Sitzkrieg: the FoW Early War Project log

[job]

Well, I've been lazy about updating here. I did paint my artillery in January, but I never got around to taking pictures. Also there was Voss's moves and job change, so we decided to reschedule the project. Unfortunately Blitzkrieg did not begin in May as a 73rd anniversary of the invasion of France, but we will get around to it sometime at our leisure.

As for my progress. I finished the French 75mm artillery. The guns were originally designs made before WWI and were considered the best guns in the world for some time. They set the standard for 75mm caliber guns that influence artillery production in many countries, including the USA. They were also the first gun to effectively use a hydro-pneumatic system for absorbing the recoil of the weapon. This allowed for the guns to fire very rapidly. The gun continued to serve as the mainstay of the French artillery even though 105mm weapons were beginning to supplant the 75mm caliber by the beginning of WWII.


Next I'll post the German Panzer IIIs and Sdkfz 222s I've been working on.

[Colonel Voss]

The tanks continue to roll off the assembly line and roll over the french. Panzer IICs and 38ts

[job]

Well, I haven't posted on this thread in awhile but I haven't been completely idle. As Voss has pretty much turned out his entire group of Germans, I've managed to get the last of French Panhards into battle worthy state.

So, today the company of reconnaissance cars with Somua tanks, French 75 artillery battery and fusiliers boarded the train with me and met the enemy at Gifu station from where he drove us to his place for battle.

The first conflict was "Breakthrough". The Germans attacked as they were an armored company.


The Obrest plans his action.


Somua S35s in position above the German column.


The 8-rads moved up through the town.


The Somua tanks attempt to play catch up the Germans race past them on the road.


The Germans cut through the streets of the town as they leave the French tanks in the dust and cut down French artillery and infantry.


Some Panhards under the command of a Capitaine dish out some payback on a Panzer I.


The Germans pincers connect around the objectives. The French recon cars attempt to slug it out with them.


But the German tanks are too much of a match for them. The Capitaine flees and heads immediately for the chams of Paris to forget the disgrace.

Just down the road from the German successful breakthrough...

Battle 2: Cauldron. A small French garrison is surprised from the their lunches by the sudden arrival of German tanks and armored infantry.




Panzer IIs take cover behind a hill.


The Somua surprise the German infantry, but the brave teutons attack the tanks with the butts of their rifles and scare the Frenchmen back into the town.


The French artillerists let fly accurate rounds.


German and French reinforcements savagely fight for control of the objectives in and about the town.


But fortune favors the French in this battle.



Voss and I traded games. Both were well fought and highly enjoyable affairs.

We also decided that the project wasn't quite done. We promised to make one last objective marker each to capstone the whole project.