I have recently been reading up on XXX corps and the Market Garden operation in general. This inspired me to build up a Cromwell (I love British armor) from the Second Welsh Guards. My idea is to depict one somewhere near the Belgian-Dutch border before the push into Eindhoven. With this in mind I wanted to depict it as more of a staging area type scene with more relaxed troops, a calm before the storm type of settting.
I have so far gathered the following materials, the Tamiya Cromwell with Eduard PE set, and an Aber barrel, along with Hobby Boss Indy tracks, and the Gecko MG team marching.
Step 1 in somewhat of a departure had you start in the backplate. Not much of interest here. There were a couple punch marks to fill on parts C22 and C23, but other than that the parts all fit splendidly. I am also going to replace the kit smoke dischargers with the PE
The brass is just dry for together while I wait for liquid flux to arrive and then I can solder together
I should also make the point this will be a slow build as life will be in the way but I plan to keep this fairly updated unlike some of my other logs the stalled out
That they do, I don’t think I’ll get any of them as the Tamiya parts are quite nice.
@Tank_1812 it is a very nice kit. I was quite surprised, for a 1997 kit it has really nice subtle surface detail like welds in the road wheels and rolled armor texture
If it matters to you, the kit has a type C hull as made by English Electric, and there were not many made and used in NWE. The kit decals for 5 RTR are correct for the kit, and the Welsh Guards decals are presumed to fit the real vehicle of this type. The other 3 markings are known to belong on different hull types.
Good info indeed, I knew it wasn’t an F hull (sadly as they seem to be most abundant), do you know if a breakdown of numbers exists between the various types? It looks like the main difference in C and D was the drivers hatch style and F changed to a side opening hatch. We’re D’s more abundant?
Edit:
I am pretty sure the pictures I posted above are C or D hulls, lack of Turret storage bins, and I think I can make out the hatch doors opening up and sponson stowage bin on the driver side. Serial number ranges appear to put them in the D hull range
Keeping it simple, I may build the 5th RTR one instead of the welsh guards. Anyone have a photo of it in theater?
Ryan, I couldn’t specifically say that vehicles from either of these units ever used the device or not, but I would be wary of such. As far as I can discern not may Brit tanks were fitted with the device - it was also a specific solution to a specific problem. Once clear of the Normandy environment, or rather the bocage environment, they would have had no utility in any case and been discarded as soon as possible.
It may be that pics showing Brit tanks, specifically a Cromwell thus equipped, may have been a trials vehicle. That said, I seem to recall seeing a pic of a Churchill fitted with the “prongs” as they were known in Brit parlance.
