AIRCRAFT, ARMOR, FIGURES, SHIPS - D-Day Group Build, 5-8 June 1944

QUOTE: your pic is of an eastern front IV, right? as that's t-34 extra track links i can see stuck all over it?

Yes it is. I just updated my profile and thought the pic looked cool. Hey, I didn't realize it had side skirts, just realized the t-34 treads. Looks like I'm in with a tiger 1.

Question: M26's and M18's were not used on dday right? I'm almost positive but I dont want to buy any more kits until I finish the ones I have. Also were panther lates around?

I know i'll be doing the DUKW though!

Can I make a suggestion?

Before we get too far we should set parameters, other wise we could build just about anyhting.

If we could set a time period (6 Jun - 13 Jun???) and limit what type equipment.

I see this getting out of hand like "Well Gen. Bradley was there, can I build a "Bradley IFV"

EDOG: I tried (in vain) to prove you wrong about the Tigers. The only thing I could find was one "privates" account that they encountered "Tiger 1s" before they reached Caen (8 Jun). Not to dicount this hero's account, but I can find nothing to confirm this. This first confirmed use of the Tiger at Normandy was with Wittman and 3 others against Canadian and Britsh forces on 13 June.

QUOTE: If we could set a time period (6 Jun - 13 Jun???)

That would be a good idea to make it june 6 through the 13. I'm going to have to quit the GB if I can't do a tiger, or I'll have to scramble and save up for a kit. Just a thought...

QUOTE: This first confirmed use of the Tiger at Normandy was with Wittman and 3 others against Canadian and Britsh forces on 13 June.

Yes, I did some extensive research on that and it appears that Whittman's tiger 1 was a late production tiger 1and his tiger was tank 205. The 205 is in red and white and it has zimmerit on it too. The canadians and brits fought whittman's 3 tigers at villers-bocage on June 13, 1944. Whittman commanded 3 tigers from the 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion. The 101st SS HTB was commanded by Major Hein von Westernhagen. Just in case you wanted to know. I'm doing whittman's tiger 1 on that day if the d-day date is moved back to the 13th.

QUOTE: Originally posted by ddayomaha Question: M26's and M18's were not used on dday right?

That's correct ..... and for anyone thinking Sherman ... no M4A3's or 76mm versions were available on D-Day

Well I found this site about the the Germans were doing in june http://www.feldgrau.com/june.html

as for the june 13th thing, if you guys want to extend the time period thats fine. I'll make it June 5-13 1944. Anything used by Axis Or Allies. THat way Some(like me) can build C-47's and Airborn troops. I'll update the lists.

I am in

I am still researching what I will do. Either a Marder III, TIger I, or possibly a StuG.

shoot which tiger would of been there? early, mid late ,late? stug, tiger, jagdpanther cant choose its a hard one.

QUOTE: shoot which tiger would of been there?early, mid late ,late?

There were 3 late production tigers on the 13 June at villers-bocage. Whittman's 205 and two other tigers under his command-still trying to get the numbers of the two...

Near as I can tell from my Osprey book on Normandy, the following German armored divisions were there on or near D-Day: 21 pz div, 9 pz div, 2 pz div, 116 pz div, Panzer Lehr div, 1 SS LAH, 2 SS Das Reich, 9 SS Hohenstauffen, 10 SS Frundsberg, 12 SS Hitler Jugend, 17 SS Goetz von Berllichingen.

I can't find any info on the tanks available, but I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the crazy French converted Lorraine Schleppers. Of course none are readily available.

Thundergod,

I think you will find that jagdpanthers did not enter combat until quite late in Normandy. I read it somewhere on the net, but for the life of me can’t remember which site. In any case, something was mentioned about the ones that did see combat were not involved during the initial first few weeks of combat.

All,

As far as the units and vehicles that we are modeling, are we going to say any vehicle that was in France during those first few days of combat? Or are we restricting it to units that actually saw combat? I think you could find quite a lot of vehicles that never fired a shot, but experienced allied bombings. Will these vehicles be included? I feel that anyone should be able to build anything that they want, but like Richard said, if we are not careful we will end up with a “build whatever you want group build”. Then we would end up with, well… and armor forum!

