The Soviet Mechanized Tank Corps, Dubno 1941, for Rapid Fire! rules and ...

This is an incomplete Russian Mechanized Tank Corps (MTC) for the beginning of the German invasion of USSR (Operation Barbarossa). The Russian Mechanized Tank Corps was hastily created after the reports showing the success of the Panzer Divisions in the west. The problem was that it was too large and, coupled with the problems of Stalin´s purge on Soviet officers, subsequent problems of command and control, lack of radios and mechanical breakdowns, it became an unwieldy mass of force. Even so there were already the T-34 and KV-I and II in its ranks and this made the Mechanized Tank Corps a powerful opponent to the Panzer Division (even if at Dubno, for instance these modern tanks were less than 15% of the more than 3000 Soviet tanks in six MTCs ). The MTC is also an opportunity to field in the same armored unit vehicles like the BT-7 and the T-26, and the big ones like the T-28 and the T-35. They were fragile and old machines in the battlefield but become great miniatures on the table or shelves.

The models are Fabbri, Esci, Matchbox, S-models, MiniGeneral, Fujimi and 3d resin prints, including some conversions, mostly turning a group of T-4/41 into the 1940 model.

When I mention a converted T-26 at the beginning of the video I forget to mention that its based on Polish 7TP as both shared the basis of the Vickers 6-ton chassis.

Able Archer/ RFR rules (?) - Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022 in 20mm (part 6) - Ukrainian T-64 BVs and the first battalion of infantry

The rest of the T-64BV tank battalion is done together with a few more BMP and the first infantry battalion.

Together with another T-64BV made before this battalion is 10 tanks with one command tank and three companies of three tanks each. This is a problem as the Ukrainian tank battalions are larger than its Russian counterpart (40 vs 30, with Ukrainian tank companies with 13 tanks instead of the Russian 10 tank companies) but not this big, so 8 models would be better to represent the Ukrainian tank battalion. As usual with the 1/5 ration dividing 40 per 3 companies is impossible. Well, for now it stays like this...

All T-64BVs are Minigeneral 3d prints with metal tank commanders from Spanish Xan Miniatures. 

Two Diecast Fabbri BMP-1 were added with Ukrainian 2022 camouflage, ideal for Picasso admirers like me. Only the log and antenna were added. 

The Ukrainian infantry was fun to do. The base are Esci and Revell modern US but with the M-16 turned into a AK-74 by replacing the charger with a curved piece of styrene and cutting in 1mm the tip of the rifle and cutting completely the handler. Also some helmets got Goggles made from GreenStuff. 

The full battalion with some Orion figures in the command and support companies. 

A company of Ukrainian infantry with a Javelin ATGM (L) and a CETME Ameli, very similiar to the original M-60 the LMG firer has (R). Several figures had extra RPG on their back as you can see on the third stand. The Javelin was converted from the original Dragon M-47 by simply leaving aside the bipod. The future units will have the more numerous NLAW and those will have a different head which will be also converted from Esci and Revell figures. 

The support company (minus AGS-17 grenade launcher) with a Manpad (Orion Chechen figure as firer and an Esci figure); 120mm mortar (Orion Russians) and sniper (Orion Russian also). 

Command company with mostly Esci conversions and an Orion officer. The main Ukrainian camouflaged uniform are very tricky to paint due to the geometrical shapes. Like this I made something close consisting of  base of Vallejo Khaki (with a bit of white) followed by diluted Olive Green and finally Olive Green mixed with white. The last two were applied with a very old brush for extra "splash" effect. Still didn`t decide which colour - blue or yellow - should I use as arm band. 

Next:  A return to WW2, probably the Western desert or Ukrainian Mig-29 and Sukhoi Su-27 or even the Russian VDV.

Able Archer/ RFR rules (?) - Russian Invasion of Ukraine 2022 in 20mm (part 1) - Context, possibilities and conversions

 

After the Russo-Georgian war of 2008 I started to build contemporary forces. Several armies grew on my basement: a very large Russian force was built together with Georgian, Portuguese, Italian and German forces. The quickly available die-cast were a big help both for air and land and, together with the US  units for Iraq 2003, all this stuff was gathered for an eventual enlargement of the 2008 conflict something that fortunately never happened. The Russian occupation of Crimea and the Donbass (with big battles like Debaltseve) made me start an Ukranian force. All these models are now in the hundreds and, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine started on the 24th February 2022, many of them just needed the addition of a few details like the "Z" Russian symbol or some digital camouflage in the case of the Ukranians, so I will not bother you showing them again as you can see them in the Blog Label "Georgia 2008". This war also has an incredible coverage by the media and even individuals and plenty of material surfaced in magazines like Raids, TNT, DSI and such. TV and the Web are also great sources of information on the conflict and soon a Russian BTG or a Ukranian Mech became very well known expressions that the armchair generals use like if they always did (my case also).

