Land Mattress 2nd Canadian AGRA

[ciaphas]

Very simple what is the easiest way to build these.

cheers

jon

[Ithoriel]

Based on the pics below I'd go for limber or utility trailer, some lengths of 0.5mm brass rod and a mix of card,wire and plasticard for the frame.

As to which limber/ trailer ... there I'm stuck. Anyone else have a suggestion?

[ciaphas]

hi, what I was originally thinking was take either the artillery trailer that comes with the 25pdr or the base for Nebelwerfers and get the Calliope from the Sherman, what do you think, I was thinking it would save time and effort. 

jon

[Ithoriel]

Depends how fussed you are about accuracy ciaphas.

The calliope launcher is a completely different arrangement of tubes (see below).

Personally I'd be perfectly happy to accept your version since it's obvious that it's a rocket launcher, purists might baulk at it.

Frankly, if you and your opponents are happy with it that's all that matters.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Front bogie from an AA gun should do you...

IanS

[fsn]

The 3" rocket would come down to about 0.5mm. The rocket would need to be about 10mm.

If you're keen and capable (I would be neither) couple of plasticard sheets, a drill and 30 bits of wire/tube?

Be keen to see your efforts.

[fred.]

A land mattress battery would be cool. It would show those Jerries with their pesky Neblewerfers!


If you could cut the calliope rockets in half, then stick the two halves on top of each other, you would probably be pretty close.

[ciaphas]

That was my idea Fred.  I was just wondering if there were a different way of doing it.  So off I go to pop these onto an order.   Any idea as to what towed these weapons?

jon

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

15cwt, 30cwt or 3 toner. Specialist tractor is also possible. I would go with the 3 toner myself.

IanS

[ciaphas]

Might go for Matadors just because they are huge and I don't have many.  Any thoughts on AOS etc.

thanks
jon

[fred.]

I would go for Matadors, they always look good.

Bouchery does not list the Canadian AGRAs

But for the British ones he has the 2nd Army badge (blue cross on white shield) along with red over blue RA badge (with thin white stripe at the bottom). Most of the regiments had 3 digit numbers from 173 to 194, but 5th AGRA had 1191 to 1196

So I guess the Canadian ones would be similar.

[Ithoriel]

Looks like the Nebelwerfer might make a decent basis for a conversion

[Ithoriel]

From the Flames of War site it seems the trucks used were 60CWT lorries and Bedford LAA gun tractors

"The rockets themselves were shipped to the launching site where the warhead, rocket motor and fuses were assembled by the battery crew prior to launch.  This consumed a lot of manpower and time preparing ammunition prior to an attack.  Near the end of the war assembled rockets were transported to the launch site by stacking them like cordwood in the 60 CWT transport trucks, practice that left a lot to be desired safety wise. This would later be adopted as the standard ammunition transportation practice with 15 Bedford LAA gun tractors specially modified to carry a complete salvo in each truck. The launchers were also unable to quickly change their ranging as each rocket required a specific spoiler to be screwed onto its nose to lower its range from between 4000-8000 yards making it difficult to hit targets tracking through different range bands."