Wargames Unit - Soviet VDV Regiment

The unit consists of 3 Airborne Battalions, a Regimental HQ, Recce Company, Air Defence Company and Heavy Mortar Company.  It is reinforced by support elements from its parent Division Including Artillery, Self propelled guns and Air Defence and is built around a Rapid Fire style orbit with a vehicle scale of 1:3.  I originally built the unit for Red Tide 2010, the first of two "Big Games" sponsored by the Guild, one of the webs better wargames forums.  

Reinforced Soviet Airborne Regiment for Rapid Fire

The First Battalion is Armoured and equipped with BMDs. It has an HQ consisting of an AGS 17, Commander Radio Op SA 9 and Sniper.  3 Companies of 6 Figures,  each having an RPG, Commander, LMG and 3 Riflemen.

1st Battalion; Figures and vehicles by Liberation Miniatures

The other two battalions in the light role field additional Anti Tank platoon.  The AT platoon has a Gaz 66, two AT-4 and an SPG 9. In addition the each battalion has a UAZ 469 for the HQ

2nd Battalion;  Gaz 66 from S&S, remaining figures and vehicles Liberation Miniatures

3rd Battalion

RHQ; S&S Gaz 66 Box body, SHQ and Britannia HQ Stand Figures, RPG and Rifleman Liberation Miniatures

Recce Coy; BRDM2 S&S, remainder Liberation Miniatures

AT Company; ACE with Liberation Commanders and Goffy/Blackdog stowage.

AD Company; ACE BMD, Military Wheels ZU 23 - 2, Crew and Infantry Liberation Miniatures, stowage Goffy/Blackdog

Heavy Mortar Company; Gaz 66 S&S, Mortars SHQ, Figures Liberation Miniatures

ASU 85 Company; ARMO, Liberation Commander and Goffy/Blackdog Stowage, S&S now do a cheaper version of this vehicle

Divisional Artillery Elements; Gaz 66 S&S, BMD Ace, D30 Military Wheels, M 1975 MRL and Figures Liberation Miniatures

Element of Divisional Air Defence battalion; BRDM 2 SA 9 S&S. 

The unit like most of the Soviet units is highly flexible in where and when it can be employed, with minor adjustments it can be used from the early 70's through to the early 90's. It can participate in historical Afghanistan scenarios or fictitious events that are plausible on the Northern, Central or Southern Fronts or in the Middle East and Africa.  The Gaz 66 trucks, UAZ 469 and BRDMs can also be used to supplement African armies and Middle Eastern Armies. Those vehicle elements that can be re used in a number of armies have minimal markings and as such are generic.

Ace BMD

ORBAT - 1980s British BG, Part 1 Armoured Divisions and Brigades

Armoured Brigades in the British Army consisted of a collection of infantry battalions and armoured regiments supported by an artillery regiment. The artillery regiment in the 1980's could be equipped with either Abbot, M109 or FH70 guns, engineer and logistic elements would be detached from the divisional engineer regiment and logistic units. All Germany based Brigades from 1981 were termed Armoured Brigades regardless of their composition.

From 1983 - 1993 The Divisional Composition was as follows:

1st Armoured Division, 7th Armoured Brigade (2 armoured regiments, 1 infantry battalion) , 12th Armoured Brigade (1  armoured regiment, 2 infantry battalions), 22nd Armoured Brigade (2 armoured regiments, 1 Infantry battalion). 2 M109 Regt,1 Abbot Regiment, 1 AAC Regiment, 1 AD Battery (Blowpipe), 1 Engineer Regiment

3rd Armoured Division, 4th Armoured Brigade (2 armoured regiments, 1 infantry battalion), 6th Armoured Brigade (1 armoured regiment, 2 infantry battalions) 33rd Armoured Brigade (1armoured regiment, 2 Infantry battalions). 1 M109 Regt,1 Abbot Regiment, 1 FH 70 Regt, 1 AAC Regiment, 1 AD Battery (Blowpipe), 1 Engineer Regiment.

Note: 33 Armoured Brigade swaped with 19th Infantry Brigade in 1986 and transfered to 4th Armoured Division March 1986, from 1983 - 1988 6th Armoured Brigade was configured as an Airmobile Brigade

4th Armoured Division, 11th Armoured Brigade (1 armoured regiment, 2 infantry battalions), 20th Armoured Brigade (2 armoured regiments, 1 infantry battalion), 19th infantry Brigade (3 infantry battalions), 2 M109 Regt,1 Abbot Regiment, 1 AAC Regiment, 1 AD Battery (Blowpipe), 1 Engineer Regiment.

