Syrian T-62s and Infantry - 15mm

Syrian build up continues

After a few small diversions I was looking forward to sharing some more progress on my Golan Heights project.  I have had these models finished for a few days, and kept waiting for a chance to take some decent photos, as the lighting in my house is just awful for pictures.  I tried again first thing this morning, and I guess my house is meant to be a monument to soft light - so sorry for the quality on these.

T-62s from Old Glory

I have added three T-62s and a group of nine infantry to my Syrian forces.  The T-62s are from Old Glory, and the infantry are from Peter Pig.

Dining room table column formation

As I have said before, the Old Glory T-62s are average sculpts at best.  The turrets are a little squished, the detail is a little soft, and the casting on the tread assembly is....an adventure.  I use a lot of weathering on tanks, but I went extra hard with the powders and dry-brushing on the treads and road wheels of these vehicles to cover for the various casting defects and soft details.

Old Glory tanks need a lot of black lining to have any hope of seeing detail on the casting

My batch of custom ordered bases arrived from Litko, so these tanks have bases.  This is the first time I have based 15mm vehicles - I used to think basing vehicles was silly, but I think it turned out well, and gives a bit of a more uniform appearance with the infantry.  I will go back and add bases to the T-55s and ZSU-23-4, while the rest of the tanks and other AFVs will receive their bases prior to priming from now on.

The base on the vehicle helps it fit a little better with the infantry...you can see the very slight bend in the base on the tank....

One obstacle I should have expected, but did not prepare for with the vehicle bases - they warped! It only makes sense I guess - they are thin plywood, and the moitsure from the paint, humidity etc. would make them vulnerable to warping.  I think I will order metal bases for the next round of vehicles....



Infantry from Peter Pig



The infantry are Peter Pig troops from their "Professionals" selection in their modern range. These were test models, so they are not meant to represent a specific squad and there is a mish-mash of weapons - several RPD MGs, a couple of officers and a couple of guys with RPGs. I don't believe Syrian infantry sections were that heavily armed...

An RPG, some AK-47s and an RPD

I based the infantry individually, and I used the bases sold by 15mm.co.uk as opposed to the thinner bases from Litko.   I used these bases for two reasons: one, I had some handy, while the Litko bases were on order and, two: I think the thicker bases will make it easier to pick up and move the figures without having to grab the figure itself.. 

It is hard to see in these terrible pictures, but the infantry have khaki pants and green jackets with camouflage splotches applied to both.  It is almost impossible to find a colour reference of a Syrian infantryman from the 1973 war - the Osprey book does not have one, and I have never seen one on the Internet.  So I just bodged from pictures of their uniforms used in Lebanon (would they have been that different? Probably not, I hope...).

One note of caution to others - I used the new GW "145" paint range on the infantry, and it worked well for the most part.  But I have found that the "Agrax Earthshade" wash - this is meant to replace the universally useful and awesome "Devlan Mud" from the previous range - will often leave an incredibly glossy finish once it dries.  It's not the end of the world, but it is still annoying, and if you want to use it, be sure to have some Testor's Dullcote or similar product handy

At some point I might do some infantry based in groups (as seen in games such as "Flames of War") but I really like the individual look of the infantry in this scale, so I will stick with it and see how it goes.

Finished Syrian ZSU-23-4 AAA Tank - 15mm Old Glory

ZSU-23-4 AAA Tank from Old Glory

Another vehicle finished for my Golan Heights Project - a Syrian ZSU-23-4, a 15mm model from Old Glory.  I used the same painting approach as I did for the T-55s from Peter Pig. I did not put any vehicle numbers or marking on this tank, however, as I was not sure where they would have been placed on the vehicle.

The quad 23mm canons on this model are barely hanging together

This model is nicer than the Old Glory T-62s, but not as nice as the stuff from Peter Pig (although check here for an interesting discussion on TMP about some shortcomings I was not aware of on their older T-55 models - I don't care, I still love them - but I digress).  This model had some nice bits of stowage - tow cables, a shovel, even a camo tarp stashed on the back.  But the quality of the casting leaves something to be desired - there was a lot of flash and bad mould lines.

I used weathering powders over the engine and the exhaust

Far and away the worst feature of the model is the very delicate, impossible to assemble quad 23mm cannons that serve as the focus of the vehicle.  They have the sturdiness of spaghetti and are basically hanging together by a prayer.  I doubt they will survive the first appearance on the table top....on this basis alone, I would not recommend this model to other gamers - but then I'm not sure there are many options out there.

