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Monday 11 March 2013

Megablitz Soviet Tank Corps

Some years ago I created a Soviet Tank Corps as part of my collection of MEGABLITZ units. It has yet to take part in an actual battle, but I decided that it was about time that it was taken out of storage and saw the light of day ... and boy, does it take up a lot of space on the tabletop!



The Tank Corps has:
  • 1 truck-borne Command Group.
  • 3 Tank Brigades, each comprised of a Tank Regiment and a Submachine Gun Battalion (these 'ride' on the tanks when going into action).
  • 1 Rifle Brigade with 3 Motor Rifle Battalions.
  • 1 Armoured Reconnaissance Battalion.
  • 1 Motorised Engineer Battalion.
  • 1 Motorised Anti-aircraft Battalion.
  • 1 Mechanised Anti-tank Battalion.
  • 1 Submachine Gun Battalion.
  • 6 Motorised Transport Columns.
That is quite a lot of transport ... and in reality I doubt if a Soviet Tank Corps would have been so well provided for.

Modelling note:
  • The T-34/76 Tanks are all old ROCO Minitank models.
  • The T-60 Light Tank, the 45mm Anti-tank Gun, and the Komsomolets Armoured Tractor were all cast by Skytrex.
  • Most of the trucks are die-cast Majorette Ford A trucks that have been modified (i.e. reduced in width by having their mudguards and running boards trimmed) and given new wheels.

10 comments:

  1. That's much bigger than my Tank Corps! Mine only have two transport stands (1 for LOG and 1 for POL)

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  2. Hi Bob,

    That looks seriously offensively orientated! Neat idea with the trucks and the end result looks suitably 'Zis-ish'. Where did you get them from?

    All the best,

    DC

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  3. Tim Gow,

    My Tank Corps is far too well provided with logistic support ... but then again, who said that you can never have too many trucks?

    All the best,

    Bob

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  4. David Crook,

    I built this Tank Corps to exploit the breakthroughs made by my Soviet MEGABLITZ Army (66th Army) and its attendant Artillery Division ... but I have yet to use it.

    It does lack integral artillery, but the doctrine implies that it should not need it.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  5. I think it was Henry Ford who said you could never have too many trucks. I've been noticing the magnets and numbered markers, what are those things called for those of us interested in making something similar?

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  6. Sean,

    The quote about never having too many trucks has often been attributed to Tim Gow (I think that he said it during the first ever large-scale MEGABLITZ game fought at Wellingborough).

    The red tabs at the back of the stands are actually Rapesco Supaclips with short lengths of self-adhesive magnetic tape fixed to each.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  7. That's a rather splendid Tank Corps, you should promote it to Guards status as soon as it has won a battle Bob.

    Ledo did a singular service to 20mm Eastern Front wargaming when it produced that series of diecasts.

    Regards, Chris

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  8. Francis Lee,

    Many thanks. The only question that needs to be answered now is 'Can they fight?'

    All the best,

    Bob

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  9. Chris Kemp,

    Many thanks for the compliment. Lledo are a great source of cheap trucks for this period but these ones were actually produced by a French firm, Majorette (a competitor of Matchbox). Similar, but not quite the same.

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete

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