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The DUKW (colloquially known as duck) is a six-wheel-drive amphibious truck that was designed by a partnership under military auspicies of Sparkman & Stephens and General Motors Corporation during World War II for transporting goods and troops over land and water and for use approaching and crossing beaches in amphibious attacks.
The Flames of War model has a large resin hull with metal components.
The Panhard 178 was an advanced French reconnaissance 4×4 armoured car that was designed for the French Cavalry before World War II. It had a crew of four and was equipped with an effective 25 mm main armament and a 7.5 mm coaxial machine gun.
Like some of my other models I am unsure of the manufacturer of this one, though think it might be SDD. It started with a white undercoat and I have started to paint the camouflage.
The FoW version is much more detailed and I will probably retire this model and use it within a piece of scenery.
Reading the army lists I realised I needed a Sherman Firefly either to accompany my Shermans or my Cromwell IVs.
The Sherman Firefly was a World War II British variant of the American Sherman tank, fitted with the powerful British 17 pounder anti-tank gun as its main weapon. Originally conceived as a stopgap until future British tank designs came into service, the Sherman Firefly became the most common vehicle with the 17 pounder in World War II.
Though the British expected to have their own new tank models developed soon (and were loath to consider using American tanks), British Major George Brighty championed the already-rejected idea of mounting the 17 pounder in the existing Sherman. With the help of Lieutenant Colonel Witheridge and despite official disapproval, he managed to get the concept accepted. This proved fortuitous, as both the Challenger and Cromwell tank designs experienced difficulties and delays.
After the problem of getting the gun to fit in the Sherman’s turret was solved, the Firefly was put into production in early 1944, in time to equip Field Marshal Montgomery’s forces for the Normandy landings. It soon became highly valued as the only British tank capable of defeating the Panther and Tiger tanks it faced in Normandy at standard combat ranges. In recognition of this, German tank and anti-tank gun crews were instructed to attack Fireflies first.
Within the blister, as with a lot of FoW models, you get a resin hull and turret and metal tracks and accessories.
See the workbench feature on my Flames of War Sherman Firefly VC.
Decided to convert a US DUKW section for use by my British forces.
The DUKW (colloquially known as duck) is a six-wheel-drive amphibious truck that was designed by a partnership under military auspicies of Sparkman & Stephens and General Motors Corporation during World War II for transporting goods and troops over land and water and for use approaching and crossing beaches in amphibious attacks.
It’s a boxed set of two models.
These are very nice models.
The Tank, Heavy, TOG 2 was a prototype British super-heavy tank design produced in the early part of the Second World War in case the battlefields of northern France turned into a morass of mud, trenches and craters as had happened during the First World War.
In the end it never went into production, but as part of the Flames of War Mid-War Monsters range you can buy it and use it in alternate history games. I liked the concept and the model on the Flames of War website is quite inspiring.
The Flames of War boxed set contains three of these monsters.
I do hope that we see future “monsters” for Flames of War, there are some nice concepts and ideas out there for both Early-War and Late-War, though I have a hunch that these did not sell as well as expected.
See the workbench feature on these huge tanks.
These are the resin and metal pieces of the Cromwell ARV.
I stuck the wading gear and hull MG to the hull and the front and rear trackguards to the tracks.
The tracks were then glued to the hull.
The model went together very easily and I am impressed with the detail on the model. Next stage will be the white undercoat.
See the workbench feature on the Cromwell ARV.
As well as the new Italian Monastery, another piece of new scenery for Flames of War will also be released on the 30th July and that is some Italian vineyards.
Fancy a glass of wine anyone?
Of course these vineyards would work equally well in France, though Normandy was more likely to contain apple orchards, other areas of France which the Allies fought through did contain vineyards. They look like they are made out of solid resin and I am not sure how effective they will look, as most vineyards are not as solid as these appear.
For example have a look at this real Italian vineyard.
As you can see yes there are lines of vines, but they are not very solid. I am thinking that using wire and foliage might result in a better looking vineyard than the resin models.
What do you think?
I was recommended these Forged in Battle miniatures at a gaming shop in Birmingham. They look well casted and a similar size to Flames of War infantry.
I bought the mortar team and the rifle platoon.
Will be getting some Flames of War plastic bases for them too.
On the 23rd July, my French Blitzkreig forces will be able to get some reinforcements with some new releases for them for Flames of War.
The FRX05 All-Terrain Towed 105mm Artillery Battery.
The FRX06 Self-propelled 75mm Anti-aircraft Platoon look like relics from World War One. Old lorries with 75mm AA guns on board, just the thing to attempt to shoot down the odd stuka or three.
The final release for the French is the FR201 Lorraine 38L Armoured Carrier.
Used as a supply carrier, many were later used by the Germans and converted in self propelled artillery.
Another new release from Flames of War is this boxed Churchill Platoon set.
Though designed for Cassino, it should also be suitable for the Normandy campaign, though I did think it might be handy for a game based on the Dieppe raid in 1942.
I awakened to a stab of early morning sunlight searing my eyelids. My batman, Corporal Mino, peered through the tent flap. “Sir wake up! Admiral Mountbatten has ordered you to attend a debriefing in London two hours from now.”
I sat up groggily. Christ, I was a mess. I was still wearing my battledress, filthy, streaked in grime and dried blood.
“They said you were the only officer of the whole brigade who came back from the beaches. You’re all that’s left.”
Captain Denis Whitaker, Royal Hamilton Light Infantry
August 19th 1942 was a date that many Canadians would never forget. On that day, three thousand Canadian infantry troops (out of an initial total of five thousand) were killed, wounded or taken prisoner on the beaches of Dieppe on the French coast. The Royal Navy lost boats and personnel, the RAF and RCAF had one hundred and eight planes shot down with sixty pilots lost. The Allies had raided a heavily fortified port and had paid the price, a heavy price.
In 1942, Aldof Hitler and his armed forces held most of Europe and was probing deep into Russia. Stalin called on his allies to open a second front.
The allies knew that if they were to liberate France than they would need a port, logistics is what wins wars, not necessarily better weapons The Dieppe raid was conceived as a precursor to a larger landing in France at some later date.
Many lessons were learnt on that day, but just under two years later on the 6th June 1944, the allies landed on the beaches of Normandy, D-Day was the beginning of the end of the Nazi occupation of Europe. D-Day saw the use of “funnies”, tanks specially designed to overcome beach obstacles, mulberry harbours and a wide range of other new equipment.
The Churchill Platoon set is out on the 30th July.