Vozdushno-Desantnye voyska Rossii - VDV Russian Airborne part 3

 VDV Russian Airborne part 3

I plan to complete my VDV airborne dibpvision this year and with that in mind done another S&S miniatures order to buy a few support pieces for my plastics, some trucks and I could not resist though and also picked up some metal figures too! I really like the new seated tank riders/ truck crew

VDV late Christmas present 

VDV vehicle riders

Gaz 66 fuel truck

Gaz 66 command version 

Cleaned up and ready to undercoat tomorrow, hopefully have some paint on them next week. 

Cheers

Matt 

Vozdushno-Desantnye voyska Rossii - VDV Russian Airborne part 2

VDV Russian Airborne part 2

VDV airborne badge

Another item to complete for the analogue painting challenge are my soviet airborne brigade, with that in mind I have prepared my Able Archer organisation. The VDV battalions had a lot of support weapons so it is difficult to portray this so I have added a support coy with a mortar coy as per soviet doctrine.

Airborne Parachute Regiment (530 men in each battalion)

Regiment Command company 

CO + 5 figs sniper, First aid and communications, UAZ 469, GAZ66 truck,

• Recon coy 6 figs 1 x BDRM2 1 x UAZ 469
• Air defence coy 1 x UAZ 469 with 1x AA ZU23-2 3 figs  1 x  (9 Strela-3 / Igla MANPADS) 2 figs UAZ 469, 1 x BDRM SA9 Gaskin
• anti tank battery 1 x ATGM 9K111 Fagot 2 figs, 1 x SPG-9MD recoilless 3 figs 

1st Battalion

OC + 5 sniper, 2 x RPG, first aid and communications mounted in BMD1

 

1st Company to 3rd Company

 assault company 6figs PK LMG Mounted in BMD1 

assault company 6 figs PK LMG mounted in BMD1

assault company 6 figs PK LMG mounted in BMD1

 

support company

AGS launcher 2 figs, spigot ATGM 2 figs mounted in UAZ 469

 mortar coy 

Observor 2 figs, 1 x 82mm mortar 3 figs, 1 x PM38 2B11 120mm mortar 3 figs 2 x BMD 1

 

2nd Battalion AS Above 

OC + 3 sniper, first aid and communications

 

1st Company to 3rd Company

assault company 7 figs RPG-16, PK LMG 

assault company 7 figs RPG-16, PK LMG 

assault company 7 figs RPG-16, PK LMG 

anti tank battery 

1 x ATGM 9K111 Fagot 2 figs, 1 x SPG-9MD recoilless 3 figs

 

support company

AGS launcher 2 figs, spigot ATGM 3 figs

 mortar coy 

 Observer 2 figs, 1 x 82mm mortar 3 figs, 1 x PM38 2B11 120mm mortar 3 figs

3rd Battalion air assault 3 x Mi8 Hips

OC + 5 sniper, RPG x2, first aid and communications

  

1st Company to 3rd Company

 assault company 7 figs PK LMG 

assault company 7 figs PK LMG 

assault company 7 figs PK LMG 

anti tank battery 

1 x ATGM 9K111 Fagot 2 figs, 1 x SPG-9MD recoilless 3 figs

 

support company

AGS launcher 2 figs, spigot ATGM 3 figs 

 

mortar coy 

Observer 2 figs, 1 x 82mm mortar 3 figs, 1 x PM38 2B11 120mm mortar 3 figs

ASU 85 x 2  (withdrawn from service in 1993)

I have ordered the extra pieces in metal from S&S models to make up the  plastic battalions short fall of heavy weapons.

cheers

Matt

 

Vozdushno-Desantnye voyska Rossii -VDV airborne troops

 VDV Airborne troops

VDV airborne badge

While I have had the camo painting bug for Soviet cold war troops I decided to also paint up two battalions of plastic Esci VDV airborne troops that I had in my collection donated to me by my mate Spiros. 

