Royal Marines Armoured Support Group

[Jemima Fawr]

I've been photographing some long-forgotten units in my wargames armies.  I did these about 20 years ago and I don't think they've ever seen a game!

http://www.jemimafawr.co.uk/2020/05/09/the-royal-marines-armoured-support-group-in-normandy-1944/

[Harry Faversham]

It's a shame they've never seen action as they're splendid models.

 

[Jemima Fawr]

It's a shame they've never seen action as they're splendid models.

 

Cheers!  Annoyingly, the one year I couldn't make it to Bovington for our annual big game was the year they did a battle (48 RM Cdo's assault on Rots, 11th June 1944) where they could have been employed...

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Nice work on the turret angles.

[Jemima Fawr]

Nice work on the turret angles.

I still have nightmares...

[thequestingvole]

Lovely work squire.

What's the story with the lines painted on the side of the turret?

[Jemima Fawr]

Lovely work squire.

What's the story with the lines painted on the side of the turret?

Cheers.  It (sort of) explains it in the blog article - it was an old method of warship turret-direction that was tried and tested and put to use on Royal Marine Centaurs, which were primarily intended to be used as seaborne gun-turrets.  The Troop Commander, standing to the rear, could use the compass-markings painted on the turret to quickly determine the bearing that the guns were currently laid on to, relative to the tank.  This number could then be added to or subtracted from the current compass heading of the landing craft to determine the actual magnetic bearing that the guns were laid on to.

[SABOT]

Lovely job on those.

Initially they were only ever going to be immobile then RAC Drivers were added to the  crews as the plan changed.

[Harry Faversham]

Lovely work squire.

What's the story with the lines painted on the side of the turret?

 

[Jemima Fawr]

Lovely job on those.

Initially they were only ever going to be immobile then RAC Drivers were added to the  crews as the plan changed.

Cheers!  Yep... Nobody ever follows the flippin link to read the article... 

[Calimero]

Although officially classed as ‘OP Tanks’ the Troop Commanders’ Shermans had 75mm guns and would join in with shoots.  The Battery Commanders’ tanks may have had dummy guns in the same manner as Royal Artillery Battery Commanders, but I’ve no exact information.

On your blog, the Sherman (Troop F, 2nd Battery) in the picture also have the turret markings... it would have been pretty useless if it has a dummy gun, no?

Anyhow, your minis look great

[Jemima Fawr]

On your blog, the Sherman (Troop F, 2nd Battery) in the picture also have the turret markings... it would have been pretty useless if it has a dummy gun, no?

Anyhow, your minis look great

Yes indeed!

But that's never stopped people from insisting that OP tanks 'always' had dummy guns...

In reality the vast majority of British artillery OP tanks were fully-armed, though had reduced ammo stowage (the space being used for the extra radio).  OP tanks with dummy guns tended to be restricted to artillery battery commanders, armoured brigade/division commanders and their immediate staff.

[Redmist1122]

Nice group of models.  What was the purpose for the turret increment markings?

[wmyers]

Nice group of models.  What was the purpose for the turret increment markings?

I was wondering the same thing.

I’ve seen them on Warlord’s kit.

[monk2002uk]

See Jemima Fawr's earlier response on the question of the turret markings:

Cheers.  It (sort of) explains it in the blog article - it was an old method of warship turret-direction that was tried and tested and put to use on Royal Marine Centaurs, which were primarily intended to be used as seaborne gun-turrets.  The Troop Commander, standing to the rear, could use the compass-markings painted on the turret to quickly determine the bearing that the guns were currently laid on to, relative to the tank.  This number could then be added to or subtracted from the current compass heading of the landing craft to determine the actual magnetic bearing that the guns were laid on to.

Robert