CoC - Western Front - Airborne inbound!

[Digits]

I’ve been looking for pictures of it (St Barbara’s Chapel) from before the war but so far nothing.   I even wonder if the steeple was that shape before it got blown off.   There is another picture I’ve seen of another chapel near Bastogne which was also hit in the steeple, but the roof, identical to this one, is still teetering above the damaged brickwork.


This church at Foy, was made a little famous in Band of Brothers

“Easy Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne were pinned down and taking casualties by a sniper laying in the top of this church. This moment is reenacted in the HBO series Band of Brothers. Staff Sergeant Darrell C. "Shifty" Powers is the soldier who ultimately killed the sniper.”

[tin shed gamer]

I profoundly dislike many aspects of Band of Brothers .  It's more a social commentary reflecting the time of its making in early 2000's.
For one the way Albert  Blithe is portrayed and the inference that he never truly recovered from the his injuries slinking away to die a broken man. Is appalling.   It couldn't  be further from the truth. He went on to fight in Korea earning Both the Silver star ,  3 Bronze stars, and 3 Purple hearts .( He actually died in 67 from complications due to a perforated ulcer still a serving member of the forces.)
It could be argued that initially that the rest of unit didn't know what happen to Blythe they assumed he'd died in '48. Initially the book quoted this. But later editions corrected this error.
But they never chose to do this to the series or the DVD release.

[Digits]

He’s the one that went psychologically blind for a bit?    I see that that a couple of the guys remembered going to his funeral!  That’s worrying! Lol

Looks like a bad mistake, but I tend to like Stephen Ambrose to be fair.  One of my favourite reads is his D-Day book.   Recollections from a myriad of folk who were there, it’s a compelling read.   

[Captain Blood]

Great job on the church. Another very nice building by TBM. As you say, wish their range was bigger. I'd certainly buy more of their black powder era buildings.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Nice model and an interesting Then and Now photograph.

[Digits]

Great job on the church. Another very nice building by TBM. As you say, wish their range was bigger. I'd certainly buy more of their black powder era buildings.

Rumour on their Facebook page is they are thinking of adding to the Western European range.  Maybe they need a little more encouragement…..

Cheers guys

[Digits]

So, tapping into a rare steak of mojo, I just painted another….small house with interesting roof.  Sadly, just one more to go…..



Jamie is rendering a whole batch of laser cut buildings, adding stonework, timer, roof tiling etc and they are going to look the dogs…..so I’m tempted to have a go myself on maybe an industrial building and see what it looks like.  A few weeks off that one though.

Just added a small statute too.

[CapnJim]

Great work on those, but I really dig the statue...

[vodkafan]

Great work!

[has.been]

Great work on those, but I really dig the statue...

me too.

[tin shed gamer]

Your putting me to shame
I can't find the time or the mojo to make two strips of terrace houses and your churning out an entire hamlet.

[Digits]

Cheers guys.  The statue is also by TBM!


Ok, so what’s next…we’ll I do have one more building to paint before sourcing new ones, but that can wait a little bit.

Meanwhile, I have been slowly putting together a bunch on minis to represent the Panzer Lehr, seeing as most of my armour is marked accordingly.

A bit of an eclectic mix tbh……seeing as no one does enough (at least in metal) to do the whole platoon.   So I have a box of Artizan and Warlord Lehr, a box of Warlord Volksgrenadiers and a plastic warlord grenadier!

The Volksgrenadiers have a short tunic, though a different cut which won’t detract from them on the battlefield, besides, on a lot of them, the tunic is pretty well hidden.

On top that, as I’m a bit pedantic about not having duplicate heavy weapons / mg  teams, I am trying to get hold of a sprue of the newly released Wargames Atlantic plastic Lehr so I can build a couple of mg teams.    I’m not overly struck on WA miniatures, and I may need to add a little clutter to get what I want from them.

Not sure as yet what to do about support options, but Steve Barber does do a Lehr panzerschreck team and sniper!

Anyway, here is the first two sections based ready for painting.

[Shahbahraz]

That looks like a really good start on a new platoon. Meanwhile, having just finished my 12 SS Pz Div, I will not be doing yet another German variant ..  I will not, I won't. ok, maybe I will...

[Digits]

I know the feeling!

However, as the uniform is simple, I only need worry about helmet covers!  These will be quick compared to SS! (I hope!)

[CapnJim]

So far so good!  Looking forward to seeing them painted!