modeller military illustrated
£6.50 -October’13 (issue 030)
War & Peace Show ‘13 • Angus Creighton’s SiG33 x2 • 1:35 IDF Shot Kal • Gama Goat refs • and more…
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RUSSIAN ROLLER
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AFV edition
Alex Clark transforms Revell’s 1:72 T-72A
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Contents
modeller m military illustrated
ISSUE No.030 October 2013
4 News
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Military model product news
6 MILITARY HARDWARE IN THE GARDEN OF ENGLAND Marcus Nicholls attends ‘The War and Peace Revival’ show, 2013
10 RUSSIAN ROLLER
Alex Clark describes how he upgraded Revell’s T-72A model 1983
16 THE ART OF ARTILLERY, PT.2
Angus Creighton builds two AFV Club 15cm sIG33s
22 TAMING THE GOAT;
Handy modelling references for Tamiya’s new 1:35 M561 Gama Goat
28 DOG OF WAR; MILITARY UTILITY TACTICAL TRUCK Modelling references for the M151 MUTT
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30 AMBUSH AT POTEAU 18TH DECEMBER 1944 PT.2
José Brito describes how he made his Battle of the Bulge diorama groundwork
36 UP-ARMOURED SHERMAN
References for M4 Sherman appliqué armour welds
40 UNIVERSAL SOLDIER
Riich Model’s all-new 1:35 kit of the WW2 British Universal Carrier
42 ORDNANCE DEPOT
New and recent accessory sets and modelling materials
44 LONE SENTRY
Dragon’s 1:35 M55 quad anti-aircraft gun with modelling references
50 JUST A LITTLE TEDDY BEAR... PT.1
Work starts on Meng’s latest 1:35 armour kit, the D9R ‘Doobi’ dozer
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56 AFTER THE BATTLE
Bernard Lustig describes the construction of his StuG.III diorama
62 BOOK REVIEW The complete DUKW
63 BOOK REVIEW D9R Doobi bulldozer
66 SIGN OFF
Dioramas to build before you die…
AFV Edition
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News NEWS JUST IN...
BRONCO MODEL
TAMIYA
1:35 M561 GAMA GOAT 1:48 BA-64B ARMOURED CAR Tamiya's next 1:35 AFV release takes the form of the odd but interesting US M561 Gama Goat (above)§, a vehicle that just caught the end of the Vietnam War and served in Grenada in 1983. In 1:48, Tamiya are to launch the tiny Russian BA64B armoured car, right. www.hobbyco.net
1:35 Airborne Jeep 1:35 6pdr Anti-Tank Gun Mk.IV (Airborne) Riich Model are making extremely good use of their new Jeep, using it this time for a British theme with Paras riding in it and in a trailer, replicating a very well known photograph of a Jeep full of riflemen of the 1st Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles, 6th Airlanding Brigade, UK 6th Airborne Division in Normandy on 6 Jun 1944. Also new from Bronco; • Infantry Tank Mk.III Valentine Mk.XI (OP) • Soviet BT-7 Fast Tank mod.1937 workable tracks www.hannants.co.uk
MINIART
1:35 AEC MK.III Following the AEC Mk.I shown last issue, MiniArt of the Ukraine are now to release the Mk.III version! Full interior detail and more are included. MiniArt are also issuing a 1:35 Service Station, Ardennes House and a set of Soviet heavy infantry weapons, all perfect for dioramas. www.creativemodels.co.uk
DRAGON • 1:35 SAS ¼ ton 4x4 truck ETO • 1:35 SAS vehicle crews • 1:35 Battle of Kharkov 1943 • 1:72 5.5cm Zwilling FlaKpanzer hobby.co.net
KIT FORM SERVICES • 1:24 British FV432 kitformservices.com MINIART • 1:35 Soviet navel troops with weapon set • 1:35 Soviet soldiers at rest with weapon set • 1:35 Hungarian tank crew • 1:16 Medieval archer creativemodels.co.uk
HOBBYBOSS
1:72 GERMAN DAMPFLOCOMOTIVE BR86 If you want to create an ambitious diorama featuring steam trains, 1:72 might be the more sensible scale. If so, Hobbyboss have just the thing, the DRB BR86 loco, used in WW2 for hauling troops and equipment. Excellent detail and ease of assembly are features and track section is included. www.creativemodels.co.uk
THIS MONTH IN TAMIYA MODEL MAGAZINE…
Tamiya M1A2 Abrams TUSK II This month’s edition of Tamiya Model Magazine (October, No.216) is Tamiya's 1:35 M1A2 Abrams with TUSK II upgrades. Order now at; www.tamiyamodelmagazine.com
RIICH MODEL
1:35 British/Commonwealth Universal Carrier crew New from Riich Model is a crew for the new Universal Carrier and two very useful sets of British WWII weapons. • WWII British/Commonwealth Universal Carrier crew in winter uniform • WWII British/Commonwealth Weapon Set A • WWII British/Commonwealth Weapon Set B www.hannants.co.uk
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DJITI'S PRODUCTION
1:35 FIGURES Djiti's Production of France have release two excellent new figure sets of modern subjects; US sniper team and Swedish soldiers. Both sets contain two figures each and all are cast in fine grey resin. Detail is very good indeed and the poses look natural. www.fieldsofglorymodels.co.uk
SHOT KAL CENTURION
Apologies to everyone expecting the Shot Kal Centurion article this issue. We ran out of space this time, so it will appear in the next AFV edition of MiM.
Military Illustrated Modeller - October 2013
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MILITARY VEHICLE SHOW REPORT: WAR AND PEACE REVIVAL 2013
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MILITARY HARDWARE IN THE GARDEN OF ENGLAND Marcus Nicholls visits Folkestone Racecourse in Kent, UK to attend ‘The War and Peace Revival’ show, 2013
‘W
Steyr 1500A, a frequent visitor to the show and a very authentic-looking vehicle
US GMC cabover truck made an attractive exhibit
A very convincing Sd.Kfz.222 replica
ar and Peace’ is an annual military vehicle extravaganza and is very familiar to military vehicle enthusiasts from all over Britain, Europe and the world. This year the show had moved from its regular venue at the Beltring ‘Hop Farm’ in Kent, UK, to Folkestone Racecourse in the same county. It’s a vast event that takes in a wide range of military history from the World War One right through to modern conflicts, World War Two figuring most prominently as you’d rightly expect. Collectors bring their restored vehicles to display and run and you’ll see everything from Shermans, tank destroyers, halftracks, armoured cars, trucks, Jeeps, motorcycles and much more. The enthusiasts don’t just stand around twiddling their thumbs while visitors walk by either; many create living dioramas to show off their restored vehicles to best effect, surrounded by wartime equipment, camouflage nets, signposts and even the correct music playing in the background, all to set an atmospheric scene. It’s a friendly, relaxed event and an ideal day out for families, so long as you don’t mind occasional clouds of diesel smoke and if the weather is dry, some dust blowing around. On the next few pages is a but a small selection of photos that hopefully show the sheer diversity of vehicles that took part. If you like military machinery plus a whole heap of nostalgic atmosphere, this show is a must. Don’t miss out next year! www.thewarandpeacerevival.co.uk •
The classically handsome US M3 halftrack was well represented
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MILITARY VEHICLE SHOW REPORT: WAR AND PEACE REVIVAL 2013
The uniforms are given the same attention to detail as the vehicles
A WW2 German light-trailer with MG34
An original or replica Enigma Machine? Who knows, but it looked good!
An immaculately restored Universal Carrier clatters by
Close-up of one of the Harley-Davidson WLA MP bikes
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Trenches are built for maximum realism!
An MG42 zwilling mount, complete with spent cartridge cases!
This year’s event hosted a massive gathering of Jeeps
As well as WW2, Vietnam War scenes are also replicated, right down to an MP who you’d not want to tangle with...
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A fully working British Scimitar light-tank whizzes past!
Fantastic display of Harley-Davidson WLA military police bikes
Modern combat scenes are recreated too
The GMC CCKW 353 is an icon of WW2 and many were to be seen at the show
A British Paras Jeep; its radio was crackling away, adding to the atmosphere
The Red Ball Express is a very popular theme, requiring hundreds of US pattern jerrycans...
Close-up view of a Dodge weapons carrier
Normandy 1944? No, Kent 2013...
Close-up view of a British FV432 ‘battlefield taxi’
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AFV Edition
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FEATURE ARTICLE: REVELL 1:72 T-72A model 1983 • Kit No. 3149
RUSSIAN ROLLER
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Military Illustrated Modeller - October 2013
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Alex Clark – master of 1:72 armour – describes how he upgraded Revell’s T-72A model 1983 and added a resin KMT-7 mineroller from Zedval
INTRODUCTION
T
he best small-scale kit of the Russian T-72 tank is currently made by Revell. It’s an M1 export version, equivalent in most respects to the Russian T-72A but with some small differences. I’d previously converted this kit to a slightly earlier version of the T-72A, the model 1979. The model 1983 version features the addition of anti-radiation appliqué bolted over the turret roof. There are also some small panels of this material around the driver compartment. Just after starting this model a resin kit of the KMT-7 mine roller system was released by the Russian company Zedval. I’d seen some pictures of this particular variant fitted with this system whilst serving in Chechnya and found it an appealing subject.
THE KIT
Overall the Revell kit is good, although there are some issues with the turret shape in particular. Russian tank turrets are actually quite complex in shape, but it’s clear from studying photos that the Revell one isn’t correct around the front or rear. One very useful feature of the kit is that it includes two styles of road-wheels, the earlier type with eight indents and the later style with six. This gives a lot of scope for conversion possibilities across the different T-72 variants. This particular version is often seen with the later style wheel so I used these for my model.
LOWER HULL
The lower hull is well done, but as it’s for an export variant it only features 4 engineering attachments whereas Russian versions have 8. In fact these are needed to fit this version of the mine roller system. I decided to make a completely new replacement plate to include all eight of these and to also give better definition to the engineering blade fitted underneath them. The outer road-wheels are well done, but the inner ones are completely smooth with no detail whatsoever. To improve them I took an outer wheel and modified it to fit the suspension axles. I then cast the required number of copies in resin. The hard plastic link and length tracks are fairly well done but the guide teeth are far too short. I took a single link and replaced the guide tooth. I also took the opportunity to make a few more improvements - I drilled the track pin ends out and thinned / reshaped the overly thick track edges. It was a challenge trying to cast the track but I felt the end result would be worth it. I decided to cast them as a mix of single links and 4 link sections and followed this with the tedious job of cleaning them up and assembling them.
