Battle for Arnhem.... (2 Viewers)

[panda1gen]

Division wanted to push all of 5 Guards Brigade across, but XXX Corps overruled them, worried that denuding the south side may weaken them in the face of large numbers of retreating Germans - they did not want them to be cut off on the north side.

A Column is halted by hidden anti-tank fire at advanced units on the road ahead.

Guards infantry

The north end was therefore held by one squadron of tanks and two companies of infantry.

 

[panda1gen]

When the bridgehead was counter attacked at dawn the next morning, the attacks were beaten off,











although with more casualties suffered than in the coup de main to capture it. Major David Peel was killed. He was awarded a posthumous Military Cross for taking the bridge.

 

[panda1gen]

General Horrocks was pleased enough to say he would name the bridge “Joe’s Bridge”, after Lt Colonel Vandeleur. He rated it as important an operation as the seizure of Pegasus Bridge on D-Day.
When the plan for Market-Garden was made, it would prove to be vital to start that ground operation. General Horrocks would let the Irish Guards lead the next push, an honour they probably wished they had not won!

75mm infantry gun and tow

'Where are the bu~~$rs'

gathering strength behind the front

over 200 miles in a couple of weeks, no rest for the wicked?

panzer grenadiers counter attack

 

[Louis Badolato]

Another well told and even better illustrated history lesson, Kevin!^&cool^&cool^&cool^&cool^&cool

 

[TomNT]

I agree with Louis, great story Kevin!

Tom

 

[villagehorse]

Good one, you have everything to convey the story. Robin.

 

[panda1gen]

Another well told and even better illustrated history lesson, Kevin!^&cool^&cool^&cool^&cool^&cool

I agree with Louis, great story Kevin!

Tom

Good one, you have everything to convey the story. Robin.

Thanks for the kind comments.



T17 Staghound

Country	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	Chevrolet, General Motors Company
Primary Role	Armored Car

Contributor: Alan Chanter

The T17 Staghound armoured car originated from a specification drawn up by the US Armoured Forces in mid-1941, prompted by the successful use that the British had made of armoured car in the Western Desert, which had shown the good use that could be made of such vehicles in this sort of terrain.

The US Army therefore put out their requirement for tender and this resulted in designs being submitted by the Ford Motor Company and the Chevrolet Motor Car Division of General Motors. Both designs were generally similar in layout and appearance - both being rear engined and equipped with a 37mm gun turret (somewhat like that fitted to the M3 Grant medium tank).

The principle difference between the two designs was that the Ford design (given the designation T17) was of six-wheeled configuration (6 x 6) whilst the 12-ton Chevrolet design (designation T17E1) was four wheeled. With little to choose between the two designs the US Army decided to issue production orders for both types.

In June 1942 however, by which time some 3,760 T17 and 3,500 T17EI were on order, the US Special Armoured Vehicle Board had had a change of heart, and consequently decided to cancel both vehicles - the T17 on the grounds that it was too heavy and the T17E1 on the grounds that tracked vehicles were their preference for most combat tasks, including reconnaissance.

The 250 T17s already manufactured were allocated to Internal Security Duties within the US, and the T17E1 order was cut back to just 250 machines, but was ultimately saved by the intervention of the British Army Staff in Washington who made a specific request for the entire production order to be diverted to British and Commonwealth forces.


The standard T17E1, named Staghound by the British, was without a chassis as such, the automotive components being attached direct to the armoured hull. The power unit consisted of two 97 b.h.p. six-cylinder G.M.C. Model 270 engines mounted in the rear and driving all four wheels through a Hydramatic (automatic) transmission.

The roomy turret carried a 37-mm. M6 gun with 103 rounds and a 0.30-in Browning machine gun, mounted coaxially. The Staghound's driver, who enjoyed the luxury of power steering, sat at the left with his co-driver, who had responsibility for operating another Browning machine gun in a ball mount was in the glacis plate, to his right.

