Monday, May 31, 2021

ZSU 23-2 aa gun

 ZSU 23-2 AA gun

A 3d printed piece I purchased two months ago to give my rebels, Soviets and Egyptians some light AA cover.  

A simple speed paint and highlight, yet to purchase some 1/76 crew for it though. 




Cheers
Matt

Sunday, May 30, 2021

IDF infantry Arab-Israeli war

 

 IDF infantry part 2

The new IDF battalion was completed this week when my basing colours arrived, this has held up a lot of posts this month so expect a lot of completed stuff this coming fortnight. 

I have done a painting guide also on my ww2-modern blog Kampfgruppe Willow for those interested it is  here

I still have some paratroopers, plus some support weapons, and a lot of vehicles to complete this project, but I am no rush to get the on the table until next years anniversary.

IDF battalion

My regimental colonel in a typical 80s pilots leather coat, with two female drivers! I need to add the 2 man radio section, jeeps and command half track at a later date

Two Browning M1919 MMG 

A basic squad, a mag 58, bazooka and mortar



Battalion HQ, missing  a radio man


my paint colours are 
Helmet with cover Vallejo khaki 988
Uniform Vallejo grey green 886
Webbing Vallejo Khaki 988
Boots and rubber Vallejo german grey
weapon stocks Vallejo mahogany brown
Barrels black Vallejo Black 
Rank stripes Vallejo shadow grey
ammunition Vallejo brass

cheers
Matt

Friday, May 21, 2021

M60a3 markings Cold War

 American M60a3 Cold War markings 

Cruising eBay which is always dangerous I picked up 6 Altaya M60a3 tanks at €3 a piece from Spain. This now gives me two M60a3 battalions to take on my Warpac for Cold War games.
 Even though they are marked up already for a infantry division it got me thinking about tactical markings for the M60a3 had things gone hot in the mid eighties in Europe. So the search has began!  




Cheers
Matt

Sunday, May 2, 2021

Bundesgrenzschutz Kampfgruppe

 

Bundesgrenzschutz Kampfgruppe


Completed my first part of my kampfgruppe of Bundesgrenzschutz, the uniform of the Elheim figures works from 1967 to 1990. The Female figures are only suitable after 87. Very happy with my results even the shoulder patch’s worked out well. 

I have painted some in checkpoint colours and some in port and airport khaki trousers, so they will be suitable for Warpac SF raids . I still have two companies in camouflage to complete, plus support mortar, dog section, and bomb disposal. For vehicles I have one car, one VW van, an ambulance, and helicopter to complete the kampfgruppe. I also want to scratch build a armoured car. 




Bundesgrenzschutz painting guide

 

 Painting guide Bundesgrenzschutz 1976-1990


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Below is my Uniform colour suggestions for 20mm bundesgrenzschutz from 1976-1990.
M53 Helmet dark Green Vallejo German Camo dark Green 70979
Beret dark green Vallejo reflective green  70890
Service cap green, black visor and leatherwork Vallejo reflective green 70890
Dress Tunic green Vallejo reflective green 70890
tie green Vallejo 70967
reed green trousers Vallejo reflective green 70890
Khaki trousers (border crossing, customs and port and airport troops) Vallejo Khaki 70988
General service trousers green Vallejo Olive Green 70967
ochre yellow dress shirts Vallejo Green Ochre 70914
boots black grey Vallejo black grey 70 862
skirts (female) green Vallejo Reflective green 70890
leather belts, straps equipment black  Vallejo Black Grey 70862
Webbing black green  vallejo military green Vallejo 70975
bread bag green Vallejo Olive Green 70967
Water Bottle green Vallejo Olive Green 70967 or old style brown Vallejo Beige brown 70875 black cup 
mess tin black old Vallejo Black Grey 70862 or green new model reflective green 70890
shovel handle dark timber Vallejo flat Brown 70984, shovel black Vallejo Black Grey 70862
Great coat green Vallejo reflective green 70890
Waffenfarbe white vallejo 70951

Camouflage uniform 

The camouflage uniform was being phased out in the eighties and completely gone by 1987. The latest photo I have is 1983. 


My colours suggested are sumpfmuster camouflage uniforms
Basic Grey beige shade: RAL 1019 Vallejo German camo beige 821

Reddish spots: RAL 8012 red brown Vallejo 8012 red brown or Mahogany Brown 70846

Dark gray spots: RAL 7006 beige gray Vallejo beige brown 70875

cheers
Matt

Saturday, May 1, 2021

Bundesgrenzschutz part one

 

 Bundesgrenzschutz (BGS) 

post 1976 shoulder badge

One of Elhiem miniatures more unusual offerings for a 20mm Cold War Wargamer is the Bundesgrenzschutz Federal border police. They served as a paramilitary force from 1951 up until 1994, the main objective was to monitor the 84.7 klm border zone with the GDR and help with internal policing.  In 1987 they started recruiting women and by then had exceeded 24,000 uniformed personnel. They operated along the entire border including ports and even had a mountain unit for the Bavarian alps, no units however served in Berlin until after the wall came down. After the Munich olympics terrorist attack in 1972, a special unit known as GSG-9 terror kommando, the german special anti-terrorist group 9 was formed and operational by 1973.  After October 1990 patrols no longer occurred along the border and in 2005 the BGS were renamed Bundespolizei.

