US Artillery WIP

Just a quick update tonight.

I've found time to add all of the gun crews to the US artillery pieces:


Hopefully I'll get these flocked tomorrow night.

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US and German Artillery - WIP

These are what I'm currently working on. As usual the Heroics and Ros references are shown in ().

B Company, 635th Tank Destroyer Battalion (Towed)
3 platoons of 76mm anti-tank guns (US23), each platoon will have a M3 halftrack tow.


7th Field Artillery Battalion
3 batteries of 105mm howitzers (US28).


5th Field Artillery Battalion
3 batteries of 155mm howitzers (US29).


IV./Artillery Regiment 352
3 batteries of 150mm howitzers (G062). These guns will also double up as III./Panzer Artillery Regiment 73 for my 1941 Panzer Division 1 list, technically they'd probably be in a different colour but it fits nicely in to my multi use unit plan.


Will post pictures of the finished guns later in the week.

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16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division 1944

Here's the almost complete 16th Infantry, the crew figures need adding to the anti-tank guns and the yet to be painted command figures need adding as well but at least you can get an idea of what the completed regiment will look like. I'm actually missing the 105mm infantry gun as I forgot to buy some crew figures for it, doh! The Heroics and Ros references are shown in ().

HQ and HQ Company
This consists of a recce section (USR1), a HQ (US58 - to add) with jeep (US38) and a 57mm anti-tank platoon (US22) and Studebaker tow truck (US40).


Rifle Company
There are 3 of these in each battalion each with 3 platoons (USR1 & US01 for the bazookas). Each infantry stand has five figures which is my standard way of representing infantry stands.


Support Company
There is a single one of these in each battalion. This company consists of a 81mm mortar platoon and 2 HMG platoons (USR2). All support stands consist solely of the weapon and its crew, occasionally I will add additional infantry figures if the weapon is crewed by only 2 figures.


The Full Battalion


The Full 16th Infantry Regiment
Well almost the full regiment anyway. At the front you can see the yet to be completed CO stand complete with a Dodge Weapons Carrier (US39), along side the CO we have the Regimental anti-tank company which I've modelled as two stands due to its size (9 guns - I use the WW2/Modern Spearhead method of representing small companies as two stands, this method will make more sense when you see the larger (12 gun) 76mm anti-tank company in my next posting).



Thanks for looking, more to follow....

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741st Tank Battalion, 7th Corps

Managed to take a small batch of photo's of the units supporting the US 1st Infantry Division. This is the 741st Tank Battalion, 7th Corps which was attached to the Division during D-Day itself through to the 15th June 1944, it could also be used to represent any of the other tank battalions that were attached to the Division during June. The Heroics and Ros references are shown in ().

HQ and HQ Company
This consists of (left to right) the HQ tank (US04), a recce platoon represented by a single jeep (US38), a Gun Platoon in the form of a M4 with 105mm gun (US04A) and an M21 Mortar Halftrack (US31) representing the mortar platoon:


Medium Tank Company
There are 3 of these in the battalion, each has 3 tank platoons. 2 platoons are represented by M4's (US04) and 1 by a converted M4A1 dozer (US36 with the dozer attachment points removed - H&R don't make a M4A1 thats suitable for the US tanks in the ETO, the one they do make has sand guards):


Light Tank Company
There was only the one of these in the battalion, which like the medium companies has 3 tank platoons each of which is represented by a single M5A1 (US03):


741st Tank Battalion


Please see my earlier post for the units BKCII TO&E.

More pics of the Infantry Regiment to follow when I get chance of the weekend.

Thanks for looking

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German Infantry Division 352 Normandy 1944 The Army List

This is the opposition for The Big Red One. I've still to decide quite how many fortifications to build but there will be quite a few of them:

GERMAN INFANTRY DIVISION 352
NORMANDY JUNE 1944

CORE UNIT

Grenadier Regiment 915
HQ: 1x CO (CV9)
Anti-Tank Company:
1x 75mm ATG/Truck
Infantry Gun Company:
2x 75mm IG/Truck; 1x 150mm IG/Truck
Pioneer Platoon:
1x Engineer Stand (Panzerfaust)
Reconnaissance Platoon:
1x Bicycle Scout Stand

