DUTCH - Armoured Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery

As most of you know myself and fellow Cold War Commander Mark F are both big fans of the 1(NL) Corps and a vast amount of our Cold War collections are Dutch. A lot of this is due to the fantastic resource that is https://www.orbat85.nl/ which details every unit of the Armed Forces of the Netherlands in fine detail. From time to time add units to my existing forces and after a visit to the Heroics and Ros stand at Sunday's Joy of Six show one of the purchases was 3 West German Gepard AA vehicles to convert in to the Dutch version the PRTL. I have been using the Gepard model as a stand in but wanted to have a go at converting some. The main differences from what I can tell are the radar is a completely different shape to the one on the Gepard model and also the dish at the front of the turret is cone shaped. There also seems to be more stowage bins etc. at the rear of the turret. The radar was easily removed and a T section of plasticard was added.

The Dutch Armoured Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battery in CWC terms consists of 3 x PRTL accompanied by 3 x 3/4t Land Rover + 1/4t Trailer with a Stinger team (replacement crew). HQ will include a YPR-765 PRCO and a 1/2t Land Rover. 

Original radar removed from the Gepard model

New radar and stowage boxes added

Rear view showing additional stowage modelled from plasticard

 

Based on 40mm x 20mm x 2mm MDF bases with rounded fronts. I plan to start using these to represent AA as one thing I always seem to have difficulty identifying on the tabletop is AA units. So from now on all my AA will be based like this. 

Quite happy with how they have turned out. Not perfect but in 6mm they are just the job! Next up painting and finishing the bases. As always thanks for looking.

DUTCH - Secret Weapon

While other players talk of Thermobarics and W33 Shells the Dutch been working on their secret weapon that will spread fear through the ranks of the Warsaw Pact troops. Hidden away in a secret base (a cafe/bistro in the wonderfully named village Muggenbeet (Mosquito Bite) Dutch military experts have put together a unit of highly trained individuals that the Warsaw Pact will have no defence against (although earplugs might help). Locals report hearing strange noises at all times of the day and night but security was strict and no-one has any idea what was going on.

Dutch Secret Base in Muggenbeet

After weeks of speculation about what has been going on all was revealed as the Dutch Military revealed their 'Secret Weapon'.

Ladies and Gentlemen I present the


Johan Willem Friso Band!!!

Those cymbals can take out a T55 at 1000 yards!

Be afraid be very afraid!!!!!!

DUTCH - 103 Recce Battalion (103 VerkBat)

As part of our Dutch force for Septembers game Mark Fry and myself are working on some units from the NATO Covering Force 1 (NL) Corps. This force consisted of Dutch, West German and US troops. The US part of the force was 2 (US) AD (Fwd) which Andy Hamilton is working on leaving the Dutch and West German forces to me and Mark.

The NATO Covering Force had the following organisation http://www.orbat85.nl/order-of-battle/royal-army/1-nl-corps/41-pabrig.html#operational-role

I have already finished the 3. PzAufklBtl which can be seen elsewhere on this blog. So next up its the Dutch 103 Recce Battalion (103 VerkBat).

103 VerkBat (just got HQ, Recce and Infantry stands to finish off)

Recce Squadron with 1 x Leopard 2, 2 x M113 C&R, 1 x M113 and 1 x M106

Close up of the great CinC models

Another view of the CinC Dutch Recce variant of the M113

The unit packs a punch with 3 x Leopard 2 tanks. These were new to the unit in 1985.

The organisation of this unit was quite difficult to represent in CWC terms but thanks to the great work done by Hans Boersma on his http://www.orbat85.nl/ site I discovered that the Dutch had an alternative OOB known as POSO (Pelotons-Organieke Samenstelling Opgeheven) for this unit which made converting the units into CWC terms much easier and as this new organisation was available in 1985 both Mark and myself decided we would organise our units based on the new OOB.

DUTCH - Mighty Antar in Action

Just a quick update with a couple of photos of one of the Dutch Antar Tank Transporter with a YPR-765 PRCO on board.

DUTCH - Mighty Antar

For the CWC game in September both myself and Mark Fry are using Dutch forces and over the last few weeks we have both been finding interesting bits of information on units of the Dutch army. As the game is set in 1985 which was the year the Dutch army started to go through major changes, this has meant that we can choose between older or newer formations. As you will see in future posts the Dutch tank forces will consist of everything from a Centurion Mk.V to a Leopard 2 which has made the Dutch a very interesting force to collect. 

