WWII DAK Infantry North Africa Figurines 1/72 Scale - Italeri Figurine Set.Afrika Korps (full German name: Deutsches Afrikakorps, abbreviated to DAK) is colloquially understood as the collective name for the German ground units that fought in North Africa in 1941-1943. The Afrika Korps was formed in February 1941, following the painful defeats suffered by the Italian army in the battles with the British in Africa at the turn of 1940/1941. Its main task was to come to the aid of the Italian ally and stop the advance of British troops into Libya. The unit's commander was a general, and later a field marshal, Erwin Rommel. Initially, the DAK consisted only of the 5th Light Division (later transformed into the 21st Armored Division), in May 1941 it was joined by the 15th Armored Division and at the end of 1941 by the 90th Light Division. It is worth adding that already in mid-1941 the Panzergruppe Afrika, led by Erwin Rommel, was founded and joined by the Afrika Korps. Despite its defensive tasks, the DAK (or more generally the Panzergruppe Afrika) very quickly after the landing - on the initiative of its commander - entered strictly offensive operations, inflicting a series of desert defeats on the British in 1941-1942. However, it was then that its commander was nicknamed Desert Fox. At the same time, however, from the beginning, DAK was troubled by supply problems, which negatively impacted its ability to conduct offensive actions. It suffered a significant defeat in the Second Battle of El Alamein (October-November 1942), which forced DAK to retreat as far as Tunisia, where it fought until May 1943.
"Black Hussars" figures of Frederick the Great (Seven Years' War) in 1/72 scale - Zvezda model.Frederick II the Great, on ascending the Prussian throne in 1740, inherited from his father (Frederick William I) undoubtedly one of the best armies in Europe at the time, which, however, was not an ideal army and required changes. The first skirmishes and battles of the War for the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) clearly showed that major corrections and reforms awaited the Prussian cavalry. They also showed the need to create light cavalry units, which included, among others, the 5th Hussar Regiment formed in August 1741, which was later called the Black Hussar Regiment (German Schwarze Husaren Regiment). As early as September of this year, five squadrons of this regiment were formed and its first historical commander Major von Mackroth became its commander. It is worth adding that even then the soldiers of the regiment were distinguished by black uniforms and a skull with crossbones on a fur cap. The Black Hussar Regiment took an active part in the Second Silesian War (1744-1745) and the Seven Years' War. In the latter war, among others, it fought at Zorndorf in 1758. It is worth adding that the regiment remained in the structures of the Prussian Army and later the German Army until 1919.
Male driver for tow tractor A/S-32A-31A "Mule" (scene 1) (1 pc.) (3D printed) 1/72 scale - Reskit figurine set.Recommended kit: ResKitCountry of origin: USAType of aircraft or vehicle: Any
Female driver for tow tractor A/S-32A-31A "Mule" (scene 2) (1 pc.) (3D printed) 1/72 scale - Reskit figurine set.Recommended kit: ResKitCountry of origin: USAType of aircraft or vehicle: Any
French Elite Infantry Volunteers 1/72 - Zvezda Figurine Set.During the Revolutionary Wars (1792-1799) and - especially - in the Napoleonic period (1799-1815), France had arguably the most efficient war machine on the Old Continent, which almost led to its lasting hegemony over Europe. It will go without saying that the key element of this machine was the French army. In this army, however, a very important role was played by the infantry, in which, from 1803, units of voltowers (fr. vaulters) began to form. These units were intended to fight in a line in front of the main attacking mass of their infantry regiment. They were also used as light infantry to secure the marches of their own troops or to conduct reconnaissance. In their training, much emphasis was placed on marksmanship, independence on the battlefield and the ability to use terrain obstacles. Shorter men were also recruited, rather than deploying infantry or grenadiers. From 1804 in a line infantry battalion there was only one company of volunteers, numbering 120. On the other hand, by 1808, when the number of battalion companies was reduced, the vaulting company had 140 full-time employees. It is worth noting that, unlike the line infantry, the vaulters used dragoons with carbines.
German Volkssturm Berlin 1945 1/72 scale - Zvezda Figurine Set.The Volkssturm is a German military formation with a militia or mass movement from the end of World War II. The formation was formed by a special order from Adolf Hitler in September 1944 due to catastrophic losses in the German armed forces, particularly on the Eastern Front. All able-bodied men between the ages of 16 and 60 served in its ranks. Members of the Volkssturm received virtually no uniforms except special armbands, and their weapons were obsolete rifles, pistols, and machine guns, most often from World War I. The only modern weapons used by the Volkssturm were the Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck anti-tank grenade launchers. Units of this formation were initially used to protect roads, railroads, and fortifications, but by early 1945 they were already being used on the front lines, especially in the defense of Breslau, Kolobrzeg, and Berlin.The Battle of Berlin, or Battle of Berlin, was the last land battle of World War II fought in Europe. Its main objective was to capture the capital of the Third Reich by the Red Army and thus end hostilities. This gigantic battle began on April 16, 1945 and ended on May 9 of the same year. An estimated 750,000 people on the German side took part. soldiers, 1.5 thousand tanks and assault guns and about 2.2 thousand. aircraft. About 2.5 million fought on the Soviet side. soldiers, 6.3 thousand tanks and assault guns and about 7.5 thousand. aircraft. The Red Army also concentrated an incredible number of about 42,000 for this operation. guns and mortars! The beginning of the operation began with battles for the Seelow Heights and battles in Halbe. Soviet troops approached Berlin a few days after the operation began, starting bloody and heavy street fighting. In the end, the battle ended in complete victory for the USSR, symbolized by both the suicide of Adolf Hitler on April 30, 1945 and the installation of the Soviet banner on the Reichstag. It is worth adding that Polish troops operating as part of the Polish 1st Army also took part in the operation.
