Under Fire Miniatures - June 2015 releases.

[Westy38]

Introducing a new line in the Under Fire Bush War range of figures: Rhodesian Homefront.

Rhodesian P.A.T.U.


Rhodesian Farm Guard


Rhodesian Family


All figures are cast out of white metal and scaled for 1/72 - 1/76.

I will happily answer any questions people may have.

Regards,

Westy38.

http://www.underfireminiatures.com

[v_lazy_dragon]

Great figures! These may have just tipped me into doing the Bush war in 20mm!

[juergen c. olk]

Not only these figures .but the entire range are great! http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ModernAfricanBushwars

[Arlequín]

I will happily answer any questions people may have.

Not so much questions, but I have a few opinions and suggestions I will share. 

Firstly though, great additions to what is pretty much the definitive (or indeed only) 20mm range of Rhodesian Figures. Besides PATU and GF you've also covered INTAF and RR reservists with these additions. A few more couldn't hurt though.


1) The range needs more radio operators - the RLI and RAR stick leaders all carried them, so that's 1 radio per four men... maybe a pack of these? Other units had fewer of them, but they were easily as common as an FN-MAG.

2) I don't recall seeing any figure in the range with a 32Z Grenade mounted on his FN. SOP was to have one ready to go and it would be the first thing fired at an enemy position. Small beans really though, but if you were planning some further additions...

3) Nice to see the Bren Gun make an appearance! Very common in almost every unit outside of RLI & RAR. Lesser appearances were made by such weapons like the Sterling, 'Rhogun' and the AR-15... a pack of 'odd' weapons might be a nice addition to break the regularity of FNs for RR and other similar '2nd line' units.


L4 Bren (straighter mag) with un-named RR unit, usually wrongly captioned as 'RLI'


Sterling with RR unit.


SMLE No.2 - as the Army was expanded late in the war there were not enough FNs to go round and priority went to the regulars and the 'Nashos' of the RR Ind Coys (actually 'RAR' Ind Coys by this time). About 1978-79-ish as the unit is de-segregated.

Note in both photos the white guys have cut-off or short sleeves, or have them rolled up, while the black guys have mostly have sleeves down or slightly rolled. A toss up between what was worse, heat or insects.


AR-15... no idea which unit, but I would guess RR or PATU.

4) How about some more ZANU? Twelve figures pretty much covers it for them Pre-1976, but after that they were appearing in platoon-sized units over the border. Of course they could also be used for Selous Scout units.

5) Some heavy weapons for ZANU/ZAPU would be good. Again Post-76 they were dragging B-10 RCLs and Heavy MGs over the border and of course had them in the camps. DShKs and SGMs on either AA tripods or their old wheeled mounts were encountered. DShKs also found their way into Rhodesian base defences by the obvious route of being captured too.

6) FRELIMO - Could also be used for ZAPU 'regulars'. Somewhat more regular-looking and uniform than the guys you already have.


Samora Michel and friends well turned out for the camera.


FRELIMO Mortar Team... not the one guy's turn for the unit's boots.

7) Rhodesians in helmets. Not common, but not unheard of either. There is a picture or two of the RhSAS and RAR in them out there.


Late War RhSAS in British Para and French OTAN helmets.... note AK, RPDs, RPG and solitary FN partially hidden.

[sundayhero]

The civilian (family, guards) and policemen are a great addition for any bush wars setup. The only thing I may have seen diferent is family weapons, do you plan to release a set with "lighter" (or I'd say "more civilian") weapons, like hunt rifles, revolvers, etc...  ?

thank you !

[v_lazy_dragon]

I'd agree about wanting some 'civilian' weapons,  but given that the government were dishing out SMGs (Stens and later Uzis and the Rhodesian home made jobbie who's name I have forgotten) i do wonder if such light weapons are actually a realistic representation or if it owes more to colonial/pulp influences?

With respect to the aresenal that a 'typical' farmer (also a army volunteer IIRC) had in his possession during the war, and the order in which he'd planned to use them in case of attack. All weapons were loaded up each evening and laid out beside his bed.
FN FAL (Army issue)
Baikal 12ga. DB shotgun (loaded with AAA buckshot)
Winchester .30-30 Rifle (Authors prefered sporting rifle, 7 round magazine)
Sten gun (Police issue)
Brno .22 'plinking' rifle (5 round magazine)
Colt .38 Special revolver
After those were all empty he was planning to reload and continue to use the FN; and had a stack of magazines loaded and ready. He also had what he termed 'the cannon' which was a home made, electrically fired, 'claymore' type device, comprised of a thick steel pipe packed with explosives and cut up pieces of quarter inch steel rod. This had been set into a flower bed, pointing towards the most likely point of attack, with the firing mechanism positioned on Faan's bedside table.
(Taken From 'James & the Duck' by Faan Martin)

Edited to add in details of the arsenal...

[Arlequín]

Yep... with almost every man of military age (<60) serving on rota, 'civilian' firearms were few and far between when facing terrorist AKs. Things like the Uzi and 'Rhogun' and various handguns, were mostly marketed towards the personal protection of women... and urban ones at that, besides their military applications of course.

The family and farm guards are pretty much 100% accurate as far as Rhodesia goes, at least from the photos I've seen.

[Ash]

Love the new stuff, order in...

@ Arlequin : Great post, not seen those Frelimo pics before.

I'd vote for a weapons pack: FN, MAG, RPD, RPG, AK etc

A pack or three of heads: African heads in bush hats (Intaf type), Brit Para helmets, Otan helmets.
 


European heads with same toppings + heads with beards and heads with outrageously 70's hair.
African troops in T shirts.

That pic of the bloke with the AR-15 I believe was from a copy of Soldier of Fortune magazine, from an article on Americans working as security guards on commercial farms.

Just had a look at my little collection & there are blokes with radios in the following packs: Scouts 1 has 1, Scouts 2 has 1, RLI 1 has 2, RAR 1 has 1, RAR 2 has 2, RAR 4 has 1, RAR 6 has 2.

[carlos marighela]

She's a big, strapping lass is the mother in the family assorted pack.

[Arlequín]

She's a big, strapping lass is the mother in the family assorted pack.

It's the outdoor life... she'd be half the size if she was a night-fighter from Salisbury. 

Just had a look at my little collection & there are blokes with radios in the following packs: Scouts 1 has 1, Scouts 2 has 1, RLI 1 has 2, RAR 1 has 1, RAR 2 has 2, RAR 4 has 1, RAR 6 has 2.

I stand corrected... I couldn't see them from the pics... In that case top work! 

[Westy38]

She's a big, strapping lass is the mother in the family assorted pack.

In the photo she's based on she's wielding a G3 assault rifle ! As for the weapons the rest of the family have, again, the photo's I used showed Dad & son using FN-FALs.

What I've been doing is filling in the gaps in the range so a gamer can play all the Rhodesian games in the Bush Wars scenario book from Force on Force. All I have left to do are the DsHK & ZPU-1 gun teams for the 'external' game. But they won't be happening until I've got the weapons done.

With regard to what comes next, currently being sculpted are a mortar and RCL team for the R.A.R. range.

Westy38.

www.underfireminiatures.com