STRELETS-R (174)

Although many in the US foresaw war with Japan, when the blow fell in December 1941, the US possessions in the Pacific were far from ready. Troop levels and supplies of equipment were not adequate on the smaller outposts such as Wake Island and Guam, and the defence of the largest, the Philippines, was entrusted in large measure to local forces which had not had sufficient training or the modern equipment to meet the threat. Although the defence of these territories was brave and not without success, in the end the troops that defended them were all subdued, and many thousands would find themselves as prisoners of war, subjected to the most horrific abuse and neglect until finally liberated in 1945. Specifications Contents: 52 figures Poses: 13 poses Material: Plastic (Medium Consistency)

The Seminoles of Florida had evolved mainly from various tribes who had been driven from their homelands by European immigrants settling further north, and were boosted by refugees from slavery in the plantations. As European immigrant control spread, there were more clashes with Indians, and their refusal to return runaway slaves added to the calls by many in the north to have them removed further west, by force if necessary. In what would now be condemned as ethnic cleansing, this policy was enacted in a series of actions by the US Government, principally three Seminole Wars between 1818 and 1858, when most of the Indians were eventually transported west. Although several sets have previously depicted the Indians further west, this is the first to depict the Seminoles. Specifications Contents: 56 figures Poses: 14 poses Material: Plastic (Medium Consistency)

A combination of widespread mistrust of standing armies and a desire to not spend money, meant that the US Congress kept the size of the army in the first half of the 19th century extremely low, limiting it to no more than 6,000 men in 1821, for example. Only during periods of war, such as against Mexico, did the numbers rise significantly, which meant that when some military action was planned, the regulars had to call on local militia and civilian volunteers to make up the numbers. Thus during the Seminole Wars (roughly between 1816 and 1858), a large part of the deployed forces were short-term volunteers – over 30,000 were employed during the second war alone. Since the Seminoles used guerilla tactics, their small numbers could threaten a very wide area, requiring not only front line troops but also escorts and garrisons, which is how many such volunteers were used, though they also fought in many actions big and small. They suffered in the hot and swampy terrain of Florida, and many died of disease and heat prostration, but their contribution was essential. Specifications Contents: 52 figures Poses: 13 poses Material: Plastic (Medium Consistency)

The origins of the Texas Rangers date from 1823, when Stephen F Austin, a local Texas landowner who was unimpressed with the level of security offered by central government, first organised a band of men to protect his assets from lawless settlers and local tribal raids. Such bands were loosely organised, and hardly even warranted the term ‘militia’. The men provided their own clothing and weapons, mustered when a crisis occurred, and disbanded as soon as they felt the problem had been resolved. During the Texas Revolution (November 1835) the new interim rebel Texas government approved the creation of the official Texas Rangers, which were a more formal version of the previous bands, though still ununiformed and to a large extent self-sufficient. Initially they had some very small involvement in the struggle against the Mexican government, but their main focus remained action against the indigenous natives, mainly Comanches, and their relative cheapness made them an attractive law-enforcement unit for the new government. Specifications 52 figures Poses: 13 poses Material: Plastic (Medium Consistency) Grey

The Comanches have been described as the Lords of the Southern Plains, and with good reason. During the 17th century they had migrated south to the area they would come to dominate, located in what today is southern Kansas and Colorado, eastern New Mexico, much of Oklahoma and northern Texas. They expelled most of the natives already there, and were quickly recognised as one of the most warlike of tribes, with an exceptional prowess in handling horses and raiding. The early Spanish settlers they found to the south of their lands were easy prey for their raids, but during the early 19th century they increasingly came across other settlers to the east of their lands, with a paler skin but much better armed and much better able to defend themselves. These new American settlers organised groups like the Texas Rangers to protect their communities and punish Comanche raids, and as time went by, the natives suffered increasing losses at the hands of these men, with their new weaponry, greater mobility, and even new diseases for which the Indians had no defence. In their struggle with Texas, and later with the growing United States, the Comanches could not prevail and protect their way of life, but their raids were a constant fear of those on the furthest edges of the new republic, and they were amongst the most dangerous obstacles to the westward expansion of the United States. Specifications 52 figures Poses: 13 poses Material: Plastic (Medium Consistency) Brown

Strelets Mini Roman Republican Legion in Battle Specifications 48 figures 12 poses 1:72 Scale  

Crimean War British Heavy Dragoons Specifications 12 mounted figures 12 poses Horses come in 6 pose  

The Strelets Roman Transport 3 from the plastic figure models range accurately recreates the real life figues. Specifications13 figures, 2 horses, 1 wagon

Pickett’s Charge 1 Pickett’s Charge, one of the most famous events of the American Civil War, has been described as the high water mark of the Confederacy and the turning point of the war, after which it became increasingly clear that the South could not win. On the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, some 12,500 confederate infantry advanced about a kilometer towards a well-defended Union line, all the time suffering from musket and cannon fire. Few reached the objective, and they soon had to retreat or surrender, but the horrific casualties (over 50 percent) and the perceived futility of the attack right from the start, meant it has remained in the American consciousness to this day. However, it was far from the only example of formed infantry suffering huge losses as they approached a defended position, and countless thousands on both sides lost their lives using Napoleonic tactics against modern industrial weapons. Features 45 Figures 19 poses  

The conventional narrative is that generals and other officers adhered stubbornly to the tactics of the Napoleonic Wars, in which armies employed linear formations and favored open fields over the usage of cover (whether constructed or natural in origin). Presumably, the greater accuracy and range of the rifle musket rendered that approach obsolete, and the Civil War armies' transition to longer battles in 1864 is taken by numerous scholars as proof of the new technology's transformative impact.

Confederate Infantry Standing (ACW/American Civil War era) All figures are supplied unpainted Specification Contents: 50 figures Poses: 22 poses Material: Plastic (Medium Consistency) Colours: Grey Average Height: 23.5 mm (= 1.7 m)

A feature that distinguishes Strelets from other companies in this area is the greater variety of poses in it's sets. In our opinion, this allows collectors and gamers to better recreate battles and improve the realism of games. Standard infantry set contains at least 45 different poses, and a mixed infantry/cavalry set at least 24 infantry and 6 mounted figures.

Landwehr, or Landeswehr, is a German language term used in referring to certain national armies, or militias found in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe. In different context it refers to large-scale, low-strength fortifications.

The Strelets 1/72 British Infantry in Advance 1701-1714 for Spanish Succession War (Marlburia) plastic figure models accurately recreates the real life warriors during the early 18th Century. This plastic figures kit requires paint, and may require glue, to complete.