Military Modelling Vol.44 Issue 05

Krupp Steyr Waffentrager

Painting a prototype completed in haste

MILITARY MODELLING

Saint-Chamond WW1 French tank in a challenging scheme!

Out of the woodwork! El Greco Miniatures’ Norman bust in 1:12 sale

Abandoned armour

Continuing the story of 1ATB in France 1939-40 18th April 2014

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Vol.44 No.5 2014

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contents www.militarymodelling.com Features

16

16 KRUPP STEYR WAFFENTRAGER

Fraser Gray presents his own unique interpretation of how this one-off vehicle may have looked in 1945.

32 NORMAN IN THE WOODWORK!

Adrian Hopwood finds a novel way to display an El Greco Miniatures’ 1:12 scale bust.

38 1ATB IN FRANCE 1939-40 Peter Brown continues to relate the structure, equipment, colours and markings of the tanks of British 1st Army Tank Brigade.

38

46 CRAFTY CAMOUFLAGE!

Colin Rosenwould takes on the tricky paint finish for Takom’s 1:35 scale French WW1 Saint-Chamond tank kit.

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Lioness & Lion of the Line Volume 2 This second volume in the Lioness and Lion of the Line series covers the M50 and M51 Sherman tanks in service with the Israeli Defence Forces. Authored by Dr. Robert Manasherob, a world recognized expert on Israeli military vehicles, this volume contains detailed descriptions of the design, developments, combat, operations and history.80 pages in black and white and colour, More than 180 photos, Dozens of unique and previously unpublished photos, In-action photos, Walk-around photos,1/35 scale line drawings, Newly discovered, unique markings, Detailed colour profiles, Never before seen tactical markings. £29.99

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Lioness & Lion of the Line Volume 10 Lion & Lioness of the Line Early IDF This tenth volume in the Lioness and Sherman Tanks - Volume 6 Lion of the Line series covers the IDF This sixth volume in the Lion & Lioness Sherman tanks in service with the of the Line series covers the early Israeli Defence Forces. Sherman tanks in service with the Israeli Authored by Dr. Robert Manasherob, Defence Force. Authored by Dr. Robert a world recognized expert on Israeli Manasherob, a world recognized expert military vehicles, this volume contains on Israeli military vehicles, this volume detailed descriptions of the combat, contains detailed descriptions of the operations and history of M51 design, developments, combat, operations Sherman tanks during the Six Day and history.80 pages - including 37 in full War.80 pages in black and white and colour, More than 250 black and white colour, More than 175 photos, Dozens and colour photos, Dozens of unique and of unique and previously unpublished previously unpublished photos, Combat photos, In-action photos, Walk-around photos, In-action photos, Walk-around photos,1/35 scale line drawings, Newly photos,1/35 scale line drawings, Newly discovered, unique markings, Detailed discovered, unique makings, Detailed colour profiles, Never before seen colour profiles, Never before seen tactical markings. £29.99 tactical markings. £29.99

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Lioness & Lion of the Line Volume 12 - M1 Sherman This twelfth volume in the Lioness and Lion of the Line series covers the IDF Sherman tanks in service with the Israeli Defence Forces. Authored by Dr. Robert Manasherob, a world recognized expert on Israeli military vehicles, this volume contains detailed descriptions of the combat, operations and history of M1 Sherman tanks during the Sinai War, and the late 1950s.80 pages in black and white and colour, More than 240 photos, Dozens of unique and previously unpublished photos, In-action photos, Walk-around photos, 1/35 scale line drawings, Newly discovered, unique markings, Detailed colour profiles. Never before seen tactical markings. £29.99

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Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Great War 1914-1918

Israeli Wild & Cruel Cats PUMA Volume 1 All new material! This volume is not a reprint of the original Wild & Cruel Cats This is the first volume in the Israeli Wild and Cruel Cats series which covers the tank-based combat vehicles and armoured personnel carriers in service with the Israeli Defence Force. Authored by Dr. Robert Manasherob, a world recognized expert on Israeli military vehicles. This volume contains detailed descriptions of the design, developments, combat, operations and history of PUMA combat engineering vehicles.80 pages in full colour, More than 140 colour photos, Dozens of unique and previously unpublished photos, Combat photos, In-action photos, Walk-around photos,1/35 scale line drawings, Newly discovered, unique makings, Detailed colour profiles, Never before seen tactical markings. £29.99

Types and Variants of British-Built and Non-British-Built Trucks in British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Flying Corps Service 1914-18 Israeli Wild & Cruel Cats Volume 3 - Achzarit Heavy APC This is the third volume in the Israeli The T-62 in Israeli-Arab Wars Volume 1 Wild and Cruel Cats series which covers the tank-based combat vehicles This is the first volume in a new series on the T-62 tank and its derivatives in and armoured personnel carriers in Israeli-Arab wars. Authored by Robert service with the Israeli Defence Force. Manasherob, a world recognized Authored by Dr. Robert Manasherob, expert on Israeli military vehicles, this a world recognized expert on Israeli military vehicles. This volume contains volume contains detailed descriptions of the design, developments, combat, detailed descriptions of the design, operations and history of the T-62 in developments, combat, operations and Israeli-Arab wars.80 pages - including history of Achzarit heavy armoured 40 in full colour, More than 300 black personnel carriers. 80 pages in black and white and colon photos, Dozens and white, and in full colour. More than of unique and previously unpublished 150 photos, dozens of unique and photos, Combat photos, In-action previously unpublished photos, combat photos, in-action photos, walk-around photos, Walk-around photos,1/35 scale photos. Unit marking illustrations, 1/35 line drawings, Newly discovered, unique makings, Detailed colour profiles, scale line drawings. Detailed colour Tactical markings. £29.99 profiles. £29.99

