Advent Crown - A Module Suitability Review.

M-2 Bradley from 2-156th Infantry, 256th Infantry Brigade (LANG), 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized), in the suburbs of Katowice,  May 12th, 1997 (AP)

It's been a long time since we wrote one of these. Chico of the T2K forum and DC Working Group fame has written something that's been missing from canon for some time. A history of the 1997 NATO offensive into Poland. Operation Advent Crown is available as a free PDF from Chico's website, and it has links to accompanying maps!

In short, it's a great companion to anyone running adventures in the pre-nuclear exchange phase of the war. There's enough detail to clearly follow the action, and the sidebars are informative, and there's a good breakdown of Polish internal forces and how they work (including how the ORMO really fit into the Polish paramilitary structure.)

But, here's the thing, how does this work for miniature gaming fodder? Quite well, especially for larger games like Fistful of Tows and Command Decision. This document is chock full of ideas and scenario fodder.

Some of the ideas I can pick out are:

Smaller Games:

• Urban fighting in Opole and Czestochowa against determined defenders, especially the Polish airborne in Czestochowa (see Black Madonna for further details on Czestochowa).
• The "shadow war" between special operations units and MPs/rear area protection units in both sides rear areas (this especially lends itself well to Force on Force and Black Ops).
• The bitter fighting of the Battle of Sulechow between the Soviet 35th Airborne Brigade and the US 36th Infantry Division (this is bitter fighting between US National Guardsmen in their first engagement and Soviet desantniki who have nothing to lose).
• Linked scenarios of the fight of 17th Jager Bn, 1st Panzer Division to cut off the Hel Peninsula vs. a force of OTK, NJW, and Polish Navy. Jagers will eventually be reinforced by US 6th MEB. 
• Raid by US 4th Ranger Btn and German 25th, 26th, and 27th FJ Brigades against Soviet rear.
• US XI Corps elements versus Polish scratch forces in the Carpathians.

Larger Games:

• The breakthrough at Wroclaw (Soviet 3rd Guards Motor Rifle Division and Polish 2nd Mechanized Division versus US 11th ACR and German 27th FJ Brigade).
• The amphibious landing at Kolobrzeg (Danish Jutland Division, plus elements of British and US Marines vs. elements of 22nd Soviet Army).
• Battle of Poznan (Officer Cadets, OTK, WOW, ORMO, ZOMO, Polish Army support elements, along with remnants of 9th Mechanized Division versus VI German Corps).
• Battle of Tuchol Forest (US 2nd AD holding off counterattack by Polish 4th Army, being reinforced by Soviet 20th TD. Americans are reinforced by counterattack from US 3rd ACR).
• Lodz Breakout (WOW Brigade, TF of Polish 11th AD, Polish 9th Border Guards Brigade, scratch force of OTK, ORMO, and stragglers vs. US V Corps consisting of 8th ID (M), 1st AD, 1st Canadian Division and 11th ACR). 
• Warsaw  Counterattack by Soviet 11th Guards Army vs. PzGruppe Westhaven (specifically 217th Pzgdr Brigade with heavy NATO air and artillery support)
• Rearguard action by 49th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment versus German VI Corps near the Wisla.
• 116th ACRs crossing of the Wisla vs. Soviet 3rd GMRD.
• US XI Corps vs. Polish 2nd and 3rd Army on the outskirts of Warsaw.
• Soviet 4th Guards Tank Army counterattacks against German 1st Gerbigsjager Division, later 3rd Panzer Division, 240th FJ Brigade, and Danish Jutland Division east of Warsaw.
• German III Corps versus the defenders of Gydnia and Gdansk.
• US VII Corps versus Soviet 1st Shock Army near the Soviet border.

Dressing For The Apocalypse - 28mm: more Soviets

Empress miniatures (as mentioned in a previous post) has a small range of figures for the Chechnya conflict. You do have to be careful, as the figures are a bit variable in size.

These three figures are from CWR007 "Russians Fighting".

Other figures by Empress, such as the Insurgents are useful. This is the PK GPMG figure from the INS03 set that is useable.

