Red October Factory in Stalingrad, 1943
Scenic Effects 1:72 Scale Scenery Review
Soviet armour and infantry defending the Red October Factory at Stalingrad. The building offers numerous firing positions and hiding places among the rubble and the destroyed machinery. An underground tunnel system can be used to move from one area to another.
Tuesday Night at the Steel Works
The re-released Scenic Effects’ model portrays a factory building which has sustained heavy damage from shelling and bombardment. The roof of the building has caved in, burying the machinery underneath it and covering much of the 23″ × 16″ floorspace of the building with heavy rubble. Pedestrian tunnels leading into the building still provide access to raised platforms which overlook the heavy machinery on the ground floor. The largest of the platforms has been turned into a defensive position. Trenches with duckboard floors connect the gutted shell of a former office space with some rifle pits and tunnel entrances. Shell holes in this area provide additional cover. A destroyed office on the ground floor can be turned into a firing position for an anti-tank gun which will dominate the street outside.
The reviewer had the opportunity to attack and defend the factory building in the course of a small skirmish game. Limited visibility inside the factory, the numerous defensive positions provided by the heavy rubble and number of possible attack routes made the game very interesting and challenging for attackers and defenders alike. As a dedicated game environment, the factory has excellent replay value.
Contents
Factory Building
- Five Wall Sections
- 23″ Length equals 42 m
- 16″ Width equal 29 m
Evaluation
Scale model with much detail. Battle damage, rubble and fortifications look very convincing.
Excellent playability. The building was specifically designed for simulation games and it provides a ready-made defensive position which may be fought over in a variety of scenarios. Defense and attack of the factory will be challenging to players. Sandbagged positions and other small terrain pieces may be added to change the layout of the defensive perimeter inside.
Easy to assemble, only five wall sections and a base.
Polyurethane resin can be carved, drilled and sanded very easily.
Excellent choice of subject. The factory can be used as an instant terrain piece for skirmish games and large battles, requiring very little set-up time. The building is generic enough that it can be used on other fronts.
Trenches are wide enough to accomodate 20-25 mm figures.
Without the use of a small periscope it will be very difficult to judge line of sight inside the building correctly, particularly when the factory is part of a larger wargame set-up.
Historical Employment
- Stalingrad 1943
- Eastern Front 1941–1945
- Central Europe 1900–1960
Possible Conversions
- Undamaged sections of overhead walkways may be added at either end of the building.
- Remaining sections of the roof may be added to further detail the model and provide firing positions for snipers.
- Sandbagged positions, additional shell craters and rubble may be used to alter the interior landscape and create new challenges for the players.
- A destroyed rail car may be placed on the tracks inside the factory.
Scenic Effects’ Red October Factory is an excellent center-piece for company and battalion level streetfighting scenarios. Because of its size, the model practically qualifies as a terrain tile, allowing instant set-up for a fast game.