I./ & II./Grenadier Regiment 915, each with:
HQ: 1x HQ (CV8)
3 Rifle Companies, each with:
3x Rifle Stands (Panzerfaust)
Heavy Company:
1x HMG Stand; 2x 81mm Mortars

DIVISIONAL ATTACHMENT OPTIONS

I./Grenadier Regiment 726 (from Infantry Division 716):
HQ: 1x HQ (CV8)
Bicycle Rifle Company:
3x Fortress Rifle Stands/Bicycles
3 Rifle Companies, each with:
3x Fortress Rifle Stands
Company Support Stands:
2x 81mm Mortars

I./Artillery Regiment 352:
1x FAO (CV7)
3 Batteries, each with:
1x 105mm Howitzer/Horse Limbers

IV./Artillery Regiment 352:
1x FAO (CV7)
3 Batteries, each with:
1x 150mm Howitzer/Horse Limbers

2./Pioneer Battalion 252
3x Engineer Stands (Panzerfaust)

Panzerjager Battalion 352:
HQ: 1x HQ (CV8)/Kubel
Anti-Tank Company:
3x Marder IIIH
StuG Company:
2x StuG IIIG
AA Company:
2x Truck mounted 37mm AA

Air Support:
0-1x FW-190
0-1x HS-129

Assets (per stand):
0-2x Artillery HE
0-1x Artillery Smoke
0-1x Aircraft Ground Attack

Fortifications:
0-12x Trenches (1 stand width each)
0-?x Gun Pits (for 1 artillery or AT stand)
0-?x Wire (20cm)
0-?x Dummy Minefields (20x10cm)
0-?x Marked Minefields (20x10cm)
0-?x Unmarked Minefields (20x10cm)
0-?x Anti-Tank Ditch (20x5cm)
0-?x Dragons Teeth (20x5cm)
0-?x Dug-outs
0-4x Pill-boxes
0-2x Medium Bunkers
0-4x Heavy Bunkers (1x 150mm gun each)
0-1x Command Post (+1 CV)

NOTES

1. Morale Grade: Regulars.
2. Flexible tactical doctrine.
3. No air superiority.
4. Rifle stands may additionally receive a second anti-tank upgrade in the form of Panzerschrecks. However there is no evidence that the division received any. If Panzershrecks are used a maximum of 1 per company is allowed (not fortress rifle stands).
5. Infiltration: +1 to command value for flank deployment.
6. 150mm guns in heavy bunkers can be used as indirect artillery (via a FAO in a Command Post) or for direct fire.

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US 1st Infantry Division Normandy 1944 The Army List

This is the army list I've created to model a Regimental Combat Team (or RCT) and its supporting Divisional assets:

US 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION
(THE BIG RED ONE)
NORMANDY JUNE 1944

CORE UNIT

16th Infantry Regiment
HQ: 1x CO (CV9)
Anti-Tank Company:
2x 57mm ATG/Truck
Cannon Company:
1x 105mm IG/Truck

3 Rifle Battalions, each with:
HQ: 1x HQ (CV8), 1x Mine Marker
AT Platoon: 1x 57mm ATG/Truck
Recce Section: 1x Scout Stand
3 Rifle Companies, each with:
2x Rifle Stands; 1x Rifle Stand (Bazooka, M1A1)
Support Company:
1x 81mm Mortar; 2x HMG Stands

DIVISIONAL ATTACHMENT OPTIONS

7th Field Artillery Battalion:
1x FAO (CV8)/Jeep or L-4 Grasshopper
3 Batteries, each with:
1x 105mm Howitzer

5th Field Artillery Battalion:
1x FAO (CV8)/Jeep or L-4 Grasshopper
3 Batteries, each with:
1x 155mm Howitzer

62nd Armoured Field Artillery Battalion:
1x FAO (CV8)/M4
3 Batteries, each with:
1x M7 Priest

1st Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanised):
HQ: 1x HQ (CV8)/M8 Greyhound
3 Recon Platoons, each with:
1x M8 Greyhound; 1x Jeep

B Company, 635th Tank Destroyer Battalion (Towed):
3x 76mm ATG/M3 HT

A Company, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion:
3x Engineer Stands