UPPER HULL
I created a new bow plate, cutting the moulded on engineering blade from the A resin copy of the new bow plate can be seen fitted to the kit. Russian versions, in contrast with export ones, have eight engineering lower hull. Note also the 4 plastic rod linkage arms that connect attachments rather than two as on the kit. The ones that are present on the the engineering blade to the hull. model are also undersized
The Revell upper hull is provided as a single piece and has a lot of good detail in most places. There are some small areas that I felt could still be improved though. I removed the fenders from both sides and rounded off the upper edges of the fuel cells that sit on the right side fender. I also improved the strap detail that hold both these cells and the zip tool boxes to the fenders and opened out the area behind the exhaust outlet on the left side. After this I cast some copies for both this and future builds. The air intakes located at the rear of the engine deck are solid with moulded on mesh detail. Rather than attempting to hollow these out, I rebuilt the frame for the mesh from plastic strip and cast a resin copy. I then used fine photo-etched mesh for the grills themselves. The
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FEATURE ARTICLE: REVELL 1:72 T-72A model 1983 • Kit No. 3149
The kit’s link and length track is reasonably well done, but one quite noticeable issue is that the guide teeth are much too short. I improved The kit inner road wheel, to the left, is completely smooth. I modified one of the the detail of a kit link by replacing the guide tooth, thinning the track edges and drilling out the track pin ends. I cast a set of these in outer wheels by removing the hub and adding a short section of plastic tube. A resin (which proved a little tedious!) Some of the resin links can be seen here test fitted together. The relief between each link is also much better than that of the kit ones resin copy of this is shown on the right
Above the right side hull fender are a number of fuel cells and on the left side are stowage boxes. On the kit part these have no side detail or representation of the fenders themselves. They should bevel slightly inwards underneath. This isn’t a major issue for version of the vehicle that have side skirts fitted as they hide most of these areas, but I cut them from the kit part and made the corrections ready for other T-72 variants. I also added the missing details at the end of the retaining straps
The gunner’s hatch has a layer of anti-radiation applique that I added from plastic card. I also created detail for the hatch underside, although for this model I left the hatch closed so didn’t use this
I removed the sides from the upper hull part ready to accept resin copies of the improved fenders
The kit turret, right, along with a resin copy of my modified version. From above the differences between the two are more noticeable. In particular, the rear is more elongated and pointed. The turret cheek bones are also more pronounced
I tweaked the resin copy a little further then added the anti-radiation appliqué using thinly rolled Magic Sculp epoxy putty. I draped this in sections over the turret and once set I then trimmed the edges
distinctive v-shaped splash guard on the glacis is too thick and lacks bolt details that attach it to the hull so I made a new one from thin plastic strip and also cast this in resin.
TURRET
The turret requires the most attention due to some inaccuracies in its shape. The rear should be more pointed in both plan and profile view. There is also a slight incline down towards the turret ring, rather than completely vertical as in the kit. Along with fixing this I reshaped the turret front by beefing it up with Milliput putty and reshaping it to match photos. The real shape is more complex than that of the kit part and I relied on a large number of reference photos to try and capture this. I also made some other improvements, including opening up the gunner’s sight and various periscopes. The kit gun barrel is a bit fiddly to clean up due to the thermal sleeve straps and the strips running along the top of the barrel. More importantly it’s also slightly too short and thin in diameter. I used a turned metal replacement that also came from Zedval and this is spot on in both these areas.
The appliqué is attached to the turret by numerous small circular fittings. To represent these I drilled holes and inserted sections of plastic rod
The completed KMT-7 mine roller from Zedval. I left it as a number of sub-assemblies to make painting a bit easier
FINAL DETAILS
Finally I completed the smaller items such as the IR turret light, stowage boxes, machine gun / mount and other details. I modified and improved
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The Zedval set also includes metal chain, wire and copper cable needed to complete the mineroller
The headlight guards are photo-etched parts from the Extratech detail set
Rear deck showing fuel-lines from the rear drums
The green is a mix of Tamiya acrylics: Buff, Olive Green and Field Grey, followed by a airbrushed application of Klear acrylic floor varnish
The turned metal gun barrel is also from Zedval and has a slightly large and more accurate diameter than the kit version
I mixed a dark wash using Humbrol Forest Green and a little Satin Black. I applied this to sections of the model at a time. As soon as it was touch-dry I used a clean brush dipped in thinners to work the colour further around the surface and into the small nooks and crannies
I added mud around the lower hull and running gear and mine roller using Tamiya Soil Effect texture paint
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FEATURE ARTICLE: REVELL 1:72 T-72A model 1983 • Kit No. 3149
many of the kit parts and so cast copies of them in resin. I also used a few items from photo-etched sets, notably the glacis headlight guards from an Extratech set. These would be fiddly to make from scratch and the etched parts are well done. I did find that they sit slightly too tall so I trimmed them a little to reduce the height.
PAINTING AND WEATHERING
Humbrol Pale Stone mixed with Dark Earth gives good mud, dust and grime shades. I lightly airbrushed this over the top surfaces of the model and then immediately flooded the areas with thinners to draw it to the edges and around the details. I also airbrushed it around the running gear and lower hull, varying the ratio of colours to give more variety to the finish
Using a thin brush I applied a pin-wash of Humbrol Satin black around the details. I kept a clean brush to hand to remove any areas of excess
I simulated small patches of leaked/spilt fuel around the filler caps using a mix of gloss varnish, burnt umber oil paint, black enamel and thinners
Scuffs and scratches can be represented with a sharpened black pencil. This is especially effective along edges and corners
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I applied a couple of sprayed undercoats of Humbrol Light grey enamel (64). Over this I sprayed a mix of Tamiya acrylics, Buff (XF-57), Olive Green (XF-58) and Field Grey (XF-65) in a 2:1:1 ratio. I immediately lightened this mixture with more Buff and give a further more dilute overspray of this on the horizontal surfaces only. I used generic white numerals from Archer dry transfers for the turret numbers and to protect these and the base colour from the weathering steps I sprayed Klear acrylic floor varnish over the entire model. I broke up the uniform colour and created some depth to the finish by applying a wash of Humbrol Forest Green (150) darkened with Satin Black (85). I applied this to small areas at a time with a flat brush and once touch dry used a clean brush dipped in thinners to remove the excess and work the wash more into the corners. Once done the rather light initial colour was slightly darkened and had better contrast. I set this to one side to thoroughly dry before moving on. To represent dried mud and dust I mixed Humbrol Pale Stone (121) with Dark Earth (29) and sprayed this in very controlled amounts over the small areas of the upper surfaces of the hull and turret. Almost immediately I flooded these areas with pure thinners causing the paint to be drawn more to the details. At this stage the model still looks quite flat so I mixed a wash of Humbrol Satin Black and applied it as a pin wash around all the small details. This really helps to create depth and shadow and bring more life to the model. I enhanced the dusty and muddy finish by flicking a variety of mud coloured enamel mixes around the lower areas of the vehicle, starting with lighter colours first. The weathering was nearly complete by the end of this stage but I do tend to revisit certain steps over again, particularly applying further pin washes and flicking more mud colours onto the model. I used Tamiya ‘Soil Effect’ texture paint around the lower hull and wheels and this has a very pleasing gritty appearance. Although already a brown colour, I applied different shades of mud mixes to give a more natural appearance to it. Damp areas can easily be reproduced using a wash of gloss varnish with a small amount of black. This same mix can also be used for oil and fuel stains by adding some Burnt Umber oil paint to the mix which gives a very realistic oily sheen. After this I painted up all the small details and glued the sub-assemblies to complete the model. model.•
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FEATURE ARTICLE: AFV Club: sIG33 • Kit No. 35148
THE ART OF
T
he 15cm Schwere Infantrie Geschutz 33 or sIG33 was used as the standard heavy support gun for the infantry from its first use in the early 1930s to the end of WWII. Designed and built by Rheinmetall, over 4000 units were completed until production ceased in 1945. Initially conceived as a horse drawn gun, the design was later modified to be towed by mechanised tractors by the addition of pneumatic air brakes. As the war progressed, it was also mounted on panzer I, II, III and 38t chassis to provide the infantry with truly mobile artillery support. In the last issue of Military Illustrated Modeller I built the leFH18 released in 2002/3 and was
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keen to compare these kits with AFV Club’s 2010 release of the sIGG33 to see how standards have improved.
STARTING OFF
Construction starts with the sliding barrel assembly. The design of the breech block was simplified during the long production run. AFV Club provides both an early and a late version. The early is characterised by two lifting ‘loops’ fitted above the breech opening on the rear face as well as two conical bolts protruding below. The lower sides at the front were also rebated – presumably to save weight. Unfortunately the lifting loops are
solidly moulded in the kit, but are easily replaced with 0.5mm plastic rod bent to shape. The later pattern breech has a plain rear face without lifting loops or conical bolts and the sides are flat. The sliding breech block is beautifully represented with accurate detail on all visible faces. The barrel provided in the kit is turned aluminium – nothing unusual for a modern kit. Remarkably however, it is completely hollow, with the fine spiral rifling represented throughout the entire length. With a barrel of this size, this is a worthwhile refinement as it is possible to see down the entire length, even with the breech closed. Well done AFV Club for setting this new standard.
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ARTILLERY, PT.2 This month, Angus Creighton builds two examples of AFV Club’s 15cm Heavy Infantry Gun, the sIG33
GUN CRADLE
Moving to the gun cradle, the rivet detail is exceptional, both inside and out. The assembly is further enhanced by the addition of photo-etched flanges to the underside. On the front is a hinged maintenance cover that reveals a nice bit of detail, should the builder decide to leave the cover open. A pair of small plastic card hinges can be added to the bottom edge if the cover is fitted closed. The pair of buffers that restricted the forward movement of the gun slide are not represented too well, but can be improved by adding plastic rod replacements. The body is made up of two vertical plates, separated by intermediate bulkheads. To
strengthen the side plates further, a lattice framework was bolted to the outer faces of the real gun. AFV Club has rendered this feature superbly by providing each framework as a separate part. This ensures the deep undercutting seen on the real gun is replicated in the model. Before installing the frames, it is prudent to decide if your gun will be fitted with the pneumatic brake parts, as the hoses and connector are mounded in the inner face of the left hand side panel. If no brakes are to be installed, these details need to be carefully carved away. Also the electrical connector and wire serving the convoy light (not installed on the
horse drawn gun) should be removed from the outside of the right hand side panel. Although the fit of the side panels and bulkheads are near perfect, the resulting join at the front and underside are difficult to hide without damaging the rivet detail. I opted therefore to remove the rivets, fill the join and refit each rivet. I am probably getting too old, as this task really pushed the limits of my eyesight, but the results are worth it. If you run short of rivets, the gun cradle panel directly below the sliding gun assembly is completely hidden when the model is complete, so additional rivets can be harvested from here.
