I have a batch of SCW figures ready to post but I thought I'd parcel them out over the next few days to make it look like I've been more industrious than I have.
These two Republican LMG teams are armed with Soviet made Degtyaryov 'DP' light machine guns. Generally the DP was a good weapon, but suffered from a fragile bipod and its large pan-shaped magazine was prone to jamming as dirt easily got into its exposed workings. You can see the figure of the loader below has a specially designed satchel to keep the magazines up and away from the elements.
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Soviet troops often nicknamed the DP the 'Record Player' due to the shape of its magazines.
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These 28mm figures are from Empress Miniatures. (The rock outcropping on the base with the prone crew is a bit bark mulch from the garden painted and drybrushed.)
These two teams will push me along for 15 points.
Very nice Curt, very nice.
ReplyDeleteNice painting Curt, love the basing too!
ReplyDeleteThese are really nice, gives the appearance of a very mixed bunch and yes the basing is great
ReplyDeleteIan
Smart work Curt, very authentic.
ReplyDeleteSplendid stuff, Curt. They look really great. I can tell from the images of the castings on-line that those figures must have been a pleasure to paint. Great groundwork as well - very Spanish!
ReplyDeleteNice work, I will look forward to see them on the table.
ReplyDeleteJohn
Amazing paintjob and basing on those! Great looking entry.
ReplyDeleteCheers
Great brush work here Curt and I really like the basing too!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Ross
Curt
ReplyDeleteVery nice. I like the base work and the French style helmet. I have been known to pinch bark chips from planter boxes in malls, university halls etc for similar uses.
Cheers
Pd
Great minis indeed, I love your painting style... although I have to be critic with the blue colour chosen for the blanket in the prone team: yes, it adss a nice touch to the model but I don't find it very historical. The typical "manta" widely used by all participants in the conflict was either brown, greenish-brown or grey. It doesn't substract any merit to the model in any case
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments everyone!
Delete@ Anibal: Thanks for your kind words and for the information on common blanket colours. As a historian I have a somewhat jaded view regarding proscribed rules regarding uniforms, especially in conflicts that were very irregular in nature. The idea that there was not a single blue blanket in Spain during the Civil War that may have been used by a Republican soldier seems a little implausible to me. I can certainly understand that most wore blankets that were of natural earth tones, but I am sure there were also exceptions to this rule.
Years ago I remember attending a talk by a Canadian WWII tank veteran who spoke about this very thing (i.e the variations in uniform under combat conditions). He said that the conditions in the field allowed men to adopt changes to their uniforms that would seem grossly against regulations and could be quite bizzare. He went on to display a series of slide-images taken during the Normandy campaign. In one image there was a column of German prisoners being escorted down the road by Canadian infantry. On the side of the road was an infantry officer talking with a man in a white shirt with rolled up sleeves, beret, scarf,baggy trousers and a pistol slung far down his hip. The veteran described this man as a Canadian tanker. One member of the audience quickly put us his hand and said that he had seen this image before (it's quite common in Canadian military history books) and said that he understood that the man in the beret was a member of the French resistance. The veteran politely disagreed but the other injected that based on the man's irregular clothing he could only be a civilian resistance member. The veteran simply smiled and said, 'I can confirm that he is a Canadian tanker as that man is me.'
So I guess all that I'm saying is that there should be a certain allowance for anachronism in uniforms, especially for those depicted in the field. Nonetheless, I will keep your information in mind as it will be very helpful as I proceed with the project (i.e. much *less* coloured blankets!).
That's a great story about the tanker vet, Curt. Even today the general rule is that the longer in the field, the more variation and private purchase stuff you see, as if by unwritten agreement.
ReplyDeleteYour SCW collection continues to impress. All your Republican figures have a desperate and gallant look that I really like.
Bravo.
Mike
Cheers Mike. I even hear that some troops carry around crazed Padres but this seems rather incongruous... :)
DeleteThey look great Curt, I may pick up some Empress Miniatures on the back of seeing yours as they do seem to be excellent sculpts.
ReplyDeleteLove the basing too, it looks really natural.
Not sure how you find the time in between handling all out entries ;)
Thanks Ian! Yes, you may find some of the castings very useful for your Pulp adventures.
DeleteYour last comment: A very forgiving wife and no kids!
Fantastic painting work, Curt. And those bases are perfect to represent this country. Your SCW figures are really nice!!!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting the history about the veteran; I´m always looking for non-uniformity appearance and I expect to paint that "uniform" in some of my figures. I suppose it was less dangerous to wear a white shirt into a tank than a blue blanket in the Meseta Castellana (Castilian Plateau).
Thanks very much Juan.
DeleteAh, fabulous once more! Like Gharak, I suspect one day I'll pick up some Empress miniatures.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to seeing what else you have - perhaps some armoured support one day?
Thanks Phil. As I mentioned to Gharak above I think some of this range would serve quite well in your Pulp serial adventures.
DeleteThere will be vehicles coming soon...