1:32 German WWII Volkssturm Defenders

The Volkssturm of 1944 to 1945 in 1:32 figures

The Ukrainian brand MARS Model devotes itself to figure sets, and this one is among its least usual subjects. It captures the German home guard in the closing phase of the war, that is, the sort of figures that turn up only rarely among military figures. The plastic castings are in 1:32 scale, in which historical figures have been collected for decades.

Who made up the Volkssturm

The Volkssturm was set up in the fall of 1944 as the last wave of conscription. It called up men who did not belong in the regular army - older age groups and adolescent boys, workers from the factories and members of party organizations. Their patchwork look was characteristic: civilian coats next to worn-out uniforms, improvised markings on the sleeve, armament put together from whatever was at hand. They were committed mainly to the defense of towns and improvised roadblocks in the last months of the conflict. It is precisely that variety that is the most interesting thing for a modeler, because every figure can look different.

A color strategy for a patchwork unit

Avoid a uniform palette. Alternate military gray with brown and black civilian tones so that the scene comes across as authentic. Wash the castings before you start and go over the seams with a scalpel. Before gluing, test the joint on a sprue offcut, as softer plastic does not hold with ordinary polystyrene cement. Finish the dusty boots and the hems of the coats with dry brushing in a light ocher.

The set will please

• modelers building scenes from the fighting for German towns in 1945
• collectors of less usual figure subjects
• makers of dioramas with civilians alongside the soldiers
• anyone interested in 1:32 scale

In the box you will find bare plastic castings, not finished painted soldiers.