BTR-152

Includes one BTR-152 Armoured Personel Carrier, one AA MG & four Seated Passenger figures.

The development of the BTR-152 was a direct result of the Red Army’s experiences during the Second War World. Utilising joint infantry and tank tactics against the Germans, Soviet commanders found that casualties amongst the infantry were especially high due to the lack of an armoured personnel carrier that was able to keep pace with the advancing tanks. As a consequence, the BTR-152 was amongst the first vehicles developed at the conclusion of the Second World War.

Based on the ZiS-151 truck chassis, the first prototype of the BTR-152 were completed in 1947 but lacked the desired level of mobility as a direct result of the five tons of additional armour added to the vehicle. After a few tweaks to the design, the BTR-152 was accepted for service. The BTR-152 first saw combat in the Hungarian revolution of 1956 and later during the Six-Day War with the forces of the United Arab Republic.

The vehicle was of all-welded construction with armour ranging from 15mm thick on the front to 9mm on the side; enough to provide protection from small arms fire and shell fragments but offered little protection against anything heavier.

Armed with a pintle-mounted 7.62mm SGMB machine-gun, the BTR-152 was able to carry eighteen passengers in addition to the two-man crew (the driver and the commander) into battle.

While mounted, passengers were able to fire their weapons from the relative safety of the vehicle through firing ports located in the passenger compartment (three per side with an additional two located at the rear of the vehicle) of the vehicle. Passengers could also quickly dismount via the doors located at the rear of the vehicle or by simply leaping over the sides.

In addition to its troop carrying capabilities, the BTR-152 could tow a heavy gun or carry 1.9 tonnes of cargo. However, the BTR-152 was not without its faults. These included the tires that lacked any form of protection and were vulnerable to puncturing as a result of enemy fire. Another flaw in the design was the armoured shutters used to protect the radiator from enemy fire. These were kept open when the vehicle wasn’t in action but the driver was forced to close them in combat the engine would rapidly overheat, forcing the driver to slow down to prevent damage to the engine. This often presented the enemy easy picking in terms of target acquisition.

Miniatures are supplied unpainted and may require assembly.