During the Second World War the German Army was so understaffed that they took all sorts of people into their service. As part of my never ending Battle of Berlin Project, I have been building a unit of Orthodox Christian Cossacks. The Cossacks served on the Eastern Front fighting the Communists and as the tide of war turned against the Germans many of them moved westward taking their families with them as they retreated. Here is the story of one such unit.
The order to move had been given but the work still had to be done. Firewood needed to be cut for the cooking pots and holes dug for the "bathroom."
These hardy Cossack people lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle even in times of peace. Their strong wind proof yurts keeping out the winds of the steppes. A German truck arrives to help them carry some of the heavy ammunition and supplies. So many of the hardy little steppe ponies have fallen to Soviet cannon and air strikes. (The shadow of Disneyland Castle is in the background)
These yurts are a patchwork of various hides, mostly from the cattle they herd. The kubelwagen in the background will be used for the unit commander and his German counterpart to plan the route to safety. The blazing sun of the steppes beats down mercilessly as the men load the heavy boxes into the truck.
Even little girls are put to work rounding up the cows. Nothing should be left for the advancing Red Army. The Cossacks are a proud and self reliant people and they will do their best to continue that tradition as they fall back under Soviet pressure.
Figures are a mixture of Pegasus, Imex, Strelets, HaT and others, many are converted from non-WWII sets and non-Cossack sets. All the figures are 1/72nd scale, about one inch tall. The kubelwagen is Roco and the truck is also HO 1/87th scale. Yurts are from some resin company.
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