Introducing the German SA

Latest edit: Hanomak German Allgemeine SS Troops

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The Sturmabteilung (SA), also known as Brown Shirts, was the original muscle of the National Socialist Party when it was being formed up in the 1920s and 30s. Made up primarily by unemployed Germans and former soldiers, they took care of beating up and ejecting any hecklers or dissenters at their meetings in the Munich beer halls. As the party grew in power, they took a more offensive paramilitary role, disrupting the meetings of other parties and engaging them in street fights. Their low income background made them more radical in their ideology, favoring full socialism over more centrist economic policies. This eventually became a problem for Hitler who was trying to appeal to the bulk of the country. At its peak in 1934, the SA had about 3 million men, and had become a threat to the German Army as well as other wings of the Party such as the Schutzstaffel (SS) headed by Himmler. All this persuaded Hitler to have its leader Ernst Röhm and about 200 of his associates eliminated in what became know as 'The Night of the Long Knives'. After that, the SA was significantly downsized, with the SS rising in prominence. The SA nonetheless, continued to exist under new leadership. Among its subsequent activities, it harassed and engaged in violence against the Jewish community within Germany, with Kritsallnacht being a prime example of this. On the night of November 9, 1938, the SA destroyed over 7500 Jewish storefronts and 200 synagogues, damaged multiple cemeteries, arrested over 30,000 Jewish men, and killed several more. During the war, many of the SA men were drafted into the Army or were formed into SA-only units such as the 'Feldherrnhalle' Standarte Regiment, featured in Nazi propaganda films. These units began at the Regiment level, but grew to Division-size and even Corps-size. In the course of the war they were destroyed and reformed with new SA recruits several times over.

Atlantic German Brown Shirts - Part I

This is a harder set to find. The complete set includes Hitler as well as a jeep with a driver. If you get enough of these guys you could put together a nice parade scene. I am contemplating combining them with the Marx marching men, perhaps painted all in black. The only problem is that these guys are marching with the right foot forward, as opposed to the Marx men who are one step ahead... BTW, this set could be a bit controversial in some places because of the standard bearers, particularly in Germany, where the Nazi symbols are outlawed. 

Atlantic German Brown Shirts - Part II

Here is the rest of the set with the much harder to find Jeep and the Hitler figure. I must admit that this was one purchase that made me think twice. Not only because it was a bit pricey, but also because Hitler is definitely a character that I do not wish to glorify. In the end I made the purchase as he is certainly a key character in WWII, and also, with every other set I make an effort to find the missing figures so that I can show the complete set, so I decided I should treat this set the same way. 

Hanomak German Allgemeine SS Troops

These figures are meant to represent the non-combat branch of the SS. These guys in particular seem to be the ones that might be found guarding the Nazi headquarters or standing at attention during the military parades. In the early years of the regime, they would have likely worn black uniforms for ceremonial purposes. One thing I wish had been done with this set is to provide two or three guards with the same pose. That way they could be placed guarding a door or lined up next to a parade observing the same stance. I would have gladly traded one or two of the officers for more guards. And the female guard, that one seems like she could be working at a concentration camp for women. Not a scene I care to recreate, so I really don't have much use for her. Overall a decent set that will give me a few more good poses for a parade scene. These will be the guys around the podium. In terms of scale, these guys are closer to true 1:32.

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Introducing the German Panzer Crews

