Sixth Vanguard
Board Flunky, aka Site Admin
Platoon leader Zdravko Kovacic, 2nd Peoples Liberation Army (Tito?s
Partisans), Croatia, April 1945.
This figure depicts Zdravko Kovacic, a member of the Peoples
Liberation Army, during the final offensives against the Axis invaders.
He has advanced through the ranks, and is now the leader of a platoon.
He?s wearing a mix of civilian, British and captured Italian and German
gear and clothing. His only mean of identification is a piece of cloth
around his right arm with the red star. Kovacic is leading his platoon
against a small village nearby, which is occupied by the Germans. The
fighting has been very tough the previous days, and the Axis forces, it
seems, will not give up ground willingly. The 2nd army?s goal is to
take control of Zagreb. The city was liberated about a month later.
The Yugoslavian partisans (from Wikipedia):
In April 1941, Yugoslavia was invaded by Nazi Germany. On July 30 the
first rebels made their presence armed action was carried out. The
participants then proceeded to Kopaonik and, together with other
insurgents from the Ibar valley and the moutain villages, began the
struggle for freedom. On August 10, 1941 in Stanulovi?, a mountain
village, they formed the Kopaonik Partisan Unit Headquarters. Their
liberated area was called the Miners Republic and lasted 42 days. They
joined the ranks of Tito and the Peoples Liberation Army and Partisan
Detachments of Yugoslavia later on. The Yugoslav Partisans went under
the official name of People's Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments
of Yugoslavia and were under the direct command of Marshal Tito and the
Yugoslav Communist Party (CPY) Politburo.
The Partisans and the People's Liberation Army staged a guerrilla
campaign which enjoyed gradually increased levels of support among the
population. People's committees were organized to act as civilian
governments in liberated areas of the country, and even limited arms
industries were set-up.
After the Teheran Conference in 1943 they received official
recognition as the legitimate national liberation force by the Allies,
who subsequently set-up the RAF Balkan Air Force under the influence
and suggestion of Brigadier-General Fitzroy MacLean, and with the aim
to provide increased supplies and tactical air support for Tito's
forces.
In 1945 the Partisans, numbering over 800,000[1] defeated Usta?e and
the Wehrmacht, breaking through a hard-fought front in Syrmia in late
winter, taking Sarajevo in early April, and the rest of Croatia and
Slovenia through mid-May. After taking Rijeka and Istria, which were
part of Italy before the war, they beat the Allies to Trieste by a day.
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Figure: DML Hasan Malnar, slimmed at the shoulders and chest. The head
was stripped and repainted with acrylics and pastels.
Coat: DML General Lee, buttons were repainted and the coat was
weathered with sand paper and pastels.
Sweater: TT Italian.
Trousers: DML British, weathered with sand paper and pastels.
Boots: DML German low boots, the nails on the sole were grinded down,
and I gave them a new paint job.
Gloves: DiD, weathered.
Belt: Custom made from leather, with DML buckle.
Haversack: DML British, dyed in a darker colour and weathered.
Bag: TT Italian, dyed in a darker colour and weathered.
Canteen: Custom made. The canteen itself is from Remy. I removed the
felt cover, and glued leather to both sides. Then I sew them together,
and the excess was cut away. I then painted it, and fitted a strap,
made from athletic tape, to it. I also added a chain to the cap.
Binoculars: DML British, repainted.
Rifle: DML Beretta, repainted and weathered.
Pistol: DML P38, repainted.
Grenade: DML, repainted.
Insignia: Identification band was made from athletic tape, and the
star was painted with acrylics.
Base: Custom.
Partisans), Croatia, April 1945.
This figure depicts Zdravko Kovacic, a member of the Peoples
Liberation Army, during the final offensives against the Axis invaders.
He has advanced through the ranks, and is now the leader of a platoon.
He?s wearing a mix of civilian, British and captured Italian and German
gear and clothing. His only mean of identification is a piece of cloth
around his right arm with the red star. Kovacic is leading his platoon
against a small village nearby, which is occupied by the Germans. The
fighting has been very tough the previous days, and the Axis forces, it
seems, will not give up ground willingly. The 2nd army?s goal is to
take control of Zagreb. The city was liberated about a month later.
The Yugoslavian partisans (from Wikipedia):
In April 1941, Yugoslavia was invaded by Nazi Germany. On July 30 the
first rebels made their presence armed action was carried out. The
participants then proceeded to Kopaonik and, together with other
insurgents from the Ibar valley and the moutain villages, began the
struggle for freedom. On August 10, 1941 in Stanulovi?, a mountain
village, they formed the Kopaonik Partisan Unit Headquarters. Their
liberated area was called the Miners Republic and lasted 42 days. They
joined the ranks of Tito and the Peoples Liberation Army and Partisan
Detachments of Yugoslavia later on. The Yugoslav Partisans went under
the official name of People's Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments
of Yugoslavia and were under the direct command of Marshal Tito and the
Yugoslav Communist Party (CPY) Politburo.
The Partisans and the People's Liberation Army staged a guerrilla
campaign which enjoyed gradually increased levels of support among the
population. People's committees were organized to act as civilian
governments in liberated areas of the country, and even limited arms
industries were set-up.
After the Teheran Conference in 1943 they received official
recognition as the legitimate national liberation force by the Allies,
who subsequently set-up the RAF Balkan Air Force under the influence
and suggestion of Brigadier-General Fitzroy MacLean, and with the aim
to provide increased supplies and tactical air support for Tito's
forces.
In 1945 the Partisans, numbering over 800,000[1] defeated Usta?e and
the Wehrmacht, breaking through a hard-fought front in Syrmia in late
winter, taking Sarajevo in early April, and the rest of Croatia and
Slovenia through mid-May. After taking Rijeka and Istria, which were
part of Italy before the war, they beat the Allies to Trieste by a day.
[hr:49768714e1]
[hr:49768714e1]
[hr:49768714e1]
[hr:49768714e1]
[hr:49768714e1]
[hr:49768714e1]
[hr:49768714e1]
[hr:49768714e1]
[hr:49768714e1]
Figure: DML Hasan Malnar, slimmed at the shoulders and chest. The head
was stripped and repainted with acrylics and pastels.
Coat: DML General Lee, buttons were repainted and the coat was
weathered with sand paper and pastels.
Sweater: TT Italian.
Trousers: DML British, weathered with sand paper and pastels.
Boots: DML German low boots, the nails on the sole were grinded down,
and I gave them a new paint job.
Gloves: DiD, weathered.
Belt: Custom made from leather, with DML buckle.
Haversack: DML British, dyed in a darker colour and weathered.
Bag: TT Italian, dyed in a darker colour and weathered.
Canteen: Custom made. The canteen itself is from Remy. I removed the
felt cover, and glued leather to both sides. Then I sew them together,
and the excess was cut away. I then painted it, and fitted a strap,
made from athletic tape, to it. I also added a chain to the cap.
Binoculars: DML British, repainted.
Rifle: DML Beretta, repainted and weathered.
Pistol: DML P38, repainted.
Grenade: DML, repainted.
Insignia: Identification band was made from athletic tape, and the
star was painted with acrylics.
Base: Custom.
