bovington tank museum – Page 14 – Felix's Gaming Pages

Sd.Kfz. 251

This Sd.Kfz. 251 was on display at Bovington. It was captured by British forces in the desert. One of the pictures taken after its capture shows a barrel strapped to its right exterior. It has a special step near the rear doors that identifies it as an ambulance.

The Sd.Kfz. 251 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251) half-track was a World War II German armored fighting vehicle designed by the Hanomag company, based on its earlier, unarmored Sd.Kfz. 11 vehicle. The Sd.Kfz. 251 was designed to transport the Panzergrenadier (German mechanized infantry) into battle. Sd.Kfz. 251s were the most widely produced German half-tracks of the war, with at least 15,252 vehicles and variants produced by seven manufacturers.

The Sd.Kfz. 251 was a vital part of the German war effort, and it played a significant role in many of the German victories of World War II. It was a reliable, effective, and versatile armored vehicle that was well-liked by the German troops who used it. The Sd.Kfz. 251 was a major factor in the success of the German mechanized infantry, and it helped the Germans to achieve many of their early victories.

Here is the same Sd.Kfz. 251 taken on a previous visit to Bovington, but that time it was painted grey.

I also published on the blog a photo of the OT-810 at Duxford. The OT-810 is a post war production copy of the German World War Two Sd.Kfz 251 half track.

I have a 15mm Flames of War versions on my workbench:

- - Panzergrenadier Headquarters
  - Panzergrenadier Platoon

In addition I have an old SDD one that was on the workbench too:

- - SdKfz 251 Armoured Half Track

I have photographs of various models in the SdKfz 251 Miniatures Gallery.

Valentine Tank

This Valentine Tank was on display at the Bovington Tank Museum.

The Valentine tank was an infantry tank produced in the United Kingdom during World War II. More than 8,000 of the type were produced in eleven marks, plus various specialised variants, accounting for approximately a quarter of wartime British tank production. The many variants included riveted and welded construction, petrol and diesel engines and a progressive increase in armament. It was supplied in large numbers to the USSR and built under licence in Canada. It was used extensively by the British in the North African campaign. Developed by Vickers, it proved to be both strong and reliable.

The Valentine first entered service with the British Army in December 1941, with the 8th Royal Tank Regiment in Operation Crusader. It quickly earned a reputation as a reliable and well-protected vehicle. The Valentine’s armor was particularly effective against German anti-tank guns, and it was also equipped with a powerful 75mm gun that could penetrate the armor of most German tanks.

The Valentine was used extensively in the North African campaign, where it proved to be a valuable asset to the British forces. It was also used in other theaters of war, including the Western Desert, Italy, and the Far East.

The Valentine was not without its flaws. It was relatively slow, and its armor was not as thick as some of the German tanks. However, its reliability and firepower made it a valuable asset to the British Army.

After the war, the Valentine was phased out of British service. However, it remained in service with other armies for many years. The Soviet Union, for example, continued to use Valentines until the early 1950s.

The Valentine tank was a significant contribution to the British war effort. It was a reliable and well-protected vehicle that was used extensively in all theaters of war. The Valentine’s legacy can still be seen today, as many examples of the tank are preserved in museums around the world.

Valentine Infantry Tank Mk III at the Imperial War Museum Duxford.

M3A1 Stuart

This M3A1 Stuart was on display at The Tank Museum at Bovington.

The M3A1 Stuart was a light tank that was used by the United States and its allies during World War II. The British Army was one of the largest users of the Stuart, and it used the tank in a variety of roles, including reconnaissance, scouting, and infantry support. It was designed as a reconnaissance and scouting vehicle, and was not intended to engage in direct combat with enemy tanks. However, the Stuart was often used in this role, and it sometimes proved to be successful.

The M3A1 Stuart was armed with a 37mm main gun and three .30 caliber machine guns. The main gun was capable of penetrating the armour of most German and Japanese tanks at close range, but it was not effective against the heavier tanks that were fielded later in the war. The machine guns were used for self-defence and for suppressing enemy infantry.

The Stuart was powered by a Continental W670-9A gasoline engine, which gave it a top speed of 36 miles per hour. It had a crew of four: a commander, a gunner, a driver, and an assistant driver. The tank was relatively small and lightweight, which made it easy to transport and manoeuvre.

