leo charron (no login) from IP address 70.55.57.227
I ordered the Gasoline 6lb/57mm A/T gun through Meeta. It is pictured as the standard version, but I want to convert it to the paratrooper version. I have plenty of pics of the standard version. Does anyone have any info on the required changes for the airborne version?
Leo, try this URL:http://www.missionmodels.com/product.php?productid=99944&cat=301&page=2, we'll try to get you something here. This is a photo of a Resicast 1/35 paratroop 6 pdr, apparently not released yet. It appears to be the later version of the 6 pdr gun with a narrowed and lightened carriage, which is what you would expect for a paratroop version. As far as I have been able to make out, this was only a British gun, and the US paras used the standard 57mm M1, as land-based infantry.
The 82nd and 101st Airborne landed with artillery on D-Day. However, since the US manufactured gun was a standard infantry version, they (the US paratroopers) had to use the British paratrooper version, notably at St. Mere Eglise. I believe they had a narrowed axle and modified shield to fit in gliders, but cannot find any reference on it.
Note also that the Para version also had modified split trails. They were hinged in the middle. I did have some photos that I downloaded from an now defuct web site, but I seem to have lost them.
Had the answer right under my nose, in the Osprey book on British A/T guns. No pics or text on it, but a clear drawing of the gun shield and the hinged trails.
Terry Ashley will review this Resicast gun on PMMS when it is released. Terry usually has excellent references, and just looking at the instruction sheet will give us a good idea of how the gun goes together.
