My What A Big Gun You Have – Battlefront Brings Out The 203mm Howitzer
September 25, 2015 by stvitusdancern
So we all know that the Soviets brought a lot of men and equipment to the battles of WWII. They were also known to bring some really big and bad weapons and put them up against the enemy. They honestly believed in the adage "All is fair in love and war" or the "he who has the biggest toys wins".
Now Battlefront brings this big 203mm howitzer to the table in 15mm scale with the Soviet 203mm obr 1931 Howitzer. This miniature is a multi-piece metal with a 5 man crew and includes a base.
They have also included a special use rule, Bunk Buster and Building Destroyer, the names say it all. Can you imagine being in a city and having these tracked towed pieces unload their 8' tall and 220 lb shell onto some unfortunate souls in a building and watch it come raining down on top of them.
So if you are following the guys as they prepare to invade Berlin in 28mm scale you can relive the battles in your own home in 15mm and if you are playing the Soviets make sure you bring some of these big guns and if you are the Germans, find a deeper hole.
Do you agree with "bigger is better"?
"...if you are playing the Soviets make sure you bring some of these big guns and if you are the Germans, find a deeper hole"
Absolutely brutal stats and a nice model. But, metal? The combination of heavy, fiddly and bendy parts gives me unpleasant flashbacks to earlier builds with metal. Would have loved to build it in another material, but…
oooo thats nice
Very nice.
Sure do, I sent Unclejimmy this in 1/35 scale just to see what he could do with it, now that is a big version.
You did! It’s a big ‘un. Bought some crew in Edinburgh, but not had a chance to get started yet. Only the Russians would make something like this. Beautiful though.
I thought they would have made it in plastic – must be heavy!
p.s., @chrisg – did your music arrive this morning?
and now for the big guns.
I’ve posted this video before and I’ll post it again. Time to see these B-4 tracked mortars in action! The video starts with them on parade and you see them in indirect fire mode at 00:30. At 00:37, though, you see them in direct fire deployment firing over open sights.
BRING THE NOISE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xHcpgaPuPQ
Did these things have any kind of engine for self propelling or were the tracks just for towing?
The tracks on the B-4 was only there to give the rather hefty gun a low(ish) ground pressure. No internal engine was fitted.
Ah thats makes sense cheers!
I just love the look of these big gun tracked carriages. There was also the B5 230mm howitzer that is picked out by its shorter and much fatter gun barrel. They also made a 260mm mortar on the tracked carriage but I can’t remember it’s name off the top of my head. During the Finnish Winter war the Russians in frustration would roll out the B4s and bore sight them on the Finnish bunkers.