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Royal Marines held at high-readiness for maritime security operations have pyshed themselves in a vast underground comokex beneath a town in the South West ahead of being deployed to the Mediterranean.
Marines from Juliet Company of Plymouth-based 42 Commando work in small teams on Royal Navy warships around the world, ready to react to emergencies and specialist missions, like counter-piracy and boarding operations.
J Company is also the home of the Fleet Contingency Troop (FCT) – experts in a range of security missions and the UK’s only force trained in opposed boarding operations (known as Level 3 (Opposed)) outside of Special Forces.
The complex of tunnels became a facility for the potential relocation of the government in times of crisis during the 1950s with the threat of nuclear war looming large.
These days, parts of it are a useful training area; a place where the commandos can push themselves in the art of close-quarters combat, testing their well-rehearsed tactics, techniques and procedures to quickly assess and deal with threats in even the trickiest of environments.
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Photos: Royal Navy
The loyal Captain Argyus and the Senate Commandos. The two in the back were ones that I made from some regular clone troopers (I usually don't paint my figures...) since I wasn't going to buy the Venator Cruiser. I was glad when some cheaper options came along.
42 Commando Royal Marines - Exercise Black Alligator
Images show Mortar Troop from 42 Commando Royal Marines illuminating enemy positions in the mountains of the Mojave Desert during the week long final exercise of Black Alligator.
Photos: PO (Phot) Sean Clee MOD Crown copyright 2012
Royal Marines from 42 Commando Boarding RFA Mounts Bay
Members of 42 Commando Fleet Contingency conducting high vertical assaults on RFA Mounts Bay as part of the Autonomous Advance Force 4.0 trials. 42 Commando Royal Marine’s Fleet Contingency Troop have been conducting high vertical assault drills onto RFA Mounts Bay in Portland Harbour, supported by Offshore Raiding Craft and Coxswains from 47 Commando RM.
The training forms part of the Autonomous Advance Force 4.0 trials, utilising modern communication systems and autonomous capabilities, including mobile ad hoc networking radios MPU5, Ghost drone, which provides a live feed to ground commanders and the MADFOX unmanned surface vessel, used to provide deception and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
Photos: LPhot Joe Cater
Hongwell oddly made their Mercedes Actros lorry in two different sizes: one marked as 1/80 but actually close to 1/76 and a slightly smaller one in 1/87. The latter can be used with smaller 1/76 cabs and I think this turntable ladder looks very effective as a typically British Dodge Commando with a Road Transport Images cab.
Royal Marines from O Squadron, 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines based at HM Naval Base Clyde near Helensburgh have recently conducted an exercise to sharpen their ‘Commando skills’ during a period away from delivering their core nuclear security role in Faslane and RNAD Coulport.
Exercise REVENANT SHADOW is a two-week exercise that aims to strengthen the fundamental conventional skills of the Royal Marines and has also included an amphibious landing and live firing phase. The exercise has taken place in the local area around Faslane and also at the military training area in Kirkcudbright.
“Exercise REVENANT SHADOW is an important part of the O Squadron yearly training programme and aims to revise and strengthen core skills that are utilised by Royal Marines in all types of deployment including by the Troops deployed on Nuclear Security duties in Faslane and Coulport. It also ensures that the Marines from O Squadron remain proficient in the skills they will require as they move to other units within 3 Commando Brigade in the future,” said Capt Josh Roughton RM, Second in Command of O Squadron, 43 Commando who organised the exercise.
43 Commando Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines is a 550-strong Unit based at HM Naval Base Clyde in Scotland
Its primary mission is to prevent unauthorised access to the UK’s strategic nuclear deterrent through the provision of specialist military capability. Additionally, maritime boarding and sniper teams and the very high readiness Fleet Contingent Troop are deployed worldwide to conduct specialist maritime security tasks in support of the Royal Navy.
Royal Marine teams from 43 Commando are currently deployed on counter-piracy, counter-narcotics, and maritime interdiction operations in the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean. There is also a detachment of cold weather warfare trained Royal Marines from the Unit deployed on the Royal Navy’s Ice Patrol Ship.
Photos: L(Phot) Stephen Burke RN
Marines Parachute Into Exercise For First Time In A Decade
In a spectacular display, the 10 personnel of the Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS) jumped from 600ft into Galloway, Scotland as part of Exercise Joint Warrior.
