New Russian Company Figures News WWII Germans, CS Ako has clued us on a new company from Russia. I have more additional information from Expeditionary Force. Finally, on a personal note, Laurie and I got our second shot for the COVID.
New Russian Company Figures News Vympel
Work in progress. No exact news, just pictures of four master-models.
No date, no price. Big plans, but currently no one release.
We will keep you updated.
UPDATE
From Erwin: These are the master models of the Das Reich Division set. They plan to release it in mid-April. The material, as usual lately, is polyurethane.
Hopefully rubbery, but I haven’t been answered yet.
NoT same PP sculptor, the sculpture is not the best, I see small errors in the anatomy of the figures. The PP uses the services of several sculptors from different cities, but it appears that another sculptor worked her
Plastic Platoon Revolutionary Gun Crew
Expedition Force Update
and WW2 British at the Far East.
COVID Vaccine Update
On March 16, Laurie and I got our second shot of the Moderna vaccine. We had aches and pains. The worse part was getting an appointment. I happen to spot on my phone a number to make an appointment at our local health board. It took four hours and six hang ups before we got an appointment. we have heard other people with the same problem. we are glad it is over.
The German officer figure appears to be about to fire a Very pistol (flare gun) with his upraised right hand, perhaps giving the signal to commence the attack.
I had a feeling it was but was not sure.
Many weapons looks under scale.
Hope they get enlarged, some poses looks bit odd by looking at body proportion.
They are prototype any ways.
They supposedly represent Das Reich Division soldiers.
I speculate that the new SS figures will be 60mm?
The sculpting reminds me of TSSD, but looks better!
Pretty good so far, I’m looking forward to seeing the other 2 poses!
If they release more WWII, they will have a good customer in me!!
The Plastic Platoon Artillery looks AWESOME !! Love the Molly Pitcher figure.
I’ve TOLD these companies just a plain flat base eh!!Why doesn’t any one listen to me??LOL
Yep no even MARS ,their early set were more flat but some of last set are climbing “mars planet” terrain .While it may add realism no doubt ,if placing then on top of vehicles looks bad and also give wrong perception in scale as well some times .
It is tendency that start right after some CONTE figures and now become a norm .AIP did not follow this generally .
The officer has a MP 28/II,a very rare weapon and very limited produced , not largely issue to the Waffen SS main division; by start of WW 2 the MP-28 was considered a secondary weapon, most had been relegated to storage, issue for Police & Security/Aux. purposes, or “Sold” for export (Spain, Finland, Sweden,China, S.America or “given” to fascist allies or pro-Nazi “5th column” types….. when the war broke out those supplies still available seem to have been mostly associated with Polizei and SS Polizei units, including foreign Auxiliaries and units like those of the Prinz Eugen Div. Though I recall photos of some SS personnel caring one in “early Russian” campaign along a cameraman next to him .
Weapon was not even manufactured originally in Germany but in Belgium .British copied it directedly with the Lanchester Mk. I.
http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Haenel_MP28/II
The MP-28 is an updated Bergmann MP-18. It was initially produced in Belgium, but after the need to hide its manufacture from France and the UK, it was produced in Hugo Schmeisser’s factory, who is also responsible for the re-design. Early on out when the WSS was not priority for getting equipment, the MP-28 and many other similar SMGs (MP-35 Solothurn, MP-E Ermawerk) were issued to them. The feedback from end-users in the WSS was positive, especially noting how much easier it was to reload and fire from the prone position. The MP-38 and 40 are incorrectly called ‘Schmeisser’, when he had nothing to do with the design (though his factory produced some of them). If any SMG could be called ‘Schmeisser’ it’s this one.
By late ’42, these SMGs were gradually withdrawn to second tier security forces, police units and even handed off to foreign allies.
https://world-war-2.wikia.org/wiki/MP_28/II
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Waffen/Maschinenpistolen.htm
Funny part at West Point army/weapons museum STILL they have officially listed with photo the MP38/40 as Schmeisser .I took several photos of it last year as I took my older boy there .
The well known iconic German WW2 era weapon is presented at museum with small resumed data in particular indicating the fact it was designed and manufactured by Hugo Schmeisser
But here is where the error name placed bring my attention.
The name of this well know designer and weapon maker is not correct at all for this particular weapon design .
While he was involved in a previews patent of the straight magazine adopted later for the MP 40 .He neither designed ,patent or manufactured the MP 40 or the early MP 36 /38 at all .
The M40 weapon was not manufactured or even designed by Hugo but rather by Heinrich Vollmer who worked for Erme Werke company
Huge Shemeisser name -only , enter in manufacturer business for MP 40 as his patent of straight magazine previews made for other machines was to be use to produce ONLY the magazine for such machine-MP40.
Because magazine of MP 40 has often the name on it ,it lead to believe that was the manufacturer .This name designer /factory confusing issues is well known and recollected many years ago with facts in order to avoid confusion abut the MP 40 being wrong called Shemeisser by some person ,more likely miss guided by the name seen in the ammunition magazine or same info the museum wrongly extracted ,yet posted till today .
Hugo Shemeiswer did design and and developed the MP 41 LSMG and later the first assault automatic rifle -StG 44 .Also known popular as the MP 43/44 .Both weapons designs may had lead to some confusing as well by many adding to the Magazine .
