Dragon LSSC Navy SEAL 1/35

Very nice figure, but -- I'm pretty sure that's a Vietnam-era (Navy) SEAL with a Stoner machine gun, not an (Army) LRRP.  

thats right. The LRRPS were born in the jungles of Vietnam. Derived from the Navy seals and the Green Berets of that time. stands for Long Range Recon Patrol. He is figure from my high speed heavly armoured LRRP twin engine jet boat by Dragon models. Although the kit only containes two boat crew and then 4 lrrps the patrols mostly operated in 6 man teams. They were often called by enemy the men with green faces feom their green and black paint face camouflage. more figures to come soon.

LRRPs is an army term, they developed Ranger units to operate deep inside Eastern Europe during the Cold War in the 1950s. They pre-date the Green Berets (US Army Special Forces) that came about in the 1960s. Both were used in Vietnam where they gained their fame, but the LRRPs began in post war Germany.

The boat you are talking about (and that the figure comes from ) is the Dragon Light SEAL Support Craft or LSSC. SEALs are Navy; LRRPs and Green Berets are Army. The figures in the kit are sailors (SEALs) not soldiers (LRRPs).

you are right thanks for the correction. I have some lrrps figures by dragon also and got them mixed up. Also the name of the boat lssc. And i forgot about the rangers. I didnt know the lrrps were around pre 60's. So muched crossed and misled info around Nam era. Its hard to know sometimes what was what and when and where etc. I read one thing then another reference says something different. I have re-titled the figure. Thanks again for the correction. I seem to be making a lot of mistakes on here lately. Think i will just go back to my models and stay off the computers. ( fsm )

Yes indeed, the LRRPs do pre date SF. Although to add to the confusion it was SF who started and ran the Recondo school (at Nha Trang IIRC) where LRRPs were trained in Vietnam. Graduation from the course was a real world mission. The LRRPs were assigned to divisions, Independent Brigades, and the Field Forces. Around 1968 or so, the LRRP units were re-designated as Ranger Companies. One of the few Army National Guard Ground units that went to Vietnam was a LRRP/Ranger unit from Indiana. When US ground forces were withdrawn from Vietnam, the LRRP/Ranger units were inactivated. The Ranger Battalions (1st & 2nd) that were formed in the mid 70s, were not LRRP units. The Army did not re establish that capability again for nearly a decade until the mid 80s when Long Range Surveillance Units were again established in Europe. with V and VII Corps each getting a LRS Company(LRSC). Later each division in the Army would get a LRS Detachment (LRSD), and each Corps a LRSC.

BTW, very nice work on the SEAL Those are decals for the Tiger Stripes? Oh that's cheating

Remember, before Vietnam, our real threat was the Soviet Union and continued to be so for decades. LRRPs were designed to go deep into Soviet/Warsaw Pact territory in event of a war and report back. That's the "reconnaissance" part. Good scouts are never detected.

This was before widespread use of satellites and overflights would be risky (i.e. post-Powers U-2 incident). Best way to get intel in time of war would be to send guys on the ground.

hahaha yep i cheated. i used decals for the camouflage. My first attempt at painting tigerstripes was shocking. without a scale referance i was not going anywhere fast after 3 attempts. So i decided on the tigerstripe JWD decals. At first try they looked a pair of MC Hammer pants. More research and something i should of had in my paint box was decal micro sol. and micro set. these help adhere the decals, soften them to bend around shapes but most importantly shrunk them tight to reveal detail like pockets and buttons etc.  Applying the decals to the figures is somewhat like dress fitting though ! you almost need templates. but many small peices can be joined or added to cover the area. And once set/ shrunk you cant tell its made up of many decals. even when i try'd to add detail by different pattern like they are sowed on like pockets and seems , the cam just seems to blend with no seperate lines showing. Now i can see a scale pattern with the decals i would attempt to paint some tigerstripes myself.  Thanks Stik for the comments and lesson on LRRPS.

I was in a Guard LRS unit for many years and have a special affinity for their history and lineage. As Rob said the best source of intel is unseen boots/eyes on the ground. The LRS motto is "In orbe terrum non visus- Around the world unseen". Sensors can be fooled. UAVs, Satellites, Manned Aircraft and Scouts of all sorts compliment one another. But when I retired a few years back, LRS units were being deactivated in favor of drones. My old LRSD no longer exists.

I will have to keep my eyes open for some of those decals. I can do a reasonably decent job on those cammies hand painted, but those decals really nail it. I have that LSSC/SEAL kit and am in the finishing stages on the boat currently.

Stik, looks like i will have to pull my finger out get my done too. I have the interior finished and almost 3 figures complete, i just have to airbrush the hull and weather it. I wanted to display it as dio with all aboard on the move, but i have never done water yet.

Stik how were you going to display your boat ? . If you dont mind i'll post up mine in your thread or your more than welcome to do the same if i beat you to it. ;-)

Thanks Rob also for the knowledge on the LRRPS.Im currently reading a book called ' Inside the LRRP Ranger in vietnam. But only just touched on it so far.

I am just going to have mine on the kit stand. I really do not have the excess display space for a diorama. I have the old thread for the build in the ship forum somewhere in here... you're more than welcome to put pics of yours up in there.

I have been reading the above mentioned book, and found the info is very rewarding.

Stik And rob, you seem to know your stuff already.

However, the LRRP term as i said was born in Vietnam. Pointing out that LRRPs were more evolutionary in concept than revolutionary. Vietnam LRRPs may have been an inovation, but they were following in the proud footsteps of many Rangers who had gone before them, as Mentioned by Rob and Stik.

The term Ranger dates back to a time in America when the war was much fought like in the jungles of Vietnam. The colonist Vs the Idians. Small frontiersmen soon were scouting the woods using the same tactics as the Idians. Reports of those patrols often included phrases as "Ranged five miles down river "

From these reports the soldiers became know as "Rangers" and the beggining of a legend was born on the American frontier. The earliest unit formed called Rangers was that of the Massachusetts militiamen known as Church's Rangers. Fought in King Philip's War of 1675-1676 !  

So really the birth of Rangers ( LRRPs ) dates back well before WWII and the later Cold War.

I was very incorrect about them being formed from GB and SEALS. Dont know where i read that. Also 4 man tems as well as 6 was normal.

After Captain Benjamin Churchs Rangers, many were to come. Then the "father of the Amercian Rangers" belongs to Major Robert Rogers.

The first official use of the term LRRP came from CONARC Directive 525-4, dated May 25, 1961.

Titled "combat Operations, ROAD-65 (Reorganization Objective Army Divisions) (65 is the planned date of total implementation) Training Literature, Long Range Reconnaissance Patrolling"

First known as DELTA teams,  and the term LRP also being used with the term LRRP.

The LRRPs finally recieved unit designations in 1967. but were named LRP companies.

There is so much more info on the birth of the LRRPs in Vietnam, i would suggest reading the book to any body who is interested, so far a very in depth read.

My post is starting to get way too long, and im only 1/4 of the way into the book. hahaha.

One thing i have touched on learning also is how many wars and history is in America. truely amazing !!