An element of the Lead Commando Group, SRS are a Pre Landing Force that seek a covert entry into enemy territory ahead of the main force to send back intelligence from the ground.
The first ever parachute insert as part of Exercise Joint Warrior – the team are practising their core capability as the Marines regenerate their amphibious skills as oppose to the land effort used in Afghanistan.
One of the SRS Troop Commanders Captain Matt Hills said:
“As the lead element of the landing force we need to insert, covertly, by a number of different methods including boat, vehicle and parachute.
“It is vital we maintain our parachute capability in order to be as flexible as possible across a broad range of potential reconnaissance tasks.”
SRS come under the command of 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group whose role is to collect and understand information on an area prior to the arrival of the main 3 Commando Brigade force elements.
This ranges from finding enemy force dispositions to understanding the topography, key infrastructure and the population.
Commanding Officer of 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Middleton MBE said:
“Collecting and analysing key information to enable Lead Commando Group operations is a challenging task that is normally conducted under significant time pressure.
“Exercise Joint Warrior enables us to test our reconnaissance capabilities and our analysis skills in a demanding, contemporary scenario. Using our ability to parachute reconnaissance teams ahead of the main force is key in maximising the time available to collect the information we need.”
The Lead Commando Group are currently on Exercise Joint Warrior and are based on a number of British warships including HMS Bulwark and HMS Illustrious.
The twice-yearly exercise is the largest one yet and involves Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and RAF personnel working alongside forces from the Netherlands, Canada, France, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Germany.
There are more than 30 warships, 40 fixed wing aircraft and 30 helicopters involved in the war games that will see them all being put to the test as part of a Response Force Task Group which can deploy across the globe in the event of rapidly unfolding crises such as Libya in 2011.
More than a dozen Royal Navy ships and submarines are involved in the exercise which will take place off the East and West Coasts of Scotland for the next fortnight.
MOD/Crown Copyright Photographs by PO (Phot)Sean Clee
Royal Marines from 45 Commando, forming part of the UK-Led Task Group, carried out an Amphibious Landing on the Coast of Estonia as part of the NATO Operation: Exercise Baltic Protector 2019
Photos: Mattias Allik , Aivo Vehemets and Karl Alfred Baumeister
Royal Marine Young Officers (RMYOs) on Exercise FINAL NAIL
Royal Marine Young Officers (RMYOs) put their extensive training and skills to the test during final phase training, on Exercise FINAL NAIL conducted in the Argyll forest exercise areas Argyll & Bute Scotland.
Exercise FINAL NAIL represented the culmination of Royal Marines Young Officer (RMYO) training and was the last serial of an arduous 15 month course based at Commando Training Centre Royal
Marines. It was designed to confirm the YOs as fit to command a close combat troop, before their passing out in December 2012. Emphasis was placed on learning to operate within the company context, with trained ranks; Marines from 43 Cdo FPGRM augmenting the YOs to company strength and HQ elements. Use of attached assets added realism and complexity to the exercise; with LCs from 10 Trg Sqn RM manning Inflatable Raiding Craft (IRC) and Offshore Raiding Craft (ORC), and MLs playing the role of BPT for vertical assault elements.
The exercise was spread over four different training areas, each demanding different tactical considerations. The exercise began with a troop amphibious beach assault in Braunton Burrows. The YOs then deployed to the West Coast of Scotland to conduct a company attack onto an airfield and riverine operations in Galloway Forest, before staging amphibious raids on the lochs of Ardgartan Forest. The final attack was a simultaneous company-led attack onto hill-top enemy positions, set against the spectacular backdrop of the Garelochs.
Photographs by CPO(Phot) Tam McDonald - MOD Crown Copyright 2012
Royal Marines from 42 Commando, have been perfecting specialist boarding skills and practicing saving downed aircrew as they operate at the heart of the UK Carrier Strike Group
Photos: Royal Navy
Marines Parachute Into Exercise For First Time In A Decade
In a spectacular display, the 10 personnel of the Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS) jumped from 600ft into Galloway, Scotland as part of Exercise Joint Warrior.
An element of the Lead Commando Group, SRS are a Pre Landing Force that seek a covert entry into enemy territory ahead of the main force to send back intelligence from the ground.