The Stuart was first used by the British Army in North Africa in 1942. It proved to be effective in this theatre, where the terrain was often open and the enemy tanks were not as heavily armored as those in Europe. However, the Stuart began to struggle against the German Panzer IV tanks that were introduced in 1943.

The Stuart was also used in the European theatre, where it was less successful. The German tanks were generally more heavily armoured and better armed than the Stuart, and the Stuart often had difficulty penetrating their armour. However, the Stuart was still used in a variety of roles, and it sometimes proved to be effective in supporting Allied infantry.

The M3A1 Stuart was produced in large numbers, with over 20,000 tanks being built. It was the most widely produced American tank of World War II. The Stuart was also used by several other countries, including Britain, France, and China.

The M3A1 Stuart was not a perfect tank, but it was a valuable asset to the Allied forces during World War II. It was fast, manoeuvrable, and relatively easy to produce. It was also relatively inexpensive, which made it possible to equip large numbers of Allied units with it.

The Stuart’s light armour and relatively weak main gun made it vulnerable to enemy tanks, but it was still a capable vehicle in the right hands. It was used successfully in a variety of theatres of war, and it played an important role in the Allied victory.

Cruiser Tank, Mk I (A9)

The A9 Cruiser Tank was a British cruiser tank of the interwar period. It was the first cruiser tank, a fast tank designed to bypass the main enemy lines and engage the enemy’s lines of communication, as well as enemy tanks. It was developed by Vickers-Armstrongs and was first produced in 1937.

This Cruiser Tank, Mk I (A9) was on display at the Tank Museum at Bovington.

The A9 was armed with a 2-pounder (40 mm) main gun and three .303-inch (7.7 mm) machine guns. It had a top speed of 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) on road and 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) off. Its armor was relatively thin, at only 14 mm (0.55 in) thick on the front and 10 mm (0.39 in) thick on the sides.

The A9 was used by the British Army in the early years of World War II. It saw action in the Battle of France in 1940 and in the North African Campaign in 1941. It was soon replaced by more modern tanks, such as the Cruiser Mk IV.

The A9 was a relatively successful tank for its time. It was fast and maneuverable, and its main gun was effective against early German tanks. However, its thin armor made it vulnerable to enemy fire, and it was soon replaced by more heavily armored tanks.

Though entering service in 1938, development had started earlier with the pilot model of the medium tank design being finished in 1936. This makes it an ideal tank for use during the Very British Civil War background.

Carro Armato M14/41 Medium Tank

This Carro Armato M14/41 was on display at Bovington.

The M 14/41 was a four-crew medium tank that served from 1941 in the Royal Italian Army.

The M14/41 was a successor to the lighter and slower M13/40, fitted with a more powerful and reliable engine. The first were built in August 1941 and were used until the end of the fighting in North Africa. Even when they were first used, the M14/41s firepower and armour were outdated against newer Allied tanks.

Built in 1942, this MI4/41 was sent to North Africa. It is believed to have been abandoned and captured soon afterwards. It came to The Tank Museum in 1951.

Operation Compass was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during the Second World War. British, Empire and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces of the 10th Army in western Egypt and Cyrenaica, the eastern province of Libya, from December 1940 to February 1941. Italian tanks were outclassed by British tanks in Operation Compass. Poor Italian leadership and tactics made things worse. A total of 145 of the earlier M13/40 model tanks were lost-almost all the Italians had in Libya. In fact, so many were captured infact, that the British briefly used it themselves.

Another post on the Carro Armato M14/41 at Bovington.

Matilda II

This Matilda II was on display at the Tank Museum at Bovington.

The Infantry Tank Mark II, better known as the Matilda, was a British infantry tank that served in World War II. It had a crew of four, was powered by two Leyland 6-cylinder diesel engines, and was armed with a 2-pounder gun and a machine gun.

The Matilda was designed in 1936 as a gun-armed counterpart to the first British infantry tank, the machine gun-armed A11 Infantry Tank Mark I. The Mark I was also known as the Matilda, and the larger A12 was initially known as the Matilda II, Matilda senior, or Waltzing Matilda. The Mark I was abandoned in 1940, and from then on the A12 was almost always known simply as “the Matilda.”

The Matilda was an excellent infantry support tank, thanks to its heavy armor. It was impervious to most German anti-tank guns at the time, and it could withstand heavy fire from enemy tanks. However, the Matilda was slow, with a top speed of only 14 mph. It was also not very well-armed, and its main gun, the 2-pounder, was effective against other tanks, but it had limited anti-personnel capabilities.