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FEATURE ARTICLE: AFV Club: sIG33 • Kit No. 35148
Here we see the elements of the trail laid out, ready for assembly
Above and below left, the side panels are made up from two, separately moulded parts, which is far superior to single parts with raised detail
Details of the two different axles showing brake lines in lead wire and other details, added using plastic card
The gunsight cmount an be seen here
GUN TRUNIONS
The trunions are moulded as separate parts to maximise their detail. To ensure these parts line up correctly, a sacrificial bar is included that is cut away when the trunions are in place and the glue dry. After painting and weathering, the arms of the gun cradle can be squeezed together slightly and located in the trunions. The hinge pins from the cradle extend through the trunions and on to these are fitted the equilibrator arms. With careful use of adhesive, the arms will move and the equilibrator pistons extend as the cradle is moved up and down. The kit is designed primarily to represent the
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mechanised version with pneumatic brake parts fitted. The central reservoir tank is well detailed with separate parts representing the air hose connections. The hose connections on the two slave cylinders are also clearly represented, so all that needs to be added are the hoses themselves. I used 0.5mm galvanised wire bent to shape to represent the lower hoses, while a similar diameter of lead wire was used to re-create the coiled upper hoses. Note how the upper hoses pass through the front plate of the body (part B19) to link with the pneumatic connector further back on the chassis. Remember too that the whole body was designed to traverse from left to right, so there would need to
be ample slack in the length of each hose to allow for this sideways movement. For reference, the sIG33 preserved in Koblenz still has these hoses installed and images are available on line as well as in ‘Achtung Panzer’ No 7.
HORSEPOWER
One would be forgiven for assuming that representing the simpler horse drawn version should entail simply not fitting the pneumatic parts. This is true to an extent, however the mounts for the slave cylinders need to be drilled out to represent the ‘unused’ bolt holes and the transverse brake bar needs to be remade in plastic rod. This bar
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The whole gun on its trail could slide left to right on the axles for fine adjustment
Copper wire handles have been added here
The two barrel and cradle sub-assembles
Small differences between the two gunshields can be observed here
The ranging charts are different (decals from Passion Models), as are certain items of equipment
The red/white ranging poles are mounted on the front face of the armour shield
Gun tools are stowed in a box within the trail frames
was installed on both the mechanised and nonmechanised versions of the gun, as it linked the brake assembly with the hand lever to the brake assembly on the opposite wheel. I mentioned above that the pair of pneumatic hoses passed through the front plate (part B19) on the mechanised version. With the horse drawn version, a plate retained by six bolts covered the two hose holes and is provided as an etched part in the kit.
THREE WHEELS
Three sets of exquisitely detailed wheels are provided in the kit. The early pattern metal rimmed wheels are usually associated with horse drawn
guns. Pressed steel wheels with rubber tyres would be seen on guns towed by a half-track or tractor where the pneumatic brakes were also installed. Finally, metal-saving late war pattern wheels with wooden spokes are also included. As far as I can tell, both wheels types with rubber tyres were also used on the late war 105mm leFH18/40, so what you don’t use with this sIG33 can still be used elsewhere. The quality and accuracy of all the wheel types included is near perfect. The gun shield is acceptably thin, with most fittings accurately represented. The electric convoy light should not be installed on a horse drawn gun which entails filling the recess where the light is
normally fitted. The two halves of the shield are joined by the lower transverse ‘C beam’ and care needs to be taken to ensure all parts are lined up correctly. The hinged sighting panel is supplied in etched brass, however I used plastic card, as I felt the brass looked too thin. The retaining clamps on the spade and pickaxe are best replaced with etched versions. The survey poles were replaced with 1mm plastic rod, and the unusual ‘hand grips’ seen at the base of each pole, created by turning larger 1.3mm rod to the correct shape in my motor tool. The rods were added to the model at the end of the build, after painting the typical red and white stripes. Unlike survey poles seen on other German
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FEATURE ARTICLE: AFV Club: sIG33 • Kit No. 35148
guns, I have yet to find examples where black instead of red was used for certain stripes.
SMALL IMPROVEMENTS
The range tables painted on the rear face of the gun shields are provided as decals in the kit and are perfectly acceptable. I opted however, to use alternatives provided by Passion Models as the definition of these decals is marginally better. Also two table styles are provided, adding a further variation between the two finished models. AFV Club subsequently released a separate set of injection moulded 150mm ammunition (kit number 35193) and one sprue from this release is included with the sIG33 kit. As well as cartridge boxes and wooden shell crates, standard high explosive shells are provided. The huge demolition charge ‘Stielgranate 42’, which was loaded in the end of the barrel, is also provided - complimented by a set of fine stencil decals.
FINAL THOUGHTS Close-up showing steel-wheeled variant of the sIG33
I hope you can appreciate from the associated images, the quality and finesse of this kit is outstanding. The fit of parts is near perfect, although care needs to be taken to ensure all components are aligned correctly. The innovative engineering and extensive use of slide moulds ensures that the level of detail throughout the kit is exceptional. Probably one of the most rewarding projects I have worked on in many years.•
References; Achtung Panzer No 7, Panzer I & II ISBN 4-499-22773-9 AFV Club box art Restored gun walk round; www.grenadier352nd.com Modelspec; AFV Club; sIG33 Kit No.35148 Aber; Clamps(35A93) Plastic card
Bolt detail inside the gun cradle
Side-on view of the steel-wheeled version revealing the large recoil piston on its side
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MODELLING REFERENCES: US M561 GAMA GOAT
TAMING THE GOAT
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With the release of Tamiya’s all-new 1:35 M561 Gama Goat imminent, here are some handy modelling references that will help you add some extra details to your model
Unfortunately, Tamiya’s kit will not include the cabin cover, just the windscreen
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o you know the connection between the M561 Gama Goat and the A-7 Corsair II? Surprisingly, both were the creations of LingTemco-Vought, with production of the ‘Goat carried out by CONDEC (Consolidated Diesel Electric Company) in Charlotte, North Carolina. Both took part in the Vietnam War, the Gama Goat arriving relatively late on in the conflict. After having studied the experience of the French in the-then Indochina during the 1950s and foreseeing the looming US involvement in the country – now called Vietnam – the US military began to develop a logistics vehicle that could cope with the extremely difficult terrain. As usual, the contract was pit out to tender with Ling-TemcoVought coming up with the winning design, the M561. The truck was developed from March 1963 to June 1966 and in mid 1968 the initial production contract was awarded. It’s name came partly from Roger Gamaunt, the designer of the vehicle’s crucial articulated power-joint and partly from its mountain goatlike ability to cross very rough ground. Although at first appearances it was a six-wheel-drive machine, pulling a trailer, the rear section was an integral part of the articulated chassis, the whole thing steering via the opposing action of the front and rear axles. The Gama Goat weighed in at 7,000lbs and boasted a fifteen-inch ground clearance. It could achieve a respectable 55mph on-road. It was powered by a Detroit Diesel threecylinder, two-stroke diesel engine that generated 103 horsepower; it had a reputation of being very noisy as it lacked a silencer and the engine’s position directly behind the cabin meant that ear protection became essential for its drivers. The issue
Close-up of the electrical connection between from and rear ‘modules’
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MODELLING REFERENCES: US M561 GAMA GOAT
Close-up of the wheel hub, highlighting its simple design
Detail view of the night-time running light with shroud and brushguard
Rear panel showing towing hook and rubber-topped bump-stop for the tailgate
A small, shrouded grille is located directly in front of the Goat’s windscreen
Views into the cabin show the simple dashboard and standard switchgear, plus various control levers for the machine’s drivetrain. Note the data panels on the dashboard and transmission tunnel
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Detail view of the indicator and side-reflector showing mounting brackets
Close-up view of the dashboard data placards
Fuel tanks are located behind the front wheels on the vehicle’s exterior
The tricky-to-photograph power coupling between front and rear modules. Note the earth lead straddling the gap
Close-up view showing one of the integral shrouds that cover the main headlights; note how it is welded in place The simple raincover is clad with canvas to form the cabin ‘walls’
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MODELLING REFERENCES: US M561 GAMA GOAT
This is more how Tamiya’s kit will come; cabin open
Close-ups of the rear and front lights of the Gama Goat. Note the protective bar across the headlight, right
Detail view of the tailgate locking pin
Tie-down ring on rear corner of the vehicle’s ‘trailer’
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The paint on the righthand side fuel tank has worn away revealing the aluminium of its construction
Detail view of the cabling running to the fender-mounted lights
Hydraulic coupling between from the rear modules
This simple louvred box houses the Gama Goat’s noisy, three-cylinder. two-stroke petrol engine
with noise led to the Goat becoming something of a liability in a tactical situation; it was hardly stealthy. It could float and was therefore technically amphibious, but it was only propelled by its spinning tyres in the water and could only navigate relatively still waters. In today’s money, an M561 would cost around $55,000 to manufacture and over 14,200 examples were built, serving they served with the US Army and Marines in the final years of the Vietnam War. Perhaps the Gama Goat’s most famous deployment was in 1983 during Operation Urgent Fury, when the 1st, 2nd Ranger Battalions, 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers, US Army Delta Force, US Marines and US Navy SEALs landed on the Caribbean island of Grenada to counter a coupe d’etat and restore the constitutional government. The M561 was replaced by the arrival of cheaper utility trucks (CUCVs) and later, the HUMVEE. • Source; www.olive-drab.com
Overall view of the rear of the vehicle, showing the chunky weld seams between the aluminium panels
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MODELLING REFERENCES: US M151 FORD MUTT
A beautifully restored MUTT seen at the 2013 War and Peace Revival show
Members of the 82nd Airborne Division aboard a heavily loaded M151 light vehicle prepare to depart for Grenada during Operation Urgent Fury, 1983
DOG OF WAR; MILITARY UTILITY TACTICAL TRUCK Modelling references for the M151 MUTT
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o accompany the 1:35 M561 Gama Goat and the re-boxed Italeri M109 ‘Vietnam War’, Tamiya are to re-issue their M151 MUTT kit in two forms to suit each era. It’s an older model but still builds into a decent replica with some tweaks and in these pages are a few references to help you upgrade your model.