With this war having a strong support from NATO countries in behalf of Ukraine, much of the US, German, Italian, Georgian, Portuguese model miniatures (and so on, fortunately, many of the miniature armies I collected) can be used by the Ukranian side. Also built in the last few years were many of the more recent Russian models used after 2008 (even if built before)  that were not used by the 58th CAA (T-90, BMP-3, etc)  

Regarding rules... well, that is more complicated. Surely I want a ratio of 1:5 in tanks and 1:15 in infantry which is something that works very well in Able Charlie rules (the modern version of Rapid Fire! designed for Cold war and up to the 80ies). With the more recent RFR rules I intend to mix Able Charlie and RFR with my own ideas about drones, AAWS (Javelin type), stealth aircraft and all the stuff that came in the last decades. Not sure if I will ever make it but, in the mean time I´ll enjoy building and collecting models for this current war. I know this sounds cold hearted but I´m sure that this war will be a major issue in the wargaming communities in the future due to the amount, variety and size of the engagements.  Hopefully this war will finish soon and we can have true historical information about it not corrupted by propaganda from both sides. 

Even if very old material from the 80ies and 90ies is used in this conflict, you need some newer stuff. So lets see what can be done from my point of view. 

The BTR-82A is one of the most seen vehicles from the Russian side in this conflict. At least one infantry company and the support company of each BTG (Battalion Tactical Group) should be equipped with it (or the older BTR-80A or even the basic BTR-80). With a total of around 100 BTGs that means some 1800 vehicles of the kind in this Russian invasion. My idea regarding the Russian army is to build six BTGs (a mixed group of around two battalions worth of tanks, infantry and artillery) with some surplus vehicles (different tank and AFV models) and one full Ukranian Mechanized Brigade, much larger than the Russian BTG (around six battalions). 

A cheap way to do the BTR-82A  is the 4D model ordered from Aliexpress. I ended up with 12 of them and half were converted to the BTR-82A. One went to the reconnaissance infantry company and the plain BTR-80 went to the support company of each BTG. By having six of each you can use also all BTR-82A in the Russian forces (3 BTG) or all BTR-80 in the Luhansk (LPR) or Donetsk (DPR) as I think these last two have older equipment. 

The turret needs a lot of carving and sanding to bring it to shape. Then you can see the kind of material necessary for the gun mount: plastic card and tubes, metal tubes and GreenStuff. In the end you get  a number of cheap and effective BTR-82A. 

Each Russian BTG needs at least a command vehicle. The best idea should be the several variants based on the BTR-80 (the R-149 variants) but I already spent 12 of them as you can see in the previous paragraphs. So I used an older model, still present on the Russian side (maybe only LDR and NLR?) as can be seen from the Oryx site, the R-145 BM1 based on the obsolete BTR-60.  This choice was quite handy as I was thinking to use them for the Angolan Bush Wars but, in the mean time, MiniGeneral also released the BTR-60 making it quite accessible. 

This Fabbri die-cast conversion is pretty straightforward and it can be even simpler if you don't place the communications pole in the upward position, by far the most complicated part of the conversion. As you can see most of the converted parts are made of broom bristles (pink) and plastic or metal rod.  

The rear of the vehicle also needs some mending and two component paste was used for that effect. The communications pole is much longer than this when extended and this solution, even if less accurate, is better for storage. With a Xan Miniatures commander the model is complete. 

Of course better than one are six of the same, one for each BTG, and ready for priming. 

Same idea for the AT company of the BTG. The Russian (and Ukranians) still use this 9K114 Shturm based on the MT-LB. So, six of them came from MiniGeneral and were converted for this version. 

Same materials as before for this conversion, plastic card, two component paste and the toughest Styrofoam you can find. As I told you before the ugly printing lines at the front are gone with two layers of gloss varnish applied in spray. 

All AT companies ready. You can replace these by the 9M123 Khrizantema based on the BMP-3. 

Well, the next ones can´t be scratch built or converted, at least from my level of modelling, and thus the true things had to be bought. This is the Pantsir-S1, one of the latest AA systems of the Russian army. This is an Armory model, made in Ukraine, and nowadays not very easy to find. Its a complex model with some 400 parts made of plastic, resin and PE parts. Even if assembling the thing together took me some three days, after painting, as usual, it becomes a nice model. 

I have another one of this model coming but I hope to find four other different AA models (modernized Shilkas, Tunguskas, Tor, Buk..), preferably die-cast for the rest of the BTG, as this one take lots of time and money!

