Sunday 20 October 2019

CMP 15 cwt truck for the Hasty Ps

The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment now has some transport.  Theoretically, each platoon in an infantry battalion had a 15 cwt CMP truck assigned (15 hundredweight, approximately 3/4 ton).  In Sicily, there was a great shortage of vehicles, as the ship carrying most of the 1st Division's vehicles was torpedoed en route.  As a result, soldiers were required to walk everywhere and carry everything they needed.  Even if they'd had the truck, however, they'd still need to walk, as it was far too small to carry more than a few soldiers and was really intended to haul equipment and supplies.

I've decided to be a bit more optimistic, and I've provided the Hasty Ps with their very own CMP 15 cwt truck!  The model is from Rubicon Models, and a sweet little model it is.  My research on camo patterns for Sicily was not very successful - I found loads of information for trucks in NW Europe, some for the North African campaign, but precious little for any other theatres.  So I've improvised and assumed a bit, and followed inspiration from my previous efforts with the Sherman III, also a Rubicon kit. 


Vehicle markings are from the decal sheet that comes with the kit.  The red square with yellow maple leaf is the formation sign for 1st Canadian Infantry Division, the red square with '56' is the unit sign for the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment (second battalion in the senior infantry brigade).  There's also a yellow bridging disk.  The sheet didn't actually have a '56' unit sign, so I built one by chopping up two other signs and sticking them together!




Finally, a few comparison shots with the Sherman III and the platoon commander.





4 comments:

  1. I've not seen this CMP truck model before! It looks brilliant!

    (Damn, now I feel like I need some for my Canucks - even though I've not painted or put any of them on the table in years!?)

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    1. Thanks, Tim! It's a great model kit, comes with lots of choices of how to build it. I chose the most boring covered canopy as that allows the greatest flexibility (what's the truck carrying? Whatever I say it is!) But there are several other configurations possible.

      But generally, trucks are mostly just targets at the level of game I'm planning. Tanks, carriers, and the like are far more sexy ;)

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    2. Ha! Yes, of course. I picked up three Tamiya German trucks that were on sale somewhere (which I still haven't assembled) basically to use as targets in a scenario involving the SAS/LRDG trucks I've picked up!

      When you do make a carrier, you need to model a smallish subaltern in the back looking straight up in the air (at circling hawks above) through his field glasses!

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    3. Haha, I'll see what I can do. Carriers not yet in the queue, but I'll find a way to get 2Lt Mowat on the table somehow...

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