More British Recce - Universal Carrier Patrol - FoW

As hinted at in last post, more FoW stuff...

Another recce platoon for my XXX Corp, this time a carrier patrol.

These guys can zip ahead of the main force, seeking out enemy ambushes, or once enemy is spotted, they're position can be reported, effectively lifting 'Gone to Ground' status. For those that don't play FoW, this then makes the hiding enemy easier to hit by the shooting of your own platoons in your force.

They can also harras enemy infantry with their MG fire, and even have a chance at knocking out the odd enemy tank as the command vehicle has a PIAT fitted.

I must confess it was the additional weapons that initially had me scratching my head. The carriers come as a solid resin cast, on base. The crew are separate metal sculpts, which is fine. However the extra front gunner came in two varieties, an MG or a PIAT. To get the chosen gunner in place, the  front of the resin carrier hull had to be cut way (I used a dremel), and gunner put into position. What I had initially thought was a blob of excess metal on top of the cast gun, was actually there to match the cut away carrier hull. So once in position and a little greenstuff to hide the join, painting was straight forward.

The patrol was decked out in the markings of Guards Armoured to match the rest of the force. I am not 100% sure I have the appropriate markings on, but I think they look correct, in general.

I am rather pleased with these characterful little vehicles and look forward to seeing them zip about the battlefield, causing mischief and mayhem!

Next up, more Germans...

British Recce - Stuart VI tank platoon - FoW

Some time ago, my wife starting playing FOW with me on the odd occasion, using my British XXX Corp from Market Garden / Hells Highway, against my varied German forces... see here for more.

As part of this renewed interest in using XXX Corp, I looked to increase some of the platoon options available to this force. It also so happened that mate Paul was talking about attending the Panzerschrek doubles tournament here in NZ, and offered to take me under his wing.

We decided pretty much to go with a British force, my component being the XXX Corp Guards Armoured Company.

This all meant extra troops would be required for my Brits. So a good troop choice to compliment my Shermans would be a Recce platoon of Stuart VI light tanks...

Quickly sourced locally from BF, to avoid any unexpected delays from ordering abroad. I normally order from the UK as its far cheaper than ordering here, but if you want something quick guaranteed, BF seems the way to go...

So these were completed a little while ago, and sat with gloss varnish done, while I awaited a decal order from DOM in the UK. Once decals were added and sealed, a final matt varnish was applied.

So as you can see, in between work on clamping together a certain Victorian Dwelling, I have been busy with more FOW stuff...

I am looking forward to giving these a whirl sometime soon.

Stay tuned for more FoW stuff to follow and more work on the Victorian House...

Trucks and walls - FoW

I recently finished a couple more Flames of War vehicles that I started during the painting challenge, but didn't manage to get finished within the deadline time; a pair of British 3 ton trucks.

I picked these up many months ago when the 'local' games store had a closing down sale. I hadn't had any reason to paint them up really though until our playing group started getting interested in doing some Market Garden themed stuff, so they could be a useful addition to my XXX Corp forces, being a transport section for some infantry.

" 'ere Smiffy, I reckon we can get a cuppa there!"

So being late war Brits, they got the standard late war Brit colour spray paint treatment, and then finished with the 'mickey mouse' style camo pattern. Here you see them exploring a quaint French village, perhaps looking for somewhere to park up for a latte or pernod?

I also recently decided that whilst I have quite an extensive selection of terrain now for Flames of War, I only really have hedges as linear terrain, and whilst concealing, it doesn't stop many bullets! So some walls were in order! So I set to with the MDF again...

Simply done; cut strips of 3mm thick MDF, to a height of 13mm, and of various lengths and based on lolly or popsicle sticks.

I then cut out a whole load of small brick shapes out of thin card to give the impression of bricks, and another load of 3mm square ones to give some capping stones for the walls. Then painted up in greys with drybrushing, and fianlly I flocked the bases, with brown coloured sawdust and green static grass. I am rather pleased with the way they have come out. From materials I already had, cost was zero, the only real cost being time; they took me about a week to do. I just need to make some matching gates to finish off the effect...

They featured in out little mini Easter Tournament here, and in the pics above around the cafe and church buildings.

British Armoured Platoon - Sherman tanks and Firefly VC

I recently bought the Flames of War, Late War British Guards Armoured Sherman platoon boxed set, to give my commando troop a little armoured support.

They were assembled with Araldite 2 part epoxy glue, undercoated black with GW spray, then sprayed with Battlefront's Late War British armoured spray paint. After this all the detailing of stowage and tracks etc. was painted.

Then came the tricky bit - the decals. How to apply them best, and exactly where!?

The bit of "how" was not so difficult; I painted the areas where decals were to go with Humbrol decal fix, and let this dry. Then added decals (after trimming them with scalpel hobby knife) by water-slide method. Then applied FOW/Vallejo decal softener, allowed to dry and then applied another layer of decal fix. Then tanks were varnished in Polyurethane gloss, and finally Vallejo matt-varnish.

