15mm Arab Armour

Syrian SU-100s - models from Battlefront

More stuff from the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, two Syrian SU-100 tank destroyers and a T-55 from Khurasan, all 15mm size models.

The SU-100, a surplus beast from the later period of WW2, served in the organic anti-tank elements of Arab infantry and mechanized divisions in both the 1967 and 1973 wars.  These two particular beasts - both Battlefront models - are painted in an Syrian-inspired 1973 camouflage scheme that included patches of yellow and grey over a dark green base.

New camoflage scheme attempted on these tanks

These models will see action in scenarios where the Syrians are attempting to halt the IDF counter-attack across the "Purple Line" in 1973.

The quality of these Battlefront models is top notch.  They are from a "Guards Tank Destroyer" which includes five tanks, with options to paint them as either SU-85 or SU-100 tank destroyers.  I'm not sure what I will do with the other three - either paint them up for my WW2 Soviets, or paint them in Egyptian colours...we'll see...

Great models from Battlefront

The T-55 is from Khurasan, part of Khurasan's new 1973 war range.  While I was not very wowed by the Khurasan IDF infantry, this tank is really, really nice.  The body, turret and treads are all resin, and the accessories - cupola hatches, main gun, IR searchlight, cupola MG, etc. - are cast in metal.  You can build the tank as either a T-54 or T-55. One very unique feature with these models is the fact that you have the option to model the spare external fuel cannisters, common features of Warsaw Pact-era tanks, at the rear of the tank on or off.

T-55 from Khurasan

The model components are a little fiddly, but overall it comes together quite nicely. Some of the detail on the hull is a little soft, particularly the indentations on the fuel tanks, but overall this is a clean, crisp tank with unique modelling options and a quality in metal accessories.  Well done Khurasan!

Painted in Egyptian/generic Arab desert/arid colours

If there is any issue with these tanks, it is the size.  They are a touch small - not inaccurate, just smaller than, say, a Peter Pig T-55.  It's just a sniff of the "1/56" effect.  I don't think they would mix that well.  But that's no deal breaker.  These are nice tanks, and you can buy them in lots of ten if, like me, you need T-55s in company-sized allotments!

Khurasan did a great job with these models!

This is painted in colours that would work for the Egyptian army in 1967, as I am hoping to do some "Fate of a Nation" games.  Yes...Flames of War...you saw it here...but these tanks will also do in a pinch to represent the Egyptians in 1973, or the Iraqi tanks sent to help the Syrians in 1973.

This was just a test model.  No matter what rules I use, I will need plenty of T-55s for Arab-Israli gaming. One tank down, and as you can see from the picture, a lot more to go...

Purple Line Blues - 15mm Yom Kippur War Battle Report

IDF Centurions rolling towards the front

We ran another 15mm Yom Kippur War game last night. The scenario pitted opposing armoured columns against each other in a meeting-engagement-type battle. We used Dallas' "Red Storm" rules for the game, with the addition of a sort of "Hen & Chicks" rule for the Syrian tankers. I also continued with my house rule that AFVs could not pass any closer than 4" to another active friendly AFV on the table (I hate when the tanks horde up Flames-Of-War style).

The table at Turn 1 - IDF table edge at the bottom, Syrian at the top

The IDF had five Centurion Sho't Kals and a squad of mechanized infantry in an M113.  The Syrians had nine T-62s and a squad of infantry in a BTR-60.The setting was the Golan Heights, early on the second day of the war. The IDF column was a group of reservists sent forward desperately to reinforce the "Purple Line", which the Syrians had in fact broken through during the night.  On the way to the front the IDF encounters a Syrian column that has made it through, and the battle ensued!

Syrian T-62s

IDF Centurion rolls up the lead T-62 platoon

Conscripts Hugh and Byron played the Syrians, while Jim played the IDF with a little help from me.  Each side had to block the other from escaping, while trying to set some of its own stuff off of the table - a tricky balancing act.  The table was 6' x 4', with the sides approaching from opposing short table edges.

Turret flew off following a particularly well-placed shot...