I read your source (und auf Deutsch auch, alter Freund!) and it partially contradicts my source and the Osprey book on the WSS. Your source states the Heer passed on them and the police and SD used them. I know I’ve seen more than a few pics of them being used by 1st, 2nd and 3rd WSS regiments (later divisions) in early war years. The Soviet Front pics had to be, at earliest, June of ’41. Your source also credits the redesign to Haenel , I believe. I’ve always known this to be a Schmeisser design. I don’t know what to think, but if those pics are correctly dated and placed, that can’t be right.
I think is not much important Greg …is more likely a matter of technical data .
Personally I rather do not use a pic/photo or Osprey as sources . A pic is just a pick ,anyone could put a photo in any book and claim any or date it and still not be correct .Osprey had to update often their booklet as full of error and obsolete info. That is why they do new re-edition during years of same thematic to correct .
The source I post is actually a resume of several German historical books and German war data extracted resumed .
Actually I post it to back up your point more ,nor otherwise please.
Hugo Shmeisser work for Haenel that in turn had absorbed Auhammer Koch und Co(Former Hugo company ) as a legal merge to preserve his patent .That is why is correct stated the development to the factory Haenel as a matter of legality in regard to patent name and producer while Shmeisser may had been designers .Shmeisser patent was not used in the M28 ,so the patent fall technically to Haenel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Schmeisser
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C.G._Haenel
From Wikipedia (Wik ordg) link post above by you, it lead you to a link source that in turn says following ,this come from that source.
(The MP 28 was produced by C. G. Haenel under the supervision of Hugo Schmeisser. The MP 28 was produced under license by Etablissements Pieper in Belgium.[7]
Cite
https://modernfirearms.net/en/submachine-guns/germany-submachine-guns/mp-28ii-schmeisser-eng/
Also could be read in official Wikipedia link here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP_18#Evolution
Unfortunately some use his name as manufacturer name and designer alike because he design most of it that was in turn the re design of Mp18 .The weapon itself was manufactured by Haenel from Hugo design but as his patent name was not used it was register as Haenel .That may be all.
Regarding war era images I had seen the photos of soldiers(SS) with it too and if read above I stated I had seen. The amount produced of it indicate were very few limited done in order to be very abundant .I do not doubt any WSS may had it, even in the end ,but more likely a rarity Most photo show polizei and SD personnel with the MP28. I will think it was supplied more to 4th SS Polizei Panzergrenadier Division and the German source use “polic”e in generic referring to it maybe!?.
Also to the units of the Allgemeine SS .But I had not research it deep .
Regarding toy figures.
In turn .TheM38 Beretta was far more massively manufactured under German control and distributed in large quantities, yet many toy soldier makers fail put it in figures, there far more photos German soldiers using it than any other after the MP/38-40.The amount produced under German control in northern Italy and Austria factories was over 200 000 from 1944 till war end
my thoughts
best ..
The crouching German with rifle is actually firing a rifle grenade.
These new figures look AWESOME! Please keep us posted. The details are excellent and the gebirgsjager look great too. I keep hoping to see someone produce a Defenders of Cholm set or high quality winter Germans in parkas…and more Partisans in 1/32 scale. Thanks so much for such an awesome blog!!
Erwin – I’d even seen the Brit. War museums call the MP-40 a ‘Schmeisser’. It’s pretty common usage among the ‘allies’. You propose a very plausible theory as to how it got the misnomer. The FT Benning Infantry Museum STILL has the EMP listed as an MP-44, despite my insistence.
I can doubt Wikipedia as much as Osprey. The pics in Osprey are definitely WSS soldiers (Kragenspiegel and camo smocks) and definitely early. The smocks are all of the plane tree pattern and lacking lower pockets. There’s some pics in the WSS Veterans book, Wenn Alle Bruder Schweigen, as well. It’s not a common weapon, for sure, but I’m convinced that early out, before the WSS got priority, they had these and other look-alike MPs. The lack of issue items for the SS led to the creation of the Reichs Zeugs Meisterei which gives us that RZM marking so sought after by collectors. I had an RZM Helm. Definitely different than either the M-18 or M-35s.
You are correct.
I agree with most u saying..
I do not trust Wikipedia much either.
I post them base in your first link that come from Wikipedia and to show the discrepancy among several Wikipedia post .
I do trust more the other post link base in 5 books of historians.
About MP 28/II Like I say I had seen those photos of WSS and even regular soldiers(HERR) with it in combat but base in so small numbers I will see the M28 more a rarity. Base in 1940 MP distribution on HERR squads and thinking was same x WSS it will be one per squad leader on MP40 .because MP 28 were far less it will be much less .
The weapon is described at factory lever from German records as” Haenel MP28/II Machine-Pistol”,the magazine section has the Schmeisser words and patent serial number engraved on top view clearly ,while the trigger area and other has the H and number serial from (Haenel) .Is because of it that is call Haenel as was manufactured in those factories after production move back to Germany with production numbers base in Haenel production series. That is all .
I will try photo link several examples of WSS and HERR here or direct to you as this blog is x figures and we are talking much about weapons. Maybe you can tell me what unit WSS are those as I’m not expert at all.Best…