This angle shows more of the weathering on the tracks and road wheels

These vehicles formed an important part of the Syrian's very effective air defences in the opening hours of the battle on the Golan Heights in 1973.  The pilots from the Israeli Air Force were not able to effectively counter the Syrian assault - between the SA-6s, SA-2s and ZSU-23-4s, the IAF A-4s were blown from the sky in large numbers.  This would change as Israel gradually reclaimed the initiative and took the battle to the Syrians, but for the first few days, tanks like this one extracted a heavy price from the IAF.

As a wargamer I have always thought the ZSU-23-4 is one of the coolest pieces of Soviet/Russian Cold War kit.  The quad cannons look downright ominous.  I find most gamers imagine using these weapons against opposing infantry and light vehicles, as opposed to the enemy aircraft, and I am no exception - this has happened a fair bit in our 28mm modern games - but I'm sure on the actual battlefield the crew was to keep their eyes on the sky, and not on the ground.

Ready to move out against the defenders of the Golan Heights

The Old Glory T-62s are up next.  Stay tuned!

Painted Syrian T-55s - 15mm from Peter Pig

15mm T-55 models from Peter Pig

A few more T-55s have come off the painting line, ready for action on the Golan Heights.  These are 15mm models from Peter Pig, and if you have seen any of my prior posts on these, you have already seen me rave about how these are the nicest 15mm models in terms of quality and ease of assembly.

T-55s on the work table

I used GW paints - a combination of old and new - as well as some acrylic craft paints (mostly a dark umber colour as the base for the treads and dry-brushing for weathering).  I also used a combination of the weathering powders on the treads, road wheels, engines, exhaust and the muzzle of the main gun.  I am still getting the hang of these powders, but they really provide a great effect for the vehicles.

I was very liberal with the weathering powders on the treads and over the engine.

I went out of my way to put a lot of weathering on these models, particularly the treads and engines.  I like tanks that look they are out in the field, not on parade.

For the first time I made use of an artist's pen to help with some of the detailing - I used it to fill in patterns and lines on the fuel cans and stowage on the sides of the tank.  It was very handy, and worked pretty well to get some colour on to spots that the brush struggles to handle with as much consistency.

Another shot showing the weathering.

I painted - or more like tried to paint - arabic numerals on all of the turrets.  I don't know what precise system the Syrians used on their armour, but I have seen many colour photos of disabled Syrian tanks with three-digit numerals on the turrets.  I did my best to manage the arabic numerals...

I have ordered bases for my tanks on this project - I haven't based my 15mm vehicles before, but it increasingly seems like a sensible thing to do - extra protection for the model and a bit more symmetry with the based models infantry being good reasons to try it.  It will be some time before the bases arrive,   so my plan is to just continue painting the vehicles until the bases get here - they can be based later on.

The Syrians had overwhelming numbers of tanks deployed for their assault on the Golan in 1973, most of them T-55s.  So five models won't be very many....will need at least as many again (getting close to a company) for a good battle on the table.  But it's a start.

More 15mm Golan WIP - Israeli Centurions

Centurion Sh'ot, 15mm scale model from Peter Pig

While the Syrian stuff continues to mass ominously for my 1973 Golan Heights 15mm project, preparations are under way for the defenders as well. The defence of the Golan in 1973 centered around some heavily outnumbered Israeli tank brigades equipped with upgraded Centurion tanks.  I have seen them referred to as "Shot", "Sh'ot" and "Sh'ot Kals" - I don't know if these various terms refer to specific upgrades, or are simply various different references to the same word meaning the same tank.  I have seen online that "Sh'ot" means "scourge", but don't know if this is true or not.

It is a testament to the design of the Centurion that it could be upgraded to an extent where it would be seeing frontline service so many years after it was introduced. If you play a lot of WW2 gaming, you are used to assuming British tanks are terrible (typically an underpowered engine, a door-knocker for a main gun, or both) at least until the Chieftain came along, but I believe the Centurions played an active role in the IDF armoured forces from before the Six Day War through the the war in Lebanon in 1982 all the way until the 1990s, when they were finally retired from service.  Clearly a durable tank design.