Burning tanks filled the table right from the first turn.  Jim and I felt pretty good about things in the first couple of turns - we lit up the leading Syrian tank platoon with only one Centurion damaged in return.  As the follow-up Syrians came on, we were thinking a couple of turns of efficient gunnery would sort them out.

Syrian infantry deploy - to their doom...

IDF troopers hop off of their M113

We were kind of wrong...Byron in particular started to hot-roll for the Syrian gunners, and our tanks started to see some serious damage, especially the loss of main guns! By the fifth turn, we were down to one fully-functional Sho't - although we had managed to eliminate the Syrian infantry. 

Centurion with damaged main gun tried to make for the far table edge - it would end badly for the tank...

In the sixth turn Byron managed to blow the main gun off our final tank, and that was that! With no meaningful AT firepower left, the IDF had to pull back, leaving a one destroyed and another immobilized Sho't on the battlefield, and three more without their main armament. The Syrians had lost three T-62s, a BTR-60 and a squad of infantry.  That's what it was like in those first couple of days on the Purple Line in October 1973...

This blurry photo captures the fate of the IDF tankers in the game

Syrian T-62 firing line victorious at the end of the game

It was a lot of fun to play Yom Kippur again, and Dallas' rules work very well for the battle.  I should probably tweak the tanks' stats a touch for next time, but "Red Storm" is great for this setting. Thanks to Hugh, Jim and Bryon for coming out.

Syrians In September - More Infantry and T-62s

It has been a few weeks since I have posted any progress on my Golan Heights Project, but I haven't forgotten about it.  Here is some progress to hopefully prove it.  Again, apologies in advance for the pictures - whatever its merits, the iPhone sucks for miniature photography, and the lighting in my house does not help...

Up first are a group of Syrian infantrymen.  These are from Peter Pig's AK47 modern line, and the bases are from 15mm.co.uk.

Peter Pig "regulars" from their AK47 Republic range

Minimally equipped troops, but they will do the job for representing Syrians.

Colour references to Syrian uniforms for 1973 are universally absent, so I just made a best-guess

These troops will be ready to fight for the Golan heights

I added a few special weapon troops as well - two RPG troopers and two RPD MG gunners.

Two RPGs on the left, to RPD MGs on the right

And another pair of T-62s from QRF.  I now have 8 T-62s, almost enough for a company.

Two more T-62s ready to roll...

I was amused to note this thread on TMP, posted in august following my original commentary on these models, in which the proprietor of QRF miniatures manages to position each flaw (and there are many of them) with the QRF castings as somehow important to doing a proper model.

The back ends of the T-62s from QRF are a cloud of flash and mold lines....very poor quality on these castings. 

Not sure why Peter Pig, Battlefront and others can manage to a proper, in scale MG that isn't cast with the quality of a limp spaghetti noodle, but QRF can't.  But again, the QRF T-62s are really the only game in town for this particular MBT, and the flaws are annoying more than critical.

Up next are some infantry and APCs for the IDF.  Stay tuned!

Even More Syrians

T-55 from Peter Pig

Another chunk of Syrian stuff - a platoon of BTR-60s from Old Glory and a solitary T-55.

The BTR-60s were very, very nice models. They assembled smoothly and have a lot of detail on the hull in particular.  They are excellent renderings of this common Cold War era Soviet APC.

Very lovely castings from Old Glory

This T-55 is a "newer" one from Peter Pig - they have corrected issues on the barrel of the main gun, putting the fume extractor on the correct end of the barrel.

I wish Peter Pig would add MGs for the cupola on the T-55s...

The Peter Pig vehicle castings appear to be on the larger end of the 15mm spectrum - when compared with the T-62 from QRF, the Peter Pig T-55 is actually a little larger.  But it will all be fine on the table.

Peter Pig T-55 on the left, QRF T-62 on the right

I have half a company of T-62s and T-55s finished now - will want to get to at least a company-plus-command (about 11 tanks) of each.  Will need to make another order on the T-55s, but I believe a package of QRF T-62s should be along soon...

