The Road to Falaise Bobs on going 15mm WW2 Adventure

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.