Soviet Army Support Group (HQ, Mortar & MMG)

Soviet Headquarters
At the start of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet officers lacked experience and proper training. Stalin’s purge of the Red Army’s leadership in 1937 had left behind a traumatized command structure where taking initiative was seen as a risk. As a result, many officers followed orders to the letter, even when it led to heavy casualties.

Over time, Soviet operational command improved significantly, though battlefield tactics still relied on rigid planning, strict timetables, and pre-set objectives to compensate for deficiencies in leadership. An officer unit consists of the commander himself, along with up to two assistants. Soviet officers can be classified as Inexperienced, Regular, or Veteran.

Soviet Medium Mortar Team
The standard Red Army mortar was the 82-PM-41, an 82mm battalion mortar introduced in 1941, serving alongside the Model 1937 with similar characteristics. These highly effective and accurate weapons had a range of up to 3,000 yards. The Soviets considered mortars as artillery rather than infantry support weapons, often deploying them in batteries for concentrated firepower.

Soviet Medium Machine Gun Team
Throughout the war, the Red Army relied on the Maxim Model 1910, a World War I-era machine gun still in use decades later. A capable and reliable weapon, it was deployed on a tripod, sled mount, or wheeled carriage, often featuring a protective gun shield for its crew. However, the Maxim was heavy and cumbersome, making it one of the few Soviet weapons the Germans did not repurpose.

Toward the end of the war, the SG-43 gradually replaced the Maxim. This lighter but equally effective machine gun was typically mounted on a wheeled carriage with a shield, offering both mobility and protection.

Box contains:

• 1 Soviet Headquarters unit
• 1 Maxim medium machine gun team
• 1 82-PM-41 medium mortar team
• Models supplied unassembled and unpainted