WW1 Russian Artillery Crew
HäT Industrie 1:72 Scale Figure Review
HäT 1:72 scale Russian Artillery Crew wearing the M1881 Summer Gymnastiorka shirt with Pogony shoulder boards, Sharovary trousers, and Furazhka peaked forage cap. Period photos show Russian gunners wearing offwhite Gymnastiorka shirts in 1914 and 1915, possibly with dark blue full dress trousers with red piping, and white forage caps, until they were issued greenish-khaki uniforms.
Contents
32 Figures in 8 Poses – 24 mm equal 173 cm Height
- No. 1 Komandir orudiya Gun Commander with Binoculars, kneeling (4)
- No. 2 Navodchik Gun Layer, seated (4)
- No. 3 Zaryazhayushchiy Loader with Shell, kneeling (4)
- No. 4 Zamkovoy Breech-man, kneeling (4)
- No. 5 Ustanovshchik Fuse Setter, kneeling (4)
- No. 6 Snaryadny Shell Bearer with Shell, walking (4)
- No. 7 Yashchichny Limber Man with Shell, standing (4)
- Russian Artillery Driver, mounted (4)
Accessories
- Shrapnell Shell (4)
- High Explosive Shell (4)
- HE Cartridge Casing (4)
- Cartridge Casing (4)
- Make-shift Fuse Setting Table (4)
- Single Wicker Shell Basket (4)
- Triple Wicker Shell Baskets (4)
- Large Ammunition Box (4)
- Small Tool Box (4)
Evaluation
Excellent choice of subject, HäT 1:72 scale Russian Artillery Crew features all seven gun numbers required to serve the 76 mm Putilov divisional gun M1902. The greenish-khaki uniform issued after 1907 looks similar in cut to the earlier uniform shirt and trousers worn during the Boxer Rebellion and Russo-Japanese War.
Excellent wargaming poses, the entire gun crew appears to be depicted at one particular moment in time. This is a significant improvement over many other artillery figure sets which can have gunners engaged in incompatible activities around their artillery piece. Wargamers typically deploy only two to four gunners on an artillery stand, but diorama builders and collectors will be happy to have all seven gun numbers present and doing their job in proper coordination.
Period photos show Russian gunners carrying the M1907 Khanjali artillery sidearm until 1915, which seems to have been discarded by the time the greenish-khaki uniform was worn in the field. Officers and senior gunners carried the Nagant M1895 Revolver, which HäT has issued the gun commander in this set.
Noticeable mould lines need to be removed prior to painting.
Historical Employment
- Russian Artillery, 1891–1921
- Boxer Rebellion, 1900–1901
- Russo-Japanese War, 1904–1905
- World War One, 1914–1917
- Russian Revolution, 1917–1921
HäT 1:72 scale Russian Artillery Crew of World War One are perfect for wargamers and diorama builders interested in raising complete and accurate artillery units for the Great War and earlier conflicts.