Deliveries of Staghounds to the British forces arrived too late for them to be employed in the North African campaign where they would have been ideal. Initially, despite being easy operate and maintain, the Staghound was not particularly well received by the armoured car regiments who considered it to be too large and lacking in the manoeuvrability of the smaller British Daimler armoured cars for reconnaissance duties in European terrain.

Nonetheless the Staghound fared well when it was first committed to combat in Italy in 1943 and was soon highly regarded by the crews, who rapidly appreciated its speed and surprising nimbleness.

Many Staghounds found useful employment at squadron and regimental headquarters, where their roominess and provision for a crew of five were a significant advantage for use as Command vehicles.



A total of 2,844 T17E1s were built by December 1943, all of which were supplied to Britain or Commonwealth countries.

In addition a Staghound Anti-Aircraft armoured car (T17E2) was built for Britain by the Norge Division in Detroit, with 1,000 of these manufactured. This version had an open top turret, designed by Frazer-Nash in England, mounting twin 0.50-in. anti-aircraft machine-guns.

British modifications of the Staghound I included the Staghound II, in which the 37-mm. gun was replaced by a 3-in. howitzer for close support work, and the Staghound III, in which a British Crusader cruiser tank's 6-Pdr or 75-mm. turret was mounted in place of the original turret (a popular modification since the British AEC armoured car was universally detested because of their height). Other variants included a mine-clearer and a command car.

The popular Staghound remained in service with the British Army for several years after World War II, and when finally disposed of were quickly snapped up by a number of other countries, continuing their useful service life for many more decades.


Armoured Fighting Vehicles (Philip Trewbitt, Dempsey-Parr, 1999)
Tanks and other Armoured Fighting Vehicles 1942-45 (B.T. White, Blandford Press, 1975)
The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Military Vehicles (Ian V Hogg & John Weeks, Hamlyn, 1980)
Rude Mechanicals (A J Smithers, Grafton Books, 1989)

SPECIFICATIONS

T17E1

Machinery	Two GMC 270 engines rated at 97hp each
Suspension	Wheel, 4x4
Armament	1x37mm M6 gun (103 rounds), 1x7.62mm coaxial Browning machine gun, 1x7.62mm glacis-mounted Browning machine gun
Armor	9-45mm
Crew	5
Length	5.49 m
Width	2.69 m
Height	2.36 m
Weight	13.9 t
Speed	89 km/h
Range	724 km

 

[panda1gen]

General Horrocks was pleased enough to say he would name the bridge “Joe’s Bridge”, after Lt Colonel Vandeleur. He rated it as important an operation as the seizure of Pegasus Bridge on D-Day.
When the plan for Market-Garden was made, it would prove to be vital to start that ground operation. General Horrocks would let the Irish Guards lead the next push, an honour they probably wished they had not won!

View attachment 248017 75mm infantry gun and tow

View attachment 248018 'Where are the bu~~$rs'

View attachment 248019 gathering strength behind the front

View attachment 248020 over 200 miles in a couple of weeks, no rest for the wicked?

View attachment 248021 panzer grenadiers counter attack

Lt Buchanan-Jardine’s Reece – 11 September 1944
Significant as Joes’ bridge would prove to be (as a base to launch Operation Garden from), with so many water obstacles to face, the next one – over the River Dommel just South of Valkensvaard – would prove just as vital, so 2/HCR were tasked to investigate it by General Horrocks, who said,

“My first problem was to find out the nature of the enemy’s defences opposed to our bridgehead, which had widened to a depth of approximately 3-5 miles. The German forces in front of us were paratroopers, and more were appearing every day.



I wanted to find out just how deep were their defences, and whether the bridge over the River Dommel, leading to the first little town of Valkensvaard, was still intact and strong enough to take tanks.



