IABSM: Soviets for 1939

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Here is the final IABSM v3 army booklet for the 1939 invasion of Poland: the Soviets.

It's a set of comparatively simple lists, allowing you to field:

  • an infantry company
  • a cavalry squadron
  • a light tank company
  • a fast tank company
  • a medium tank company

As always, you can download the pdf from the Poland 1939 page of the I Ain't Been Shot, Mum! section of the website, or by clicking on the image to the left. 

That's now the set of the three main nations  - the Poles, the Germans and the Soviets - done. I hope you enjoy playing this fascinating period.

New Early War Gebirgsjaeger Gallery

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My Gebirgsjaeger were originally bought to provide a late war German force for the eastern front...mainly in a desperate attempt to avoid painting the camouflage smocks that I would need for a contemporaneous company of Heer troops!

The figures will, of course, also do nicely for a Gebirgsjaeger force built from the new IABSMv3 Poland 1939 lists: although they will obviously need a bit of adaption to fit into the earlier OOB.

As always, I find it easier to see these things pictorially, so have now had a chance to put together a Gebirgsjaeger 1939 gallery...and very bare it is too, with lots of the late war equipment stripped right away.

Needs include some more infantry, to represent the bigger platoons, some earlier anti-tank guns, and maybe some pioneer types if only for completeness.

Click on the pic to see the gallery.

Unboxing the Polish Reinforcements

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Some of you picked up on the fact that it was my 50th birthday last week. Thanks for all your good wishes and, to one particular person:  no you can't have my collection when I keel over due to old age!

As it was my birthday, and I'd finished the IABSMv3 lists for Poland 1939 for the Poles, Germans and Soviets, I decided to take the opportunity to fill out my early war collection a bit.

You see, when I first started playing WW2 games, I tended to play IABSM as it was originally designed to be played: with each side consisting of a few platoons of infantry supported by a couple of guns and maybe a single platoon of armour. I also almost exclusively played France 1940 or Barbarossa games, having (at the time) this strange aversion to late war with its big cats and hordes of character-less Shermans.

I therefore only have a single platoon of most types of early war German and Soviet tanks, and understrength platoons at that.

Well, what's the problem, I hear you ask, you have everything you need?

Yes, but, the thing is, these days, although some of the best games I've ever played have been games with small forces on each side, I now occasionally like to play huge, power games, with swarms of tanks everywhere...I think it's an age thing: why buy a sports car when you can command a full company of panzers!

So, for my birthday, I decided to do a bit of filling out:

That's a platoon of Panzer IIs, a platoon of Panzer 38(t)s, a platoon of T-26s, a platoon of BT-5s, and a couple of SdKfz 222 armoured cars as well.

[All bought from Hannants, BTW, a very good source of Zvezda kit: ordered Wednesday, arrived Saturday, discount included in price.]

You may notice that all the tanks ordered are plastic Zvezda kits: cheap but perfectly serviceable...especially as I don't expect to use them very often. 

And that's the point of buying cheaper Zvezda or PSC tanks rather than the more expensive metal or metal and resin vehicles from other manufacturers: if you're not going to use them very often, then cheap but serviceable is the way forward.

Don't get me wrong: these will paint up very nicely. Here, for example, is one Battlefront and three Zvezda Katyushkas in the same picture:

I would go as far to say, with my limited building skills, the rocket rack on Battlefront model looks worse than the Zvezda versions...and I've only ever fielded all four once, as an objective for a German attack. Imagine if I'd bought four metal versions for a single game: ouch!

The Zvezda range is expanding as well. Take a look at the box again. Nestling on the right are two Ferdinands. Together they cost about a fiver: cheaper than a single Battlefront model. Yes, I need them just in case I ever have to field them, but how often will I do so? Cost efficiency is the way forward!

Right: back to painting. All my Polish cavalry still do before I can start on the tanks!

Dismounted Polish Cavalry

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So here they are: the dismounted Polish cavalry of the previous post rescued from their terrible frosting at the hands of a can of GW Purity Seal with a liberal application of olive oil, and then re-sprayed with Army Painter seal:

Now they don't look perfect, being still a little granulated with tiny particles of Purity Seal, but they look a whole lot better than they did before!

What I am also hoping is that they will improve even more with time and a bit of handling i.e. that the granules are worn smooth or continue to be absorbed in some way. They are not a disgrace now, though, and that's the main point.

Battlefront figures, BTW. Quite nice, although the faces were not particularly well defined and were difficult to paint into anything remotely resembling humans. That could be down to coming from an old mold, but is still disappointing. I've gone Forged in Battle for the mounted cavalry, so we'll have to see if they are any better.