One of issues with these kind of weapons in the BTG is that some advocates its replacement by HMGs as the Ukranian infantry with ATGW is far more dangerous for the BTG than Ukranian aircraft. 

In these months I also looked for some infantry and found on Ebay several of the Orion modern  Federal Russian infantry, which are obviously becoming harder and harder to find as they are made in Russia. The poses are very good but many of the figures are using berets, caressing dogs and other trivial stuff which are not very "wargaming" poses besides being better for the beginning of the century with the Chechen wars in mind. Of course no sign of the EMR, Barmitsa or Permyachka gear and uniforms which tend to be more relevant in nowadays Russian army, particularly from 2008 on.

The SPG artillery uses the tanker's helmet and these were made in GreenStuff replacing the original beret. 

The 2S19 Msta-S is one of the main SPGs in use. The models are Zvezda, made in Russia, and I hurried in buying them for obvious reasons... 

The model is a beauty, as everything Zvezda does. Together with nowadays Revell, Dragon and ModelCollect, its one of the best model kit brand around. The figures are Orion and Xan miniatures. The Akatsya SPG is still used in big numbers and I hope to find a few of them for the rest of the BTGs, preferably die-cast.

This 2S4 Tyulpan is a repainted fabbri die-cast with another Orion conversion as crew. The one you see is the one caressing a dog but here is somehow helping to place the mortar into position. 

Finally a repainted TOS-1 from Zvezda. My Russian BTGs are now around 100 vehicles with just a hand full of vehicles and all infantry still to be made. Next to start in force are the Ukranians and then a Regiment of Russian VDV. 

Next: maybe a video on the Russians in the current invasion of Ukraine. 

Rapid Fire!/Able Archer rules - Ayatollah's Army in 20mm - Counterattack!

Warned by the presence of the Iraqi tanks in the region the Iranian army mount a powerfull counterattack led by a Scorpion reconnaissance company.

 A second  Bell AH-1J was added, this time an Italeri model. The symbols were, as usual, handpainted.

Also another Phantom II  entered the collection. This version is the F4E and the model is Revell's.

Finally my Iranians have something decent to cope with two Iraqi divisions! These repainted Chieftain Mk5 Fabbri diecasts received different sets of stowage and sandbags. 

The Scorpions on both sides are Airfix  (1/76th scale) and  the one in the middle is Altaya (1/72nd scale). The different sizes can  be attenuated by using the same base size and antennae lenght.

For the crew of some of the AFV's I used some Esci  WW2  Italian torsos with GreenStuff arms.

Next: wether more 80's  Iranians or Samurai as I've just watched Sekigahara (2017). A hell of a movie!

Rapid Fire! Operation Barbarossa and beyond in 20mm - First batch of Soviet armour.

 

 A Soviet tank force is sent to the border late june 1941 on the news of the German attack...

I`m collecting models for the German Barbarossa campaign for many years both Soviet and German, but only now I felt the urge to build and paint them. My recent Cossack force and aviation also helped. Its another period of history in the middle of many others so probably it will be soon interrupted but hopefully it will start to be a regular item in this beloved blog of yours.

 

 The T-35s are S-Models. Two models in their biggest box of the range. I only added an old figure from Fujimi, the AA DT machine gun taken from soft plastic Esci figures and the usual pieces of stowage. The markings are pre-war but many Soviet tanks still had them in 1941, and like this they are useful for other previous conflicts like the Soviet-Japanese clashes of Khalkhin-Gol or the Finish war.

 

This lonely T-28 in a BPM model with the usual additions of crew, stowage and MG. The camouflage is the 7K Russian tan with black lining as usual in many early Soviet tanks. In fact the Soviets had most of their camouflaged in 7K and 6k colours on the 4BO Russian Green at the beggining of the war. The years of 1942 and 43 saw a decrease in camouflaged vehicles due to the hurry of speeding AFV's to the front and the final two years saw another increase of camouflage in soviet machines. 

                          

This KV-1 E ("Ekrenami" - up-armoured) is Altaya and has turret sides armoured protections. Not exactly a Barbarossa tank, but I had it around ready for repaint. 

 

 The KV-2's are old Fujimi built straight from the box.

 

Ups! Upon advice the tip of the 45mm gun barrel is already cut off. 

 The six T-26 are all Fabbri die-cast repaints in the pre-war markings with the usual addings.

Next. wether a batch of T-34 1940 or the new MiniGeneral by Scirocco 3D printed models for France 1940 (you will want to kill when you see them!) .

