Pete's Place

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pmskaar
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Re: Pete's Place

Post by pmskaar »

Hi Redleg and thank you very much! I consulted my Red Army Handbook by Steven Zaloga and Leland J. Ness to check the organization of the Red Army infantry during WWII. The organization changed a couple times during the war. My research indicates that the SMG company was a separate company at the regimental level and not part of the infantry battalion.

When GHQ released their initial round of Russian infantry back around 20+ years ago, they came out with SMG armed infantry first. Several years later they came out with the rifle infantry. I painted up the SMG infantry not too long after it came out and really did not have a lot of information on the TO&E. I should not have any LMGs mixed in with my SMG infantry since the company was pretty much pure SMGs. Of course a lot depends on which TO&E you are using.

The Red Army Handbook is a great source and probably not the only source to resolve some of those TO&E questions that we as gamers and military buffs have from time to time.

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Re: Pete's Place

Post by redleg »

Thank you for the information Pete! I had no idea the Russians kept their SMGs in separate companies!
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pmskaar
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Re: Pete's Place

Post by pmskaar »

The Russians did have separate SMG companies but the rifle squads had an SMG carried by the squad leader in each squad. The organization of the Russian infantry division as well as other combat arms changed during the war.

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Re: Pete's Place

Post by BurtWolf »

Awesome Russkis Pete - I have this fantasy of doing Soviet Marines (hint hint GHQ) and for now 2d6 looks like the only option. Are you going to wade into that batch of figures at all?

pmskaar
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Re: Pete's Place

Post by pmskaar »

Thank you very much, Burt!

I actually have some of the 2D6 Soviet Naval Infantry. It is a small sample of a few figures. They are quite a bit smaller than the typical GHQ figures and the detail is not quite as crisp. It would be nice if GHQ would expand their line of WWII and Cold War infantry including some WWII Soviet Naval Infantry. I don't know if it will happen. There are lots of gaps that still need filling in the realm of infantry. I may post a picture or two of the samples I got from 2D6 at some point.

I did paint a few of the 2D6 WWII Russian Infantry. I even added a couple to mix in with my GHQ figures. I will try to get a picture or two of those as well.

Gazza
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Re: Pete's Place

Post by Gazza »

pmskaar wrote:
Sun Mar 12, 2023 9:27 pm
I actually have some of the 2D6 Soviet Naval Infantry. It is a small sample of a few figures. They are quite a bit smaller than the typical GHQ figures and the detail is not quite as crisp.
The size difference is probably due to the difference in scale (1/300 rather than 1/285). Not as detailed as the GHQ stuff but, I for one, cannot make the detail out once they're on the wargames table at a standard viewing distance.

I painted up about a company's worth a short time ago. There's a photo of them in the 'Show Us Your Stuff'. Link - viewtopic.php?p=86764#p86764

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Re: Pete's Place

Post by pmskaar »

Hi Gazza! Excellent work on the 2D6 Russian Naval Infantry! You have really captured these guys.

2D6 does advertise itself as being 1/285th and not 1/300th scale as do other small scale British miniatures companies. Their Panthers are comparable in size to the GHQ Panthers, being just a tiny bit shorter in the length. This would not be the first time that 2 different companies have size differences despite being the same scale. My Bergepanther D is 2D6 as is a few pieces of my Russian WWII infantry which actually seemed to match up pretty well size wise with my majority GHQ Russian infantry.

The Naval infantry is a bit smaller but as you said, during game time not too many people will really notice. If GHQ ends up making some WWII Russian Naval Infantry, I will definitely buy some. In the meantime, if I ever have a scenario that requires Russian Naval Infantry, it is nice to know that 2D6 does make them and I have that option.

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Re: Pete's Place

Post by BurtWolf »

Hey Gazza, can you let us in on how you painted them (Russian Marines) or what your color schemes were? Thanks.

