1:72 Russian Infantry in Gas Masks WWI

Strelets-R 1:72 Russian Infantry in Gas Masks WWI

A figure set in 1:72 scale from the manufacturer Strelets-R depicting Russian infantry of the First World War in gas masks. It is an addition for dioramas and scenes, not a kit of hardware.

The real subject

The introduction of chemical warfare agents on the fronts of the First World War forced the mass equipping of infantry with protective gear. A mask fundamentally changes the silhouette of a figure: the face disappears, volume is added on the head and often a bag or a hose at the body as well. For a modeler that means a set that differs from ordinary infantry at first glance and in a diorama communicates the situation at once, without needing a caption for it.

Building and painting tips

Precisely because the face is missing, attention shifts to the differences of material. It pays to set three surfaces apart: the matte cloth of the uniform, the smoother and darker rubber part of the mask and the metal or glass eyepieces, which need only be suggested with a very small glossy dot. The procedure is otherwise standard: deburr the parting lines, apply primer for the sake of adhesion on soft plastic, lay the middle tone, draw the recesses in with a thin wash and go over the edges with an almost dry brush. The scene will benefit from thorough weathering of the lower part of the characters, as fine dust and mud on the boots and the hems of the trousers set the figures into the terrain better than any detail higher up. Glue to the bases with cyanoacrylate, as cement for polystyrene will not join this material.

Who the set is for

• Builders of dioramas from the First World War and of trench scenes
• Modelers looking for figures with an unusual, easily recognizable silhouette
• Wargamers playing the period of the First World War in 1:72
• Collectors of historical figure sets

The set is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints, bases and terrain material are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.