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Re: Russian Inf. Summer Uniform

I see from your masters that you are finally using a standard rifle so that the weapon is the same for all. I must say that this is a real step in the right direction since your previous sets tend to have chunky weapons of varying dimensions. So although humans come in all sizes standard weapons don't. Keep up the good work.

Best Regards,


Malcolm

Re: Re: Russian Inf. Summer Uniform

A Madsen Light Maschinegun!

Yess!!

Re: Russian Inf. Summer Uniform

Hmm, I didn't know the Russians wore Adrian helmets and the majority in this set have them...But I can see improvement in sculpting and the use of premade rifles.

Re: Re: Russian Inf. Summer Uniform

Adrian steel helmets began to be supplied by the French to their Russian allies in 1916, and supply continued until the Bolshevik October Revolution (and thereafter to White Armies in the Crimea and Southern Russia through 1921). However, due to difficulties and delays on the part of the Russians, the helmets were only distributed to front-line "Shock" units (Udarniki) formed in summer 1916 for the Brusilov Offensive, and to the Russian Expeditionary Force that was sent to France in early 1916 for service on the Western Front. At the time of the Bolshevik Revolution, the majority of the helmets were in storage depots and, although some made it into the hands of combatants on both sides, the fluid nature of the Russian Civil War and the preponderance of lightly-equipped troops precluded the widespread use of these helmets. After the end of the Russian Civil War, however, the Soviet government made the Adrian helmet (emblazoned with a painted red star on the front) the standard equipment for Red Army infantry and artillery troops. These Adrian helmets, now manufactured in Russia proper, were used by the Red Army until they were replaced by the 1936 "Turtle" helmet (although the Adrians were used by ceremonial guard units until 1940 or so, especially for parades on Red Square and the like).

I think that the figures with Adrians could be accurately used to portray Russian Shock units of 1916-17, the Russian troops in France of 1916-17 and various combatants of the Russian Civil War.

Re: Re: Re: Russian Inf. Summer Uniform

Samogen,

According to your info mixed units (Kepi and Adrian helmet) were not possible on the eastern front. This means I have some serious headswapping on my hands (I'm gonna give some of the WWI Hat figs Adrian helmets to create more variety in my shock unit).

What about mixing the summer and winter uniform (units on the Eastern front with some men wearing their summer uniform and others still wearing their winter uniform)???
Did this occur ???????

p.s. I think you could also use the Russians wearing an Adrian helmet for the Saloniki-Thessaloniki front (I think I have seen some pics but I'm not sure).

Re: Re: Re: Re: Russian Inf. Summer Uniform

Paul G,

I think that regulations were one thing, but at least on the Eastern Front there might have been mixing of headdress among units, especially in 1917 as supply became even more erratic. On the other hand, all the photos that I have seen of Russian troops in France and the Salonika front (glad you mentioned it, because the Adrian was also worn by those troops) showed the soldiers with uniform headgear. And, if you want to use these guys in RCW scenarios, feel free to mix heads, as uniformity there was either minimal or else mixed among units in many cases.

As for a mixture of winter and summer uniforms, I'm not sure if I have seen pictures of WWI combat units with a mix but, again, it is probably not impossible (especially if you are depicting two different units that might have gotten mixed up in a fight). Again, in the RCW this was a common occurrence, especially among irregular and guerrilla units.

I wonder if these units presage some Red Army infantry for the RCW in their distinctive 1919 and 1921 uniforms ...