This was obviously a job for the Household Cavalry (the Corps’ recce regiment), who I expected would find a way round as usual, but this proved impossible as the country in front of us was thick, wooded and mined.

 

[panda1gen]

The highly dangerous and difficult job of obtaining the vital information for the next move forward was handed over to the troop commanded by Lt Buchanan-Jardine, who realised very soon that the only thing to do was to bluff his way through.



He therefore left behind his two armoured cars which were certain to be destroyed, and decided to drive his two scout cars flat out straight down the one main central road, right through the enemy positions.”



The Daimlers' speed did indeed carry them through the German lines and in to Holland, where they stopped at a cafe. Here they were able to observe a German tank crossing the intact bridge, so they now knew British armour could cross.

Dutch civilians were delighted by their arrival, but he had to explain that the liberation was yet to come. He did however gain much information from them, all of which was sent back by wireless. Now he needed to return.

Nose to tail, they dashed at full speed back through enemy lines with everything firing at them. Everything on the outside of the cars, down to cutlery, was shot up by small arms.



They learned later that after they left the cafe the Germans shot three Dutch civilians in cold blood.

 

[panda1gen]

The Irish guards were as good as their word and did not shoot up the two returning vehicles approaching them at 60 mph!



They discovered where the main defence line was and also three additional infantry positions, to a depth of four miles, all of which they had dashed past – twice!







It was clear that it was not going to be easy for XXX Corps to advance and the Germans were growing stronger every day.



Lt Buchanan-Jardine and his driver, trooper Buckley were the first Allied troops to enter the Netherlands. The Lt was awarded the Bronze Lion of the Netherlands and a Military Cross.

 

[Desertkiwi]

Thanks for the kind comments.

View attachment 248059

T17 Staghound

Country	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	Chevrolet, General Motors Company
Primary Role	Armored Car

Contributor: Alan Chanter

The T17 Staghound armoured car originated from a specification drawn up by the US Armoured Forces in mid-1941, prompted by the successful use that the British had made of armoured car in the Western Desert, which had shown the good use that could be made of such vehicles in this sort of terrain.

The US Army therefore put out their requirement for tender and this resulted in designs being submitted by the Ford Motor Company and the Chevrolet Motor Car Division of General Motors. Both designs were generally similar in layout and appearance - both being rear engined and equipped with a 37mm gun turret (somewhat like that fitted to the M3 Grant medium tank).

The principle difference between the two designs was that the Ford design (given the designation T17) was of six-wheeled configuration (6 x 6) whilst the 12-ton Chevrolet design (designation T17E1) was four wheeled. With little to choose between the two designs the US Army decided to issue production orders for both types.

In June 1942 however, by which time some 3,760 T17 and 3,500 T17EI were on order, the US Special Armoured Vehicle Board had had a change of heart, and consequently decided to cancel both vehicles - the T17 on the grounds that it was too heavy and the T17E1 on the grounds that tracked vehicles were their preference for most combat tasks, including reconnaissance.

The 250 T17s already manufactured were allocated to Internal Security Duties within the US, and the T17E1 order was cut back to just 250 machines, but was ultimately saved by the intervention of the British Army Staff in Washington who made a specific request for the entire production order to be diverted to British and Commonwealth forces.


The standard T17E1, named Staghound by the British, was without a chassis as such, the automotive components being attached direct to the armoured hull. The power unit consisted of two 97 b.h.p. six-cylinder G.M.C. Model 270 engines mounted in the rear and driving all four wheels through a Hydramatic (automatic) transmission.

The roomy turret carried a 37-mm. M6 gun with 103 rounds and a 0.30-in Browning machine gun, mounted coaxially. The Staghound's driver, who enjoyed the luxury of power steering, sat at the left with his co-driver, who had responsibility for operating another Browning machine gun in a ball mount was in the glacis plate, to his right.

