14 Train Spotting Introduction The Schwere Panzerabteilung 506 was created in August 1943 and was the first of these units to be equipped only with Ti...
45 downloads
80 Views
3MB Size
AFV/13 Nov/Dec 03
20/10/03
4:26 pm
Page 14
Train Spotting
Introduction
from central Russia in late spring and early
506. during March 1944. At this moment,
The Schwere Panzerabteilung 506 was
summer 1944, eventually being sent to
the Tiger Is belonging to the unit still were
created in August 1943 and was the first of
Germany for refitting in August. The 506.
of the ‘mid’ type, with rubber tyred wheels.
these units to be equipped only with Tiger I
was issued a full complement of 45 Tiger II
The crews have received orders to
tanks from its creation. The 506. was sent
that were used against the Western allies
assemble the vehicles in Mankowzy, and
to the Eastern front were it fought in the
until the dissolution of the battalion in April
prepare the tanks for railway
Tscherkassy region until it lost all of its
1945.
transportation. The 506. handed its 7 remaining Tigers over to the s.Pz.Abt. 503
tanks. The unit was rebuilt with a new
14
allocation of 45 Tiger I in March and April
The diorama represents one of the rare
and travelled to Lemberg to receive their
1944 and fought during the withdrawal
quiet periods for a Tiger I of the s.Pz.Abt.
45 brand new Tiger I. For these veterans, it
AFV/13 Nov/Dec 03
20/10/03
4:26 pm
Page 15
by Antonio Martín Tello
was time to say farewell to their old Tiger
plenty of room for the addition of details
that had kept them alive during the last
and improvements. The limit is just set by
hard winter.
the builder and his/her sanity. Also, for the painting aspect, all the techniques used for
Building the little Tiger
bigger models can be applied to these little gems.
Like many of us, I started in AFV modelling by building and painting 1/72 kits. Soon, I
Probably, the current leader in 1/72
moved to 1/35 because these “big” tanks
injected plastic kits is Revell. The quality of
were more impressive, better detailed and
their most recent releases is astounding
I thought that they allowed my modelling
and small-scale modellers await each new
skills more scope to develop. Thus, I
one with great expectation. Anyway, one
relegated the 1/72 scale and saw it as a
has to be cautious, since among these
“starting point” and the models in this
“state of the art” kits are re-editions of
scale as toy like. Recently I discovered
older Esci or Hasegawa moulds which are
some of the newer 1/72 kits and was
not up to the same standards.
astonished. All the finesse and quality of the best 1/35 kits is there, but in a tiny size
The Tiger I depicted in this article
and they are fun and quick to build. Out of
(reference 03516) is an example of one of
the box they give excellent representations
these new generation Revell kits. This
of the “real thing” but they also leave
brand has in it’s 1/72 catalogue two Tiger I 15
AFV/13 Nov/Dec 03
20/10/03
4:26 pm
Page 16
1
kits. This one represents a mid/late vehicle while the other (ref. 03508) allows you to build an “African” early Tiger I. Both kits share most of their parts, with one sprue specific for each type of tank, and their overall quality is excellent.
I decided to build my model as a mid Tiger I with rubber tyred wheels. This type is provided in the box (they are common to the “African” version) along with the all steel type, but curiously enough, they are marked as “not for use” in the instruction sheet and thus no advice for their placement is given. Photographs and literature have to be checked for their correct installation, a minor task. A shortcut taken by Revell in this area is that the double wheels are represented by a single, thicker one, much in
2
the same way as Tamiya did with its seventies 1/35 Tiger I. This apparent shortcoming is barely noticeable when all the running gear and tracks are installed. As I have already mentioned, I decided to finish my Tiger as one belonging to the s.Pz.Abt. 506. in Russia during spring 1944. The most remarkable feature of this unit’s markings at this period was the large unit symbol on the rear of the turret bin, consisting of a “W” (after its former commander, Major Willing) with the shield and the tiger. The colour of the “W” and the turret numbers denoted the company (Stabs-green, 1. Kp.- white, 2. Kp.-red and 3. Kp.-yellow). I chose this unit because the 506. crest is included on the decal sheet.The construction work progressed with no problems. There are plenty of aftermarket products available for 1/72 models including the Tiger I, but I decided to follow the “homemade way”.