Despite its limitations, the Matilda was a valuable asset to the British Army during World War II. It was a reliable and well-liked tank by its crews, and it played a significant role in the North Africa Campaign. It was eventually replaced in front-line service by the lighter and less costly Infantry Tank Mk III Valentine beginning in late 1941, but the Matilda continued to serve in other roles until the end of the war.

Overall, the Matilda was a versatile and effective tank that served the British Army well during World War II. Its heavy armor made it a formidable opponent on the battlefield, and its reliability and popularity with its crews made it a valuable asset to the British war effort.

A Matilda II infantry tank is at the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester.

Guy Armoured Car

This Guy Armoured Car was on display at the Tank Museum.

The Guy Armoured Car was a British armoured car produced in limited numbers during Second World War. The car saw limited action during the Battle of France.

The manufacturer, Guy Motors, did not have enough capacity to produce the armored car alongside their artillery tractors, so they passed the design and construction techniques to Rootes, who used them to create the Humber Armored Car.

Six Guy Armored Cars were sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), but they were lost when France fell to the Germans.

Four cars, two each with the 12th Lancers and 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry, had their guns removed and additional seats fitted in 1940 for use in the Coats Mission to evacuate the Royal family in the event of a German invasion of Britain during the Second World War.

The Coats Mission was a special British army unit established in 1940 for the purpose of evacuating King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and their immediate family in the event of a German invasion of Britain during the Second World War. It was led by Major James Coats, MC, Coldstream Guards, later Lieutenant-Colonel Sir James Coats, Bt.

The force consisted of:

- A special company of the Coldstream Guards. There were five officers and 124 Guardsmen based at Bushey Hall Golf Club. Every officer and Guardsman was personally interviewed by Major Coats before being assigned to the company.
- A troop of the 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry based at Windsor Castle commanded by Lieutenant Michael Tomkin. They were equipped with four Guy Armoured Cars. Their role was to evacuate Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.
- A Royal Army Service Corps section of 12 men with four Leyland Tiger buses based at Bushey Hall Golf Club. Their role was to transport the Coldstream Guards company.
- Military Police from the Provost Company of the 1st London Division for escort and traffic control, commanded by Captain Sir Malcolm Campbell, MBE.

The Coats Mission was never called upon to carry out its mission, as the German invasion of Britain never materialized. However, the unit’s existence was a sign of the British government’s determination to protect the Royal Family, even in the face of the most dire circumstances.

The Coats Mission is a fascinating example of the lengths that the British government was willing to go to in order to protect its monarchy. It is also a reminder of the importance of contingency planning, even in the face of unlikely events.

I have been thinking about creating a game based on the Coats Mission with an assault by German Paratroopers in an attempt to capture the Royal Family.

Another photograph of the Guy Armoured Car.

Sd.Kfz. 265 Panzerbefehlswagen

The Sd.Kfz. 265 Panzerbefehlswagen (light armoured command vehicle) was a German Army’s first purpose-designed armoured command vehicle; a type of armoured fighting vehicle designed to provide a tank unit commander with mobility and communications on the battlefield. A development of the Army’s first mass-produced tank, the Panzer I Ausf. A, the Sd. Kfz. 265 saw considerable action during the early years of the war, serving in Panzer units through 1942 and with other formations until late in the war.

This rare Sd.Kfz. 265 Panzerbefehlswagen is on display at Bovington.

The Sd. Kfz. 265 was based on the Panzer I Ausf. A chassis, but it had its turret removed and replaced with a superstructure that housed additional radios and other communications equipment. The superstructure was located at the rear of the vehicle, and it was designed to provide the commander with a good view of the battlefield. The Sd. Kfz. 265 was also equipped with a single 7.92mm machine gun, which was mounted in the hull.

The Sd. Kfz. 265 was crewed by three men: the commander, the driver, and the radio operator. The commander was responsible for directing the unit’s movements and for communicating with other units. The driver was responsible for driving the vehicle, and the radio operator was responsible for operating the vehicle’s communications equipment.

The Sd. Kfz. 265 was a relatively simple and inexpensive vehicle to produce, and it was well-suited for its intended role as a command tank. It was reliable and easy to maintain, and it had good mobility and range. However, it was lightly armoured and lightly armed, and it was not suitable for combat.

