Whenever new stuff arrives I always seem to drop everything
else and paint some of the new stuff – part of the “Ooh, Shiny!” Complex I
suppose… So here (following fast on the heels of the BTR-60s
I posted earlier today) are some of the new Cold War British from Gripping Beast that
arrived earlier this week…
I also repainted all FN furniture (fore and aft stocks) on
all my Cold War British armed with the L1A1, as I’d been painting them a dark
brown to look like wood (as they would have been originally issued). After
having a long look at a number of pictures it seems to me that the original
wooden stocks were replaced sometime in the 70s with black nylon.
(Remember: click on the pictures
for a bigger version):
The lot of them (the new ones,
that is…).
Some Special Forces – SAS or
Marine Arctic & Mountian Warfare Cadre. Some of them are just from regular
infantry packs, but I ordered the knit cap head option to pass them off as SF.
Marines from NLP8901 – ready to
defend the Falklands against the initial Argentine invasion.
Regular Infantry in steel
helmets – to go with the rest of the Cold War Brits I have – and ready to see
action anywhere from East Falkland to the Inter-German Border…
Adding them to the stuff I
already have…
These are all the Cold War British Special Forces types I
have. Some are from Mongrel
Miniatures. I think I should have enough to play the Top Malo House
scenario from the Force
on Force main rule book… I just
have to make a house and paint the argentines… I’ll have to make some
substitutions – or assume certain kit is hidden away in the packs of those
carrying them – as the scenario calls for a number of troopers armed with M79
grenade launchers and M72 LAWs.
All the Cold War British regular infantry I have… Pretty
much enough for a leg infantry platoon – and then some! (I think). I’d need a
couple more Carl Gs for a mechanized platoon (and some APCs!!). If I’m picking
up some Carl Gs (form Mongrel), I’ll probably pick up a pack of SF-GPMGs and
some Soviets… Then I just need a platoon of APCs… Saxons or FV432s?
Anybody out there know what the
organization of a British Light infantry (or Para, or Marine) platoon would
have been in the last 70s early 80s? Would the sections have been 8 or 10 (in
theory). I’m sure I saw at some point (probably 20 years ago) a TO&E that
indicated that a leg infantry section carried both a GPMG and an L4 Bren!? Can
anyone confirm or deny that? Am I totally smoking crack or something?
I have a few spare guys with
SMGs – perhaps for dismounted APC/Lorry drivers?
Some support weapons and Forward
Observers.
I also have four Gurkhas I
picked up ages ago, just for fun. The only real difference between these and
the other infantry from Gripping Beast is these packs come with a Kukri knife
to glue on to their belt somewhere - you can just make out one on the kneeling chap on the left.
Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:
I should have a post shortly about the kids first zombie
figures.
After that..? Argentines? Some
new terrain?
There’ll probably some new WW2
stuff painted up this week as we’re going to try out Bolt Action next weekend…
Hi
ReplyDeleteHaving done Sandhurst in 1985 I am pretty sure that standard infantry section had a single gpmg. No bren guns - these were at this point used by echelon troops or dished out to RA for local defence. I also think, although it is getting a bit hazy, that the section was 10, GPMG plus loader and 8 rifles split into two half sections with a corporal in charge and a 2 ic of a lance corporal.
BTW you would not have seen any smg's in a standard infantry section.
Finally, yes Saxon or 432's - either were in use although as far as I recall the 432's tended to be kept out in Germany and troops on rotation in the UK would have the saxon.
All the best
Capt Andrew Fielden RA (Retd)
Thanks Andrew!
DeleteBit of a late comment, and I hate to disagree with an officer, but for most purposes the British infantry section in the 60's, 70's, 80's and through to today is usually 8 men. During the 70's and 80's, a rifle section would normally have a 'gun' group of 1x GPMG and 1xNo.2 with SLR, and a rifle group of 6xSLR (L1A1).
ReplyDeleteBAOR sections- like your chaps- would have an 84mm MAW ('Carl Gustav'), the anti-tank man usually got an SMG (though he might be stuck with an SLR if he's unlucky), so a section consisted of 1x GPMG, 6x SLR (inc. GPMG No.2), 1x84mm with SMG or SLR. If deployed for real, each section could perhaps expect a couple of 66mm LAW as well, carried by riflemen.
3 Sections to a platoon, plus platoon HQ, normally 1x CO, 1x Pltn. sergeant, 1x signaller with Clansman radio, 1x 51mm light mortar man with 3 SLR and an SMG or SLR for the signaller. If they were lucky the platoon HQ might have another 1 or 2 men available as runners / lt. mortar no.2, he (or they) would be SLR -armed.
TA platoons for BAOR would be similar, but only 1 of the 3 rifle sections would have 84mm MAW, and I don't know if they would have received 66mm LAW on mobilisation, so 1x section= (GPMG, MAW+ SLR, 6 SLRs), 2x sections= (GPMG, 7 SLR). I think Pltn. HQ same as regular.
Back to the regular BAOR troops, a small number of M79 grenade launchers would have been available on mobilisation- but maybe not enough to be seen in an average platoon. Similarly, the Parachute Regiment (from NI experience) sometimes gave the platoon signaller an M16/M203, so he doubled as a grenadier.
From -I think- late 80's, L74 CLAW rifle grenades were available to be fired from SLRs, the intention was to issue it down to platoon- possibly section- level, but in reality very few got seen and they weren't in service very long. Maybe safety issues? Had Cold War gone 'hot' having additional HEAT warheads might have made CLAW more popular.
And you're not wrong: In the Falklands, one of the RM Cdo. DID manage to equip its sections with L4 LMGs (7.62mm Brens) in addition to the GPMG, this was generally considered A Good Thing.
I've read that the Paras experimented with 2x GPMG per section, not sure if this was with L1A1 or L85A1.
I know other regiments practiced infantry drills with sections of 2 fireteams each with 1x GPMG, 3xSLR in the 80's, though I don't know how official this was- I don't think it was 'ORBAT', just rehearsing new drills prior to getting the L85 and L86.
Thanks!
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