1/6 UJINDOU UD9023 WWII 13. Waffen Gebirgs-Division Der SS 'Handschar' Pionier (Balkans Campaign, 1944)

[Asta]

COSTUME ：
1. 1X M42 Helmet
2. 1X Gray Handschar Fez
3. 1X Red Handschar Fez
4. 1X M42 Field Uniform Jacket
5. 1X M42 Field Uniform Pants
6. 1X Italian Camouflage Gebirgsjäger Mountain Anorak (reversible wear)
7. 1X Italian camouflage mountain pants
8. 1 PAIR Mountain Puttees
9. 1 PAIR Bergschuhe Mountain Boots

NEW BOND HEAD SCULPTURE
BODY W/ RELAXED HANDS

PALMS:
1. 1PAIR GUN HOLDING HANDS

ACCESSORIES:
1. Pioneer combat assault pouch set & backpack
2. Explosive assault bag
3. Saw
4. Saw Pouch
5. Long Shovel
6. Long Shovel Pouch
7. Wire cutters
8. Wire cutters pouch
9. S84/98 Bayonet
10. Waffen-SS Equipment Belt
11. "Y" Straps

WEAPONS:
1. Kar98k Rifle

INSIGNIA:
1. 13.SS Collar Tabs
2. SS Sleeve Eagle & Croatian Volunteer Badge
3. SS Mountain Troop Sleeve Edelweiss Patch
4. Infantry Assault Badge
5. Anti-Partisan Badge
6. Wound Badge
7. Iron Cross 2nd class Ribbon

 

[Asta]

Camouflage colours are a thorny subject, and there were variations during the war.

However, I'm pretty sure that Ujindou have matched theirs to the much more garish post-war production:

The wartime green was more muted:

https://www.panzergrenadier.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11845&start=15


I had a difficult time trying to dull down Ujindou's Gran Sasso Fallschirmjaeger camouflage using tea, as the cloth resisted absorption. A long time soaking resulted in only a slight improvement.

 

[mistermark]

Looks awesome though

 

[Asta]

https://onesixthkit.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=4575

 

[Asta]

This is an odd one. More of a curiosity than something that fits into my areas of interest.

The division was created specifically to deal with communist lead partisans in the Independent State of Croatia. Only around 60% were Bosnian Muslim. Due to a shortfall in volunteers 10% were Croatian Catholics, and the remainder Yugoslavian ethnic Germans who made up nearly all of the officers and senior NCOs.

Don't know whether Ujindou had this in mind when they made him a Pioneer, but it was pro-partisan members of the Pioneer Battalion who mutinied during training in France in September 1943. They captured most of the German personnel and executed five German officers, including the Pioneer Battalion commander, SS-Obersturmbannführer Oskar Kirchbaum.




Of course, de-fezzed and with the camo smock on, he could represent another Jäger or Gebirgsjäger unit. Though there's still the issue of the gaudy post-war camouflage, as eye catching as it is. A soaking in tea may mute it a bit, but if its the same material they used for the Gran Sasso figure it won't have much effect. A wash in acrylics might work better.

 

[abake]

The head sculpt reminds me of Talking Heads' David Byrne...

 

[Asta]

He's in stock at OSK and ready to ship today.

Kit Chen​

Admin
· 1 h ·

 

[Asta]

He was meant to be delivered last Saturday but Royal Mail sent him to the wrong delivery office.

The sculpt is better than I expected:

Those shots also highlight a problem with the prototype that was never addressed - the Waffenfarbe for Gebirgstruppe should be meadow green, not dark green.

At t'other end, the two-tone boots look good:

The Karabiner 98k is identical to the one that came with their Hitler Jugend AHS figure:

The Italian Telo Mimetico camouflage:

Equipment:

I made two figures from one set:

I put the camouflage onto the body from Ujindou UD9022 Hitler Jugend AHS, with the sculpt from VTS' Stallone Judge Dredd, which I thought looked appropriate.

He's also wearing the mountain boots fromUD9022, plus a Dragon Models Waffen-SS belt.

I cut the fez tassel shorter because Ujindou made them very long.

The second figure is on the stock body, but with UD9022's 98k and ammunition pouches, plus old Dragon Models parts including belt, bread bag, canteen, mess tin, shovel and bayonet. He has a Heer belt, which is why he's holding it, because I wanted to keep the Waffen-SS belt spare for one of the upcoming UD9027 LSSAH Panzer figures.

 

[Asta]

I gave him back his SS belt and worked on trying to pose the camouflage version.

"Bandit Hunters":

 

[Chambea1114]

I gave him back his SS belt and worked on trying to pose the camouflage version.

View attachment 679535

"Bandit Hunters":

View attachment 679532

View attachment 679542

I don't know what it is about the M42 uniform figure but he gives me default 60-80s WW2 Movie German soldier vibes.

 

[Asta]

I don't know what it is about the M42 uniform figure but he gives me default 60-80s WW2 Movie German soldier vibes.

Funny you mention that because that was kind of what was in my mind. My collection was lacking a basic, more classic looking German soldier as most of them are in camouflage, tropical or specialist uniforms. One step closer would be a basic Heer in jackboots like Hans, Dragon Models' first 1/6 figure. The feldgendarme is close, but the gorget throws him off and puts him into the specialist category.

 

[Asta]