The Australian Special Air Service (SAS) served with great distinction in Vietnam between 1966 and 1971. Sculptor Mike Broadbent thought it was about time we added these 'Phantoms in the Jungle' (as their Vietnamese opponents called them) to our existing 28mm Australians in Vietnam range.
Founded in 1957, along similar lines to their British counterparts, the Australian SAS Company was originally part of the Royal Australian Regiment. Later expanded to form three 'Sabre squadrons', the unit was given regimental status of its own in 1964 and went on to its first full deployment during the Indonesian Confrontation in 1965. All three squadrons each then completed two tours of duty in Vietnam, based at Nui Dat and operated throughout Phuoc Tuy province, as well as Bien Hoa, Long Khanh, and Binh Tuy provinces. They acted as the "eyes and ears" of the 1st Australian Task Force in a wide range of operations, often working closely with members of the New Zealand SAS. These operations included reconnaissance patrols, observing enemy movements, and offensive operations deep into enemy held territory. They proved to be very adept at this work - achieving many successes, the highest 'kill' ratio of any Australian unit in Vietnam, and the grudging respect of their Viet Cong opponents. They also worked alongside U.S. Seal teams and U.S. Army Special Forces, and provided instructors to the LRRP School.
Mike Broadbent was so impressed by the new release from Ambush Alley Games for the Vietnam adaptation of their rules Force on Force, that he rushed to his work bench and sculpted these new figures straight away.
There are six different figures in the Australian SAS set. As usual, Mike has paid careful attention to equipping them with all the correct weaponry. One holds the SLR with pistol-grip attached to hand-guard and 30 round magazine, while two others carry the shortened version of the SLR (also with the 30-round magazine). Another bears a stripped down M60 machinegun, and the rest are equipped with a standard M16 and an M203 (M16 variant with under-slung XM148 grenade launcher). All are represented with the correct webbing and packs. Figure painters can test themselves with the disruptive camouflage patterns favored by the Australian SAS in Vietnam. Our examples were beautifully painted for us by Helen Bachaus.
Those of you already familiar with Mike Broadbent's Australians in Vietnam range will know that it includes a useful set with an Ox cart (with a choice of loads) and a Vietnamese lady with a bicycle. Mike has taken this opportunity to add another Vietnamese civilian set, containing an old man and a woman carrying wicker baskets from a shoulder yoke.
Here are the catalogue details for the new miniatures:
NEW 28mm Australians in Vietnam
Sculpted by Mike Broadbent
Australian SAS
100NAM09 - Australian SAS patrol - 6 figures
Vietnamese
100NAM22 - Vietnamese Civilians: old man and woman with baskets on yoke - 2 figures
You can also order these figures from our representatives in North America, Eureka Miniatures U.S.A., and in the U.K. from Fighting 15s.