Finished Syrian ZSU-23-4 AAA Tank - 15mm Old Glory

ZSU-23-4 AAA Tank from Old Glory

Another vehicle finished for my Golan Heights Project - a Syrian ZSU-23-4, a 15mm model from Old Glory.  I used the same painting approach as I did for the T-55s from Peter Pig. I did not put any vehicle numbers or marking on this tank, however, as I was not sure where they would have been placed on the vehicle.

The quad 23mm canons on this model are barely hanging together

This model is nicer than the Old Glory T-62s, but not as nice as the stuff from Peter Pig (although check here for an interesting discussion on TMP about some shortcomings I was not aware of on their older T-55 models - I don't care, I still love them - but I digress).  This model had some nice bits of stowage - tow cables, a shovel, even a camo tarp stashed on the back.  But the quality of the casting leaves something to be desired - there was a lot of flash and bad mould lines.

I used weathering powders over the engine and the exhaust

Far and away the worst feature of the model is the very delicate, impossible to assemble quad 23mm cannons that serve as the focus of the vehicle.  They have the sturdiness of spaghetti and are basically hanging together by a prayer.  I doubt they will survive the first appearance on the table top....on this basis alone, I would not recommend this model to other gamers - but then I'm not sure there are many options out there.

This angle shows more of the weathering on the tracks and road wheels

These vehicles formed an important part of the Syrian's very effective air defences in the opening hours of the battle on the Golan Heights in 1973.  The pilots from the Israeli Air Force were not able to effectively counter the Syrian assault - between the SA-6s, SA-2s and ZSU-23-4s, the IAF A-4s were blown from the sky in large numbers.  This would change as Israel gradually reclaimed the initiative and took the battle to the Syrians, but for the first few days, tanks like this one extracted a heavy price from the IAF.

As a wargamer I have always thought the ZSU-23-4 is one of the coolest pieces of Soviet/Russian Cold War kit.  The quad cannons look downright ominous.  I find most gamers imagine using these weapons against opposing infantry and light vehicles, as opposed to the enemy aircraft, and I am no exception - this has happened a fair bit in our 28mm modern games - but I'm sure on the actual battlefield the crew was to keep their eyes on the sky, and not on the ground.

Ready to move out against the defenders of the Golan Heights

The Old Glory T-62s are up next.  Stay tuned!

Painted Syrian T-55s - 15mm from Peter Pig

15mm T-55 models from Peter Pig

A few more T-55s have come off the painting line, ready for action on the Golan Heights.  These are 15mm models from Peter Pig, and if you have seen any of my prior posts on these, you have already seen me rave about how these are the nicest 15mm models in terms of quality and ease of assembly.

T-55s on the work table

I used GW paints - a combination of old and new - as well as some acrylic craft paints (mostly a dark umber colour as the base for the treads and dry-brushing for weathering).  I also used a combination of the weathering powders on the treads, road wheels, engines, exhaust and the muzzle of the main gun.  I am still getting the hang of these powders, but they really provide a great effect for the vehicles.

I was very liberal with the weathering powders on the treads and over the engine.

I went out of my way to put a lot of weathering on these models, particularly the treads and engines.  I like tanks that look they are out in the field, not on parade.

For the first time I made use of an artist's pen to help with some of the detailing - I used it to fill in patterns and lines on the fuel cans and stowage on the sides of the tank.  It was very handy, and worked pretty well to get some colour on to spots that the brush struggles to handle with as much consistency.

Another shot showing the weathering.

I painted - or more like tried to paint - arabic numerals on all of the turrets.  I don't know what precise system the Syrians used on their armour, but I have seen many colour photos of disabled Syrian tanks with three-digit numerals on the turrets.  I did my best to manage the arabic numerals...

I have ordered bases for my tanks on this project - I haven't based my 15mm vehicles before, but it increasingly seems like a sensible thing to do - extra protection for the model and a bit more symmetry with the based models infantry being good reasons to try it.  It will be some time before the bases arrive,   so my plan is to just continue painting the vehicles until the bases get here - they can be based later on.

The Syrians had overwhelming numbers of tanks deployed for their assault on the Golan in 1973, most of them T-55s.  So five models won't be very many....will need at least as many again (getting close to a company) for a good battle on the table.  But it's a start.