HBG has pictures of the next German set up

KV-2s were devolped for fighting against Finland in the Winter War. T-34/76s were first encounted by the Germans in June '41 and the rocket launchers (spelling I can’t do without google) were encounted in July '41. The Soviet winter offensive of '41 was when German High Command had to admit the T-34 was better than anything German could field.

Just received my Soviet set and I love them! The only problem I have is that the two piece units such as tanks and the katyushas are glued in crooked. Not two noticeable on the tanks but the flat plane of the katyushas makes them really noticeable.
My question is does anyone know of a solution I can use to dissolve the glue but not screw up the plastic and melt the units detail?

@Most:

Just received my Soviet set and I love them! The only problem I have is that the two piece units such as tanks and the katyushas are glued in crooked. Not two noticeable on the tanks but the flat plane of the katyushas makes them really noticeable.
My question is does anyone know of a solution I can use to dissolve the glue but not screw up the plastic and melt the units detail?

On your next order let me know and we will replace the defective pieces. Sorry you had inferior pieces.

Don’t get me wrong, they look amazing. And I’m sure I can straighten them out. Just wonder if anyone has any advice.

My Soviet pieces arrived today as well. Shipping was so fast they almost got here before I ordered them. Also just in time for round four of our current game of 39 global scheduled for next thursday.

@knp7765:

Well, the name for this set is “Russia: Early War” and the T-34/85 didn’t come out until mid to late war. All of the items in this set I believe are things that the Soviets had in their arsenal up until the Germans invaded them in June 1941.
Some are a surprise to me, like the Katyusha and KV-2. I didn’t know they had those that early. I didn’t think they even had T-34/76s until late 41/early 42 during their first winter offensives against the Germans. Perhaps they did have them before, but they just didn’t use them is such large quantities before then.

Yeah, actually the KV-2 is very much an early-war vehicle.  If you look at it closely, it is essentially a KV-1 with a turret that is twice as tall… which is essentially what it is.  It was designed to be an assault/ SP artillery version of the KV-1 (which, remember, had basically the same armament as the contemporary T-34/76.)  The idea of putting a howitzer in a big (rotating) turret on top of a standard tank chassis was similar to the British Bishop SP gun, with similar downsides: it did make an exceptional target, leading to the Soviets switching to the fixed-gun casemate concept for later Assault/ SP/ TD guns to give them a lower profile.  At long range, the disadvantage of having to turn the whole vehicle was minimized and at short range it was eventually decided that a lower profile was more important than the rotating turret. Â

The T-34/76 was also a fairly early entrant into the war.  The Soviet 76 mm was a relatively low-velocity weapon, not much better than the oft-criticized US 75 mm tank gun; it was, however, perfectly adequate against anything up to a Panzer IV.  It was the German Panther and Tiger tanks that caused the Soviets to upgrade to 85 mm and the US (and UK) to upgrade to a higher-velocity 76 mm.  The Soviets just ran into Panthers in significant numbers earlier, and so were a step ahead of the Western powers in the tank gun/ armor race.  (Remember guys, diameter isn’t the whole story with tank guns; velocity is often far more important.  The Panther’s HV 75 mm was better than the Soviet 85 mm, and arguably just a good as the Tiger’s version of the 88 mm.)

@DrLarsen:

(Remember guys, diameter isn’t the whole story with tank guns; velocity is often far more important. Â The Panther’s HV 75 mm was better than the Soviet 85 mm, and arguably just a good as the Tiger’s version of the 88 mm.)

Oh yeah, I found out about that when reading up on the Type 97 Chi-Ha. The earlier models had a 57mm gun with a short barrel. Good enough for supporting infantry and pounding enemy positions, but not so good for slugging it out with enemy armor, which they found out the hard way against the Russians on the northern border of Manchuria. This caused Japan to come out with an “improved” Chi-Ha with a longer barreled 47mm high-velocity gun. While this did improve the Chi-Ha’s armor fighting ability, it was still generally outclassed by most Allied tank designs.
At first I thought it was a mis-type. I thought “How can you go from 57mm to 47mm and call it an improvement?” Then I realized that even with the smaller size, the high velocity provides better armor piercing ability. That’s why there were some anti-tank guns that were as small as 37mm.

Yeah the Russian didn’t have anything to equal the 88mm till SU-122 and IS-2s became available. And even then German engineering was superior because to get the same effect the russian had to relay on sheer weight of the shell. Even more so with the SU-152

Hey HBG the Germans look awesome. How about a side angle shot so we can see the infantry and that glorious Tiger.

Fish,

Are those Coastal guns in that picture? In places like the Vladivostok and Phillipines?

@Gargantua:

Fish,

Are those Coastal guns in that picture? In places like the Vladivostok and Phillipines?

Actually no, they are bunkers that give a +2 bonus to infantry in that territory using a d-12 system.

New pics of the final pieces can be seen at HBG. Unfortunately the PzIV was replaced by a light carrier.
Anyways looking forward to these pieces, good work HBG.

@St3vYb0y:

New pics of the final pieces can be seen at HBG. Unfortunately the PzIV was replaced by a light carrier.
Anyways looking forward to these pieces, good work HBG.

We are trying to get as many different new pieces for house rules to the game. Since we have already have a Pz III in the Axis Minor set done in all Axis colors we wanted to wait until the next Axis Minor set. Next Axis Minor set done in Black also WILL have the Pz IV, He-51, a heavy tank, Medium Bomber, SS, DD, AP, etc, look for it in 2013.

@coachofmany:

@St3vYb0y:

New pics of the final pieces can be seen at HBG. Unfortunately the PzIV was replaced by a light carrier.
Anyways looking forward to these pieces, good work HBG.

We are trying to get as many different new pieces for house rules to the game. Since we have already have a Pz III in the Axis Minor set done in all Axis colors we wanted to wait until the next Axis Minor set. Next Axis Minor set done in Black also WILL have the Pz IV, He-51, a heavy tank, Medium Bomber, SS, DD, AP, etc, look for it in 2013.

Yes I think you are right on this. But you know it’s like Pokemon, you gotta catch 'em all  :-D

@coachofmany:

@St3vYb0y:

New pics of the final pieces can be seen at HBG. Unfortunately the PzIV was replaced by a light carrier.
Anyways looking forward to these pieces, good work HBG.

We are trying to get as many different new pieces for house rules to the game. Since we have already have a Pz III in the Axis Minor set done in all Axis colors we wanted to wait until the next Axis Minor set. Next Axis Minor set done in Black also WILL have the Pz IV, He-51, a heavy tank, Medium Bomber, SS, DD, AP, etc, look for it in 2013.

Coach,
Would you be interested in a thread regarding customer requests for future sculpts in HBG sets? I am sure you guys will choose the best vehicle models in any event, but if it would help your development at all, I would throw in my two cents. As I am sure others would.

I know there has already been a wish list for new sculpts, but I was thinking of something directed more by you or Variable which would conform to your plans for future sets.

LHoffman-

Feel free to use the stickied HBG thread for this. I think it’s a good place. We read it daily.

German Expansion Set pre-order is on folks! Intro pricing…

http://www.historicalboardgaming.com/HBG-Battle-Pieces--WW2-Germany-Expansion-Set_p_631.html

@Variable:

LHoffman-

Feel free to use the stickied HBG thread for this. I think it’s a good place. We read it daily.

Ah, did not know that was its purpose… thank you Variable.