Since I am a German armor fan and you guys have really gotten me excited about a D-Day build, would anyone like to do a really specific group build with me? I was thinking a Tamiya Pz IV D-Day build. Or how about a Tamiya Marder III D-Day build? If some of you want to do this (3 or more) I could even see if I could make a forum on my site for the build. That way we would not take up space on the armor forum, and we wont have to weed through tons of posts on the D-Day thread. Well, it was just a thought…

Let me know what you guys think.

I'm in for a Marder III build!

QUOTE: Originally posted by zokissima I'm just curous, were any Russian vehicles involved in this?

One site I found lists the 'Das Reich' division as having a unit of T-34/76c tanks on it's order of battle in Normandy. Where or when they might have seen action I don't know.

Hey M1 and rebel, when are we all going to get issued the GB patch? Thanks

I'll be visiting a good hobby shop soon, just to see what they have, so maybe the tamiya marder might not b a bad idea.
Once again though, were any russian vehicles involved, by some odd chance?

Zokissima, check out this site:

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/t34.htm

there is some mention of T-34s being used as converted ammunition carriers or bases for flak guns.

Hey were panther Late's used around dday or not?

ArmorMaster, you should be rewarded with your badge when you complete your model. I hope no one objects, I raised this point in another group build. It doesn't seem fair to just "enter" a build and maybe you never finish the kit and still get rewarded with a badge. It's in all fairness to the people who really finish their build. It's also a motivator.

If the Marder III M is considered the same Edog, I'm in. That's going to be my build.

Here is a list of British tanks and support vehicles massacred by Michael Wittman around Villers Bocage on June 12 1944 in part of the breakout attempt


I don't know if this will help anybody or just confuse things more


-cromwell
-M4 Sherman - doesn't say which exactly
-Sherman firefly
-stuart
-half track
-Lloyd carrier

-6 tigers -doesn't say what types



This from Osprey D-Day series ( Gold and Juno Beaches) Actually it is an awesome graphic of how Whittman destroyed Squadron A from the British 7th Armored Division

Sorry tigerman, didn't want to sound greedy about the patch. This is my first GB so I'm still learning everything that goes on in a GB. Thanks for clearing it up.

Build22. That M4 Sherman was one of the observation M4 Shermans. The one with the wooden barrel. From what I have read about Whittman, and I also read it in a previous post I think,, Whittman went into Villars Bocage with himself and 2 other Tigers. Whittman got ahead of the other 2 Tigers and as we all know reaked havoc on B Co of the Hampshire yoemanry. I cant confirm any of this here at work but I have the book at home that can.

I went to a website where some guy had done a renactment of the villers-bocage encounter with what looked like 1/72 tanks and cotton balls in a little town he made. He obviously wasn't a serious model maker, but he replicated whittman's exact moves with his little models. Gotta find it, looked cool!

Thanks edog. That's something I didn't expect at all. It'll give me something different to work on

Nice tiger site best yet

Just ordered my late version tiger for the build!

QUOTE: Originally posted by ArmorMaster Sorry tigerman, didn't want to sound greedy about the patch. This is my first GB so I'm still learning everything that goes on in a GB. Thanks for clearing it up.

No biggie Ryan. Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like a father. You'll like the Tiger Late, still my favorite build to date. Are you going to zim it up?

Yeah im not sure i have a Verlinden 1/35 Biber minisub up in the cupboard and i recall reading about German S boats and minisubs attacking the invasion fleet but i dont know if Bibers were involved or not so ill do some research and get back to you guys with a yes or no in a couple of days but im definatly interested.

J.S.

QUOTE: Originally posted by tigerman Are you going to zim it up?

Oh yeah, and it's going to be Whittman's tiger at Villers-Bocage! Does anybody know if it's true that whittman put a horseshoe on his tiger? I have a pic of his abondoned tank at villers-bocage and there's a little horse-shoe looking thing on the front armor plate. I think I remember hearing about him welding a horseshoe on for good luck or something. Thanks everyone.

Can't confirm the horseshoe thing, but I have heard of them being used. Obviously if he had one, it sure didn't help.

Allright, I'll forget about the horseshoe because I can't find anything on it.