3
Photos 1 to 4 First of all, the version I chose for my Tiger required a zimmerit coating. I did this by engraving with a small screwdriver the surfaces that had been previously softened with liquid cement. Two or three applications of glue were given in a relatively small area and after a few seconds, the pattern was engraved with the screwdriver. It may be necessary to check the degree of softening of the plastic and to apply more liquid cement before starting the engraving work. It probably would be advisable to practice a little bit first on non-visible surfaces, such as the interior or the underside of the hull. When the softened area is done, the process is repeated on the next area until the entire surface is completed. When the glue is completely dry and the plastic has hardened again, it may be necessary to sand the zimmerited surface in order to eliminate some hairs caused by the molten plastic.
Photos 5 to 10 Some other details added included new metallic towing wires, cleaning rods and their brackets, new track changing wire and its brackets, new exhaust protectors made with aluminium sheet, brackets for the missing fire extinguisher, electric wire for the headlight, periscope protectors from aluminium sheet for the driver and co-
16
4
AFV/13 Nov/Dec 03
20/10/03
4:26 pm
Page 17
5
6
7
8
9
10
driver hatch and turret roof, handles from
had to sand this to make it thinner at the
model, in order to have a better access to
wire on the commander and loader
end where the muzzle brake fits. The
paint and weather the upper portion of the
hatches and engine deck, holders for the
engine deck grilles were cut from nylon
tracks.
spare tracks, brackets for the jack and
mesh from a DML Panzer IV L70(A) kit and
details on the front mudguards and the
the frames made with aluminium strip.
Painting The base colour was Tamiya matt earth
turret bin. Just few words for two additions, the gun barrel and the engine deck grilles.
I reworked the side fenders, sanding them
(XF-52). Onto this, I airbrushed Tamiya dark
The kit gun barrel looked too thick to my
down until they were more of a scale
yellow (XF-60) but allowed the base colour
eye so I decided to replace it. The only
thickness. Also, I cut them into sections as
to show at the edges of panels. Next coat
material I had available at the time and
on the real tank. These fenders were the
was a mixture of dark yellow (70%) and
was suitable was a nice pink lollipop stick. I
only parts I did not permanently glue to the
matt yellow (XF-3) (30%), both from Tamiya, 17
AFV/13 Nov/Dec 03
20/10/03
4:27 pm
Page 18
11
again without covering the previous colours, and finally, some details and the centre of some panels were highlighted with this mixture lightened up with Tamiya buff (XF-57). On this base, I airbrushed the brown camo colour. In order to obtain a colour that would blend better with the base, I made a mixture with Tamiya red brown (XF-64) (70%) and the mix of dark yellow and matt yellow previously mentioned (30%) (Photo 11).
Photos 12 to 15 At this stage I added the decals. The unit symbol at the rear of the turret bin came from the kit decal sheet. However from the wartime photographs I consulted it seemed too small, and the W is hollow, so I had to paint
12
its interior in white, matching with the colour of the tactical numbers on the turret sides. These are spare decals which I had and were applied using Microset and Microsol to conform to the Zimmerit. I applied a couple of filters of each of the following colours, all from the Humbrol enamel range: matt pale yellow (81), cream (103) and reddish brown (62). In all cases the paint was diluted with Humbrol thinner, which does not attack the previous acrylic paint. After this step, the model gained in chromatic variations. (slides T17-T21).
Photos 16 to 17 Some chipping and scratching was made with the base colour lightened with buff (Vallejo). Also, I made some "deeper" chips with a mixture of Vallejo chocolate brown 872 and black , concentrating especially on the edges and
13
areas where a more intense wearing of the paint appears. The following step was the oil washes. As can be observed in the photographs, this technique allows obtaining a degraded and faded look on the paint at the same time the model gains once more in chromatic diversity. My method of application of the oil washes will be described with some detail and the support of step-bystep photographs in the SdKfz 251 painting chapter. Also, at this moment I painted the tracks and the tyres in black.
