introduction

In November 1968, NVA command has dispatched a special Counter-SOG unit to patrol the area. This special unit was formed as a direct response to SOG incursions into Laos and Cambodia. Members of the counter-SOG unit come from the disbanded 304th Airborne Brigade of NVA. They were highly motivated individuals skilled in martial arts, trained by Soviet Special Forces in tactics and weapons. The counter-recon unit’s sole reason for existence is to hunt down SOG teams.

After three kits of MACV-SOG for Top Secret series, Vladimir sculpted a new pair for the enemy side. B6-35046 includes two figures depicting members of NVA Counter-SOG with special weapons and gear.

packing & casting

The kit comes in BRAVO-6 standard cardboard box labeled with a photo of painted figures. Two bodies and other small parts like heads, arms, weapons and personal gear are seperately inserted in three zip-lock bags.
Figures are sculpted by Vladimir Demchenko and cast in grey resin. Parts are represented with the casting blocks marked in A and B letters to identify each figure’s parts. Blocks can be removed easily with no damage on the figures and not much cleanwork will be needed. Casting quality is good, there is no casting problems on the figures, just a few seamlines to clean on the arms.

figures

Both figures wear green color standard NVA uniform. The uniform was a cotton shirt and trousers. The shirt had long sleeves, shirt-type cuffs and two pleated button-down breast pockets with pointed flaps. All buttons were brown plastic. The trousers had two side pockets.Trotters were tightened on the ankles with a loop and button arrangement. They have wide leather imitation belts with square metal buckles decorated with a star. The leather belts were usually worn by NVA officers instead of enlisted canvas belt. As for the footwear, both figures has PAVN Bata style shoes copied from the French Army Patauga boots,widely worn during first Indochina War. Uniform details are clear, sharp and well defined.

Figure heads show nice Asian facial details like straight hair, small slanting eyes, snub nosed , stuffed lips and high cheek bones.

FIGURE A
It comes in 7 parts. Body, head, two arms,machine gun, helmet and canteen.
Over his uniform, he has a Chest rig which looks like Chicom Type 56 Chest rig with three big magazine pockets and 2 smaller pouches on both sides. Straps of the rig are well defined and a Bamboo Camo-ring is attached where two straps are crossed on his back. NVA and VC fighters often employed this ingenious camo support system made of simple bamboo rings and cloth ties. Twigs and foliage are pulled through the spaces in between two rings and can be affixed at any angle. He carries a Chicom style canteen in canvas cover on his left back.

Arms are posed to carry a French Mat49 w/silencer, a 9 mm. submachine gun with retractable stock and 32 round magazine.Note that stock should be scratched using copper wire and stencil part inside the kit.

Helmet is standard Pith helmet, made of phenolic /plastic-impregnated cardboard and covered with cloth.

FIGURE B
It comes in 16 pieces. Body, head, two arms,machine gun, helmet, canteen and 9 hand grenades. He carries a Grenade chestboard used for quick throwing a barrage of grenades. Board carries 10 grenades and secured with a strap crossed on shoulders and tied on the back. I learned Vladimir got the idea from the SOG: A Photo History Of The Secret Wars book of John L.Plaster. Another very good result of a precious search.

A Chinese PPS-43 pouch with 3 big and 2 small pockets is carried on the left side and a canteen on the right.

Right arm is posed to throw a hand grenade. He carries a Russian F-1 Hand grenade in his hand and other 9 grenades are given seperately to add on the chestboard. Left arm is posed to carry his PPS-43, a 7.62 mm submachine gun with foldable stock and 35 round magazine.

Helmet is NVA Camo helmet,a Pith helmet with netting adorned by hand tied cloth clippings.

A resin block/Stencil is given to make the rectractable stock of MAT-49 from copper wire and a how-to scheme is added to the back side of the box.

conclusion

Unique figures with good poses and weapons,nice sculpt and flawless cast.

No doubt a satisfying kit for Vietnam War modelers.