Arctic Snow Camouflage

We only get a few days of snow here in Kentucky.

So whenever the forecast says snow, I get a few vehicles ready for photos.

These were not quite finished but I figured I did not want to wait until next year!

I put a couple boards on an outdoor table and wait for the snow.  Then by sliding one board back a few inches it creates the cleared roadway.

The US Army did have an all white arctic camouflage scheme using flat white paint, but I have never found a photo of a vehicle in that camouflage.

My plan is to have a few different versions of this reconnaissance unit for Cold War Arctic use, with perhaps M48 and M60 series tanks in the white camouflage.

It does seem to fit in well with the terrain!
 

M84 M59

M84 mortar carrier.

Carries a 4.2 inch mortar in the rear, hatch on the roof.

M41 light tanks.

M59 APC with upgraded machine gun position.

Rear view of APC
 

Tank and Jeeps

US Army Cold War, Pentomic Army era Reconnaissance unit.

It is HO scale Roco and Roskopf vehicles.

I intend to make several of these units using different camouflage and different vehicle combinations.

M47 Roco tank with upgraded cupola.

M38 Jeep by Roco with Heiser Models .30 caliber machine gun.  Roco US Tank Commander with head swap from tanker helmet to M1 helmet.

Two standard Jeeps with canopy and two man crew.

Radio Jeep with two antennas, and tow radios.  Figures by Roco, using the field phone guy in the back as the radio operator since he has a handset in his hand.  Field expedient wire cutter on bumper.
 

Roco Reconnaissance Company

The old Roco Minitank catalogs used to have tables of organization for the US, WWII Germans and other countries.  This one is a US Army, post-WWII Reconnaissance company.  Since I first saw this organization chart I wanted to build this unit and I have been working on it.  With further research I determined this organization was very similar to units both previous to this one and subsequent to it.  So I made a unit like this using the M47 series tank and M59 series armored vehicles, and other changes you will see below.

M47 tank with the M48 tank style cupola.  This improvement was intended but never fielded because the M47 was quickly replaced in US service by the M40.  The M59 series APC, however, did get this style of cupola as seen here on the personnel carrier.  If you click on the photos they should enlarge for your viewing pleasure.

The other M59 type is actually the M84, the mortar carrier, it has a large hatch on the back of the roof, and two mortar base plates on the rear.  It carried a 4.2 inch mortar in the back, normally fired towards the rear of the vehicle.  It was in US service about ten years from the late 1950s until replaced by the M106.

Rather than the M114 this unit has the M38 Jeep, I made three slightly different versions.

The light tanks are the M41 Walker Bulldog.

All of these vehicles are Roco, except for the M59 and M84 which are Roskopf.
 

M59 M41 M47 M84

Roco Minitanks Reconnaissance Company.

Deployed in small town America.

Ready to keep the peace after civil unrest.

Few rioting crowds will face off against tanks.

Soldiers in armored personnel carriers are well protected in such situations.

The M59 late production had an M48 tanks style cupola.

The M59 was also converted to a mortar carrier for the 4.2 inch mortar, note the base plate on the rear ramp.
 

1956 Reconnaissance Unit

An old Roco Minitanks Catalog had a table of organization for a US Army Reconnaissance Unit for 1968.  I always wanted to make that unit.

So in considering that table, I decided to make it using several different US Army Cold War vehicles.

I started with the M47 tank instead of the M48 tank.  And I used the Roco M38 Jeep rather than the M114 reconnaissance vehicle.  I used the Roskopf M59 APC instead of the M113.  Then I converted a Roskopt M84 and made it into the M84 mortar carrier.

This is the original Roco Catalog page.

This is my interpretation of that organization for the period about 1955 to 1960.

Note the M47 and the M59 APC have Roco M48 tank cupolas.  This was common on late production M59s and was tested on the M47 but not fielded.
 

 

 

 The mortar in this photo is an 81mm as that was my first choice, but I changed it later to a 4.2 inch mortar and added the base plate to the rear ramp.  The US Army did consider an 81mm mortar version but decided against it.

Roco 1950s Reconnainance Company

Work continues on my Roco and Roskopf 1950s reconnaissance company.  This is the Roco M47 tank with an M48 tank cupola added.  This cupola was intended but never fielded.  The company has one of these.

Roco M41 Walker Bulldog light tank.  The unit has two of these.

This is the infantry carrier M59 with the late production cupola mounted on top.   The cupola is from a Roco M48 tank.

M84 mortar carrier, shown here with an 81mm mortar however I upgunned it later with a 120mm mortar.  Note the Paul Heiser Models green fuel cans and tools on the back.  This started as a Roskopf M59 APC.

Roco M38 Jeep, stock build.

Roco M38 Jeep with .30 caliber machine gun from the Roco Machine Gun Accessory Set and a post from the Roco M151 Jeep model.  I added a floor to the back of the passenger compartment and removed the rear seat.

Roco M38 Jeep with wire cutter from Plastruct plastic, rear bed from sheet plastic, Roco radios and radio mounts and brush bristles as the antennas.
 

Wargame Table

M47 tanks by Roco are the first tanks on my wargame table.

M59 armored personnel carriers are the first on my wargame table.

When put into real action the table will be covered with cloth or carpet.

Esci US paratroopers are using the same gear they would have had in the 1950's.

I love having a large wargame table, I am so blessed.

F11 Tiger by Tim Mee.  This is a great wargame piece.  I am getting a few more I think.

F104 Starfighter by Tim Mee.  They come in a two pack with the F11.

I am very happy with my wargame table.  Thank you MRS Bunkermeister for letting me get it.