M151 DEVELOPMENT;
M151 (1960) - Initial version. Rear suspension design gave this version the tendency to flip over when cornered too aggressively. M151A1 (1964) - Second version: minor changes in the rear suspension, mostly aimed at allowing the vehicle to carry heavier loads. Addition of turn signals to front fenders. M151A1C - The M151A1C equipped with a 106 mm
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recoilless rifle on a pedestal-mount. Carried six rounds of ammunition. M151A1D - Tactical nuclear variant. This was an M151A1C modified to mount the Davy Crockett Atomic Demolition Munition (in parallel development with a similarly equipped M38A1 and other tactical vehicles). M718 - Front-line ambulance variant that featured an extended rear body to allow the transport of litters. M151A2 (1970) - The A2 fielded a significantly revised rear suspension that greatly improved safety in fast cornering. Many smaller upgrades including improved turn signals. The A2 can be identified by the large combination turn signal/blackout lights on the front fenders, which also had been modified to mount the larger lights, as opposed to earlier A1’s that had flat front fenders.
M718A1 - Front-line ambulance variant. M825 - Variant with M40 106mm recoilless rifle mounted on rear. M151A2 FAV - Fast Assault Vehicle variant. Two USMC variations, 82nd Airborne variant, special forces variant: modification mainly involves roll bars and lots of various gun mounts,storage boxes and lights. M151A2 TOW - tube-launched, optically-tracked, wireguided (TOW) anti-tank missile variant. M1051 - Firefighting variant which saw exclusive use by the Marine Corps. MRC108 - Forward Air Control variant, with multiband communications equipment. • Vehicle development source; www.wikipedia.com
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Equipment in canvas bags, securely tied down to the front bumper
Steering column detail showing indicator switch cabling
The MUTT’s dash had a simple dial layout
Dashboard with data placard and standard switch-gear
Close-up of foot pedals and basic accelerator
Sidelight wiring cable detail
Main headlight detail showing cable entry point
The large windscreen wiper motor can be seen here
The MUTT rode much lower than the original Jeep
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FEATURE ARTICLE: ARDENNES DIORAMA FEATURE
AMBUSH AT POTEAU
- 18TH DECEMBER 1944 PT.2 In the second of this two part article, José Brito describes how he created the Ardennes scenery and figures for his Battle of the Bulge diorama
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BASE AND DIORAMA
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My projects begin with sketches which help define the diorama’s composition. The next stage is to transfer the idea to the baseboard which will determine how the scene will look
I use a wooded baseboard and build up the sidewalls with balsa sheet to form a box
’m a diorama builder and all my projects start with several sketches. This step is very important because this will define the composition and the position of all the elements, which must be placed in a dynamic way and according invisible diagonal lines. It’s important to avoid placing elements parallel to the sides of the base. The next step is to transfer the idea and sketch onto the base. We really must spend the necessary time at this stage as it’s one of the most important steps of all and will define the overall look of the entire scene. As usual I use a wood base and make the side walls in balsa wood. This will form a box and the volume will add an extra touch of interest to the base and piece. The interior was filled with florist’s foam which is cheap, easy to find and easy to work with. It’s also lightweight and ideal for filling big volumes. Several layers of white glue were applied in order to create a strong bond. A piece of root was used to represent the tree and to add volume to it, small holes were drilled and grass roots were glued into them. This is a very time consuming process, but necessary if we want to make a realistic tree! Making terrain and vegetation demands research and observation of the real world. Even so, sometimes we must rely on companies to provide us with suitable products. Model Scene is one of those companies and their products are great; several of their items were used in this project. Fallen oak leaves (Model Scene), were randomly glued in place with the help of Deluxe Materials Rocket Hot Glue which added an extra touch of realism to the scene. Small pieces of turf were used and glued in the right spots. All areas of exposed soil received a wash of Mig Productions ‘Dark Wash’ which turned the soil very dark, creating a nice wintery earth colour. For the wet soil, Mig Productions ‘Wet Effects’ and ‘Damp Earth Mixture’ were also applied. MiniNatur is another a big name in the diorama accessories range and several items from their range were used in the vegetation making. All these products and items combined will give the diorama a very convincing and natural appearance. In the pictures you can see a barbed wire fence. To make this, barbed wire from Royal Model was used. Take care with your fingers, the model stuff is as sharp as the real stuff!
The interior has been filled in florist’s ‘Oasis’ foam which is cheap and easy to find; it’s also lightweight and handy for filling large volumes. Wood glue was used to fix it in place
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FEATURE ARTICLE: ARDENNES DIORAMA FEATURE
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A piece of root was used to create the tree. Small holes were drilled and smaller roots were inserted to form branches
Creating vegetation requires a little observation of the real world. Sometimes, commercial products are the most effective way to get the undergrowth ‘growing’
Model Scene products are excellent; several items from them were used in this project
Fallen oak leaves, also from Model Scene, were glued using Deluxe Materials Rocket Hot Glue
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Small clumps of grass from Model Scene were used to create instant and realistic ground vegetation
The ‘instant grass’ is a quick way to add realism to the scene
Tweezers are essential when adding the smaller items of groundwork
The areas of exposed earth were given an application of Mig Productions ‘Dark Wash’ which stains the soil a dark brown colour, idea for wet, wintery earth; no dust here!
For areas of wet mud, Mig Productions ‘Wet Effects and Damp Earth Mixture’ was applied directly to the diorama’s surface with a paintbrush
MiniNatur is another a big name in diorama accessories and a few of their items were used to create more vegetation
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FEATURE ARTICLE: ARDENNES DIORAMA FEATURE
Barbed wire from Royal Model was used on the diorama which is as sharp as the real thing!
Three of the diorama’s four figures are from Dragon and the fourth is a resin item from Nemrod, assembled without modification. The Dragon figures received some of surgery however. All the figures’ hands were cut off and substituted with new ones in resin from Nemrod. All the Dragon figures’ heads were replaced by resin items from Hornet
Stamped-brass German helmets from SKP (item SKP 016) were used on the Dragon figures
The figures were undercoated with white primer and once dry, airbrushed in a suitable skin tone
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The figures were painted using Vallejo Model Color acrylics, except the flesh tones that were painted in oil paints from Winsor and Newton. The mud was created with pigments applied from the jar with a brush
FIGURES
The diorama includes four figures; three kit-plastic items from Dragon and a resin figure from Nemrod. The latter was assembled ‘out of the box’ but the Dragon figures received lots of surgery. All hands were removed and received new ones in resin from Nemrod. Besides the hands, all the Dragon heads were replaced with new ones in resin from the Hornet range. I also cut a section from the Dragon figure’s legs. In reference pictures is possible to see that some German troops are just kids in oversized greatcoats, poorly armed and equipped. On the other hand, some others are well equipped and they seem to have combat experience. The figures were primed in Vallejo Acrylic White Primer 73600. Once well dry, they were airbrushed in Vallejo Model Air 71076 Skin Tone. Metal German helmets from SKP (item SKP 016) were
The trio of Dragon figures, ready to be fixed to the diorama. The resin heads hands and SKP helmets really improve the look of the figures
used on the Dragon figures; these are just lovely and very accurate, inside and out. The figures were painted entirely in Vallejo Model Color, except the flesh tones that were painted in oils from the Mig Productions range and the muddy look was achieved by applying Mig Productions pigments directly from the jar, with the help of a small, flat brush. The resin heads, resin hands and metal helmets really improve the figures and turn them more realistic and accurate. The surgery work to turn the figures short and turn the greatcoats oversized also look very convincing.
CONCLUSION
This was a very enjoyable project and is the biggest diorama I’ve made. I’m very happy with the final result and it was a great opportunity to try
new techniques and new approaches. Being the ‘Ambush at Poteau’ one of the most recognizable events from World War Two, I’m very pleased to have, in my collection, a diorama representing those events. Hope you like it. Be safe! •
Modelspec: Materials and paints used; Wood glue, Deluxe Materials glue solutions, florist foam, wood base, injected plastic, resin parts, plastic card, metal parts, Vallejo primers, acrylics, washes, pigments, pastes and thinners, MIG Productions pigments, oils, washes, filters and thinners, soft graphite pencil, Aguaplast – Robbialac, Fine sand.
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MODELLING REFERENCES: WELD-SEAM EFFECTS
UP-ARMOURED SHERMAN Photo references for M4 Shermans with appliqué armour
This grim view of a burnt-out Sherman clearly shows its single appliqué panel; the area of the hull side behind it exhibits burnt off paint from an internal fire
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Just visible here is a stamped part number in the centre of the appliqué panel
This well known image shows a Canadian Sherman is up-armoured; note the footmanloops or camouflage-net hooks along the hull side
Cast-hull and welded-hull Shermans in a maintenance yard (field), both with appliqué on their flanks. Note the M10 Tank Destroyer in the foreground
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f you are building an M4 Sherman with appliqué armour patches on its hull sides, you’ll need to do a convincing job of the weld seams; they were huge and very prominent! On these pages we can see just how ‘knobbly’ the seams were and you might wish to consider using a pyrograph or even modelling putty to simulate the buildup of molten steel where the thick steel patches were fixed to the hull side. Heavy gauge plastic card is probably the best material to create the panels if they didn’t come with your kit and there are some small details worth noting, such as the serial numbers stamped into one of them in these photos which tell us that these examples would have been made ‘officially’ either in
the USA or in Army workshops for retro-fitting to vehicles. Whilst the intention was good, the appliqué armour offered little resistance to the overwhelming penetrative power of a well-aimed 88mm armour-piercing round or a panzerfaust/panzerschreck’s deadly hollowcharge and if anything, the patches served to indicate to enemy gunners precisely where the most vulnerable points of the tank’s hull were located. Far better was the introduction of ‘wet’ stowage of the main gun’s ammunition, where the rounds were stored within boxes lined with a jacket containing a water/glycol mixture, hence the ‘wet’ designation. If the tank was penetrated by an enemy projectile, the fluid
would (hopefully) spill over the affected area, extinguishing the fire and adding a few precious seconds of ‘escape time’ for the crew to exit their vehicle. In practise, the tankers would often carry additional ‘loose’ rounds within the fighting compartment that could negate the lifesaving properties of the wet stowage system. Photos are of the Sherman gate-guardian at the Musee Memorial D’Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. Wartime photos courtesy of Regional Council of Lower Normandy/National Archives USA and Regional Council of Lower Normandy/National Archives of Canada. • Source; www.olive-drab.com
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MODELLING REFERENCES: WELD-SEAM EFFECTS
The images above show clearly the welding patterns used to secure the armour-plate patches to the Sherman’s hull side, quite tricky to replicate accurately on a model
A formation of French Shermans of the 2/12 RCA prepare for action in a French field; all appear to carry appliqué armour on hulls and some turrets have it too
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KIT PREVIEW: RIICH MODEL UNIVERSAL CARRIER MK.I W/CREW • Kit No. RV35011
UNIVERSAL SOLDIER Riich Model have created an all-new 1:35 kit of the famous WW2 British Universal Carrier, much to the delight of military modellers worldwide. Marcus Nicholls takes a look
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amiya’s 1:35 Bren-gun Carrier has done sterling service for decades but is rather aged now and has been long been due for graceful retirement. We have sorely needed an new ‘Carrier for years and I was very happy that it was Riich Models, part of the Bronco family of model manufacturers, who chose to pick up this challenge as they have an excellent track record (pardon the pun) of high quality armour model releases. Thirteen sprues of grey and clear polystyrene of varying size will be found within the small kit-box, plus three sheets of photo-etched brass, copper chain and nylon cord for the vehicle’s tow-rope. Also in the box is a zip-lock bag containing two sizes of tiny steel springs plus brass rods, all parts of the Carrier’s complex suspension system. The instruction booklet runs to no less than twenty-four pages, offering an indication of the kit’s complexity. Pretty much every major area of the Universal Carrier has been depicted here, from the steering system, radios, stowage bins, rifles and their racks to a complete V8 engine with carburettor, radiator and cooling fan all included. The engine is completely hidden on the finished model but it’s nice to know it’s there. This is a marvellous kit and having recently finished Riich Model’s Radschlepper Ost for the previous AFV editions of Military Illustrated Modeller (issue numbers 26 and 28), I think it’s safe to assume this kit will go together equally as well. Three cheers to Riich Model! Available from; www.hannants.co.uk •
A very well sculpted three-man crew set is included with the kit; another set has recently been released with the crew in winter uniform
The fine-pitched track needs a fine-pitched drive sprocket, and that’s just what you get... Roadwheels are finely detailed too
The suspension is detailed with two sizes of spring in steel, plus brass actuator rods, most impressive
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The lower hull plate features excellent raised detail on both outer and inner surfaces
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An example of an engine component carrying fine detail
Radiator in included, plus rocker-cover with ignition plug caps
Some extremely small details are provided in the kit
Brakes and other running components
A full V8 engine is included, hidden on the finished model
Hull sides sport fine raised detail
A generous amount of photo-etched brass comes with Riich Model’s kit; three sheets of it!
