S&S Models 122-mm howitzer D-30

Recently I completed a trio of D-30s from S&S models. D-30s are a very useful artillery piece for gaming the modern era and the S&S model is a nice representation of the weapon system.

In CD terms each one of these models represents a battery of guns, so with the addition of  vehicles and personnel stands to represent transport and supply vehicles, gun crew, forward observers, and command elements, I can table an artillery battalion.

In CD terms this could look like the following (based on the organisation in GDW's Combined Arms and several real world ORBATs):

Artillery Battalion

    Headquarters:

        1 Command stand

        1 Forward Observer stand

        2 UAZ 467 (or similar light vehicles)

    Supply Company:

        2 Heavy Ammo trucks with trailers

    3 Batteries each with:

        1 D-30 122mm Howitzer

        1 Gun crew stand

        1 Medium Truck

 

Note that the above organisation could easily be downgraded by the removal of the Forward Observer, or upgraded by adding in additional elements that increase the capability of the unit.   

In order to maximise the utility of these guns I plan to create a number of vehicles and personnel stands representing a range of different forces. This would let me field the D-30s as part of Soviet, WarPac, USSR successor state, Middle Eastern, and Imagi-nation artillery units.

By doing this I should be able to provide artillery support to a wider range of forces without having to make a large number of  model D-30s.

Skytrex Warsaw Pact Troops

 Some time ago I purchased a large number of Skytrex Firefight 20 figures from the UK. While long out of production these figures still have a great deal of character and their sculpting style lends itself well to my style of painting.

Armed with a mix of AK-47s, SVD-63s, and RPKs

The purchase was made up of from a variety of their modern ranges, including:

• Dogs of War
• Vietnam War (both North Vietnamese and US Forces)
• Cold War East Germans
• Cold War Soviets

I like the look of these larger stands with prone figures.

Unfortunately there wasn't quite enough of the East Germans or the Soviets to make a reasonable stand alone force. So I decided to combine the figures into one force and paint them all in my usual Soviet paint scheme.

Crew served support weapons.

One of the nice things about this selection of figures is the number of support weapons that is present. I was particularly pleased to discover two packs of  AT-3 Sagger ATGMs

Close up of the Sagger stands.

When these figures were produced information on Soviet and Warsaw Pact produced weapon systems was hard to get and was often based on blurry photographs and speculation.As a result the detaails and scaling of some of the weapon systems are a little off.

AGS-17 stands.

The biggest error is in the size of the AGS-17 Automatic Grenade Launcher (AGS). It is rather larger than it should be. I did debate replacing them with a more accurate version, but I decided against it as it would have involved a great deal of effort removing the weapon from the gunner (it is a one piece casting) for ultimately marginal benefit.

82mm Mortar stands.

The mortars are most likely meant to represent the model 82-PM-41 82mm mortar a WW2 era system that soldiered on in the Cold War. While the 2B14 Podnos 82mm mortar had entered service during the 1980s, the bipod for that weapon attaches further down a much longer barrel, so it is very unlikely to be intended to represent that weapon system. 

Other support weapons include a couple of RPG-7s and a pair of SA-7 Grail MANPADS.  The SA-7s are rather chunky and held at an angle suggestive of being an anti tank weapon rather than an anti aircraft weapon.

Also included in the selection were two figures that could be used in Command Decision as command stands, and three figures that could be used as radio stands or as FO/FAC stands.

 

Overall I am very happy with how these figures have turned out. I can only hope the rest of the figures turn out as well.

Soviet Anti-Tank Rifles

 I am currently attempting to finish a number of unfinished projects that are overdue for completion. This weekends effort was finishing off some WW2 Soviet Anti Tank Rifles (ATRs) of which some had been lurking around uncompleted since at least 1999 - if not even earlier!

I have started using larger bases than the standard Command Decision base for some prone figures and support weapons - particularly where the figures the protection a larger base can provide. 

Esci Russians converted using resin Leva Productions parts

The first two stands  use figures from the Esci Russian Soldiers set (PSR review here). Two prone LMG gunners had their DP-27 LMGs removed and respectively replaced with  PTRS-41 and PTRD-41 ATRs from the Leva Productions WW2 Russian Pioneer Equipment set  that also contains dogs with anti tank mines, demolition charges, flame throwers, and various other combat engineer stores. (Henk of Holland has details on Leva Productions and other Leva sets)

Spot the Clone 

One of the figures on the right hand stand is a scaled down clone of an Airfix 1/32 scale Russian. I have a number of these Hong Kong produced figures spread throughout my Soviet forces.

More ATR stands

Since I was already doing some ART stands I figured I could paint up some metal figures of unknown manufacture that I acquired in the early 2000s but had done nothing with. I had enough to make four ATR stands - each equipped with a PTRS-41. 

ATR stands or AMR stands 

I hope to be able to integrate these stands into both WW2 Soviet and postwar Soviet/Russian equipped forces as either ATR stands or as Anti-Materiel Rifle (AMR) stands. Post WW2 both the PTRS-41 and PTRD-41 ATRs have seen service, with the most recent use being in the current conflict in the Ukraine as an AMR (click here for more information). Given that, it would also seem very likely that they would be used in that way by various forces in Twilight 2000.

T-72 with KMT-7 Mine Rollers

Since my last post I have been spending time on projects other than the siege machines I was working on last post. Part of that was due to my normal process of having several projects on the go - so I can work on something as the mood takes me, and partially due to having dropped the box with them in while moving stuff in the garage and the battering rams requiring minor repair before I proceed to undercoating them. Still these things happen.

