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In-Box Review
135
German Soldiers at Work
German Soldiers at Work (RAD)
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by: Dave O'Meara [ GRUMPYOLDMAN ]

introduction

The Ukrainian manufacturer MiniArt recently released a new set of German Soldiers at Work. As anyone who was ever in the service during any war knows, not every minute is spent in combat. Most of the time is spent in either total boredom, sleeping, relaxing and the all important repair and maintenance of equipment.

In order to try to eliminate the boredom, the higher up invent mundane work details. Scraping barnacles from the bottoms of the ships’ small boats comes to my mind, along with wire brushing the engineering spaces' deck plates. I'm sure it was the same way in WW2 and the German Army.

review

What is in the box, I hear you ask! Well you get five figures doing various construction tasks. One fellow is carrying a long pole, possibly a fence post or the beginnings of a breastworks. Three others are busy digging a ditch, pit, or perhaps even a grave, one swinging down with his pick, one forcing down his spade, and another in the act of scooping up dirt. The last guy is walking along pushing the wooden wheel barrel.

The uniforms are in general disarray and portray men hard at work, and certainly not worrying about their neat military appearance. Two are working in shirtsleeve order, the other three are wearing their field jackets in a relaxed, open, (and with a little weathering), grubby state.

Now as most readers know, I'm certainly no expert on the German Army, so I won't even try to comment on the accuracy of the uniforms they are wearing. I will say they certainly do look the part of a group of Germans given a heavy work detail of digging in (perhaps a field piece) or cleaning up after a battle, or any other work that would require some swinging of pick axes. (Hey! Substitute a sledge hammer from the spares box and he's doing another work task!)

Having no idea what exactly the (RAD) in the title meant, I looked it up on "Wikipedia", so for whatever it’s worth this is what the RAD troops were described as:

The RAD was classed as Wehrmachtgefolge (lit. Armed Forces Auxiliaries). Auxiliary forces with this status while not a part of the Armed Forces themselves, provided such vital support that they were given protection under the Geneva Convention. Some, including the RAD, were militarized.

During the early war Norwegian and Western campaigns, hundreds of RAD units were engaged in supplying front-line troops with food and ammunition, repairing damaged roads and constructing and repairing airstrips. Throughout the course of the war, the RAD were involved in many projects. The RAD units constructed coastal fortifications (many RAD men worked on the Atlantic Wall), laid minefields, manned fortifications, and even helped guard vital locations and prisoners.

The role of the RAD was not limited to purely combat support roles. Hundreds of RAD units received training as anti-aircraft units and were deployed as RAD Flak Batteries. Several RAD units also saw ground combat on the eastern front as infantry. As the German defenses crumbled, more and more RAD men were committed to combat. In the final months of the war RAD men formed 6 major front-line units, which saw heavy fighting.


conclusion

This set is an interesting release, and will find a place in many dioramas. The one thing missing is the all important NCO or officer pointing and directing the work detail, we all know that the lower ranks can't work unsupervised! I'm sure most modelers will be able to find one of these laying about to add if desired. I'm pretty sure with a change in the shoulder patch (or removal) these figures could be used for just about any basic German doing some manual labor on a work detail.
SUMMARY
Highs: Unusual set in a non-combative assignment. Decent details for injection plastic figures, little to no flash or heavy seam lines.
Lows: If anything, some may find some of the details a little soft, but nothing that can't be enhanced with a little figure modeling skills, and a #11 blade.
Verdict: Well worth the $12.50 to add a little life to your next diorama.
  Scale: 1:35
  Mfg. ID: 35065
  Suggested Retail: 12.50 USD
  PUBLISHED: Feb 11, 2010
  NATIONALITY: Germany
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 87.92%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 85.88%

Our Thanks to Dragon USA!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About Dave O'Meara (Grumpyoldman)
FROM: FLORIDA, UNITED STATES

I'm rewriting this in a much more humoristic way, to help over inflate my ego, and place my self on a pedestal, because I don't have a life, and plastic models are the only thing I live for. I plead guilty as charged to excessive babble, light hearted humor, and continued encouragement to youngsters...

Copyright ©2021 text by Dave O'Meara [ GRUMPYOLDMAN ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

This looks like a useful set. Thanks for the inclusion of the information about the RAD units.
FEB 10, 2010 - 02:58 PM
Hi Dave, Thanks for the review, I see a few potential prisoners in this one. Al
FEB 11, 2010 - 07:21 AM
Nice review Dave, thank you. I remember when this set was first announced prior to production. I was interested back then. I have a small vignette in mind and this set would work out perfect. Thanks again, HARV
FEB 14, 2010 - 11:46 AM
Here's a question for the button and seam counters . Would these figures work in a dio for the time period right after the war was over? I'm thinking of a reconstruction senario under armed guard. Just can't find the uniforms in my German Army uniform book so I'm not sure if they would fit, cloths wise for that time.
FEB 15, 2010 - 04:18 AM
This is a very nice set. The uniforms could work for regular Heer troops as they look very similar. The RAD tunic is close to the early war M36 (or M40 with grey collar), which were continued to be issued up to the end of the war. RAD troops were fighting on the Eastern front late in the war, so these could easily work in a post-war construction scene, with a Russian guard or two
FEB 15, 2010 - 07:48 AM
Great for small to medium sized dios! I imagine these guys installing road signs along the side of a road in Russia, maybe warning against Partisan activity or something....or making anti-tank ditches, or fences, maybe clearing an obstacle or repairing telegraph poles......great little kit with lots of character and possibility. Even splitting them up and making a couple of small dios isn't a bad idea - latrine duty anyone! hopefully we'll see a Commonwealth version to go with the Tillies, CMP's and Bedfords!
FEB 16, 2010 - 12:41 PM
With a little trim here and there and civilian colors the guy with the shovel and the one with the pick could easily pass for civillians. I like the wheelbarrow too........Al
FEB 16, 2010 - 01:06 PM
   
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