Show us yer stuff!

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chrisswim
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Re: Show us yer stuff!

Post by chrisswim »

STS, ACW, and EC.
Nice, thank you for posting.

eBay pickup…all I added was the brown and black on these and ink for the treads.

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Chris

Mk 1
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Re: Show us yer stuff!

Post by Mk 1 »

Here is a rather large project I finished a few months back. But it took me a bit of time to get the pics all squared away...

With so many nice Sherman models becoming available recently from GHQ, and consequently so many US tank companies coming into my collection, I felt the need for some armored infantry.

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So here is my US Armored Infantry Company.

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This is a pretty complex ToE. There are 3 infantry platoons, an AT gun platoon, and a Company HQ.

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Each platoon has 3 squads of infantry. I have used the "pulpit" M3A1 halftracks to identify my platoon leader tracks as separate from the non-pulpit M3 general squad tracks (the platoon leader traveled with one of the squads, so there one of the three squads is in the M3A1).

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Each platoon also had its own support, with 1 MG halftrack (with a .50cal and 2 x .30cal MGs) and an 81mm mortar halftrack.

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That makes a total of 5 halftracks per platoon. And that makes a lot of firepower at the platoon level.

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The models are all GHQ M3 / M3A1 Halftracks, with figures from the GHQ Armored Infantry pack. The only variance is a few standing rifleman figures I have placed shooting over the edge in some of the halftracks, as part of my deliberate effort to mix up the composition of the figures to give an impression of the busy nature of these vehicles in combat areas. These figures are from the extras bin. I think they are from very old and rather fragile GHQ infantry sets, from before the en bloc sets, which were before the current "individual figures" sets. Could be wrong on that.

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I have the company dismounted as well, of course. That's part of what makes this such a big project. First it is a complicated TOE. Second, I am in effect modelling two companies -- one of vehicles (mounted figures) and one of infantry (dismounted figures).

The infantry figures are from another vendor. Leftovers purchased many years ago for another project.

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When occupying terrain the standard operating procedure was to dismount the support weapons too, so each platoon has a lot of stands. In addition to the MG support, each squad had one (or often two) BARs and a bazooka. So again, this is an infantry unit with A LOT of firepower!

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I can't think of another infantry company in WW2 that had so much firepower at the platoon and company levels.

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And we should also bear in mind that there was a full platoon of AT guns in each company.

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As is my general approach, the gun crews are based and the guns are loose. This allows me to use the same company both for Tunisia/Sicily (37mm AT guns) and ETO (57mm AT guns).

Or I can use the gun crew stands, without guns, as infantry. Some units in ETO preferred to leave their guns behind and just have more riflemen. This was probably a good choice when clearing a mostly infantry-based opponent out of towns and woods.

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There was a reasonably complex company HQ as well. The CO had a squad-sized retinue to support him, the XO was also available (and as I understand it was trained to gather the mortars from the platoons to form a single 3-tube battery under his command when the situation warranted), as well as supply and maintenance sections, and a medic who was usually attached (not in the ToE) from battalion.

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And they all needed their own wheels as well. Although some portion of those vehicles (and men) would typically form a rear area HQ at the "rally point", or remain with battalion HQ, when combat was expected.

So there's the company. Oy, that's a lot of stuff. Hope they do well on the battleboard!
-Mark 1
Difficile est, saturam non scribere.
"It is hard NOT to write satire." - Decimus Iunius Juvenalis, 1st Century AD

chrisswim
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Re: Show us yer stuff!

Post by chrisswim »

My.1, great project, with great looking results.
Chris

redleg
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Re: Show us yer stuff!

Post by redleg »

That is spectacular Mark! Great looking company!

Very nice artillery Chris!
Redleg's Website: micropope.webstarts.com

Extra Crispy
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Re: Show us yer stuff!

Post by Extra Crispy »

Mk 1 - great stuff. Puts my Americans to shame...
Mark Severin
Owner, Scale Creep Miniatures
Author DeepFriedHappyMice.com

Mk 1
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Re: Show us yer stuff!

Post by Mk 1 »

Soon after I finished that project I turned my attention to a refurb. And I even thought to get a couple of "before" pics to set against the "after" results.

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See I was rooting around in the "game-ready armies" box to put away my US Armored Infantry, and I decided to have a look at some of my US Army artillery.
This is what I found for my US Army 105mm Howitzers. Kind of yuck. I mean, at least they were painted and based with gun crews. But they certainly didn't show much pride-of-workmanship.

