10 June 2014

The Extent of the Malady: Bagration and then some

The Obsession: Extent of the Wargames Malady Part 1

Surely every miniatures builder-painter-collector has to have an element of OCD.

Getting my Russian Troops ready for Operation Bagration also inspired me to document the extent of my malady: Why not photograph all of my armies ?

So here goes: Za Stalinha! : My 1943-44 Russian Army:

I have only photographed what is just about ready to roll out on the snow-covered steppe. No lend-lease vehicles or equipment either, only the hardware made in Mother Russia:


The River of Heroes, FoW book at the ready


Siberian Ski Troops and Guards Division Iosef Stalin IS 2 Heavy Tanks


Zis 3 Battery no.1 and Medium mortars 


IL-2 Sturmovik's Eye View of Soviet assault guns


The same Sturmovik taking a snap of Zis 3 Battery no 2 ... 


...and 122 mm Field Howitzers





And sweeping over the Tankovy: KV 1-Es, KV 2s and a single KV-85; 
T34s Obr 1941 (Stalingrad turret) and T34/76 Obr 1943s


The ungainly KV2s leading the way


T34/76 Obr 1943


T34 Obr 1941 w Stalingrad turren (I think)


Hastily applied whitewash Camo on two T34 Obr 1942 s and a T34/76


Pride of the Guard's Division: IS-2s


The heart of the Soviet assault: Strelkovy: The humble foot soldiers



Heavy mortars to beat the Hitlerites into submission


Medium Mortars too


Business end of the Medium 122 mm Field Howitzers



Cossacks on the warpath...

and dismounted


37 mm Antitank guns, and a commissar and standard bearer
(to enthuse those that may be slightly unwilling to fight for Mother Russia and Comrade Stalin)

7 comments:

  1. I often wondered why you play FOW, with 1/72 plastics... but if you have all this stuff already... I guess you'd be daft not to use it! An impressive force... but may limit your number of opponents, due to scale choice?

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  2. Finding an opponent is sometimes a problem Scott, to be truthful I get as much pleasure out of building and painting as I do out of playing. I have sufficient armies to field forces for late and mid war on both sides, and am training up a few new hands...
    The truth is that I had a large trunk full of Allied and German stuff from my youth sitting in the garage, and I decided to resurrect them when FoW came around. I have masses of GW Armies too, and could not bring myself to invest in what appeared to be yet another GW style arms race with expensive models and books. The 15mm scale also causes models to have out-sized heads and unnaturally thick weapons, which to both my artists' and medical eye are an affront. 1/72 is also very affordable, and also suits my failing eyesight :)
    You're welcome to come over and try your hand at 20mm any day.

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    1. I woouuuld love to play against you lol damn this amazing but dont you lack tablespace for vehicles?

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    2. Bedank je wel! We occasionally get together for a massive game at out wargames club. We did a Kursk game a few years ago: http://kapitiwargamesclub.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/armourgedon-death-ride-at-kursk.html

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    3. http://wargamesobsession.blogspot.co.nz/2014/05/d-day-at-last-kapiti-wargames-club-open.html

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  3. Very impressive collection Herman! And this is just the tip of the iceberg? You are beyond a cure I think!

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    1. It is a disease my friend, running rampant. The Russian Army is the smallest army in my collection. (Still have 4 x T34/76; 2x T35/85s to build, and then I think I'll stop with the Russians) Most of my Allied AFVs are unmarked though, so they can also be used as lend-lease vehicles for the USSR. The Germans outnumber the Allies though...

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