Here's another couple of shots. Oh, and they look a bit weird on my custom bases as they don't have any LSW teams, and the bases are designed to take eight singles and a two-man LSW team, not ten singles. Should make playing with them interesting, as that's down one dice on all firing! 

PS the painting challenge scorecard is now updated as well 

Frosting Disaster!

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I have been painting a company of 15mm WW2 dismounted Polish cavalry: 49 figures in all.

It's probably taken me about ten hours of work to finish them: that's prepping the figures, undercoating, top coat, highlight, wash, and basing.

Finished them last night.

Went out to the garage to varnish them. Picked up the bad can of GW Purity Seal that caused me so many problems with my half-tracks (see previous post) that I'd put handy to throw away, but hadn't actually thrown away yet, and promptly frosted the lot of them!

And when I say frosted, I mean frosted:

An absolute disaster! And on my 50th birthday as well! I could have cried!

Now usually when this happens I try spraying with a gloss varnish, and that sorts most of it out. Not this time: just made it slightly worse!

So I googled solutions and was amazed to find people suggesting a thin coat of olive oil might solve the problem.

Olive oil? Are you sure?

So into the kitchen I went, and was immediately confronted with my first dilemma: what sort of olive oil. The wife has got at least three types: ranging from the cheapo, supermarket own-brand in a plastic bottle to the super-squishy, extra-extra-virgin delicatessen variety.

Well, these troops have had quite an investment of my time, so it had to be the top quality oil: nothing but the best for the Polish cavalry!

Rather dubiously, I started painting it on.

Immediate results: figures de-frosted almost as the brush passed over them, leaving them free of frosting and nicely detailed again, with just a hint of roughness caused by particles of varnish.

Extra-ordinary...and now that they are dry, they have a rather pleasing patina to them too.

Glad I used the expensive stuff!

I've now re-varnished using Army Painter seal, and will post a pic tomorrow: it's good to keep you in suspense a little!

Olive oil! Who'd have thought it.

IABSM: Germans in Poland: Most Gaps Filled

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As I said in my previous post, I have plenty of early war German kit: I just needed to re-photograph some of it to fit in with the specific Germans in Poland infantry company list.

That's now happened, (click here to go to the gallery) and I know exactly what I need to buy in order to be able to field anything I might need to.

As expected, the only real gaps are in the number of tanks and armoured cars I need...but as that's not critical, as IABSM is more about infantry than tanks and it's going to be a rare occasion indeed that I need to field an entire tank company, I can just fill these gaps with cost-effective vehicles from Zvezda as and when I feel like it.

I reckon if I bought six SdKfz 221s; five Panzer 35(t); five Panzer 38(t); and six Panzer IIs then I would have all the early war German tanks I could ever realistically need...and at Zvezda prices, I could probably get the whole lot for the same amount as one Battlefront late war tank killer box set! All hail Zvezda!

In fact, the only real gap is the two-squad infantry scouting unit which, obviously, I could represent on foot, but would like to do as cavalry: the first German cavalry I would then have. A trip to Peter Pig for them, I think, as I quite like PP's cavalry figures.

So, infantry company gallery now done: next up will be the Schutzen and the Gebirgsjaeger galleries. After I've been shopping, of course...

IABSM: Germans in Poland Gallery

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Now that I have finished the IABSMv3 1939 September War lists for the Germans and Poles, it's time to see what I have got in my collection...and therefore what I haven't got as well!

Easiest way to do that is to build galleries for each potential force: then I can clearly see where the gaps are, and how big my next shopping spree needs to be.

Well, the first of the Poles are still on the painting table (just need to finish the bases), so it's the Germans that will start things off.

Click here to see the first of the Germans in Poland 1939 galleries: that of the standard infantry company. Quite a bit of new photography to do this weekend, along with the shopping list!

Don't forget that you can download the IABSMv3 Polish and German lists from the Poland 1939 page under the IABSM tab at the top of the page. Feedback always appreciated.

IABSM: Germany in Poland 1939 v3 Lists Now Available

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I have now finished the IABSM v3 compatible German lists for the 1939 September War to go alongside the Polish lists that I posted a month or so ago.

These lists allow you to field a variety of German forces based on everything from a standard infantry company to a light trucked tank company. As with the Polish lists, they are largely taken from Anatoli's excellent work, converted to IABSM v3 alongside additional info from my own research.

Click on the pic to download the list, or visit the Poland 1939 section of this website (under the I Ain't Been Shot, Mum! tab at the top).

Any feedback gratefully received: either comment or send me an e-mail at the usual address.