The guns are GHQ (I think). But they were done in the mid- to late-1990s, so I may be remembering that wrong. They were spray painted with Testor's Model Master Medium Forrest Green. The crews are from a UK vendor -- I think maybe Soviet WW2 arty crew figures. They were spray-painted Testor's MM Olive Drab. The bases were just cut cardstock, swirled in a dull earnthen color with a brush. No detailing at all.

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I removed guns and crew figures from the bases. I created new bases mounted on pennies, with a mix of kneeling and standing crew figures, a couple ammo crates, and some empty brass.

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The crew figures are painted in US Army uniform colors from the Vallejo collection, with Field Drab trousers, Olive Drab tops, and Brown Violet helmets (that's the name of the color, what can I say?), with Green Grey webbing/packs. I added a battery HQ for each battery, with a table with radio and map.

The guns were painted US Olive Drab, washed, and tires in Grey Black.

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The guns drop right onto the stands for when they are set-up in firing position. They can be removed at any time for towing, or if the crews or guns take separate damage, etc.

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I have two batteries. A full battalion should be three batteries plus battalion HQ and fire-control center. That seemed like a much taller order, and a scenario requiring the whole battalion to be on-table seems like a somewhat remote possibility, so I'm happy to leave it at just a couple batteries.

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Here is one of my batteries shown in the artillery positions I have made from self-drying clay several years ago. Because I have standardized on the bases I use (hey, makes cents to me!) they drop right in, giving a reasonably nice presentation for a battery in position on the game table, in case I want a scenario with a sudden breakthrough milling about in the tactical depths rather than on the FEBA, etc.

I'm happy enough with the results. Certainly will be a bit better matched to my more recent US Army forces.
-Mark 1
Difficile est, saturam non scribere.
"It is hard NOT to write satire." - Decimus Iunius Juvenalis, 1st Century AD

Extra Crispy
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Re: Show us yer stuff!

Post by Extra Crispy »

Very nice.

Those firing positions are just the thing.
Mark Severin
Owner, Scale Creep Miniatures
Author DeepFriedHappyMice.com

ACWBill
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Re: Show us yer stuff!

Post by ACWBill »

P-40's patrol over the Atlas Mountains in late 1943. I really like the Yanks MK1!

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Last edited by ACWBill on Mon Jun 27, 2022 11:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"I was worse scared than I was at Shiloh" - Sam Watkins
Perryville, KY - October 8, 1862

redleg
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Re: Show us yer stuff!

Post by redleg »

There is some really great stuff getting posted here!

Fantastic looking artillery Mark, and superb looking P40s Bill!
Redleg's Website: micropope.webstarts.com

7.62
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Re: Show us yer stuff!

Post by 7.62 »

Stunning work folks! Keep the eye candy rolling.
Thank you.

BurtWolf
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Re: Show us yer stuff!

Post by BurtWolf »

Mk1 great looking Americans! Love the variety especially on how you denote command pieces. A lot of fire power like you said…. So what are you using for “dust” - pigments? Paint job is very cool.

Bill - great aircraft and love the pics.

Good stuff guys thanks for posting!!

Beagle
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Re: Show us yer stuff!

Post by Beagle »

Mk1, fantastic stuff, I always love your use of figures with vehicles!

Bill, those P-40s are great, the checker tails look amazing!

pmskaar
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Re: Show us yer stuff!

Post by pmskaar »

Some very good stuff here as usual. I especially like Mk1's American armored infantry. I have over 2 companies of painted Shermans now and they will be needing some rides for the accompanying infantry.

I also love ACW Bill's P-40s as well. The picture looks almost real.

Great job to everyone!

Begemot
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Re: Show us yer stuff!

Post by Begemot »

Mark - Very nice work with the armored infantry company. I especially like the placement of figures in the vehicles.

Bill - Great presentation of your P-40s.

Gold stars for both of you. Great work.


Begemot
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For many brave warriors
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Extra Crispy
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Re: Show us yer stuff!

Post by Extra Crispy »

Wait, wait, wait. We have Gold Stars?

Love the P40s. As a kid I must have built a dozen of them in 1/48 or 1/72 - always a Flying Tiger model!
Mark Severin
Owner, Scale Creep Miniatures
Author DeepFriedHappyMice.com

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