Close-up of the ‘cast’ intake manifold
Suspension castings feature foundry numbers on their outer faces
The linkages for the steering system are all present and correct
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ORDNANCE DEPOT New and recently issued photo-etched metal, resin and decal sets for armour modelling projects
DIOPARK, CHINA 1:35 MODEL ACCESSORIES
Diopark have created two new 1:35 bicycle sets, each containing two models per box. The bikes are moulded in normal kit plastic and photo-etched brass spoke-discs are also provided for a more realistic finish as an option. • WWII British Military Bicycle (35010) • Asia Classic Bicycle (35009)
SWASH DESIGN, JAPAN 1:35 MOTORCYCLE
Swash Model offer some jewel-like models in their multi-media 'Peashooter' range and the mighty Indian 741B military version is their latest. The kit is in cast resin and white metal with photoetched nickel-steel and is absolutely exquisite in detail. Needless to say, some modelling experience will be needed here but the results will be worth the effort you put in. The only thing you'll need to find are the stencilled numbers for the fuel tank, perhaps using spares from an Archer sheet? • 1:35 Indian 741B military version (P-35-08)
VOYAGER MODEL, CHINA 1:35 vehicle UPGRADE SETS
New from Voyager Model are three sets for recent armour kits, each providing a mass of extremely fine photo-etched brass parts and more to sharpen up the recipient kits. Meng's Merkava 3D with BAZ mine-plough gets an insanely involved set that includes a full complement of replacement steel suspension springs, chains and brass balls for the turret skirt-armour and no less than thirteen sheets of photo-etched brass from large to small, all crammed into a tiny package. This project would be no small undertaking and you'll need excellent tweezers, eyesight and patience to install the parts; the results could be spectacular though. Also new are less overwhelming but equally refined enhancement sets for Trumpeter's KV-85/KV-122 and Dragon's Type 96 Light Tank. • IDF Merkava Mk.3 BAZ MBT w/chains (PE35564) • WWII Soviet KV-85/KV-122 Heavy Tank basic set (PE35577)
FRIULMODEL, HUNGARY
1:35 ARMOUR MODELLING ACCESSORIES
The latest 1:35 Friulmodel tracks to arrive are; T136 early-type for the M108/M109 Paladin, T142 for the M48/M60/M88, T97E2 for the M48/M60/M88 and a set for the Leopard 1/Gepard/AS90. All are cast in metal and a roll of brass wire for the is supplied to make the track-pins. MN • M108/M109 Paladin (ATL-139) • Leopard 1/Gepard/AS90 (ATL-141) • T97E2; M48/M60/M88 (ATL-142) • T97E2; M48/M60/M88 (ATL-143)
• WWII Japanese Type 95 Light Tank Early w/ gun barrel (PE35567)
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MASTERBOX, UKRAINE 1:35 FIGURE SETS
MR MODELLBAU, GERMANY
1:35 ARMOUR MODELLING ACCESSORIES
MR Modellbau offer a range of high quality resin conversion sets and accessories for a variety of armour models. Their new items include a welded-glacis for Tamiya's ISU-152 and a BT-7A conversion for Tamiya's BT-7 Mod.1935 kit (above). MN
Two useful new 1:35 injection-moulded figure sets are on release from Masterbox, both depicting WWII Wehrmacht figures. The six-figure vehicle riders will be handy for filling the crew decks of trucks and halftracks and come in various unique poses; no figures are duplicated. German Infantry Defense features a dynamically posed group of four soldiers on the Eastern Front and are perfect for a combat scene. Excellent detail and animation. • German Infantry 'Off the Front' vehicle riders WWII era (MB35137) • German Infantry Defense, Eastern Front Battle Series No.1 (MB35102)
• ISU-152 welded glacis section (MR35371) for Tamiya ISU-152 • BT-7A turret conversion (MRA35375) for Tamiya BT-7 mod.35 • Stowage for Type 89B Otsu (MR35398) for Fine Molds • Radiator covers Mercedes 4500 S/A/R (MR35385) for Zvezda • Radiator covers Henschel 33 D1 (MR35405) for ICM • Radiator covers Einheitsdiesel (MR35384) for IBG • Flammpanzer KhT-26 (MRA35392) for Hobbyboss T-26 mod.31 • T-26 roadwheels late-pattern (MR35408) for Hobbyboss T-26 mod.31 • Ford Maultier roadwheels early-production (MR35395) for ICM
PLUS MODEL, CZECH REPUBLIC 1:35 MODEL ACCESSORIES
New from Plus Model are resin kits of the Cushman Model 32/34 WW2 American scooter; solo machine (kit no.360) and sidecar version (kit no.362). Also new from Plus Model's 'Easy Line' range is a set of WW2 German anti-tank grenades in resin, to 1:35 scale. • US Scooter solo (360) • US Scooter sidecar (362) • Anti-tank grenades (EL057)
WHERE TO BUY? Diopark; MR Modellbau; Friulmodel; Swash Design; Masterbox, Plus Model; Voyager Model;
www.luckymodel.com www.mrmodellbau.com www.friulmodel.hu www.swash-design.com www.creativemodels.co.uk www.whiteensignmodels.com AFV Edition
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FEATURE ARTICLE: DRAGON 1:35 QUAD GUN TRAILER M55 • Kit No. 6421
LONE SENTRY Marcus Nicholls builds Dragon’s small but beautifully detailed 1:35 ‘Multiple Cal.50 Machine Gun Mount M45 and Mount Trailer M55’
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he .50 calibre Browning M2 heavy machinegun is one of the most powerful and effective guns of the 20th and 21st centuries, coming to the fore in WW2 and still serving today with modern armed forces around the world in various guises. The American-designed weapon was used on tanks, armoured cars, ships, in aircraft, on tripods and, perhaps most famously, on the M45 multiple gun mount. The hitting power of four of these guns, focused to fire on a single point was devastating, earning the M45 the gruesome nickname of ‘Meat Chopper’. The M45 was designed as an anti-aircraft gun platform and was often used to guard Allied air bases from attack by aerial raiders. In this article, we can see the model set in a snowy landscape of Belgium, January 1945 during Operation Bodenplatte, the last major Luftwaffe action of the war. The gun’s M55 trailer has been lowered slightly in a hastily dug, shallow gun pit – so hasty in fact that the wheels are still mounted.
REALISING THE M45/M55 IN 1:35
Dragon’s M45/M55 kit could fall into the category of ‘small but (nearly) perfectly formed’, such a neat little production that it is. It comes in a compact box with a decent amount of grey polystyrene sprues, one in clear plus a strip of photo-etched brass and waterslide decals. As with most recent Dragon kits, ejector-pin marks are almost completely hidden (just four on the inner face of the armoured shield) and there’s no flash or other moulding defects to be seen. Construction starts with the distinctive roundtopped ‘M2 Ammunition Chests’ and Dragon thoughtfully supply data stencils for these, two for each side. The upper markings that indicate the direction in which the ammunition should be loaded point either to the left or right (for front and rear faces) and it’s important to place the right decals in the right places. The lower data stencils are ‘handed’ too but I couldn’t tell the difference between the two. The markings are offered in white and yellow.
