6MMRPC: Finished! Stuart III's and Universal Carriers

Hi folks,

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:

 I also finished (barring some crew figures) these 6 Forged in Battle Universal Carriers. These models include my 3 PIAT armed carriers - mainly using figures provided by Dai. There are also 2 .50 cal armed Carriers and a single double Bren Carrier. These guys are marked up as part of the 7th Bat. Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders. I was going to make some of them 2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry for my Recce force, but will probably end up trying to get a hold of the new Battlefront Universal Carriers for them - assuming I can ever get my hands on any.

So on to the last of the vehicle crews to highlight and matt varnish as well as the last remaining vehicles.

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!

6MMRPC: Tanks and Trades

Hi folks,

A quick update before the weekend (and lots of packing) starts. Today was my final day of work in Glasgow, so I am looking forward to starting in Middlesbrough in a weeks time and not having to spend 3+ hours a day commuting! Tonight I celebrated by getting primer on my three Stuart M3A1's and Crusader AA tanks.

These pics are post black primer, so don't show much. I managed to do a little work through the week on stowage - running out of canvas rolls and jerry cans - and also managed to add a hull MG barrel to the Stuarts.

I had enough stowage to have a bash at one of the M10C's, adding a .50cal MG and patches of camo netting. I'm thinking on these guys to try a new thing, and have been looking at options for foliage branches in 15mm. There are a few options out there, I just need to pick one then have it delivered to my new address (I have the same issue with ordering more stowage).

My thinking with the foliage is that these Self propelled guns were normally used from defensive or ambush positions. Also, with them being a Canadian addition to my army, I wanted them to be visually a little different. The inclusion of foliage on the models will really depend on whether I can make it subtle enough. I've seen lots of models with clumps of horrible rubberised hair and the likes on them - or clumps of clump foliage - and I don't want to go down that route. The key will be getting decent looking 'branches' and leafs. 

I also picked up a Dremel like tool from EBuyer. Called the Xenta 163 Piece Rotary Tool it costs a whole £14.99. I'm waiting on it being delivered but the reviews sound OK and at that price if it only lasts a few months I won't complain. What it will let me look at doing it magnetising my turrets.

Also this week I managed to trade my 3 Stuart Honey tanks I asked for in error at Christmas time. I managed to arrange a trade of the 3 tanks and a small sum of money for 3 plastic  PSC Churchills and 4 plastic BF M5 Halftracks. I'm not too sure what to do with the Churchills, but the M5's will be for my Recce company infantry. The Churchills might end up as an extra support option or as base kits if the conversion kits for PSC Churchills ever materialize. I'll think about it but they can stay on the sprues for a while yet. I should probably count this as a Joker for the challenge, but it was a small amount of cash and that was only because we needed to even out the trade value.

And... I managed to move the vehicle crews onto the shelf as they are now ready to be varnished.

I've not posted the pics of the Stuarts or the Crusader AA as the black primer makes them just large black blobs in the pictures. More to follow when I get the base coat on them.