Rapid Fire! Dieppe 1942 in 20mm (part 6) - The Dieppe casino

 

With 14 people in the house in the last week I managed to sneak out in true Commando style for some period of time and build this model. The Dieppe casino was one of the many beach obstacles the Germans had at the main beach of Dieppe in order to hamper any allied landing. During the landings of August 1942 it was used as shelter for some Canadians and was thus destroyed after the failed Jubilee operation for the Germans to have a clear line of fire for an eventual second landing. 

This was another venture I was wanting to make since my teenage days but only when I got my hands on the excellent After the battle- Dieppe through the lens and Channel ports- Operation Jubilee books I really had enough reliable information for all this, from my Calgary tank regiment (already made) up to this one. 

This model became 60cm X 30cm. 

The casino was built in Moorish style, opening its doors in 1886,  and it became an imposing feature of the beach and an attraction for tourists during the French Belle Époque. 

Between 1926 and 1942 it gained this Art Déco style, with added galleries,  favoured by the 1936 first paid holidays in history which attracted even more bathers to its beach.

Then the Germans did this and it was in this conditions that the Canadians faced it. It got plenty of its structures changed and simplified and some AT bunkers in its extremities were added. All three last pictures are taken from the castle grounds, a typical photo shoot place at Dieppe. 

My interpretation of the building is a simplified one. The building was five floors tall and I only made three; the U-shaped galleries at the rear next to the gardens were heavily reduced as well as the overall size of the compound in what I hope to be true RF! style. 

The material used was my trusted BlueBoard 4cm sheets. Card was used for all openings, wood for the pipes on the left side roof and broom sticks for the railings. 

The tips of the casino were strenghtened with a 37mm gun (left) and a 47mm gun (right), both in bunkers. In fact the 37mm guns was placed more to the front and leaning on the sea wall. 

The rear part of the casino got shelled before the landing and had its western gallerie destroyed. I used pieces of BlueBoard and some pebbles to represent it. 

Some wooden beams were used to represent some tubing on the western roof (ventilation? water?). 

Just to break the structure some resin bundles of boxes and barrels were placed on the third floor. Its a bit the Call of Duty style but gives some detail to the model. 

The camouflage painting colors of the casino is not easy to understand and, in desperation and against my true beliefs, I asked Chat GPT what would it be and  green over sand showed up. The Osprey book shows it brown over sand and frankly the contrast looks more green over sand in the period pictures as AI said. 

The building´s front part is the most famous with its two oblique towers. The Germans look to have taken out most of the glass from the windows in order to avoid injuries on the defenders while being attacked. 

Some defensive weapons were made for the casino: the 20mm AA is 3d printed and both the 37mm and 47mm guns were scratchbuilt in EverGreen plastic card with some 3d printed wheels in both of them. The 37mm gun was made from memory and its shield became a bit too large. For not to try play the smart guy again I used a ShellHole scencics 47mm gun as a template and this one became nicer. The crews are Simon´s Soldiers and FtF. 

 An MG34 from FtF and a repainted Altaya Opel Blitz were added. The bases of the guns in particular had to have smaller sizes from the ones I already had due to the bunker openings. Besides the AT guns, there was a 20mm AA gun somewhere in the compound that I imagine to be on the roof and most probably some HMGs also. 

                                       

The guns when in the bunkers can be barely seen but the tips of their barrels add some drama to the action. 

These are the  three buildings for the Dieppe project made up to now. Their size has to do with its relative size with the gates being the smaller of the three and the casino, by far, the larger. 

In this picture you can see all three building and their relative position: the gates in the middle; the castle at the top and the casino galleries at the middle right. 

  

As I was probably a failed croupier in a previous life I like casinos. To the left you can see my approach to the Riva Bella/ Ouistreham casino of Sword fame made years ago.

Next: some YouTube shooting.  

Rapid Fire! France 1940 in 20mm - The figures of the 2nd KRRC Motor Battalion

With all transport done for the 30th Brigade, the 2nd KRRC figures were made in the last few days. The main issue here was the obvious temptation to use the figures you already have for the 1944-45 period maybe with a few extra Boys ATR's. The problem is that the equipment of 1944, based on the 1937 Pattern Web Equipment, was the same as the one of the BEF infantry in 1940 with a big difference; the gas mask bag which makes the British soldier of 1940 quite different from the one of 1944 (besides new Helmets and new SMG`s, PIAT's and other pieces of equipment introduced after 1940).

So, what figures to use for these conversions? 

- I have stocks of  classic Airfix and Matchbox, detailed figures, plain helmets but a bit too small (around 1/76th ) to go with the HAT figures I used for its transport Carriers and CS8's. 

- Also a stock of big Valiant boxes could be used but by far not enough plain helmets as these figures were made with  Normandy in mind.

-I ended up by using the Esci British infantry with a few Airfix figures; WW1 Emhar British; Australian Revell and a few Matchbox for certain positions. All of them got a two component paste gas mask bag and a back pack were they didn't exist. Some of the Revell's Australians have the old Service Dress instead of the newer Battle Dress, which is correct as there was resistance to this change in the British army, one Guards officer saying it looked like a "third rate chauffeur" dress.