The first ever parachute insert as part of Exercise Joint Warrior – the team are practising their core capability as the Marines regenerate their amphibious skills as oppose to the land effort used in Afghanistan.
One of the SRS Troop Commanders Captain Matt Hills said:
“As the lead element of the landing force we need to insert, covertly, by a number of different methods including boat, vehicle and parachute.
“It is vital we maintain our parachute capability in order to be as flexible as possible across a broad range of potential reconnaissance tasks.”
SRS come under the command of 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group whose role is to collect and understand information on an area prior to the arrival of the main 3 Commando Brigade force elements.
This ranges from finding enemy force dispositions to understanding the topography, key infrastructure and the population.
Commanding Officer of 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group, Lieutenant Colonel Chris Middleton MBE said:
“Collecting and analysing key information to enable Lead Commando Group operations is a challenging task that is normally conducted under significant time pressure.
“Exercise Joint Warrior enables us to test our reconnaissance capabilities and our analysis skills in a demanding, contemporary scenario. Using our ability to parachute reconnaissance teams ahead of the main force is key in maximising the time available to collect the information we need.”
The Lead Commando Group are currently on Exercise Joint Warrior and are based on a number of British warships including HMS Bulwark and HMS Illustrious.
The twice-yearly exercise is the largest one yet and involves Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and RAF personnel working alongside forces from the Netherlands, Canada, France, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Germany.
There are more than 30 warships, 40 fixed wing aircraft and 30 helicopters involved in the war games that will see them all being put to the test as part of a Response Force Task Group which can deploy across the globe in the event of rapidly unfolding crises such as Libya in 2011.
More than a dozen Royal Navy ships and submarines are involved in the exercise which will take place off the East and West Coasts of Scotland for the next fortnight.
MOD/Crown Copyright Photographs by PO (Phot)Sean Clee
Royal Marines from 42 Commando Boarding RFA Mounts Bay
Members of 42 Commando Fleet Contingency conducting high vertical assaults on RFA Mounts Bay as part of the Autonomous Advance Force 4.0 trials. 42 Commando Royal Marine’s Fleet Contingency Troop have been conducting high vertical assault drills onto RFA Mounts Bay in Portland Harbour, supported by Offshore Raiding Craft and Coxswains from 47 Commando RM.
The training forms part of the Autonomous Advance Force 4.0 trials, utilising modern communication systems and autonomous capabilities, including mobile ad hoc networking radios MPU5, Ghost drone, which provides a live feed to ground commanders and the MADFOX unmanned surface vessel, used to provide deception and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
Photos: LPhot Joe Cater
Sulla A82, a pochi chilometri da Spean Bridge, si trova il "Commando Memorial", un monumento alla memoria di un corpo speciale, "The commandos" appunto, istituito nel 1940 da Winston Churchill.
Il monumento, alto 5,1 metri, è stato eretto in questa zona proprio perchè qua i "Commandos" hanno fatto le loro prime esercitazioni per la Seconda Guerra Mondiale.
Dalla collinetta dove si ergono le 3 statue dei soldati, si gode di un panorama pazzesco!
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On the A82, a few miles from Spean Bridge, there is the Commando Memorial, a monument to the memory of a special force, "The Commandos" in fact, established in 1940 by Winston Churchill.
The monument, 5.1 meters high, was erected in this area precisely because here the "Commandos" made their training for the Second World War.
From the hill where stand the statues of three soldiers, you can see a spectacular landscape!
Royal Marines tasked with safeguarding Britain's nuclear deterrent have been testing their skills on a variety of weapons in The Netherlands during Exercise Gelderland Strike.
The Scotland-based Marines – from O and P Squadrons at 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group RM – are trusted with the important duty of keeping Britain’s strategic nuclear deterrent safe, whether on a Vanguard Class submarine in and around the Clyde, or elsewhere in the UK.
To do this highly specialised role effectively, they need to use the most technologically advanced equipment. Marines at 43 Commando are therefore trained in a wider variety of weapons than their colleagues across other Royal Marines units. This includes the C8 assault rifle, Glock pistol, Sharpshooter rifle and General-Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG).