Deliveries of Staghounds to the British forces arrived too late for them to be employed in the North African campaign where they would have been ideal. Initially, despite being easy operate and maintain, the Staghound was not particularly well received by the armoured car regiments who considered it to be too large and lacking in the manoeuvrability of the smaller British Daimler armoured cars for reconnaissance duties in European terrain.

Nonetheless the Staghound fared well when it was first committed to combat in Italy in 1943 and was soon highly regarded by the crews, who rapidly appreciated its speed and surprising nimbleness.

Many Staghounds found useful employment at squadron and regimental headquarters, where their roominess and provision for a crew of five were a significant advantage for use as Command vehicles.

View attachment 248060

A total of 2,844 T17E1s were built by December 1943, all of which were supplied to Britain or Commonwealth countries.

In addition a Staghound Anti-Aircraft armoured car (T17E2) was built for Britain by the Norge Division in Detroit, with 1,000 of these manufactured. This version had an open top turret, designed by Frazer-Nash in England, mounting twin 0.50-in. anti-aircraft machine-guns.

British modifications of the Staghound I included the Staghound II, in which the 37-mm. gun was replaced by a 3-in. howitzer for close support work, and the Staghound III, in which a British Crusader cruiser tank's 6-Pdr or 75-mm. turret was mounted in place of the original turret (a popular modification since the British AEC armoured car was universally detested because of their height). Other variants included a mine-clearer and a command car.

The popular Staghound remained in service with the British Army for several years after World War II, and when finally disposed of were quickly snapped up by a number of other countries, continuing their useful service life for many more decades.


Armoured Fighting Vehicles (Philip Trewbitt, Dempsey-Parr, 1999)
Tanks and other Armoured Fighting Vehicles 1942-45 (B.T. White, Blandford Press, 1975)
The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Military Vehicles (Ian V Hogg & John Weeks, Hamlyn, 1980)
Rude Mechanicals (A J Smithers, Grafton Books, 1989)

SPECIFICATIONS

T17E1

Machinery	Two GMC 270 engines rated at 97hp each
Suspension	Wheel, 4x4
Armament	1x37mm M6 gun (103 rounds), 1x7.62mm coaxial Browning machine gun, 1x7.62mm glacis-mounted Browning machine gun
Armor	9-45mm
Crew	5
Length	5.49 m
Width	2.69 m
Height	2.36 m
Weight	13.9 t
Speed	89 km/h
Range	724 km

Great post, I know the Stag was popular with the Kiwi (NZ) second division, particularly during the Italian campaign.

 

[panda1gen]

Great post, I know the Stag was popular with the Kiwi (NZ) second division, particularly during the Italian campaign.

Thank you, glad you liked it.



A couple more Staghound shots (in Canadian colours)

 

[panda1gen]

The Irish guards were as good as their word and did not shoot up the two returning vehicles approaching them at 60 mph!

They discovered where the main defence line was and also three additional infantry positions, to a depth of four miles, all of which they had dashed past – twice!

It was clear that it was not going to be easy for XXX Corps to advance and the Germans were growing stronger every day.

Lt Buchanan-Jardine and his driver, trooper Buckley were the first Allied troops to enter the Netherlands. The Lt was awarded the Bronze Lion of the Netherlands and a Military Cross.

Preliminary design of all the German half-tracks of the early part of the war was done by Dipl.Ing. Ernst Kniepkamp of the Military Automotive Department (Wa Prüf 6) before the Nazis took power in 1933. His designs were then turned over to commercial firms for development and testing.

Fahrzeug- und Motorenbau GmbH (FAMO) of Breslau received the contract for the 18 t heavy towing tracked vehicle. Their first prototype, the FM gr 1, was completed in 1936. It had a 200 horsepower (200 PS) Maybach engine. The F 2 prototype appeared in 1938, but differed only in detail from its predecessor.

