Starting my British Force for Burma: First Game 27Nov22

[Jemima Fawr]

Gorgeous!  And not an army that I've ever seen produced before.

BTW  I spotted an India Pattern Wheeled Carrier painted in Caunter camouflage in some film showing 7th Armoured Brigade in Burma circa 1942, so Caunter-painted vehicles can be used there as well!    I presume it arrived with one of the units that was diverted to Burma from Africa.

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

As a slight digression, is it acceptable - or even required - for camouflage schemes to be laid out in exactly the same way on each vehicle (or at least each specific type of vehicle)?  Having merrily painted all my Airfix tanks (c.1960s) in a slightly different pattern (assuming that each crew had allowed itself a little leeway), I've come to understand that there was usually a set design for how the paint was applied - at least in base areas prior to a campaign (so that, for example, all the Matilda IIs in a regiment/brigade would have identical patterns).  Is that correct?

[joekano]

Thanks for the kind feedback everyone!

Jemima, that’s interesting that the Caunter pattern showed up in Burma. Wonder how long they saw service in such a state before being repainted. At  least that gives me more options.

Baron, I’m afraid I don’t have the expertise to answer your question. But the artwork in the Bolt Action Armies of Great Britain book shows three East African Matildas with slightly different schemes together, so my uneducated guess would be that you’d have some variation.

[Jemima Fawr]

Thanks for the kind feedback everyone!

Jemima, that’s interesting that the Caunter pattern showed up in Burma. Wonder how long they saw service in such a state before being repainted. At  least that gives me more options.

Baron, I’m afraid I don’t have the expertise to answer your question. But the artwork in the Bolt Action Armies of Great Britain book shows three East African Matildas with slightly different schemes together, so my uneducated guess would be that you’d have some variation.

Caunter was painted on a standard, specified pattern for each type of vehicle, so barring crew-incompetence, all vehicles of the same type should look the same.

Re Burma - that was only during the Retreat of 1942, so there wouldn't have been time or opportunity to re-paint if they arrived in that scheme.  7th Armoured Brigade certainly painted its tanks No.3 Green on-board ship while en route from Africa to Burma, but other units clearly didn't have the opportunity.  The Carrier in question probably belonged to an Indian Infantry Battalion's Carrier Platoon.  Most had Universal Carriers, but the 7/10th Baluchs for one, certainly had Wheeled Carriers (which were detached and assigned to the 1 Glosters Mechanised Group).  When the War with Japan started, lot of Indian units sent hurriedly to the Far East had either come straight from Africa or were already equipped in preparation for combat in Africa, hence the Caunter.

After the Retreat everything settled down and things would have been painted No.3 Green.

[joekano]

Just a small progress update



https://majorthomasfoolery.blogspot.com/2021/02/early-war-sikhs-for-burma.html

Thanks for looking!
Chris

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

Caunter was painted on a standard, specified pattern for each type of vehicle, so barring crew-incompetence, all vehicles of the same type should look the same.

Re Burma - that was only during the Retreat of 1942, so there wouldn't have been time or opportunity to re-paint if they arrived in that scheme.  7th Armoured Brigade certainly painted its tanks No.3 Green on-board ship while en route from Africa to Burma, but other units clearly didn't have the opportunity.  The Carrier in question probably belonged to an Indian Infantry Battalion's Carrier Platoon.  Most had Universal Carriers, but the 7/10th Baluchs for one, certainly had Wheeled Carriers (which were detached and assigned to the 1 Glosters Mechanised Group).  When the War with Japan started, lot of Indian units sent hurriedly to the Far East had either come straight from Africa or were already equipped in preparation for combat in Africa, hence the Caunter.

After the Retreat everything settled down and things would have been painted No.3 Green.

Thanks for that, Mark.

[joekano]

Getting closer to done.  Have now added some Chindits to the force:



As usual, more photos are on the blog:
https://majorthomasfoolery.blogspot.com/2021/02/bolt-action-chindits.html

Thanks!
Chris

[Truscott Trotter]

Fantastic 

[joekano]

Thanks!

[joekano]

Ok, The last bits and bobs have been added, and I'm considering my skirmish force to be complete:





Hope you enjoyed the project and a big thank you to Jemima and his blog for lots of helpful information.

https://majorthomasfoolery.blogspot.com/2021/04/completion-of-my-cibeast-african-force.html

-Chris

[Etranger]

That looks good. The Chindits look like a right bunch of desperadoes!

[joekano]

Thanks!

[Jemima Fawr]

Gorgeous stuff!

But haven't you got those vehicle markings the wrong way round...? 

[joekano]

Gorgeous stuff!

But haven't you got those vehicle markings the wrong way round...? 

LOL I had your blog open as I was detailing, so hopefully I got it all correct. Thanks for sharing all your research!

[Jemima Fawr]

Ah, that was LAST year's research...