The Centurions "Sh'ot Kal" had received new engines, new 105mm guns, better armour, fire control and other improvements. These were the tanks that occupied the thin line of IDF firing ramps and bunkers, and which fought desperately in the darkness along the TAPline road in the early hours of the 1973 war on the Golan Heights, so they are key to this project.  The manufacturers of 15mm Sh'ot Kals are somewhat limited - QRF has a Centurion (and I'm not sure it is upgraded), Old Glory has one (or seemed to), but Peter Pig appeared to have the best one. No surprise there.

The only issue is that the Peter Pig ones I acquired - from their line of IDF figures - appear to be on the modern end of the Sh'ot Kal's range of service. These models have extra MGs, some kind of sleeve over the main gun, and sections of armour that is either applique or even "Blazer" type ERA.  I believe these were the Centurions which saw service in Lebanon - these were not the sorts of enhancements on the tanks that fought on the Golan in 1973.  I'm not even sure ERA armour was in use at that point. On the other hand, these tanks look really, really cool, so screw it - I can at least paint these up as test models.

Centurion Sh'ots or Verizon cell phone towers? I'm not sure....

I may have gotten a little carried away with the aerials, however. Emboldened by the ease of adding the aerials to the T-55s and T-62s, I figured it would be easy to add them to all the locations on the Centurions.  Well, it was easy....except now they look like mobile cell phone towers or something.  I will paint them up, and see how it turns out...can always pop them off if they look too silly (which they do, a bit, at the moment). 

At any rate, these tanks will serve as a test bed for attempts to try and match the colours of the IDF tanks from 1973.  I have ordered other Centurion models from the Peter Pig range that I expect will match up much more closely to the Sh'ot Kals from 1973.  If those arrive soon, I might even turn around and paint these up as tanks for the Khurasan Sci-Fi marines or something (with the ERA, aerials, smoke launchers and other bolt-ons they have a near-future vibe).  Or we'll just game Lebanon at some point :)

Close up showing the open commander's hatch, awaiting a figure from Peter Pig

I also left the commander's cupola in one of the tanks open, and I will fill it with some tank crew figures from Peter Pig.  In wargaming it is common to do something like this to represent a command tank in platoon or a company, but for the IDF tanks I am thinking I should do this for most of the vehicles.  I have seen many references to the battle for the Golan in 1973 indicate that Israeli tank commanders in particular suffered very high casualty rates. It seems the standard IDF practice was for tank commanders to direct the battle from an open hatch for maximum visibility.  The IDF tank commanders were hit by artillery, air strikes, snipers and fire from other tanks - they were vulnerable, and suffered accordingly. So to truly represent the IDF tanks, my next round of models for them will all feature exposed commanders in the hatches.

15mm Syrian Build-Up Continues

15mm tanks on the assembly line - all from Old Glory

I'm continuing to build up my Syrian forces for my 15mm 1973 Golan Heights project, assembling some vehicles to go in the supporting cast for the Syrian army.  These are models from Old Glory (or Battle Honors, or Command Decision, or whatever the f*ck it is called these days - I'm not even sure how I managed to get them).  The Old Glory models are definitely a mixed bag in terms of quality.

ZSU-23-4, an iconic piece of Cold War Soviet kit

One of the reasons the Golan Heights was so touch-and-go for the Israelis in 1973 was the strength of the Syrian air defences.  The Yom Kippur war was a rude shock for the Israeli Air Force, used to doing whatever it liked, and the Israeli Defense Forces, which had based all of their strategic assumptions on the IAF kicking major butt in the opening hours of any conflict.  The IAF found over the Golan (and in the Sinai) that the Soviet-supplied air defences were fearsome and effective, and the pilots paid a terrible price as a result.

On the Golan the ZSU-23-4 air defence tanks were a big part of that, with radar guided quad 23mm cannons accompanying the advancing armoured columns, shredding the IAF A-4s - any that survived the network of SA-6 SAM batteries, that is.  The ZSU is one of the iconic vehicles of the Soviet  Cold War-era arsenal, and I look forward to painting one up.  This one is an Old Glory casting, and like the other Old Glory products it scores good marks for low cost, but you get what you pay for.  In particular, the assembly of the 23mm cannons was painstaking and I'm not confident they will survive the first game....oh well...I added an aerial on the back of the turret.

