My Russian Diary

[Seuchenhexer]

For the game Battlegroup I needed a Radio Truck, but because I already have some GAZ, I wanted to do something different.
So I decided to go for some soft what-if scenario and give my HQ a British Lend- Lease Armoured Command Vehicle.
The smaller, 15mm is a AEC from Flames of War, while the bigger Guy Lizard is from Warlord Games.

I tried to keep them similar, but did not aim to have them to be exactly the same, as with the captured SdKfzt. 247, or some of my officers I made for both scales.


To continue with HQ units, I had the idea to get me some Harley- Davidson WLA (or lookalike) to use as a proxy for Jeep options.
But as I did not really use even the Jeep I already got for any of my games, I did not really look further into it.
At least not until I found a picture of a Soviet Army Harley- Davidson WLA with a mortar mounted to the sidecar. And as I do use mortars quite frequently, I finally decided to get me that fine, and somewhat special unit.

The motorcycle is a German motorcycle R75 with sidecar from Offensive Miniatures and of truly fantastic quality. One of my favorite miniatures this year without a doubt.
The mortar itself is from Warlord Games, a leftover from another soon to come project.


And finally this week, a Russian Mountaineers Leytenant from Heer46.

Sadly I have not found any more Soviet mountaineers, else I would start a new army!
So for now it has just to be this one.

[Seuchenhexer]

As I am still working on filling up some support options for my World War 2 army I started this week with a 45 mm anti- tank gun M1937 from Plastic Soldier.


SU- 76i (mostly) from Company B, which was simply horrific! While the main body of the tank destroyer was fine, the resin tracks where all over the place, and neither hot water, nor trying to bolt each wheel to the body did help to straighten them out in the slightest.
So I decided to get me the StuG from Rubicon and use the crisp plastic tracks from that model.
Then I changed the white metal barrel for one made from brass as I like those straight barrels just a little more!

Last but not least I added a tank commander from Bad Squiddo.


My favorite this week was a SU 57 look-a-like, inspired by the model seen in Battlefield V.
Its made from a Warlord Games US mortar carriage, and spare parts I in my bits box (and I think those are all from Warlordgames as well, beside maybe the barrel which is a cut off PaK from Rubicon).

[Seuchenhexer]

As the last couple of weeks I am still focusing on support options, and HQ units.
This week it will get really heavy!



First up a Warlord Games ISU- 152, that I refitted with a new, longer barrel so it looks more like an ISU- 122.
As I am sure I will use them both, and do not really like the short barrel of the 152 that much, this was really an easy choice.


IS- 2 from Warlord Games/ Italerie, painted more or less in the style of Pravda Girls High School from Girls und Panzer.
Does not always have to be all serious 

[Seuchenhexer]

For the end of the year I had planned to start with two new (still Russian) projects. But for that to happen I had to start cleaning up what I still had lying around.
Would not want to end up with some pile of unpainted shame!



To stay as heavy as I was in the last post: 203 mm howitzer M1931 from Heer46.
"Upgraded" with two crew members, made from Wargames Factory.


T-70 equipped with a 45mm VT-42 L/66, made from a small steel rod. The model itself is from Die Waffenkammer.


Anti- tank team with captured Panzerschreck.
The models are from Warlord Games, the Panzerschreck itself is from Die Waffenkammer (I believe), and the ammunition from a Dust 1947 sprue.


And finally a Maxim machine gun crew for my 15mm army.
Sadly there is at the moment neither a Flames of War, or a Battlegrounds group in my area. So I am not feeling that motivated to keep on painting those little buggers. Still they will have to get finished at some point.

[Seuchenhexer]

With the year coming to an end I wanted to start two new (Russian) armies before turning to some other projects for a while.
Probably a sharp eared LotR army, and with the new season in my area a new Blood Bowl team. But we will see!



First on the list was either a Naval Brigade or a partisan unit, but if I am honest at some point I will do both.
Still, with the new French Resistance miniatures from Warlord Games incoming I decided to go for the partisans first.

The miniatures here are from Infamous JT, and only the female with the blue beret in the first row is from Stoesies Heroes.
As they are all meant to be Polish resistance fighters, they got that band on their right arm, which I just painted red so they look like some kind of Soviet partisans.
I had to replace most of the heads, as they came with a lot of German helmets, which made them look way too well organized. I think the British commando heads with the wool caps five them the rag- tag look I imagined for them.

