What's on your workbench?

[DougM]

finishing off some 1/150 (12mm) US forces, the Germans are a stage or two behind (infantry painting, basing and decals). Nice to finish something off.

[tim.w]

Nice. I think my 10mm Americans are the one thing I regret selling most often.

[DougM]

Thanks Tim. All 3d printed as well, so although there are some flaws (barrels on the quad MG have a tendency to snap off when detaching from the supports) the whole lot probably cost me £5 worth of resin, plus the cost of bases, flock and paint. If I was doing it again, I would edit the files to add crew to the open topped vehicles as well.

It's interesting to compare them with a mates metal and plastic versions. Not quite as crisp as the best hard plastic kits, but more detailed and better proportioned than the majority of metal vehicles. I'll post up the German ones when I am done.

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

Two questions for you, Doug:

1) Is that little lot for "O Group"?

2) Did the Americans have a version of the Sherman "Firefly"?

[RMD]

Lovely Septics!

What manufacturer?

[RMD]

2) Did the Americans have a version of the Sherman "Firefly"?

The Americans had a single company of Fireflies in Italy (belonging to a tank battalion with three identical digits - 777th?). They established a conversion unit in the UK to supply Fireflies to the US Army, but the project was binned in favour of tanks armed with the US 76mm gun.

They started fitting M4A1 and M4A3 Shermans with 76mm guns in 1944 and also supplied a shitload of them to Commonwealth formations in Italy. The 1st Polish Armoured Division in NW Europe also got them during the winter of 1944/45.

[DougM]

Hi all, yes originally for O Group, though I may branch out with Iron Cross and BKCII.

The Firefly question has been answered, but I have added in 3 of the 76mm armed M4

Manufacturer is me. All 3d prints sourced free online. Mainly resized from Bergmans 1/100 models on Thingiverse.

[FreddBloggs]

Fireflys have an even more complicated story than that.

Bradley was offered them for D Day but declined, citing no need for them and not wanting another different ammunition type in their supply train.

Same grounds he turned down Churchill AVREs, although in NW Europe the Americans did borrow Crocodiles for the taking of Brest (with British 79th Armoured Crews).

1st Polish in NW Europe got the 76mm as the Americans had run out of 75mms to supply.

[RMD]

Yes indeed. 79th Armoured Division was also used extensively by the Americans in the Rhineland (usually when under 21st Army Group command, but not always).

[FreddBloggs]

I know when Gen Taylor of 82nd Airborne took over the Heurtgen Forest operation, he asked if a brigade of Churchills could be loaned, as they could climb the ground that shermans could not, so much better close support. But the Rhuhr valley fell and outflanked the German defences before a decision could be made.