US Combat Engineers with Satchel Charges

Combat Engineers are often described as 'Force Multipliers' because they enhance the survival of regular troops. In the US Engineer Soldiers Handbook (Field Manual 21-105 issued June 1943) it goes further, telling new engineers... "You are going to make sure that our own troops move ahead against all opposition, and you are going to see that enemy obstacles do not interfere with our advance". While this may mean building bridges or laying communication lines, there are also combat tasks that need to be performed that require an engineer at the tip of the spearhead. 

Chapter 9 of the Handbook is entitled Assault of a Fortified Position and describes how multiple teams of engineers can work towards fixed enemy positions to destroy them. Brevity must have been the order of the day when writing this chapter because it consists of two short pages. Reading it you are left in no doubt that some of the duties of a combat engineer were highly dangerous. 

"A typical prepared defensive system of fortifications consists of a number of mutually supporting strong points, such as concrete emplacements called 'Pill-boxes'. The best way many of these can be destroyed is by foot troops armed with special weapons. It's a difficult combined-arms job to which engineers are often assigned. It requires aggressiveness, skill, speed, teamwork, courage, and determination."

These models by Peter Pig are carrying M2 Demolition Satchel Charges. In the post-war period they were called M37 Demolition Charges but these later versions used C4 (not invented until 1956) while the second world war versions were filled with eight blocks of TNT. They included two priming assemblies and a 'ripcord' type pull igniter. Try as I might I haven't been able to find out what the timer length was on these (if you know, please leave a comment below) although I imagine it could be set by the engineer depending on how it was being used. 

My Dice Hate Me

My ability to fail a crucial morale check or a lose a supposedly unlosable melee has become legendary. Dice are supposed to be randomizers that will give a range of results... But not for me. It's recognised that I consistently underperform when a dice roll is called for, so much so it has become a running joke. Friday's episode of The Quarantined Wargamer I discuss the desperation that a Dice Curse can produce in gamers, and give a few real-world examples of when the dice have let me down. 

As usual, I would ask that if you enjoyed the video you hit the Like button, consider subscribing to my  Channel and join the conversation by leaving your stories in the comments section. Next week I'll be discussing the importance of taking notes or keeping a painting diary. Until then, stay safe and keep rolling high! 

WWII Germany Army Medics

With the bulk of my combat troops painted and rebased, I decided it was time to work on some ancillary troops like medics. I recently bought these German Medics from Peter Pig and I really like the details on them. From what I have seen in various photo's online it looks like they wore regular army uniform but supplemented this with a white helmet with red crosses clearly painted on front and rear. Some pictures show large red crosses others have smaller ones on all four sides of the helmet. These guys also have medical red cross tabards over their uniforms and I painted in armbands as well as to finish the 'uniform'. Two of the medics also carry a medical haversack marked with a red cross. 

Official German medical haversacks had a horsehair cover, but this was very heavy when it got wet. From what little I have read a regular canvas haversack was prefered and a lot of the pictures I have seen show German Medics utilising canvas haversacks. 

From what little I have read medics were largely (but unfortunately not exclusively) treated as non-combatants by both sides. Firing on a medic was against the Geneva Conventions and was therefore considered a war crime, although that didn't stop examples of some SS using wounded men as bait and shooting allied medics. However, on the whole, this was not the case, although it was still a hazardous job. Battlefield medics on both sides saved countless lives and fought their war with little more than medical scissors, gauze and if they were lucky, morphine. Historian Stephen Ambrose once said that whenever a veteran spoke about someone as "the bravest man I ever knew" they were usually speaking about a medic. 

Top tips for Buying on eBay

eBay is without a doubt a great place to look for bargains, find out of stock or heritage items, but it can be a bit caveat emptor (buyer beware). It is not always the cheapest option, especially if you get carried away in an auction, and buying from private sellers can be an 'interesting' experience. The latest episode of The Quarantined Wargamer lists my top tips on how to get the best out of buying on eBay.

If you have any extra tips you'd like to share please leave a comment here or on YouTube, I'd love to hear from you. As always I'd ask that you consider subscribing to my channel so you never miss an opportunity to see me make a fool of myself! You can always unsubscribe later when you get fed up of looking at my ugly mug. 😉