Post war/ "Modern" wish list

[fsn]

Welcome Lurch.

I'm liking the way you think. Perhaps with German weapons they could be Werewolves / Volksturm?

[Sunray]

European civilians w/ Soviet arms.
Thinking Hungarian revolt of 1956, neglected
but worthy of attention.
You already make T-54's right?
Think WW2 Russians would be OK for the opposition.
Hypothetical cold war scenarios also.

Hi Lurch - welcome to the forum.

The series War in Peace covered the Hungarian uprising - the article suggests a mostly urban conflict  and lots of subterfuge deployed by the Hungarians that can be replicated with dice - like dropping live tram wires on tanks,   drenching cobbles in oil to rob the tracks of traction, using dinner plates upside down and covered with hessian to look like mines, and a use of the sewers to get around the Soviets.

I see the old T34/85 in a lot of the images as well as T-54s. The Soviets seem to have kept to their tanks/APCs and roamed the streets buttoned up.

In terms of the Hungarians -  DAK in caps, British Commandos in berets, SCW officer types and AVBCW civilians all in mufti.   

The only major outlay would be a Budapest style street structure - you could go N gauge card and a few low profile if you don't need such a set for WW2 games.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hello Sunray et al

In terms of the Hungarians -  DAK in caps, British Commandos in berets, SCW officer types and AVBCW civilians all in mufti.   

Quick thoughts on other figures:-

SCW - SCW10 Bare headed Miliciano, running, civilian suit and Guardia de Asalto (student/worker peaked cap). Militia - Columna Durruti as well. Also some of the Carlist Requetes, wearing mono or trousers..

Colonial - Boers without the upturned slouch brim. They can be used for trilby and fedora wearing types.

Not sure if the below pic shows a bowler hat but you could use the Boer officer:-



These could all be recycled for East Germany 1953  , waste not want not, maybe even Czechoslovakia 1968 (probably stretching it).

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[Sunray]

Great images Vic.  The neat thing about 10mm is they are large enough to detail, but still small enough to hide detail with a little filing and a good paint job.

There is a haunting  image of a Hungarian insurgent with a fendora style hat, ww2 uniform and a peg leg.  He would make a great character/commander type figure.   Also the strikingly beautiful girl in a padded jacket cradling an  SMG .  Did they survive the uprising I wonder?

[Alan]

Hello, if its the girl with the shpagina, then no she didn't survive.

[fsn]

This one?



Googled it 'cos I don't know what a "shpagina" is. Imagine my surprise when Google genuinely returned this ...



Please enlighten me.

[fsn]

Not something I know a lot about, but the images are haunting.

[Sunray]

This one?



Please enlighten me.

When I studied and indeed taught Modern European History back in the last century,  the Iron Curtain was still in place and the Internet a science fictional dream.

One brief search reveals that in the last decade, journalists identified the young woman (girl really) as Erika Szeles.  She was just 15 when she joined the uprising.  Before the end, friends persuaded her to be a red cross nurse and help the wounded.
On the 8th November, despite her distinctive Red Cross uniform, the Soviets gunned her down.

Intrigued by the availability of source material,  I tracked down two other images that have haunted me:

1.  The peg leg soldier was Janos 'Janko'  Mesz - he was not a WW2 vet, but lost his leg in a tram accident.  One of the leaders of the Corvin Lane Group , he was reported KIA 4 Nov, but not before he had liberated a 122mm gun and used it on the Soviets. His fellow crew members were killed by tank fire, which wounded him - some images show him bandaged. His uniform is the Hungarian M-51 jacket with the distinctive Austro-Hungarian pocket flaps.

2.  The boy in the bowler hat - Tibor Fejes Jozsef  - executed by  the Soviets 9 April 1959. When photographed he had just liberated a spank new AK47.

Osprey have an excellent publication on the Revolution in their Elite series.  One factor in gaming the conflict.  The Soviet tanks had to trundle around Budapest in high gear at low speeds.  This made their engines overheat, which made them very vulnerable to petrol bombs on the engine deck.  The tanks were also sprayed with bullets which caused sparks which ignited the petrol.  Very effective.

My thanks to our new member Lurch for bringing this conflict to our attention.   If war gaming  helps stimulate the remembrance and memorial of the brave man and women of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution then make it so.    

 

[FierceKitty]

I'd take her out for a gyulash!

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Good to know such detailed records survive, and the Soviets didn't just wipe them from history.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hello All

As a tangentially related aside, I can remember the 'Blood in the Water' water polo match in Melbourne in 1956. Melbourne at that time had a lot of recent Eastern European migrants and the feelings in the city were running high. I can remember that there was a lot of behind-the-scenes work being done with various communities to calm things down. Contemporary newspaper report :-

http://www.smh.com.au/news/175-years/cold-war-violence-erupts-at-melbourne-olympics/2006/04/17/1145126047088.html

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[Sunray]

Next year will be the 50th anniversary, and the last great milestone when the participants will still be with us to share their stories.

It will be interesting to see how Hungary and indeed the rest of the world marks it.

As we are in the 'request section' I will make a suggestion;  Leon keeps reminding us, figures are the easy to sculpt as opposed to vehicles.  99% of the kit for 1956 already is out there.

A small commemorative Hungarian Uprising 1956 Range to fill the gaps and memorialise the heroes and heroines like Erika Szeles, Jacko Mesz and Tibor Jozesf would go well. 

A painted diorama could be presented by Pendraken to the Hungarian Embassy.    That would be a nice touch. 

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Problem is it would mean Phil actually doing some work, a highly unlikely event.

IanS 

[paulr]

My thanks to our new member Lurch for bringing this conflict to our attention.   If war gaming  helps stimulate the remembrance and memorial of the brave man and women of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution then make it so.    

Well said that man, and my thanks also Lurch

Not something I know a lot about, but the images are haunting.

Haunting indeed, some old family friends of ours left/fled Hungary not long after the uprising

I'd take her out for a gyulash!

I'm glad you didn't totally lower the tone

Next year will be the 50th anniversary, and the last great milestone when the participants will still be with us to share their stories.

It will be interesting to see how Hungary and indeed the rest of the world marks it.

As we are in the 'request section' I will make a suggestion;  Leon keeps reminding us, figures are the easy to sculpt as opposed to vehicles.  99% of the kit for 1956 already is out there.

I think you mean 60th, but a very good suggestion. It will indeed be interesting to see how it is remembered

[paulr]

Googled it 'cos I don't know what a "shpagina" is. Imagine my surprise when Google genuinely returned this ...

Please enlighten me.

Shpagina SMG or PPSh-41