The F 3 appeared in 1939 and was the production version. The design was simplified over the course of the war to reduce costs and the use of strategic metals. Some vehicles produced by Tatra had its 12-cylinder, air-cooled Type 103 diesel engine fitted. Large spades were added at the rear of the chassis during the war to improve the vehicle's ability to recover tanks and other heavy vehicles.

Then came the 9/1 shown below.

As 30 Corps prepared, so did the Germans.



A new upper body was used for the Sd.Kfz. 9/1 which mounted a 6t capacity crane in lieu of the crew's bench seat and the cargo compartment.

It was issued to tank maintenance units beginning in September 1941.



A scene from a tank depot somewhere near the Dutch/Belgian border ......... the workshops are being prepared and at this stage are almost empty of vehicles.

The preparation goes ahead featuring an SdKfz 9/1 that has been 'liberated' from the Kriegsmarine in the confusion of the rapid retreat (at least that is one possible explanation:wink2.

 

[villagehorse]

Interesting background info on these halftrack's Kevin. Always liked Andy's crane version, although mine currently has a flak gun sitting where the crane is for a change. Would love a 18t version. Robin.

 

[panda1gen]

Interesting background info on these halftrack's Kevin. Always liked Andy's crane version, although mine currently has a flak gun sitting where the crane is for a change. Would love a 18t version. Robin.

Thanks Robin

Twelve were built on the 12t sdkfz 8 in 1939, with a small cab - this is the 12t version.

Ten were built on the FAMO 18t vehicle in 1940, with a 'normal' armoured cab that limited field of fire.




With thanks to Sager Toy Soldiers, K&C said....
WS103 “The Flak 18 (sf1.) aufZugkraftwagen”.

This 12-ton monster mounted the 88 on an armoured half track prime mover body. Our model, one of K&C’s biggest, comes with a crew of 5 Wehrmacht artillerymen and is 3-tone camouflaged in the style of typical mid to late war European Theatre of Operations and perfect for a Normandy style scenario.

IMPORTANT: Planned Production Number for this item is just 750 models. Order Now!

“And Now For A Little Opposition”


Of all the artillery pieces produced by the Axis or the Allies during WW2 the ’88 is justly the most famous (or infamous).
First designed in the latter stages of WW1 this gun was to be originally operated in the Anti-Aircraft role.
However early successes in Poland and the invasion of France showed that it was equally useful in the anti tank mode. In fact the ’88 won its fame and laurels destroying enemy armour as opposed to enemy aircraft.


This latest K&C version… our 5th is one of the most different…

 

[wwiibuff]

Kevin thanks for continuing this thread. Love to see your photos of all the older sets as well as some of the newer ones.

 

[panda1gen]

Kevin thanks for continuing this thread. Love to see your photos of all the older sets as well as some of the newer ones.

Thanks Duke

On 2 August 1944, First Allied Airborne Army was officially activated by the orders of General Eisenhower, and in less than two weeks it was assigned its first operation. During August 1944, American forces under General Bradley had launched an operation designed to allow Allied forces to break out of Normandy after several months of slow progress against heavy German resistance, which was codenamed Cobra.

The operation had been a success, despite a fierce German counter-attack on 7 August codenamed Operation Luttich and a number of German divisions had become trapped in the Falaise Pocket.

On 13 August, airborne forces under the command of First Allied Airborne Army were moved to airfields in Northern France in readiness to participate in Operation Transfigure, whose objective was to block the retreat of these German forces.

Planning for the operation went to an extremely advanced stage, and was to have involved 1st Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade, 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division, a British infantry division which had been retrained as an air-transportable division capable of being landed alongside airborne forces, and a number of support units. The planners for Transfigure envisioned the airborne divisions and brigade landing near Rambouillet and capturing an airstrip, after which the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division could be flown in to aid in the establishment of an airhead which Allied armour could use as a forward base to advance towards Paris. The operation was cancelled before it could begin, however, when Allied forces captured Dreux, the town which had been the planned dropping point for the airborne forces.

