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Thursday, January 4, 2024

Introducing the Soviet Naval Infantry

Latest edit: Added WW23D.com Soviet Naval Infantry
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The Soviet Naval Infantry was theoretically an amphibious force, although they only conducted a handful of landings during the war. For the most part they were used as normal infantry in land battles where reinforcements were badly needed like Stalingrad, Leningrad, or the outskirts of Moscow. Some of them were actually ship crews retrained as infantry, but nonetheless they fought courageously and earned themselves a gallant reputation.

This first set of pictures is the Soviet Naval Infantry made by Pegasus Hobbies. It comes in 12 nice, very well-proportioned, action poses. It requires a minor amount of assembly/gluing, namely a few arms and weapons, as some of the figures are manufactured using two molds. That's still a small price to pay in exchange for some nicer -less flat- poses compared to what can be manufactured with one mold. Unfortunately I still have not gotten around to painting them, although I already researched the uniforms. Even unpainted, they still make a nice scene.  

In the pictures below you see them launching a counterattack on a street that has already exchanged hands several times. Will they prevail this time?

Pegasus Soviet Naval Infantry
The men up front rush forward.

Pegasus Soviet Naval Infantry
The rubble on the street offers some amount of cover.


Pegasus Soviet Naval Infantry

The front elements are already in grenade-throwing range.

Pegasus Soviet Naval Infantry
The guys immediately behind provide covering fire.

Pegasus Soviet Naval Infantry
A couple of sub-machine gun bursts to make the enemy take cover.

Pegasus Soviet Naval Infantry
A side view of the action.

Pegasus Soviet Naval Infantry
Looks like this machine gunner is about to do some damage...


Pegasus Soviet Naval Infantry
Taking a well-aimed shot.

Pegasus Soviet Naval Infantry
The captain bringing up the rear.

Pegasus Soviet Naval Infantry
The more cautious guys following a few steps behind.

Publius Soviet Naval Infantry
Publius Soviet Naval Infantry - Part I
Here are a few more Naval Infantry guys made by a Russian company called Publius. They are really hard to find. I got these guys courtesy of my friend and fellow collector, The Plastic General. He discovered them and managed to obtain some from a contact in Russia. The level of detail and fluidity of movement in the sculpting is among the best I've seen. They are so well done that leave you longing for more poses. 

Publius Soviet Naval Infantry
Publius Soviet Naval Infantry - Part II
I also like the fact that every pose is an action pose, as opposed to having some marching or standing guys, which tend to have a more limited use. And as you can see, there is a nice variety in the weaponry and outfits of the figures. I also like the fact that the bases have some detail and texture, but they are not bulky as has been the trend recently in the hobby. These guys are certainly a great complement to the Pegasus figures and add much needed variety to this service branch of the Soviet Army.

Publius Soviet Naval Infantry
Publius Soviet Naval Infantry - Part II
These are the same figures as above, just as a group and in a different shade of color. I must admit that I forgot I had already bought and posted them, but the picture turned out well, so we can repost them :-)

Plastic Platoon Soviet Naval Infantry - Defense of Leningrad, 1941
A great set depicting the intensity of  close quarter combat happening in an urban theater. These naval infantry figures would be equally at home in Stalingrad or Sevastopol, and they will be a great complement to Publius' and Pegasus' naval infantry troops. Again, the plastic is a bit soft, and that makes the tips of the weapons point in odd directions, but other than that, the sculpting -i.e. the level of detail and action- on these figures is exceptional. I can't wait to see how realistic they look with some paint on them!

ESCI Soviet Spetznaz
ESCI Soviet Spetznaz - Part I
The Spetznaz are Soviet Special Forces, however they are post WWII figures. I find their uniforms however close enough to the Soviet Naval Infantry that I have decided to use them as such to complement the Pegasus figures. The weaponry is a bit modern, so I'll have to overlook that. In terms of the poses I like the men who are crouching better than the ones who are standing.

ESCI Soviet Spetznaz
ESCI Soviet Spetznaz - Part II
Some of these guys are wearing a different head gear. Not sure if those will blend in with the Naval Infantry. Their weapons however would fit quite well in the WWII period. Again, I have my reservations about the poses of the guys who are running. I would like them better if their upper bodies were leaning more a bit forward.

Speira Miniatures Soviet Naval Infantry
Speira Miniatures Soviet Naval Infantry
Speira makes 3D printed toy soldiers. They only offer a handful of Soviet Naval Infantry figures, so when I saw this guy I grabbed him. What's interesting about him is that you can also select the head that you want for him. There are three or four variations, with different headgear and facial expressions. He will go well with my other Soviet Naval Infantry guys from Pegasus, etc. 

Hanomak Soviet Naval Infantry in the Arctic
Hanomak Soviet Arctic Troops
Even though this set is supposed to represent troops fighting in or around the Arctic Circle, there are only two guys who seem to be dressed adequately for the occasion -the officer and the man sitting on the ground seem to be pretty snug, but the other guys would be freezing. Or perhaps they are fighting in the summer months and we now have figures to defend the Arctic year-round? Jokes aside I actually bought this set to get my hands on the four naval infantry figures. I also don't have much use for the officer who is just standing around. But the three guys on the left, are in very nice action/fighting poses and will be a good addition to the unit. The guy who is aiming his handgun upwards is nice in terms of the sculpting and detail, but will also have limited uses on the battlefield. 

WW23D Soviet Naval Infantry
What attracted me the most about these Soviet Naval infantry guys is the fact that they are wearing helmets. Most of the other figures I have representing this service branch are wearing sailor caps. I actually prefer that look, but I like that these guys will create some variety in my ranks. Ready for defending Sevastopol or as reinforcements for Stalingrad.


1 comment:

  1. Great post, great minis- I will check them out; nice one, thanks!

    ReplyDelete