Cyprus 1974 - Uniforms? 28mm figs?

[Dave Knight]

Hi

Looking for some help

For Turks I have been told WW2 US will do fine

For the Greek Cypriot national guard WW2 British?

No idea for Turkish Cypriots

I have acquired die cast 1/50 2 M47 Pattons and a T34/85 so this project is looking good, but I need some infantry and transport.  For rules I will probably use Force on Force but am open to other suggestions

[argsilverson]

For greeks WW2 US infantry or Vietnam US will be good.

British style uniforms were abolished a little before 1970!
see also here:

http://www.army.gr/multimedia/stoles/stoles/stoles11.htm

[carlos marighela]

WW2 Americans, sort of work for Turks with some caveats. The problem is that pretty much all of US WW2 figures on the market are wearing canvas gaiters and most are wearing Parsons jackets. The Artizan Designs figures are a better start point as many are in shirts. You need to file back the gaiters to a boot shape then lengthen some of the trousers with some putty. I'm just about to do this myself to produce some generic Central American proxy troops.

Many of the members of the Turkish invasion forces were still wearing old British tin hats of the Brodie pattern, usually with some kind of cover. Some head swaps with British figures will give you a distinctive look with the combination of M1 rifles and British helmets. Vietnam era Americans will not work. The weaponry is wrong and every manufacturer makes them in the long four pocket tropical jacket.

Another option, probably more work than it's worth would be to use the new Perry Eighth Army figures in trousers. Easier to create boots but would require work swapping out rifles and webbing.

Turkish marines were armed with G-3 rifles. Whilst not accurate, you could probably make acceptable proxies using the Eureka Portuguese with head swaps. Closest you'll get in this scale anyway. The Aden Brits would make suitable British Army if you want to game confrontation with Britain.

As I've said before, if someone would just make some generic figures in combat boots, M-1 helmets and fatigues a lot of post war armies would be become practical options.

[Dave Knight]

I thought that the Greek Cypriots might be using older style uniforms, certainly some of the equipment was WW2 era

[Arlequín]

Carlos pipped me at the post there... but you can have this for variance. 

About the only thing that matches WW2 US with 1974 Turks is the helmet and the Thompson... Most WW2 US figures out there are wearing the early uniform, with shoes and spats, while the Turks wore combat boots and the ubiquitous post-WW2 style fatigues, either in plain OD, or the rather unique Para and Marine patterns... which I believe is pretty much what the Greeks and Cypriot National Guard were wearing/using, but in different colours?  

Given that they were largely armed with G3/FN rifles, the pouches will be wrong too, even for the Thompsons/M3 Grease Guns. The LMG was the MG-3, so in all there is not much use to be had from most WW2 US ranges... even the Bazooka was the M20, which looks little like a M1/M9.

I could be wrong (and probably am), but I believe some Turkish units (probably the regular infantry) back then were still carrying the Garand and using the air-cooled Browning .30 and those are usually seen in plain OD fatigues and 'woodland' helmet covers. Haven't seen any Turks carrying M16/M60s from that time period though (does not mean they didn't).

Turkish Paras...



I have seen a few photos of mixed groups of Turks, some in the uniforms described above and some in what looks like the British 'Turtle' or 'Battle Bowler' helmets (it's hard to tell as they are covered in taught hessian sacking). They are not carrying weapons, so I have no idea what they were equipped with... possibly these could be Turkish-Cypriot militia of some form.

[Dave Knight]

Oh dear

So it looks as if  there are no correct (or even approximately correct) figures out there in 28mm

I may just have to proxy other figures and live with the differences

[Arlequín]

I would certainly give Carlos's suggestion about using the Portuguese figures some thought. A bit of filing will produce the somewhat distinctive Greek Army cap, while a M1 helmet head swap should cover most of what you need otherwise. Unfortunately you will have a lot of figures in similar poses, but otherwise they should look the part.

If you can get hold of them, the Mongrel 'Congo Mercenaries' might provide some suitable proxies which aren't too far off the mark.

If you're feeling ambitious, weapon swaps on US Vietnam figures might be another way forward.

 

[carlos marighela]

Plenty of Turks carrying Garands. Thompsons in evidence as per Jim's photos, the Turks also had M-3 Grease guns in inventory and yes, there are photos of one or two still wielding FN FAL rifles. The Browning .30 cal was used, evidently by ose troops still equiped eith US war surplus.

Greeks over all look not dissimilar but with FN FAL as main rifle, although Cypriot guardsmen with Lee Enfields, Garands, Stend etc also possible.

[carlos marighela]

By the way. If you need to find a use for an M-47 and T-34 then paint them sand and fight Suez 1956. Red Star do suitable ( perfect actuallu) French paras and the French used M-47 s in the invasion. WW2 Brit paras will fit the bill for the British component and a mix and match of WW2 Brits with some Sov bloc kit or even the Commando miniatures Indonesians with Czech weapons will do for the Egyptians, who also get the T-34.

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

Dear David,

I have just finished painting 30+ Commando Indonesians in Duck Hunter camo for you that would make very good proxies for those Turkish troops. :-)

I suspect that WW2 USMC figures from Brigade or TAG would work too.

Mick

[Dave Knight]

Sounds a good plan Mick

[carlos marighela]

There are a few photos showing Turks with FN FAL and British helmets as part og the invasion force. Eureka have just produced some Rhodesian African Rifles, which with head swaps would be almost perfect for conversions. Give them M1 helmets and they would work as Greeks or Cypriots too.

And no the Rhodesians aren't on the site yet. Email Nic Robson for details. I believe he will be taking them to Salute.