Tanks for the Memories

 

M3 Lee, the first mass produced US medium tank.

The Shinhoto was an up gunned High velocity 47mm ATG version of the Japanese Chi-Ha Medium Tank, even though the Chi-Ha low velocity cannon, at 57mm, was 10mm wider than that of the Shinhoto.

                                            M-3 Stuart, first mass produced US light tank.

                                 

Valentine a solid British medium tank.

German Mark III up gunned with a long 50mm.

M4 Sherman, with 50,000 produced, the most numerous Western tank of the war.

T-34 85, the up graded T34 that smashed the Axis powers on the Eastern front.

Churchill, heaviest of the British infantry tanks of the war.

M26 Pershing, Americas answer to the German Panther and Tiger tanks.

All are model pieces I have painted for my Bolt Action World War Two (and some for the Korean War) Armies.

Kill a Light Tank or Snipe a Soldier-use Your ATR

Taking aim on a lightly armored vehicle, this Afrika Korps anti-tank Rifle team (ATR), has an excellent chance to take the APC out if action. Alternatively, the range and killing power of the ATR makes it a deadly snipers' weapon in the hand of a good marksman.

Ranging in size from 7.9 mm to 20mm (.311 to .787 inches), the ATR was a standard weapon in most armies at the start of the 2nd World War, the US Army being a notable exception. The constantly increasing thickness of tank armor quickly made ATRs obsolete in their anti-tank role. But they continued to be used by some troops till the end of the war.

                      This is a scratch-built unit that I made and painted in 2021.

Afrika Korps Fire Power

 

One of the great advantages Afrika Korps infantry had in battle was their excellent machine guns the massive amount of suppressive fire they could lay down. Allied soldiers quickly learned to respect the dangerous nature of these weapons. 

The Maschinengewehr 34 and 42 (MG 34 and MG 42 for short) were among the best machineguns of the war (their design was copied and incorporated into other militaries after the war and both designs are still in-service in several countries. Both had a maximin 1500 rounds per minute rate of fire at a muzzle velocity of 750 m per second for the MG 34 and 740 m/s for the MG 42 (2520 ft/sand 2428 ft/s respectively). While effective rate of fire was much lower the powerful 7.92 mm round (.312 cal) was deadly against enemy troops.

These are a combination of metal and plastic pieces I assembled and painted in July of 2021.

8 cm Granatwerfer 34

The 8 cm Granatwerfer 34, (81.4 mm mortar) was the standard German medium 

mortar of World War Two. Firing a 2.5 kg (13.6 lbs) shell up to 2.4 km (1.5 miles),

the 8 cm GrW 34 was an effective support weapon for German infantry.

As a weapon used near the front lines, these Afrika Korps mortar men make sure they have small arms readily at hand. 

These are metal pieces from Warlord that I painted this week.
 

Tough Luck, We See You First

A quick search for the enemy, fast orders and this Afrika Korps squad is ready for action

These are plastic pieces I painted in July 2021.

 

The Desert is Everyone's Enemy

The heat of the desert was a non-partisan enemy to all sides in the North African Theater.

I painted these heat baked troops in April 2021.
 

The Dreaded 88 mm Flak

The 8.8 cm Flak, feared by every Allied tank crew with good reason as it's high velocity antitank round could punch though even the heaviest Allied tank armor. 

Known universally as the "German 88," the 8.8 cm was originally an antiaircraft cannon.

The 8.8 cm was pressed into service in the early days of World War Two to stop Allied tanks whose...

armor was too tough for the standard 37 mm ATG's of the time.

The German's quickly saw they had a real game changer in this deadly weapon.

Along with its sister the 8.8 cm KwK 36 & 43 (Kampwagenkanone) and  8.8 cm PaK 43...

Panzerjagerkanone) were produced in vast numbers, (over 20,000) to be placed in a variety...

of tanks, tank destroyers and towed antitank guns.

The stories told and retold by Allied tankers of the deadly effect of 88's produced awe...

respect and fear in all those face them on the battlefield. 

Stories like "the 88's went through us like paper," or "the 88 penetrated our front armor and out the rear and kept going," were common place all too possible. Even today, more than 80 years after their first appearance, the fame and fear of the dreaded 88's has not diminished. 

This is a plastic gun and metal crew that I pained this month for my Afrika Korps force.
 

Desert Warriors 1942 Style

In the shimmering heat of the deserts of North Africa comes the feared Afrika Korps.

Some attempt to filter the sand through scarf masks.

As the war progresses the Afrika Korps become more and more adept at desert combat.

Any Allied commander that underestimated the Afrika Korps payed dearly for their shortsightedness.

Yet even great skill can not always overcome shortages in supplies and replacements for loses.

So as the war continues the battle stands at a balance point-punch and counter punch, till will tell the final winner.

These are all plastic pieces from Warlord Games I painted over this Summer.
 

World War Two in Boxes

 

Boxes of soldiers ready to refight World War two sand ready in the game room. 1st up are some British Commonwealth Aussies most in soft hats with some traditional British helmets mixed in. On the  right bottom are commando's with beret's with 12 highlanders above them.

British Commonwealth-Indian troops, Sikhs in white headdress Punjabis in Brown.

                                                      Japanese box1IJA - Imperial Japanese Army 

                                            Japanese Box 2 Japanese SNLF-Special Naval Landing Force

                                                         Japanese Box 3- IJA - Imperial Japanese Army box 2, IJA to the right IJN-Imperial Japanese Navy, to the left. 

                                                           Soviet Russians boxes 1 and 2.

The above Russian box 1 with Afrika Korps to the right behind a Panzer Mark III.

                                            Box one USMC - United States Marine Corps.

                                                                   Soviet Russian box 3.

                                                 Box two USMC - United States Marine Corps.

British Army Paratroopers to the left, 8th Army mixed Commonwealth and British to the right.

                                                                 Soviet Russian box 4.

                                                                    Soviet Russian Box 5.

I have worked on the 700+ figures (plus another 105 that are not pictured) above since 2012, mostly in the last three years. They are a combination of metal and plastic 25mm to 28mm pieces from Pulp Figures, Wargames Foundry, Perry Miniatures and Warlord Games.  A big change from the World War II,  1/285 CinC size pieces I painted and played with in the 1970's &'80's. Aside from the Panzer III none of my Second World War tanks and other AFV's are in this post.