27th Armoured Brigade in 6mm for Normandy battles

While making changes to the way I store some of my 6mm kit, I took these photographs of my WW2 Sherman armoured brigade.  They are organised for Blitzkrieg Commander with three armoured battalions, each of three squadrons of three 75mm Sherman stands and one 17pdr Firefly.  One squadron in each battalion has a 105mm infantry support stand in place of a regular 75mm Sherman.  Each battalion has a HQ squadron comprising an HQ Sherman stand, a Crusader II AA stand, two M5 Stuart recce stands and a Sherman tank recovery stand.  The Brigade HQ squadron comprises a CO Sherman stand, a Valentine scissors AVLB and/or a Churchill Ark and three Sherman FAOs with dummy guns.  There is also a defence 75mm Sherman stand not in the photograph.  All of the models are Heroics and Ros, painted in Vallejo acrylics Russian Uniform, except the Fireflies, which have been made greener by adding olive green.  I might add sky blue to the 17pdr barrel ends to reflect artist, Rex Whistlers' suggestion to camouflage the longer barrel and prevent German AT gunners selectively targeting the Fireflies (Whistlers' brother was serving in an armoured brigade at the time).

Vertical view of the brigade.  To the right are the DD Shermans of the 13th/18th Royal Hussars, then the regular Shermans of the 1st East Riding Yeomanry and then the Staffordshire Yeomanry, with the brigade HQ squadron at the extreme left.

One of the 13th/18th Hussar squadrons, three DD Shermans and a Firefly.  Only the DD Shermans were used in the initial assault waves, the Fireflies were landed later from LCMs.

13th/18th Hussars.

1st East Riding Yeomanry (front), Staffordshire Yeomary (rear).

The brigade HQ squadron, minus the defence platoon.

 A close up of the 13th/18th Hussars DD tanks.  Incredibly, only 8 platoons of DD tanks were included in the initial assault phase (8 stands).

Another view of a DD squadron plus Firefly.

13th/18th Hussars recce M5 stand and Crusader II AA stand.

13th/18th Hussars Sherman recovery vehicle and M5 recce stand.

Yet another view of a Sherman DD squadron with Firefly.

As part of the restorage process I'll be digging out the British 3rd Division infantry, so will try and photograph them too - a full brigade, initially intended to represent the 8th Brigade assault troops.  My intention was to build up enough forces to play a Sword Beach campaign incorporating the airborne and beach landings.  So far got one infantry, one armoured and one airborne brigade, plus assets, so probably enough for a campaign.

Cheers