US Jeeps in Normandy (2)

Weekend – this means that I have been able to use a few hours in a row to finally get the last things right on this Jeep. It is supposed to be a radio team that mainly will be used as forward observers for artillery support.

The figures are Milicast, they are not as detailed as the other Milicast figures I have used, they look a little bit retarted, especially the driver. The radio is one that you get along when buying the crew, the same with the the radio operators M1 Garand rifle. All bags and bedrolls are from SHQ.

The chipping is mostly done with a thin brush, but also with a sponge. The decals has been colored a little bit with some yellow acrylic colour thinned with lots of water. The figures and stowage I painted using the “Dip methode”. The Jeep I first spraypainted and when dry I gave it a wash made out of water, washing liquid (to remove the surface tension), black and brown acrylic colours. The whole model have been painted with a matt cote, both for protection but also to make it look more realistic.

I hope you like it! :)

This will be the unseated figures. They are both AB Figures.

Combat Engineers in Sicily

While my Normandy terrain project is on stand by, until me and my girlfriend moves into our new apartment (my girlfriend won’t let me use the kitchen anymore) I have thrown myself over a new project: Skirmish Elite: Combat Jump Sicily! I will skip the first missions where US fight Italians, and focus on the last 5 missions – US against Germans.

This M6 Dodge WC52 is one of the models I need to build. It belongs to a US Combat Engineer Team. The model is converted from Italeri’s M6 Anti Tank. The team will carry Bangalore torpedos, demolition charges and a mine detector.

A little warning to those of you that want to build this model! The wheel suspension is too high which make the truck look like a monster-truck. I fixed this by not using the models suspension at all – a conversion that is not easy, but with some patience it can be fixed.

Figures are Milicast and AB Figures. Stowages from Goffy and SHQ.

The Bangalore box is made out of balsa, this still need some sanding. The wire in the hand of one of the soldiers will be the mine detector. I will give the truck some drybrush and then chip it – and of course paint the wheels and all the stowage. The figures still need to be cleaned and get some milliput in the gaps where arms and heads have been glued to the body. Figures are Milicast. Stowages from Goffy and SHQ.

This is the figures when unseated. The guy to the left will be converted so that he carries Bangalores instead of his weapon. They are all AB Figures.

The bangalore guy got his hands full… easy task to replace the rifle with some iron wire.

After I had put Milliput into holes and gaps on the figures I had lots of Milliput left. So I made the bag laying on the box back in the truck. It is supposed to look like the bag that the Mine detector guy carries along with him with some apperature in it. It is ages since I tried to create something in Milliput – it is more fun than I remember.

The mine detector guys has his equipment ready. I know that the detector could be folded, but I think this way is more eye catching. Later on I shift the wire in the mine detector to a thinner wire – a guitar string actually.

Here’s the truck ready to go!!!

US Jeeps in Normandy (1)

Here are some Jeeps that I am going to use in my Normandy campaign. This is only two out of at least 6. The jeeps that I am going to do will carry different crew. The first two will be one with a Platoon HQ and the other one a with a mounted heavy machinegun. The other jeeps will carry forward observers for artillery support, two jeeps carrying bazooka teams and finally a scout team.

The jeeps are Academy, the figures are Milicast and stowage are from SHQ.

The Platoon HQ Jeep. Lieutenant and Sergeant are checking the map. The map some might recognize, an actual map from the invasion (this one), I printed it, folded the map as I would have done was it a real size map and then unfolded it again and glued it to the model. With a light grey marker pen I added some shadows. Almost all figures in the Jeeps needed some conversions, especially the Sergeant kneeling – I had to cut both his legs in the knee and foot and one of the legs in the hip to repose him, and then fill the gaps with Milliput.

Read about the M8 shown on the picture Here!

More jeeps coming up! Read about the M6 Truck shown on the picture Here!