A British Army Commando with 148th Battery, 29th Commando Fire Support Team, Royal Artillery, demonstrates proper camouflage after a concealment class as part of a sniper training evolution during Exercise Burmese Chase 2013 aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., Sept. 4, 2013. Burmese Chase is a bilateral training exercise designed to improve interoperability between U.S. and British military forces. Marines from 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company and British Army Commandos participated in the exercise. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Cody Haas/ Released)
Royal Marines from 42 Commando Boarding RFA Mounts Bay
Members of 42 Commando Fleet Contingency conducting high vertical assaults on RFA Mounts Bay as part of the Autonomous Advance Force 4.0 trials. 42 Commando Royal Marine’s Fleet Contingency Troop have been conducting high vertical assault drills onto RFA Mounts Bay in Portland Harbour, supported by Offshore Raiding Craft and Coxswains from 47 Commando RM.
The training forms part of the Autonomous Advance Force 4.0 trials, utilising modern communication systems and autonomous capabilities, including mobile ad hoc networking radios MPU5, Ghost drone, which provides a live feed to ground commanders and the MADFOX unmanned surface vessel, used to provide deception and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
Photos: LPhot Joe Cater
Royal Marines tested their ability to outfox radar using new all-terrain vehicles to move mortars around Salisbury Plain.
The commandos rolled out CanAm 6x6 vehicles to move mortars and their crews rapidly around the battlefield, avoiding detection and bring down a hail of fire and fury on enemy positions.
Mortars have been a staple of warfare for centuries and they still remain a highly dynamic weapon, which can quickly bring fire support to advancing troops on the frontline.
But they can be vulnerable to increasingly powerful enemy radars which can track them down, prompting a counter-barrage to destroy them if they are too static.
As Royal Marines continue to evolve as part of the Future Commando Force modernisation, everything from kit, clothing, weapons and tactics is coming under the microscope.
As part of that, 45 Commando’s Mortar Troop are scrutinising their primary weapon’s vulnerabilities to powerful Mortar Locating Radar and how they can avoid being discovered.
The CanAms kept them on the move, allowing the troop to maintain vital fire support to comrades before rapidly shifting position and setting up again.
Photos: @royalmarines
Dark days, dark when I go to work and dark when I get back. That's why I went back into my Lightroom catalog to select some more images to post.
The Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge in Scotland is a very nice memorial in a wonderful location.
Royal Marines held at high-readiness for maritime security operations have pyshed themselves in a vast underground comokex beneath a town in the South West ahead of being deployed to the Mediterranean.
Marines from Juliet Company of Plymouth-based 42 Commando work in small teams on Royal Navy warships around the world, ready to react to emergencies and specialist missions, like counter-piracy and boarding operations.
J Company is also the home of the Fleet Contingency Troop (FCT) – experts in a range of security missions and the UK’s only force trained in opposed boarding operations (known as Level 3 (Opposed)) outside of Special Forces.
The complex of tunnels became a facility for the potential relocation of the government in times of crisis during the 1950s with the threat of nuclear war looming large.
These days, parts of it are a useful training area; a place where the commandos can push themselves in the art of close-quarters combat, testing their well-rehearsed tactics, techniques and procedures to quickly assess and deal with threats in even the trickiest of environments.
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:
Photos: Royal Navy
Royal Marines held at high-readiness for maritime security operations have pyshed themselves in a vast underground comokex beneath a town in the South West ahead of being deployed to the Mediterranean.
Marines from Juliet Company of Plymouth-based 42 Commando work in small teams on Royal Navy warships around the world, ready to react to emergencies and specialist missions, like counter-piracy and boarding operations.
J Company is also the home of the Fleet Contingency Troop (FCT) – experts in a range of security missions and the UK’s only force trained in opposed boarding operations (known as Level 3 (Opposed)) outside of Special Forces.
The complex of tunnels became a facility for the potential relocation of the government in times of crisis during the 1950s with the threat of nuclear war looming large.
These days, parts of it are a useful training area; a place where the commandos can push themselves in the art of close-quarters combat, testing their well-rehearsed tactics, techniques and procedures to quickly assess and deal with threats in even the trickiest of environments.
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Photos: Royal Navy
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
When, towards late 1945, the Einheits-Chassis for the German combat tanks (the "E" series of medium and heavy tanks) reached the front lines, several heavily armed anti-aircraft turrets had been developed, including the 30mm Kugelblitz, based on the outdated Panzer IV, the "Coelian" turret with various armament options for the Panzer V Panther hull, and there were twin 55 mm as well as single and even 88mm cannon systems for the new E-50, E-75 and E-100 chassis'.
