WWII British Deacon Armoured Self-Propelled Gun Mounting a 6 pdr gun & its Armoured Ammunition Carrier variant based on a Matador Lorry 1-56 scale plastic printing

This model is highly detailed especially the subframe. It has only ever been printed in plastic and all the parts were kitted to enable the majority of parts to be printed direct to the bed with minimal “tree” support. I have added solid supports under some parts such as 6 pdr and Bren Guns.

This listing contains files for the key pieces with some parts being made up of several smaller parts. All large file parts can be printed at 0.15mm layer height but the models shown in the pictures were printed at 0.1mm layer height and I would advise you select this finer setting when printing yourself.

Deacon SPG 6 pdr:

Front Cab A with smaller parts being options for the armoured cover under the engine which can be in a closed or open position to cool the motor Front Cab B & C

Subframe single piece, it will need supports I use the experimental “tree” option in Ultimate Cura. The subframe also mounts a winch and thin wire can be wrapped around it and left to hang beyond the rear axle.

Wheel. You will need 4 of the massive road wheels.

Rear Deck A. This has an armoured fuel tank and access door as separate files Rear Deck B & C

I have also included some small files for enabling resin printing of the Bren Guns and a repair piece for the gun elevation wheel on the 6 pdr turret.

Deacon Ammunition Carrier.

This model has many of the files listed above incorporated into it but in particular adds:

Rear Cargo Deck A

Rear Cargo Deck B

Closed Shell Crate (the lower one) the rear wheel arch protrudes into the cargo space so experiment with stacking crates before you glue them in.

Closed Cartridge Crate (the taller one)

Bren Gun on AA mount.

Axe & Spade with mounting brackets to add onto the vehicle. Usually on the back wall of the Cab.

I have always enjoyed printing this model for Ebay customers it tends to print reliably and is a model that I print with confidence.

Historical notes for the model:

The Deacon was developed in 1942 to provide British Army units in North Africa with a mobile anti-tank weapon. It can be seen as a development of the practice of carrying smaller artillery pieces en portee (sitting on the back of trucks). This meant that the artillery could quickly move albeit with some loss of traverse. The basis of the Deacon Gun Carrier was an AEC Matador truck chassis. A 6-pounder gun with enclosed armoured shield was mounted on the flat bed at the rear of the chassis. The gunner and loader operated the gun from behind the shield. The conventional cab was replaced with a boxy armoured construction that covered the engine and the driver’s position. Production started in December 1942 and 175 were built.

The Deacon was used against German armoured vehicles in North Africa, an environment in which wheeled vehicles were as manoeuvrable as tanks. They are credited with action at El Hamma, where the 76th (Royal Welch Fusiliers) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, was the victor in a battle against a German force that included Panzer III tanks.[citation needed] Deacons were withdrawn at the end of the campaign in North Africa, as they were not considered suitable for use in Europe. Some were converted to armoured ammunition carriers and others were sold to Turkey in 1943

This model was designed by Neal Bowskill copyright active from April 2021 when printed models of this vehicle were first made available on Ebay.