Battlegroup Market Garden - Next Batch

This is the next batch to head off to be undercoated.

This will be the first aid tent.  Yes there isn't a tent.  Stretchers from the Generic range, smock figure from the gun crew set and the three other medics will have para helmet head swaps

This is what the Airborne 6 Pdr gun should look like.  Peter Pig did their research and it is a cracking model.  Behind it are the first of the figures in trenches. Waiting for the trench obviously.

Couple of other pieces
Welbike
Combat Medics. One is for my LW Brits the other is for 1st Airborne. Same concept use a dead figure from the casualty set and then add the kneeling medic for the LW Brit set. 1st Airborne will have a head swap either a beret of a helmet.

Battlegroup Market Garden - 1st Airborne assembles

First test figures have been painted and are now waiting to be based.  These are two sprues worth of PSC plastic with a couple of Peter Pig thrown in for testing size.

Painting Scheme (so I can remember later)

• White Undercoat
• Thinned coat of VJ English Uniform
• 50:50 Mix Green Ochre/Khaki for the Denison Smock
• VJ Russian Uniform for webbing and gaiters
• VJ Black Grey for boots and metal parts
• VJ Beige Brown for wooden parts
• VJ Reflective Green and VJ Flat Earth for the Denison Smock
• GW Mecharite Red for the Maroon Beret (Black line painted on first for the leather band)
• Army Painter Strong Tone for the wash

Battlegroup - Market Garden (Progress report)

Bit of light reading for inspiration, very kindly provided direct from the Regimental museum

Jeeps start to move along

Basecoat added to the first two sections and a pair of objective markers

Battlegroup Market Garden - 1st Airborne assembles

Not at the airfield just yet, but this is what I have to work with

First up is the plastic sprue forest.  12 Sprues of Infantry, 4 Sprues of Heavy Weapons and a sprue from the 6 Pdr and Lloyd carrier set as it has the 6 Pdr legs in the towed position which I am going to need for the towed conversion.

Lead Mountain grows.  Orange are the heads and stretchers.
6 Jeeps, 6 Drop Canister "things", 2 75mm Pack Howitzers the rest are infantry to add more variety to the plastic core as well as a couple of packs where I want specialist figures for things like the 75mm gun crew.  Also included are a pack of casualties to use on the Combat Medic base.

Couple of things I have picked up already. The 6 Pdr in the airborne set isn't the airborne variant. It is the some model that is in the 6 Pdr and Lloyd carrier set. It will need some conversion to turn it into the "right" model.  The picture on the box shows it modified or is from the 20mm version.

The jeep models are moulded with crew mounted (3 or four figures).  They have the option for using separate heads, which I like, but it means that my thoughs of using a mix of mounted and dismounted figures doesn't quite work.  What It means is that I will probably make up a marker for when I have dismounted, no point in giving my opponent easy chits.

Battle Group Market-Garden

Yes, 
something new, well mostly new. BG Market-Garden is in the pipeline and I fancied a break from the Eastern Front.  Yes, all because I watched "A Bridge Too Far" while doing my ironing the other day.

I already have late war British Infantry for the "Garden" Element, so just need a bit of armour support for the push up the road.  

Market however will be something that needs a bit more work.  I have "some" 15mm Peter Pig paratroops in my spares box but they are all specialist troops and I didn't find the cost of metal attractive so I have added a box each of the PSC plastic 15mm Paratroops and Heavy Weapons. Peter Pig will be providing the jeeps in three variants, trailers, 75mm Howitzers, more "specials" and spares heads such as: bandaged heads, Polish, Para Helmets and bare heads.  Stretchers, Para Containers in include inthe "specials" category.

I am NOT adding the US Airborne to this project (at the moment ;) )

No photos yet.  This is just to set the scene and layout some ideas for essentially an Infantry force up against my Late War Germans supported with some really odd pieces such as Char B2 (f) Tanks.

I don't have the Overlord book yet. It is on pre-order. so very much a "be prepared to..." set of thoughts:

• Forward Headquarters Units
• Forward HQ - 3 Men based around the Peter Pig Signals Jeep.
• Forward Signals - Doesn't fit the Arnhem theme
• Comms Relay - Again doesn't seem to fit
• DR on a Welbike or Jeep
• Wire Team could be possible but I don't know what figures I could use.
• Infantry Units (Peter Pig and PSC)
• Parachute or Gliderborne Infantry Platoon (10 man sections inc Bren)
• Combat Medic (Probably a conversion)
• 2" Mortar (PSC/Peter Pig)
• PIAT (PSC/Peter Pig)
• 3" Mortar (PSC/Peter Pig)
• 6 Pdr (PSC Airborne variant and Peter Pig tow)
• Parachute Squadron, RE
• Same supports as Inf.
• Flamethrower team(s) from (PSC/Peter Pig)
• No Tank Units
• Artillery Units
• FOO possibly with a Peter Pig Signals Jeep
• 4.2" Mortar (Reported as being present but a bit haven't found any definitive reference)
• 75mm Airborne Howitzer
• Defences
• Standard list
• Reconnaissance Support Units
• Sniper
• Jeep Reconnaissance Patrol (Peter Pig Airborne variant or the Airborne Recce)
• Foot Patrol (10 Figure PSC/Peter Pig)
• Logistic Support Units
• Forward Aid Post
• Stretcher Party
• Specialist Support Units
• 17 Pdr AT Gun
• Recce Jeep with Polsten cannon (Needs a conversion)
• Additional Fire Support
• Off-Table support request
• 75mm Howitzer Battery
• PRTP
• Timed 75mm Barrage