2nd Infantry Division would deploy from UK with 24 Air Mobile Brigade (from 1988, 3 airmobile infantry battalions 1 aviation regiment), 15 Infantry Brigade (1 recce regiment (V), 5 light infantry battalions, 1 artillery regiment), 49 Infantry Brigade (1 recce regiment (V), 5 light infantry battalions, 1 artillery regiment)

So its not surprising everyone gets a bit confused about what is what in the British Army, I suppose it kept the opposition guessing as well.  In a sane world it would be described thus:

• 1st  Armoured Division had 2 armoured and 1 mechanised Brigade.  
• 3rd Mechanised Division had 1 armoured and 2 mechanised Brigades 
• 4th Mechanised Division had 1 armoured 1 mechanised and 1 Infantry Brigade brigade. 
• 2nd Infantry Division was named correctly, as it contained 1 Air Mobile and two Infantry Brigades.

Armoured Brigades (7th, 4th 22nd and 20th) contain two armoured regiments and 1 mechanised or armoured Infantry battalion. 

Mechanised Brigades (6th, 11th, 12th and 33rd) contain 1 Armoured Regiment and 2 Mechanised or armoured Infantry Battalions.

Infantry Brigades (19th, 15th and 49th) contained either light roll battalions in trucks or mechanised wheeled units in Saxon.
Air Mobile Brigades (24th) contained 3 Air Mobile Infantry battalions and an Aviation Regiment.  It's Airmobile designation occurred in 1988.

Throughout this period two types of armoured regiment and infantry battalions existed.

• Type 57 Regiments had 4 squadrons and a Recce Troop of 8 Scorpion moving to Scimitar in the early 1990s. 
• Type 43 Regiments had 3 Squadrons and a Recce Troop of 8 Scorpion moving to Scimitar in the early 1990s. 

As we move beyond 1991 these became Type 58 and 44 as an additional command tank was added to BHQ and with the introduction of Challenger 2 the intent was to move to Type 38 but this died in SDR and sits outside the period of interest.

The two flavours of Infantry Battalion are as follows:

• Type A committed to BAOR had 3 Rifle Companies and a Support Company, comprising a mortar platoon 8 tubes, milan platoon (24 posts including 4 MCT), and a recce platoon of 8 Scimitar (Fox in Saxon mounted units).
• Type B committed to home defence had significantly reduced support weapons holdings, milan platoon 6 posts, recce platoon 6 land rovers, mortar platoon 8 tubes.

Note: Air Mobile, Airborne and Commando units had different compositions

I have yet to establish if there was a relationship between the type of brigade and the type of Armoured Regiment, which would make sense. One source indicates that the type 43 regiments were those created as Challenger 1 was issued which seems very plausible.

Scratch Built Milan with Heavily converted crew from SHQ, Britannia and Liberation Miniatures

References:

• ORBAT 1980s British Battle Group, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
• Encyclopaedia of the Modern British Army, ~Terry Gander
• The British Army of the Rhine: An Organisational History 1947 - 2004
• Modern British TOEs

Modelling - Stowing Cold War British Vehicles

FV 432 with Mini Pipe Facines

The British Army, is a largely predictable organisation which had a fairly well developed concept of what a vehicle carried when it went to war.  All vehicles carried an array of camouflage equipment which included rolls of Hessian, cut wooden poles and camouflage netting.  The Hessian was draped around the sides of the vehicle in order to eliminate shadow and shine, whilst the net was suspended on poles over the vehicle to disguise shape.  The aim being to conceal at least the type if not the presence of a vehicle, when it was static.  In addition to camouflage equipment FV432s in Infantry companies frequently carried mini pipe facines which could be used to breach small gaps such as streams and ditches.

Abbot, with pintle mounted LMG and camouflaged turret

Abbot, showing use of ammunition boxes for stowage on front decks and hessian rolls along sides.

Stowage positions for these items were limited depending on vehicle type as the crew would need access to hatches and had to ensure that turrets would traverse and guns elevate.  In an ideal world the stowed items would not burst into flames because they were placed on top of a piping hot exhaust system or prevent air circulating around hot engines because it clogged air intakes.

FV 432, showing Hessian rolls and additional stowage with over sprayed ammunition box

Most other equipment was confined to baskets or was internally stowed, inevitably the speed you packed up would have an effect.  Crews also liked to secure additional stowage containers to the vehicle by welding on ammo boxes and stowage bins.  These eventually become painted when the vehicle was re sprayed. Re painting was of course something the British Army did at a fairly high frequency.  Loose items that were frequently stowed outside include roll Mats and cans of lubricant.

Britannia 432, with;  hessian, mini pipe facine, Cam nets, wooden poles, welded Ammo box and a roll mat

The mini Pipe facings are made from plastic tube cut to length, glued together then fixed in place, the Hessian is green stuff, rolled and scored with a knife and looped to represent the effects of gravity, Cam nets are gauze bandage, dipped in water and white glue and the lube can is cut from plastic rod.  The Ammo boxes and roll mats are resin and the poles are florists wire.  Markings are from Penddinghas. Decals.  Base colour for the vehicles is Vallejo Russian Uniform