Latest edit: Added Plastic Platoon German Tankers

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The German Panzerwaffe or Panzertruppe were the men responsible for operating the armored vehicles such as tanks and self-propelled anti-tank guns within the German armed forces. They were known for their black uniforms, and tight fitting, double-breasted jackets, inspired by the uniforms of former Hussars. This makes sense, considering that they were the armored evolution of the cavalry. Their piping color was pink and their insignia in caps and collars included skulls / Totenkopf which is something that they earlier Brunswick Hussars also wore, but which became problematic for the Panzertruppen particularly towards the end of the war when many of them would get shot on the spot upon capture after being mistaken for death camp guards. Within the command of the Panzerwaffe, and attached to the armored units, there were also Panzergrenadier which could be transported in half-tracked armored vehicles, or in trucks. Panzer crews would typically remain within their vehicles, as that's the way in which they could be the most lethal. It was the Panzergrenadiers, who were much better trained in infantry tactics, which were responsible for complementing the tanks offensively or defensively. The ratio of half-tracks to trucks available to transport the Panzergrenadiers would depend on the elite status of the division. Divisions such as the Panzer Lehr, raised from skilled, decorated veterans who had been transferred to the two main training schools for motorized troops, received many more armored vehicles. It was also within some of these divisions such as the Panzer Lehr, that also the Panzergrenadier wore the double-breasted jacket as their uniform, albeit in grey fabric. In terms of toy soldiers, Panzer crews have been released along with their vehicles by firms such as Forces of Valor or 21st Century Toys, however the poses are usually that of a commander standing at the turret or a driver/machine gunner taking a peek out of the front hatches. Up to now, nobody had manufactured dismounted Panzertruppen. But that changed recently. Let's take a look.  

Mars German Panzer Crew

This is an original set. Typically when you see tank crew men, they are mounted in their vehicles, but when you think about it, they must have had to abandon their tanks at times due to battle damage or mechanical failure, and when doing so, it seems reasonable to expect that they had to engage in small arms combat. The set provides a nice variety of action poses depicting the urgency of the situation. What's also good about this set is that if you are into painting your figures, this uniform with a short, double-breasted jacket can be painted in a variety of color schemes, including cammo pattern and various tones of grey, as it was worn not only by panzer crews -in black-, but also self-propelled gun crews, and panzer grenadiers. What's not so great about this set is that one figure in particular -standing in the middle of the picture- has a serious manufacturing issue, with a lot of extra plastic down the middle of his face. This is not just my set, as it has been reported by other collectors. I may try to shave it off a bit or simply replace the head.

Dragon CanDo Tiger Aces

This is a special set from Dragon. They represent famous Tiger commanders such as Michael Wittman (in black standing on the turret). There's also Hans sitting up front, Georg stand off to the side wearing an officer's cap. Kurt (Knispel) - the most prolific Panzer ace-  standing opposite him with a regular cap (that's the only difference between him and Georg), Woll to the right of Wittman, and Karlheinz resting his arm around the tank's gun. These guys are now not so easy to find and they can be a bit pricey of you do run into them. That's particularly true of Kurt who was only manufactured 4 times out of every 100 figures in the set. If you can find them they are a great complement to the FOV and 21C panzers.

Hanomak German Tank Crewmen

This set represents dismounted tank crews in intense close quarters combat. Well, except for the officer who seems to be taking in the action. I am not sure why they depicted him like that. This set will be a good complement to a similar set from Mars, although I am not sure that I need that much volume of dismounted tank crews. What is interesting about this set is that it was produced using digital sculpting. That's why the lines are so smooth. You notice this specially on the clothes. I have to say that I prefer the hand-sculpted figures better, but I expect that this technique will continue to improve. In fact, the 3D printing is already quite impressive. As far as the figures, they are well posed and I do like that their bodies reflect the urgency of the situation.

Hanomak German and Soviet Tank Crewmen fighting

Here is a picture of how the German guy is supposed to be combined with its Soviet counterpart. The German guy has his pistol drawn, while the Soviet guy is about to stab him. Who do you think will prevail? BTW, notice that the Soviet guy is also a tank guy, which suggests that these two crews disabled each other's tanks, which would have had to happen at very close range for them to end up fighting hand-to-hand or were part of a larger tank battle and ended up running into each other while evacuating from the battlefield. Neither scenario seems very likely to me, but hey, everything is possible in the world of plastic toy soldiers...

Plastic Platoon German Tankers, Battle of Kursk

This set came with 3 tank crew members from each side. But that's not where the symmetry ends. Each side has what looks like an officer firing a pistol, a crew man firing a sub machine gun, and another crew man firing a light machine gun from the waist - a la Rambo. The poses are all in Plastic Platoon's usual high action style. One detail that I like from this set is how they made the man firing the machine gun step over a piece of tank track. You can tell that this panzer crew is definitely having a challenging time evacuating its disabled tank! These guys will go well with the Mars and Hanomak tanker sets.

