The new Italeri 1/72nd World War Two Russian Infantry set is out in stores now. They are molded in tan plastic and totally flash free. You get three identical sprues which include a light machine gunner and a mortar.
The figures are mostly armed with PPSH submachine guns. The light machine gun has a gunner kneeling behind a wall with a number two gunner pointing and holding a spare disk magazine.
The small wall part can be twisted to make it appear as if he is firing from behind the wall. I don't really like this figure as the wall accessory is pretty lame. In the attack in a wargame the wall has to be moved along as the guy advances? The wall could be cut off, but I thing the pose will look funny without it.
The gray guy is the old Esci mortar man from their Russian set. I am not sure the new mortar man is any better. In fact the old mortar at least attempted a bipod while the new figure has a strange monopod. I am considering cutting the tan mortar off and using the man in the great coat as the number two for the Esci mortar man.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteThese have been out for at least a year. It takes 8 boxes to get enough troops with the Tokarev semi-auto rifle to make one platoon. They are very nice figures and you will be seeing them in Berlin.
jim french
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI neglected to mention that cutting the mortar troop off the sprue often tends to break the monopod. You should cut the monopod base off the sprue last IIRC.
Jim