"Ham & Jam" Topic

As the 70th anniversary of D-Day looms this year I thought that it would be a good opportunity to have a go at recreating this Operation in 15mm for a Flames of War demonstration game. Sure, it's has been done before and not only for FoW. Recent research like Neil Barber's ‘The Pegasus and Orne Bridges‘ clarifies much (and puts some popular misconceptions to bed) but there are still many elements – like the exact composition and layout of the German defences – that just aren't well understood outside of a few specialists (and this hallowed forum!).

So, with this in mind, I'm going to make Model Dads' the home of Ham and Jam, a 15mm or 1/100th scale demonstration game recreating the initial stages of Operation DEADSTICK namely the coup de main that captured the river crossings over the Orne in the early hours of the 6th June 1944.

Along for the drop we have Battlefront who have kindly agreed to sponsor the table by providing some of the figures and vehicles. I hope to have everything ready by the end of May 2014 after which I'd like to take the demonstration game to some of the shows around the UK including The Army Flying Museum who have also kindly agreed to sponsor the game.

You can check out all the posts to-date here: link

Thanks for the heads up. Keep us posted here as things progress. The initial assaults and the subsequent defense of the area has always been of interest to me. Good luck with the project.

Yes fantastic idea and all the best. Keep us posted!

I was fortunate enough to attend the Rededication ceremony for the new (exact facsimilie) bridge on HMS Portland in 2004 so this is an area I know well…really very flat which helps I suppose.

(not well enough to know that getting a 5,000 ton frigate 4 clicks down the Caen canal was going to be an interesting exercise)

Sparker-
I hope nobody fired a PIAT at you during your travels.

No Mate! Just far more of the local cider brandy than was good for us…

Turning the frigate around would be particularly troublesome I suppose. Or did you just back up?

Yes we must have stern boarded all the way out – I can't actually remember much apart from a shocking hangover every morning…

Took some friends back to Caen when in the area for a battlefield tour barely 2 years later and couldn't even find the charming little restaurant we had frequented…

LOL – good story Sparker. I went there for the 65th anniversary with a load of veterans. Fantastic! Been working on scratch building some of the buildings in the area. Will post regular updates as stuff gets done…

Latest update for you, tiles are beginning to shape up:
link

Very Nice!!!

Very nice. Who makes the gliders?

Old Glory – they've been a bit of a handful but, in the UK, it's about your best bet…

Thanks. They look 'right'.

Thats looks excellent (although the 'bit of a handful' made me wince as I was intending to purchase some).

What are you doing regarding the bridge? Look forward to seeing more,
BALM.

Hi BALM – I've had it lasercut in Germany, I'll detail more on the blog. The best alternative, Armaments in Miniature, are re-tooling their kit but I'm sure that will be finished shortly. Their gliders look good too but P&P is high.

The gliders' resin resists painting and the quality of the casting is less than desirable but they're OK and do the job.

Thank you. Only asked as I noticed yesterday Warbases are about to release theirs at salute (saving up for afterwards). Did wonder if you were about to make me cry with a beautiful scratchbuilt affair.

Probably only going as big as Waco's on table but the big british ones are patriotically tempting. Look forwards to more.

BALM

That's an interesting lead, thanks.

The bridge, glider and HQ look a bit ropey but the school house and cafe are fine.