The BTR-60 APC - not very glamorous, but a big part of the 1973 war

Another key supporting player for the Syrian forces was the BTR-60 wheeled APC.  The Warsaw Pact manufactured a gazillion or so of these things and they were widely given away/exported to client states like Syria.  The BTR-60 doesn't get any of the glory from war gamers like some of the other Soviet kit (such as the ZSU), but this was a widely deployed vehicle among the Syrian divisions that assaulted the heights in 1973, so I have three of these to carry some infantry in support of the tanks.

These are Old Glory models too, but the quality was not bad.  I'm not sure that all eight wheels line up perfectly, but all in all a pretty good buy.

T-62 platoon showing off their new aerials before priming - key question is whether they have the right wireless plan....

I gave my T-55 test model an antenna, and I've found that once you do that on one tank, you sort of feel like maybe all of the tanks should have one, so I drilled out the (poorly cast) antenna mounts on these Old Glory T-62s with a pin vise and added aerials.  The T-62s are supposed to be the elite armoured force for the Syrians, representing the best tank in their arsenal at the time....so far I'm not sure these Old Glory models will live up that, especially beside the wonderful Peter Pig T-55s.  We'll see whether a coat of paint can improve that...but in the interim, I am ordering a brace of T-62s from QRF.

Syrian T-55s - 15mm - Test Model

Peter Pig 15mm T-55 - Syrian test model

After a great Canada Day with family,  I got started on some test models today for my latest new insane project - the Golan Heights in 1973 in 15mm scale.  I worked on assembling some T-55s from Peter Pig.  Again, I have to credit Peter Pig for having some of the nicest 15mm kits I have ever worked on.  The sculpts are detailed, clean and easy to assemble. These tanks decimate Old Glory and QRF in terms of quality and ease of assembly.

To get some extra snazzy on these models I decided to mount antennas on the tanks.  The quality of the Peter Pig castings makes this easy - the spot for the aerial is clear, and easy to drill out with a pin vise.  A section of floral wire, some super glue, and viola - the tanks have aerials.

T-55s from Peter Pig before priming

I did a "test model" tonight, trying to capture the Syrian green-and-yellow camouflage pattern.  Not too bad for a first run, but I think the yellow isn't bright enough.  I tried the "Zambesi Desert" colour from the new GW paint range - not too bad, but I might try and find something a little "yellow-er".

Front view of the painted T-55 test model

I finished the model with weathering powders (man I love these things) and made my best attempt at some Arabic numerals on the turret.  All and all, not too bad for a first go.  Just need to add another nine or so of these tanks - the Syrians had a LOT of T-55s on the Golan in 1973.

Rear view of the T-55 test model, showing the effect of the weathering powders on the engine grates and exhaust areas as well as the treads.  The turret number is supposed to be "300", I think....

The Golan Heights in 1973 was primarily a battle between tanks, but infantry (as it always does) played an important part.  I am again using Peter Pig models to represent both sides.  The Syrians will be represented by the "regulars" line of figures from Peter Pig's AK47 republic offering. Again, Peter Pig is in a class by itself when it comes to 15mm sculpts - easily the best modern era 15mm figures I have seen.

Peter Pig 15mm modern infantry, from the "Regulars" line, waiting for primer, and for me to have a hot clue as to the colour to paint them so they can represent the Syrians in 1973...

I will mount the infantry on small 20mm round bases from 15mm.co.uk.  Just one problem - I have no idea what the uniforms looked like.  I am hoping Google will help me find some colour references for Syrian troops from 1973, but if anyone has any tips I'm all ears!

New Project - Arab-Israeli War, Golan Heights 1973, in 15mm

Israeli Centurion - Golan Heights, 1973

I hardly need a new project, but since when has that ever stopped or even focused my approach this hobby?  The summer has arrived here in the Canadian prairies.  Another successful and fun Prairiecon has come and gone. I have been busy with some fun small hobby projects.  But what sort of new venture might be out there - other than the new edition of 40k - assuming it ever arrives? Here is a blurb about my next project....

I have always been a fan of armour and tanks.  To be clear, a hobby fan.  I doubt I could fit safely into a real tank, particularly the Soviet/Russian ones, and I can't imagine what it would be like to be in a battle where all you can see is what is there through a small view-finder....but from a hobby perspective, tanks are very, very cool.  Most of my favourite games have involved lots of tanks.  I still remember back to the days when the Conscripts actually gamed on Fawcett Avenue, and Conscript Mark I. actually rolled out a 1-1 ratio, 6mm scale WW3 battle.  I told him "just fill the table with tanks!" and he obliged - we played a rules set called "Contact" (I think) and he had the better part of a WarPac tank regiment right there, in 6mm scale.  We controlled a thin line of NATO armour, and filled the table with wrecks before getting overrun. What a hoot!