The degraded and worn out look was then accentuated by an acrylic mapping. This technique consists of the use of very diluted paint (Vallejo acrylic) to draw small spots of
14
18
15
AFV/13 Nov/Dec 03
20/10/03
4:27 pm
Page 19
irregular shape. Since the paint is so
diluted matt black enamel on the non-
chocolate brown, flat earth and hull red.
diluted, when dry, the effect is almost
zimmerited surfaces. I let the pigment
Next, I painted the gun cleaning rods with
imperceptible, but it is there, and can be
accumulate in recesses and around the
gold brown.
enhanced by repetition. I chose for this
details. When dry I drybrushed with dark
task brownish colours such as chocolate
yellow (Humbrol enamel) very slightly some
Photos 19 to 21
brown, flat earth, hull red, burnt umber,
details in order to bring them out.
So far I had worked to achieve a degraded and worn out look, but the tank was clean,
dark yellow, gold brown, medium flesh and orange brown.
Now, I applied a controlled wash of very
Photo 18
so my next job would be to make it dirty. I
I painted the towing cables and tools in
did not want to ruin the previous work so I
black, following by some light washes of
decided to concentrate mainly on the
16
17
18
19
20
21
19
AFV/13 Nov/Dec 03
20
21/10/03
11:33 am
Page 20
22
23
24
25
AFV/13 Nov/Dec 03
21/10/03
11:33 am
Page 21
26
lower areas. I tried to replicate the effect of dried mud in the recesses of the tracks and, more sparingly, on the wheels and lower hull. To make this mud, I mixed some pastel powder until I got a colour that I think was good for this purpose. Then I added to the powder a mixture of water and white glue until I obtained a paste with the desired consistency. Then, with a small brush I applied the paste to the track recesses. With a cotton bud I removed the excess paste, mainly on the outer surface of the track links. Also, I applied some patches of the paste on the wheels and lower areas and textured them with the brush. When dry I worked all the tracks and wheels with the pastel powder in order to integrate the mud. I also used some lighter shades of pastels to get some colour variations and a dried mud look. Next, I dry brushed very
27
slightly with black enamel on the outer side of the track links to “clean” the surface where the mud should have gone.
At this stage I glued the side skirts and applied some pastels on them, as well as in the tools and towing cables. I painted the periscope glass with very dark green artist’s oil. I added the periscopes in the commander’s cupola made with plastic strips painted in dark green. The final touch was to apply graphite powder on the tools, towing cables, bow machine gun, anti aircraft MG rail and some handles to give them a more metallic look. Also, I painted directly on the track details and horns, and drive sprocket teeth with a soft lead pencil to achieve this metallic look.
28
The SdKfz 251 Hasegawa also has in their catalogue an extensive range of AFV’s in 1/72 scale. Some of them are older kits that date back to the 80’s or even the 70’s and are not at the same level of more recent releases. Nevertheless, some of their later kits are very close or at the same level as Revell’s best. Some of the finest Hasegawa kits are the three versions of the SdKfz 251 German half track. Hasegawa produces the “normal” personal carrier SdKfz 251/1 (ref. 31144), the SdKfz 251/22 “PakWagen” (ref. 31145), armed with a 75 mm PaK 40 gun, and the SdKfz 251/9 “Stummel” (ref. 31146), armed with a short 75 mm support gun. These last two versions are in fact the same kit as the 251/1 with the addition of a new sprue containing the gun and the corresponding attachments and a new decal sheet. The version of the famous German
28
half-track depicted in these models is the final Ausf. D, designed in order to save materials and simplify production in the second half of WWII.
21
AFV/13 Nov/Dec 03
22
21/10/03
11:33 am
Page 22
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
AFV/13 Nov/Dec 03
21/10/03
11:33 am
Page 23
Photos 26 to 29
Fortunately, this area was barely visible
wide lines, “spider legs” and so on, so I
The construction of the model progressed
when the model was completed.
had to retouch with dark yellow to finally get an acceptable result. At this stage I
with no special difficulties. I did not want to super detail this model and only made
Painting the tiny 251
added the decals, the tactical numbers and German crosses are spares from
some small improvements. Thus, in the interior I added some levers by the driver’s
Photo 31
Revell and the license plates are the ones
seat made with stretched sprue. Outside I
The overall procedure was very similar to
provided by Hasegawa in the kit. To finish
replaced the MG shield and the rear
the one described above for the Tiger, so
the airbrush job, I used a very dilute (95%)
mudguards with aluminium sheet, since
only the main differences will be stressed.
mixture of brown and black to outline the
these parts were too thick in the kit. The
Again, the base colour was Tamiya matt
edges, separation lines and recesses.
