The 25pdr provides artillery support for the Machinegun platoon.

The 25pdr Light Gun

Gun and crew

The Australians used mainly the JEEP for towing the 25pdr

Spotter for the gun

Crew (1)

Crew (2)

Crew (3)

Today we have the Lieutenant’s support team, which is a mixture of various specialists formed as a rifle section that could both support the gunners but also replace any crews that have suffered casualties.

On the 25th of August 1942, Japanese Special Navy Landing Forces landed at Milne Bay. The confronted a much larger and determined allied force than they expected. The SNLF were to eventually suffer their first defeat.

Australian 7th Militia at Milne Bay

One of the US units assisting with the building and maintenance of the airfields was Company E of the 46th Engineers of the US Army Corps of Engineers (the steel spike).

The Japanese were attacked almost immediately by a rag-tag group of Australian Kittyhawks from RAAF 76th squadron who destroyed their landing barges and a significant amount of supplies.

Squadron Leader Keith “Bluey” Truscott, Commanding Officer of No. 76 Squadron RAAF, taxiing along Marston Matting at Milne Bay in September 1942.

Keith “Bluey” Truscott was probably the best known RAAF pilot killed in the war. He was a well-known Melbourne footballer when he joined the RAAF in 1940, who became a fighter pilot and established his reputation as an Ace in Britain.

Keith and his pilots had a vital part in the local defeat of the Japanese at Milne Bay. Later, in January 1943, in the defence of Darwin he shot down an enemy bomber. His tally rose to 16 enemy aircraft destroyed along with three probables and three damaged.

The Marston Matting, or pierced (or perforated) steel planking (PSP), was a metal mat that was laid over the soft muddy surface to create a make-do airstrip. It was supplied and installed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and was a significant reason why the RAAF Kittyhawks were able to be a decisive factor in the Battle for Milne Bay.

Squad Leader with SMG

2-I-C with SMG

Squad member with BAR

Squad members with rifles

Flame thrower team

The rules for the Milne bay scenario allow you to have a flamethrower with each engineering squad, although there is no evidence that they were ever used, other than for clearing vegetation.

The squads M3 Halftrack.

These were definitely used in defence of Airfield No3 where their extra firepower assisted in preventing the Japanese from crossing the airfield and reaching the allied defences on the other side.

The Allied forces in defence of Milne Bay included the Australian 7th Militia Brigade (who did most of the fighting, the Australian 18th Brigade , veterans from the middle east, and the 55th Brigade who were “de-linked” from the 14th Australian Infantry Brigade, Company E of the 46th Engineers of the US Army Corps of Engineers (the steel spike) were tasked with building the airfields.

Other support detachments included the 101st Anti-Tank Regiment, the 9 Battery, 2/3rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, the 2/5th Field Regiment and the US 101st Coast Artillery Battalion (Anti-Aircraft.

The Battle of Milne Bay was significant because the victory prevented the Japanese from outflanking the Australian delaying operations at Kokoda and taking Port Moresby. It is also important because it was the first time that the Japanese had been defeated in a major battle.

I plan to provide another engineering squad and transport to support the 7th Australian Infantry Brigade.

Today we have the Captain’s support team, which is a mixture of various specialists formed as a rifle section that could both support the gunners but also replace any crews that have suffered casualties.

Tomorrow I hope to finish the first components of another project……………..maybe!

This is the last of the IRA infantry with only a motorcycle and sidecar armed with Lewis gun to purchase from 1st. Corps, and paint in late February.

IRA Active Service Units consist of 5 to 8 men.In order to keep to the 500pts I have kept each unit to six men. This also means that they will all have the ability to shoot as the only weapons other than basic hand weapons each unit can have are the leader with a pistol, one with SMG, 2 with shotguns and 2 with rifles.

The other two could be purchased although unarmed to act as casualties without impacting on the units firepower.

The additional points would mean that I would be unable to take any significant support.

The figures are all from Footsore Miniatures Inter-War period range using the brigands and IRA figure packs.

Here is the “army” that has been put together so far.

Pop the bubbly and bring on Scorpion and Man-O-War. 2024 is not far away and along with with copious quantities of bubbly to toast with and a very large charcuterie board, lets see in the New Year with a bang, call your nearest and dearest, and when the clock clicks over drown out your neighbours with a boisterous chorus of “Auld Lang Syne.”

Old Lang Syne or “times long past” was written down by Robbie Burns in 1788 but there are many earlier versions including Sir Robert Ayton, who died in 1638, and the Scottish poet Allan Ramsay published a poem in 1720. In the 19th century the song was reprinted many times, and eventually it became part of the Scottish Hogmanay.

So join hands in a circle and celebrate the New Year (Hogmanay) with “times long past” !