Self-Propelled Vasilek in the Gorgas Militia Battalion mortar platoon

[Story]

Reference thread: http://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=10099.msg191648#msg191648

This is a rehabilitation project, repurposing an ancient, abandoned TAMIYA 1:35th scale SU-100 earlier this summer.



So we've got a pile that includes
TAMIYA SU-100 (1966 version) with disintegrated tracks
ESCI T55 wheels and tracks <- my bad, found and fitted a pair of TAMIYA tracks along with roadwheels [edited for clarity].
TAMIYA Stug IV side skirts <- see http://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=10184.msg193614
and this cried out for a 82mm Vasilek barrel of some sorts.

So what did it want to be?

This Samokhodnaya Ustanovka 100 was manufactured in 1947, removed from Soviet service in 1967 and two years later transferred to the CCCP 1 channel under a long-term loan agreement as a movie prop. It was demilitarized and visually modified in 1971 to be used as a stand-in for the Facists' Sturmgeschütz III in several movies - most notably the WW2 comedy "Hey Yurgi, Stop Those Uzbeks!", the epic "Heroes of the Motherland" and the television series "The flowers will always bloom when soaked with the blood of the Brave" (released in the West as "Steel Hearts"). Internet experts spending hours pouring over still frames claim that the side skirts are from an original German vehicle.

A similar arrangement was this VISMOD StuG based on an FV432 chassis.

[Story]

"This particular vehicle was discovered in a junkyard outside of the capital Tbilisi by a cousin of the Gorgas Militia Battalion Mortar Platoon's Lieutenant. Shortly after the country went to a full mobilization, the owners were convinced to donate it to the defense of the Nation. Through Herculean efforts, the engine was restored by five mechanics in his extended family and the vehicle was returned to running condition. However, the armament had been removed and replaced with a propane blank system for movie work.

It was decided to mate the platoon's mortar to this vehicle, as a method of increasing it's mobility and crew survivability."

The 2B9M Vasilek (‘Cornflower’) is a muzzle or breech-loading, long recoil-operated automatic smoothbore medium mortar. It is a modernised, air-cooled version of the 2B9 water-cooled mortar, itself derived from the earlier F-82 automatic mortar. Development of the 2B9 began in the late 1960s, with the Soviet army adopting the weapon in 1970. The modernised 2B29M was introduced after Hungarian modifications in 1982, and adopted in 1983.
https://armamentresearch.com/soviet-2b9m-vasilek-self-loading-mortar/

While various Vasilek kits exist, I decided to go with just a representation of the tube since 1) most of the weapon would be under-armor and 2) the quality of the current mortar kits far exceeds that of this ancient TAMIYA offering.
https://www.scale-model-kits.com/products/82mm-mortar-2B9-Vasilyok-with-towing-vehicle-2F54-EE35136.html



The 2B9 'Cornflower' is a tier 1 - 3 weapon in this context. When mounted on a legacy prime mover that's too old for the menu, it creates a tier 4 system.

[Story]

With all that in mind, butchery of the plastic commenced.

[Story]

So this was the first pass.


In all the confusion, I didn't take progress pics of the barrel cobbling process.

So here we are, framed out and painted but desperately in need of detail weathering.

Given the dubious nature of the Gorgas militia, it's not surprising that the vehicle was left in it's stage livery. The dark and darker shades of grey were apparently considered optimal by the Producers, as CCCP-1 shot most of it's programs in Black and White until 1985.

[Frank3k]

The first word that came to mind is "stout". Good re-use of an old tank. The Vasilek mortar might come in handy in urban settings. I like the road wheels!

[GTX_Admin]

 

[Story]

  I like the road wheels!

Thanks. I went with TAMIYA T34 solids w/ rubber edges, since using ESCI T55 roadwheels would require redrilling to fit the torsion bar studs (which would just have added one more hurdle for concept completion).

