Yippee the last unit for the competition is finally finished!

This Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (SPAAG) began development in 1941 as a private venture by the Morris-Commercial company. Morris was one of Britain’s most famous motor companies, renowned for their cars.

They also built a number of vehicles for the military, such as the Morris CS9 Armoured Car and the Morris Light Reconnaissance Car. One of their most famous military vehicles was the Morris C8 Field Artillery Tractor (FAT) also known as ‘Quad’. The Morris C9/B is based on this Tractor and was armed with the 40mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft Gun.

A total of 1680 vehicles were built in total. The C9/B, officially designated the ‘Carrier, 30 cwt, SP, 4×4, 40 mm AA (Bofors)’ was intended to be a mobile gun platform for the defence of convoys and columns against air attack. Light anti-aircraft regiments were usually outfitted with a battery of six self-propelled guns.

The chosen armament for this self-propelled anti-aircraft gun was perhaps one of the most famous anti-aircraft (AA) guns in history.

This 40mm autocannon, designed and built by the Swedish company Bofors, entered military use in 1934. It became one of the most reliable and deadly guns of the time, seeing use with multiple armies during and after the Second World War.

It had a number of uses, being placed on warships, towed into battle or mounted on various tank chassis. The gun fired a 40 mm (1.6 in) shell, weighing 0.2 kg (2 lbs), up to a maximum vertical range of 7,160 m (23,490 ft). The rate of fire was 120 rounds per minute. Elevation range was from −5 degrees to +90 degrees.

This is a good shot of how the truck was “steadied” on three of its four sides. The warlords kit does not allow for this to be modelled.

The pull out legs to stabilize the gun when firing. Not possible to model with this kit.

Additional weights were held on the front bumpers for stabilisation.

A magnet and washer were also added to assist the models stability on the tabletop – after all we do not want it to miss through a lack of appropriate stabilisation do we!

I am very pleased with my efforts as I only came up with the 2/3rd Tank Attack Platoon project as a way to use the spare guns I had exactly a month ago!

Geez I wish I could still do that!

Tomorrow I will show pics of the whole army together.

This is the last of the rifle detachments and the penultimate unit I need for the competition tomorrow week.

As with the other detachments, I am using the British list which has the rifle detachments armed with a 2″ mortar and Bren Gun.

Hopefully in a few hours the last unit will be dry and ready for varnishing and photos. Yes John, it just needs varnish!

I have also painted up a second Forward observer as it is allowed in the list that I am using. As I can have one for “free” (a British Army rule) I have not chosen it in my competition list.

There were occasion when the Australian Tank Attack platoon were issued Vickers Medium Machine guns. Most notably in Borneo when they were employed as ad-hoc infantry. One of the Bolt Action lists, the Campaign book “Battle of France”, allows for an MMG option.

As such, although not using in the competition, I had one left over so have painted it up as one of the armies “extras”.

Also known as “LP1 Carrier (Aust), the Australian production was similar to the British Universal Carrier but welded with some minor differences. About 60 were sent to North Africa in 1940 and saw action in North Africa, Greece and Palestine. In all, 160 LP1 carriers were built by Victorian Railways at their vast Newport workshops in Melbourne.

They were not successful as the engine overheated, there was a shortage of spare parts and break wear was excessive. Although problematic, much was learnt from the experience, and a new design was produced, which corrected many of the inherent faults of this first model.

The Australian Tank Attack Platoon used the Bren Gun Carriers for gun tows, ammunition carriers, and troop carriers for the Command support teams and rifle sections.

There is just one problem!

and remember darling you need to respect my choices YOU were one of them!

If I live after that last comment back to normal tomorrow.

I found this on Amazon:

Not a lot of detail but hey there are lots of them!

Rifle detachments were gunners whose work it was to provide close support to the artillery or to provide additional gunners for the artillery if required.

Although I am using the British list which has the rifle detachments armed with a 2″ mortar the Australians replaced this with the heavy 3″ mortar as the lighter mortar tended to explode harmlessly in the top of the jungle canopy, whereas the 3″ mortar penetrated the canopy before exploding.

I have armed each rifle detachment with a Bren gun team and a mortar team to provide as much support and fire power as possible.

