From JamesM: 15mm Bobbins, Fireflies and Battery CP's (48pts)

Hi folks,

More green painted tanks from me, to end my challenge on. 

First up, some D-day oddities. 15mm resin printed 'Bobbin' AVRE Churchills. These tanks were 'carpet layers' designed to unroll a reinforced matting over soft sand/clay areas. This would provide a very temporary surface which other vehicles could use to prevent getting stuck on the beach. It could have the additional effect of flattening barbed wire to allow infantry easy crossing. As far as I'm aware, these attachments only really saw action on D-Day, although the concept was pursued in other forms post war. 

I've added some paint bottles for size references to some pictures, as it has been mentioned it's hard to define the scale sometimes - unfortunately I don't keep a banana near my desk. 

These models came from 'Butlers Printed Models' who have an excellent range of 3d printed 'funnies'. This was an expensive buy as I went for the 'all resin' option, but as soon as I saw these I knew my 'breaching teams' needed some. 

These tanks will see the table soon - this year me, MartinC and DaveD planning to do five large 15mm games - one for each of the D-Day beaches. 

Of course, it wouldn't be a challenge without me painting more 15mm Shermans*. 

Since I'd finished my Sherman DD's earlier in the challenge, I also painted the three firefly tanks that would join the squadron once the beach was a little more secure. 

These models are old metal and resin Battlefront kits I've had for a while. However, they have been 'upgraded' with more modern plastic Battlefront 17-pdr gun barrels, as the plastic offering is far thinner and more realistic looking than the old metal offerings. 

Decals and such are for the Fort Garry Horse. I've kept them very light on stowage, as they were a rush job and I can always add that later once I've seen what reference pics might be out there. After much interanl debate I also decided to base these the same way as the DD tanks. 

Lastly, a Battlefield3d resin printed Sexton Command Post model. 

This model has no real purpose other than it was unusual and I wanted to add one to my collection. As my Canadian Sextons has a Ram OP tank, I thought I'd add this oddity to my Polish artillery pool. Really just set dressing for games, it does look cool and took little effort, what with the canvas cover. 

Six 15mm scale tanks, at 8 points each, for a total of 48 points. 

* Like DaveD with his camels, although I've made sure the type of Sherman used is correct. 

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It wouldn't be a proper Challenge without James doing some 15mm WWII armour, would it? Love the assorted 'funnies' and the oddball Sexton Command vehicle. It's these outliers that really make for an interesting tabletop. Well done James and best of luck with your upcoming D-Day monster games! 

Until next year!

-Curt

JamesM: 15mm Cold War Dutch M109s and extras (Under construction) - 97 points

Hi folks,

First entry for this years challenge, and I made use of the 'under construction' studio to clear the decks of some bits I'd started in October 2022 but hadn't made much progress with. 

Following the completion of my WW2 Panzergrenadier transport project last year (which featured in the last challenge) I was sucked into doing a 15mm Dutch force for Team Yankee/7 Days to the Rhine/Battlegroup by the evil Mr DaveD. As a result, my recent project has been painting up a selection of the armed forces of the Netherlands, from around 1985. This rapidly expanded, given my completionist tendencies, to a mechanised company, recce company, and options for a Leo 1 and 2 company - plus support... Plus some other vehicles for some spicy 2nd line battlegroup options. 

I'd made decent progress with this, but back in October sidetracked into painting a load of 28mm Necromunda terrain. As a result, a few 15mm bits had languished, base coated, on my paint shelf up until the start of the challenge. 

The first of these paint table dwellers are some truly massive M109A2 in 15mm scale. These are plastic kits from Battlefront and the scale of these vehicles always gives me pause for thought. They are easily bigger than any of the WW2 heavy tanks I have in my collection - including the King Tigers. These are self propelled artillery armed with 155mm guns. They properly reinforce how big modern combat vehicles are. Note the single hatch mounted commander denoting the command vehicle. 

Alongside these is a 3d printed Dutch YPR-765 PRCO-C-4 from Butlers Printed Models. Unfortunately, missing a .50 cal mount, but as an Artillery Observation Post (OP) vehicle I'm not complaining. I added a third radio aerial to this to mark it out on the table as an OP vehicle as well. While smaller than the M109s, these IFVs are bigger than Sherman tanks at the same scale.  

I also had the 120mm mortars and crews from my M106 Self Propelled Mortars on the painting shelf - the vehicles had been finished earlier this year, but I'd run out of steam regarding painting the crew. These are Battlefront plastic mortars and metal crew figures. Infantry are painted up in the nicely plain and simple Dutch uniform of the period. Pictured loose, and also fixed into the vehicles. 

And a small side project - some .50 cal turrets to add to my existing Battlefront YPR-765 PRI vehicles. These allow me to use the same models to represent 2nd line troops without the advantage of a 25mm cannon. Images show the new turrets, the old IFV model with Battlefront resin turret, and the addition of the magnetised .50 turrets to the same hull. 

