(Commercial) 1939-41 Soviets Kickstarter by BrigadeGames and Company B

[brigadegames]

We are waiting approval of our 1939-41 Soviets Kickstarter.

We anticipate starting this week and have lots of miniatures for this KS. The campaign will run about 3 weeks.

Full Soviet and Mongol Infantry Platoons, Support and Artillery. Plus, Mongol Cavalry and Allied Japanese Cavalry.

I will add the link once approved and some pictures of some of the minis this week.

Here is a brief historical primer -

From July 1938 through the late summer of 1941 the forces of the USSR and Imperial Japan fought a series of battles from small skirmishes to large scale pitched battles over disputed territorial borders in the Far East. This was an undeclared war, one that has been overlooked for many years but which would have far-reaching consequences. The largest of these battles was called Khalkin Gol by the Soviets and Nomonhan by the Japanese and raged from May – August 1939. It is often overlooked that the primary enemy of Imperial Japan and the focus of their war plans at this time was not the USA and UK but the USSR! Skirmishes of small forces escalated as more infantry were fed into the battle that eventually saw armored battles by both sides and bitter fighting. This battle was the debut of Gregory Zhukov who used combined skills of planning, deception and material to overwhelm and defeat the Japanese; this leadership would be repeated against the Germans in the Great Patriotic War. The stunning defeat by their primary enemy prompted a revision in Japanese strategy which now looked south for their expansionist goals – North Wind Cloudy became East Wind Rain. The Soviets were also free to concentrate their efforts in Europe and Poland in September 1939.

These figures area designed to demonstrate the unique Soviet uniforms from 1938 through the initial onslaught of Barbarossa. These figures show the forces of the USSR and their allies as they would have fought the Japanese prior to the outbreak of hostilities in Europe. The summer weather in the Far East could be quite warm and the armies tended to “travel light”. Uniforms of the USSR during this period did not have shoulder boards, a throwback to the 1917 revolution and, most uniquely, wore the Model 1936 helmet with broad brim, flared sides and comb on top.

Some of the great advantages of these figures are their versatility and their unique uses – they are appropriate for the 1938/39 fighting against the Japanese, offering VERY interesting wargaming scenarios, may be used in the 1939 invasion of Poland and against the Germans and their allies in the 1941 Barbarossa campaign.

[Phil_Gray]

One to watch with interest.

[draxx66]

Yip this is one I will have to look at.

[brigadegames]

We will be going live at 1pm on Wednesday, May 25th.

I am pretty sure this is the link (KS isn't really clear about this but I will update it if I am wrong.)

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brigadegames/1305495158

[BossTroll]

Interesting. I've been interested in the battle of Khalkin Gol for a while now.

1pm which time zone are you going live?

[brigadegames]

1pm EST as we are in NJ, USA

[brigadegames]

We are now live - yes, a little early.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brigadegames/28mm-1939-41-soviets-for-nomonhan-poland-and-easte

[moiterei_1984]

Sorry if I may sound a bit harsh but the figures do look a bit crude to me. I wish you luck though. Some rare units in there.

[brigadegames]

The figures are perfectly fine.

The painting is not the best to be honest.

The figures are sculpted by Mike Broadbent who did our WW2 Pacific Australians range.
For comparison the link is below. Same sculptor, same quality.
http://brigadegames.3dcartstores.com/WW2--Diggers-in-the-Pacific-Aussies_c_31.html

We have been experimenting with different inking techniques but have not really found the perfect formula yet.

I also have limited samples at this time so I couldn't do multiple tries to easily.

 

[brigadegames]

Here is a pic of some better painted rifles.

[carlos marighela]

Those are fairly typical MB sculpts, with all that goes with that.

Unfortunately Mike hasn't really caught the shape of the helmet though and that's about the only thing that marks these out as early/ pre-war Soviets. Pity, as your Japanese are excellent figures, albeit probably a bit lightly dressed for Nomonhan.

I wish you luck with the campaign though.

[Truscott Trotter]

They look good to me - pity there is no Soviet Russian Cavalry or Cossacks that I would buy

[brigadegames]

Unfortunately Mike hasn't really caught the shape of the helmet though and that's about the only thing that marks these out as early/ pre-war Soviets.

We would beg to differ.

Understand that there were probably numerous factories with slight variations in designs.

This picture is of a 1938 design with fit sizes and even in this picture there are variations.

[brigadegames]

They look good to me - pity there is no Soviet Russian Cavalry or Cossacks that I would buy

Hi Truscott

There were none at Nomonhan.

Red Army cavalry were a common unit type during the Revolution and on into the 1920’s especially in the wide open spaces of the East.  Most were converted to mechanized and motorized corps during the 1930s.  Due to severe losses in vehicles by the Red Army following the German invasion of USSR many more cavalry corps were raised. These corps initially included two cavalry divisions. During 1943, another cavalry division was added, and all divisions received a tank regiment.

Despite the name, for the most part the troops of the cavalry corps operated primarily as dismounted infantry, using their horses only to negotiate terrain that would prove difficult to motor vehicles, and conducting rapid raids.

[carlos marighela]

We would beg to differ.

Understand that there were probably numerous factories with slight variations in designs.

This picture is of a 1938 design with fit sizes and even in this picture there are variations.

Well, that's because you have a picture displaying two quite different helmet patterns. The one on the left appears to be an either an Ssh-39 or Ssh-40 and the one on the right  is the M-36, the type that Mike has attempted to portray.

No doubt there are some subtle differences between manufacturers or lots but I've yet to see a photo of one where the ventilation comb runs across the crown like a fireman's helmet. Have a closer look at photos of the actual article.

I've seen a lot of Mike's work over the years,  I have quite a bit of it in fact and certainly enough to know that strict attention to detail isn't always his strongest point. Lovely chap and does some first rate work in 15mm, which IMO is the scale that suits him best.

Look I don't wish to carp and I really do wish you the very best with the campaign, you produce some excellent products that nobody else does. You are to be applauded for tackling a long overlooked topic. By the same token you may wish to consider feedback intended to be constructive.