With these new weapons for medium- and high-altitude targets, Firepower was considerably increased, but the tank crews still had to rely on traditional visual tracking and aiming of targets. One potential solution in which the German Heeresleitung was highly interested from the start was the use of the Luftwaffe’s new radar technology for early target identification and as an aiming aid in poor weather conditions or even at night. The German Luftwaffe first introduced an airborne interception radar in 1942, but these systems were bulky and relied upon large bipolar antenna arrays. These were not suitable for any use in a ground vehicle, lest to say in a tank that would also carry weapons and ammunition.
A potential solution appeared in late 1944 with the development of the FuG 240 "Berlin". It was an airborne interception radar, too, but it was the first German radar to be based on the cavity magnetron, which eliminated the need for the large multiple dipole-based antenna arrays seen on earlier radars, thereby greatly increasing the performance of the night fighters. The FuG 240 with a rotating dish antenna was introduced by Telefunken in April 1945, primarily in Junkers Ju 88G-6 night-fighters, behind a plywood radome which considerably improved aerodynamics. This so greatly reduced drag compared to the late-model Lichtenstein and Neptun systems that the fighters regained their pre-radar speeds and made them competitive again. The FuG 240 was effective against bomber-sized targets at distances of up to 9 kilometers (5.5 mi), or down to 0.5 kilometer, which eliminated the need for a second, short-range radar system.
Right before the FuG 240's roll-out with the Luftwaffe, the Heer insisted on a ground-based derivative for its anti-aircraft units. Political pressure from Berlin convinced the RLM to share the new technology, and Telefunken was ushered to adapt the radar system to an armored ground vehicle in February 1945.
It soon became clear that the FuG 240 had several drawbacks for this task. On one side, ground clutter and the natural horizon limited the system's range and low-level effectiveness, but its 9 km range in free space made high altitude surveillance possible – just enough for the effective interception of Allied bombers that attacked important point targets. Furthermore, the whole system, together with its power supply and a dirigible dish antenna, took up a lot of space, so that its integration into a tank-based anti-aircraft vehicle like an SPAAG as an autonomous, stand-alone solution was ruled out.
A workable solution eventually came as a technical and tactical compromise: the army’s anti-aircraft tanks were to be grouped together in so-called Panzer-Fla-Züge, which consisted of several (typically four) SPAAGs and an additional, dedicated radar surveillance and command unit, so that the radar could guide the tank crews towards incoming targets – even though the gun crews still had to rely on visual targeting.
Two respective guidance vehicles developed, a light and a heavy one. The light one, intended against low-flying targets like the Ilyushin Il-2 on the Eastern front, became the 8x8 Funkmess-/Flak-Kommandowagen Sd.Kfz. 234/6. The heavy variant, with a bigger antenna and a more powerful emitter, became the Mittlerer Funkmess-/Flak-Kommandopanzer Sd.Kfz. 282. In contrast to the light and compact Sd.Kfz. 234/6, the Sd.Kfz. 282’s complete radar and observation system was installed in a new turret, so that it could be simply mounted onto the new E-50 Einheitspanzer battle tank hull.
This new, box-shaped turret had been developed by Rheinmetall, together with Telefunken, and was based on the turret design for the new 55 mm twin anti-aircraft cannon. It had a maximum armor of 60mm at the front and held all of the radar equipment, christened "Basilisk", after the monster from medieval mythology with a petrifying sight. The turret held a crew of three: a commander, a radar operator, and an observer for the optical rangefinder. The rest of the crew, the driver and a radio operator, sat in the hull. No armament was fitted, even though a light machine gun could be mounted on the roof for self-defense, even though it could not be operated from the inside. A heavier armament was not deemed necessary since the vehicle would stay close to the heavily armed tanks/SPAAGs it would typically accompany.
The Basilisk radar’s rotating dish antenna had a diameter of 90 cm (35 ½ inches) and was installed at the turret's front under a hard vinyl cover. Power of the modified FuG 240 was 25kW, with a search angle of +80/− 5° and a frequency range: 3,250–3,330MHz (~10 cm). Range was, due the bigger antenna and a higher emitter output, increased to 0.5–11.0 kilometer, even though only under ideal conditions. Power came from a dedicated generator that was connected to the E-50’s V-12 Maybach HL 234 gasoline engine.
