1980s Bundeswehr Jägerzug (rifle platoon)

[Kourtchatovium104]

I was thinking of buying one. Your great work convinces me!   

[CapnJim]

Yeah, I may need to get a few too.  But more likely for my US troops in the late 80s (they hadn't all switched to Bradleys yet).

That one does look good, though.

[Ursus Maior]

There's a good Bundeswehr M113 available as a 3D print, as well. The files were done by BobMack3D and prints can be bought, among other vendors I presume, from PatrickMiniaturs.de. Try this one: https://patrickminiatures.de/products/m113a1g-3d-printed-28mm-scale-60352?_pos=3&_sid=fa7da103a&_ss=r

There's a mortar carrier variant as well available from the same shop.

[carlos marighela]

Yeah, I may need to get a few too.  But more likely for my US troops in the late 80s (they hadn't all switched to Bradleys yet).

That one does look good, though.

I'll be bunging up photos of the Bob Mack via Patrick Minatures M113A2 and M60A3 in Berlin Brigade livery this weekend. Lovely models and you get both open or closed cupolas, so if you fancy swapping them mid game to denote closed down or not, you could.

[carlos marighela]

Oh and a full review of the Rubicon kit and photos of it in another guise here:

https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=144468.msg1844601#msg1844601

Apols for the thread hijack Michi.

[Michi]

Oh and a full review of the Rubicon kit and photos of it in another guise here:

https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=144468.msg1844601#msg1844601

Apols for the thread hijack Michi.

Perfectly fine, Carlos - thank you! Anything that adds to the subject is much appreciated. 

There's a good Bundeswehr M113 available as a 3D print, as well. The files were done by BobMack3D and prints can be bought, among other vendors I presume, from PatrickMiniaturs.de. Try this one: https://patrickminiatures.de/products/m113a1g-3d-printed-28mm-scale-60352?_pos=3&_sid=fa7da103a&_ss=r

There's a mortar carrier variant as well available from the same shop.

I considered buying that one too, but the kit was a third cheaper to be honest, although having the correct details on the model would have been nice. The decision was a no-brainer then. As said above, I can live with the American in German disguise... 

[CapnJim]

I'll be bunging up photos of the Bob Mack via Patrick Minatures M113A2 and M60A3 in Berlin Brigade livery this weekend. Lovely models and you get both open or closed cupolas, so if you fancy swapping them mid game to denote closed down or not, you could.

Hmm.  Maybe I'll wait until i see these pics.  The US intervention in El Perdomo (the overt one, anyway) isn't gonna happen until later this year at the earliest...

[Michi]

So I placed another order at patrickminiatures and received it two days later:



I didn't want a radio van, but it was the only van body offered. Therefore I had to convert it into an ambulance body by removing hatches, aerials, camouflage gear and adding a beacon instead.









It is marked as an ambulance of 3rd company of 5th medic batallion - garrisoned in Rennerod/West Germany, which belongs to 5th Panzerdivision.
Comparison of body variants:

[Jemima Fawr]

Fantastic once again!  And  big dose of deja-vu for me, as those Unimog ambulances (along with the military police Munga/Iltis) were probably the most often-seen military vehicle on the roads around here (in West Wales) when I was a kid.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Nice work on the ambulance.

I look forward to seeing a comparison between the Rubicon M113 and the 3D print one.

[LouieN]

Great painting. 

[carlos marighela]

Fabulous stuff!  The ambulance looks terrific.

I want to replace my existing Marders (plastic 1/48 motorised kits) at some point and this is tipping me over the edge.

[Michi]

Here comes the AFV. It's the Marder 1A2 variant, which looks perfectly as it should - at least to my limited knowledge of armoured vehicles. I left the MILAN away, because I wanted it battle ready. The MILAN would have been handed to the commandant from the hatch on the right behind the turret. It would have been ready to fire within 30 seconds, therefore no need to leave it exposed to damage by fire or shrapnel outside.
Marked as vehicle of the 2nd company of 132rd Panzergrenadier battalion, 5th Panzerdivision:







The germanised M113 is also finished. Actually it's even more detailed than the Rubicon model and the alterations seem correct to me. However you'll spot traces of printing layers. It was hard to remove them on both the Marder and the APC. That wasn't necessary with the Rubicon kit, and it also offers a detailed interior and opening hatches. If I had to choose now that I built both, I would prefer the printed one though. It's the one on the left:






Size comparisons:








I really like how Bill Weston's miniatures match the models. Hopefully there will be some more in the future.
I consider this little project finished now, but I have visions of Bundesgrenzschutz to fight at their side. I wonder where I can find G3 assault rifles to give them to WW2 German miniatures. This should make nearly perfect BGS first responders...

[Ultravanillasmurf]

They look really good.

[carlos marighela]

Nic Robson was kind enough to cast me a load of G3s. I will be seeking some more in the not too distant to do some more conversion work of my own, so I may have some spare in the not too distant future. Happy to send you some if you fancy. Probably be a month or so off between me getting down and back to Nic's factory.

That said, I can't recall if the BGS were using G3s in the 1980s. I know that in the late 1970s they definitely still had G1s (FALs) on strength and there are photos suggesting their continued use into the 1980s. Quite a few people making loose FALS including TAG and Crooked Dice to name but two.

Some alternatives are available almost off the peg. Underfire do a range of generic Polizei, which work as BGS in the Oestergaard uniforms (both dress and working dress types). They come tooled up with G3s and MG3s and even Panzerfaust 3s, which seems a bit of the top for the average bulle.

You could probably just modify the Underfire panzergrenadiers by adding a WW2 stahlhelm and a green stuff hood to their jackets.

Then there are the Eureka Portuguese. I bunged some stahlhelms on a few as proxy Cold War era Spanish infantry. The potential drawback for BGS is that they all have rolled up sleeves. Webbing is minimal so that makes conversions easier. The Eureka Portuguese are also the only source for the MG8 AKA the HK21 squad automatic. These definitely did see some service with the BGS, alongside MG3s. I even seen a photo of one mounted on a lafette.

If you want to go the G1 and camouflage smock route, probably your best conversion source would be the Gripping Beast/MoFo Argentinians. They have hooded parkas and FALs. Would require a head swap and some work on the webbing but much of your work would be done.