Turrets on all vehicles are magnetised, aerials applied using fishing line painted black, decals and headlights add a bit of colour and models are based to the same standard over the whole project. Weathering applied using Tamiya weathering products. 

In total, this batch consists of:

4 x 15mm vehicles = 32 points

6.5 x 15mm infantry/crew = 13 points

8 x 15mm crew served weapons(?) = 32 points

Total = 77 points + bonus 20 points for location = 97 points

Minion Miles: Well those self propelled guns will definitely bring the BOOM!

bring the boom!

From LeeH - 3D printed 8.8cm Pak 43/41 Guns (8 points)

A couple of weeks ago I panted up some trenches from Ironclad Miniatures but the gun emplacements were missing their ordinance. I'd ordered some 3D printed models but they hadn't arrived so I finished the trenches knowing I'd be revisiting them in due course. The printed guns arrived last week and here they are. Two 8.8cm Pak 43/41 guns from Butlers Printed Models. I've never bought any 3D prints before so I was interested to give these a go and I'm pretty impressed with them. The printing layers can still be seen in some areas and the models needed a lot of cleaning up when they arrived, but they were half the price of a plastic or metal equivalent. I bought these primarily as 'terrain', simply to put into the trenches so my British Para's could attempt to knock them out. So while the quality isn't as good as a metal model, I'm pretty pleased with them as terrain, especially at the price I paid.

When you read accounts of the battle in Northern France and tankers describe being attacked by 88's, these are probably the weapon they are talking about. Krupp designed this weapon in direct competition with the Rheinmetall Flak41, and they produced a very successful weapon indeed. The Krupp gun was the most powerful anti-tank gun in service with the Wehrmacht and a modified version (the KwK 43) became the main gun of the Tiger II tank. 

Its relatively low profile meant it was ideal as an ambush weapon and the wheeled version (the original had a cruciform mount) meant it could be moved quickly from location to location. I once talked to a British veteran who served in Normandy as the driver of a Cromwell tank, and he described a single hit from a Pak 43 which split the engine block of his tank clean in two. Fortunately, all the crew were able to escape, but the tank had to be abandoned. 

(Scoring - 2x15mm Artillery Piece = 8 Points)

Aah! So the unboxing video I watched earlier was recorded last week then. Sneaky, sneaky! These 3D prints certainly do the job as terrain.

Tamsin

From MartinC Vietnam Huey (20pts)

 All conflicts need transport and in Vietnam it's helicopters. This Huey is 3-D printed from Butlers Printed Models and is OK. Like all 3-D models it needed lots of sanding and the side windows are not great. However its a good size and easy to assemble

It's on a telescopic aerial mounted into a plaster "rock" and secured with a magnet.

You can't tell from the photos but it's painted up quite well considering none of the greens I had were correct and I ended up painting it german field grey and then heavily dry brushed light camo green. The windows black grey with chainmail. Overall it looks like a helicopter, so job is a good 'un.

No decals, I really hate decals. I'd rather paint 54mm Napoleonics. Also don't have the right decals. Maybe later, much much later

So 20pts for a 28mm vehicle

From JamesM: 15mm Canadian Ram OP tank (8 points)

Hi folks,

Slow progress from me this month, due to the birth of my son Alexander at the start of January. Mother and baby doing well but sleep patterns have not survived first contact. 

As part of my current painting plan I aimed to complete another long term painting pile oddity. This takes the form of a 4th Canadian Armoured Division Ram OP tank, as seen in this picture outside Caen during Operation Totalize. 

The concept for this model came from this period photo:

This uncommon vehicle (and uncommonly photographed in NWE) was likely an Observation Post tank with the 23rd Field Regiment (Self Propelled), Royal Canadian Artillery. As such I've marked mine as being from this unit. I've a battery of Canadian Sextons to do at some point to represent this unit more fully on the table - for when I get round to painting Canadian Shermans. 

The hull of the models is a resin Battlefront Ram Kangeroo, with some greenstuff conversion work to turn the hull front into the Ram mk.II version as opposed to the Battlefront mk.1 hull. 

The turret was commissioned by me from Butlers Printed Models several years ago. I understand this company now sells a hull to go along with the turret. The print quality on the turret is not great, so the camo netting is useful to his the worst of the print lines. Compared to some of the resin printing options out there now, this is decidedly crude. 

Camo netting is 1/72 scale, which I think is close enough scale wise to use on 15mm models. Aerials added as usual using fishing line, with two in the turret and one in the hull based on the plans for this type of tank. I added some additional stowage to the turret (again, to help hide print lines), and some bits of plastic to the rear deck to add some shape under the netting. As an OP tank I would have liked a observer in the turret, but with a 3d printed turret, the wasn't an easy option. 

I'm fairly happy with the finished model, and an interesting 'one off' piece for my collection. One 15mm vehicle should come in at 8 points.