Tanks for the Memories

 

M3 Lee, the first mass produced US medium tank.

The Shinhoto was an up gunned High velocity 47mm ATG version of the Japanese Chi-Ha Medium Tank, even though the Chi-Ha low velocity cannon, at 57mm, was 10mm wider than that of the Shinhoto.

                                            M-3 Stuart, first mass produced US light tank.

                                 

Valentine a solid British medium tank.

German Mark III up gunned with a long 50mm.

M4 Sherman, with 50,000 produced, the most numerous Western tank of the war.

T-34 85, the up graded T34 that smashed the Axis powers on the Eastern front.

Churchill, heaviest of the British infantry tanks of the war.

M26 Pershing, Americas answer to the German Panther and Tiger tanks.

All are model pieces I have painted for my Bolt Action World War Two (and some for the Korean War) Armies.

General Winter is Russia's Friend in WWII

Russian scouts in the ruins of Stalingrad know the cold of Winter is their friend and the deadly foe of the Fascists invaders.
 

As scouts, they have been give the right to choose the weapons they best suit their style of advance and fighting,

Vadim has a fondness for the touchy Tokarev-Svt-38 7.62mm semi-automatic rifle. While Fydor prefers the traditional 7.62mm Mosin-Nagat '91, "an oldie but goodie" as they say. Serzhant Yuri Chrabry loves his "Gangster Special" the .45 cal (11.43mm) Tommy Gun as its stopping power is impressive to say the least.

These are plastic pieces I painted in May.

When Papasha Speaks Duck and Cover

 Armed with the dreaded "Papasha" submachine gun, this Soviet assault team advances towards the hated enemy on the Eastern front. Papasha (Daddy) was the Soviet soldiers nickname for the popular, and numerous, PPSh-41 7.62 mm (.30 cal.) submachine gun.
 

Few weapons were more iconic and symbolic of the Soviet fight in the Great Patriotic War (World War II) than the PPSh-41 with its circular 71 round magazine. Put into production in 1941, the 6,000,000+ units of the Papasha saw action in every major engagement on the Eastern Front. When the war concluded, millions of these weapons were given to Soviet allied states including Red China and North Korea. In the Korean War the PPSh-41 was given the nickname "Burb Gun" by American GI's due to the unique sound it made while in select fire mode.

While not up to the standards of modern assault rifles,  Papashas continued to see action in conflicts throughout the last half of the 20th century. Some have even been used in 21st century actions including the Ukranian-Russian War,

These are plastic and metal pieces that I painted in January.

Soviet DP-27 "Record Player" Light Machine Gun

This Soviet LMG team is armed with the famous DP-27 7.62mm light machine gun nicknamed the Record Player due to the unusual top loading magazine.

With a 550 round per minute rate of fire and an effective range of 800 meters (875 yards) it gave need firepower to the Soviet infantry formations. Over 795,000 units were produced. 

While developed in the late 1920's some pieces examples have been found in battle in the 21st century (some are reported to be seeing action in the Ukranian war currently being fought).

These are plastic pieces I painted in January.
 

Five Brothers Make their Stand

In the depths of Winter five Soviet "Brothers" make a stand against the Third Reich invaders.

Wearing a motley assortment of clothing this band has fought together since the invasion.

Most are armed with the reliable 7.62 mm Mosin-Nagant M1891, while one has the equally unreliable AVS-36 automatic rifle. 

Their grenades are long gone so the use of Molotov Cocktails will have to suffice.

These are plastic pieces I put together and painted this week.

When the Wounded Call the Medic Comes

 

When a wounded warrior calls "MEDIC" it falls upon that brave group of medically trained soldiers come to their aid. No matter the army, wounded come in all weather and medics treat those in need as this Soviet medic is.

A frozen street becomes a makeshift medical facility. 

Treatment is the best possible under the circumstances.

The tired medic has no time to clean his clothes before he must move to the next suffering soldier.

This is a metal piece I finished painting today.

Border Guards NKVD Style

 

In 1941 at the start of "Barbarossa," NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs) Border Guards manned much of the fortified positions facing the Germans. Where they were largely destroyed.

The remnants were rebuilt into largely internal security troops behind the front to prevent battleline troops from "failing to do their duty in the Great Patriotic War. Even so, many NKVD troops were used in frontline combat in the dark days of 1942-43, such as in the Battle of Stalingrad.

Formed shortly after the October Revolution, the NKDV forces were responsible for many of the mass murders ordered by the Soviet Government before disbanded in 1946. 

These are metal 28mm pieces from Warlord that I painted in July.

1905 Korea

A squad of Russian sailors advances to facr the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese War.

With their ships blockaded in harbor, thes sailors have been converted into infantry.

As with the regular Russian infantry soldiers, these sailors always have their bayonets fixed rathe than sheathing them when not in a combat situation

These are 28mm metal pieces I painted in April.
 

More Russians Always More Russians

Form the German point of view, there was a never-ending flow of Russian troops on the Eastern Front.

Regardless of the massive losses suffered though out the war, the seemingly endless manpower of the Soviet Union slowly ground down the German War Machine, all the way to the final battle in the streets of Berlin.

These Soviet reinforcements are plastic pieces that I painted in June of 2020.

 

Tank Riders WIP

Tank riders were common in the Soviet Army in the Great Patriotic War. Here they are on a T34-85.

This was near the final stages of painting on these "work in progress" plastic pieces in June of 2020. The men are held in place by magnets in their boots and under the deck of the tank. Some earlier pics of the tank and tank riders can be found ere:

World Historyprof: IS 2 WIP
 

Men of the Great Patriotic War

The Forces of Mother Russia

The Commissar 

                                                                         The Infantry

                                                       The Artillery F/O (Forward Observer)

                                                       The Light Machine Gun Section

                                                   The Anti-Tank Rifle (ATR) Team

I painted these plastic pieces early in 2020.