Review – BPM India Pattern Carrier

 

The Butler’s Printed Model India Pattern Carrier is an excellent model. Here it is compared to the Flames of War offering, which is also spot on the nail at 1:120. The usual comments about print lines apply. Both models have PSC bren carrier crews added, with Peter Pig turban heads.

PSC Universal Carriers, and FoW India Pattern Carrier – WIP

 

The Universal Carrier was the workhorse that grew out of the pre-war tankette programmes, and which survived when the tankettes became outclassed by heavier tanks. It found its niche as a light-armoured personel carrier, being superceded in the British army by the US-produced M3 half track, and eventually by the FV432; but not before some 113,000 had been built according to Wickipedia.

PSC have produced a game-changer with their 15mm box of 9 carriers. The variations available have cracked open the market, with a plethora of spare crew and accessories to use after your preferred choice of model has been built.

I doubt if many gamers will be building seven FOO versions straight out of the box – but you can if you want to, and that is the strength of this offering. In price and flexibility they knock the spots of everyone’s resin offerings; okay, so you have to stick them together. Grow a spine youngsters, you are living in the Golden Age of 15mm kit offerings!

My motley crew are undercoated, tarted up with a few extra FOOs and heading off to their artillery regiments for active service. A couple are left for a Soviet lendlease example used by the divisional scout company,  and a spare carrier for a motor rifle battalion.

That just leaves the India Pattern Carrier, a FoW resin offering that has been waiting for some Sikh crew. Spare PSC bodies from the carrier set and a couple of Peter Pig heads completed the job. Here they are in all their silver-headed glory, waiting for some paint – Raman Singh and Jamansing*. The Soviet crew in the carrier behind are from the Command Decision tank Riders, and a PP Scout Commisar.

*Jamansing is a Gurung. I’m not quite sure how he ended up in a Punjabi regiment.

Don’t Take a Knife to a Gunfight …

… and if you are going to a gunfight, take lots of guns!

Field Regiment. Flames of war 25pdrs, Morris Quad gun tractors and India pattern carrier. Some Peter Pig crew.

The 8th Army has enough field regiments now to equip five divisions, with two regiments of medium guns, one heavy and one light antiarcraft regiment.

Spot the new PSC CMP gun tractor on the left and a QRF Austin truck that is – to my eyes – indistinguishable from the old Denzil Skinner die cast.

Keen viewers will spot the usual out-of -scale substitutions, placeholders and WIP models scattered about.

More Denzil Skinner castings of the Morris Quad gun tractor by QRF, with a mixed regimentof 18pdrs and 25pdrs. Zvezda Dingo.

If Rommel  comes unexpectedly though, the rounds will still be heading down range en masse.

The 4.5″ regiment is made from Really Useful Guns with Peter Pig crews, Zvezda Matador gun tractors and a Skytrex Dingo

88th and 94th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery. FoW AA guns, QRF tractors. Skytrex Humber A/C standing in.

27th (London Electrical Engineers) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery with two light antiaircraft regiments.

4th Indian Infantry Division

The 4th Indian Infantry Division were old desert hands by the time of the battles at EL ALAMEIN. Here they are, having fought through solidly since GAZALA:

4th Indian Infantry Division

Major-General Francis Tuker (known widely as “Gertie”)

Commander in India Pattern Carrier or Jeep (C3)

• Central India Horse (Reconnaissance)

  • Vickers MkVI Tank (R3) + 2 Recce Markers
    

• 5th Battalion, 6th Rajputana Rifles (machine gun battalion) MMG (S3)

• 1st Field Regiment Royal Artillery Quad FAT + 25pdr (S3)

• 11th Field Regiment Royal Artillery Quad FAT + 25pdr (S3)

• 32nd Field Regiment Royal Artillery Quad FAT + 25pdr (S3)

• India Pattern or Universal Carrier + 6pdr (S3)

• 57th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery

  • Morris Limber + 40mm Bofors AA (S3) (or portee)

• 2nd Field Company, Bengal Sappers and Miners

  • Truck (L3) + optional trailer + 2 Sappers (E3)

• 4th Field Company, Bengal Sappers and Miners

  • Truck + optional trailer + 2 Sappers (E3)

• 12th Field Company, Madras Sappers and Miners

  • Truck + optional trailer + 2 Sappers (E3)

• 11th Field Park Company, Madras Sappers and Miners

  • Low Loader + D7 bulldozer (E3)

• 4th Indian Division Signals Morris or Bedford Signals truck (C3)

5th Indian Infantry Brigade

Brigadier Dudley Russell Commander + Mortar (C3)

• 1/4th Battalion, Essex Regiment Rifles (F3)

• 4th (Outram’s) Battalion, 6th Rajputana Rifles  Rifles (F3)

• 3rd (Queen Mary’s Own) Battalion, 10th Baluch Regiment  Rifles (F3)

7th Indian Infantry Brigade

Brigadier Arthur Holworthy  Commander + Mortar (C3)

• 1st Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment  Rifles (F3)

• 4th Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment  Rifles (F3)

• 1st Battalion, 2nd King Edward’s Own Gurkha Rifles Rifles (F3)

61st Indian Infantry Brigade

Brigadier Francis E.C. Hughes Commander + Mortar (C3)

• 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders  Rifles (F3)

  

• 1st Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment Rifles (F3)

  By now, it will be obvious to even the most casual reader of this blog that I mix and match British desert infantry. A few turbans, Glengarries, Tam-o-Shanters and slouch hats mixed in with a lot of steel battle bowlers and berets make up the necessary numbers. I must get some of those splendid Kiwi scout hats to add to the mix.