Tomorrow the last support section.

This first carrier will be used to transport the Lieutenant’s Support Section so that it can move quickly to any sector on the table that may require its massive close fire support.

I will keep soldiering on with this project.

I wasn’t feeling up to doing much today say I quickly put together a jeep and painted it. I will use this as part of the army although not for the up coming competition.

I asked myself whern you are short of time why did you work on something that didn’t need to be completed and all I could come up with was ‘COZ!

Jeeps were real work horses in World War II and they turned up in the most unusual places.

Because it was just about impossible to build roads through New Guinea and Borneo Jeeps were one of the few vehicles that could travel through the jungles marshes and mud flats.

They were used for gun tows, ferrying supplies and ammunition, and ambulances.

Prior to 1940 the term “jeep” had been used as U.S. Army slang for new recruits or vehicles, but the World War II “jeep” that went into production in 1941 specifically tied the name to this light military 4×4, arguably making them the oldest four-wheel drive mass-production vehicles.

Production of the Willys MB, better known as Jeep, began in 1941, shared between Willys, Ford, and American Bantam. 8,598 units were produced that year and 359,851 units before the end of World War II. Willys–Overland ranked 48th among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts. In total, 653,568 military Jeeps were manufactured.

I put together a second Jeep at the same time and will paint that in the next few days when i get time.

The SWAT team move forward with a reposition order.

On the left the team member moved 2″ through the window, 1″ to the ladder and 2″ up the ladders with room to spare. Second from the left moved to protect their flank and the others moved to shoot in “ambush” if the opportunity arose.

As a result of the reposition order the SWAT team ends with a defensive token (the blue shield).

In order to use all of the mechanics I played dumb with the Drug cartel and moved forward with a reposition order.

As you can see by the shadowy figures in the distance this exposed the two lead Drug Cartel “boffins” to “ambush” shooting from the SWAT team.

As the targets “measure” was a reposition” the SWAT team needed their “hard grip” of 9+ to hit the Drug Cartel. A roll of a ten against the lead “druggie” and a nine against the other meant two hits. The third shoot of a 2 missed.

The “druggies” needed to roll against their “normal grip” (save) to see what happened. Needing a 9+ one saved and one did not.

A wound token was placed on the unsaved figure.

The unsaved Cartel figure is removed (replaced with a casualty figure). Given the Cartel move was a reposition there was no return fire. As they suffered a casualty they need to test for suppression and pass.

The situation at the end of turn 2.

The SWAT team perform an “attack” measure allowing them to move 1″ and shoot.

As the Cartel had passed their suppression test they could attempt to ambush needing a normal grip because the SWAT team performed an “attack” measure. Needing an 8 both shots miss.

At the start of turn three the SWAT team rolled well but needing a 9+ only one shot hits.

Needing an 8+ the cartel figure receives a wound token.

The four remaining cartel “goons” move forward with a “attack” measure so that if they survive they may get a chance to shoot.

The SWAT team again roll well with their ambush shooting..

Three of the Cartel have received wound tokens,

Two more fail their grip test, As the casualties do not come of until the end of their measure they can return fire.

Passing their easy grip, as their target is within 8″ and cover does not count, with a 6 one SWAT team member is hit.

The hit SWAT member passes their normal grip test of 5+.

With the turn ended the two wound markers are turned into a casualties. They roll a 2 for their suppression test and fail. Suppression means they cannot perform a measure next turn, but move from suppression to defensive.

The SWAT team again perform an attack measure, With two hits the Mexican Cartel looks “cactus”.

The six would normally be a pass but because of the 10 rolled by the SWAT team they needed their hard grip of ten to pass and so both failed. They cannot ambush so the last remaining cartel members are taken off at the end of the turn.

Playing this forced me to look at the rules which I will now re-read to check that I was playing correctly. I know I was playing rather silly with the drug Cartel, but hey they must have been sampling their own wares! I t was also a bit of a test of the rules to see if you could advance without suppressing your enemy and no you cannot!

It also allowed me to have a quick game to get to understand the rules and the mechanics.

I like the mechanics and other than the “very unique” terminology the rules played well.

I look forward to playing them with Jason to give them a real thrashing.