Rifle team OP Carrier OQF 25 pdr gun	165
Infantry Light Anti-aircraft Platoon, RA (51st)  p.155	1 2	Cmd Rifle team 40mm Bofors gun	55
Company Points:			1020

This was a bit of a strange army for me - it was mainly designed to include things I had just painted, had still to paint or just had not used. Built around the backbone of the 2 infantry platoons in Kangeroos and the breaching group. I figured YD might include some big cats, so took the 17 pounders. The Artillery I took for a change over the mortars, Bofors because they have just been painted and never used. Recce because I had the Humbers to paint (now started) and breaching group because I like my flail models and wanted to encourage myself to start the Churchills (now started). I also added M5 Halftracks on a whim, taking me up to 1025 points - but YD was fine with this as he had re-jigged his infantry platoons to give himself 3 platoons rather than 2 he had on his original list.

My army on the day - I'm afraid I didn't get a picture of all of YD's stuff - mainly because he already had it deployed on the table!

I decided to make use of the Night Attack special rule the Bits have - mainly because those 88's terrify me. Plus we always forget about the national rules and the Night Attack rule fits with my Totalise Highlanders theme.

Given the layout of the table I deployed my AA platoon in the centre (where it did nothing the whole game - facing off against dug in, concealed and gone to ground Veteran troops...), with my breaching group on the left flank. My infantry, the recce and the A/T guns on the right planning to use the forest for cover to get into assault range of the 88's hill. Behind them sat the 25 pounders. The Churchill AVsRE went up the centre.

 

My main attack was going to be with the infantry in their Kangeroos supported by the Recce to help remove Gone to Ground and provide pinning fire. The 17 pounders were to follow up and deploy where they could cover the infantry from the StuG's I suspected would be wandering about.

You'll note the two Kangeroos at the edge of the forest. I had debated sending them via the forest, but decided to send them left around it. A conversation with YD made me doubt my choice, so I decided 'bugger it, they can cut through those trees!'. The Kangeroos spent the whole game bogging their way slowly through this tiny forest, only contributing by one of them laying down 50 cal fire that supported a later assault. I could have deployed the infantry from them, but kept them buttoned up as a ready reserve.

In the center my Churchills moved slowly closer.

The aim was to use the Petard Mortar on those dug in infantry - but I only used the MG's as moving and shooting at dug in, GtG, Concealed Vets with a RoF 1 gun made moving and shooting impossible!

By my turn 3 I had moved up my assault troops close enough to be ready to disembark, so out they popped.

In YD's turn 3 the sun failed to rise, but in the improving light his 88's managed to get enough of a bead on my Recce platoon (perhaps drawn by the tracer from their MG's shooting up the infantry to their front) and take out the two Humber LRC's. His infantry also managed to take a couple of squads of my Highlanders out as they moved up to the start line for their assault.

YD also managed to bring on his StuG's at this point, choosing to place them on the table edge where they were facing my infantry and recce.

The StuG's opening volley (again, a good roll on the vision distance chart made my troops visible) took out one of my Humber A/C's - however, the platoon passed it's motivation check to remain on the table. 

The darkness proved to be a hindrance for both of us, as it seemed to take until daylight (at the start of my turn 4) for my FOO to realise he was looking at a brick wall rather than out a window, and call down fire on those nasty 88's - killing one and pinning the platoon.

The other notable thing that happened on my turn 4 was the 17 pounders disembarked and swung into action. Only one gun had LoS to the StuG's, and managed to knock one of the predatory little Jerry blighters out.

Lots of shooting at the German Infantry at the base of the 88's hill (including from the Churchills, which I brought over from the center) preceded an assault, which failed to connect due to the only close enough highlander team falling to defensive fire. YD decided to counter attack, but his troops were put off by the skirl of pipes and failed to cause any damage. The Highlanders counter attack was not so gentle, wiping out the majority of the Fusilier platoon and causing it to fail motivation and vanish from the table. The HMG platoon also broke off, leaving the highlanders on the base of the hill.

In YD's turn he got his Pak 40's on, and had them deploy facing my Sherman Flails. His 88's unpinned and destroyed one Churchill and bailed the other - Petard Mortars unfired!

His StuG's moved up and killed one infantry team but missed the 17 pounders.  His remaining Fusilier platoon and the company HQ arrived from reserve alongside the PaK 40's, but were concealed by a wood and moved forward to protect the hill objective (and counter my marauding Highlanders).