MG itself was replaced by an MG34 with
earth (XF-52) on which I airbrushed Tamiya
armoured sleeve (used in tanks), a spare
dark yellow (XF-60) allowing the previous
Photo 35
from Revell. Also, I rebuilt the tubular
colour to arise on the edges and panel
Next, I applied a couple filters of cream
support for the rear MG with stretched
separations.
(103) and reddish brown (62), both Humbrol enamels.
sprue. Finally I replaced the two width indicators with stretched sprue and a drop
Photos 32 to 36
of superglue to simulate the ball.
On this base, I airbrushed thin stripes of
Photo 36
red brown (XF-64) as the first camouflage
The chipped paint effect was done next.
It was necessary to paint the interior
colour. To obtain better results I put the
Some chipping and scratching was made
before the two main parts of the hull were
nozzle of the airbrush very close to the
with the base colour lighten with buff
glued together. The painting process here
model (about 5 mm) and set my
(Vallejo) and with a mixture of chocolate
was similar to that used in the exterior and
compressor to low pressure (around 0.5
brown 872 and black. A thin, very sharp
will be described later. This was also the
psi). Also, I diluted the paint more than
brush has to be used and the chipping
moment to put the driver’s figure in his
usual with isopropyl alcohol, at about 75%
should be kept small and done moderately
place. This figure came from a Preiser set,
(slide S8). The olive green (XF-58) colour
in sensible areas. Also, on the sides I
and it’s fit in the tight driving station
was airbrushed next in a similar way. My
painted some longer scratches, since
needed some major surgery in the seat.
first attempts were not successful as I got
these parts would be more prone to this
37
38
39
40
23
AFV/13 Nov/Dec 03
24
21/10/03
11:33 am
Page 24
type of damage due to rubbing with
the pigment, but improves the final
parts of the same zone.
branches, other vehicles or obstacles.
appearance. I wet a zone of the model
Photos 41 to 42
Photos 37 to 40
with clean Humbrol thinner and then, I
As in the Tiger, the worn out look was
The following step was the oil washes . As
apply a very small quantity of oil directly on
accentuated by an acrylic mapping (slides
a general rule, I deposit a small fraction of
the model, blending it quickly . I never use
S19 and S20) of chocolate brown and
the oils (several shades of brown, ochre,
a general wash, but small washes of
orange brown.
green, white and blue) on a tissue paper
several shades in small zones. In my
and wait for 15-30 minutes . Some of the
opinion, the trick is that the oil has to be
Photos 43 to 44
greasy components of the oils are
blended with the surroundings in order to
It was now time to apply dirt to the model.
absorbed by the paper-this does not affect
achieve subtle tonal variations in different
To do that, I applied controlled washes of
41
42
43
44
45
46
AFV/13 Nov/Dec 03
21/10/03
11:33 am
Page 25
very dilute buff enamel colour (Humbrol). I
powder to the metallic parts. Now, I
integration of all the elements (vehicles,
avoided a general wash, but tried to draw
attached the tracks to the running gear
figures, vegetation…) in scenes that are
vertical lines on the sides and other vertical
with superglue, and glued both sets of
often full of life and dynamism. Bearing this
surfaces simulating rain streaks, and
wheels and tracks to the main body. The
in mind, I tried to build a diorama “à la
irregular shaped spots on the horizontal
machine guns were painted in matt black
Japonais”.
surfaces letting the pigment accumulate
and then rubbed with graphite powder. I wanted to put both vehicles on different
slightly where the dust would be more To finish the painting process of the tiny
levels, with the SdKfz 251 climbing uphill
251, some touches were given with pastel
towards the level where the Tiger I is, and
Photo 45
powder of several shades of earth colours,
with the tall tree emphasizing the vertical
To enhance the details and the volume I
mainly in the lower areas, but very
perspective. Two secondary elements such
applied a controlled wash of very dilute
sparingly in order not to hide all the
as the railway and the stone wall, would
matt black enamel followed (when dry) by
previous painting work
create some variety.