My units basically will be built for my games set between 1976 and 1987. I will use them in the role of border guards, rail, port, coast guard, airports, foreign embassies, nuclear plant protection and air security. I will use them as first line of defence for the initial WARPAC assaults, scenario specific special forces strikes on airports, port facilities, foreign embassy guards and as backup units for the Bundeswehr. I could also use the the GSG-9 for the 1977 Mogadishu Somalia operation, or regular BGS for UN operations in Namibia in 1989.

Organisation and Equipment

Two border guard groups (GSG) were subordinate to each GSK.


The GSK South GSG 1 and 2, the GSK Middle GSG 3 and 4, the GSK North GSG 5 and 6 and the GSK Coast GSG 7 and See (coast guard). Each GSG (except for the GSG See) consisted of three departments (GSA), each department of four hundred. The GSG See consisted of the Maritime Border Protection Associations (SGV) I and II.  In 1955,  a helicopter flight readiness was set up in Bonn-Hangelar.

Uniforms
In 1976 a the new federal / state uniform police uniform (moss green jacket, beige pants). In the BGS, only the members of the individual border protection service at airports, port facilities and border checkpoints are equipped with beige trousers. BGS members with combatant status receive moss-green trousers. The service field uniform was reed green,  beret or service cap, or but field units did wear camouflage fatigues based on the sumpfmuster camouflage.  
The military rank structure similar to that of the Bundeswehr was replaced in 1976 by civil service-type personnel grades with a Police ranking structure. 

Field dress green uniform, note the black post 1975 arm badge and shoulder waffenfarbe, and like all greens different shades of green, circa 1990.

Full dress service dress, often seen in airports note the collar tabs, post 1976 yellow shirt and green tie.


1987 Service Uniform, a photo when women were allowed to enter the BGS

M35-53 stahlhelm Helmet in service until mid 1990. The troops liked the helmet as the nervous east germans could identify the BGS troops on patrol easily.
The BGS’s cloth hat, the Bergmutze M51, was essentially the same as the Einheitsmutze M43 cap of WWII.
BGS beret earlly pattern



BGS Beret late pattern

Camouflage clothing 

Post 1963, the sumpfmuster camouflage was made for several of the BGS items of clothing 
  • Triangular tent track
  • Tent equipment pocket
  • Helmet camouflage cover
  • Field cap
  • Camouflage jacket
  • Camouflage pants
  • parka, reversible snow.
A pre 1963 Sumpfmuster camouflage jacket, in service until 1980, note the badge is pre 1975 green.

Note the post 1963 sumpfmuster has lost its rain lines and the brown dominates the pattern, Gewehr G1, shoulder boards and steel helmet, photo 1978


Weapons

Esperanza 81mm mortar complete with ECIA ammunition crate. The red/yellow helmet bands were used by the BGS when exercising with live ammo.

FN G1 7.62 rifle

HK Gewehr FN G1 on exercise 1978 note the red suppressors, ww2 webbing harness and belt.

G3a3 7.62 rifle


MG1 machine gun, entering service as rechambered MG42 to 7.62 Nato round, it seen service as the primary BSG machine gun until the mid eighties when it was replaced by the MG3.

MG8 7.62 machine gun


Astra 9mm pistol

Sig 9mm pistol

P1-P38 9mm psitol

panzerabwehr gerat 101mm

K9 units

I will have one K9 ( dog section of four figs ) for protection units, mostly because I have some!


Vehicles 


Geschützer Sonderwagen III, a Saladin was gifted to the republic by the British government. It was only armed with 76mm gun and no co-axle machine gun. 





MOWAG MR 8 (WOTAN) 


a interesting photo from circa 1973, note the panzer wrap jacket

The SW1

MOWAG MR 8 basic vehicle was not armed  and had a small observation turret, IN 1963 the BGS received the first models as unarmed armoured cars with two crew and four passengers.  

The MR8- SW 2 

BSG SW 2 armoured car 20mm cannon
MOWAG MR 8 SW2 was armed with either a G3 machine gun or a 20mm cannon armoured car with two crew

TM170 (SW 4)


Based on the tested Unimog chassis, 80 of these vehicles came into service from 1983 replacing the MOWAG series 1 and 2. with two crew and capacity for 10 men, it was fitted with NBC and run flat tyres. Armed with a pintle mounted MG3 or a turret with twin MG3 or a turret with a 20mm cannon.


Soft skins


DKW Munga 1977-1985
Florian WF Man Ktw ambulance

VW T3 Ambulance
VW T3 bus 
VW 181
VW Beetle

VW GTI

motorcycle


Mercedes Benz G230 W460 4x4 car entered service 1979-92



VW Passat


Unimog FuKw E communications truck 



Mercedes LA 911 Truck 1961-1984


Air support 
Broken into five regions North, South, centre, east and west. None of the helicopters were armed.


SA 313/318 Alouette II helicopter (1964 until 2007)



13 x Bell UH-1D Heuy (1976-2001) and 10 x Bell 212 helicopter (1974-2012)

25 x SA330/AS332 Puma helicopter (1973 -2008)

5 x BO 105C (1971- 2000) Green upon purchase the 1978 Painted yellow rescue role, 1988 painted Orange.

Hope that is helpful chaps


cheers

Matt