Sovs get some Recce

Hillary Haziran 22, 2022

SHQ M/C's and Britannia scout cars

Off and on inbetween doing more Napoleonic stuff I've been adding bits and pieces to my 20mm Soviets, this project has been most enjoyable and the last few elements are falling into place. I started this with a few purchases at Salute last year, so I'm quite proud of having got a considerable force together and actually complete within a relatively short period of time (lots more pics knocking about elsewhere on the blog- look for tags).

There is now a complete Soviet Rifle division, enough T34's for a Tank corps (about 30) plus various assault guns, and now a recce btn. Artillery still needs to be finished.

The pics show a few odds and ends which fall in the broad spectrum of Russian recce troops, which in reality is just getting quite few troop types I liked and creating a unit out of them. Soviet reconnaisence battalions are reasonably well known for having no standard organisation, there are at least half a dozen different variations, so it is an excuse for a pick and mix type of approach.

The little BA 64 armoured cars weren't that common in the recce btns but they will double up as command and liason vehicles for things like tank and assault gun regts. The Frontline models are very basic with bit some good crew and extra bits they are sweet little models. I'm particularly fond of the big old Bertha smoking a fag, shes a Lammercaft figure.

Bertha eyes up some passing Motorcyclists

The Britannia bren carriers likewise will also do extra duty as tows for 45mm AT guns, but are also ideal as personnel carriers. As models they were a bit of trouble as the crew are all British- subsequently filing down British helmets to look like Soviets was a right arse...In the end I cut the heads off most of them and slung tissue paper tarps over the back....sorry to spoil the illusion!

For some reason I've always liked White scout cars, I remember a friend of mine having a model of one (Italeri, maybe?) when we were about 15 and I've liked them ever since

The Britannia ones are servicable models, but chuck in some AB crew and they look great. Again, they will do double duty as personnel carrier or command vehicles, hence the preponderance of officer types.