Oh, I also glued in the rare-earth magnets to hold the turrets safely in place. These were a bit fiddly and it was tricky getting them right way up. Get them the wrong way round and they repel, not attract!

The interesting bit was learning where to put all the decals.

The boxed set pictures nicely showed the places where the Guards Division symbol, white eye on a blue shield, and AoS or Arms of Service number, the 53, denoting Armoured, went.

After several explorations through the helpful files on the FoW website, and asking many questions to the knowledgeable forum folks, I managed to work out that the allied star marking went on rear engine deck, which I was fairly sure of anyway.

Next came the tactical signs (tacsigns) These are often depicted as various coloured hollow shapes; triangles, diamonds, squares or circles. These normally go on the sides of the turret. However the Guards followed the convention of applying these markings to the hull sides. Also they normally filled in the hollow shape with black, and added a numeral to it. So I had figured out where to put the black squares, with blue edging.

Lastly I added the WD or war department markings; a white number, preceded by a "T" (for tank). I had often seen these on the sides of tanks in pictures, but some confusion occurred here, as one forum poster suggested this may have been a radio call sign that may be added to rear of turret. So I ended up putting one on side of hull and one on rear of turret. At least that way I know which turret goes with which tank and I don't get any magnet repulsions!

So here we have the platoon:








And here's a very handy reference from the FoW website.

The Guards Armoured division took part in may battles through Normandy and onwards, perhaps most famously portrayed in the movie "A bridge too far", with Michael Caine, as Vandeleur, leading the tanks of XXX Corps as the "garden" part of Operation Market Garden.

A good reference is here, again on the FoW site:

Guards Armoured

Flames of War - Late War British Commandos

Flames of War late war British commandos:



Black undercoat
Uniforms: Foundry 12a Drab + GW Graveyard earth
Packs: Foundry 26A Forest Green + Foundry 26C Forest Green
Skin: GW Bestial Brown + GW Vomit Brown + GW Dwarf flesh
Hair: GW Scorched Earth + GW Snakebite leather
Rifle wood: GW Scorched earth + GW Bestial Brown
Berets: GW Dark Angels Green + GW Woodland Green
Boots & gun barrels: GW Black



Update - 22/12/7 - although the pics dont show it (they are a little dark), I was not too happy with some of my colour choices.
I toned down the berets which looked too bright, so these were just GW Jungle Green over a black undercoat.
The webbing etc was also slightly gaudy I thought so I switched this to Foundry 27A followed by Foundry 27C. Its a "flatter" pale green than the slighty brighter 26 shade I had originally done.
I am now happy with the result and will press on to finish the platoon.



Platoon finished and based Xmas '07. Base was textured with a layer of polyfilla, and fine gravel/sand. This was painted GW scorched brown and gravel inked with brown ink. Dry brushed then with GW Vermin Brown then Foundry 12c Drab. Finally static grass added with thinned PVA glue.

Picture shows two full 13 man platoons (the 6 teams on the large bases), plus company command base with bagpiper, and 2iC command base. Also in front, sniper to left, and two PIAT teams and a light mortar team - all the toys a commando platoon needs! ;-)

Flames of War Commando Briefing available here.

Also a possible Dieppe Briefing

Pressing on with Platoon #2

Update: 6/2/8.
Second Platoon completed and also finished Commando Weapons platoons including 3" mortars and Vickers HMG. Also first section of 6pdr anti tank gun divisional support platoon.


Commando 3" Mortar platoon with 3 teams and platoon command and spotter teams.


Close up of Mortar team


Commando Vickers HMG platoon with platoon command


Close up of Vickers HMG team


6pdr anti tank gun from divisional support. First section of 2 guns painted - still have to do second section and Universal troop carrier. Will probably sub a spare commando platoon command team to act as their command. They will be accompanying the commandos, so makes sense to have some commando "advisers".

Update - March 08.
Finished off the divisional support options that I currently have: The 6pdr anti-tank gun section, complete with 4 Loyd Carriers and a Universal carrier for platoon command. I have also added the option of one up gunned section comprising two 17pdr anti-tank guns, with M5 Half Tracks from the "lend lease" agreement with the US, as towing vehicles. Interestingly, although the M5 were supplied fitted with 50cal machine-gun, the Brits took them off before entering action. I don't think the Brits envisaged using them in the same way as the Yanks.



6Pdr anti-tank gun seciton with Loyd carriers and UC command.


17pdr anti-tank gun section with M5 Half-tracks.


Close up of Loyd carrier.


Close up of Universal carrier.

I have not got round to adding the vehicle markings, I need to get a pack of decals from Battlefront.

This gives my little force just over 1000 points worth of troops for FOW. I would like to add another Commando combat platoon pack and a Typhoon flight for air support. That should take my force up to 1500 points or there abouts.