3D- Day!!
Operation Overlord
Commemorating a “3D-Day”
This coming June 6th, 2019 will mark the 75th anniversary of the Allied invasion on North West Europe; the landing of American, British and Canadian forces on the beaches of Normandy and the airborne landings that immediately preceded them.
There are multiple scenarios for replicating these battles in existing Bolt Action books as well a new release of a specific D-Day-Overlord campaign book
Bolt Action Campaign: D-Day: Overlord
For those of us seeking to 3d print a table top force for fighting this, likely the best-known campaign of world war two, we have no shortage of material to work from. Let’s look at what’s out there, 3d model wise, to build both forces as well as scenarios and battlefield terrain.
The Wehrmacht
For those who play Germans in 28mm gaming, this is your high-water mark. You have everything from captured French Renaults to King Tigers to put on the table.
Here are just a few of historically correct .stls that are available. Most of these are already in 28mm scale, but some – such as Tiger Ace’s – are in 1/100. Check the scale and upsize in your slicer as required. There isn’t a faxed ratio; check the hull length and width and go to tank encyclopedia or another site and do the math – ( Length or width divided by 56 = length or width to entire into your slicer; resize all parts at the percentage indicated).
The British and Canadian
The commonwealth forces were equipped with mostly American tanks – Shermans and Stuarts – but still had British armour with them; the Churchills and their many variants, the ubiquitous universal carrier, and the Canadian RAM, which never saw action in its original form but was converted into a fully tracked APC.
The airborne units employed tetrarch tanks, special converted jeeps, among other bits of kit.
The Americans
By 1944 the American economic engine was running at full speed, and the U.S. was not only supplying the millions of American troops fighting across the globe but also supplying its Western allies with equipment but also providing vast quantities to the Soviet Union under Lend Lease. Vast numbers of tanks, trucks, jeeps and half tracks rolled into France and towards the heart of the Reich.
Where to look for the appropriate files?
First, make sure what you are looking for is appropriate for the summer of ’44. Development of new weapons was quite rapid, so something really appealing – say, an M26 Pershing or a M24 Chaffee, was not in Europe until the following winter. While we are used to seeing the German Uber-tanks – King Tigers and awesome Panthers – on a lot of game tables, the Germans in the Normandy sector also employed, due to equipment shortages – a lot of dated captured equipment, such as R35 and H35 French tanks, re-purposed Universal carriers they had captured in 1940, among other items. They even used Renault FTs in fighting around Paris in August 1944.
A great catch all, particularly for smaller scale and SLA prints, is the Bergman 1-100th pack
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3553160
British/Canadian
Sherman tanks – check the file scale and upsize accordingly.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2926163
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2318834
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:178292
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2612054
Tank Destroyers
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2476519
Churchill Tank
https://www.wargaming3d.com/product/churchill-tank-4-versions-28mm/
Universal Carrier
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/british-universal-carrier-28mm/
25 pounder field gun
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/british-25-pounder-field-gun/
Tetrarch Tank
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3415578
Armoured Bulldozer
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/d-8-armoured-bulldozer/
Airborne Jeep
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/british-airborne-jeep/
C-8 truck (cut down for glider landing)
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2844126
Eureka Landing Beacon
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2990866
17 pounder ATG
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/17-pounder-atg/
Field Artillery Tractor (F.A.T.)
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/f-a-t-field-artillery-tractor/
RAM Kangaroo APC
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/canadian-ram-kangaroo-apc/
CMP F-60 Truck
American
A great package of files, at 1/100th scale, is available from Manifold Destiny
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1037138
Higgins boat
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3499664
Sherman tanks (check scales, some are 1/100th and would require upsizing)
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2926163
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2318834
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:178292
Tank Destroyers
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2476519
M5 Half track
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/m5-half-track-28mm/
M16 / M17 motor gun carriage
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/m16-m17-motor-gun-carriage/
Armoured Bulldozer
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/d-8-armoured-bulldozer/
M 8 Greyhound
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3239043
German
Pak 40
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2624377
Pak 97/38
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/german-pak-97-38-atg/
Raketenwerfer 43 (puppchen)
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3026084
88mm Flak 36
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3001442
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/flak-36-88mm-28mm/
Nebelwefer
Opel Mule half track
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/german-opel-maultier-mule-half-track/
Citroen 11 CV staff car
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/citroen-11-cv-civilian-car-28mm/
Kubelwagen
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2737010
Panzer Mark IV
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2090672
Panzer Mark V
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2839014
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3042963
Panzer Mark VI -Tiger
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2060989
Hanomag half tracks
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2927447
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3229638
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2815960
Renault UE (captured) and variants
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/french-renault-ue-carrier/
Stug Assault Guns
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2611947
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1817251
German Artillery (includes many files)
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2163838
Terrain
(always check the size of item in your slicer; some have their scale clearly posted but others do not post the original design scale; to see if the scale works; up or downsize proportionately as needed!)
Czech Hedgehogs (tank stops)
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1007119
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3590368
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2498348
Bunker, emplacements
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2412327
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2100028
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3640845
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3460047
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2636965
Barbed Wired supports
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2915335
Hedgerows
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2746672
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:566764
Normandy bungalow
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3391737
Normandy house
www.thingiverse.com/thing:3239789
stone fence
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/stone-fence-system/
village shop
https://wordpress-664930-4344182.cloudwaysapps.com/product/stone-fence-system/
*********************************************
There are many other files out there, but this gives you an overview and a starting point. as always, consider if the file is designed for your printer- e.g. SLA printers can do one piece prints well, FDM printers do better with files that are in multiple parts that are flat to the build plate.
I hope this helps inspire both your printing and gaming interest. Why not dust off the Band of Brothers DVD and pop it into the DVD player and get printing, painting and playing?
