Must have been a bit scary going into deep water for the first time , just hoping that the tape held .
I think I would be nervous too — the manual doesn’t say to actually test the waterproofing, it just assumes the crew does the work correctly …
Great build and as always full of history.
Then I have some more for you, about that waterproofing
Of the 14 tanks landed at Westkapelle on 1 November 1944, only four or perhaps five
didn’t drown … However, none drowned in coming ashore — the rest got stuck on the remains of the dyke and, despite frantic efforts to tow them out with other tanks and armoured bulldozers, drowned when the tide rose too high.
For example, from the war diary of 87 Assault Squadron, Royal Engineers:
TWO TROOP, ASRE [replaced by “87 Aslt Sqn”]
[“(A2A)” added in pencil]
1st Nov Wednesday | 2C (A2) and 2E (A2A) left OSTENDE in LCT 757 (sic) at 0015 hrs. LCT also carried 2 Flails, one gun tank commanded by Major Pocock, and a bulldozer. These vehs comprised Bramble Lane and the crafts were due to touch down immediately after similarly loaded LCTs carrying Cherry and Damson Lanes had beached. LCTs carrying Cherry and Damson were hit and stood off to check up on damage.
Damson Lane (Lt Martin) returned to OSTENDE without beaching. Bramble touched down first at approx 1000 hrs and was followed by Apple and Cherry. A2 bogged immediately it left LCT. Two Flails and Comd Flail (sic) left LCT followed by Bulldozer and A2A with Bridge. Beach was very soft and muddy and only the following vehs got ashore:- 4 Flails, 2 AVsRE & 1 Bulldozer. These vehs moved to area of Tower at Westkapelle and did no fighting. Bulldozer used to clear a path to tower. Two of the four Flails were drowned during high tide at night. |
It says LCT 757, but that should be 737, which carried assault group
Bramble (though the Royal Engineers consistently talk about “lanes” where 1 Lothians and Border Yeomanry, who supplied the Crabs and Sherman command tanks, refer to “assault groups”).
The same war diary also has this report from assault group
Apple, carried in LCT 1005:
Wed 1st Nov 44 | We were scheduled to touch down at WESTKAPELLE at 0945 hrs, one hour after low tide, but our craft went to the assistance DAMSON craft on which a fascine had caught fire. AVRE crews manned the hoses on our craft but owing to the state of the hoses put more water on themselves than on the fascine. Craft touched down at 1100 hrs and leading flail went ashore, and immediately bogged on soft clay. Craft drew off and came back in, ten yards to North of bogged flails. The other 2 flails went off and also bogged. Realized that ground on which ramp was touching was no used for landing. Brought forward bridge AVRE and dropped bridged from ramp of LCT on to what I thought looked like hard ground some 25’ from ship. This ground was misleading as AVRE after running over bridge bogged in it. Fascine AVRE thinking we had got on to solid ground came on to bridge and LCT backed away. Bulldozer was unable to start and did not come off the craft. After unsuccessful efforts to get A2B out of the clay called forward A2A to tow it out. Nearest A2A could approach because of tide was 30 yds and by time tow ropes were found and coupled up the waves were washing in through the turret of A2B. As I feared for safety of driver I gave orders to abandon the effort and we swam ashore with what kit we could carry. The conduct of Spr Rampley during this stage merits recognition. Standing up to shoulders in water and during all the mortaring he helped me couple up tow ropes with a coolness that set an example to the remainder of the crew. The two crews being soaked to the skin the first consideration was shelter and a fire. This we got in one of the houses in the village. At low tide we went back to the AV’sRE to salvage kit and food. Spent night in house. |
The bridge AVRE referred to above is not T68927, number A2A, that I’m building, but A2B (the “me” is Lt. J C Ramsay of the Royal Engineers). Just the other day, I came across this picture, that I had never seen before, in a
Canadian movie news report about the landings:
Visible there is LCT 1005, the SBG bridge lying from its bow ramp is clearly visible, as are the two Crabs bogged down this side of it and one behind; AVRE A2B was either to the right of the picture or still inside the LCT, and in either case, A2C (“fascine AVRE” in the report) is also inside the LCT at this point, because it got stuck
on the bridge after landing.
Notice the report mentions A2A as being used to try and tow others free. It ended its war a bit higher up on the “beach” but never did make it into the village, but it’s not clear to me why. It doesn’t
look like it got stuck, but maybe it did, just not as badly as the others?
That is amazing work. Love the tracks - the detail!! Mind you, all of the detail is stunning.
Thanks. Pretty much all of it is straight from the box — the only parts I replaced for being overscale, were the tie rods and hooks for the wading ducts. AFV Club kits all have very fine details, though that also makes them harder to build than many other brands.