JOD WW2 BRITISH ARMY

British Army WW2 STL Miniatures: 28mm Infantry for 3D Printing

The British infantry section of the Second World War was built around one weapon and nine men to protect it. The Bren gun did the killing, the rifle group did the moving, and the section commander’s job was keeping those two things working together. Understanding that changes how you field them, because a British force that splits its Brens is a British force that has thrown away its structure.

Part of the Join or Die WW2 collection, sculpted at 28mm and supplied as digital STL files with pre-supported and unsupported versions included.

An army that fought everywhere

Few forces covered as much ground. The same army fought in the North African desert, up through Italy, across north-west Europe after D-Day, and in Burma against an entirely different enemy in an entirely different climate. That range is useful for a wargamer, because a single British force can appear in scenarios that share almost nothing with each other.

It also means uniform and equipment varied considerably by theatre and year, which is worth knowing before you paint. Battledress in north-west Europe looks nothing like tropical kit in Burma, and a force painted for one won’t sit right in a scenario set in the other.

What’s in the range

Infantry forming the body of the force, command models, weapon teams and specialists. Enough to build a playable section or platoon from one nation rather than assembling odds and ends from different sources.

The range sits alongside our German, American and Soviet collections in the same sculpting style, so whichever matchup your scenario needs, both sides look like they belong on the same table. British Airborne is available as a separate collection for parachute formations.

Recognising the kit

The Brodie helmet is the giveaway, that broad shallow dish that no other army wore by 1944. Beyond it, the 1937 Pattern webbing in its distinctive layout, the Lee-Enfield with its bolt handle turned down, and the Bren with the curved magazine sitting on top rather than underneath. At 28mm all four read clearly, and getting them right is most of what makes a British unit identifiable before a single colour goes on.

Printing

Around 0.03mm layer height on resin handles gaming figures. Tilt 30 to 45 degrees so resin drains and you avoid suction on the base. Rifle barrels and the Bren’s bipod legs are the fragile parts, so check what automatic support generation has done to them before committing a plate.

Frequently asked questions

Which theatre should I paint my British force for?
Decide before you prime, because it’s difficult to change afterwards. North-west Europe from 1944 means khaki battledress, the standard choice and the one that works for the largest number of scenarios. North Africa means khaki drill, considerably lighter and often faded, with shorts on many figures. Italy sits between the two and varied by season. Burma means jungle green, which looks completely different from everything else. If you want one force that covers the most ground, north-west Europe battledress is the safe answer, and it’s what most sculpts in a general infantry range are designed around.

How many figures do I need for a playable British force?
For most skirmish systems a rifle section of eight to ten figures with a Bren team, plus a command element, gets you into a game. Platoon-level rules want three sections plus a platoon headquarters and typically a support weapon, so somewhere around thirty to thirty-five figures. The advantage of printing your own is that you can build up in section-sized batches rather than committing to a boxed count, and you’ll find your printer settings dialled in by the time you reach the second section.

Do the files come pre-supported?
Both versions are included. You get pre-supported files ready to slice and print straight away, and unsupported meshes if you’d rather place your own supports or rescale first. Most people use the pre-supported files as supplied. Where the raw meshes earn their keep is when you want to change orientation for a specific reason, such as keeping support contacts off a helmet or a face, or when you’re printing at a different size and the supplied supports no longer sit correctly.

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