British Medical Squad 1/72 Scale - Zvezda Figurine Set.During World War II, several dozen divisions were formed as part of the British Army and by the end of the war served in its ranks are about 2.9 million people. However, during the entire conflict, about 300 thousand people died. British soldiers and about 375 thousand. were wounded. The Royal Army Medical Corps, founded in 1898, was primarily responsible for the medical care of British soldiers. (abbreviated: RAMC), which in turn was part of the Army Medical Services. Shortly before the start of World War II, volunteers joining RAMC should meet certain physical conditions and be under 30 years old. The service lasted 7 years and the volunteer spent the next 5 years in reserve. From 1938, RAMC soldiers received 6 months of training at Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Church Crookham, southern England. It is worth adding that the British medical service in the years 1939-1945 used air and motorized transport on a large scale, as well as began to use the first antibiotics (penicillin) and-with success-blood transfusions. Incidentally, penicillin was first used on a large scale in the British Army during the North African campaign of 1940-1943.
WATERLOO (200 years) 95th Regiment ''Green Jacket'' 1/72 scale - Italeri figurine set.DescriptionThe 95th regiment was a typical "rilfe regiment" of light infantry. It was among the first regiments to receive , as equipment, Baker rifled rifles endowed with a significantly higher firing accuracy than smoothbore muskets. Unlike the British line infantry that wore the traditional , and remotely visible, "red coat," the regiment was equipped with dark green uniforms that constituted a kind of forerunner of the camouflage uniform. It fought, as did all light infantry regiments of the time, in close order. It took part in the Peninsular campaign and the Battle of Waterloo.
German Paratroopers 1/72 Scale - Italeri Figurine Set.DescriptionThe "Fallschirmjäger" were, during the War, integrated into the Luftwaffe fighting corps for greater integration with the air force. The capture of Crete during Operation Merkur in May 1941 was one of the major successes of the German paratroopers. Losses were so high, however, that it often limited their use as elite infantry and not as airborne troops. In March 1944, General Kurt Student's 1st Fallschirmjäger Division , entrenched in the ruins of the Monastery of Monte Cassino, strenuously opposed the Allied advance. Their resistance was so tenacious that they were nicknamed "Green Devils."
British Paratroopers 1/72 Scale - Italeri Figure Set.DescriptionThe men of the British 1st Airborne Division, nicknamed "Red Devils," took part in Operation Market Garden in September 1944. Planned by General Montgomery, it involved the rapid acquisition, through the use of British, American and Polish airborne troops, of bridges over the Rhine and Meuse rivers so as to ensure the advance of Allied armored troops into the industrial heart of Germany. The operation was unsuccessful, however, and the advance toward the Ruhr was not possible until four months later
16th-17th Century Austrian Musketeers in 1/72 scale - Zvezda Figurine Set.Since the mid-15th century, the Austrian Habsburg family had been invariably chosen for the throne of the Holy Roman Empire. In connection with the Turkish invasion of Central Europe, the importance of the Household increased significantly. From the 16th to the 18th century, according to contemporaries, they formed a kind of shield that protected Western Europe from Muslim incursions. In the first half of the 17th century, the Austrian infantry was organized according to the directives of Morris von Nassau, founder of the Dutch army, the most progressive of the time. The infantry battalion consisted of 550 men. 250 pikemen were in the center of the formation, 240 musketeers were in position on the flanks, and 60 were in the skirmishers' line. The skirmishers had to fire while countering, which required the utmost skill and consistency in the soldiers' actions, but at the same time was a way to maintain continuous firepower. In case of a threat from the cavalry, the musketeers had to take cover behind the ranks of the pikemen without breaking formation. On the battlefield, the battalions were arranged in three stages, similar to the battle formation of the Roman legions. This arrangement presented no obstacles during the maneuvers of individual detachments and allowed them to provide mutual support when needed.