Also in this step we assemble the petrol-powered ‘Power Charger’, which drove a small generator to charge the six-volt batteries that powered the turret. This is a simple three-piece sub-assembly, albeit a nicely detailed one. I added some cables to the battery plus Model Kasten wing-nuts to various locations, according to my references. The trailer’s three jacks feature positionable central columns, fixed in place by lining up holes moulded in their sides with small pins inside the jack halves. As I intended to place my model in a small vignette with uneven ground, I wanted to vary the height of the jacks myself, so I simply trimmed off the pins allowing the columns to move up and down at will. A little filler was needed around these components once built up. Next comes the assembly of the turret floor and I chose to leave out the gunner figure, as I wanted to depict the model at an idle moment, the calm before the storm, as it were. The single part of photo-etched brass in this kit is for the ‘skirt’ that
Above and below right, Dragon’s 1:35 kit is moulded in standard mid-grey polystyrene and comes with a strip of photo-etched brass plus waterslide decals. It’s extremely straightforward to build and as these images show, some extra detailing was added to the battery and generator motor. The four Browning M2 guns are best left off until final assembly so they be easily painted
A well preserved M45 on M55 trailer at the Gardemoen museum, Oslo, Norway
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FEATURE ARTICLE: DRAGON 1:35 QUAD GUN TRAILER M55 • Kit No. 6421
The guns’ elevation was set at around 45 degrees, fixed with liquid cement
A few spots of filler was needed on the trailer as can be seen here in green
The trailer can sit on its wheels or be raised on its jacks which are positionable on the model. If the wheels are to be left off, they should come off with their axles blocks as we can see above
Here we see the M45 gun mount temporarily placed on the M55 trailer. At this stage, the jacks were free to move up and down, hence the odd angle of the trailer in these views
The real gun mount rotates on bearings, set in a ring as can be see to the left
The kit replicates this with a PE brass strip that must be rolled into a circle, but the bearings could do with beefing up
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The completed model (minus guns) awaits its paint; olive drab, of course
Four ejector-pin marks on the inner face of the armour shield were filled with Squadron Green Putty, although on the finished model they are barely noticeable
Here we see the electric firing control, a pot-war addition
A close-up view of the lower lefthand side gun mount revealing its bolted and welded construction
The components of the trailer jacks are cast steel; foundry marks are evident on their sides
The gunner’s fire control with twin handles and switch-gear
Above, a detail view of the gun mount’s construction; note the manufacturer’s marks stamped into the steel
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FEATURE ARTICLE: DRAGON 1:35 QUAD GUN TRAILER M55 • Kit No. 6421
Close-up of the gun elevation ring and lifting lug
Extension tube for the two rear trailer jacks and side-reflector disc
The .50cal M2 guns included in Dragon’s kit are excellent replicas and even come with positionable receiver covers
The distinctively dome-topped M2 Ammunition Chests in Dragon’s kit are excellent replicas of the real thing and require no modification, unless you feel compelled to replace the wire handles, but they look pretty good as standard
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Above and below; the paint starts to go on. Over a base-coat of Tamiya XF-62 Olive Drab, further lightened layers were applied to create a more scale-like appearance. The shade was varied on the M2 ammo boxes
Tamiya XF-62, XF-49 and XF-15 were used in varying mixes to form a faded coat of olive drab for the M45 and M55
Looking at the different tones of paint, it would appear that this quad mount was assembled from more than one unit
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FEATURE ARTICLE: DRAGON 1:35 QUAD GUN TRAILER M55 • Kit No. 6421
The simple display was made using a picture frame topped with a rectangle of insulation foam carved to shape
The snow was partly created using Precision Snow and Ice’s snow system, a useful product to keep handy
The foam was coated with a mixture of interior filler, dark brown pigment and model railway grits to form a muddy base. A shallow pit was scrapped into the foam for the gun, creating a ring of spoil with the filler/grit mix
An illustration from the technical manual showing the M45’s two-stroke generator that charged the mount’s drive-battery
“The Browning M2 .50cal guns are excellent mouldings and some of the very best available in kit plastic.” mounts the traverse bearings and here a little care was needed to form the thin metal strip into the correct diameter to fit the base of the M45 mount. One could beef up the detail here with the simple addition of bolt-heads at each bearing position. The Browning M2 .50cal guns are excellent mouldings and some of the very best available in kit plastic. They have individually-moulded receiver covers, which is a nice touch. Once could of course replace the barrels and cooling jackets with machined brass upgrades but for the purposes of this model, I felt the kit parts were perfectly adequate. On to the M55 trailer now, and this is an extremely well detailed part of the model, although a little filler was needed here and there to close up
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The guns were airbrushed with Humbrol Metalcote Gunmetal, then gently polished
some fine gaps. Dragon have done a good job of replicating all the main structures of the trailer and little needs to be added to it by the modeller.
PAINTING
I wanted to keep the painting and weathering extremely simple on this project as it’s only a little thing and too many surface effects could swamp its detail. I began with an overall coat of Tamiya XF-62 Olive Drab, followed by a patchy over-spray of Tamiya XF-49 Khaki which is a sympathetic shade and serves to lighten the base colour. I then added a spot of XF-15 Flat Flesh which lightened it further; this final shade was airbrushed onto the smallest highlight areas. Once dry, I mixed dark brown and black oil
painted, thinned them with Humbrol Enamel Thinner and flowed the mixture into the detail areas of the model. I painted the canvas seat with Vallejo 314 Canvas and the M2 guns with Humbrol Metal Cote 27004 Gunmetal.
IN CONCLUSION
Dragon have done an excellent job with the M45/ M55 and it looks very good straight from the box, or with some small details added as I did. Voyager Model and Griffon offer quite extensive photo-etched brass sets for the kit and these will replace many of the sheet-metal fittings, plus add missing detail. All my little vignette needs now is a couple of GI figures looking suitably frozen to complete the wintery scene! •
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The generator’s small fuel tank was painted a very slightly different shade of OD for variety
The tyres were lightly muddied although they look a little dry in this view; they should be wet and sticky!
Modelspec: DRAGON 1:35 QUAD GUN TRAILER M55 KIT No.6421 Materials; Injection-moulded grey polystyrene, photo-etched brass, waterslide decals Paints used; Tamiya XF-62 Olive Drab, XF-49 Khaki, XF-15 Flat Flesh Crayola white colouring pencil Weathering materials; AK Interactive Oil Colors For Modeling Black Smoke and Dark Rust Available from; www.creativemodels.co.uk Dragon kits and accessories are widely available from good model shops. UK import and distribution by The Hobby Co. www.hobbyco.net Views of the real M45’s gun mounts show that Dragon did a good job with the design of their kit
The wintery camouflage on the armour shield was created with a white colouring pencil, using the kit’s instructions for inspiration
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FEATURE ARTICLE: MENG 1:35 D9R ARMORED BULLDOZER • KIT No.SS-002
JUST A LITTLE TEDDY BEAR...
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Marcus Nicholls starts work on Meng's latest 1:35 armour creation, the mighty D9R ‘Doobi’ dozer of the IDF
he D9R bulldozer is an absolute monster of a vehicle in both size and appearance; the Israeli Defense Force ironically name it 'Doobi' (teddy bear) but it's anything but soft and cuddly. The vehicle is not without controversy either, being involved in action at the disputed territories on Israel's borders and also in a terrible incident that resulted in the death of American activist Rachel Corrie. In order to keep politics out of this model kit article, I recommend you look up the IDF D9R bulldozer online to read about this machine's chequered history. Meng announced their intention to release this kit at the beginning of the year and we first saw its box-top artwork at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in February. It took a little while to reach production then, but now it's here it is an absolutely remarkable achievement; a box packed with sand-coloured, clear/tinted and dark grey sprues, photo-etched brass, vinyl tubing for hydraulic lines, polycaps and waterslide decals. The kit features a fully moveable rear ripper and front blade, plus articulated tracks and a complete cabin interior. If you really want to do the full justice, I thoroughly recommend splashing out a further £25 on Desert
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Eagle's book that shows multiple D9s in great detail; reviewed on page 43 of this issue.
HULL
The model's construction kicks off with the hull, and here we have a panel-by-panel approach which allows for a greater deal of detail to be rendered than if the main structures were more modular in design. Fit of parts at this stage is very good, the
welt of softened plastic created by the cementing process more than adequate to close up the joints between the various elements of the central body. I used Tamiya tape to hold the sides together while the cement set and to avoid the liquid cement from running under the tape through capillary action, I inserted pieces of a cocktail stick (toothpick) under the tape to act as spacers.
The D9R’s ‘hull’ builds up from two halves to which panels are attached to build up the engine compartment. The fit of the panels is exemplary and required no filler
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The hull sides were taped together to ensure a close fit; the tape was suspended over short pieces of cocktail stick (toothpick) to prevent liquid cement from spreading underneath the tape and spoiling the kit’s surfaces
RIPPER
The ripper is next and here we have the first of the complex sub-assemblies of the model. To allow the ripper to move like the real thing, the hydraulic pistons must be movable which involves trapping a piston rod between halves of the piston body. Even in the very best kits this assembly sequence invites seams along the body halves and here a little filler was needed to seal up the glue-lines. I used Holts Cataloy Knifing Putty which is a solventbased filler for car body repair and works well
The ripper’s pistons are assembled. Where the piston bodies joined, a little filler was needed to hide the seam
on kit plastic; it can be thinned with liquid cement and is very fine grained. The ripper's structure built up without problems and it was soon time to fix the device to the hull and attached the pistons. The fit of parts is excellent but doesn't quite reach the precision achieved by Tamiya, so to ensure all parts remained in their correct positions while the cement cured I used clamps in strategic locations. In the photos this looks more dramatic than it really was, just a belt-andbraces approach to guarantee perfect alignment.
If the cement is applied sparingly, the whole ripper assembly can remain movable
A little filler was required in some areas, spread using a curved No.10 Swann-Morton blade
CABIN
While all that was drying, I began work on the cabin. The inner face of the roof sports nine hearty ejector-pin marks and while they will be almost completely hidden with the 'lid' fitted, I chose to fill and sand them anyway. Same goes for the panels that form the cabin walls, their inner faces being peppered with the annoying little discs. Unlike the marks in the roof, these are much more visible and the Cataloy putty proved invaluable in their elimination.
The completed pistons plus the main ripper components
The ripper is mated to the D9’s main chassis quite early on to allow the peripheral items to be attached AFV Edition
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FEATURE ARTICLE: MENG 1:35 D9R ARMORED BULLDOZER • KIT No.SS-002
Here we have the main ‘frame’ of the ripper, soon to be supported by a complement of miniature hydraulic pistons
To ensure the outer panels fit tightly against the frame, they were clamped while the liquid cement dried
Once the lower pistons are in place (no glue) the outer frame panels can be glued in place
Here’s the result; a fully operational ripper
The covers for the upper pistons are smaller parts that simply pop in place over the upper piston bases
‘By the time I reached this stage I had become rather infatuated with the kit...’ The cabin structure builds up onto a platform from the aforementioned individual panels and I really didn't want to risk painting them individually only to spoil their finish with oozing glue when they were brought together. So, with a little second-guessing of the kit's instructions, I cemented the cabin walls together using the platform as a jig, but without gluing the panels to it, yet. The resultant open-ended box could then be lifted off for painting/weathering and the windows and small internal fittings could be added later on.
