Anyhow, here we have my Autumn themed 1942-43 WWII Falschirmjäger, Waffen SS and Krad Zug, along with the Recce Platoon, and a PzKfw VI Tiger E and Nashorn thrown in for good measure. A train has just arrived, disgorging PzKfw IVs and VIs, still in the 1942 Grey and Green "Taubendreck" camouflage; before the order was issued to use Dunkelgelb (Dark yellow as base colour), the colour used for most of the rest of the war.I chose this scheme as it can also be used for a Russian East front Summer scheme or a desert scheme, making the armour in particular more useful and true to the period of the war.
The figures are Old Airfix, New Revell and Italeri figures. Artillery (not shown in this post), Svezda and Airfix.
I still need to do a lot of work on them, shading and highlights, weathering on the tanks, etc, but I recon they're ready to take on some upstart Allied models!
(Click on images for a larger view)
Falschirmjäger (Parachutists) guarding the train while the newly arrived armour is off-loaded
The recce unit consisting of SdKfz 222s and command 223, a 250/9 and 37mm anti-aircraft cover move out across a field of crops
While Waffen SS detachment move forward through
the thick carpet of fallen leaves
Like their Falschirmjäger brothers in arms, their camouflaged uniforms afford them extra protection from detection:
Not so their less fortunate Heer (Regular Army) comrades, who wear the standard Field Grey (Feld Grau) uniform of the day, making them conspicuous in the deciduous forest.
The motorcycle (Krad) zug moves out on their Zundapp Motorcycles,
some with side-cars mounting MG 34 machine guns.
They also avail of camouflaged uniforms, that identify them as SS.
They are wearing a different style camo uniform from the infantry unit.
They pass a Falschirmjäger command HQ group, who have dismounted from their Kubelowagens to relay orders to a stationary Tiger tank, covering the advance of the Krad unit
The Kampfgruppe swells in numbers as more armour arrives. A self-propelled Elefant and a PzKfw IV lumber past the Tiger on their way forward
A unit of 4 Tiger E's have been off-loaded, while 2 PzKfw IVs await their turn.
These tanks have arrived from the Western Front, where there was little need for camouflage up to now.
The grey tanks have hurriedly been camouflaged with dark olive green paint, in a scheme known as Taubendreck (Pigeon droppings); as scheme well suited for the pine and plantan forests of Western Europe, but not the steppe grassland of Russia.
This scheme will not last for long, as the train also contains a consignment of the yellow ochre paint that the crews will likely soon put to good use.
