20mm Viet Minh With AT Weapons?

[Cuchulainn]

Hi Guys,

 

A little plea for help here…  I’m currently building up forces for gaming the French-Indochina War.  So far I’ve bought a fair sized force of Viet Minh in 20mm from Liberation Miniatures.  Some French will be conscripted from the same source when finance permit.

 

The snag is unfortunately Rolf doesn’t produce any figures holding hand held anti-tank weapons, basically bazookas and RPG 2’s (called B-40’s in that war).  Does anyone know of a 20mm manufacturer who makes such figures and would be reasonably compatible with the Liberation Miniatures figures I’ve already purchased?

 

Thanks in advance.

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

[Gaz045]

Platoon 20 and Britannia Miniatures have VC/NVA with RPG’s and recoilless rifles…………compatibility is in the eye of the beholder…..the Platoon 20 ‘fit’ best IMHO…………but I have all three manufacturers in my ‘forces of liberation’…………( in seperate ‘units’  but similar painting and basing ‘evens out’ glaring differences).

"Even dry tree bark is not bitter to the hungry squirrel"

[Cuchulainn]

Thanks for taking the time to reply Gary, and with such a helpful reply too.

 

Yes I was aware of those two companies but wasn’t sure how they would blend in with what I already have.  I was kinda thinking Platoon 20 might be a closer match than Britannia, but it always helps to get a second opinion.

 

Again many thanks Gary, I very much appreciated your advice.

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

[Nathaniel Weber]

When I was doing Indochina in 20mm, I got some loose bazookas from FAA and used glue and green stuff to put them on the backs of Viet Minh troops, as though being carried on a sling.

I too used Britannia Viet Cong with bazookas and maining 57mm/75mm recoilless rifles. I believe that several companies make generic gun crews; you could combine them with recoilless weapons or even bazookas slung over backs and call it even.

I didn’t realize they had the B-40 yet when fighting the French—was that a rocket launcher or another name for the recoilless?

Something else to consider: my read of that conflict would be that the recoilless rifles would engage and then quickly withdraw, as the weapons are too valuable to risk losing in a firefight.  You could probably get away with modelling a concealed position to leave on the board to “count as” the recoilless rifle, or even have the weapon fire from a concealed, offboard position, availalbe to the VM player for only a turn or two before it is automatically withdrawn (or, we assume, the French suppress/destroy it with arty or aircraft).  This would also suit attack situations, where the VM would probably sight the weapon in and then fire on fixed targets during a night assault.

[Gaz045]

No problem at all. Happy to help!

"Even dry tree bark is not bitter to the hungry squirrel"

[Cuchulainn]

Hi Nathaniel and thanks for your reply.

Hmm… put bazookas on the backs of some of the figures; I never would have thought of that one, what a good idea!

For reasons which I don’t know, the RPG 2 was called the B-40 when used in by the VM & VC.  This weapon entered service in the USSR in 1949, so I suspect it – or Chinese copies – would have started reaching the VM sometime in 1950.  Before that the only hand held AT weapon in VM hands that I’ve come across, was the US bazooka and foreign copies.

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

[Nathaniel Weber]

Interesting; I didn’t realize the B-40 came out so early for the Soviets.

I had not read reference to it in the main works I’ve read; I thought most of what the VMs used was stuff sold to them by the Chinese, not the Soviets—so a lot of captured US gear from Korea and various WWII vintage weapons—and captured from the French, which would also include a lot of US stuff, old allied weaponry, and Japanese gear (though most of that would probably be used up by ’50).  I am not an expert though so could easily be mistaken about the B-40.

I’m looking forward to when your project is up and going and seeing pictures!  I plan to do a scenario book for it eventually. I’m going to do it in 15mm. What do you have squared away so far for the collection?

[Cuchulainn]

Well as you will have noticed, I’m going down the 20mm route for this.  So far I have most of the VM for the game I’m planning, I need a few more bits and pieces, but I’ll get those sorted out when I send away for my French (none of those purchased yet).

The VM are currently being painted by Mark Watkins in Middlesbrough, I was never any good at painting and now I’ve got dodgy eyesight which doesn’t help.

I still have to sort out some vehicles and armour for the French, and the website of the Hong Kong Society of Wargamers has tempted me into getting a few bits and pieces to put together a Dinassaut.

I will try to post photos of everything as they are painted up and finished, but I must admit I’ve never been very good at that unfortunately.

Still… watch this space!

 

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

[East Front Miniatures]

I know I’m late coming to this post but we now own Platoon 20.

First Indochina War range can be found here

Vietnam War range can be found here

Take care

Andy

 

East Front Miniatures produces high quality 10mm, 15mm and 20mm (Platoon 20 & Sojers) scale pewter miniatures and scenery. https://east-front-miniatures.com/

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