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K-2 Ironclad Battalion Army Deal (VPAAB01) Spotlight

K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01) Contains nine plastic T-54 Tanks, two ZSU-57-2 Tanks and one decal sheet.

Maoist doctrine calls for three phases in a revolutionary war. In the first phase, the revolutionaries gain the support of the population. In the second phase, guerrilla forces attack military and other vital targets. In the third phase, the revolutionary forces switch to conventional warfare, defeating the military, seizing cities, and taking control of the country. By 1971, with the ‘Vietnamisation’ of the war and the withdrawal of Free World forces, the Nationalists believed that the time had come for the third phase. They started forming large conventional forces including armour and artillery and conducting combined-arms operations.

Check out The K-2 Ironclad Battalion in the Online Store…

K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01)
T-54 Tank (plastic) (x9)
K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01) K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01)
K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01) K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01)
ZSU-57-2 (x2)
K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01) K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01)
K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01) K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01)
K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01) K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01)
K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01) K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01)
K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01) K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01)

The K-2 Ironclad Battalion In ‘Nam
K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01) K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01)

Assembling The K-2 Ironclad Battalion In ‘Nam
K-2 Ironclad Battalion (VPAAB01)
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Black Horse Armored Cavalry Troop Army Deal (VUSAB02) Spotlight

Black Horse Armored Cavalry Troop Army Deal (VUSAB02) Contains seven plastic M113 Armored Personnel Carriers, three M551 Sheridan Tanks, one M48 Patton Tank and two Decal Sheets.

The 11th Armored Cavalry, known as the ‘Blackhorse’ Regiment, developed radically new tactics to combat an elusive and determined enemy. Conventional wisdom asserted that armour had little to no role to play in the jungles, deltas, and rough terrain of Vietnam. The Blackhorse Regiment proved conventional wisdom wrong. The regiment’s unofficial motto, ‘Find the bastards, then pile on’, embodied their tactics for a highly mobile and heavily armed combined-arms force to seek out and destroy an unconventional enemy.

Check out the Black Horse Armored Cavalry Troop in the Online Store…

As American involvement in the Vietnam War increased, there was a need for additional combat formations. In March 1966 the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment was ordered to Vietnam. In preparation, the regiment made a series of modifications to their equipment and organization to better fight a guerrilla war. Feedback from Vietnamese Armoured Cavalry Regiments suggested that neither the jeeps nor the M114 reconnaissance carriers that Blackhorse had were of much use in Vietnam. Both were replaced with the larger, more mobile and better-protected M113 armoured personnel carrier (APC).
Black Horse Armored Cavalry Troop Army Deal (VUSAB02)
M113 Armored Personnel Carriers (x7)
M551 Sheridan (x3)
M48 Patton (x1)

Black Horse Armored Cavalry Troop Box Contents
Contact the customer service team at [email protected] if you have issues with any components.
M113 Sprue (x7)
Black Horse Armored Cavalry Troop Army Deal (VUSAB02)
M551 Sheridan Tanks (x3)
Black Horse Armored Cavalry Troop Army Deal (VUSAB02)
M48 Patton Tank (x1)
Black Horse Armored Cavalry Troop Army Deal (VUSAB02)

Decal Sheets

The Black Horse Armored Cavalry Troop In ‘Nam

Assembling Black Horse Armored Cavalry Troop

Assembling the M113

Assembling the M48 Patton

Black Horse Armored Cavalry Troop Army Deal (VUSAB02) Black Horse Armored Cavalry Troop Army Deal (VUSAB02)

Assembling the M551 Sheridan

Black Horse Armored Cavalry Troop Army Deal (VUSAB02)

 

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ZSU-57-2 (VPA161) Spotlight

ZSU-57-2 Anti-air Company (VPABX05) includes one ZSU-57-2 SP Anti-aircraft gun and one PAVN head sprue

The ZSU-57-2 was a Soviet-built self-propelled anti-aircraft gun that first came into service with the Red Army in 1955. The acronym ZSU stands for Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka, which when translated means anti-aircraft self-propelled mount; 57 designates the calibre of the weapons and 2 states the number of gun barrels.

Check out the ZSU-57-2 SP Anti-aircraft Gun in the online store here…

Built on the chassis of the T-54 tank, the twin S-68 57mm cannons were mounted in an open-topped turret which only offered the crew inside a minimum level of armour protection. Manned by a crew of six (driver, commander, gunner, dedicated sight adjuster and a pair of loaders), the ZSU-57-2 was limited to only engaging aircraft that the crew could actually see.  Once an aircraft was spotted, the sight adjustor had to correctly calibrate the gun sight before the target could be engaged; making the vehicle virtually useless during nighttime operations.
ZSU-57-2 ZSU-57-2
The war in Vietnam was the first recorded service for the ZSU-57-2 in a combat zone. But the North Vietnamese quickly learnt that the ZSU-57-2 was just as effective in providing fire support for infantry attacks as it was sweeping the air of enemy aircraft.

