Matilda versus Panzer III in North Africa

[sansovino]

Hi,

here eventually the final stage of my tanks for North Africa. After detailling and sanding ...

3 Matilda versus 3 Panzer III+ 1 Stug, desert rats versus DAK

Feel free to comment or critize, what is missing or what can be still ameliorate. The tank drivers, other figures and some stowage will been painted and add later ....

[Minuteman]

A fine set of opposing armour for the western desert. I think DAK have the edge here, an extra AFV in the StuG, and better tactical handling of the three PZKW III, if they can close with the Matildas to enable their 50mm guns to penetrate the British armour. Battle ranges of 500 metres or less.

Fine work, well done!

[Bill Slavin]

Those look very fine.
Nice to see the unit insignias on the Matilda antennas - there is always something very medieval about that that I love! Going out on a limb here, I'm wondering if you had a particular reason for making them both red? I have read varying opinions on these, some saying they changed daily, others saying that they carried more specific rank and unit indication.
For what its worth, here is what I found:

A quick summary. Colour was dictated by seniority in the brigade. Senior regiment – red, Middle – yellow, Junior – Blue
Most tanks would have been 'troop' tanks with two small triangle pennants, troop command tanks would have three triangles, squadron HQ would have a swallowtail pennant under the two triangles. Finally, the regiment commander would have a large rectangle pennant under the two triangles.

'A' Squadron commander -- swallow in red
'B' Squadron commander -- swallow in yellow
'C' Squadron commander -- swallow in blue
1 Troop commander -- triangle in black and red
2 Troop commander -- triangle in black and yellow
3 Troop commander -- triangle in black and blue
1 Troop tank -- triangle in red
2 Troop tank -- triangle in yellow
3 Troop tank -- triangle in blue
If that isn't confusing enough, there is a lot more here:
http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/tank-aerial-pennants-n-africa.74439/
Coincidentally, I just posted a bat rep that had these same tanks out on my table, playing a North African scenario.

Bill

[Harry Faversham]

Interesting Stug snippet...
In total only seven Stugs took part in North Africa and Tunisia!

[Rich W]

Looking good!

[Peter]

Looking good!

I agree!

[Minuteman]

Interesting Stug snippet...
In total only seven Stugs took part in North Africa and Tunisia!

Interesting insight Harry, I wasn't aware that it was quite so few StuGs in the desert...although I guess they were tactically more useful in Russia that in the empty sands of Libya.

[MABO]

Nice tanks with sandy surface. I would try to make the antennas thinner. I use sprues of the vehicles and extend them over a candle. Only my way and taste of course.

[MABO]

Those look very fine.
Nice to see the unit insignias on the Matilda antennas - there is always something very medieval about that that I love! Going out on a limb here, I'm wondering if you had a particular reason for making them both red? I have read varying opinions on these, some saying they changed daily, others saying that they carried more specific rank and unit indication.
For what its worth, here is what I found:

A quick summary. Colour was dictated by seniority in the brigade. Senior regiment – red, Middle – yellow, Junior – Blue
Most tanks would have been 'troop' tanks with two small triangle pennants, troop command tanks would have three triangles, squadron HQ would have a swallowtail pennant under the two triangles. Finally, the regiment commander would have a large rectangle pennant under the two triangles.

'A' Squadron commander -- swallow in red
'B' Squadron commander -- swallow in yellow
'C' Squadron commander -- swallow in blue
1 Troop commander -- triangle in black and red
2 Troop commander -- triangle in black and yellow
3 Troop commander -- triangle in black and blue
1 Troop tank -- triangle in red
2 Troop tank -- triangle in yellow
3 Troop tank -- triangle in blue
If that isn't confusing enough, there is a lot more here:
[url]http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/tank-aerial-pennants-n-africa.74439/
[/url]
Coincidentally, I just posted a bat rep that had these same tanks out on my table, playing a North African scenario.

Bill

Everytime I read more about it, it was more confusing to me