The VDV originally were just part of the ground troops, uniforms and equipment corresponded accordingly to motorised troops in general up until 1983. After that date specific equipment was issued,  and the VDV moved from Maroon Berets of the special forces (spetsnaz retained the maroon) to the more familiar mid blue in 1982, along with one piece jump overalls. 

Structurally the brigade consisted of a combat and transport combat helicopter regiments (a total of 80 MI-8T, 20 Mi6a and 20 Mi24A). Three airborne and one air assault battalions, plus support elements. 

Below is the 1983 order of battle of the 35th Guards Landing Assault Brigade, which was posted to Cottbus East Germany in December 1979. 

35th Guards Separate landing Assault Brigade (callsign Veskiy)

Commander Lieutenant Colonel Nikolai Shvets

• 1st Airborne Battalion (Parachute about 530 men in each battalion)
• Command section, Recon platoon, AA missile group (9 Strela-3 / Igla MANPADS), First aid and communications 
• Three assault companies (4 x 82-mm M mortar, 3 Metis 9K115 ATGMs, 3 AGS-17 30mm grenade launcher, 6 PK LMG, 9 RPG-16, 9 RPKS-74 LMG, AKS-74, SVD sniper rifle)
• anti tank battery (6 ATGM 9K111 Fagot / Factoria, 6 SPG-9MD recoilless Heat/HE)
• mortar coy PM38 2B11 120mm mortar 
• 2nd Airborne Battalion (Parachute)
• as above
• 3rd Airborne Battalion (Heliborne)
• as above
• 4th Separate landing Assault Battalion (about 490 people Heliborne)
• Three airborne assault companies (five platoons: three assault troops, machine gun, mortar; 117 hrs, 10 BMD-1P / PK, 4 BTR-D armored personnel carriers, 4x82-mm M, 8 PKM, 13 RPG-16, 9 RPKS-74, AKS-74)
• From 1983 - self-propelled artillery battery (8 x 120-mm SAO 2S9 Nona)
• platoons: grenade launcher (3 BTR-D armored personnel carriers, 6 AGS-17), anti-aircraft missile (9 MANPADS, 3 armored personnel carriers BTR-ZD), communications, support, first-aid post.
•  Artillery battalion (Heliborne or airdrop)
•  6 x 122mm Howitzer GD30 3 batteries
• Mortar battery 120-mm M PM-38 
• platoons: anti-aircraft missile (9 MANPADS 3 BTR ZD), control, support.
• Rocket Artillery Battery 8 x 122 mm MLRS BM-21V Grad-V
• Anti-aircraft Battery (heliborne or airdrop)
• from 1982 - anti-aircraft battalion (8 SZRK Strela-10M, 8 ZSU-23-4 Shilka, MANPADS 3 APC BTR-ZD)
• Anti-tank missile Battery (heliborne)
• 12 ATGM Fagot / Factory, 6 ATGM 
• Reconnaissance Company (heliborne or airdrop)
• three reconnaissance platoons on UAZ-469
• Engineering Sapper Company (parachute, heliborne)
• Medical Company (parachute and heliborne)
• Communications coy (parachute and heliborne)
• airborne company (support and despatch)
• automobile company (heliborne or airdrop)
• repair company (heliborne or airdrop)
• logistics company (heliborne or airdrop)
• RHR platoon (3 UAZ-469) 1984 - RHBZ company (RBCW company) (heliborne or airdrop)
• platoon of the chief of artillery (survey and communications centre) (heliborne or airdrop)
• commandant platoon (parachute, heliborne or airdrop)
• orchestra. (not operationally deployed)

I will decide upon what I build to make up my battalions, as I have a few of the vehicles already, but may need a few bits to complete to Brigade! I hope to have the figures painted in the next week or two.

cheers

Matt

Sources

Russian Airborne Units

Soviet Army Operations and tactics

Wikipedia 35th Guards