Our latest update comes courtesy of Ryan Peterson and is a custom built 1/6 figure representing a member of the Blueboy assult team during the Son Tay Raid. While not a SOG mission it featured a lot of SOG old hands in teh planning and execution including Arthur D."Bull" Simons,Donald Blackburn and Dick Meadows (amongst others)
This figure represents a member of the BLUEBOY Assault element of the Son Tay Raid. Due to the unusual nature of the raid, raiders were given access to a vast array of specialized and unique equipment, some of which is on display here. Among other items of note:
- The raider wears sterile OG-107 fatigues. Rank and branch collar tabs were worn by raiders, but no other insignia was permitted.
- On top of a patrol cap, he has a set of M44 SWD goggles. These were used as a safety measure due to the amount of debris being thrown up in the air by the raiders' helicopters, and the red lens was supposed to help the raiders retain their night vision.
- Instead of an M16, he carries a GAU-5/A/A, the Air Force variant of an XM177E2. This particular model lacks the forward assist of the Army version. Raiders were given 30-round mags to use on the raid that were specially procured from Colt. Some raiders also carried a special pouch made from claymore bags to carry the mags, while others - like this raider - used canteen covers to carry the mags.
- In addition to his carbine, he also carries a Colt .45 in a shoulder holster and MkIII concussion grenades. Frag grenades were not carried by members of the Assault element for fear of accidentally wounding the POW's they expected to find.
- An Aircrew survival knife is prominently strapped to his ankle - these were the most common knife used by the raiders, and can be seen worn like this in the pictures of then-Captain Dick Meadows, leader of BLUEBOY.
- Strapped to his h-harness are a miner's lamp and an AN/PRT-4A radio transmitter. The miner's lamp was carried by many raiders to help provide illumination in the night-time conditions that the raiders would operate in. The radio transmitter was used to help coordinate the assault on the prison camp - elements of the three raider teams would use the radio transmitter to signal that they were in position to the command elements, helping to ensure that the raid went smoothly.
- To the rear of his webgear, the raider carries a set of bolt cutters purchased at a local hardware store. The members of BLUEBOY all carried "jailbreak" gear - ranging from bolt cutters such as these and sledgehammers to blowtorches.
- On his back, the raider carries a specially designed E&E rucksack assembled by riggers specifically for the members of BLUEBOY. These rucks were quite large with dimensions of 18"x18"x10". Loadouts varied by individual, but it was typical to carry some survival gear, extra mags, and comfort items for the POW's that Son Tay was supposed to house.
For more information on the Operation Ivory Coast/ The Son Tay raid see below;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ivory_Coast
http://www.psywarrior.com/sontay.html
http://www.sontayraider.com/
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