As mentioned by Idler above for an Arnhem diorama the 6 pounder should be the Airborne version which had split trails and less shielding (the extra separate bit of armour was removed and they seem to have had a straight top edge to the armour rather than the waves) - it may also have other differences but I haven't paid them that much attention - if you look at photos of the one at Heelsum it may help.
Nice Allan I came across this kit (?) on the internet: WORLD WAR II | Operation Market Garden | King & Country Nice British Airborne figures but quite expensive ...
A dreary slew of detail pictures, in case of any use - Fort Nelson's Airborne 6pdr: (Don't blame me. I was asked by a mate to take 'em.)
Fort Nelson's a cracker, really. Well worth the visit if passing through. Brilliant building full of things I recognise from childhood 'bumper book of guns' stuff - and 'free'. I want to take their armoured test plates home with me... Sorry, I've digressed badly, though there is a crisper picture of the 6pdr there that shows the trail & joints. Back to Arnhem equipment.
nice but bit out of my price range maybe i could modify mine to look something like it, can always try with a bit of cursing and swearing !
by by the way it doesnt say if its in kit form or ready built ? i'd rather have kit form more challenging
The key difference with the Airborne 6-pr was the narrower track. This article has a downloadable pdf that summarises the basic changes: Making an Airborne 6 pounder Anti-Tank Gun - Valiant Miniatures
I don't know what it is but liked it when I saw it in Von Poop's post above it. It does look like the Type 31 in this wiki post. I think you IDd it. Thanks. Type 31 75 mm mountain gun - Wikipedia
The topic jogged my memory of the attached photograph in one of my late father's albums of a knocked out Mk IV, which he annotated as being in Arnhem. The photo is something of a mystery. I believe the location is indeed Arnhem and that the photograph was taken in the industrial area to the east of the road bridge. Stolpi will confirm this I'm sure. My father commanded 7 Platoon, C Company, 2 Para and he was captured in the area of the museum on Utrechtseweg, so the photograph was certainly not taken by him at the time of the battle. Also, I am not aware of any fighting in the industrial area at the time of the Sep 44 battle. It could be that it was a tank knocked out during Arnhem's final capture in April 45, and as I seem to remember that my father returned to Arnhem soon after the war, it could be that he took the photograph on that occasion. Other points of note: it looks as if there is a gasometer in the back left of the photo; the penetration that knocked out the Mk IV is clearly visible low down on the front (appliqué ?) armour; the tank still has its hull machine-gun in place so preliminary battlefield clearance has yet to take place; and side skirts are visible on the tank's left side. Thoughts?! John
Yup, hard east of the bridge at Arnhem and knocked out during the September 1944 fighting (airborne battle). The location is Westervoortsedijk near the Camiz milk processing plant (that's the industrial building you see on the picture). The Pz IV tank belonged to Kampfgruppe Knaust (more specifically the Panzer Coy Mielke) an was KO'd by a 6-pounder AT gun during an attack on the airborne positions at the northern end of the bridge. Quote from Bob Gerritsen's book "Retake Arnhem": "The 6-pounder of Sergeant Cyril Robson [..] opened fire at a range of 200 meters and scored three direct hits through the front armor". While in hurry I could not find a date for this action but it must have been around 19/20 September 44 (?) (Edit: first probing attack by Knaust in the afternoon of 18 September) JDKR - Your photo was taken in 1945 after Arnhem had been taken by the Allies.
But didn't the one under the 'bridge' end up with the bridge on top of it? I'm struggling to tally up the buildings with what I've got to hand - Market-Garden Then and Now is quarantined with my dad.
Original RAF photo taken in 1945 with pontoon bridge next to the blown up bridge from my collection. I have 20 photos from a recon from Arnhem to a DZ taken in 45 Keith
Idler - Yes you are right, this is the same tank as the one with what you call 'the bridge' on top of it. 'The bridge' is a structure (pipe line?) between two buildings from the Camiz milk processing plant running high across the Westervoortsedijk. This structure collapsed at some point during the battle and landed on top of the tank. If you look at the aerial, I posted above, the stucture is right at the end of the arrow line which points at the location of the Pz IV. You even see the shadow of it projected on the Westervoortsedijk. By the time the other picture of the Pz IV (previous post) was taken the debris already had been removed. The pipe bridge before the war: Photo courtesy: Arnhem