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Here are some pictures of German Paratroops in action.

Here you can see German Waffen SS in action.

Introducing the Soviet Tank Crews

Latest edit: Added Plastic Platoon Soviet Tankers

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The Soviet Union started expanding and modernizing its tank forces during the late 1930s in preparation for the potential conflicts ahead.  As the war began and intensified in 1941, the demand for tank crews increased significantly. Tank crews were often formed through a combination of new recruits -factory workers, peasants, students- and individuals with prior military and combat experience who were reassigned or transferred to tank units. Soviet tank crews are also commonly referred to as tankists or tankmen. Soviet Armored units were organized into Companies, Battalions, Brigades, Divisions, Corps, and Armies. Sometimes they also operated as detached Regiments. Units which distinguished themselves in battle could earn the distinction of being designated a 'Guards' unit, as was the case of the 1st Guards Tank Army. Several hundred thousand men passed through the ranks of these units over the course of the war. The Soviet armored units played a critical role in the defeat of the German armies on the eastern front, applying similar tactics of fast and deep encircling attacks as the Germans had used against them. The encirclement of the German 6th army at Stalingrad was a good example of what was to come for the remainder of the war and it marked the high-water mark of the German advance. The Soviet armored units also distinguished themselves during the battle of Kursk in the summer of 1943, which was the largest tank battle in the history of warfare and the last major offensive of the German Army on the eastern front. During this engagement, which lasted about 7 weeks, the Soviet forces lost about 7500 tanks and assault guns and the Germans lost about a third of that. Even though the German losses were numerically smaller, they were much harder to replace and the German Army never regained the initiative. For the rest of the war, the Soviets pushed back the German Army and their armored units were an integral part of their offensive capabilities, all the way to the Battle of Berlin. Soviet tankists wore a distinctive uniform which included a padded helmet made of leather or canvas. The helmet often had ear flaps and a neck curtain for added warmth and protection. They typically wore one-piece coveralls made of thick, flame-resistant fabric and a padded jacket made of quilted fabric or leather for additional insulation and protection. Their specialized leather gloves had reinforced palms and fingers for durability and not only protected their hands but also provided a better grip on the tank controls. Their sturdy leather boots which often featured steel toe caps provided ankle support and protection, and their thick soles provided good traction. Tank crews were also issued gas masks and protective goggles to safeguard against chemical attacks and debris. In terms of plastic toy soldiers, there have been a couple of manufacturers exploring this topic. Among them Engineer Bassevich and Hanomak. Let's take a look at their sets.

Hanomak Soviet Tank Crewmen

This is the counterpart to the German dismounted tank crew. Similarly to that set, these guys are engaged in intense close quarters fighting, except for the guy who is holding his binoculars while his comrades struggle for survival. The poses are fairly decent, depicting the intensity of the moment. The only guy that I don't quite like is the man firing the subMG. His body is too stiff. You would expect him to be crouching slightly, even if only to brace himself from the recoil of his weapon. The detail on these guys is also fairly smooth -few creases on their uniforms, hardly any wrinkles on their faces-, due to the digital sculpting. These guys will join forces with some other dismounted tank men from Engineer Bassevich. 

Hanomak German and Soviet Tank Crewmen fighting

Here is a picture of how the Soviet tankist is supposed to be combined with its German counterpart. The German guy has his pistol drawn, while the Soviet guy is about to stab him. Who do you think will prevail? BTW, notice that both men are tankmen, which suggests that these two crews disabled each other's tanks, which would have had to happen at very close range for them to end up fighting hand-to-hand or were part of a larger tank battle and ended up running into each other while evacuating from the battlefield. Neither scenario seems very likely to me, but hey, everything is possible in the world of plastic toy soldiers...

Engineer Bassevich Soviet Tank Crewmen

These two guys came as part of a set which was mostly infantry figures. Their poses are not the most versatile. They'll mainly have to be used for non-combat situations, but then again, they complement the other action poses from Hanomak which are at the other end of the spectrum. The level of detail on these guys is nice and they will look pretty good when painted.

