Stan Johansen Gi'ac My figures

When I put together the list of 20mm Vietnam figures, Bravo 6 suggested I add the out of production ones as well as those currently available.

Today I went through my box of unpainted 20mm Vietnam figures and found a few packs I had forgotten I even had.



I think this is a mortar outfit. I may have a rocket outfit too. Looking at them, you can see why they are no longer available. You can also see why I never painted them. I think I have three of them The joke's on me.

To be fair, these are very old figures. Stan makes beautiful figures today, but none for Vietnam to my knowledge.

Tom

They look like they'll paint up OK...

Old and broken sculpts, to go with old and broken rules. Stan is a much better sculptor now, and he's a hell of a guy. He served in the Nam too, he told me.

I just came across more of Stan Johansen's lost Nam range on eBay, Tom:

eBay Listing

i like the SF guys with mortars

Tom

Was that a common occurance in country? Stan was a veteran, so I'm thinking he sculpted based on what he knew.

I guess you mean was a mortar with SF a common occurrence. Darby could probably answer better than I. I am not sure how common, but I have read of them using a 60mm mortar without a base plate.

Top be more specific, I should have said compared to his other figures in the series, I like the SF mortar guy. However, I really don't like a figure and a mortar as one piece. I don't like that for any crew served weapon. How do you kill the crew but still have the weapon.

I guess the answer is the same as I do for LMGs. Have a separate weapon I put on the table when I replace the man/weapon combo with a casualty figure.

I am a veteran. If I sculpted what I knew, it would be pretty boring. A bunch of REMFs! But Stan is probably a real veteran.

Todd, you said "Stan was..." He hasn't crossed the great divide has he? I hope not.

Tom

Oh sorry.... I meant IS. My bad.

GarryOwen wrote:If I sculpted what I knew, it would be pretty boring. A bunch of REMFs!

Maybe Rolf could sculpt us an "Office Action Pack" with resin photostat machines and file cabinets.

Cool B6!!

Tom

This comic cover gives me a good scenario idea Tom

Somehow I missed the previous post. I guess it would!

I finally remembered Iprobably had your answer, Todd, about the SF and the 60mm mortar.

My source is Gorson Rottman's Mobile Strike Forces in Vietnam 1966-70. It is an Osprey. He has several TO&Es. 60mm mortars are included in the CIDG Mike Force Company with one MSG who must have been SF, in charge of the four man team. That was November 1968.

He lists another CIDG Mike Force Company in January, 1966 with only three weapons squads each with a 60mm mortar. The squads are led by sergeants. They were the squad leaders and the gunners. USSF or indig? From the number of SF in the company, and the number of leadership positions, I assume they are indig.

Project Delta is also shown with a 60mm mortar. SO far I ahve not had time to read all the text to try to get to the question of who was SF and who was indig.

By the way, that book by Rottman is great. I say that about just about all of his books.

Tom

Thanks Tom. That's pretty interesting info. Just seems like an odd bit of kit for SF to be seen carrying.

Yes, but it gave the CIDG some "artillery".

Tom

Which is good. I just meant because CDIGs and SF operate with such minimal kit for obvious reasons, that adding a mortar seemed out of character. But full understand WHY they often carried them.

[Post removed to avoid confusing anyone else.]

Ah yes, back in the day when a pack of figures was all the same pose. Heritage minis did that same thing.

these are all platoon 20 figures

Thanks for that info - the on-line seller obviously got mixed up. I would be grateful if you could delete your quote so we don't confuse anyone else any further.

Fixed that for ya Rolf!