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

Sunday 14 July 2013

Wargames Unit - Soviet Late 80's, Independent DShV Battalion




The Army Independent DShV (Air Assault) battalion comprised of a BMD Company and two parachute Infantry companies.  The Parachute infantry companies in the late cold war period included AT-7 and PKMS Sections.  For operations they would be heavily task organised with elements of the Battalions support platoons these included:

  • Anti Tank
  • Anti Aircraft
  • Mortar
  • Direct Fire Support
  • Indirect Fire Support
  • Reconnaissance
The organisation I am showing here has been task organised for an opperation with battalion assets distributed to the companies and grouped with the aviation assets required to deploy and support it. The aircraft were all part of Frontal Aviation although some of the units would be under Army command. It is loosely based on rapid Fire concepts scale is Ground Vehicles at 1:3 and Aircraft at 1:4.





The AT-7 is scratch built and crewed by Elhiem, the remainder of the figures in the Parachute infantry Company are by Liberation Miniatures and were part of my existing collection.







The support weapons teams are a mix of Liberation and Elhiem, AGS-17, AT-4, SAM-7 and Sniper are Liberation, the excellent SPG-9, Soviet 82mm Morter are Elhiem and the OP team are a mix of S&S and Elhiem. The Elhiem figures are all conversions from their Iraq range.


The lift is provided by two flights from the Army OBVP Assault and Combat Helicopter Regiment, in this case 1 flight of Mi-8TV and 1 of Mi-8T, I am currently not intending the TVs to carry troops and the Mi-8Ts to carry a reduced load, although I have no data to support this.


The remainder of the lift is provided by 2 flights of Mi-8 from the Fronts OTBVP, Independent Combat Transport Helicopter Regiment's Medium Transport Helicopter Squadron.  The air craft comming from a mix of manufacturers.



The other type of Company in The Independent DShV Battalion is the BMD company, equipped with 9 BMDs and a small company of dismounts, I have chosen to represent it with 2 BMD 1P and a BTR-D. This breaks with a traditional RF Route of only representing 1APC per company.  in this case I have decided to use the BMDs as "light tanks" or Fire Support Vehicles and the BTR-D will be used to carry the dismounts.  The Battalion Recce Platoon has been grouped with the BMD company.



The BMDs are by Liberation miniatures as are the figures, the BTR-D is an ACE Kit which as ever scrubs up well, crew figures are Liberation and stowage is Goffey.


Lift for the BMD company is provided by an Mi-8T flight from the Assault and Combat Helicopter Regiment and 2 flights of Mi-26 from the OTVBP's Heavy Transport Helicopter Squadron.  in this case the Mi-8 is by KP and the Mi-26 by Revell.


Battalion HQ is a 6 Figure Command team and Mi-8 Flight which would be a mix of command and control aircraft and ECM aircraft, and an Mi-2 which will act as an air OP.   The Aircraft are part of my divisional support squadron, but I am not sure that fits in with the late war Orbat, a bit more reading to do there.  Both aircraft are KP kits and the Mi-2 is a nice little kit.  The bases which I am probably going to use throughout my force are by East Riding Miniatures.






The projects been a year in the making and other than this battalion and the air-fleet required to shift it around the battlefield, includes a Strike package of Fighters and Ground attack aircraft and a fairly impressive Hinde Attack Helicopter squadron but more of them later.  All the references and research on Orbat Colour schemes etc are contained within the related posts.

17 comments:

  1. Wow! What a great looking force!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow that is an epic force! The helicopters all look awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Although moderns is not really my thing, such an attractively presented wargames unit goes a long way to undermining my prejudices. Superb!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a collection! You've worked long and hard at that one andy - well done!

    ReplyDelete
  5. excellent stuff! a seriously dangerous looking force and I certainly wouldn't like those helicopters to drop their load off anywhere near my position

    ReplyDelete
  6. Really appreciate the comments, it's been an interesting project that has certainly been a bit of a trial to finish, hopefully there will be some good action shots from the game next week to share. Thanks again for following the blog.

    ReplyDelete
  7. VERY NICE ! This is one of the most exciting armies I have ever seen !
    Congrat !
    Benoit

    ReplyDelete
  8. Fantastic work! Extremely impressive, and at the same time somewhat terrifying for the poor sods sat at the other end of the table. Really hope their point air-defence is composed of something more than a gimpy onna-stick...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Too be fair the opponents created the first flak army to be fielded by the Bundeswehr, this is just another round in our own private arms race. Its also coupled with a belief that we don't really play out the Joint Fires aspects of the cold war with any "realism" what so ever normally, Thanks for the comment :)

      Delete
  9. Superb!
    As soon as I have finished my Bolt Action US I think a 20mm project is on the cards.
    Amazing inspiration
    Cheers
    David

    ReplyDelete
  10. Are there rules for these pieces?

    Would they be compatible with Junior General figures?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. apologies only just spotted this we use an adoption of Rapid Fire but there are plenty of Modern sets, the Rules section in the right hand margins lists most that I am aware of. It really depends at what level you want to play

      Delete