THOUGHTS SO FAR? A spread of cabin parts. Note that the control levers have been left attached to sprue stubs to make them easier to handle and paint
By the time I reached this stage I had become rather infatuated with the kit; it's my first Meng build and they must be commended for their thoroughness and attention to detail. Fit of parts is very good, not quite on a par with Tamiya or dare I say it, Riich Models, but impressive nonetheless. Some filler was needed to seal a few small gaps but that's all part of the model making process. Next issue, I'll describe the assembly of the running gear, tracks and that massive dozer blade, plus I'll get some paint on this big, brutal teddy bear... •
MENG 1:35 D9R ARMORED BULLDOZER KIT No.SS-002 Materials; Injection-moulded sand-coloured, clear/tined and dark grey polystyrene, photo-etched brass, polycaps, vinyl tube, waterslide decals Available from; Ejector-pin marks on the cabin roof’s inner face were filled with car-body putty and sanded flat after a 24hr drying period
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www.hannants.co.uk
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US Army soldiers from Alpha Company, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division prepare to unload two armoured Caterpillar D9 bulldozers from their carriers at Al Butoma, Iraq, on Jan. 11, 2006. The soldiers will use the bulldozers to construct berms for security in Al Butoma. DoD photo by Spc. Jose Ferrufino, US Army.
The cabin walls build up panel by panel. They were glued to each other but not the cabin floor, allowing the open-ended box to be lifted off for painting before the armoured glass windows are installed in their frames. The cabin door is hinged and so was left unglued An Israeli Defense Force D9R with anti-RPG armour protection around its cabin. Photo by ( לודגה סולרקCarlos)
Voyager Model have already created a full photo-etched set for Meng’s D9R providing the cabin bar-armour, out soon
This is as far as the model got this time; next issue, we’ll add the running gear, tracks, dozer blade plus paint and weather the model
Meng have released a 1:35 IDF crew figure set which will be ideal for the ‘Doobi’
The perfect reference source for the kit is Desert Eagle's recently published book on the D9R and its variants, reviewed on page 63 of this issue. Available now from the Aviation and Military Book Centre for £24.99 plus shipping. www.aviationbookcentre.com
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FEATURE ARTICLE: STURmgeschütz DIORAMA
AFTER THE BATTLE Bernhard Lustig describes the construction of his super-detailed StuG.III ausf.E and the diorama it sits within
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o my eyes, the short barrel StuGs emblematic of the 'Blitzkrieg' and 'Operation Barbarossa' period and the StuG III Ausf. E is the last member of that family. Between September 1941 and march 1942, 284 Sturmgeschütze were built. The main characteristic feature of this vehicle is the large armoured box on both sides of the superstructure. Command vehicles contained the large radio equipment, while the others were able to carry six additional rounds of ammo. The installation of the large armoured boxes meant that the track guards had to be redesigned. It was the first model equipped with an MG34 for self defence. In 2005 I visited the Motor Technical Museum in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, where you can see the only existing vehicle. It was found 1991 in a lake near St. Petersburg, Russia. The vehicle is still unrestored and in a bad condition. The hull roof is missing, so you can see much of the interior. In some areas the original colour is still visible. I loved that vehicle and said to myself that some day I have to build that model.
The armoured cover for the headlight is the reworked kit-part, with a Royal-Model headlight and parts from Aber
The antenna-protectors received an additional mount, made from lead-wire. Note the early version’s hatches without air-intakes.
The large hatches give a good view of the loudspeakers and radio equipment.
There are five containers (five rounds each) stashed on the right floor. Two addidional containers are included in the upper right corner of the superstructure (three and four rounds) So the STuG was able to carry 44 rounds of ammo
WHICH KIT?
Unfortunately there is still no adequate model on the market, although Dragon has announced the E-version for the near future. In spring 2011 I decided not to wait for it, combining instead an old Dragon StuG Ausf. F with a modern Dragon kit of the StuG III Ausf. G. In my opinion it's the best choice, because the old Dragon kit contains all I need for a E-version. Because the kit is now more than fifteen years old, many parts of the excellent StuG III are a welcome addition to that. There is a large slot for the gunsight, so you have a good view to the interior, which is completely missing in the F-version kit. So I knew very early that I had to add an interior. The G-kit has a partial interior, but only a few bits can be used for it. The lower hull of the G-version is really well done, but you have to cut the towing eyes and reduce the length of the side panels at the rear ends and replace it with parts from the F-version. The E-version had 50mm frontal armour, so I had to replace parts of the front with a plastic sheet to simulate the correct depth. Fortunately you can find good references of the interior in several books. I found the best pictures in the 'Sturm und Drang' book No.2, Groundpower No.07/2000 and 10/2000, the 'Armour PhotoGallery' and 'Wireless for Wehrmacht”. I know, a lot of references to check through, but these were necessary to build it as accurately as I could. I took the floor and the gun-table from the G-kit, the firewall has to be changed at the left corner. The gun itself is completely different to the longer 7.5cm StuK 40. I took parts from an old StuG III Ausf. G update kit by The Tank workshop/ Ordnance Models and converted it with plastic card, copper wire and putty. The ammo racks were taken from the Aber kit, made for the Tamiya StuG III Ausf. B. They are perfect for the E's interior. Ammunition from Voyager was added too. The drivers compartment came from CMK and fitted to the model without any problems. The radioequipment is also a Aber kit. The plastic sides of the armoured panniers are too thick to install the radio-equipment, so I had to reduce it with a mini-drill for a better fit. The more parts you add to the fighting compartment, the more you can see the very limited space inside the vehicle. So it´s absolutely necessary that everything fits perfectly; endless dry-fittings were needed.
The clear plastic periscope was taken from the Dragon STuG III Ausf. G-kit. The leather bag for catching the spent shell casings has to be build up completely from scratch by soldering up a frame of copper wire and covering it with rolled out Magic Sculp
The ammo rack is mounted in front of the rear wall of the fighting compartment. The stick grenades are from RB Models
The FU5 a unified radioset consists of Ukw.E.e The fenders are really weak, so it’s receiver, 10 W.S.h transmitter and UKW E.h. Here important to solder all the parts you can see the right pannier
Headphones are a combination of Tamiya Vehicle tools with their new PE brass clamps and Dragon parts with lead wire cables are ready to be installed
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FEATURE ARTICLE: STURMGESCHÜTZ DIORAMA
Fingerprint Design data stencils were used for the StuG’s interior walls
After a black basecoat (Games Workshop Chaos Black) I applied a layer of off-white, before the floor was painted in a light blue colour. Colour-washes should be done very carefully. You can see clearly the effects of the thinned oil colours
COMPLETING THE HULL
After a never-ending period building up the interior, it was time to add the fenders and all the small details placed on them. In my eyes the Voyager etched fenders are excellent, but you have to handle them with care because of the weak material. Several units issued protectors to the width marker lights on both fenders to avoid damage from branches etc. Several types of these additions can be seen; I built them up with copper wire soldered to the fenders.
‘In my eyes the Voyager etched fenders are excellent, but you have to handle them with care because of the weak material...’
PAINTING BEGINS
I always start painting with a black base-coat. The interior was painted in an off-white colour, mixed using Tamiya XF-2 Flat White with a few drops of XF-15 Flat Flesh and XF-57 Buff. The floor was painted in a light blue colour. Before I started weathering the interior, I applied a layer of Tamiya X-22 Clear to give a good base for the Fingerprint Decals which are excellent quality. To protect the decals from the following washes, a layer of matt varnish followed. The whole interior received a very gentle colour-wash with oil paints followed by some pin-washes, mostly along edges or areas close to the floor. After a drying period of 24 hours, chipping could start. The best way to achieve good chipping results is a good brush. I always use Winsor & Newton series 7 brushes (00), in combination with various oil-colours (black, translucent orange oxide, burnt umber) thinned with white spirit. I added some small personal items to the interior to give it more life. The small cigarette packages I got from my friend Kazue Yoshioka. The 'Signal' magazine is a download from the internet, reduced in size and printed on thin paper. The most interesting moment came when everything was be glued together. Now you can judge if you have done a good job! Not fixing the armoured boxes was really helpful to get a good fit. Two headphones were the last things I added to the interior, before I closed up the hatches with Tamiya tape. I added all the small tools to the fenders and gave the whole model an overspray with Citadel 'Chaos-black'. The basecolour is Tamiya XF-63 German Grey with some drops of X-22 Clear. Highlighting with a cloud-pattern overspray followed the grey. Pin-washes with dark oil paints gives more depth to the model. For accentuating the higher areas I carried out some gentle drybrushing. After that process, the most time consuming work begins; 'micro-chipping'. I tried out several brushes for that, but Winsor & Newton Series 7–brushes work best for this. I mixed different oil-colours on a white tile and added a minimum white spirit for diluting.
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Many layers of washes simulate the heavily worn areas on the floor. Translucent Orange Oxide oil colour is a transparent colour and is my favourite choice for rusty areas. The large ammo box is my favourite item of the Aber interior set
The personal equipment gives colour an life to the interior. I paid the same attention while painting it; thanks to the large hatches you will see so much of it!
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I always paint my models and figures with a black base-colour; Citadel Chaos Black is the best
The first layer is simply Tamiya Panzer Grey XF-63 with a few drops of X-22 Clear and lacquer thinner
The excellent damaged exhausts from CMK were painted with the help of the ‘Rust and Dust’ set from Lifecolor
The wooden parts got a base-colour of Humbrol Matt 94 (Dark Sand) followed by thin layer of sepia/burnt umber oil-colour
The mud was created using a mixture of plaster, earth, static grass and AK-Interactive-colour ‘Kursk Earth’
The figures are a combination of parts from several figures, refined/converted with Magic Sculp. All the heads came from Hornet
Clay was added to the Styrofoam base and the figures plus all the other small items are pressed into the clay before it had dried completely. The sandbags were formed from Milliput
The traces of the tracks were pressed into the wet clay by the help of vinyl tracks from old Tamiya kits. Adding some higher grasses breaks up the monotone look of the grass matting
The hasty Russians shot their last rounds at the German StuGs before they evacuated their defensive lines! The Soviet 7.62 MG Maxim Model 1941 came from Plus Model, a resin kit with some etched parts; the empty rounds were made of stretched sprue. The ammo boxes are from Miniart and Plus Model. Sandbags and the canvas are made of Magic Sculp
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FEATURE ARTICLE: STURMGESCHÜTZ DIORAMA
BUILDING UP THE FIGURES
A heavily stowed StuG is a happy StuG! All that junk adds a great deal of personality to a model AFV and it’s well worth investing the extra time needed in its preparation
I had the intention to make a totally exhausted tank crew right after a hard fight, so I combined parts of several figures. Some individual parts were built up with Magic Sculp. Like the vehicle, the figures got also a black base-colour. First I painted the faces with Humbrols. The uniforms are all painted Vallejo Colours. From the beginning, it was clear to me that just a piece of groundwork with some grass would be uninteresting, but adding a building would draw the eyes of the viewer away from the main elements – the StuG, with the interior and the exhausted soldiers in front of it. So it should be interesting enough, but guiding the viewer's eyes after a short while to all my hard work!. Having a trench just in front of the vehicle gives depth and lets one imagine what happened in the earlier battle. For the groundwork, I first cut a piece of styrofoam and then applied a layer of clay which can be formed easily. I pressed all the figures and the vehicle into the clay while it was still soft. After one day, the clay had dried completely, so I added a mixture of dried earth, small stones, wood-glue, Mig Productions pigments (Europe Dust and Russian Earth). The grass came from Noch and Silhouette. I added some small roots and natural pieces I found in the forest (such as moss) to it to break the monotone look. I always start painting the groundwork from dark colours, lightened up in thin layers.