German MG-34 machine gun with crew 1939-42 in 1/72 scale - Zvezda figurine set.The MG34 (German: Maschinengewehr 34) is a German 7.92 mm light machine gun of World War II. The first prototypes of this weapon were made in 1934, and mass production began in 1934 and continued until 1945. The initial speed of the missile was up to 755 m / s and the theoretical rate of fire - 900 rounds per minute. The firing range of the scooters from a gun mounted on a tripod was up to 1,800 meters. The weight of the weapon without a base or tripod is 11.5 kilograms.The MG34 was developed by the Mauser company as a new universal light machine gun of the German Army, intended to replace the MG 08 and LMG 08/15 from the days of World War I. Work on the weapon proceeded very rapidly, and as early as 1934, that is, a few months after its inception, it was completed. As a result, however, a highly innovative weapon was created that could be fed with ammunition from either a drum magazine or an ammunition belt, could be mounted on a tripod (acting as a heavy machine gun) and could be used on the base of a bipod . In addition, the MG34 could fire both single and continuous fire. In terms of performance, reliability, and ballistic properties, it was one of the best weapons of its class in the world, but it also required time for production and careful handling. Therefore, the MG42 gun was developed, which was largely based on the MG34, but was easier to use and produce and cheaper. The MG34 machine gun was the German Army's basic rifle from the beginning of World War II, and although it was put into production in 1943, the MG42 was still being produced and used as a secondary weapon on German armored vehicles and tanks.Based on the experience of World War I, the German Army paid close attention to the development of both light and heavy infantry machine guns in the interwar period. The result of these efforts was the introduction into service in 1934 of the highly successful MG34 machine gun, which replaced the less maneuverable and much heavier MG08 or leMG 08/15 rifles. During World War II, another design was introduced, equally successful but cheaper to produce: the MG42. Both of these rifles were in fact the basic machine guns of German infantry and armored grenadiers during World War II. Their very high rate of fire and high ballistic parameters meant that they were perceived as the basic support weapon at the level of a platoon or company, and often even a squad. Interestingly, due to their relatively low weight, they could be used successfully in both attack and defense. Very often, in the course of combat operations, the soldier responsible for maintaining the MG34 or MG42 was assigned 2 to 3 rounds of ammunition to ensure that the rest of the squad was firing machine guns without interruption.
WATERLOO (200 years) BRITISH AND PRUSSIAN GENERAL 1/72 scale - Italeri figurine set.DescriptionAfter Napoleon's return from exile on Elba Island, the Seventh Coalition was hastily formed. It was formed by the main European states opposed to the return of the French Emperor. Among the main proponents were England and Prussia. The kit, set at Waterloo, depicts the staffs of the two commanders-in-chief of the Allied armies : the Duke of Wellington and Prussian Marshal von Blücher.
German Infantry World War II 1/72 Scale - Zvezda Figurine Set.The decisive influence on the formation of the organization and tactics of the German infantry before the outbreak of World War II was, on the one hand, the experience of the previous World War, but also theoretical works carried out in the 1920s and 1930s, which often emphasized the need to perceive the German infantry as a tool for conducting offensive warfare. This affected both the equipment and organization of the German infantry division, which during the September 1939 campaign consisted of 3 infantry regiments, each of which was divided into 3 infantry battalions, an artillery company, and an anti-tank company. In addition, there were numerous support units, including: an artillery regiment with 4 artillery squadrons (one of which was heavy), an anti-tank battalion, an engineer battalion, and a communications battalion. In total, the so-called infantry division. In the first wave of mobilization there were about 17,700 people and had a significant artillery component, but it was also abundantly equipped with machine guns. It also had modern and efficient means of communication and command for those times. In the course of the war, the infantry divisions underwent a transformation: in 1943 some were transformed into armored grenadier divisions. However, as of 1943, the standard "traditional" infantry division consisted of about 12,500 men (and not about 17,700 as in 1939), and in it its artillery component was also reduced-particularly the heavy artillery, while its anti-tank defense was greatly improved. It is assumed that during the entire Second World War, about 350 infantry divisions served in the Wehrmacht.
World War II Soviet Infantry in 1/72 scale - Zvezda Figurine Set.In the 1920s and - especially - in the 1930s, the Red Army experienced rapid development in terms of increasing its assignments as well as increasing saturation with technical weapons, mainly armored weapons. However, infantry was the main and numerically largest element of the Red Army. The intense quantitative development of this type of weapon began at the turn of 1929-1930. By 1939, even before the aggression against Poland, the Soviet infantry consisted of 173 divisions (the so-called rifle divisions), most of which were grouped into 43 corps. It is worth adding that after the September 1939 campaign, this number increased even more. The Soviet rifle division in 1941 consisted of three rifle regiments (three battalions each), an artillery regiment, after an antitank and antiaircraft artillery division, as well as reconnaissance and communication battalions. In total it had about 14,500 personnel. However, in 1945, this position underwent significant changes, leading to a division of about 11,500 to 12,000 people, consisting of three infantry regiments, an artillery brigade consisting of three regiments, a self-propelled artillery squadron, and many support units, including anti-tank, anti-aircraft weapons and communications. The saturation of infantry units with machine guns also increased significantly, for example with APsZ 41 and later APsZ 43 machine guns.