The HQ of the battalion has two Emhar officer figures (the service dress of WW1 is virtually the same in both wars and specially in this scale) and an Airfix radio man Commando with a new Brodie helmet; Esci PIAT firer and Matchbox figures in the ATR stand and Esci and and Matchbox figures in the 2"mortar stand (this one converted from the Matchbox mortar). 

The HQ figures painted and ready to fight the Jerry's. The Boys ATR are extras sent to me by 3d Minigeneral boss, Pedro Pato.

All 2nd KRRC figures got the green and red shoulder title they used in WWII. The SMG's are a later Thompson model but I left it as it was as any change in such a small  weapon would be too complicated.

The company's Boys ATR got an inverted T as support, and an Airfix lying figure next to it. They are ready to defend Calais up to the last man! Or better, to go along the Southern counter-attack of the tank brigades even if not historical...

Next: wether more Brandywine 1777 or Mohacs 1526.

Rapid Fire! France 1940 in 20mm - A few more MiniGeneral addtions to the motorised French cavalry

At Carrefour Jaune a group of French Cavalry vehicles gathers  to start a reconnaissance mission knowing the Boche is around. All vehicles are MiniGeneral 3d prints that have been rocking the world of wargaming and also upsetting a few that considers this hobby as their own cottage.

This MMG Hotchkiss team is Pegasus and Hat. The car is a converted Austin 10 that turned a requisitioned Renault Primaquatre.

The Pegasus and Hat figures had GreenStuff added to the trousers and helmet. The goggles were modelled with a toothpick.

The Renault Primaquatre bears a close resemblance to the Austin 10.  The only few changes was the elimination of the rear window and the repositioning  of the rear door lock.

All other four Austin 10 were converted to Peugeot 202. These voiturettes were used also by the Cavalry in many roles. Here they replace four of the motos with side-car of the Dragons Portés (the Simca Cinq would be the best option but these are a reasonable match). In the pictures  above the open roof top is just painted and the achievement is not my best. They had the front lights carved out, the front and rooftop rounded by sanding and the rear wheels covered to look as close as possible to the Peugeot 202 

This one has an FM29 LMG and a motorcyclist as firer. It ended  something like the Tintim cartoons...

This is the original photo that also convinced me to use the Peugeot 202 for the DLM motorcyclists, even if this particular vehicle belongs to a guiding company, the 821e compagnie routiére.

To the left you have some of the Peugeot 202 middle way conversions. The one to the right shows the unaltered front for the Renault Primaquatre.  

The  original trunk was desguised with stowage.

Regarding the camouflage of the Peugeot 202 I found these in the GBM magazine. 

I opted for this one but in ochre. 

These two H35 with long 37mm complete the six necessary for the full DLM (two in each of the three Battalions of Dragons Portés). One more type of vehicle complete in numbers. 

Lastly two more Panhard 178. Still two to go for a total of eight necessary for a GRD. 

One of them became a command vehicle with a little help from styrene and a converted Esci WW2 torso with arms and details in GreenStuff.

Next: probably some DAK addtions. 

Rapid Fire! France 1940 in 20mm - June 40 Desperate measures (part 2)

With its best material lost in Belgium and in the battles of May, France had to scrap deep into whatever weapons they had in storage to cope with the German advances of Fall Rot. Here they are using a battalion of FT31 (improved FT17 with a Reibel Mg and some changes in the suspension) and a battery of 194mm GPF SPG in support of one more counter attack. All models are MiniGeneral 3D prints. Ah, for the ones with geographical instincts the location is Champs Carrés.

Here the standard FT31 with added chains to the trench crossing tail.

The FT17 BS, the support version, with a 75mm Howitzer in a fixed turret.

The figure, the usual copy of the Skytrex tank commander and some plastic card doors were glued to the side of the turret.

The FT17 TSF, the command version.

A number of addings were made for this one like the usual commander's figure and radio equipment. 

 The radio antennae and supports were made in several plastic materials like plastic card and broom bristles.

Here the star of this post, the gorgeous tracked 194mm GPF in a picture clearly taken after shooting its powergul gun, so strong that even the photographer trembled in awe.

Here a better one to show the details of this lovely MiniGeneral model. Only the elevating wheel was added and this one was taken from the leftovers of the Airfix Mark I tank, namely its crossing tail. Also a crew was added, this time from the brand new figures that comes in the Strelets R 155mm GPF gun and Schneider 105mm gun.

The tractor and ammo carrier is another funny thing. The railing here is clearly too thick but like this  it will face better the rigours of a life of battle in the shelves.

Crew (Strelets R and EWM copy) and the towing cable were to only addings to this one.

Family photo.

Lastly the Laffly S20 TL for the Motorised Dragoon Regiment I'm building. I already have a few from SHQ and with this one and the next 14  from MiniGeneral I'll have the Regiment finished.

This one needed some extra parts: rear step, side tools, folded canvas and LMG. The wheels are also different from the ones sent with the model. Pedro Pato, the boss of MiniGeneral, was very kind in supplying some extra wheels  from his Schneider P28 AMR. This model is under revision and these little problems will be solved shortly.

 The standing figure is a cross between some Esci Alpini legs (with puttees) and a copy of the torso of the Hat mounted artilleryman.

Next: wether the new French Strelets R artillery, an old Italeri Junkers Ju-86 for Poland 1939 or a lot of Polish vehicles from MiniGeneral.