Faux Fulda – The Soviet Hordes

 As a follow up to the last post I’d thought I’d touch on the Soviet Forces for the Faux Fulda project.  The Commie Hordes are in no way close to being completed, and may never be.  All of those damn Motorized Rifle Regiments need infantry painted, and I HATE painting 6mm infantry.  The Soviet forces will consist of 4 Divisions, 3 Motorized Rifle Regiments and 1 Tank Regiment plus an Independent Tank Battalion.

We’ll start with the 27^th Guards Motorized Rifle Division (MRD) simply because it’s the only one that I have (mostly) completed.

 

First up is the 243^th Guard Motorized Rifle Regiment (MRR).

The Regiment consist of 3 Motor Rifle Battalions made up of 9 Infantry Platoons in BTR-80 APCs and 1 missile team in an BTR-80, there is also a T-62 Tank Battalion of 3 companies of 3 platoons each, plus a recon element with a platoon of BRDM-2’s and a platoon of BMP-1’s as well as anti-air assets of 1 ZSU-23-4 antiaircraft gun and one SA-13 antiaircraft missile vehicle, and an Anti-tank missile battery consisting of 2 BRDM-2 AT-5.  The TOE also calls for a towed artillery battery, but in Fist Full of Tows 3 most artillery is off board - I haven't decided yet if I'll buy/paint it or not.

Next we have the 28th Tank Regiment.  The Regiment has 3 Battalions of 3 Companies with 2 platoons of T-80 Tanks in each Company, they also have a Motor Rifle Battalion equipped with BMP-2 Infantry Fighting Vehicles organized in 3 Companies of 3 Platoons.  The Regiment also has a Reconnaissance element consisting of BRDM-2 and BMP-2's plus an anti-aircraft element of ZSU-23-4's and SA-13 self propelled anti-aircraft missiles.

Next is the Divisional Independent Tank Battalion.  This consist of 3 Companies of 3 Platoons each, equipped with T-80 Tanks. At least this doesn't require me to paint any dismounted Infantry.

Next the 244th MRR. The Regiment consist of 3 Motor Rifle Battalions made up of 9 Infantry Platoons in BTR-80 APCs and 1 missile team in an APC, ( you will notice that there are no Infantry completed for this Regiment yet), there is also a T-62 Tank Battalion of 3 companies of 3 platoons each, plus a recon element with a platoon of BRDM-2’s and a platoon of BMP-1’s as well as anti-air assets of 1 ZSU-23-4 antiaircraft gun and one SA-13 antiaircraft missile vehicle, and an Anti-tank missile battery consisting of 2 BRDM-2 AT5. 

And finally, the 68th MRR.  This Regiment is equipped with T-80 Tanks and BMP-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicles.  The Regiment contains 3 BMP Motor Rifle Battalions consisting of 3 companies of 3 platoons each, There is also a T-80 Tank Battalion comprising 3 companies of 3 platoons each, it also has a recon element of 1 BRDM-2 and a Recon BMP-1, a anti-tank missile battery consisting of 2 BRDM-2 AT-5 stands and anti-aircraft of 1 ZSU-23-4 antiaircraft gun and one SA-13 antiaircraft missile vehicle.  Again, none of the Infantry has been completed yet for this Regiment either.

As you can see 2 of the MRR still need to have their infantry painted and then after that only 3 more Soviet Divisions and I'm done.  Orrrrrr, maybe I'll just scale back the scope a little, or a lot.

We had snow over the weekend and as I look out my office window the meadows are still covered in a nice layer of pristine white, but I've heard a rumor that Spring may actually arrive at some point.  Take care.

So much lead, so little time.

Maybe I am dead?

 Wow – it has been like, forever since the last post.  No lame excuses, I just haven’t felt like posting.  That doesn’t mean that I haven’t been busy.

 

After 3 or so years of actively trying to find a D&D group I’ve managed to find 2.  One is just down the road and very old school playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (AD&D) which was the rule set when I was in college and in the Army.  The other is a couple of towns over and plays 5^th edition with the 2024 rules updates. It’s really interesting to see how the game has evolved.  And more importantly, both allow a chance to indulge in fantasy and get away from the real world for a while.  And let’s face it, who doesn’t enjoy taking a sword and hacking up a monster now and then.

 

On the painting front I’ve been busy with micro armor for the Faux Fulda, WWIII project.  And I haven’t forgotten that I owe a post on the construction of the terrain boards.  I’ve also been trying to clean up/organize the gaming room – which is feeling like a lost cause.  But I have stumbled across some odds and ends that needed painting, more on that in a future post.

 

So, onto the photos.  Europe 1985ish, NATO and Soviet forces.

 

First up, a West German Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion.  I’ll be using the ‘Fist Full of Tows III’ rules, which has each stand representing a platoon.  The Battalion has  Two Heavy Recon Companies consisting of 2 Leopard 1A4 tank platoons and one  Luchs recon platoon each, one Light Recon Company consisting of 3 platoons of Luchs, and one Recon Infantry Company consisting of 3 platoons of Infantry mounted on Fuchs.

 

 

Next up, 3 Squadrons of the 11^th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Each Squadron consist of 3 Cavalry Troops each containing 2 M1 Tank Platoons and 3 M2 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle Stands, and 1 Tank Company consisting of 3 M1 Tank Platoons, and 1 self-propelled mortar platoon.  (These are the original M1’s with the same 105mm gun as the M-60 series tanks, it is 1985 after all)

And lastly for this post, a couple of U.S. Tank Battalions.  Each Battalion consist of 4 Companies each with three platoons of M60-A3 tanks, plus a battalion Scout Platoon in M-113 APCs and a self-propelled Mortar platoon.

That's it for now.  Who knows, I may not wait 4 months for the next post.

Take care.

So much lead, so little time.