No more artillery (for a while)!!

I've polished off one last East German artillery battery. My reserve and training unit, part of the 20th Motor Rifle Division, is equipped with outdated equipment, as would have been the case in reality, so I needed a battery with semi-obsolete guns.

The D-20 152mm howitzer:

went into service in 1955 and it was intended to replace a variety of types of 152mm WWII-era guns still in Soviet service, primarily the ML-20:

The ML-20 had entered service in 1937 and ceased production in 1947, so the design was showing its age by the 1950s. (That last photo is the North Koreans. They were probably executing someone standing right in front of the muzzle. Gotta love the Norks. If something's worth doing, it's worth maniacally overdoing. Anyway....).

The ML-20, like all superseded equipment in the WarPac, never really got to retire, as production levels of its successor never met demand. As far as possible, it was relegated to second line units, such as the East German 20th Motor Rifle Division. 

Here's my battery:

The usual 1V18 forward observer vehicle and a BTR-60PU for the battery commander. As the ML-20 weighed virtually twice what the D-20 did, I've elected to go with a heavy prime mover, the AT-T:

As an aside, for those of you that game WWII in 3mm, O8's ML-20 mini will easily pass for the Soviet 152mm M1910/34 howitzer.

The only appreciable difference between the two was the M1910's barrel was 14'4", excluding the muzzle brake, while the ML-20 had a 10' barrel, again excluding the brake. That 4 feet translates into 2mm at this scale. Certainly noticeable if you really look hard enough, but not an "in your face" difference.

Hopefully, I'll get in a busy painting weekend. I need to get another battalion of East German T-55s finished so I can complete an armored regiment. We'll see how busy Mrs. History PhD keeps me with BS...I mean "necessary household projects". More next time!