The diorama
Photos 49 to 53
apparent.
drybrushing with dark yellow (Humbrol enamel) very lightly in the same way as for
The main body of the background was
the Tiger. I painted the tools in black, followed by some light washes of
One of the advantages of 1/72 scale is that
done with insulating foam, a versatile and
chocolate brown, flat earth and hull red,
you can build dioramas combining several
light material that can be easily cut with a
and graphite powder. Next, I painted the
vehicles and still keep the size reasonably
hobby knife and sanded. The basic shape
wooden handles with gold brown.
small. In this case, my idea was to try a
was cut with the knife (Slide D1) and then
somewhat different composition, with
a thin layer of modelling clay was used to
Photo 46
several levels and elements in a relatively
model the ground and to create some
The tyres and the tracks were painted in
crowded space, which was dictated by the
texture. The ballast and the rail track are
matt black, then I applied some washes of
circular wooden base. I have always
items from railway modelling, cheap and
brown and cream enamel colours. On the
admired the dioramas built by Japanese
easily available in specialised shops.
tracks I drybrushed the rubber pads with
and other Asian modellers because I think
Another advantage of 1/72 is that many
matt black and finally I applied graphite
they master the art of composition and the
scenic elements conceived for train
47
48
49
50
25
AFV/13 Nov/Dec 03
21/10/03
11:33 am
Page 26
51
models can be adapted to our military dioramas. A generous amount of white glue diluted with water was used to fix the small stones and the tracks. To further enhance the texture of the ground, I glued bicarbonate powder as I thought that its grain size was adequate for this scale to represent the earth and sand. Also, I glued some small stones. The stone wall is also a railwaymodelling accessory.
The painting process started with a first coat of Tamiya acrylic matt earth, followed by an irregular second overspray of dark yellow and a final one with buff. Then, the ground was drybrushed with several shades of Humbrol enamel ochre and tan colours. The ballast was
52
painted with a dilute Vallejo acrylic mix of white and black, changing the proportions and concentrating more on some areas than others to avoid monotony. The track sleepers were painted in a medium brown and washed with very dilute brown, ochre and grey enamels. The rails were painted in black and treated with red brown pastel and graphite powder. The stone wall was painted in grey and also treated with several washes.
The vegetation comes from different sources-the short green grass is again from railway modelling. It was glued to the surface with matt varnish and once it dried, it was drybrushed with the same ochre colours as the ground to integrate it better and to eliminate its excessive green hue. The tall grasses are natural plants and some Woodland Scenic materials, as did the tree and the purple flower
53
plants. I have found that Woodland Scenic has an excellent catalogue full of very useful items for 1/72 diorama builders.
The figures are from Preiser. This brand has a very comprehensive catalogue of figures at different scales, mostly intended for railway modelling but also some very interesting military items in 1/72, among them are two sets of German panzer crews. I can only say that the quality of these figures is outstanding, with very natural poses and finely sculpted details. They are moulded in a hard plastic and most of them are of the “multipose” type, so you can
54
26
55
AFV/13 Nov/Dec 03
21/10/03
11:33 am
Page 27
combine arms, legs and heads. I painted the figures mostly with Vallejo acrylics, using black and German green as the main colours, and shadowing and highlighting areas following the “light from above” method mostly described by the “Spanish school” of figure painters.
References - Tigers in Combat I, by Wolfgang Schneider & Jean Restayn, J. J. Fedorowicz Publishing. 1994. - Achtung Panzer No.6: PanzerKampfWagen Tiger, by M. Bitou. Dai Nippon Kaiga. 1999. - Tiger I on the Eastern Front, by Jean Restayn. Histoire & Collections. 1999. - The SdKfz 251 Half Track, by Bruce Culver. Osprey Vanguard no. 32. 1983. - SdKfz 251 in action, by Charles Kliment. Squadron Signal Publications no. 21. 1981.
27
