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Author Topic: Collecting Serbian Chetniks?  (Read 883 times)

Offline Wyrmalla

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Collecting Serbian Chetniks?
« on: September 25, 2020, 04:37:55 PM »
Contemplating future projects, a collection of generic Partisans seems like a good idea to have as an enemy compatable with any of my Eastern Front forces (ah, good for gaming that is, not for my wallet). When considering my options I'd rather go for a specific group of guerillas, than one which could be used from France to Greece for instance. Which would help structure the collection and give some focus on how to model things.

As far as my options go its come down to three groups. Croatian, Serbian, and Tito's partisans. Now of them Tito's forces could be considered the most like a standard military forces, followed by the Croats. However I'm not looking for just another army. And whilst yes, those groups weren't exactly as professional as the regular military, I'm wanting to look for something with a whole other play style.



The Serbian Chetniks are my favoured option. Visually I like the common style you see them in. Bears, fur hats, bandoliers of rifle clips, and usually black, brown or grey clothing. Modelling them seems doable. I'd buy the head set which Gothic Line Miniatures does expressily for the Chetniks, and mix those in with mostly Empress Miniatures Russian Civil War range.



What I'm wondering about - and yes I'm getting to the point of this post now - is what I aught to do about support options? To me the Chetniks aught to be kept as light infantry, with any support being limited, and if I want bigger guns then it aught to come from an allied force. What's stumping me is what vehicles to give them?

I've found one instance of a tank being used by the Chetniks following the initial period of the uprising. A T-26 which had been repaired by mounting it on a STZ-5 artillery tractor. But would it be feasible to give them some former Yugoslavian military vehicles, or stuff captured from their enemies. Other partisans in the conflicts in Yugoslavia used vehicles like that, however I've next to no information on what the Chetniks did. As were forces like Tito's kind of limited on armour till outside parties got involved and his partisans starting making gains towards the end of the war.
So should I keep things to an irregular infantry force with nebulous objectives in a game which don't necessarily require them to kill all of the enemy (i.e. destroy a bridge). Or should I be trying to fit in some armour in spite of the lack of information out there? They'll be getting that T-26s at a minimum (as it looks so interesting).


Offline Ultravanillasmurf

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Re: Collecting Serbian Chetniks?
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2020, 08:10:01 PM »
Now that is some strange hardware.

Offline Hang Tuah

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Re: Collecting Serbian Chetniks?
« Reply #2 on: September 26, 2020, 05:21:53 PM »
Tanks would seem outta place for me, even if I've not delved deeply into the subject.

Offline Wyrmalla

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Re: Collecting Serbian Chetniks?
« Reply #3 on: September 26, 2020, 08:36:41 PM »
From what I've read of the conflict most guerillas would sabotage any tanks that they captured. Though some would use them for a short time before that.

I remember in a recent Youtube video that I watched it being mentioned that Tito repeatedly asked the British for tanks. They refused initially - saying that they were more trouble than they were worth, and didn't expect a partisan force to be able to use or maintain them properly. Obviously later on - particularly with all of Tito's contact with the Soviets that changed. In the case of other groups though, yes, it does seem like tanks may not fit into the style of fighting they performed.

So would it be the opinion then to avoid vehicles altogether? Instead keeping them as light a force as possible? With the partisans not performing operations other than sabotage, or attacking isolated outposts? Rather than acting in tandem with a more organised force - at least not on the same battlefield?

With partisans, especially given that the Serbs came from the military, at least some must have had armoured vehicle experience. So it may be viable in my eyes that at least on one occaasion they put a captured vehicle back into action on a temporary basis. Or am I just spit balling?


 

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