Diamond T wrecker - converting a tank transporter into a recovery truck - part 1

 I have always really liked the Diamond T wrecker and wanted to convert the Heroics & Ros Diamond T tank transporter tractor unit.  Here is a wrecker parked outside the musee de la liberation in Normany - picture culled from the internet.

This project was another one resurrected from the "in progress" pile at Christmas,  as explained in my earlier post M5 High speed tractor

On with the build!

I had already removed a lot of the rear deck, leaving two wedge shaped sides and the rear box behind the spare wheel.

Here's the original tractor compared to the cut down version (which has been wire brushed, hence shininess).

I bent a staple to make an A-frame from beside the spare wheel to the cab top.

I added at staple to make a frame either side of the generator between the cab and wheel.  Two pieces of .4mm rod to make the acetylene & oxygen tanks.

I tend added two strips of plastic to anchor the rear deck extension.  The strips are the side lockers.

Rear deck added and lockers trimmed to size.

I added a tailgate.

The wrecker has a winch at the front and the bumper has a raised section.  I filed the bottom of the bumper away at the radiator area and added a strip on top to make this feature.

I also added rear mud flaps to tidy up the rear area.  No, you probably won't see much of them...  😀

Here is the rear deck finished.  I added locker lids to the lockers and a plastic carved top to the cab to represent the canvas tilt.  

At this point I'll review the changes to date....

It looks like it can handle rescuing anything....   it also is now definitely different to the original model.

Air Apaches - B25 Mitchell Strafers - 345 Bomb Group

 One of the distinctive sets of markings were those applied to the 345 Bomb Group, operating in the Pacific.  

These planes represent the Hells Belles squadron - with a bright blue Bat emblazoned on the nose of their B25-J strafers.  

The strafers carried 6 or 8 fixed .50cal MG in the nose, a possible 4 further fixed .50 cal package guns either side of the cockpit and the top turret packed a further 2 .50cal.  They also had bombs in the bomb bay.  Their tactics were to go low, with the element of surprise, hoping to shoot up the Japanese planes whilst they were still on the ground.

The models are 1/600 Tumbling Dice, USAAF markings from Doms Decals, the Bat nose & tail Apache markings a combination of hand painting & suitable letter transfers.  I added a battery of nose guns and side package guns to the Tumbling Dice model.

A lone Bat in close up...

D-Day Dakotas

 A few photos of my D-Day Dakota Fleet.  Fuselage codes CJ - 71st Sdn, & CU 72nd Sdn, both from 434 Troop Carrier Group, 53rd Troop Carrier Wing.  Based at Aldermaston.

The planes are Tumbling Dice 1/600.  The USAAF decals are Doms Decals.  The wing stripes are painted by hand - as were the originals!  The D-Day markings do make the slightly boring OD over light grey a little more eye-catching.

The initial D-Day drops of 82nd & 101st Airborne took place on the night of 5/6 June, so this must be one of the follow up drops on 6 June.

3 planes from each squadron:

After running into the Luftwaffe.....

Planes from Storage 1

As we were clearing out our storage the other day, I found a box or two of treasures - painted 3 years ago, but still not photo'd or played with.

Here, for your delectation....

Checkertail P40s

Hawk-75s of the Finnish Airforce....

All 1/600 Tumbling Dice planes (the Hawk 75s are Myrskys....), Decals from Doms Decals, stands Litko.

From the Workbench - 4

A little while ago ......  OK, nearly three years ago, I started a Ju52 Floatplane project.  A couple of weeks ago I finished making it and got it underpainted.  Here is this weekend's work - the paint job.  Here goes:

As you can see, you get quite a lot of Ju52 for a penny!

In addition, I've increased the WW 1 collection a little:

HP 0/400 Heavy Bomber

Halberstadt CL2 in camo fabric.  These were used to bomb targets from low level, so I added rear MG (of course!) and bomb racks for the gunner to drop on the Tommys!

I am quite pleased with the "pointillist" camo result.  