IABSM: 1939 Polish Lists Updated

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I have slightly updated the IABSM v3 lists for the 1939 Polish Army, available by clicking the picture or from the Poland 1939 page under the IABSM heading.

Whilst working on the German lists for the same period, I realised that the IABSM v3 convention is to give medium mortars a crew of five rather than the v1 or v2 crew of three.

Small thing, especially as they will be off-table in most games, but now corrected.

German lists are coming along nicely: should be done by the end of the month. Wish my Polish cavalry painting was doing as well!

IABSM: First German Army Lists for Poland 1939

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I've now started work on the German army lists to accompany the "First to Fight" pdf containing all the Polish lists.

The first two, the Light Tank Company and Light Tank Company A, are now available either by clicking on the images, below, or by visiting the Poland 1939 page of the website.

Note that I will post new lists as they are complete but, after they are all done, compile them into one booklet in the same way As I have done with "First to Fight".

Any comments or critiques welcome!

IABSM: Polish Army Lists for 1939 Finished

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I am very pleased to announce that the Polish Army Lists for IABSM for the 1939 September War are now finished and available as a free download on this site.

The lists are gathered into a single, 54-page pdf booklet that follows the same format as the two late war theatre supplements Vpered na Berlin and Battle for Liberation.

The booklet contains lists for the following forces:

  • Line Infantry Company
  • Border Protection Force Infantry Company
  • Border Protection Force Mountain/Highland Infantry Company
  • Independent Reconnaissance Tank Squadron
  • Cavalry Squadron
  • Cavalry Armoured Reconnaissance Diwizjon
  • Troops from the 10th Motorised Cavalry Brigade
  • Troops from the Warsaw Armoured Motorised Brigade
  • 1st & 2nd Light Tank Battalions
  • 3rd Light Tank Battalion
  • 12th & 121st Light Tank Companies
  • 21st Light Tank Battalion
  • 2nd Armoured Battalion

In addition, there are rules for rating your Polish force, the Polish Armoury, and details of/rules for armoured trains.

Click on the picture of the front cover to download the list; or visit the Poland 1939 page on the IABSM drop-down, above.

Enjoy...and if you find any errors, or just want to let me know what you think, either comment on this post or drop me a line at the usual address.

IABSM: German Panzerspah Zug

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Having painted up an SdKfz 250-based Aufklarung platoon for my late war infantry, it was only appropriate to sort the panzers out as well with an Sdkfz 250-based platoon from the Panzerspahkompanie.

Slightly different configuration from the Aufklarung platoon: with two command SdKfz 250/5 vehicles backed up by four 20mm cannon armed SdKfz 250/9 vehicles.

As with the Aufklarung platoon, the Plastic Soldier Company could provide the 250/9s, but no-one seemed to do a specific 250/5 i.e. the half-track with the extra radio equipment in it.

This is one version of the SdKfz 250/5

So I decided to go a bit off-the-books here and make the two cars SdKfz 250/3s (i.e. the ones with the aerial cage on top) instead of 5s. This meant that they would be clearly distinguishable from a run-of-the-mill 250, and maybe there were some 5s that had the cage. Google certainly suggested a whole lot of different types of "extra radio equipment", from hoops to tall cactus-like aerials etc.

The problem, of course, is that just as no-one did a 250/5, no-one did a 250/3 either!

Searching the web, however, led me to the 15mm figure manufacturer Heer46. They produce a separate aerial cage for the SdKfz 251/3, and although the cages weren't identical, I thought this was a close enough match and ordered a couple. 

Delivery was prompt, and with a bit of bending and squeezing, the cages fitted the smaller half-tracks just fine. Okay, so they have a cross-brace in the middle, and the 250/3 cage doesn't, but maybe these particular crews fitted extra struts because of high winds in the area in which they were operating!

I painted them in the same way as with the Aufklarung (see previous post) i.e. a base of dunkelgelb then sponged on camouflage, and they turned out equally as well. The only problem was that, again, and with a new can, I've had a frosting issue with GW Purity Seal.

Don't understand it. I switched away from Purity seal as my varnish of choice about ten years ago when I encountered a really bad batch that even GW (reluctantly) admitted was crap. Then, after a few years, I switched back...mainly because of the convenience of being able to pop into a GW store to pick up a replacement. I've had no problems, none at all, since then, until now.

Now I have had not one but two cans, bought from different stores, give my figures a nasty case of dusty frosting. Don't know why, and will have to buy a can of something else to see if an overspray works to clear it. Hope so, as I really don't fancy building and painting another fourteen SdKfz 250s!

