So I have been
casting about for something to make after completing my Arnhem model. After
looking at a range of projects I have finally settled on a Brécourt Manor
board. Brécourt Manor is the site of the famous D-Day action undertaken by Lt
Dick Winters and Easy Company against a battery of German artillery firing on
Utah beach. Here’s a handy video from the TV series Band of Brothers.
I decidedly this
looked like a decent project because it was different from Arnhem, was small
enough to fit within my household space constraints, could be fought in 6mm,
and would make a decent diorama or participation game. I know a number of people have modelled it before but none I've seen are in 6mm.
Whilst Arnhem was
designed to be as accurate as possible I have taken a much more flexible
approach to the design and build of this project.
I started with the
aim of fitting it onto a single 600 by 900mm board. I intend to represent each
soldier and weapon on both sides individually using Adler and GHQ models in
1:285 or 6mm. The ground scale though is closer to 1:600. I have ignored the
Manor itself which would be just off the board.
I looked at a number
of very helpful websites to provide information on the battlefield and the
battle. A review of all the information I could find resulted in a number of
additional choices and compromises.
A contour overlay
from a very useful website, https://contourmapcreator.urgr8.ch/,
clearly indicates that the entire battlefield is essentially flat. The contours
are at 1m intervals and this combined with the high zoom mean the info is very
much indicative and approximate. I have therefore decided to leave the board
flat.
The location of the
actual German positions were not in the field as shown in the TV series but
within the hedgerow, most likely using a pre-existing drainage channel.
Photos from the day and shortly after show minimal indication the Germans were there
at all. However I don’t want the game to be any more fiddly than is has to be
so I have moved the German positions out of the hedgerow.
There are also two
schools of thought on the location of the guns themselves, with the position of
the 1st gun disputed. Many sources, including the TV show, place the 3rd gun
away from the other and facing west rather than north. Others place all the guns
facing north. I’m not going to make a big deal about it but I’ve decided all 4
guns in the diorama will face north in a single line.
I have also moved
the location of the bunker and ammo store to fit better with the model layout. I have helpfully stolen a trench map and overlaid it on my contour image as the basis for placing the trenches.
 |
| Adjusted sketch map of the trenches overlaid on satellite image. Squares = 10cm on the board |
I am also
unconvinced that the guns were covered by camo nets, but I’ll probably try and
make some just to give it a go. They are likely to be removable and come off
the model very quickly in a game because they will be fragile and just get in
the way.
Next time I’ll talk
about the building of the base board.
Keep your dice
rolling!
Charles the Modeller