Once they have been gloss varnished I'll apply transfers (decals) and we'll see what the finished result looks like.

Operation Sealion 1940 - endex

Last night the six players and one umpire met again on Zoom to discuss the results of the game.  

As Mark J wants to run the game again, I will not be posting detailed maps or pictures - sorry!

What I can tell you:

1) There was a lot of "fog of war".  It was an interesting contrast to the table top, where the players can usually see the opponents forces.  All participants reported hesitations due to scary terrain features that may/may not, have contained enemy (or friendlies).

2) One player had been in the army (and the RAF!), the rest of us were civilians in the real world.  He framed clear, concise orders....  the others of us did not always achieve this level of professionalism.

3) The Canadians - Mark S, Crispin, Me - won.  The Germans - John M, Chris P & Dave W......  claim that the results were a win...  of sorts!

4) It was fun!  As one participant commented "Rarely can continuous frustration have been so much fun." It was really good, seemed realistic to me.

My thanks go to "Team Canada", "Team Germany" and our hard pressed & hassled host - Mark J.  

May 2020 Workbench

I started this blog way back in '17 and it firstly featured planes and WW2 Flames of War.  Since coming back to the UK I have been building up my Baccus 1/300 armies, as a number of us at the Oxford club play BBB Napoleonic, but I still have planes to make & play with!

So, here is a La-7 in 1/300 - it's a Heroics & Ros plane and it paints up nicely....

I notice the top photo is a little blurry.  Must be something to do with the speed of the subject as it sped across the card table!

Operation Sealion - the Lockdown Map game....

As one game closes, so another opens. There are 6 of us playing "Operation Sealion" - Hitler's invasion of Southern England in 1940. In our alternate history, the Germans have managed to hold off the Royal Navy long enough to land forces, some of which are now in West Sussex, around Billingshurst.

3 players are Germans, 3 are Empire (Canadians, actually). All orders, movements and combat is routed through an umpire, who feeds back to you limited information from your forces and other commanders. The six of us don't know who we are in game terms, so whilst I know Chris P, Dave W and Mark S are players, I don't know if they are on my side and I'm not allowed to ask!

For similar reasons I cannot share the game ('cos my sneaky fellow gamers would work out who I am) but it has been fun so far. A lot of waiting, confusion, mixed orders and inconclusive results..... a bit like a normal day at the office.....

At some point I'll put some pictures up, or the AAR (After Action Report).

Till next time (or should that be "Auf Wiedersehen"?)

PS - Yes, I am trying to use those years as a resident of West Sussex to gain an advantage!

On the workbench - July part 3

When I got my TD Ju52s, at the bottom of the bag I discovered a float, which quickly proved to be designed to fit the big holes that I had earlier spent a lot of time filling in.  That got me thinking....

A quick blitz on the internet provided some nice pictures of Ju52 floatplanes, so at Salute I picked up 3 packs.  I also ordered some 1/600 photo-etch ladders, as pictures of these planes shows a permanent ladder attached from the left float to the passenger cabin door.

I then set about working out how to attach the floats with a more intricate structure than the original model.  The TD model as supplied is quite sturdy (always a positive attribute for war-games kit) and as the floats & undercarriage are under the plane, you won't see the attachment much.

But, what the heck!

Here are photos of the project so far - this is my "Mark 1", the ladder is not attached but otherwise it is finished......

The TD Ju52 Floatplane, what you get.....

I only "push-fit" attached the floats - they hold up well without glue

The "Mark 1" Ju 52 FP, which has all the add-ons from previous blogs plus detailed landing gear, which of course is invisible in this photo !

Not the best photo, but you can see that the gear consists of four struts per float.  There is a cross-wise brace that may be added to the "Mark II" model.  No ladder, as I was worried whether it would survive transport back to the UK for undercoating.

The Ju52 Floatplane was used by the Luftwaffe in all theatres of war (yes, in N Africa too, as it could load/unload in harbours or the beach).  There are some nice colour schemes to experiment with.