I thought that I'd finished my Soviets ................

 .... but I decided that I needed to paint up a fourth section of scouts for my recce platoon.

I already had the figures but after play-testing the scenario I will be running at Winter Wonderlard at BIG on Saturday 12th February, it became apparent that what I was planning wasn't going to work in the time allowed, so I re-wrote the scenario. That meant trimming down the size of the opposing forces and beefing up the scouts a bit, so I quickly painted the remaining squad.

Nothing different to the previous lot here, Junior Leader with SMG, 2-man LMG team, four men with SMGs and four with rifles.

Still, the bonus here is that my game will run a lot more smoothly.

I've been thinking about what to do with the various bits I have stripped out and my plan is to turn this scenario into the opening one of a PSC (a pint-sized campaign). I am thinking about four or maybe five separate scenarios that will expand upon the narrative that drove my ideas for the initial too unwieldy one I've had to slim down. I shall have to see how it goes once the inspiration pixie has come to visit me.

 

Soviet scout platoon

Here is my second full platoon of Peter Pig WW2 Soviets; razvedchiki, i.e scouts.

The reconnaissance platoon organisation is taken from the 2016 TooFatLardies Christmas Special. 

According to the organisation listed,  the Scout platoon consists of;

HQ;

Leytenant; Senior Leader with Pistol
Serzhant; Junior Leader with SMG

3 Squads, each with;

Junior Leader with SMG
LMG with 2 crew
4 SMGs
4 Rifles

Actually, the 2016 Special says that the rifles should be SVT-40s, but these weren't hugely reliable and, in any case production was heavily disrupted after the beginning of Barbarossa in 1941, so the Mosin–Nagant 91/30 rifle remained the standard for most Russian units throughout the war. Obviously, the SMG used is the PPSh-41 and the LMGs are the Degtyaryov DP-27.

These troops are wearing the "amoeba" camouflage smock and trousers with the pilotka cap. I've chosen to do the amoeba pattern in green, although it could have been brown. I've also chosen to give the platoon commander an officer's cap with a raspberry red band, so he stands out on the table.

As with all my WW2 15mm units, the rank and file are on 1.5 cm bases and leaders are on 2 cm ones.

I am beginning to think that I've got enough core troops for my Soviets now, and I ought to start building up their support options. I'm thinking of snipers, anti-tank rifles teams, 5 cm mortar teams and engineer teams with flamethrowers and additional rifle squads.