"SCW 1:72 Militiawomen preview" Topic

When talking about Milicianas, those of you fond of Spanish Civil War gaming are most likely familiar to images like these below:

Such is certainly the most widespread look in our minds of those Spanish women having volunteered for fighting the military uprising against the Republic. Despite such appearance does respond partly to truth, for there actually arose a "revolutionary dress fashion" in Republican Spain following the uprising, it is not less true that these images also responded to the kind of caption war reporters of the time were seeking. So becoming quite of a sketchy, mystified image.

I'd bet not that many of you are so familiar to this other kind of images:

At the time of projecting a series of Republican Militiawomen, sure that we at Minairons Miniatures shouldn't neglect those first captions above –in the end, this is precisely what many are actually expecting us to make. But it is our bid not to restrict ourselves to merely sketchy figures, but to reveal some of the real, quite more assorted thing behind too.

Unlike the whole of our 1/72 SCW figures range, whose sculpting has been entrusted to Juan G. Bautista of Xan Miniatures, this particular series has been commissioned to a different sculptor; one Angel Terol of Madrid town, who is ill-known in wargaming circles still, but holds a wide experience at sculpting larger scale miniatures (mainly for collecting purposes), besides of being an expert at sculpting female body.

Thus Angel and I agreed short time ago a first, testing figure to be sculpted, with the aim to meet size, style and proportions according to the male figures sculpted by Xan. The selected figure would be one of the 2 NCOs that should lead a female fighters set, accordingly to our sets composition settled schema.

Well, this below is the result.

So, may I know your opinion?

Regards,
Lluís
www.minairons.eu

A beautifully proportioned figure

At 20 mm it's not my scale (1/56-28mm's my bag) but very nice nonetheless

Looks remarkably accurate for the time period. Clothing and face very believable for mid to late '30s.

I'll have to gear up for this period now to 'predate' my Canadian/German Crossfire project in 20mm!

I am most impressed, Lluís. She is a gem. Details are crisp and accurate, pose is animated and lifelike without being overdone. The weapon seems overscaled. In all though, a very fine master indeed.

Is your line compatible with earlier 20mm lines?

I'll need some of these. They look great!

1/72nd scale isn't really 20mm though.

I will buy them for my Polish Home Army and pulp games. Excellent. More!!!

Brilliantly done IMHO. I am defintely up for these, as I do game the SCW in 1/72 aka "20mm scale," and so far the only remotely feminine militianas in this scale a are limited number of static poses from Irregular Miniatures.

Lluis, any chance of a female gun crew or machine gun team? I seem to recall that during the SCW women served in a number of gun crews and I recall a photo from the period of one or more women as part of a Hothckiss machine gun team.

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

This is relevant to my interests. Well done.
-TV

Wonderful work, the whole project is very impressive. I do agree the pistol is clumsy though. Even so I can't wait to be able to buy a set.

I've been following Minairons very closely. They are a good and efficient company catering to their customers' interests!

Damn, if only a whole unit of these made it out in 28mm…

The figure looks great but as others have observed the pistol is way too big and looks like it would not fit into the holster.
Otherwise excellent!

-Kosta

Cracking figure, can't wait to see the rest.

I plan to use them for VBCW.

Thanks for your comments, Sirs.

We're currently experiencing Internet connection loss at Minairons desk, so I'm unable to give a response to all your questions and remarks. Coming back to you from home after lunch.

Apologies,
Lluís

Looks very nice . Should look superb when painted complete with dark hair. Even though I am not married to one there is something appealing about Hispanic women :)

Back to you again, as promised.

The weapon seems overscaled

It is indeed. Too much, perhaps? I'll let the sculptor know, now that we still are in time. Thanks for the warning!

Is your line compatible with earlier 20mm lines?

Our little men are 20-21mm average to eyebrows. Girls are some 1mm shorter.
Please check the comparison photos I posted on Minairons' blog some time ago, regarding our Republican Infantrymen. You can see them alongside to Irregular, HPC/Bandera, Barcino and BUM (sorry, such is the acronym!): link

1/72nd scale isn't really 20mm though

A certainly oooooooooold topic, I admit :) So as to be precise, our AFV boxes are labeled as "1:72 scale", while those of figures are referred to as "20mm", albeit sharing a same scale coded color band on box --red, just as PSC does.

All our 1:72 – 20mm range is currently carried in the US by Pat Condray of HPC, besides of all ranges being distributed by Stevens Intl. ;)

All the best,
Lluís

Oh sorry, I forgot to answer to one of your questions:

any chance of a female gun crew or machine gun team?

Leland,

We've forecast to develop a 2-boxes female series, following the path of male infantrymen. This one figure is to belong to the first set, consisting of 15 fighting girls --2 of which, NCOs. The second set will include a slightly smaller number of figures (some 12-13), comprising senior officers (there were a few such, indeed!), radio operators, paramedicals, war reporters, drivers, and one LMG team.

As for gun teams, I've seen only one picture showing a lonely artillerywoman amidst an all-male crew --and even this seemed too sketchy for being convincing. So I'm still doubtful about this. Any help to decide would be welcome, of course

Lluís

"Even though I am not married to one there is something appealing about Hispanic women."

I am, and there is.

Lluís, one of the things that I particularly like about the sculpt is her holster. As the model stands, the weapon she is carrying would not fit in it, nor is it any that I can identify.

Based on the holster, which is beautiful and perfect and should not be touched, I suggest going with one of the sidearms that did see service on both (or more) sides – the Ruby 7.65mm. Here is a link to an article on the weapon. Please note the poilu pictured in paragraph five of the article. His holster looks very much like that on the sculpt. link Obviously, the weapon itself is quite petite and compact, for a service pistol, and recoil on these is slight – a reasonable choice for a novice shooter, and a likely issue to a young woman. The Astra 300 is another possibility: link

I think a smaller weapon will only enhance the sculpt. The eye will focus on the dynamic human, not the static weapon. I am not a fan of GW style exaggerated weapons. They look clunky and unconvincing, rather than slim and deadly. Now, if only I can convince the people at Warcraft on that point!

Here are some of the other sidearms common in the SCW:
weaponsandwarfare.com/?p=5233
Star Modelo A
9mmlargo.com/star_a/index.htm
Astra 400
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astra_400
link
Campo-Giro 1913 (very cool looking!)
link
Llama (down page)
link
Royal
link
Beretta Model 1934
link
Tokarev TT30
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TT_pistol
and of course the Luger P08
link

Doubtless there were many revolvers too, but I didn't stumble across them.

Sorry to be such a Poindexter, but I just can't help myself!

Lluis,

many and I mean *many* years ago I owned a copy of the Ballantine Books volume on the Condor Legion. Therein was a photograph if distant memory serves correct of a Republican Hotchkiss machine gun team deployed frankly in the open. Lying on the ground up close to the machine gun aiming a rifle was a woman, with her young child(!!!!) lying right near her and slightly back. From the look of things, the whole group was a civilian Republican militia, but they did seem to know what to do with the machine gun.

Now, just how organized they all were as a machine gun team is anyone's guess (was the picture live as the caption implied, or staged for the camera?).

From what you've now said re: the composition of the Miliciana sets, I'm sold.

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

@Intrepide,

Thanks for your extensive help.

As a matter of fact, the pistol we reproduced in the girl's hand was precisely a Tokarev TT-33. But maybe you're right in that a smaller weapon would possibly enhance an otherwise intendedly smaller, slimmer than her male mates figure.

Shall pass on your links to the sculptor --although I can say in advance to have liked the Basque Ruby pistol alternative.

Regards,
Lluís