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80th Anniversary of D-Day Special + COBI kits update
Hello and welcome to the blog.
Before I launch into some lesser-known, fascinating facts about D-Day, I wanted to let you know that our latest COBI order shipped earlier this week and included some more catalogues and exciting new kits - see below for details. Plus a couple of clever customers have sent us some photos of their D-Day dioramas for you to enjoy.
Before I launch into some lesser-known, fascinating facts about D-Day, I wanted to let you know that our latest COBI order shipped earlier this week and included some more catalogues and exciting new kits - see below for details. Plus a couple of clever customers have sent us some photos of their D-Day dioramas for you to enjoy.
As you will no doubt be aware, yesterday marked the 80th Anniversary of D-Day
so here are 10 unusual facts which shed light on the complexity, ingenuity, and diverse contributions that made the D-Day operation a historic success:
so here are 10 unusual facts which shed light on the complexity, ingenuity, and diverse contributions that made the D-Day operation a historic success:
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Cricket Clickers: American paratroopers used toy cricket clickers to identify each other in the dark. One click was to be answered by two clicks in return, helping distinguish friend from foe.
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Inflatable Tanks: As part of Operation Fortitude, the Allies used inflatable tanks, fake planes, and dummy landing craft to deceive the Germans about the true landing site.
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Rommel’s Absence: German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, responsible for defending Normandy, was not present during the invasion. He was at home celebrating his wife's birthday, believing poor weather would delay any attack.
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French Resistance Role: The French Resistance played a crucial role by sabotaging railways, cutting communication lines, and providing intelligence to the Allies, severely disrupting German operations.
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“Tide Predictions”: The Allies relied on accurate tide predictions from an amateur Irish oceanographer named Wallace R. Broecker, which were crucial for the timing of the landings.
- Ruperts: The British used dummy paratroopers, known as "Ruperts," which were dropped to create the illusion of large airborne forces landing away from the actual drop zones, confusing German defenders.
Pictured above: Airborne invasion of the Ruperts.
7. Pencil Mines: The Allies used a special type of explosive device called the "pencil mine," which could be set to detonate after a delay, allowing sappers to retreat to safety before they exploded.
8. Black Soldiers: The U.S. Army's 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, an African-American unit, played a vital role in deploying barrage balloons to protect the beaches from low-flying enemy aircraft.
9. Tanks in Canals: Some amphibious tanks, designed to support the infantry, were launched too far from shore and sank in rough seas, leading to significant losses before reaching the beaches.
10. Beethoven Broadcast: Prior to the invasion, the BBC broadcast a coded message by playing the first four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, which in Morse code is “V” for Victory, signaling the French Resistance to begin their sabotage efforts.
Customer D-Day Dioramas
Pictured: Photo and building of the DUKW model credit to David S., and Clare.S for her diorama design skills.
Pictured below: Credit to Dave M. for this amazingly detailed scene featuring the Higgins Landing Craft.
Huge thanks to David and Clare, and Dave for sharing your talents with us.
New COBI kits due in stock late next week
Due in stock 11th - 14th June.
Sold out products due late next week
Due in stock 11th - 14th June.
Discontinued kit
COBI confirmed this week that the beloved Hawker Hurricane kit (COBI-5728) has been discontiuned so don't miss out on the last few available. There are no plans to bring it back any time soon, although we will be putting forward a strong case for why they should.
That is it for this week. Have a lovely weekend and hope you enjoy the D-Day celebrations.
Warmest wishes,
Zoë
Warmest wishes,
Zoë