LRDG Chevrolet 30CWT with Breda

Like this





or like this...

Some pic's with the breda gun...

Ok ok ..these are the camouflage you were talking about I think...

http://lrdg.hegewisch.net/camo.html

This is very informative site......

http://lrdg.hegewisch.net/camo.htmllrdg.hegewisch.net/lrdg.html


and good color photos...






Ivan is it true they were pink yak.....

Are you sure Ivan? Read an article on a mag it showed various schemes...didnt specify which oir were not used with Breda....

Dottore

Direct Action
Wavell referred to the LRDG as his mosquito columns. One of their principle direct action duties involved harassing raids on important targets. The such missions were later also conducted by the SAS (who enjoyed raiding airfields). Where as the SAS tended to go guns blazing down the middle of an airstrip, the LRDG tended to lay mine fields, set up ambushes and occasionally commit a small raid on an important priority target, sometimes in conjunction with other commando and special operations units. However, because their main mission was to gather intelligence, the direct action capabilities were often kept in check. The idea was for the enemy not to even know the LRDG had been there when on reconnaissance. Thus an ambush would not take place where a successful road watch was employed.

The LRDG was also sometimes used as part of of large scale raids. For the most part, they were not really designed to operate in such a fashion and the raids met with only marginal success.


How did the LRDG do it?
According to Lloyd Owen and others, the LRDG often conducted an ambush from the back of their trucks. They would back up their trucks to the ambush site with bonnets (hoods) facing away from the road and space the trucks about 25 yards (meters) apart. They would often sit for hours waiting for just the right target to come by. One such target would be fuel trucks. Besides shooting up the enemy vehicles they would quickly look through papers and check for radio frequencies but would not spend a long time at the ambush site (kill zone). After or sometimes while waiting on the enemy they would cut down communication lines.

From recent studies of BW fotos and war diaries and the originals [veterans] memory it seems both SAS and LRDG experimented in different camos depending the area they were ... infact it looks like jeeps from LRDG were mottled in gaudy colours and SAS also used camo besides the sand on their jeeps. There were also a group organised from Indian and Polish soldiers to add more confusion.

What I can say Doc till date no one for sure knows,no standarisation and each truck was armed different and to the purpose needed, one has to consider weathering and fading aswell. Regarding the Breda loaded, to be exact I just came across 2 fotos till date which are hard to understand what camo used, probably from the look is a heavy weathered one, so you have somne 'artistic licensce'.

Regarding raids the 'biggest ones' by LRDG were an Italian airfield attack and were confronted by Italian tankettes, one was rammed by a chevy ... but as Noel wrote, they were more used for intelligence and SAS took the action!

Great job on this LRDG Chevrolet.

But pink .

Regards

ajcmac

skyhigh wrote:Ok ok ..these are the camouflage you were talking about I think...

http://lrdg.hegewisch.net/camo.html

This is very good Marco, prosit!

Yep strange to see pink but it's the best desert camo, infact SAS during the Oran conflict [50s] [Pink Panther landrovers] used it and the Italians used it for their Tornado jets in Gulf War 1.

Ivan

Here is some original colors I think.......

I agree with what Ivan said. So don't go crazy on what has to be a perfect colour. I would follow Starmers studies on camo.... if you don't have them ..... you should get them!!!

When pink is referred to, it does not mean Barbie pink! I would imagine a subtle pastel pink. Lifecolor have this pink and I used it on my Sherman.

Noel

Noel Petroni wrote:I agree with what Ivan said. So don't go crazy on what has to be a perfect colour. I would follow Starmers studies on camo.... if you don't have them ..... you should get them!!!

When pink is referred to, it does not mean Barbie pink! I would imagine a subtle pastel pink. Lifecolor have this pink and I used it on my Sherman.

Noel

Noel though I agree with you I doubt Stamers referances apply to LRDG though, they operated seperatly from the army, infact vehicles were purchased different and locally converted and most probably they used paint what they lay hands on, could be army, navy, airforce, axis and most probable local purchase in Egypt! But yes a good base to refer schemes to ...

Marco, that image of the real car [apart not a 30WT] is rusty and weathered, can't really consider that after 50+ exposure to the elements! Seen that at IWM and not sure if it is an original LRDG aswell!

Iv

Just left to scratch some tarps for the front bumper racking, fit the Lewis Machine gun above the stowage pile and other items in the truck bed...

Dottore

Lovely Dot! That was a quick built aswell!

lovely work and inspiring.

wonderful.

Proset Dottore. Cannot wait to see it finished in a diorama....

Ignatius

Lovely work Doc, looking sharp!

These trucks were realy strong for such load carrying and the terrain they were in...

Helwa man! Veru helwa!

Is it your first WWII Africa vehicle? You will enjoy doing the weathering!