WWIII Team Yankee - USA Mech Infantry

I have been working intermittently on my WWII Team Yankee forces. Interestingly, I've been jumping between my US and Soviet forces pretty evenly. It is likely the change in routine that is keeping me interested in painting both. For a week it is plain green vehicles then the next it is lots of camo!

I am really hoping to get a game or two in soon, but with Covid cases much higher in the area, playing may still be some time off. Plus I don't know many people in the area playing these days.

But that won't keep me from putting up some of my recent work. Below are some of my US Mechanized Infantry and various support vehicles.

A Mechanized Infantry Company moving into a town in Germany.

A pair of M901 ITV's. 

A scout section.

A Humvee scout section.

A M106 mortar section.

Several M163 VADS.

Another M113 scout section.

My commander in his M113.

Infantry teams.

M3 Bradley's.

I am currently using all my M3 Bradley's as a cavalry troop.

I painted most in MERDC camo.

Then a few remain camo-less, some M3A2's in this case.

A rear-view of some plain M3's.

Another M3 Bradley.

More up-armored M3A2's.

A few borrowed Marine LAV-AD's.

Some Stinger AA missiles and HMMWV's.

FOW Team Yankee - Soviet Tank Comparison

If there is one positive during this pandemic, it is that I've had a lot more time to paint... 

But besides building Gundam kits, and working on my huge backlog of Warhammer mini's, I also have found time to paint up a lot of FOW Team Yankee tanks. Many of these have been sitting around for several years! So you should expect several more posts about this, as I've pulled out my Soviets and Americans and taken a lot of pictures.

But for today, I wanted to show off the difference between the main Soviet tanks in TY WWIII right now. I don't have any T-55's for TY as no Soviet list can currently use them, but it does look like they will be an option for the Soviets in the upcoming book.

Below are comparison pictures of a Soviet T-62M, T-64, T-72 and a T-80U. These are all great, multi-part, plastic kits by Battlefront. The T-72 miniature was released first, followed by the T-64, T-62M and then the T-80U. So the quality, and ease of assemble just keeps getting easier and easier. Many parts that were really fiddley and difficult to glue onto the T-72 are molded onto the T-80U without any loss of detail.

From left to right: T-62M, T-64, T-72 and T-80U.

Left: T-72. Right: T-80U.

Left: T-62M. Right: T-64.

Giants in 15mm

Here are some of my very late war tanks ready to fight it out in 1946 Germany!

The Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus is from Heer 46 miniatures and is, like all their kits, a great miniature! As a note, the kit from Heer 46 has a horizontal piece that ran underneath the 128mm gun over to the 75mm gun, maybe some sort of travel lock. I removed it from my miniatures before I realized it was supposed to be there!

The T28 Super Heavy Tank or 105 mm Gun Motor Carriage T95, if you prefer, is also from Heer 46 and is equally as excellent as the Maus. 

All of the crew figures are from Battlefront and the night vision kits on one of the Maus' is also from Heer 46.

Two PanzerVIII's on the hunt in Germany.

These 15mm miniatures are so big that airbrushing them was easy.

What could have knocked out that panther?

Hold here, something is coming. 

Something is on the horizon!

The T28's have arrived!

You think you have armor? I'll show you armor!

Load the 105's!

I've got a bad feeling about this.

What is that?

Combat in Germany 1946 (part II)

Germany 1946

The M4 tanks of the 707th Tank Battalion and a few US armored cavalry troops had been hard pressed by superior German forces on the German/Belgian border.When German heavy tanks arrived the American tanks knew their time was up. 

However, fate was to intervene and a platoon of US heavy tanks was ordered up from supporting US infantry in the area to engage their German counterparts, a task they relished!

Four M34 heavy tanks arrived to take on the Tiger II's, three carried the devastating 120mm gun and one the older, yet still potent, 105mm gun.

Four US heavy tanks arrived just as the German heavy tanks were crossing the rail road tracks into the town.

Lt. Fox's M34A1 arrived on the eastern edge of the village with the best field of fire against the Germans.

Sgt. Hitchcock's M34A1 moved forward towards the church where the cavalry troop was holed up.

There first sight of the German King Tigers.

Lt. Houston in his M4A3E8, realized the situation had just changed in his favor.

The 120mm high velocity gun was ready for action.

Hitchcock's tank moved past the destroyed recon jeep.

Sgt. Guzman and his tank take aim at Germans in the center of the village.

Cpt. Walsh's 105mm armed M34A1 moved to the western edge of the village where the jumbo was stuck.

A German Tiger II was crossing the rail line where the T-34 was burning.

The surviving panther took aim at a US tank in the distance.

The crew watched in horror as all shots bounced off or failed to penetrate.

Reports came on the radio of US heavy tanks in the vicinity.

The King Tiger on the eastern edge faced off against the M34's.

The Panzer IV/70 was now on the wrong side of the tracks as it had begun to encircle the US Shermans.

Cpt. Walsh took position to cover the remaining US Sherman's on that side of the village.

A fate would have it a target did present itself.

The 105 spoke and the King Tiger burned.

That was a great relief to the Jumbo crew.

The final panther decided to smoke and get out of the area, after the Tiger to its right went up.

Reversing!

Hitchcock's tank was hit multiple times by the long 88's and the driver was injured.

The tank bailed out at the Church.

The 88's shots were true.

But that M34 was not alone!

Lt. Fox knocked out the Tiger.

Lt. Fox was a veteran tanker with a great crew!

This tank had slugged it out with almost all the German heavies in its time.

The bazooka team from the cavalry troop got in on the action.

The retreating Panzer IV/70 didn't make it over the tracks, as the German forces withdrew.

Lt. Houston's platoon had held the village, with a little help.

After the battle it was time to get everything back in working order.

Sgt. Guzman and the remaining heavy tanks moved to the rail line.

Keeping watch on any other German attacks.

Armored might!

Cpt Walsh watching over the fields to the south of the rail line.

Secured for the time.