Russians Pt.10- SU-76 & M3 White Scout Car

SU-76

I like this little SPG. In BA it's a cheap and cheerful option before you get caught up in the bigger SU tank hunters and mobile howitzers. I like the basic nature of this vehicle- it looks cramped and uncomfortable for 3 men to live and operate in, so no wonder its nickname was 'Suka' or 'bitch' among its crews!

I like that the Zis-3 armament allows this little vehicle to work in a couple of different ways- as an AT gun and as a howitzer- which makes it quite versatile. This caused me quite a headache when I first started playing BA. I was getting my head around a new rules system and was having confusion with howitzers being able to fire indirectly or under open sights, and then, on top of that, I could opt to use this weapon as a light AT gun as well!

I got over that hurdle, but I think it meant I under-utilised my SU-76 for a good while as I figured out what it was best suited for. It's not just a smaller, more brittle StuG. It's got a fair bit of utility, and I've noticed it can slip under an opponent's radar as they immediately focus all of their attention on the T-34s...

Just a few of Debris of War stowage pieces added here. There's enough detail on this Warlord resin kit already. A firm favourite of mine...

Lend-Lease M3 White Scout Car

I had never considered an armoured car or similar type of transport for my Soviets because I had a squad of scouts already and wasn't particularly interested in collecting or painting anything to fill that slot in my army. But after reading the Fortress Budapest Campaign book, I became interested in the Rota Razvedki Mounted Reconnaissance Squad option that was detailed there.

I'd always liked the Warlord Lend-Lease Universal Carrier with Russian crew models, but found I preferred the M3 White Scout Car instead! The transport capacity is larger, allowing for a bigger squad, and the Mounted Recon rules give the option of leaving members aboard to man all of the machine guns on the vehicle.

The finished model is pretty much as it comes, with the only addition being a Debris of War petrol can. I like the crew members, looking as though they're scanning the surrounding countryside for danger. Next task (of many), is build and paint the squad that will travel in the thing...