"Marking command tanks (without numbers)" Topic

So I'm expanding my Guards Armoured, and thinking I want a new, more distinctive CiC (will demote the old one to 2iC and the old 2iC to platoon command).

I'm not numbering tac signs because I want to be able to flex between 3 and 4 combat platoons with the same tanks. Anyway, that kind of indication would just be too small.

My question is: how can I best make this one Sherman stand out? Would like it to be noticeable from 2 feet away: turret graffiti might not do.

Ideas?

P.S.: photos of current tanks: adding 7 or 8 more.

link

I see you already have commanders sticking out of your command tanks.

Presume these are 15mm, so glueing the Monty portrait figure from the 1/76 Matchbox 8th Army set to the rear deck is out.

Add a whip arial with a nice pennant? Maybe a swallow-tailed Napoleonic cavalry standard? You can get them printed in 15mm scale, so you won't have to hand-paint that fershlugginer white horse and all the little roses.

Cool ideas! Those tanks actually used to have 0.4mm brass aerials (two each!), but they poked players' fingers and made storage difficult, so I yanked them out before finishing painting.

The pennant sounds really cool, though: I might have to do it anyway!

Extra fig outside turret sounds pretty rad too. And the map. A map would be very clear at a distance.

P.S.: from my research, all these tanks had two aerials from the turret, one 0.8m and one 2.4m. Observer and higher command tanks also had one by the hull MG (another 2.4m length). British ones stuck straight up; it was the US tanks which had a pulley rig to let them bend back their aerials.

Add extra sandbags or baggage to the command tank. It doesn't scream "I'm in charge", but does make it different.

Large kill markers on the side?

Add a rock or small terrain feature to the front of one of the tracks, like it's about to climb over a log, fence post, etc.

Add barbed wire? (like it's dragging a fence that it drove through)

Toothbrush, or brush bristles work, and you don't have to glue them in. Keep some spares, if you don't, since without gluing them in place, some aerials will be lost.

Paint the stars on the sides of the vehicle(s) black, etc.

Name the tanks, and paint or apply decals to match.

Sounds like you're speaking from real experience, so I have to ask: how do you deal with an aerial coming out of the hull? Doesn't it stop the gun from traversing?

Id go with the antenna (aerials) idea.

In most cases even in WW-II the higher the Commander the more radios he need. That means more antennas.

One Mission as OPFOR at Fort Irwin in the mid 90, I see a M-3 Bradley, with 4 HUMMWV's following him OC's, (referees)we were fighting 3rd ACR. I look close and the dam'n thing has 4 Antennas on it. When he came in to range we volley fire with 4 RPG in to him. Killed the Bradley dead as dead. The thing stopped. Then out jumps the Regimental Commander (Full Bird) flips us off, jumps in his own HUMMWV (also with 4 Antennas and drives way.

The more Antennas the high the commander / his vehicle.

In smaller scale I used to use turret position to denote commanders. eg:
Turret gun trained to 2 o'clock position denotes troop commander
gun trained to 10 o'clock position denotes squadron commander etc

Pigasuspig:
As said above add more radio aerials.
Three for Squadron HQ, two for troop HQ and one for other ranks tanks. FOO's and Air Controllers should have three as well.
Rod Robertson

Cool ideas! Those tanks actually used to have 0.4mm brass aerials (two each!), but they poked players' fingers and made storage difficult, so I yanked them out before finishing painting.

Try some 10lb test monofilament fishing line or broom bristles instead of the brass rod. Nicely flexible and non-pokey. 25lb test works great, but it's thick.

I second the more antennas idea, since you already have TCs unbuttoned.

I agree … go with the antenna (aerials) idea.