General Eisenhower's fears that such an airborne operation would create a heavy burden on the limited ground transport available to the Allied forces also contributed to the decision to cancel the operation.

Several more airborne operations were planned for First Allied Airborne Army in late August and early September, after the cancellation of Transfigure. Operation Boxer was concerned with the capture of Boulogne by the same forces as Transfigure was to have used, and Operation Linnet was to have used the Transfigure forces, with the addition of the 82nd Airborne Division, on 3 September to capture Tournai and create a bridgehead over the River Escaut, which would cut off a large number of retreating German formations in a similar manner to Transfigure.

Both operations were cancelled, however, due to the rapid movement of Allied ground forces as they advanced through France and towards Belgium, as such a rapid advance did not allow First Allied Airborne Army enough time to plan an operation and deploy its forces before its objectives were overrun by ground forces.



This situation changed, however, by the middle of September, as Allied forces came into contact with the German frontier and the Westwall defences, encountering considerable German resistance, with German forces beginning to set up organized defensive positions and the Allied advance slowing.

 

[villagehorse]

You tend to take it for granted so much was happening behind the scenes, interesting to learn plans were evolving continually as objectives were over run sooner than predicted. Good blend of the hobby with factual Kevin. Robin.

 

[panda1gen]

You tend to take it for granted so much was happening behind the scenes, interesting to learn plans were evolving continually as objectives were over run sooner than predicted. Good blend of the hobby with factual Kevin. Robin.

Thank you Robin.

Amended from wikipedia ......

The genesis for Operation Market-Garden was a smaller operation planned by the staff of the 1st Airborne Division, code-named Operation Comet which was to be launched on 2 September 1944.

Comet envisioned using the 1st Airborne Division, along with the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade, to secure several bridges over the Rhine to aid the Allied advance into the North German Plain.

The divisional headquarters for the 1st Airborne Division, along the 1st Airlanding Brigade and the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade were to land at Nijmegen, 1st Parachute Brigade was to land at Arnhem, and 4th Parachute Brigade was to land at Grave.

The driving force behind the creation of Comet was Monty, who disagreed with the 'broad front' strategy favoured by Eisenhower, in which all Allied armies in North-West Europe advanced simultaneously. Montgomery, however, believed that a single thrust should be launched against the German forces whilst they were still organizing their defences, and Comet was based on this principle.

By the beginning of September 1944, the Allies had completely outstripped supply after breaking out of Normandy after the Falaise battles in the last week of August. SHAEF could not logistically support offensive action by two Army Groups, whatever the political fallout.

The British and Canadians advanced on a more narrow front along the coast. They had been the larger force on D-Day and were roughly equal in numbers in NW Europe to the American ground forces for a long period during the build up in the beachhead, until around the Normandy breakout.



Now, to the West of them, the American Army had swelled with the 1st and 3rd Armies as well as advancing forces from the 7th Army after the 'Dragoon' (South of France) landings at the end of August, to become the ever greater western Allied force in the field.



These growing forces would all need supply!

 

[panda1gen]

Before D-Day, to disrupt German logistics efforts, the Allies bombed the French rail network and bridges, although aware this would also affect their own operations in the event of a breakout.




The Overlord plan had foreseen this. It called for the exploitation of the ports in Brittany to move the supply points forward as the armies moved. By August, supply sources for the armies were still limited to the original invasion beaches and one Mulberry harbour, the deep water port of Cherbourg at the tip of the Cotentin and some minor ports in Normandy.


Although over-the-beach supply operations outperformed expectations, September saw deteriorating weather and rising seas, and the end of their usefulness was clearly in sight.




Additional deepwater ports were therefore required as Cherbourg was useful, but it was far from the front.

The Brittany ports, still occupied by stiff German resistance, were equally unsuitable as they were situated along the western coast of France and were now overcome by the rapid Allied advance toward the east, at a rate and distance that was ahead of planned schedule.