I have earlier made the Trumpeter T-55 with KMT-5 Mine Rollers using magnets to attach the rollers to the tank hull, (Click here for details) so it seemed a natural progression to add some mine rollers to a T-72.

The completed beast.

 The base T-72 is a Deagostini die cast that has been given a slight repaint and a heavy brown wash,(Click here for further details on the process) while the mine rollers are a very nice Zedval resin conversion kit that I bodged the assembly of.

The very fine wire supports are missing...

 However, I'm not too concerned as the end product, even with my clumsy corner cutting looks good. In large part this is due to the excellent design of the conversion kit. Like all things excellence costs, and the conversion kit was not cheap! I have some more Zedval conversion kits to assemble, and hopefully they will turn out just as well!

 

More  Soviet engineering goodness!

The other Zedval conversion kits are for what I would describe as being a mine plough attachment set, and a dozer blade attachment. These seem to be the only T-72 engineering conversion kits that I can find - although I'm still hopeful that I will find a conversion kit to make a MTU-72 AVLB from a T-72 hull someday!

Harriers and other loot...

Three box scale Corgi GR3 Harriers and a Matchbox Skyhawk. In the rear  is an unassembled 1/144 scale Academy FRS 1 Harrier kit.

Recently I have started a new job, and have been having fun sorting out the joys a new role can bring. On the plus side I have more money for toys, on the negative side I will have less time to spend playing with them! Still, that just means I have to use the hobby time wisely...

And a ruler for scale - it works at at around 1:120ish.

I am still slowly converting and painting up my Falklands forces, and I am still even more slowly working on other projects. I am very fortunate that when Katherine returned from her trip over to her parents in PA, she brought me back a small pile of loot (in addition to the Corgi harriers)....

Books and yet more 1/144 scale kits... 

20mm Soviet Cossacks - a little extra for the modern hordes!

Plus she lugged back a large fleet of 1/1800 scale War AT Sea miniatures (but more on those in a future post). I am very lucky to have a wife who is actively supportive of my hobby!

More Twilight 2000 figures.

Soon to to opened after far too long a wait!

Before I left NZ I purchased a number of items online and had them delivered to my inlaws. Amongst the items purchased were some packets of Twilight 2000 figures - some of which were still in the original packaging. (I was also generously given a couple of Twilight 2000 US figures by Modernkiwi at "The Kiwi's figures and stuff" that I am going to paint up and post when I get back home. ModernKiwi's blog has a nice mix of GW fantasy figures and 20mm figures that is well worth checking out)

Polish Paratroopers. These were purchased loose.

Noble Knight games had a few packets in stock - both loose and in the original blister packs - at some extremely reasonable prices, so I purchased their entire stock of them. I suspect the only reason they still had them is that they had listed them as being 15mm figures rather than as 20mm. This confusion probably resulted due to the fact this range of figures was designed to be used with Roco Minitanks range of modern vehicles, as well as with plastic figure ranges. So they were listed on the packaging as being HO scale, they are actually closer to 1/76 scale.

Polish Paratroopers, or Khandist scum?

 The Polish Paratroopers will probably end up being used with Khandist forces.

Soviet Support Weapons. Straight out of the packaging.

The support weapons provided appear to be an AGS-17, and a NSV HMG. A very nice combination of weapons. These will provide a HMG stand, an AGL stand. Plus I have gained an extra tripod mount.

Soviet Support Weapons. Three crew to serve weapons, and a female soldier carrying a crate.

Next up are the two packets of Soviet Heavy weapons. In each set is meant to be three crew figures, a mortar, and an AT missile.

Soviet Heavy Weapons. purchased loose in the bag.

The first pack contains everything it should, however the unopened packet proves to be missing a key part - the AT missile launcher. The Missile launcher is probably meant to be an AT-4 Spigot, while the mortar is probably a 82-PM-41, or another Soviet 82mm mortar.

Soviet Heavy Weapons - Still in the original box, and missing the AT launcher.

Unpackaged Soviet Weapons - at least I have the tripod mount!

I plan to use the spare mount from the Soviet Support weapons set, and the tripod missing the launcher, as the basis of scratch building up two AT Missile stands, so all is not lost!

Soviet Infantry - still in the blister pack!

The officer figure is destined to be used as a high level command stand in a Soviet, or Soviet equipped force.  The other figures will probably end up being used in my Balkan hordes.

Unpackaged Soviet Infantry.

The blurb from the back of the packet.

1985? That dates these a bit! Sadly neither GDW or Grenadier are still in business.

 All in all, quite a useful bunch of figures that I am looking forward to painting up!

Twilight 2000 Figures

I've been meaning to post these for a couple of weeks now - recently Steve gave me some Twilight 2000 figures, so I thought I would post a couple of pictures of them before they hit the Simple Green vats outside!

In the eighties it was mandatory to have the pig gunner bare chested.

 These figures are all on the small side of the 20mm range making them closer to 1/76 scale rather than 1/72 scale. The Twilight 2000 range of figures were made by Grenadier, and I can remember seeing some for sale in Christchurch in the early 1990s. I kick myself for not getting them at the time.

Multipart 20mm metal figures - clever but fiddly- note that for five  figures I have only four weapons. Something will have to be produced from the depths of my bits box.......

The Twilight 2000 range featured neat figures like Polish AK-47 armed cavalry, and cool stuff like US and Soviet support weapons. I believe these figures to be a mix of the US Infantry pack and the US Assault pack (click here for more info on the range)

Close up on the weapons - a broader mix than you would expect from 1980s US Troops.

I am quite looking forward to painting these figures up and putting them on a table sometime in the near future!