So I wanted my summer/fall project to involve tanks, preferably modern.  But what "period" of modern?  Recently I have been reading about the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and particularly the desperate battle on the Golan Heights.  The Israelis, caught by surprise, and bereft of air support due to the Syrian air defence systems, were on their own as Syrian divisions swarmed the Israeli positions. The courage displayed on both sides was incredible - the Israeli tankers holding against dire odds, and the Syrian tankers advancing grimly into open fields of fire they must have known were already pre-ranged and pre-sighted by the Israeli Armoured Corps from their defensive positions along the heights.  The Israelis knocked out frightening amounts of Syrian amour, particularly in the area that came to be known as the "Valley of Tears".  At the same time, the Israelis were very nearly overrun.  It was a close call. 

Osprey books - even with their terrible writing style, they are great for snagging you into a new project!

The battle on the Golan Heights in 1973 featured all arms, but the primary combatants were tankers.  The Israelis relied on up-gunned and re-engined Centurion tanks, the "Sh'ot Kals".  The Syrians employed the T-55, as well as the new T-62.  With a fearsome 115mm main gun, heaviest in the front line in that time, the T-62 was feared.  This was a tank vs. tank battle more than anything else - very cool for gaming purposes.  So, my new project is the Golan Heights in 1973.

I have decided to go with 15mm as the scale.  I already have 6mm based for Spearhead, which is platoon based.  Those are fun games, but I am looking for a 1-1 ratio game.  The 12mm and N-scale stuff out there is not reliable - the Russian tanks from Minifigs are great, but there is no up-gunned Centurion in that scale. So 15mm it is. 

For the Israeli tanks, I will use models from Peter Pig. These miniatures are by far the best 15mm models out there, and Peter Pig has the most outstanding range of IDF stuff.  Their website is bonkers in terms of how frustrating it is to find stuff, but once you do, it is worth it.  Their IDF range is more tuned to the invasion of Lebanon in the early 80s than the 1973 Yom Kippur war.  The Centurions have some Blazer ERA, and extra MGs - features that were not present in 1973, but I don't care (at this point) - their tank models are so much nicer than anyone else's line, so these tanks will represent the Israelis on the Golan.

15mm scale Centurion "Shot" from Peter Pig - one of the nicest 15mm tanks I've ever assembled!

For the Syrians, I am looking to acquire lots of T-55s an T-62s. For the T-55, Peter Pig is at the forefront again, with an outstanding model in 15mm scale.  

T-55 from Peter Pig - once again, a top of the line model.

For the T-62s, it is trickier.  Peter Pig does not make a T-62 (sadly), so that leaves Old Glory and QRF. My experiences with QRF have been mixed at best, so I ordered a test pack from Old Glory (or Battle Honors, or whatever the f*ck it is called now - Old Glory is so confusing...).

T-62 in 15mm scale from Old Glory....you get what you pay for, I guess....

The Old Glory T-62 is not about to set the hobby world on fire.  Cost wise, it is a great value.  But you seem to get what you pay for...so I am ordering some additional T-62s from QRF.  We'll see what comes along...

I am also playing around with the idea of basing these tanks.  I have not based my 15mm tanks previously, but I have seen a lot of other gamers doing it, and it seems to make sense.  On the other hand, waiting for the bases from Litko will take a while.  So I will probably just paint the tanks, and order the bases...when they arrive, I will test some bases on a couple of them. 

Group shot - from left, a Peter Pig T-55, Old Glory T-62, and a Peter Pig Centurion. Peter Pig models are clearly nicer.

There will be a lot of new things to try.  I have no idea how to get the grey-green-dust colour that the Israeli armour seems to have in the colour pictures I have seen from 1973.  I also have to track down decals for the Israeli tank markings (chevrons, etc).   The Syrians employed a tricky green and yellow camouflage pattern, with arabic numerals on the turrets.  To paint the camouflage, I should really use an airbrush.  But I hate the needy, whiney airbrush, so will see what the regular brush can come up with.  And as for the Arabic numbers, that will take some research....

I hope to have some test models painted on the blog before the summer is too far along, and maybe a game this fall! Stay tuned.