Engineer Bassevich Soviet Tank Crewmen - Battle of Berlin

These two guys came with the Battle of Berlin set which had a range of figures from different service branches in fighting poses. I like these two guys quite a bit more and they will be a good addition to the guys from Hanomak. The only tricky thing is that the sculpting of Engineer Bassevich is a bit chunkier compared to Hanomak's slim style. But I actually like the detail on these figures a good deal better. Of all the Soviet tank crew figures, these two are my favorite ones.

Plastic Platoon Soviet Tankers, Battle of Kursk

This set came with 3 tank crew members from each side. But that's not where the symmetry ends. Each side has what looks like an officer firing a pistol, a crew man firing a sub machine gun, and another crew man firing a light machine gun from the waist - a la Rambo. The poses are all in Plastic Platoon's usual high action style. One detail that I like from this set is how they made the Soviet commander bald. The Soviet tank helmets and the reinforced knees on the uniforms are also a nice touch. These will go well with the Bassevich and Hanomak tanker guys.

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Introducing the German Volkssturm

Latest edit: Plastic Platoon German Volkssturm

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The German Volkssturm, or People's Storm in German, was a loosely organized militia formed by the Nazi party in the last months of the war, when shortages of men and materiel required them to 'scrape the bottom of the barrel' in a futile attempt to resist the Allies further. It followed the concept of total war, promoted by the Nazi ideologues in which it was better to fight to the bitter end, along with the destruction of German towns and cities, than it was to surrender. While the idea of such units had existed for a long time, it first came into being in the fall of 1944. Men and teenagers, 16 to 60, in non-essential occupations were conscripted into the Volkssturm. Many of them had been deemed unfit to serve before, and some had already been discharged due to wounds. By February of 1945, as the war raged on, younger 'men', women, girls as young as 14 were also drafted. They were typically trained in the use small arms, grenades, and panzerfausts, however there was strong shortage of equipment including uniforms and weapons, which meant that many were not issued arms, and those who did, often received old rifles or captured weapons for which there were often problems finding ammunition. Many of them also wore their own clothes, or some type of non-military uniform, and they also had to procure their own cooking kit, blanket, etc. The only insignia they had to identify them as members of the Volkssturn was an armband sown into their clothes. In terms of organization, each Kreis or county was supposed to raise and train a battalion under the leadership of the local party authority. Often the trainers were WWI veterans, members of the Volkssturm themselves. Even though these units were initially intended to defend their local towns, they were often sent into battle at the front line, under the command of the Wehrmacht, and often mixed in with regular troops to give them greater effectiveness. This was deemed necessary as early engagements proved disastrous when volkssturm units were sent into combat on their own. As expected, the performance of these units was mixed. Some units, exhibited fanatical resistance, while others were quick to surrender. Those units with greater percentages of WWI veterans also fared better. This does not mean they survived, but they held longer. Another reason why some of these units were sometimes reluctant to surrender was because they were afraid that they would be shot as Partisans, due to their lack of uniforms. Perhaps the most prominent role of the Volkssturm took place during the Battle of Berlin, where approximately 60,000 of their members fought. It is not known precisely how many Volkssturm members died, but it is estimated to be at least a couple hundred thousand, perhaps as high as 600,000. In terms of toy soldiers, this is a set that had not been produced to date, even though we have seen Partisan units made for other nationalities. Recently, Mars Toy Soldiers has come up with the first Volkssturn set that I am aware of. Let's take a look. 

Mars German Volkssturm

This is another unique set recently released by Mars. Not seen before in 1/32 as far as I know. They will be useful for any late war battle scenes for which you need a few civilians as reinforcements to defend the German Fatherland. The mix of poses is good. I also like how they are generous in the issuance of panzerfausts, as was the case at that stage of the war. The set contains a couple of smaller figures representing a teenage boy and girl, likely from the Hitler Youth. The only thing I did not like was the number of poses that I got in my set. Three of the poses were present 3 times, and 3 only once. Unfortunately, the poses that were over represented were the ones that look less like civilians, and more like regular army men. But still, happy to have this set. Will definitely come in handy in one of my upcoming projects!

