"Cold War Terrain? Western Europe" Topic

Looking forward to doing a bit of Cold War gaming, from the 1950s – 1989, or so, in several scales, so thought it might be a good idea to ponder terrain for West Germany, and perhaps the Danish isles to start (maybe Sweden and Norway eventually too).

I'm thinking mainly open countryside, with perhaps some hilly valleys (small mountains), trees, roadways, small villages, etc..

Ideas for what makes the battlefield look like West Germany, and other suitable countries in Northwestern Europe?

Need ideas for 6mm, 12mm, and 15mm scales?

Yes, I know those technically aren't scales above, but was working to post this before the maintenance deadline – read 1/285th – 1/300th, 1/144th, and 1/100th scales, if you prefer.

Perhaps, obviously, some open grasslands, and/or low fields as well, between and around the small villages and towns, in the open valleys.

Ideas for making realistic looking, yet mobile hills and valleys, from felt or other fabric terrain, to channelize the movements of vehicles and troops would be greatly appreciated, too.

For me it is the little things such as road signs and advertising. Then road markings and clutter. Barrie Lovell at Timecast introduced me into that idea for 6mm games using MSH as rule set and I have continued it on.

Auhagen HO/TT range, which as this page explains is 1:100 scale, so 15mm.
link

There are several good search results from Google showing these against FOW figures. Their TT range is also pretty good for 15mm. What I like about the Auhagen range is that it's post WW2 and entirely German. They have a good range of road signs and building bits like doors and windows, for those inclined to scratch build.

Using Google Earth/Maps helps out with getting a good idea of the terrain for me.

I have always liked what this guy has achieved in 6mm:

6mm.wargaming.info/page2.shtml

Lots of fields of rape seed:

Unless you're doing a winter scenario

North German plain relatively flat with fewer features. South has hills, mountains, and significant forests. Autobahns are everywhere, as are villages.

Denmark: Country side is rural with a few farms here and there. Paved roads everywhere, a fair amount of woodland and overgrown area. Pretty flat.

Farms don't look any different from American family farms, like you'd see in New England anyways.

Yes realistic look auotbahns with lighting, gantrys, ramps etc are going to be the challenge I think…

Thanks for the info on Denmark, Weasel, and to you others for Germany.

I'm thinking some sort of gently rolling terrain, preferably, instead of the Ping-Pong table effect, if I can pull that off, bordered by trees and hills, with a smattering of small villages, and/or residential structures.

For the buildings, perhaps more peaked roofs, with at least a 45 degree angle on most of them, some even sharper than that. Also, some with the exterior wood beams showing, since they seem to be pretty common, at least amongst older buildings/homes/barns.

What about small gas stations or markets out in the country?

I've seen some included in other AARs and Battle Report photos, so imagine you might see some of those on rural roads as well, out in the country, or near villages, occasionally.

Any ideas for the types of buildings found most commonly in the small villages of the Fulda region of Germany?

Was rape all that common as a crop in the 80s? It's everywhere now, but I remember it being new and unusual in the early 90s.

Honestly, a lot of western European terrain is pretty interchangeable.

Oh, forgot to mention: Brick buildings, not wood, more often than not, at least up North but that was my impression when I've been to Germany as well.

Jemima rape as crop in Germany was common in the 80s. At least in area I was stationed in.

Remember seeing lots of it. Also we were given a cost per meter of crops in case of damage. It caused many very bad jokes when given a cost for a square meter of rape.

Plenty it in the north as well in the 80's.

I was in Germany in 1981 and rape fields were very common

High voltage power lines, telegraph poles, bitumen roads and concrete roads, large feilds of crop all help with making a table look modern

You don't see little stores or gas stations out in the middle of nowhere. The Germans are quite orderly. Small towns and villages dotted the countryside outside the large cities so you were never far from a little store. Gas stations though you had to look for since not every town or village had one. I'm glad my 5 years stationed in Germany is useful for doing terrain in games. lol

Thanks for that.

Yea, from what I've seen on-line (just done a little perusing, so need to do a lot more), it appears that many towns/villages are primarily residential, at least in some of the more rural areas near Fulda, with perhaps a restaurant, or inn/restaurant sprinkled about, here and there. Perhaps a small market too, here and there, but more like the old style of markets, from the 1950s, or earlier here in the USA, with the store downstairs, and living quarters above, on the second story (these appear to be located somewhere inside the town/village, as opposed to being on the outskirts.