Polish Big Man

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I mentioned in the post below about the 15mm WW2 figure manufacturer, Heer46, that they produced a range of unique command figures. When I bought the aerial cages for the command vehicles of the Panzerspah company (cf) I also bought one of these "Big Men".

He has painted up very nicely (although I've still got to deal with a bit of varnish frosting) and will form the first of my Poles as the overall command figure. Now all I have to do is buy and paint up the rest of the army!

IABSM: Poland 1939: Cavalry Squadron

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Here's another IABSM v3 list for the 1939 Poles: a cavalry squadron.

I've almost finished the lists now: all I need to do over the weekend is the Armoury i.e. all the stats that support the units and vehicles shown in the lists.

Once that is done, I'll gather all the lists into one enormous pdf (it will be about 50 pages I think) and repost in a download-friendly fashion.

Then it's on to the Germans and Soviets...and maybe the Slovaks for completeness.

Click the picture or here for the pdf of the Cavalry Squadron list; or go to the Poland 1939 page with all the current lists by clicking here.

IABSM: New Manufacturer: Heer46

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Well, not a brand new manufacturer, as Heer46 have been around for some time, but a new manufacturer added to the list!

Most of what Heer46 does in 15mm scale is, as the name suggests, Weird World War 2 stuff (Jagdpanthers with gigantic flamethrowers, collosal US tanks etc) but they do produce a few useful bits and bobs for the more traditional WW2 gamer.

Very useful, for example, are aerial racks for SdKfz 251 half-tracks: something that allows you to convert a standard 251 into a proper command vehicle. Here's a pic of a recent unboxing, clearly showing two of the racks in question:

I've actually used the racks for SdKfz 250s. They don't really fit, and have the cross-bracing used in 251s but not 250s, but they will most definitely do and look quite good. More on that in a future post i.e. when I've finished the squadron.

You can also just about see a Big Man in there too. One of the other useful things Heer46 do is a selection of individual, non-standard command figures. They are very detailed and paint up well: giving you a set of unique figures to use instead of one of the mass-produced Battlefront or Peter Pig officers.

Check out Heer46 either through the WW2 manufacturers page on this website, or by clicking here to go straight to their site.

IABSM: Poland 1939: Polish 12th & 121st Light Tank Companies

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Another OB for the early war Poles: this time its for a force based on a company of Vickers E tanks from either the 12th or the 121st Light Tank Companies.

These were the armoured companies attached to Poland's only two motorised brigades: the 10th motorised cavalry brigade and the Warsaw armoured motorised brigade. 

Both companies also used the Vickers E tank: some with a single turret mounting a French 47mm gun, others with twin turrets each with a Polish machine gun.

There will eventually be OBs for the two brigades as well (the 10th is already up, Warsaw to follow probably later this week) but looking at the armoured element so specifically gives you the background to the brigade force even if it's one based on infantry with only a platoon or so of tank in support.

You can find the OB, along with the others, on the Poland 1939 page, which you can also reach by clicking here.

IABSM: Poland 1939: Polish Rifle Infantry Company

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As promised yesterday, here's what I expect will be the mainstay of any Polish force: the basic rifle infantry company.

This was a very interesting list to put together, mainly because of the unusually large paper strength of Polish infantry squads and the way in which they were armed:  how do you deal with a 19-man infantry platoon armed with bolt-action rifles and BAR on the table-top?

I suppose the place to start is with the lists in the v2 theatre supplement, Blitzkrieg! Here, Richard Clarke’s Polish infantry squads have ten men, and are split into squads with BAR and squads without. He has, however, given the company HQ an extra squad.

I have chosen to do things a little differently.

Firstly, I have the on-table strength of an infantry rifle squad as twelve. This is a decrease of the same proportion as used for German infantry squads.

Secondly, I have chosen not to differentiate between those squads with or without a BAR (assuming that BARs would be spread as evenly as possible throughout a force) but to penalise the firepower of the larger infantry squads by capping their Actions (and therefore firing dice) at ‘3’ right the way through from eight to twelve men. This represents a combination of dealing with an unwieldy number of men, the reduced ROF of the BAR versus a true LMG (without semi-automatic rifles to compensate as in later war US squads), and an allowance for the fact that a certain number of squads might be missing BARs entirely.

This seems to me to be a good compromise: especially as the large squads capped at three Actions represent units that showed no particular extra training to their contemporaries, but will effectively be braver than most as they will stick around for longer.

Those who disagree with my interpretations, above, are at liberty to field “understrength” squads of ten, subtracting one dice to any fire from a squad without a BAR.

To see the Polish rifle infantry company list, click on the picture. Or to see all currently available lists on the Poland 1939 page, click here.