Fire this turn from the Pak 40's destroyed one flail tank and bailed the troop command tank. These Shermans had so far spent the game shooting with no effect at the dug in, GtG, Concealed Veteran infantry... YD's HMG platoon had unpinned and killed one of my infantry teams.

However, in my turn revenge was swift. While the FOO called down arty on the remaining 88, finishing it off, the 17 pounders put three shots into the two remaining StuG's, knocking out the platoon. My bailed Sherman crew sorted themselves out and the two tanks left in the troop knocked out both the PaK 40's. My highlanders at the base of the hill moved forward and took out the remaining HMG platoon, causing the HQ unit to fail motivation and run.

My Humbers moved forward to a position behind the dug in Fusiliers - to try and remove GtG on them in a later turn and dash for the cornfield objective.

In YD's turn his newly arrived infantry assaulted my Highlanders on the hill top, pushing them back. (Damn reluctant rating). However, time was getting on, so we decided to end with a draw. As a little experiment YD's SMG Panzerknacker team tried an assault on my Shermans - mainly as we had never really used tank assault teams before. The final layout of the battle (lacking some smoke puffs):

And some of YD's lovely infantry:

My most useful unit award probably would be a close run thing between the one infantry platoon I had in action, the 17-pounders or - to my surprise - the 25-pounders. Although the Night Fight rules meant the 25-pounders were silent for most of the game.

my 17 pounders following the assault troops

my 25 pounders waiting patiently for a fire mission!

My most useless unit was....

The Bofors AA guns, which didn't fire a shot the whole game!

As games go it was quite quick, although we did bog down a few times (mainly on the assaults). It was also as good natured and fun as ever. It also seems to have given me the kick up the bum I needed to start working on the unpainted units I had taken along for the day, so hopefully I can post some progress updates on them soon.

Humber LRC WiP

Quite quiet on the modelling front since my last little burst of activity. I have however managed to get the models I had been working on decaled and varnished.

Still got the bases to do for these two chaps - but a nice start. I've tried some dust effects on these guys using Tamiya Weathering Stick (Sand) to put some pigment along the areas that would generate dust and then a rough haired brush to blend the pigment into the model a bit. Comments on this welcome - I should perhaps have started with the mud effect and then done the dust on top. I was surprised how much of the pigment survived after the matt coat spray.

The Humber LRC's will make up part of one of my recce patrols. The plan is to have a bit of a mix of Humbers and Daimlers in the unit - the 2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry who supported the HD was unusual as it was not the 51st Highland Divisions actual recce regiment. This was 51st (Highland) Recce Regiment which was formed as part of the Recce Corps from 152, 153 and 154 Anti-Tank Companies in Feb 1941. During the fighting in the desert, despite giving a fantastic account of themselves (difficult to do when operating as a recce unit in the desert), the HD's own recce regiment was converted into a lorried infantry regiment.

The 2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry joined the HD in January of 1944 and while not formally part of the Recce Corps they were honorary members. The regiment fought in Normandy used Humber armoured cars and Humber LRC scout cars, before switching to Daimler armoured cars and Daimler Dingos during the siege of Le Harv. One of very few regiments in NWE to be so equipped. 

Alongside these two are two 'support' models in the form of a couple of 15cwt trucks. One for my pioneer platoon and another 'spare'. Originally to be part of my arty HQ but I have now purchased some older trucks that are not on bases and am planning (or trying to plan) a mini diorama to match the other two (tea drinking Jocks and surrendering Jerries).

These two have still to be matt sprayed and have the bases completed. I may have gone a bit OTT with the black camo, but I was trying to follow period pictures. It seems the units landing in Normandy at the start of the campaign tended to have vehicles painted with this camo pattern, but later replacement vehicles just had the standard factory paint scheme.

Julys Dabbling

So after I finished the Bofors guns I moved on to some trucks (one for my artillery unit and one for my pioneers), and some of the Humber LRC's for my recce unit.

All painted and varnished, just awaiting decals - I've had to order some more from Dom's decals and there was an issue with the tactical signs I had for my recce unit. They were too large for the armored cars. I managed to pick up some smaller ones (6mm/10mm) ones at Claymore.

Still a bit shiny from the varnish, but the matt coat should sort that all out.