This release sees the introduction of some new models to expand our range of Soviets. Light, fast and packing a punch – the howitzer armed BT-7a is just the thing for flanking the enemy then shelling their position with HE. The 45mm light AT gun aand AT rifle team offer cheap and mobile anti-tank capabilities, while the Commissar and Medic teams both help your troops stay in the fight (but in very, very different ways!). The flamethrower team and SMG squads will quickly decimate any enemy unit at short range and excel at clearing out squads from cover and buildings.
Finally, we are always looking to improve the models we offer, so we are retiring the old T-20 model we have previously used, and replacing it with a newer, more detailed model instead.
As always, here’s a little background on the various new units…..
BT-7a
The BT-7a was a howitzer equipped variant of the BT-7; a Soviet cavalry tank of the 1930’s. Due to the Christie suspension and a decent engine, and a range of guns, the BT-7 was a mobile and well armed tank even if it was lightly armoured.
The last of the BT series, the BT-7 was replaced in 1940 by the T-34, though it saw use throughout the war with the Red Army, as well as others including Finland and Romania.
45mm AT gun
The M1937 45mm anti-gun gun (also known as 53-K or Sorokapyatka) was a small quick firing Soviet AT gun of the 1930s. While relatively successful initially, it quickly became obsolete when facing new German armour such as the improved PzIII and PzIV tanks.
Commissar
Commissars (or Politruk) were officers that were members of the Communist Party and whose specific task was to educate the troops beneath them and ensure that their fellow officers were following the party line. Usually rigorous and fanatical in their application of Party doctrine, many men, both innocent and not, were summarily executed or sent to punishment battalions as a result of their work. Operating outside the normal military hierarchy, this commitment and zeal often worked against the soldiers to which they were attached, resulting in lack of initiative, bad leadership and other issues.
Medic team
As with all armies, and despite the apparent disdain for the life of the common soldier, the Soviet Red Army had many medics who would often risk their lives to save fallen comrades. Many of the Soviet medics were young women, who were no less courageous than their male counterparts.
Flamethrower team
The flamethrower was a core weapon in Soviet doctrine. A lack of effective anti-tank weapons led to the use of flamethrowers in an anti-armour role as well as anti-personnel. One of the most common models was the ROKS. The ROKS-2 variant was specifically designed to appear as a backpack and rifle rather than fuel tank and flamethrower.
AT rifle
During WWII, many countries stopped producing and using AT rifles, but the Soviet continued with them until 1945. The Red Army fielded two types principally – the single shot bolt action PTRD and the semi-automatic PTRS. Both were initially effective against light German armour, and also the Finnish tanks of the Winter War. However, in the latter half of the war, they could not penetrate the new, heavier German tanks and were relegated to the role of heavy sniper weapons and were used to harass lighter vehicles and exposed crewmen.
SMG squad
The Winter War against the Finns quickly showed the Soviets the benefits of the submachine in warfare, and they rapidly formed dedicated SMG armed companies to concentrate their firepower. In total, over ⅓ of all Soviet small arms production during the war was that of SMGs.
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We hope that you found this little bit of background history and that soon our models will be reinforcing your Soviet armies – Ura!