The following are a
selection of photographs of models making up my Cold War Soviet Army. Unless stated otherwise the models are from Heroics
& Ros / Navwar
My initial Soviet formation was based on a reinforced Motor Rifle Regiment drawn from a Motor Rifle Division. It is equipped as perhaps a typical "Group of Soviet Forces Germany" (GSFG) formation would have been in East Germany prior to any possible war in the early 1980s. With several spare unpainted BMP-1s sitting around I decided that a BMP equipped regiment would be the initial formation to be modelled.
Soviet BMP-2 MICV advance. There are two such stands in each of my BMP battalions. |
After
some research, and discussions with those with a more detailed
knowledge of Soviet forces, there seems to be period of
transition where Soviet battalions in GSFG increased from around 30
to around 40 plus BMPs per battalion. This included
considerable numbers of support weapons including man portable SAM
launchers such as the SA-7 and automatic Grenade launchers (AGS-17).
It also seems that BMP-1s and the newer BMP-2s could be found together as older models were slowly replaced. I therefore decided to model such a formation. |
Some of the BMP-1s are 20 year old castings but after a quick addition of some Soviet Green they came up reasonably well. As can be seen in the photographs I apply a simple battalion label to each stand. In both these photographs elements of the 1st BMP Battalion can be seen advancing. Below, a BMP-2 stand is in the right foreground while BMP-1s follow and can also be seen in the village to the rear.
The above photograph also illustrates the method I now regularly use for painting 1/300th models. I apply the base colour, for the Soviets Humbrol enamel 86, and the track and mud colours and of course any other general detail. I then apply a wash of watered down Tamiya "Smoke". This, when diluted by an equal amount of water, tends to run into the model and brings out the detail of the casting well. It has the added bonus of achieving the result without too much effort on my part. I apply the same wash to the infantry of which I have fixed three to each base.
Now, of course all Soviet formations have armoured support and my initial BMP Motor Rifle Regiment is supported by a tank battalion equipped with T-64s. The battalion is represented on the wargames table by either a seven or ten stands. The T-64 battalion that forms part of the Motor Rifle Regiment is usually allocated out in support of the BMP battalions with a company attached to each. This allows the tanks to fire in support of the BMPs but also means the small formations can quickly become casualties to enemy tank and ATGW fire.
A Motor Rifle Regimental Reconnaissance Company advances through a small town. In front is a BRDM-2 stand armed with a 14.5mm machine gun and followed by a BRM-1. |
Each
Motor Rifle Regiment has, in addition to the main combat elements, a
number of support units. These units are both critical to successful
Soviet attack plans but also add considerable variety to the
vehicles available.
Leading any advance should be the small regimental reconnaissance company. This company can be supplemented by the divisional reconnaissance battalion. Both are equipped with BRM-1 and BRDM-2 vehicles. The MRR regimental company has a single BRDM-2 stand and one additional BRM-1 stand. The divisional battalion is larger and has additional vehicles. |
| Other
support companies integral to the Motor Rifle Regiment include the
anti-tank company. This company is equipped with BRDM vehicles
carrying ready to fire ATGW. I have selected to use BRDM-2s equipped
with AT-5 Spandrels. Each company has two such stands. The picture
to the right shows one such company deployed and ready for action.
The photo also captures the basing technique I have chosen to use for the Russians which is a thin spread of Salleys "No More Gaps", a silicone sealer which I then paint brown, which is high-lighted with a lighter sand colour. A limited amount of green flock is then attached to break up the otherwise solid brown base. I hope this method of basing will also allow some of the older Soviet equipment to double as Syrians in the future. |
Soviet BRDMs equipped with Spandrel ATGW cover the advance of Soviet forces. As support stands they can fire through the fighting stands of the battalion they are attached to. |
Finally, no Soviet commander would be happy without support by significant amounts of artillery. While most artillery in Modern Spearhead can be off-table and thus does not require models to represent it, I have elected to build some artillery battalions for direct support of the fighting battalions. The following photograph illustrates part of a Soviet Artillery battalion equipped with self-propelled 122mm howitzers.
[Return to the Modern Spearhead Page] This article is compiled by Keith McNelly.