With the new M107 and M110 kits out, I wonder if these two can be build as British Army vehicles OOTB, just in the right color- I also saw in my books that British M109 A2 had Diehl Tracks fitted, What other modifications are needed to build a RA gun? Radio aerials and machie guns? I want to AFV Club M107 kit, but not as US version.
Maybe one of these?
According to BootsDMS, the British are not barbarians after all.
I had tea, Earl Grey. hot myself for breakfast.
2 Likes
âThat reminds meâ- and with that simple phrase Iâm sure Kitmaker members will sigh deeply, and move swiftly on, remarking âOh God, here goes Boots DMS againâ or similar.
When I was Chief Clerk of a Brigade HQ, our deployment areas were Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein. We were held up to the mark by a very proficient Brigade Commander and we had the happy reputation of a work-hard, play-hard HQ.
On one exercise and I canât quite remember where, either Denmark of Germany, we were due to be visited by the District Commander, that is the General Officer Commanding responsible for the area in which our HQ resided; back then, the British Army in the UK was still, logically to my mind, divided into military districts, not the fatuous non-deployable/deployable Div/Brigade/ whatever area it now is. However, the Brigadier knew that this particular General was, in addition to being a hard taskmaster (ex SF background) fond of Earl Grey tea.
Pending the visit of the great and the good, the HQ complex - Land Rovers and tentage - was prepared; we were in a wood but that didnât stop my Clerks from being ordered to sweep it all out(!) One of my Private soldiers was duly tasked to prepare a brew for the approaching deity, and as his helicopter clattered into view, plugged in the kettle and set to. Now, this poor Private was not versed in the intricacies of preparing such a refined brew as Earl Grey, which is a light, delicately scented beverage; instead he prepared it as he would normally for the HQ stalwarts, who to a man, liked their tea thick, dark and strong.
In the meantime the General had been deposited in the briefing tent, where I stood duty to coord the maps, traces and to make sure that the Commanding Officers present were prompted as necessary.
Slowly but surely a miasma of bergamot wafted through the canvas, cloying in its consistency; Private X duly arrived bearing a tray with China cups (we were a very refined HQ) and a metal teapot from which came the concentrated reek of, well, Earl Grey, just not as one would know it. This was put down in front of the dignitaries; the General took his cup, followed by a sip and a sort of gasping, choking splutter. Quick as a flash, our Brigadier, who was nobodyâs fool, quipped, âBet youâve never had tea like that before General!â The General, who only possessed one good eye (the other having been left behind in Jebel Akhdar or somewhere, God knows) and this was streaming furiously, glared and conceded that indeed, he had not in fact, had tea quite like it.
The 2nd Earl Grey must have been turning in his grave.
After the visit was over â and we received a very good chit â the Brigadier did mention to me that perhaps Private X might benefit from a little tuition.
7 Likes
Hermann, no machine guns on the M107/M110 vehicles; there was a radio installation in place of the original small arms rack. I think this must have been the Larkspur system but am unsure as to how it was exactly configured. I was however, protected by a weatherproof cover so if you fashion that as best you can, and then perhaps represent the radio with a bit of âgizmologyâ you might get away with it. You may not of course, be as slack as I obviously am, but thatâs how I intend to do it one day, when I eventually get around to it.
The Brits also seemed to have installed a standard cable reel too. There may well be other mods but I suspect these are probably minor and not necessarily visible.
You can identify the radio, or at least the cover, in the following pics:
Youâll also note that the original US tracks are fitted on at least one of the vehicles.
'Hope this helps.
Hi Brian,
thanks for this info, very helpful. I think I can build something with this pics. In my books, some big boxes are installed on the area between engine deck and gun. They seem to be installed by the troops. I guess the was no fixed pattern?
The only boxes that I aware of that are a standard fitting, are those shown below (a US extract) and these are standard for Brit vehicles. Perhaps your illustration shows these but moved for whatever reason?
For info the Verlinden accessory set included these boxes:
Sorry, forgot the US extract:
It almost looks as if you could get by with simply doing a canvas cover with a fly on the inboard side that can snap closed. Then just have the antenna protruding out the top.
Great story by the way.
Three British soldiers were retiring after long, distinguished careers.
As they out processed, they were told that as a bonus for having served so well in his Majestyâs service, they would receive an extra bonus:
ÂŁ1 for every centimeter measured between any two body parts they wished.
The first said â I want to be measured from the top of me head to the tip of me toes.â
It came to 175 cm. Congratulations, said the clerk.
The next fellow, a very lanky sergeant, major, said, â I want to be measured from the tip of one outstretched index finger to the other.â
It came to 183 cm. Congratulations, said the clerk again. Hereâs your ÂŁ183.
The last man was a major general from the artillery corps. He said, â I want to be measured between my two eyes.â
Are you sure about that? I asked the clerk.
âQuite,â said the general, as he sipped his Earl GreyâŚ
He then removed his sunglasses.
As the clerk raised the tape measure, he was a bit dumbfounded. âWhere is your other eye, general?â
The general simply smiled and said, âWell itâs back in Jebel Akhdar, innit?â
4 Likes
hi
if you want to use the diehl track you need to change the sprockets, i was informed there is a Danish one coming out in some time soon with diehl track.
mods , ok hew radio mount and cover , boxes on rear spade. mesh bin on front and some on sides tops
thatâs what i know hope it helps Ossie
Found these two images in a book.
Does this mean that the boxes were installed by the crew?
Images are for discussion only.
Not British Army but a good video of Bundeswehr M110 in action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tORVh6MYYPI
1 Like
Hard to say; it/they may be the same boxes that are carrried on the spade but whether the crew have just moved them there for convenience or not, I really donât know. I would suggest itâs not a permanent fitting but just moved there for whatever.
I should think unless you plan on modelling that particular gun doing what it is at the moment, then I wouldnât bother. Also of course, unless you have a good idea of where the crew stand and what they are indeed doing when the gun is emplaced for firing, itâs just a little easier depicting it in transit.
Brilliant piece of film! made me want to show off my M109G - again(!)
Sorry folks - but films do that to one.
2 Likes
We definitly need a good crew for M107 and M110!
1 Like
We certainly do! For Brit vehicles it gets slightly complicated, in that, and my memory might be faulty here, only around 5 soldiers travel with the gun, the remainder in a Stalwart limber vehicle.
The crew commander, and in Royal Artillery parlance heâs known as something else but I forget, for instance travels standing up, but secured to the gun barrel assembly by a special belt initially issued to Royal Signalsâ linesmen.Even if, say youâve identified suitable figures, they then have to be converted to Brit ones, with a mix of (admittedly depending on the timescale) weapons (SLR/SMG and God knows what the ratio actually was); thereâs the faff of making/sculpting '58 pat webbing, heads with berets/helmets etc, then painting the whole in DPM, so not much modelling fun there I sometimes think!
Itâs this which has delayed my own efforts; of course, the answer is to build a gun and have no figures - which is blindingly obvious, save I do like to populate my models.
I wonder if the crew of Tamiya´s Ambulance Landrover could be a start?
One more dumb question. I have Resi Cast 3 inch mortar in my collection. Was it used after WW2?
They can but you will still need to scratch the kidney pouches,respirator bag and poncho roll on the figures back.
Quick answer: yes, up until the mid 60s when it was replaced by the 81mm.
As it happens Ivan, a small firm called Newland Models now produces '58 pat components, thus taking the sting out of it all:
(only 7 quid)
For their other stuff see:
1/35 Resin Military Models, Kits, Conversions & Accessories | Newland Models