Beyond the radar system, the vehicle was furthermore equipped with a powerful visual coincidence range finder in the turret, combined with an analogue computer, the Kommandogerät (KDO) 40 Telemeter. This system had been introduced in 1941 as a guidance tool for stationary anti-aircraft units equipped with the 88 mm and the 105 mm Flak, but it had so far – due to its size and bulk – only been deployed on an unarmored trailer
The KDO 40 and similar sights worked as follows: Light from the target entered the range finder through two windows located at either end of the instrument. At either side, the incident beam was reflected to the center of the optical bar by a pentaprism, and this optical bar was ideally made from a material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion so that optical path lengths would not change significantly with temperature. The reflected beam first passed through an objective lens and was then merged with the beam of the opposing side with an ocular prism sub-assembly to form two images of the target which were viewed by the observer through the eyepiece. Since either beam entered the instrument at a slightly different angle the resulting image, if unaltered, would appear blurry. Therefore, in one arm of the instrument, a compensator was integrated which could be adjusted by the operator to tilt the beam until the two images matched. At this point, the images were said to be in coincidence. The degree of rotation of the compensator determined the range to the target by simple triangulation, allowing the calculation of the distance to the observed object.
Fixed target reading with the device mounted in the Sd.Kfz. 282 turret was possible on targets from 3,000 to 20,000 m. Aerial courses could be recorded at all levels of flight and at a slant range between 4,000 and 18,000 m - enough for visual identification beyond an anti-aircraft group's effective gun ranges and perfectly suitable for long range observation, so that the Sd.Kfz. 282 also had excellent reconnaissance and observation capabilities. The rangefinder’s optical bar had a massive span of 400 cm (157.5 in) and went right through the turret, just above the radar device installation. The whole device, together with its armored fairing, was 4,60 m (15 ft 1 in) wide, so that it protruded from the turret on both sides over the lower hull. The odd and unwieldy installation quickly earned the vehicle nicknames like "Hirsch (stag)", "Zwo-Ender" (a young stag with just two antlers) or “Ameise” (ant). None of these were official, though. In order to protect the Telemeter on the way, the turret was normally turned by 90° and hidden under a tarpaulin, in order not to give away any details of the highly classified equipment.
However, development of the Einheitspanzer family lagged behind schedule, and in early 1945 no E-50 chassis was available for the highly specialized Sd.Kfz. 282 – battle tanks and SPGs were in higher demand. As an alternative, the turret was quickly adapted for different tank hulls, namely the Sd.Kfz. 171, the Panzer V ‘Panther’ medium tank and the heavy Sd.Kfz. 181 ‘Tiger I’. Tests with both hulls in spring 1945 were successful, but only the lighter ‘Panther’ hull was chosen because it was lighter overall, more mobile and available in sufficient numbers for a quick roll-out. In this configuration, the system received the designation Sd.Kfz. 282/1, while the original Sd.Kfz. 282 designation was reserved for the originally planned E-50 chassis variant.
The first vehicles reached, together with the new FlaK tanks, the front units in September 1945. Operating independently, they were primarily allocated to the defense of important production sites and the city of Berlin, and they supported tank divisions through early warning duties and visual long-range reconnaissance. Operationally, the Sd.Kfz. 282’s sensor setup with its combined visual and radar input turned out to be surprisingly successful. The combination of the Basilisk radar with the KDO 40 rangefinder allowed a time from initial target acquisition to the first AA shot of less than 20 seconds, which was impressive for the time – typically, simple visual target acquisition took 30 seconds or more. First shot hit probability was appreciably improved, too, and even quick passes of aircraft at low altitudes could be precalculated, if the radar was not obstructed.
However, the radar remained capricious, its performance rather limited and the unarmored antenna fairing at the turret’s front was easily damaged in combat, even by heavy machinegun fire. But the Sd.Kfz. 282 offered, when the vehicle was placed in a location with a relatively free field of view (e. g. on a wide forest clearance or in an open field), a sufficient early warning performance against incoming bombers at medium to high altitudes, and it also appreciably mobilized the bulky but valuable KDO 40 device. It now could easily be moved around and keep up with the pace of motorized battle groups that the Panzer-Fla-Züge units were supposed to protect.