Designed by Evan Allen
Painted by Blake Coster
ZSU-57-2 ZSU-57-2
The ZSU-57-2 in ‘Nam
 ZSU-57-2
ZSU-57-2 ZSU-57-2
ZSU-57-2 ZSU-57-2
The ZSU-57-2 anti-aircraft tank is the chassis of a T-54 battle tank mounting twin 57mm anti-aircraft guns in an open-topped turret. Its rate of fire makes it deadly to aircraft and helicopters, while its high-velocity, long-barrelled guns punch through light armour with ease.
ZSU-57-2 ZSU-57-2
Contents of the ZSU-57-2 Blister
ZSU-57-2
Contact the customer service team at [email protected] if you have any issues with any of the components.
Assembling The ZSU-57-2
Follow the diagram to the below to correctly assemble the ZSU-57-2.
ZSU-57-2

 

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Assembling The Centurion Mark 5 (VAN040)

Step 1. Begin assembly by attaching the tracks to the hull of the Centurion.

Note: Each track has been keyed to correspond with a particular side of the hull; this aids in ensuring the correct orientation of the tracks when assembling the miniature.

Below: The correct alignment for the left-hand side track. Below: The correct alignment for the right-hand side track. Below: The left-hand side track attached to the hull.
Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01)
Tip: When referring to left or right-hand side in regards to a Flames Of War miniature, the orientation is determined as if looking at the vehicle from the rear.
Below: The right-hand side track attached to the hull. Step 2. Next, attach the front mudguard to the front of each track. Below: The left-hand side front mudguard attached to the track.
Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01)
Below: The right-hand side front mudguard attached to the track. Below: Both front mudguards successfully attached to the tracks. Step 3. Next, attach the rear mudguards.
Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01)
Note: The left-hand side rear muguards has a small cylinder on it. Below: The right-hand side rear mudguard has a plane surface. See the examples below.
Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01)
Below: Both rear mudguards successfully attached to the tracks. Step 4. Next, attach the additional fuel tank to the rear of the hull.
Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01)
Step 5. Attach the main gun to the front of the turret. Step 6. Next, attach the turret stowage rack to the rear of the turret.
Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01)
Step 7. Attach the loader’s hatch to the top of the turret. Step 8. Attach the commander’s cupola to the top of the turret.
Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01)
Step 9. Attach the .30 cal AA MG to the mount on the cupola. Below: The fully-assembled Centurion ready for the painting table.
Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01)
Adding A Tank Commander
Step 1. Replaced the closed commander’s cupola with the open cupola. Step 2. Add a tank commander figure to the open cupola. Tip: The .30 cal AA MG will need to be attached on a slightly different angle with a tank commander. Below: The fully-assembled Centurion Mark 5 complete with tank commander.
Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01) Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01)
ANZAC Vehicle Painting Guide
Centurion Mark 5 (VANBX01)
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Centurion (VAN040) Spotlight

includes one Centurion Mk 5 tank

Of the many nicknames that the tankies of the 1st Armoured Regiment acquired from the infantry, the most unkind was probably ‘koalas’ (a reference to koalas being a protected species, not to be sent overseas, and not to be shot at), a reference to them not being sent to Vietnam until 1968. The ‘turret heads’ dealt with that nickname in their first battle, and after that the infantry requested tank support whenever contact with the enemy was expected.

Check out the Centurion in the online store here…

The regiment’s flag bears the colours brown, red, and green, based on the Royal Tank Regiment’s motto: ‘From Mud, Through Blood to the Green Fields Beyond.’ They certainly found plenty of mud and more than enough blood in Vietnam, although their losses during their rigorous training were higher than their losses in Vietnam itself.

Designed by Tim Adcock
Painted by James Brown

Centurion Tank Centurion Tank
The Centurion in ‘Nam
Centurion Tank
Centurion Tank Centurion Tank
Centurion Tank Centurion Tank
Centurion Tank Centurion Tank
Centurion Tank Centurion Tank
Contents of the Centurion Blister
Contact the customer service team at [email protected] if you have any issues with any of the components.
Centurion Tank
Description of Components
a. .30 cal AA MGs.
b. Loader turret hatch.
c. Right-hand side rear mudguard.
d. Left-hand side rear mudguard.
e. Right-hand side front mudguard.
f. Left-hand side front mudguard.
g. Closed turret cupola.
h. Open turret cupola.
j.
.30 cal ammunition can stowage piece
k. Jerry can stowage piece.
l. Tank commander figure.
m. Main gun.
n. 2x Spare road wheels.
o. Additional fuel tank.
p. Turret stowage rack.
q. Left-hand side track
r. Right-hand side track.
s. Resin hulls & turret.

 

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Assembling the M41A3 Walker Bulldog

Step 1. Begin assembly of the M41A3 Walker Bulldog by attaching the tracks.

Tip: Ensure that the drive sprocket is towards the rear of the vehicle.