741st Tank Battalion, 7th Corps:
HQ: 1x HQ (CV8)/M4
Recce Platoon: 1x Jeep
Mortar Battery: 1x M21 HT
Gun Platoon: 1x M4 (105)
3 Medium Tank Companies, each with:
3x M4 (75) or M4A1 (75)
Light Tank Company:
3x M5A1

1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division:
HQ: 1x HQ (CV9)
Mortar Platoon: 1x 81mm Mortar
3 Rifle Companies, each with:
2x Paratroop Stands
1x Paratroop Stand (Bazooka, M1A1)

Naval Support:
0-2x Naval Gun Fire
0-1x Naval Rockets

Air Support:
0-1x FAC (CV8)/Jeep
0-3x P-47 (Bombs or Rockets)
0-1x B-25 Mitchell

Assets (per stand):
0-4x Artillery HE
0-2x Artillery Smoke
0-2x Aircraft Ground Attack

NOTES

1. Morale Grade: Regulars (Paratroops: Motivated).
2. Normal tactical doctrine (Paratroops: Flexible tactical doctrine).
3. Full air superiority.
4. Close Artillery Support: Any command unit can request artillery support using the CV of the FAO and the LOS of any infantry or infantry support unit within 20cm of the command unit.
5. Tanks and tank destroyers may be used as off table artillery.

Photos of the finished platoons to follow....

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Book Review: German Defensive Batteries and Gun Emplacements

I received this A4 sized 48 page booklet on the German Atlantic Wall Defences facing the Normandy invasion in yesterdays post. Consisting mostly of black and white photographs this introduction to these fortifications is quite an easy read, though it is worth taking some time over the photos. Note that this book only covers the artillery gun emplacements in the invasion area, it does not cover all of the fortifications in Normandy and it doesn't go in to detail about things such as trenches, shelters or minefields surrounding any of the fortifications.

The information given for each of the batteries varies somewhat, for some of them you get a set of plans of individual bunkers (some but not all of these are dimensioned, though the scale isn't stated but could easily be worked out) then for others you'll not get anything much at all other than a brief description, some details of what happened to the battery and a few photographs.

I found some of the descriptions of the batteries quite interesting and I did learn some new information. There is also a handy list at the back of the emplacements, the unit manning them and what guns they had. As I'm working on a battery that's based on the Longues-sur-Mer Battery this booklet was a helpful resource when combined with other information - more on this battery model later....

In summary I'd say that the book is worth buying but if you want a detailed guide to any particular battery you would need a bigger more detailed book or perhaps the guide book for one of these sites.

Full Title: German Defensive Batteries and Gun Emplacements on the Normandy Beaches Invasion: D-Day June 6 1944
Authors: Karl-Heinz Schmeelke & Michael Schmeelke
Publisher: Schiffer Military/Aviation History (1995)
Language: English
ISBN: 0-88740-755-2
Price: £7.93 ("real" book - on Amazon.co.uk)

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German Infantry 1944

This is the first of the two German Infantry Battalions for my Grenadier Regiment:


The battalion has 3 companies of infantry (note the Panzershreck equipped stand) each of 3 stands (GR8):


3 82mm Mortar Stands (GR2) representing those of the support company and of the Grenadier companies which are consolidated together to allow them to be represented at 1:4 scale. On the far right is the single MMG stand (GR2) (part of the support company):


Battalion HQ (G185) and Kubelwagen (G089):


Also completed are the support elements from the Regimental Anti-Tank and Infantry Gun Companies. First up is the 75mm PAK 40 (G054) and the 150mm sIG33 infantry gun (G067):


Then we have the 75mm infantry guns (G066):


I still have truck tows to add to motorise these support companies.

Finally we have the StuG IIIG (G064) Company and Marder IIIH (G035) Company forming part of the Divisional Panzerjager Battalion:





The Marders are probably the incorrect models for Normandy but the correct versions don't seem to be available in 6mm.

All models are from Heroics & Ros (Heroics & Ros codes are shown in ()).

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US Reconnaissance 1944

These are my first US troops for the Normandy '44 campaign:


We have M8 Greyhounds (US16) and Reconnaissance Jeeps (US38), together they make up the Divisional Reconnaissance Squadron.

All models are from Heroics & Ros (Heroics & Ros codes are shown in ()).

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