The Panzer I Command Tank was first used in combat during the Spanish Civil War, and it saw extensive use during the early years of World War II. It was eventually replaced by more capable command tanks, such as the Panzer III Command Tank, but it remained in service until the end of the war.

Design of the Panzer I began in 1932 and mass production began in 1934. Intended only as a training tank to introduce the concept of armoured warfare to the German Army, the Panzer I saw combat in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, in Poland, France, the Soviet Union and North Africa during the Second World War, and in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Experiences with the Panzer I during the Spanish Civil War helped shape the German Panzerwaffe’s invasion of Poland in 1939 and France in 1940.

I didn’t know until a few years ago that the German tanks in 1940 were painted grey and brown, I had always thought they were just grey. I personally blame Matchbox for this.

It was only after Blitzkrieg was released back in 2010 by Battlefront that I noticed the grey and brown camouflage scheme.

As recently as ten years ago the overwhelming consensus regarding early war German AFV paint schemes was that they were all painted in uniform overall panzer grey (Dunkelgrau – RAL 7021 – formerly RAL 46). However, in 2002 Tom Jentz and Hilary Doyle published an article based on primary sources stating all German vehicles at the beginning of World War II were painted in a two tone camouflage scheme of panzer grey with one third of the vehicle painted in a disruptive pattern of dark brown (Dunkelbraun – RAL 7017 – formerly RAL 45). The order to move to an overall panzer grey scheme was not signed until the end of July 1940.

A34 Comet

This A34 Comet tank was on display at the Tank Museum at Bovington.

The A34 Comet was a British cruiser tank that was developed in the late stages of World War II. It was based on the Cromwell tank, but it had a number of significant improvements, including a new 17-pounder gun, a fully-welded hull and turret, and a new suspension system.

The Comet entered service in 1944 and was used by British armoured units in the final stages of the war in Europe. It proved to be a very effective tank, and was credited with knocking out German tanks.

The Comet was also used by the British Army in the Korean War, where it again proved to be a very capable tank. It was retired from British service in 1958.

The Comet was a very successful tank, and it was one of the most important British tanks of the Second World War. It was a major improvement over the Cromwell, and it was able to give the British Army a tank that was capable of taking on the latest German tanks. The Comet was also a very reliable tank, and it was easy to maintain.

The Comet’s success led to the development of the Centurion tank, which was the main battle tank of the British Army for many years. The Comet’s design features were also incorporated into other British tanks, such as the Challenger and the Chieftain.

The Comet is a reminder of the British Army’s ability to develop and field effective tanks in a short period of time. It is also a testament to the skill and dedication of the British tank crews who used it in battle.

More photographs of this Comet Tank and also here.

Comet Tank at the entrance to the Imperial War Museum Duxford.

Comet on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford in their Land Warfare Exhibit.

I do have some of the Flames of War plastic models, but they are still currently still in their boxes. I have been thinking of using them not only for Late War Flames of War games, but also 1950s Cold War games. The Comet remained in British service until 1958. Reading the Hot War books from Harry Turtledove has inspired me to think about gaming some scenarios from the books. British Comets and Centurions versus Russians T34-85 and T54 Soviet tanks with American M26 Pershing and M48 Patton tanks. In the book there are also Sherman manned by (West) German forces.

Why such a liking for this tank, well, as with other models, I suspect that it was because I bought and made the Matchbox Comet many, many years ago.

Matilda I

The Tank, Infantry, Mk I, Matilda I (A11) was a British infantry tank of the Second World War. Despite being slow, cramped and armed with only a single machine gun, the Matilda I had some success in the Battle of France in 1940, owing to its heavy armour which was proof against the standard German anti-tank guns. However, it was essentially useless in an attacking sense, as its weak armament made it toothless in combat against enemy armour, and the tank was obsolete before it even came into service.

There are two Matilda I tanks at the Bovington Tank Museum. One is in running order, though it doesn’t have an authentic engine and gearbox.

The hull and turret were well protected against contemporary anti-tank weapons but the tracks and running gear were exposed and more vulnerable than on tanks that had protected tracks. The lack of a gun with anti-tank capability severely limited its utility on the battlefield.

The other is painted to represent T8106 a tank of the 4th Royal Tank Regiment in France in May 1940.

The Battle of France was the only time the Matilda I saw combat. The tank was cheaply built as the British government wanted each of the tanks to be built on a very restricted budget in the build-up to the Second World War.