Rapid Fire! Contemporary Russian wars in 20mm - Converted Georgian BMP-1U Shkval

During the '5 Days War', the Georgian Invasion of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in August 2008, the Georgian used 15 BMP-1U bought from Ukraine in one of its brigades. All were apparently lost, captured or destroyed. But apparently Georgia rebuild its force of Shkval as there are now some 30 in its army.  From pictures of captured vehicles they were plain green which is OK as like this I can also field them also as Ukrainian IFV's. 

The basis for the conversion is the Fabbri  BMP-1. The main changes to obtain the BMP-1U are in the turret as you will see. 

First I used the turret backwards after extracting the 73mm gun which will be also the basis for the new ZTM 30mm gun of the Shkval. Then details like hatches and vision slits were taken out with an X-Acto. Some bulbs of two component fast drying paste are glued on the turret which is the main station of all new stuff this version has to offer. 

15 minutes later the paste can be cut and sanded to shape and the first details can be added as the gun, telemeter and other details. 

Time for the ATMG launchers made of EverGreen plastic tube. 

The tip of the gun tube is increased and some thin EverGreen is placed on its sides to give the illusion of the rotating gun. 

Time for the increased side protection on the hull made of thick card applied with hot glue.  

Final details on the back, new hatches and smoke dischargers. 

Figure, headlights, vision slits and its ready to prime. 

After priming they always look much better!

This lot was painted together with some two Die-cast Toyota Hilux. In fact they are Chevrolet but some careful painting can make them very similar. 

Next: Concluding the 26th Volksgrenadier Division. 

Rapid Fire! "2008" Portuguese Army in 20mm (part 3) - Leopard 2A6 companies of BrigMec.

The GCA (Grupo de Carros de Combate) of the BrigMec can be considered done with these two Leopard 2A6 companies and the  M-88 Recovery Vehicle. In part one I've showed you the Leopard of the Co and the M-60 company. Maybe in the future I'll add a M-577 for the command and an Exploitation and Mortar platoons both in M-113.

These Portuguese  Leopard 2A6 started again (like the German ones of a few posts ago) as A5 versions from Fabbri Diecasts. I increased the lenght of the barrel in 17mm using plastic rod inside the tube. this time in order to desguise the joint I camouflaged the barrel by dipping it in PVA glue and then in Noch birch leaves while the PVA was wet. Like this the typical camouflage net is more or less represented and makes all vehicles unique.

A few more add ons are the stowage in the rear baskets and the number plates hanging from them. I left the camouflage pattern as it was and just dry brushed lightly the whole model. This is one of the few vehicles of the Portuguese army that will not be painted in the typical Olive Drab as its original paint is part of its protection.

But my favourite production of the lot was the M-88 Recovery vehicle. It is a complete conversion from a number of odd parts as I show you below.

Usual stowage and net to the rear.

I don't want to look pretentious but with a very cheap model and some old parts you can build this relatively rare model. Of course you can avoid all the trouble and order a nice one from S&S for instance!

The first series of 4D models from China are toys and far from the quality of their more recent series where they have the S-300 or the Topol. The models come in a small box with a nice artwork taken generally from 1/35th scale artwork boxes. In spite of saying they are 1/72nd scale models some are 1/90 (most of the WW2 models ) or 1/50 or so (like the M-113). Of the whole lot of 16 models I only used the T-72  that you can see here

http://jpwargamingplace.blogspot.pt/2017/07/rapid-fire-20mm-gulf-war-saladins_20.html

,the T-55 (maybe) and this M-88.

The top part of the model is not bad. Plenty of details are missing like the extra road wheels and other details are vague and incomplete.

The biggest problem are the toyish wheels and tracks: they are the same in most of the models and nothing to do in this case with the M-88 that shares the lower chassis with the M-60.

 

So the solution was to use an old ESCI M-60 I painted years ago for the Israelis (now I have my 1982 Israeli army in 1/87th scale) and use that part. The only change is that you need to cut about 6mm of the front lower chassis and replace it with a bit of styrene with the same inclination as the frontal arch of the M-88.

In the back part you need to raise the hooks a bit more.

When I glued things together some details like the spade holders and frontal rings were made of two component paste. The 4D model top part fits nicely in the lower part of the ESCI M-60 as you can see.  

Add some extra wheels to the side, a MG, a figure and its done. I placed the main hook in this flashy position just for style as it is ready to put down Saddam statue in Firdaus square! After priming this 2 euro Chinese 4D model you have something  much more valuable!

Next: Really don't know, maybe the missing PSC Churchills for the 6th Armoured Brigade, or some K-63 from S&S to my Iraqi, or some M-109 from Riich models, maybe some PzIIIE for the RF! Blitzkrieg supplement or another Portuguese Mechanized battalion, or something else...