Plastic Platoon German Volkssturm

Definitely a hodgepodge of uniforms and gear for this crew. Some of them are still wearing some civilian items. The most interesting character in that respect is probably the man with the brim hat about to throw a grenade. Others are wearing military issued gear, but definitely nothing standard. In terms of weapons, it is interesting to see how they have what looks like an old MG. Maybe left over from WW1 or captured and reissued? Another interesting bit is the female in the unit. She is handing over a canteen. I wonder if most were in such supporting roles, of if some of them actually picked up weapons. Lastly, the guy on the left with the glasses and the coat looks a little bit like he could have been a professor or an accountant before taking up arms...

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Introducing the British Long Range Desert Group

The British Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) aka as Long Range Patrol (LRP) was a unit of the British Army that specialized in reconnaissance and raids deep behind enemy lines. They operated primarily in the North African theater of operations, initially against the Italians, and later on against the Germans. The unit was formed in the summer of 1940. Initially staffed by New Zealanders, it later added men from other Commonwealth countries. The unit was never larger than 350 men, and their main goal was to gather intelligence on enemy troop movements, defenses, strength, etc. as opposed to engaging in direct combat. Their main means of transportation were Chevy or Ford trucks and the Willys Jeep which was issued from summer 1942 onwards to the patrol commander and sergeant. The LRDG men were organized into patrols, which varied in size over time, but could be 15-18 men led by an officer in 5 or 6 vehicles. Each patrol had a medic, a mechanic, a navigator and a radio operator, and a corresponding vehicle was outfitted to serve that role. The LRDG would sometimes escort and guide other units such as the SAS in raiding missions behind enemy lines. One raid that stands out in the record of the LRDG, is the raid on the Italian airfield at Barce, code named Operation Caravan. This mission involved 47 men, 10 trucks, and 4 jeeps traveling 1150 miles deep into enemy territory, where they destroyed 32 Italian bombers. Unfortunately, while the raid was successfully, the team lost most of its vehicles during and after the operation. Only one truck survived the mission which was used by the doctor to evacuate 8 wounded men. 10 men became POWs and the rest ended up having to evade capture on foot until they were able to make contact with other British patrols. When the Axis forces were defeated there in 1943, the LRDG transferred to the Eastern Mediterranean, operating in Greece, Italy and the Balkans, where they performed a series of parachute drops to perform reconnaissance and sabotage missions until the end of the war in Europe when they were disbanded. In terms of toy soldiers, until recently, I had not come across any representing this service branch. Fortunately a new set was just released. Let's take a look.

WW23D British Long Range Desert Group

As you can tell these guys look rugged from spending a lot of time in the desert in long range patrols. They are dressed accordingly with short trousers, turbans and have not had a shave in a while. The range of weapons represented is good, although with strong preference for submachine guns. The sculpting is OK in the sense that there's not a lot of fine detail, and also the poses are standing a bit too straight for my taste. Nonetheless, given that this is the first set of British desert scouts that I incorporate into my army, I am quite happy with them. 

WW23D British Long Range Desert Group Jeep

Aside from the foot soldiers, this vendor also offers a couple of vehicles to enable them to go on their missions deep behind enemy lines. One of them is this jeep. It is also 3D printed and comes with a driver and a copilot operating a dual machine gun. You also get a couple of guys that you can throw in the back. Note in this picture also that one of them is wearing a beret. That's because this maker also prints these figures with different head gear. I ordered them with turbans, but the owner was nice enough to throw a few extras in and this is one of the additional guys I got. 

WW23D British Long Range Desert Group Truck - Part 1

This truck is a bit larger and can fit 4 or 5 guys in the back in addition to the driver and copilot, who is also operating a dual machine gun. The man standing in the back is also handling a dual MG, so these guys are well armed with a 360 degree field of fire. The vehicle appears to be a Chevy 30CWT 1 1/2 ton truck and it is reasonable well built for a 3D printed vehicle and it does not have the layering that some 3D printers create. 

WW23D British Long Range Desert Group Truck - Part 2

This is the same Chevy truck from a different angle. Note that despite this being an American-made truck, the driver is sitting on the right side of the cabin, as is the case in Britain. Not that it would matter much while driving off road in the North African desert, but I suppose when they were back at base, driving among other fellow country men it was better to keep to the familiar norms. 

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