Until the end of hostilities, probably thirty Sd.Kfz. 282/1s were completed from newly built (Ausf. F, recognizable through the simpler all-metal wheels) or from refurbished earlier Panzer V chassis of various types before production switched in early 1946 to the E-50 chassis which had eventually become available in sufficient numbers.
Specifications:
Crew: Five (commander, radar operator, observer, driver, radio-operator/hull machine gunner)
Weight: 41.2 tonnes (40.4 long tons; 45.3 short tons)
Length (hull only): 6.87 m (22 ft 6 in)
Width: 3.42 m (11 ft 3 in) hull only
4,60 m (15 ft 1 in) overall
Height: 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in)
Suspension: Double torsion bar, interleaved road wheels
Fuel capacity: 720 litres (160 imp gal; 190 US gal)
Armor:
15–80 mm (0.6 – 3.15 in)
Performance:
Maximum road speed: 48 km/h (30 mph)
Operational range: 250 km (160 mi)
Power/weight: 15.39 PS (11.5 kW)/tonne (13.77 hp/ton)
Engine:
Maybach HL230 P30 V-12 petrol engine with 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)
ZF AK 7-200 gear; 7 forward 1 reverse
Armament:
1× 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun in the front glacis plate with 2.500 rounds
Optional MG 34 or 42 machine gun with 1.500 rounds on the turret
The kit and its assembly:
Another submission to the “Recce & Surveillance” group build at whatifmodellers.com in July 2021, and actually a good occasion to tackle a project that I had on my list for some years. A long while ago I bought a resin conversion set with a (purely fictional) Heer ‘46 anti-aircraft surveillance radar system, based on an E-50 chassis. Unfortunately, I cannot identify the manufacturer, but this 1:72 conversion set was/is nicely molded, with delicate details, no bubbles or flash and it even came with a commander figure for an optional open hatch on top as well as a pair of delicate brass antennae.
Even though I could have mounted this replacement turret onto a Trumpeter or Modelcollect E-50/75 chassis, I rather decided to create an earlier (1945 time frame) interim vehicle on a late Panzer V ‘Panther’ basis, mostly because it would be more compact and I doubt that brand new E-50/75s would have been “wasted” on second line/support vehicles like this mobile surveillance/commando post for anti-aircraft units?
The Panther chassis is the old Hasegawa kit for an Ausf. G tank from 1973, chosen because of its good fit, simplicity and the vinyl tracks, which I prefer. However, the kit clearly shows its age and some weak/soft details (e. g. the gratings on the engine deck), but it was enough for my plans and easy to handle.
Both turret and hull were built separately and basically OOB, combined with an adjusted turret ring. The Kdo 40’s “antlers” are to be glued directly to the turret’s flanks, but I reinforced the connections with wire. I also replaced the set’s brass antennae with heated sprue material and used a surplus PE detail set from a Modelcollect E-50/75 to hide the crude engine openings and change the overall look of the Panther a little. Some storage boxes as well as spare track links were added to the flanks, stuff collected from the scrap box.
To emphasize the refurbished character of the vehicle I left away the Panther’s side skirts – these were easily lost in battle, anyway, and probably have rather been allocated to battle tanks than to 2nd line support vehicles, despite leaving the Panther’s lower hull under the mudguards vulnerable.
Painting and markings:
Even though the paint scheme on this model is based on German standard colors, it is a little special. Late in real-world WWII some Panzer Vs received a unique, uniform RAL 6003 (Olivgrün) factory finish instead of the usual all-over RAL 7028 (Dunkelgelb) or the bare oxide red primer finish, onto which the frontline units would add individual camouflage, depending on the theatre of operations and whatever paint or application tool was at hand. This special green livery was adopted for the model, including the new turret. The individual camouflage consists of diagonal stripes in Dunkelgelb and Rotbraun (RAL 8017), added on top of the green basis with rather sharp and straight edges and only to the vertical surfaces. The practice to leave out the horizontal surfaces was called “Sparanstrich” (literally “economy paintwork”), an attempt to save the more and more scarce paint.