[Seuchenhexer]

Ilyushin Il-2 in 1/72 for some close air support in Bolt Action, or as a pre-game bombardment marker in Chain of Command.


DShK Heavy machine gun team from Warlord Games, for when the Maxim is not enough!

[Seuchenhexer]

While I still need to finish some projects, I also wanted to start working on a smaller, new Napoleonic Wars project.

[Seuchenhexer]

Russian 12- Pounder Cannon from Warlord Games.

Now only some cavalry, officers and heroes are missing. But I think I will take a little break from this little project and see what 2021 holds in store for my trusty World War 2 troops.

[Seuchenhexer]

While there are still Opolchenie, Jägers and Cossacks missing for my Napoleonic Wars project, I wanted to finish some more miniatures for my WW2 partisans.


First up a flag bearer from the Hot& Dangerous series.
She is supposed to be a Polish soldier, but worked out pretty well in some more Russian colors.


And two more LMG teams with a mixture of Warlord Games white metal, and plastic miniatures.
The ammo bearer on the far left is from the Infamous JT miniatures I did paint earlier. I just added him to the photo as a means of comparison.

The two plastic miniatures (in the middle of each team) are Warlord Games SS soldiers, but fit very well into the theme, as most of the Infamous JT models I got are dressed in those German camo smocks.

[Seuchenhexer]

A whole bunch of new machine gunners, all equipped with lend- lease Bren Guns.
The one in the middle using a weapon without buttstock in a more of a scout role.


Anti tank team, equipped with a PIAT.
Like the machine gunners, those are a mix of Soviet and British plastic miniatures from Warlord Games.


Last but not least a mule from Artizan Design.

[Codsticker]

Nice work Seuchenhexer. Good production too- your Russian project is purring right along.

[Seuchenhexer]

Thanks for the comment. It is a really fun project, as I like Russia. Or maybe just the idea of it! Who knows.



Johnny Red from Warlord Games. I bought him some months ago, but sadly did not find the time to paint the Red Falcon squad for some large small scale air battles over Stalingrad.
I tried to stick to what he looked like in the new comic, and of course the Warlord Games homepage. Which seems to be the very same colors.

Then on the right I did kind of kitbash my own Captain Nina Petrova, from a 1stCorps pulp figure, and a female driver.


A new NKVD commissar, to keep an eye on the officers of my VDV company.
It was made from a Warlord Games miniature that came with the Bolt Action USSR book.
The flag was replaced with a fist (obviously).


And finally I started with working on some of my Hot& Dangerous miniatures. I have mixed feelings about those, as they are of a very good quality, but way too tall for 28mm. They are easily a head or two taller then the soldiers surrounding them.
Because of the style most of the miniatures do not fit into more realistic scenarios, but I felt like that I could use Marusha as the commander for my small partisan project.


Two more miniatures from the Hot& Dangerous 2 series.
I painted Celine in the colors of the Russian army, without any modifications, and she first pretty well in (if you ignore that she is like as tall as a building).
I put Natasha on a round base, so I can use her for some of my irregular units, as she looks quite irregular herself.

[Codsticker]

.. as I like Russia. Or maybe just the idea of it!

I get that- I feel the same way about Asia in general.

[Seuchenhexer]

Keeping things light this week, I finished four Senior Rifleman, armed with SVT- 40 Rifles. They are meant to fill up the ranks of my slowly growing full company.
The models are all from Warlord Games.


And one NCO with a British Sten Gun for my Lend- Lease project.

[Seuchenhexer]

After getting me a Captain Nina Petrova, I finally got to work and finish a Po- 2 for her. As before with the IL- 2 it is a very old 1/72 kit I got from ebay.
All I have done is to add two 1/72 Japanese pilots I had to cut to pieces to make them fit into the small cockpit.

Now only planes still missing is a fighter and of course some huge bomber plane for my paratroopers.
As for the fighter I am torn between some Russian designs, and of course the Hurricane for Johnny Red. But why settle for one when you can have it all?


Warlord Games BA- 64 PTRS with a simple headswap from Statuesque Miniatures.


SU- 100 from Rubicon.