Again, this is 1) a nearly 65 year old kit 2) built once by someone else that's 3) being given another shelf life and 4) meant to inspire you folks out there to do even better works.

[raafif]

Nice !  I've done the same in the past, at present I'm backdating a 1970's vehicle to German WW2 standards - with side shields.

Here is another experimental -->

[Story]

Thanks much for the compliments above.

Here is another experimental -->

That's pretty neat - does that appear in one of the threads about Japanese tanks?

Nice !  I've done the same in the past, at present I'm backdating a 1970's vehicle to German WW2 standards - with side shields.

This is meant to be more of a combat restoration than a deliberate backdating, like what's been going on in Syria and Kurdistan. The start of my build actually pre-dated the 2022 war in the Ukraine but here's a glimpse of life imitating art https://twitter.com/ninja998998/status/1112230808507633665

So for this contraption, it was 1) a combat vehicle [1947], then a 2) movie star ['Nazi Villain Tank' from 1971 to @ 1993*], 3) abandoned as junk [until @2021] then 4) re-fanged [2022].

Remember the Tiger Tanks (vismod T34/85s) in KELLYS HEROES?  Same sort of set-dressing.

The first word that came to mind is "stout".

I think the sort of guys who'd fire up their welders and actually make something like this in reality probably have grandkids who play too much WORLD OF TANKS and offer unsolicited but insightful advice like "Make your own Brummbar, Opa!".

* I'll explore the fate of CCCP-1 and it's management in another build thread.

[Frank3k]

With the collapse of the Russian Federation in the near future (maybe not tomorrow, but sooner than most people expect) we'll probably see more cobbled together vehicles like this.

[Old Wombat]

Don't count your matryoshkas before they hatch, Frank.

Russia has proven to be very resilient, more-so than the West in many ways. If the Federation does collapse, don't be too surprised if you see a Chinese-backed Новый Союз Советских Социалистических Республик (Novyy Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik = New Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) arise.

Putin may be a little wobbly but (even) if he's ousted, it's more likely to be by an even more radically Russian-nationalist person or group & the wars to follow will be rather warmer than cold.

[Story]

The Kremlin railheaded T-62s to the Ukraine as replacements.

T-62s.

Jus' sayin
http://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=10317.msg197533#msg197533

[Frank3k]

How long before the Zidiots start fielding T-55s, T-54s and T-34s?

[Story]

How long before the Zidiots start fielding T-55s, T-54s and T-34s?

I'll take "where is Azerbaijan and/or Armenia?" for $100, Trebek.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/14/middleeast/azerbaijan-armenia-ceasefire-broken-intl-hnk/index.html

[Story]

“Life imitates art far more than art imitates life” - Oscar Wilde

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf_Utlv5NLI

[Dr. YoKai]

Nice !  I've done the same in the past, at present I'm backdating a 1970's vehicle to German WW2 standards - with side shields.

Here is another experimental -->

 I'm not sure if the modified Type 95 is in the Japanese tank section here, but this is a fair video survey of the type.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5EqajIIT_M

 The Vasilek looks good. I agree with Frank, it would be effective in an urban setting.

[GTX_Admin]

“Life imitates art far more than art imitates life” - Oscar Wilde

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf_Utlv5NLI

Saw that a few days ago.  Would make for an interesting build.

[Story]

 The Vasilek looks good. I agree with Frank, it would be effective in an urban setting.

Considering the sheer volume I wrote about on Urban Warfare 20+ years ago (when it was known as "MOUT"), I'd agree that the high elevation capability is good for engaging targets on upper floors and given militia crew skill levels, probably best used in the direct fire mode.

[Frank3k]

You mean "But Cap'n, I aimed at the 12th  floor from two blocks away but it hit the third! Whyyyy?"

[Story]

You mean "But Cap'n, I aimed at the 12th  floor from two blocks away but it hit the third! Whyyyy?"

220, 221 rounds, whatever it takes.