Gazza
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Re: Pete's Place

Post by Gazza »

BurtWolf wrote:
Fri Mar 17, 2023 4:19 am
Hey Gazza, can you let us in on how you painted them (Russian Marines) or what your color schemes were? Thanks.
pmskaar wrote:
Mon Mar 13, 2023 11:33 am
Hi Gazza! Excellent work on the 2D6 Russian Naval Infantry! You have really captured these guys.
Thanks.
2D6 does advertise itself as being 1/285th and not 1/300th scale as do other small scale British miniatures companies.
You are, or course, correct. With them being British and their figures being about the size of my H&R figures I just assumed (and you know what they say about that).
This would not be the first time that 2 different companies have size differences despite being the same scale.
Absolutely. The same certainly applies in the world of pastic models (1/72, 1/35 etc). It could also be said that some manufacturers are not even consistent in scale throughout their own ranges :D
The Naval infantry is a bit smaller but as you said, during game time not too many people will really notice.
I do mix H&R, GHQ, etc. vehicles on the same table/in the same army. I do tend to try to stick with one manufacturer per unit though.

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Re: Pete's Place

Post by Gazza »

BurtWolf wrote:
Fri Mar 17, 2023 4:19 am
Hey Gazza, can you let us in on how you painted them (Russian Marines) or what your color schemes were? Thanks.
I based them off these figures by Brigade Games.
Image

I was going to mix and match black or blue trousers and tunics but in the end settled for black trousers and blue tunics. The blue I used was Vallejo 809 (Royal Blue).

<edit>
I tend to use the painting guides from The Flames of War site or the ones on the Artizan Designs' site. Not sure if I can link to them as they are commercial sites but Google is your friend.

pmskaar
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Re: Pete's Place

Post by pmskaar »

Thanks for posting the other pictures of the Russian Naval Infantry, Gaza. That is a pretty good reference in my opinion along with your description of how you painted them.

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Re: Pete's Place

Post by Hoth_902 »

Pete,

I am in the process of base coating up my german vehicles. Soon I will be moving on to camo and then numbering. Could you tell me or point me to a good reference, that tells when the German numbers that were red outlined in white were used. I am trying to do some later war vehicles and bought a bunch of red with white lines. Want to make sure they are ok before I put them on and then regret it....
Quantity has a Quality all its own.

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Gazza
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Re: Pete's Place

Post by Gazza »

Hoth_902 wrote:
Fri Mar 17, 2023 11:05 am
Could you tell me or point me to a good reference, that tells when the German numbers that were red outlined in white were used.
Until Pete answers this should be of some help. The colours varied over the years. The red/white combo probably starting after the vehicles changed from 'panzer grey' to 'dark yellow' in 1943. There was an order in August 1944 that specified a single style (but was not always followed). Anyway a link:
https://panzerworld.com/german-armor-ba ... al-numbers

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Re: Pete's Place

Post by Hoth_902 »

Thanks Gazza, that definitely helps. All the decals I have now are red with white outline. Seems to me I am in a good place
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pmskaar
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Re: Pete's Place

Post by pmskaar »

Hi Hoth! Hi Gazza!

Thanks for the links to the references, Gazza! There is some good stuff there on the official regulations on vehicle numbering that are good.

With that said, There is no really right way or wrong way to number these things UNLESS you are trying to replicate a particular unit at a particular time. Even then, things may be spotty.

I have a lot of references on German tanks for WWII and of course there is a lot online as well. You can do almost anything and it would be hard to say it is completely wrong ... or right for that matter since we are painting units and not just a single tank or vehicle.

I do know that in 1940, the 7th Panzer Division used 3 digit red tactical numbers with white outlines on their tanks. It appears that the 21st Panzer used Red numbers with white outlines at least some of the time. 15th Panzer used single digit numbers generally for the company. Apparently the platoon and individual tank numbers were there but just on a small plate so in 1/285th scale not seen. I have seen variations in colors of the numbers on both of those divisions sometimes in the case of 21st Panzer with the numbers in white outline only and sometimes the 15th showing a black number instead of a red.

As far as late War goes, I have seen lots of variations in size and color and sometimes even the shapes of the numbers. There were some numbers were in the medium to small range but you occasionally see numbers that are very large. Numbers could be in white outline only, black outline only, white, black, red only, and then the ones with various colors such as blue, green, and yellow/ochre. Yellow numbers were used more in the early to mid war until the Germans started painting their tanks in Dunkelgelb.

You have a lot of latitude to do what you want.

The Oracle of Pete has spoken!

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