Step 2. Next, attach the 76mm main gun to the front of the turret.
M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01)
Below: The 76mm main gun has been keyed to match the front of the turret. Below: The 76mm main gun correctly attached to the turret of the M41A3 Walker Bulldog. Step 3. Next, attach the commander’s cupola to the top of the turret.
M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01)
Below: The commander’s cupola correctly attached to the turret of the M41A3 Walker Bulldog. Step 4. With the commander’s cupola in place, it’s time to add the loader’s hatch to the opposite side of the turret. Below: The loader’s hatch correctly attached to the turret of the M41A3 Walker Bulldog.
M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01)
Step 5. Finally, attach the .50 cal AA MG to the mount found near the commander’s cupola. Below: The .50 cal AA MG correctly attached to the turret of the M41A3 Walker Bulldog. Below: With the .50 cal AA MG in place, the M41A3 Walker Bulldog is ready for the painting table.
M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01)
Adding a Tank Commander
Step 1. Replace the closed cupola with the open cupola included on the hatch sprue. Step 2. Add a commander into the open cupola. Below: The M41A3 Walker Bulldog fully-assembled with tank commander.
M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01)
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Walker Bulldog (VAR001) Spotlight

Includes one Walker Bulldog Tank

Each armoured regiment fielded a Chi Đoàn Chiến Xa (pronounced chee doh-ahn chee-an sah), a squadron of M41A3 Walker Bulldog light tanks.

Check out the M41A3 Walker Bulldog in the online store here…

Given the Republic of Vietnam’s limited technical capabilities, the American M41A3 Walker Bulldog light tank was well suited to the war in South Vietnam. They were armed and armoured well enough to deal with most Viet Cong forces, while being easy to maintain.

When the ARVN cavalry faced North Vietnamese tanks for the first time during Operation Lam Son 719 in Laos, they discovered that tactics could compensate for their light armour, while their long 76mm guns could penetrate any enemy tank they faced.

Designed by Tim Adcock
Painted by James Brown

M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01)
The Walker Bulldog in ‘Nam

M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01)
M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01)
M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01)
M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01) M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01)
Contents of the Walker Bulldog Box Set
Contact the customer service team at [email protected] if you have any issues with any of the components.
M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01)
ARVN Tank Painting Guide
M41A3 Walker Bulldog (VARBX01)

 

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M109 (155mm) and M108 (105mm) Assembly

 

Step 1. Begin assembly of the M109 (155mm) by attaching the tracks.
Tip: Ensure that the drive sprocket is towards the rear of the vehicle. Below: The left-hand side track attached to the hull. Below: The right-hand side track attached to the hull.
M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08)
Tip: When referring to left or right-hand side in regards to a Flames Of War miniature, the orientation is determined as if looking at the vehicle from the rear.
Step 2. Next, attach the recoil spades to the back of the resin hull of the M109 (155mm). Below: The left-hand side recoil spade in place. Below: Both recoil spades correctly attached to the rear of the M109.
M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08)
Below: Tim has created a magnet well in the turret and the guns to make for an easy barrel swap. Below: The magnet wells in the back of the gun barrels.
M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08)
Below: The magnets attached to the gun barrels. Below: The 155mm gun barrel attached to the turret. Below: The 105mm gun barrel attached to the turret.
M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08)
Below: An optional step is to drill out the muzzle brake of the 155mm gun. Tip: A 2mm drill bit is perfect for drilling out the muzzle brake of the 155mm gun barrel. Below: Carefully drill through the first baffle of the muzzle brake.
M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08)
Below: Drill through the second baffle of the muzzle brake. Below: The completed drilled out muzzle brake of the 155mm. Step 3. Next, attach the commander’s hatch to the top of the turret.
M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08)
Step 4. Attach the .50 cal AA MG to the mounting arm on the commander’s hatch. Below: With the .50 cal AA MG in place, the M109 (155mm) is ready for painting.
M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08)
Adding A Tank Commander
Step 1. Replace the close hatch with the open commander’s hatch. Step 2. Attach a tank commander figure. Step 3. Attach the .50 cal AA MG. Below: The fully-assembled M109 (155mm) complete with tank commander.
M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08)
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M109 (155mm) Spotlight (VUS150)

 

Includes one M109 (155mm) Self-propelled gun with M108 (105mm) option, four Vehicle commander figures

The M108 (105mm) and M109 (155mm) are the latest self-propelled artillery pieces in the US Army. Initially, the lighter M108 was preferred for its ability to carry more ammunition and the relative ease of resupply. Later they were phased out in favour of the more effective M109, as the supply problems were reduced when operating from fire support bases.

Check out the M109 (155mm) in the online store here…

Deployed in static firebases they provided long-range fire support for troops put in the field as well as much-needed defensive firepower when PAVN troops came out of the jungle.

Designed by Tim Adcock
Painted by Andrew Agutters

The M109 (155mm) in ‘Nam
 
The M108 (105mm) in ‘Nam
 
M109 (155mm) M109 (155mm) (VUSBX08)
M109 (155mm) M109 (155mm)
M109 (155mm) M109 (155mm)
M109 (155mm) M109 (155mm)
M109 (155mm) M109 (155mm)
Contents of the M109 (155mm) Box Set
Contact the customer service team at [email protected] if you have any issues with any of the components.