One of the things we discovered was the Dutch used the Mighty Antar tank transporter so I have decided that instead of making a single base for my repair depot I am going to get a few vehicles together and commandeer a building on the table as my repair depot. So first up are two Mighty Antar Tank Transporters and a Ballast Truck (rear converted after seeing a photo).

Tank Transporter unit, all vehicle from H&R with a small conversion on the Ballast Truck

Close up of the Mighty Antar

Converted Ballast Truck

Side view, the Antars are based on 80mm x 20mm mdf bases

Another view of the whole unit. 

DUTCH - Bridging Equipment (Part Seven)

I have now completed to the two DAF Treadway Bridge units for my 1985 Dutch Army. These will be allocated to units as required as quite a lot of units in the Dutch Amy has access to them.

Both DAF Treadway Bridge units. Each unit consists of a Leyland DAF with Container with a towed bridge section and a 1T Land Rover with a towed bridge section. In my research I couldn't find any pictures of the bridge section being towed so originally planned to use trucks but fellow Cold War Commander Mark Fry suggested that the bridge sections probably weren't that heavy so could be towed by a smaller vehicle so I decided on a 1T Land Rover.

One unit with bridge sections in tow. Just got to make a couple of deployed versions.

Another view of the DAF Treadway Bridge unit.

Close up of Leyland DAF with Treadway Bridge.

Close up of 1T Land Rover with Treadway Bridge.

Thanks for looking :-)

DUTCH - 58th Pantser Battalion

Another unit for my Dutch/West German Battlegroup. The 58th Pantser Battalion 'Regiment Huzaren Prins Oranje'. I had originally painted these up as West German but have since decided to make them into a Dutch unit so before September I will repaint the little flags on the front of each tank to the Dutch flag.

Next up some Dutch recce. Thanks for looking.

WEST GERMAN - 74th Panzer Battalion

As I am working on Dutch Forces for Deeside I have been researching the Cold War Dutch and found that the West German 3rd Panzer Division was attached to the 1st Netherlands Corps so I decided to add a few West German units to my Dutch.

First up is the 74th Panzer Battalion complete with their Leopard 2 MBT's from H&R.

DUTCH - Bridging Equipment (Part Six)

I have finished varnishing and basing the Dutch 105 Pontoon Co. and have also added an escort vehicle converted from a 3/4 Ton Land Rover.

105 Pontoon Co.

Land Rover Escort Vehicle with added blue and orange roof lights and a camo net and white front bumper.

The three DAF YGZ-2300 Bridging units ready for action.

Another view of the converted Escort Land Rover. I think the writing on the roof is supposed to read 'KONINKLIJKE MARECHAUSSEE'. There was no way I was going to paint that in a space 5mm x 1.5mm so settled for some white marks that represent the sign.

Good view showing the white front bumper.

Close up of converted truck fronts.

The rear of the Escort Land Rover showing camo net on roof.

A YPR-GWT. This will be part of my Medical Unit.

YPR-GWT with added flag and baggage from H&R (Armstrong)

I have a few more Medical Vehicles to do for show as part of the Medical Unit for the CWC Megagame.

As always thanks for looking.

DUTCH - Bridging Equipment (Part Five)

Quick update on the progress of my Dutch Bridging Equipment.

105 Pontoon Bridge Co.

The photo above shows the DAF YGZ 2300 Bridge Unit from 105 Pontoon Bridge Co. I decided I wanted my unit to look like this so went to work on converting three H&R Leyland Flatbed models to represent this unit. I am not sure the orange and white warning plates either side would still be there in wartime but in a fit of madness I decided to have a go at modelling the trucks to look like the one in the photo. I have detailed in a previous post the parts used to make this model so now it was on to the conversion.

Models undercoated before additional parts added and painting.

The three trucks painted and with the converted front section.

Close up showing the converted front section. This was done using thin plasticard and I am really pleased with the results. 

The trucks were undercoated white then a basecoat of US Dark Green. This is followed with a black wash then a drybrush of US Dark Green to bring the colour back. The model is then given a fine drybrush of a mix 50% US Dark Green 50% Iraqi Sand. 

Just need to gloss varnish then matt varnish and finish the bases.

Thanks for looking