Bundesgrenzschutz VW cars

 

 Bundesgrenzschutz Cars 

More VW vehicles for the Bundesgrenzschutz, again a mix of matchbox and hot wheels. Quite happy with them. 

Cheers

Matt

Bundesgrenzschutz VW181

  One of my Bundesgrenzschutz units is a 1/72nd scale VW181 to complete my command platoon. 

The Germania Figuren vehicle is made from resin and is a very nicely cast model. Hardly and flash and no bubbles. It comes with two options roof on or folded back, plus driver (which is a bonus) with four head variants. Assembly was quite simple and the cabin went together well, although take care with the windscreen removal, and fitting the back parcel shelf and seat which I fitted incorrectly! 

It was a little pricey at €16.50 plus shipping but a great little kit never the less. A solid 9 out of ten, only mi us was the instructions and broken windscreen 

A simple Tamiya nato green paint job, with  highlight, then black lining. The driver was painted in bundesgrenschutz camo smock. Really happy with the result. 

Cheers

Matt 

Bundesgrenzschutz part 8 - Ambulance

  Another piece for my Bundesgrenzschutz regiment a VW ambulance this time, a few more vehicles to come and a helicopter before the regiment is complete. 

 The vehicle is from Jonny Lightening and needs a windscreen warning lights and rear window and the Elhiem driver adding before truly complete. Really happy with it, I striped the original paint scheme back to bare metal as the acrylic paint did not cover properly over the matt guide coat. Second time round much happier. The crosses are from a job lot I picked up years ago, gloss varnish, then decal, then gloss again, followed by a complete Artist matt varnish. 

Bundesgrenzschutz Ambulance 

Bundesgrenzschutz Ambulance 

Cheers

Matt

Bundesgrenzschutz part 7

 

 Support weapons and Bundesgrenzschutz company 

Finally on the last of my support units and rifle coy for my Federal Border Guard battalion. These chaps can be used in airfield and key installation protection for my Warpac special forces operations. All of the figs are from the Elhiem miniatures generic NATO range. 

Bundesgrenzschutz Head Quarters platoon, officer and radio, sniper, NCO and medic. 

Bundesgrenzschutz Milan and M92 Stinger teams 

Bundesgrenzschutz Mortar teams 

Bundesgrenzschutz Observer team

Bundesgrenzschutz Observer team 

Cheers

Matt

Bundesgrenzschultz VW van

 

  Bundesgrenzschutz VW Van

While I was airbrushing a lot of vehicles last week (while the weather was pleasant) I quickly painted up my remaining Bundesgrenzschutz vehicles. For completed off the table is a van, pretty much match box recovery that had the front pillars missing, which I rebuilt with green stuff and styrene, plus the traffic light which is also green stuff. I have also molded a plastic windscreen in hot water from a vegetable pack, but cannot find it on my messy desk so a cleanup may occur tomorrow! 

I am planning also to add Bundesgrenzschutz writing on the sides in black, but will complete my helicopter and other vehicles first before I play around making up the transfers to be printed, then complete all of the vehicles at once.

 I only have the checkpoint and four more vehicles to come (one truck, one ambulance and Jeep , plus the helicopter and they will be completed. In the meantime I must complete some more vehicles before this weekends Yom Kippur anniversary game! 

Cheers

Matt

VW 181 Kurierwagen 1/72 Germania Figuren build

  As I start to complete my Bundesgrenzschutz units I thought I would find a 1/72nd scale VW181 to complete my command platoon. 

The Germania Figuren vehicle is made from resin and upon inspection is a very nicely cast model. Hardly and flash and no bubbles. It comes with two options roof on or folded back, plus driver (which is a bonus) with four head variants. It was a little pricey at €16.50 plus shipping but I added some more pieces to my Swedes which reduced price per unit shipping. I will post the Swedes in the coming weeks after I complete my American ww2 airborne build. 

I hope to get it together this weekend and get some paint on it this coming week as we have rest before the next Wargame Holiday tours and Wargaming. 

Cheers

Matt 

Bundesgrenzschutz patrol

  Bundesgrenzschutz Kampfgruppe

Completed my second part of my kampfgruppe of Bundesgrenzschutz, these are from the Plastic Esci NATO troops and Airfix ground crew make up this second group

I have painted these in a mix of splintertarn and green with ochre shirts, so they will be suitable for Warpac SF raids on installations and airports. I still have two pieces to complete the battalion, a 81mm support mortar, and a checkpoint set. For vehicles I have one police car, one VW van, an ambulance, and helicopter to complete the kampfgruppe. I also want to scratch build a armoured car at some stage. 

The fighting patrol

The dog patrol 

Happy with the mustache on this chap   

Cheers

Matt

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

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 

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