Introduction. constructing a gun emplacement

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1 Introduction Like all sane and rational people, we re big fans of war films and this naturally extends to our wargaming hobby. Some of the most evocative small actions of World War II involve assaults on fixed gun positions by elite infantry, one famous example including Easy Company s attack on the guns at Brécourt Manor. Our own Rules of Engagement rules are very much scenario driven, where your forces are chosen once your objectives have been determined. This philosophy fits in perfectly with specific assault scenarios and with this in mind we wanted to recreate this sort of action on the tabletop. First thing was to make some terrain so following plenty of research in books and on the internet (and the Band of Brothers DVD) we spent an afternoon making and a morning painting a fixed German gun battery. The Plan One great thing about the wargaming industry is the amount of friendly traders who understand the benefit and nature of collaboration. This wider pool of knowledge directly benefits the customer who has access to a hugely versatile range of hobby goodness. In discussing this project, John from Ironclad Miniatures speeded ahead production of his new 28mm scale trench sections and our chums from Bolt Action Miniatures had already released their 105mm German howitzers. All that we had to concentrate on was making the actual gun pits and painting the whole position. The key considerations here were to make the terrain piece easy to store/ transport, great looking and with playability in mind. Materials Used Planning a little makes the whole process of terrain building flow more smoothly so it s worth working out what materials you will need, obtaining those you haven t got and checking that you have the rest to hand. Nothing ruins a terrain making day more than having to travel to get the modelling clay that you were sure you had. Below is a list of the tools and materials we used: Foamcard or Hardboard HD (High Density) Insulation Foam PVA Glue Air Hardening Modelling Clay Balsa wood Knife Files Super Glue Needle and Thread Model Netting and Foliage Static Grass Paints and Brushes

2 Modelling the Gun Position Although there are many good reference points for artillery positions, the terrain and available materials often dictated the layout and shape of the battery. These positions would often hug hedgerows or wooded areas as protection against aerial observation and attack. History and available evidence are very useful but, in this instance, the modeller and gamer should not feel constrained by them. German field fortification plans were used as guides rather than rigidly adhered to. Our position represents a hastily constructed 3-gun battery on the Western Front in 1944, camouflaged amongst the Normandy hedgerows. Paper strength indicated 4-gun batteries of this type in infantry divisions but losses and reallocation of resources meant that 3-gun batteries were common. Stage 1: Using the Ironclad Miniatures trench sections as a guide, we drew the shape of the base of the gun position on our foamcard and cut it out with a Stanley knife. Naturally, when using sharp implements, great care must be taken to avoid spending your terrain making day in casualty! A template designed to go with the Ironclad Miniatures trench sections is provided at the end of this guide. Stage 2: Next stage was to form the basic shape of a gun pit. A gun position would be located in a shallow pit, the moved earth being used to form protective walls. The HD foam was cut to make the base for an earth wall at the front and back of the position and modelling clay was applied to cover any holes. The front of the position will eventually be flush with the trench wall whereas the rear will be a much lower sandbag wall. Consideration was also taken for when lining the gun pit with flooring and supporting revetments.

3 Stage 3: Many of the plans for German field fortifications and gun positions extensively used logs and planking. Construction units used portable sawmills to cut specifically dimensioned logs for planking, revetments and even tables and beds. We cut thin strips from balsa wood and used PVA glue to secure them. For curved sections we soaked the balsa in water for 10 minutes, glued it in place then used nails to secure it until dry (about 2 hours). This drying time is perfect for making a cup of tea and moving onto sandbags. Stage 4: Sandbags were a valuable commodity (their worth is in the fact that two layers are enough to stop small-arms fire) on every front and surprisingly scarce. In fact, ammunition crates (that were meant to be returned to the munitions factory) and even empty oil drums filled with earth were used in the absence of purpose made sandbags. Sandbags are remarkably easy and cheap to make; we buy 1.5kg blocks of non-firing clay from hobby stores. First roll out a cylinder of clay, about 6mm in diameter, press down gently on the sausage to flatten the bottom, and then cut into 10mm length sections. To add more detail you may wish to use fine gauze to imprint a burlap sack texture and a knife to score the ends of the sandbag. The model sandbags are placed straight onto the terrain piece and then, with moist fingers, pressed into place to replicate the way that heavy sand sits and sags over the sides of any surface.

4 Stage 5: Next we cut strips of 1.5mm thick balsa to form the flooring of the gun pit. This needs to be a stable platform for firing so we made it more precise than the rough duckboards in the trenches. Again, the versatile PVA glue was used. Following that, the vertical support posts (using 2.5mm square balsa baton) were cut and glued in place. Time for more tea Stage 6: Camouflage netting was used extensively in addition to natural terrain for concealing gun positions, especially from the air. Our intention was to make our netting so that it could be removed to aid gameplay and avoid damage when moving figures in and out of the gun pit. With the sandbags still pliable, we cut the vertical poles (using 2.5mm baton) for the camouflage netting. The two front posts were approximately 65mm high and the two rear ones 45mm high. These were pressed against the pliable sandbags (to make an impression for later placement) and the cross beams super glued in place. Small supporting struts were added for rigidity. Once the super glue was dry PVA glue was dabbed around the joins to give added durability.

5 Stage 7: Now the terrain piece was prepared for painting. Earthen areas were textured with sand and any exposed foam was sealed with a mix of paint and PVA glue and left to dry overnight. The following morning the whole thing was undercoated black. Stage 8: For cover against aerial observation, we used a camouflage netting kit with model leaves from Antenociti s Workshop. You can also use a number of other items that will serve as netting or tarpaulin, such as gauze or kitchen paper towel. We laid our camo netting over the frame and used a needle and thread to secure the four corners, the middle of the crossbeams and the bunched netting on the frame legs. This is a bit fiddly but it avoids the mess that always occurs when trying to super glue the netting and makes the whole thing very secure. After cutting off excess netting and thread, a tiny drop of super glue was dropped on the threads.

6 Painting the Gun Position Painting terrain can be quick and easy, achieving great results without having to spend huge amounts of time. We painted the gun position and adjoining trenches over a single hour, including time for tea. Four paints are used in progressively lighter drybrush techniques, all from the Vallejo Model Colour range: Burnt Umber, Flat Earth, Brown Sand and Iraqi Sand. Stage 1: Heavy all-over drybrush of Burnt Umber. Stage 2: Drybrush of Flat Earth on earthen areas, sandbags, angles of posts and middle sections of flooring.

7 Stage 3: Drybrush of Brown Sand on earthen areas and heavy drybrush on sandbags. constructing a gun emplacement Stage 4: Light drybrush of Iraqi Sand on earthen areas and heavier drybrush on sandbags. Iraqi sand also used to pick out raised stones etc on earthen section.

8 Stage 5: Static grass, model leaves and foliage are generously added to represent turf and attempts to provide natural concealment. Stage 7: Model leaves were glued in patches over the netting.

9 Stage 8: Small details were added such as crew personal weapons, helmets and a box. There is plenty of scope for adding extra detail such as flags, bits of webbing, shells and other such items. The weapons and helmets that we used were provided by Bolt Action Miniatures, they do an excellent range of additional items which add a lot of character to a piece like this. Gun positions like this one once made can be used for a variety of different functions; instead of the artillery piece the position would be perfect for an Anti-tank gun or an Anti-aircraft weapon.

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