CONCLUSION
First I want to thank Peter Müller and Wolfgang Zimmermann for their help and their fantastic books about the StuG, which were a great help for the construction. I decided to build up a 'perfect' model with all the items I could buy for it and I want to tell you, you really need a lot of small products to produce a model like this! For me it was realising a dream I'd had for a long time. •
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What I used; Dragon kit No.6033 Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. F Dragon kit No.6320 Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. G Aber: 35021 Sturmgeschütz III ausf. B, C, D 35199 Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. B Vol. 3 Additional set for interior 35A52 Rings between roadwheels 35A79 German Tank Radio set 35A101 Screwheads R-26 German 2m antenna rods Jordi Rubio: 7.5 cm StuK 27 L/24 Elefant: lifting hooks (early) CMK: 3052 StuGIII Ausf. G Drivers Compartment Detail Set 3114, Pz. III Coolers and exhausts for Dragon kit Voyager: Fenders for StuG III Ausf. F, VBS 0310, German75mm KwK 37/StuK 37 Ammunition Shell Cases PEA108, Damaged roadwheels for Pz.Kpfw III The Tank workshop Ordnance Models: StuG III Ausf. G interior RB Models: German Stickgrenades Precision models: 75 mm ammunition containers Great Wall Hobby: L3513 German fuel drums Friulmodel: ATL-03 Pz III/PzIV 1940/1941 Archer fine transfers: Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. C, D, E, 2. Batt. Sturmgeschützabteilung 226 Fingerprint Design: sheet 35/001 Figures: Miniart, Warriors, Dragon, Tamiya, Hornet Accessories: Miniart, Plus References: Sturm und Drang book No.2 Groundpower No. 07/2000 and 10/2000 Assault Gun StuG III Ausf.D Sd.Kfz 142 (Armor Photogallery) Wireless for Wehrmacht In Detail/Wings & Wheel publication Sturmgeschütz III . Rückgerät der Infanterie: Band 1: Geschichte; Entwicklung, Fertigung und Einsatz Sturmgeschütz III Rückgerät der Infanterie 02: Erscheinungsbild Sturmgeschütze: Entwicklung und Fertigung der sPak Walter J. Spielberger
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BOOK REVIEW: THE COMPLETE DUKW, HISTORICAL REFERENCE
THE COMPLETE DUKW, HISTORICAL REFERENCE DAVID DOYLE, SQUADRON SIGNAL PUBLICATIONS ISBN 978-0-89747-720-8 From good book sellers. For more info; www.adhbooks.com
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eveloped in haste for the US National Defence Research Committee in 1942, the DUKW was to become the most successful amphibious vehicle ever produced. This new, 75,000-word volume from well known military author David Doyle combines a vast array of material from marine architects Sparkman & Stephens, the archives of General Motors, the US National Defence Research Committee and the US Army to document the DUKW’s life in unprecedented detail and accuracy. The book is packed from cover to cover with archive photos
that describe every conceivable detail of the machine as well as the numerous changes made throughout its production. Combat history is given an in-depth treatment too, Covering the campaigns in mainland Europe, Sicily, India the Pacific islands and Korea. The 304 page book includes a staggering 750+ photographs plus colour profiles and line-drawings, establishing it as the definitive publication on this famously quirky and highly successful military machine. Very highly recommended. •
Also new from Mr Doyle in the same series is a companion volume on the GMC CCKW ‘Deuce and a Half’ truck, going into a similar level of depth and detail.
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BOOK REVIEW: DOOBI D9 VARIANTS, D9 BULLDOZERS IN IDF SERVICE
DOOBI D9 VARIANTS, D9 BULLDOZERS IN IDF SERVICE MICHAEL MASS, ADAM O’ BRIEN, DESERT EAGLE PUBLISHING ISBN 978-965-91635-3-3 £24.99 plus shipping Available now, from; www.aviationbookcentre.com
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he ‘Doobi’ (teddy bear) is the Israeli Defense Force’s version of Caterpillar’s mighty D9 bulldozer – also used by the US armed forces and others – but mostly associated with the IDF. The machine is often seen on TV news, its vast bulk and tall cabin making an unmistakable sight and also an irresistible subject for a model kit. Balaton Model from Hungary offer a resin model in 1:72 and Vajra released a 1:35 kit of this monster, also in resin, a few years back. In recent months, we have been treated to a new injection-moulded plastic model thanks to relative newcomers, Meng. So, what’s the first thing most modellers do when they buy an new kit? Look for references of course! And they don’t get much better than this new publication by Desert Eagle from Israel. The book is a soft-cover production of eighty pages, in full colour throughout and printed
cabin, blade to ripper. This intimidating device at the rear of the D9 is shown from every angle, giving the modeller an excellent idea of its hydraulic plumbing, plus how it looks when heavily used. A crucial two-page spread provides eight important photos of the D9R’s cabin, offering indispensable painting refs for the modeller. A good mix of photos showing dozers with and without bar-armour are included; the former will be helpful when the inevitable bar-armour aftermarket sets appear for Meng’s kit. To top the book off, we have a three-page modellers’ section by Australian modeller Adam O’ Brien who demonstrates his expertise on Balaton’s lovely 1:72 model of the D9R. Adam’s highly realistic treatment of the heavily polished and muddy/dusty blade should be enough to have you scrambling to build your own model!
WORTH BUYING?
on high quality satin paper. It’s clearly designed with the modeller in mind, with the photographs reproduced fabulously large on the page making it very easy to see the mechanical details, colours and weathering of the dozers. We begin with a section on the history of bulldozers in IDF service including the mediumsized D7 machines. The D9 coverage kicks off with the first Caterpillar to join the IDF, the D9L, with particularly clear photos of its cabin and exterior. The ‘N is next, showing off the massive blade and the inevitable scraping, scoring and polishing of its surfaces. This section is followed by the portion of the book most pertinent to modellers, the D9R; the subject of the model kits. Here we are treated to nearly fifty pages of fantastic colour photo references of the beast, showing pretty much every aspect of the vehicle from the tracks to the
It’s the variety of imagery that really impresses here; the author hasn’t just performed a walkaround on a single machine, he has provided the reader with photographs of a fascinating diversity of equipment-fits to many different dozers; he also shows us brand new, freshly painted D9Rs plus heavily weathered examples whose dozer blades are polished clean of painted and are plastered with dust, sometimes right to the very top of the cabin. Modellers take note. Oil stains, scrapes, scratches and dents and dings are all shown clearly. This book is one of the most thorough references volumes we’ve seen in some time and if you have bought Meng’s new kit, do consider adding it to your collection; it will help you understand how the Doobi is built and how it gets weathered. As a result, you’ll get a lot more enjoyment out of your kit. Very highly recommended. MN •
AFV Edition
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modeller Next Issues military illustrated
ISSUE No.030 October 2013
Aircraft Edition - Brett Green AFV Edition - Marcus Nicholls Publisher; Alan Harman Graphic Design; Alex Hall, Colin Trundle Advertising Manager; Colin Spinner Advertising Sales; Mark Peacock Advertising Assistant; Joe Brown Office Manager; Paula Gray Administration Manager; Hannah McLaurie MIM Website; Alex Hall Editors;
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Military Illustrated Modeller Issue 31 - Aircraft Edition on sale 17 October, 2013
FIREFLY OVER KOREA
The Editor builds Special Hobby’s brand new 1:48 Fairey Firefly Mk.V, and provides walk around reference.
SEPECAT JAGUAR A Feliks Kamil Sztarbala builds Kitty Hawk’s 1:48 Jaguar A.
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NATTY NATTER
James Hatch describes the remarkable woodgrain finish on his 1:32 Bachem Natter.
END OF THE LINE PART TWO
The Editor paints and weathers Grey Matter Aviation’s 1:32 Ha-1112 Buchon conversion.
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OSHKOSH, BY-GOSH!
Military Illustrated Modeller Issue 32 - AFV Edition on sale 21 November 2013
FIFTY SHADES OF...
Subtlety is the key with Lars Richter's stunning Panzergrau PzIV in 1:35
...AND MORE!
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An amazing M1000 HET tractor/trailer from Domingo Hernandez in 1:72
LET US PRAY
Özgür Güner builds Bronco's 1:35 Bishop with full turret interior
AFV Edition
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SIGN OFF – FINAL THOUGHTS FROM THE EDITOR
DIORAMAS YOU
MUST BUILD
Here we see Brett Green’s superb build of Dragon’s 1:35 M7 Priest which featured in Issue 60 (April 2011) of Model Military International magazine. You can order a back-issue from; www.modelmilitary.com
BEFORE YOU DIE... CROSSING THROUGH CARENTAN, 1944 AND 2013
T
his is a very well known wartime photo from the Normandy campaign that shows an American M7 Priest self-propelled howitzer belonging to the 14th Field Artillery Battalion of the 2nd Armored Division passing north-east through the centre of Carentan, Normandy. The town is on the Douve River whose estuary divided Utah Beach and the Pointe du Hoc/Omaha Beach and was a key strategic point in the US sector immediately after D-Day. Not visible in the foreground of the photo is a level-crossing over the Cherbourg-Paris railway line that the M7 is about to pass over; the photographer must have been standing on or just to the near side of the rail tracks. Nowadays the level-crossing has gone (a safer, post-war bridge crosses the railway a few hundred yards up the line) and the tracks pass straight across the end of the wrecked house whose upper portions and roof have been rebuilt. I took the modern-day comparison photo of the location earlier this year and it was fascinating to stand at pretty much the same spot the US Army photographer stood in he summer of 1944. I think it would make a neat dioramic scene, with a couple of Jeeps and some GIs milling around and you could put other vehicles in the background as we don’t know what else was in view on that day.
[email protected] See you again next time!
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