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A Boy's Daydream

Zapad 81 was the largest Warsaw Pact manoeuvres ever staged during the Cold War. Zapad 81 (West 81) took place in Poland from the 4th to the 11th of September 1981 and involved an estimated 150 000 troops. The infamous RSD10 (SS 20 Saber) nuclear missile was involved for the first time, along with the simulated use of tactical nuclear weapons.

In this scene, a small boy from a local collective watches in fascination as a platoon of T62 tanks clatters past under cover of an SA4 GANNEF SAM launcher. With his young imagination working overtime, he sees himself one day proudly standing in the turret of his own tank. But, in his excitement, he wanders a little too close for comfort. A Gannef crewman sees him and gently scolds him for wandering to close to the action and tells him to go home before he gets into trouble. After all, he remembers he was once the same age.

Both Trumpeter kits are pretty much the usual in way of fit and accuracy and are both recommended to any soviet armour fan. Resin figures from Tank and Stalingrad complete the picture.