This figure is based on the illustration of a South Ossetian Irregular in the Osprey publication "Elite 197: Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991".

Dressing For The Apocalypse - 28mm: Bundeswehr

As mentioned earlier, Under Fire Miniatures do a range of Cold War period 28mm figures.

I bought a set each of Soviets, East German (NVA) and West German (Bundeswehr).

Having assembled (converted) and painted the Soviets, I started on the West German infantry.

This is Bundeswehr pack 1, comprising four infantry armed with G3 battle rifles.

For my use I used Renedra 25mm round bases. I drill a 1mm hole in the figure base and a matching hole in the round base and use a piece of 1mm Evergreen rod to pin the two together and then glue it with superglue. Milliput is then used to smooth the two together.

There was then the decision as to what colour to paint them.

For my reference, I had a look at a contemporary Osprey book "Nato Armies Today".

I also  had the Tankograd book on "Bold Sparrow '87".

I decided to go for the simple grey green colour scheme (I have Flecktarn to look forward to on the Empress modern Bundeswehr).

The figures were undercoated black with Citadel Chaos Black followed by PSC German Field Grey.

The webbing and packs are Vallejo USA Olive Drab.

The figures were dry brushed with Citadel Dry Nurgling Green.

The figures were then shaded with Citadel Athonian Camoshade (it came out a bit shiny so I used some Humbrol 49 acrylic varnish).

Group shot.

I have an Empress Miniatures M113 APC which is undergoing conversion to an M113G to provide them with some mobility.

Dressing For The Apocalypse - 28mm

As mentioned in an earlier post on 28mm figures, Under Fire Miniatures do a range of 28mm Cold War figures.

As supplied, the Soviet infantry (in this case Soviet Pack RMR2) are accurately dressed, with the uncomfortable high boots.

These would be fine for forces at the outbreak of war, but after four or five years of conflict, their kit would change. The obvious thing would be replacing the boots (and trousers) with more comfortable items - either manufactured for the troops, or those that the troops have picked up.

The first change was to add some small squares of Greenstuff to the front of the boots, sculpted with a scalpel blade to represent the laces. This was allowed to set before more Greenstuff was used to extend the trouser cuffs.

Soviet Motorised infantry were trained to be no more than 200 metres from their transport, so they do not tend to have large quantities of equipment, so only a couple of small bags or pouches were added.

The other thing is that they are quite likely to have non standard gear, or in the case of the NCO, he has discarded his helmet for a warmer and more comfortable wooly hat.

This is a head from the Empress Universal Soldier range. He is also wearing a scarf, more Greenstuff.

He also has picked up a rucksack (from the Rubicon Miniatures Allied Stowage Set 1). This was blended in with Greenstuff.

There is also a square section plastic rod and Greenstuff ammo pouch.

Once finished and based (Woodland Scenics ash ballast over Milliput), they were undercoated with Citadel Chaos Black spray. As I was painting some British vehicles at the same time, I used Plastic Soldier Company British Tank spray as the base colour.

The wooly hat was painted with Citadel Caliban Green. The rucksack is Citadel Castellan Green. The scarf is Citadel Zandri Dust. 

The NCO's jacket camouflage is Citadel Steel Legion Drab followed by smaller splurges of Citadel Zandri Dust.

The NCO, having experienced more than enough Instant Sunshine(tm), has changed his trousers for a pair with a camouflage pattern of Zandri Dust and Vallejo German Camouflage Black Brown,

The rest of the squad's camouflage spots are Citadel Zandri Dust, the helmets are Vallejo German Extra Dark Green.

The figures were dry brushed with Citadel Dry Brush Nurgling Green. The "woodwork" of the guns was Citadel Mournfang Brown. 

Once dry the green areas were washed with Citadel Athonian Camoshade, brown areas with Citadel Agrax Earhshade.

The bases were then covered with a mixture of Woodland Scenics Burnt Grass Fine Turf (finely minced sponge) and some anonymous static grass bought from a model railway show.

Here is the NCO and one of Empress Miniatures Chechnya figures.

Same source of wooly hats.