Welcome to Cold War Gamer, a blog I am using to record my Cold War wargaming projects. These range from fictitious Cold War hot projects to historical conflicts that took place around the globe throughout the Cold War era, all modelled and gamed in 20mm. The blog includes links to various resources useful to the Cold War Gamer.

My current projects include: Central Front; British & Soviet. South African Border War; Angolans and South Africans. Soviet Afghan War; Soviets and Afghans

Friday 8 June 2012

Wargames Unit - 1980s British BG, Support Company


Support Company owns the bulk of the combat power in an infantry battalion providing, Recce, Anti-Tank and Mortar platoons. I have also included my GPMG SF Guns in this post though they were more often an HQ Company asset. Support companies platoons either worked directly for the battle group HQ or were attached to the companies. Recce and Mortar platoons generally worked direct to battle group whist Anti-tank tended to be grouped with the rifle companies although for certain missions, defence, they were more likely to work for battle group HQ. The Support Company HQ provided a staff and planning function into BGHQ which by the late 90s was focused on covering the ISTAR function.

Recce Platoon


The Recce Platoon is represented by two Airfix CVR(T) Scimitars, these have had the flotation screens removed and are crewed with SHQ Gulf War Infantry, considerable extra stowage has been added as this was not unusual for these vehicles which had limited space and a lot of equipment to carry. Stowage is either Goffy or scratch built from Green Stuff or card stock.







Milan Platoon


The Milan Platoon was large comprising 4 sections of 3 vehicles, a Milan Mobile section of 4 vehicles and an HQ of 2 Vehicles. I have physically represented two sections, but provided them each with two posts representing 12 real life posts, so they incorporate the working assets of the third section. The other section is assumed to be deployed with the third rifle company so is not represented.





The milan posts are scratch built using card stock and the figures are converted SHQ WW2 SS or Britania/liberation mixes. The FV432s are Brittania and stowed in line with the post on stowing cold war british vehicles here.




The Milan Mobile Section is represented by a single CVR(T) Milan Compact Turret (MCT) which is a conversion of the S&S CVR(T) Spartan.  S&S now produce a MCT so creating the mobile section is somewhat easier.




Mortar Platoon


The Mortar platoon is represented by 2 Britania FV 432 Mortar carriers and a CVR(T) Spartan carrying a Mortar Fire Controller (MFC). The FV 432s are crewed with the figures provided and the Spartan is crewed with an SHQ Gulf War figure and armed with a liberation GPMG, with the butt removed. As MFCs were frequently on the BG command radio net, the supported sub unit radio net and the mortar platoon net, the vehicle has the I am a target number of antennas mounted.





SF, Drums Platoon


The Drums platoon was double hatted as the SF platoon in the battalion I served in and provided three sections of two guns, I have represented them as two guns, they had no organic transport and were reliant on the people they were supporting to provide them with lifts in order to get around the Battle field.



The figures are a mix of Britannia and liberation, the Guns are liberation and the tripods from one of the Dragon TOW HMMWV kits. All vehicles are painted in line with painting modelling and model reviews referenced below.

References:

ORBAT 1980s British Battle Group, Part 3, Part 4, Part 7

5 comments:

  1. more uaeful info! thanks.... your painting is nice as well. it is cool to meet an ex soldier. where did you train. when I was very younge I lived next to sailsbury pain and once or twice when we walked the dogs we came across a platoon of soldiers in our woods

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    1. cheers Gowan - I spent a bunch of time on Sailsbury plain and a few other places besides

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  2. Very nice. I like the use of tree limbs for cam net poles

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    1. We used to do it all the time, at least we did before we got prevented from cutting stuff down. I assumed most armies would do the same but have not seen many other pictures with that sort of thing on for either Canadians, US Danes or Germans. Eventually they were superseded by shock corded pole systems, although I always thought they created to regular an effect.

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  3. We had issue poles, originally they were 2x2 wooden poles about 6 feet long painted green, then in the mid/late 80's they were sectional alloy metal poles also painted green.

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