This rather odd style was actually applied to several late war Panther tanks – even though I am personally not certain about this pattern’s effectiveness? Maybe a kind of dazzle effect was sought for?
The basic green became a modern-day RAL 6003 from the rattle can (which is very close to FS 34102, just a tad lighter), applied in a rather cloudy fashion on top of an initial coat of Oxide Red primer (RAL 3009) overall, also from the rattle can. On top of that the stripes were painted with a brush, partly masked but mostly free-handedly. For some variation I used this time Tamiya XF-60 (a rather pale interpretation of Dunkelgelb which IMHO lacks a greenish hue and rather looks like a desert sand tone) and XF-64 (a rich whole milk chocolate tone) to create the additional camouflage, not fully opaque so that the impression of thinly/hastily applied paint was reinforced.
Once dry, the whole surface received a very dark brown washing with thinned acrylic paint and surface details were emphasized through dry-brushing with earth brown and beige.
For a different look (and to break up the tank’s bulky outlines) I applied camouflage nets to the model, realized with gauze bandages drenched in Tamyia XF-62 (Olive Drab) and mounted into place around the turret and at the front of the hull while still slightly wet.
Decals were puzzled together from various German tank sheets. The kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish, what also fixed the cammo nets in place. The originally shiny black vinyl tracks were also painted/weathered, with a wet-in-wet mix of grey, iron, black and red brown (all acrylics). Once mounted into place, mud and dust were simulated around the running gear and the lower hull with a greyish-brown mix of artist mineral pigments.
Not a spectacular build, but I am happy that I eventually had the opportunity and motivation to tackle this project that had been lingering for years in the The Stash™. The result looks really good – the anonymous resin set is/was excellent, and combined with the Panther hull, the whole thing looks very credible. I am only a bit sad that the odd, almost artistic camouflage got a little lost under the cammo nets and the equipment on the hull, and the dust/dirt on the lower areas blurs the three basic colors even more. Well, you cannot have everything at once, and I might re-use this scheme on a “cleaner” future build.
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A British Royal Marine Commando with Alpha Company, 40 Commando Battle Group looks through a window
during Integrated Training Exercise 1-20 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms,
Calif. Oct. 21, 2019. The Royal Marines took advantage of training areas at MCAGCC while preparing to participate in the Marine Air Ground Task Force Warfighting Exercise as an adversary force in early
November. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Cedar M. Barnes)
A U.K. Royal Marine with 45 Commando moves his position during Integrated Training Exercise (ITX) 2-19 at Range 220, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif. Feb. 9, 2019. ITX creates a challenging, realistic training environment that produces combat-ready forces capable of operating as an integrated Marine Air Ground Task Force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Conner Downey)
British Army Commandos, 59 Commando Squadron, 24 Commando Engineer Regiment, practice methods of
entry and room clearing during Integrated Training Exercise 1-20 at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC), Twentynine Palms, Calif. Oct. 20, 2019. The Commandos took advantage of training areas at
MCAGCC while preparing to participate in the Marine Air Ground Task Force Warfighting Exercise as an adversary
force in early November. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Cedar M. Barnes)
Mortar Troop from 42 Commando Royal Marines
Images captured show Mortar Troop from 42 Commando Royal Marines illuminating enemy positions in the mountains of the Mojave Desert during the week long final exercise of Black Alligator – 2nd December 2012
Photos: PO (Phot) Sean Clee - MOD Crown Copyright 2012
Miniature warriors from Families across 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, assembled to face Soldiers of the 41st Engineer Battalion during the Commando brigade's second "Nerf Wars" match held inside a makeshift battlefield configured throughout the Magrath Sports Complex basketball court, April 10, 2019, at Fort Drum, New York. Foam darts littered the gym floor during the "just for fun" event as opposing forces fueled by popcorn and cotton candy engaged in a play firefight.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Paige Behringer)
Royal Marines from M Coy hone their skills during Royal Marine Boarding Course
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The Marines of M Coy, 42 Commando RM, have been consolidating their tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) on the final exercise of the RM Boarding Course at Bovington Training Area, Dorset.
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The arduous 8-week course will qualify the Commandos to take the mantle as the Fleet Contingency Troop (FCT) and will see them being held at a high state of readiness for potential deployments to key areas of national interest.
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Image: POPhot Paul Hall
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