Re: BSC2021 Will Bailie The Approach to Leonforte: AAR July 11th

[Will Bailie]

It's time for me to stop lurking and finally participate on this forum!

My BSC 2021 creation will build on my ongoing Operation Husky project. If anyone is interested, I've been recording things on my blog  https://willstoysoldiers.blogspot.com/

Something crucial that's been missing from my collection, though, is some difficult, rocky terrain to reflect the actual challenges that WWII soldiers faced on Sicily.  My BSC will focus on the SS121 highway crossing of the Dittaino River just outside of Leonforte.  I'll post some more background on this project over the weekend, along with how I plan to represent this on the table.

Here's hoping that my miniature megalomania hasn't overridden my common sense!

[Poiter50]

A Lemax Ski slope repainted would give you a hilly piece of ground.

quote author=Will Bailie link=topic=130714.msg1656654#msg1656654 date=1617945908]
It's time for me to stop lurking and finally participate on this forum!

My BSC 2021 creation will build on my ongoing Operation Husky project. If anyone is interested, I've been recording things on my blog  https://willstoysoldiers.blogspot.com/

Something crucial that's been missing from my collection, though, is some difficult, rocky terrain to reflect the actual challenges that WWII soldiers faced on Sicily.  My BSC will focus on the SS121 highway crossing of the Dittaino River just outside of Leonforte.  I'll post some more background on this project over the weekend, along with how I plan to represent this on the table.

Here's hoping that my miniature megalomania hasn't overridden my common sense!
[/quote]

[Will Bailie]

A Lemax Ski slope repainted would give you a hilly piece of ground.

Thanks for the suggestion, I wasn't aware of the Lemax option.  However, I've decided to go in a different direction!  I'll post my plans here tomorrow.

[Will Bailie]

I've written a blog post with some of the background for my BSC project.  It is available here:  https://willstoysoldiers.blogspot.com/2021/04/bsc2021-background-and-plans.html

Short version:  21-22 July 1943, battle of Leonforte, Sicily.  The Loyal Edmonton Regiment has taken the town of Leonforte, but is being counterattacked by the 104st PanzerGrenadier Regiment.  Meanwhile, the rest of 1st Canadian Infantry Division is trying to reinforce the cut-off Eddies!  But the Germans have destroyed the bridge on the only road into the town.  This is what the bridge looked like in 1950, after it had been rebuilt:

(photo is from Volume II of the official history of the Canadian Army in WWII)

The sappers of 3rd Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers worked overnight, under fire from the Germans, to build a Bailey Bridge to cross the Dittaino River, and allow the Eddies in the town to be reinforced.  This was the first time a Bailey Bridge had been constructed under enemy fire, with the first ever Bailey Bridges being deployed on campaign just a few months earlier in Tunisia.

My BSC project will be to make a simulation of the Dittaino valley.  Here is a Google Earth image of what I plan to represent:


And here is a sketch of my plan:


The idea is to make a 4' x 4' board, split into four 2' x 2' tiles, with the hills built up from insulation board, covered with plaster for texture.  I've never done this before, so I'll be feeling my way along as I go.  Things may very well change as I find better ways, or as I get better advice on how to proceed!  (I listen to advice, even if I don't always follow it)

Let's see how this goes!

[Codsticker]

Ambitious! I look forward to following this.

[Clach Umha]

.

[AKULA]

Ambitious - looking forward to seeing it built 

[gamer Mac]

Interested to see how you are going to build it
what scale?

[Will Bailie]

Thanks for the comments!  The build is not going to be to scale; it will be a gaming piece inspired by the actual terrain.  I'm going to compress the ground scale to fit into a 4'x4' space, with things like the road sized to fit 28mm or 1/56 miniatures.

[Will Bailie]

Next step - more planning! 

These are the floor tiles I'll use for the base.  Each is approx 2' x 2'.  The theory is that the plastic side will not scratch whatever table I put them on.


I'm going to ignore the tongue and groove aspect of these tiles, and just butt the smooth sides together. It means there's a risk of the boards separating a bit if bumped, and there will be a visible line where the boards come together, but if I connect them using the tongue and groove, I'll never get them apart again!

I've sketched the proposed road layout as well as the bottom of the hills.  I've already deviated from the initial sketch I made, and no doubt the final product will be even more different. 


My idea right now is that the bridge will have 2" clear under the base plates.  The maximum height will be 4", on the side of the boards going to Leonforte.  I want to keep overall size under control so that the boards can be conveniently stored, and also moved to and from the club (that's assuming that the club ever has another game night - stupid pandemic!). 

Roads will be 4" wide.  I'll cut the roadbeds into the hills, and will use slate-coloured felt for the paving.  It will be removable, so that perhaps I can use the same boards for the NWF or some other location and/or historical era!

My next step is to procure some insulation board and a hot wire cutter.  This will take a few days, so next progress update will probably not be until next weekend.

[Codsticker]

These are the floor tiles I'll use for the base.  Each is approx 2' x 2'.  The theory is that the plastic side will not scratch whatever table I put them on

Oh man... I think I will have to steal that idea.

[AKULA]

I didn’t realise it was going to be that large, but that is going to be an imposing piece of terrain once finished

 

[Andym]

Wow! This is going to good! Is it all sandy/gravel-y terrain or are there rocks and cliff in there too? How you going to them?

[Bearwoodman]

An impressive project, and the historical background is really interesting.

[Will Bailie]

Wow! This is going to good! Is it all sandy/gravel-y terrain or are there rocks and cliff in there too? How you going to them?

I'm getting a lot of inspiration from Pat Smith's Setting the Scene Vol II:  http://www.stevenlampon.co.uk/settingthescenevol2/

The idea right now is steep hillsides, becoming vertical where the bridge abutments will be. The hillsides will be very difficult going for men on foot, and impassable for vehicles.   I hope to make the hillsides rocky, with some scrub and bushes in the bottom of the valley.  But I haven't figured out that part yet!  Maybe some builder's sand with some larger bits of aggregate mixed in.  I'm going to build the hills first!