At the start of the Great War in 1914, the British Army had just 80 trucks and 20 cars in service. These had been augmented by a further 59,490 motor trucks and 33,800 cars and ambulances by the end of the war in 1918. This policy of motorisation made the British Army the most mechanised of all the belligerent nations. This book is the first-ever publication granting a comprehensive overview of military trucks used by the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Flying Corps in World War One. It covers British-built subsidy, purposebuilt and impressed general service trucks with famous manufacturers’ names ranging from AEC to Wolseley. It also shows non-British-built trucks in service with the British Armed Forces, of which the majority were of American origin. Additional chapters cover workshop trucks, tankers, gun trucks, steam wagons, traction engines and tractors.

In 200 pages, this book is illustrated with 396 black-and-white photographs. Hardcover, complete English text. Limited Edition - 999 Copies. £34.99

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Building Dioramas Stone Objects. Building Dioramas Stone Objects following on from the first two volumes, we bring you the third book in the series, which concentrates on stone objects, chapters include, Flower Holders, Tombstones, Fountains, Waterworks, Equestrian Monument and Mausoleum. £12.99

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IBG Models IB35022 Marmon Harrington MkII kII Mid EEast IB35017 Bedford QLR IB35018 Bedford QLB

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New Dragon Kits D11021 1/72 SATURN V W/SKYLAB £140.00 D1056 1/350 USS FLORIDA SSGN 728 £35.00 D3224 1/32P-51K MUSTANG W ROCKET LAUNCHER £49.99 D3543 1/35 IAF UH-1N WITH PARATROOPERS £42.50 D3546 1/35 M48A3 (SMART KIT) £49.99 D6375 1/35 PANZER IV CREW LTD £13.25 D6387 1/35 PZ KPFW III AUSF L LATE PROD £49.99 D6553 1/35SD.KFZ 7 W/3.7CM FLAK £55.99 D6647 1/35 SD KFZ 167 STUG IV LAST PROD £49.99 D6679 1/35 7.5CM PAK 40/4 AUF RSO £49.99 D6695 1/35 GERMAN WEHRMACHT BIVOUAC £16.99 D6732 1/35 SDKFZ 10 AUSF A W/5CM PAK 38 £49.99 D6770 1/35 IJA TYPE HA-GO LIGHT TANK £35.50 D7509 1/72 PANZERFAHRE FAHRENDECK £23.99 D7510 1/72 CHURCHILL MKIII DIEPPE 1942 £21.50 D6380 1/35 COMMONWEALTH INFANTRY ITAL'43 £9.99 D6390 1/35 BRIT 8TH ARMY INF EL ALAMEIN42 £8.99 D75048 1/6 SHERMAN ML IC FIREFLY HYBRID £499.99 BLACK LABEL D3548 1/35 M103 A1 HEAVY TANK D3550 1/35 MBT 70 [KPZ 70] D6789 1/35 M6 A1 HEAVY TANK D1623 1/16 SCHUTZE SCHUTZSTAFFEL D6003 1/35 WAFFEN SS 1944 D DAY D6021 1/35 US RANGERS 1944 D DAY D6028 1/35 TIGER ACES LTD D DAY D6084 1/35 16TH LUFTWAFFE FIELD DIV D DAY D6111 PANZERGRENADIERS D DAY D6127 HEDGEROW TANK HUNTERS D DAY D6155 KAMPFGRUPPE 1944 D DAY D6268 1/35 SDKFZ 171 PANTHER G LATE PROD D6311 SD KFZ.182 ELEFANT (PREM ED) LTD D6358 1/35 PANTHER A LATE PROD (PREM ED) D6575 1/35 PZ KPFW IV AUSF J LAST PROD D6671 1/35 GERMAN HALF TRACK RIDERS

£49.99 £49.99 £TBA £14.50 £9.99 £9.99 £9.99 £9.99 £9.99 £9.99 £9.99 £45.99 £45.99 £45.99 £59.99 £16.50

Tamiya 35331 32407 35335 35336 32578 32579 37015

£24.99 £25.99 £44.99 £19.99 £8.99 £19.99 £29.99

Type I Jap S/P Gun w/figs LRDG w/masterbox figs Nashorn GPA Jeep Updated w/figs 1/48th German M/C with Sidecar 1/48th US Fuel Truck Horch Kfz 15 w/figs (ex Itai)

ICM Models RIC35479 Moskvitch 401 saloon RIC35534 Type 770K Open Top RIC35536 Packard Twelve series 1408 RIC35632 WWII German Firemen RIC35526 L1500s German Fire Engine RIC35671 WWI Austro/Hun Weapons RIC35674 Russian Maxim M/Gun (1910) RIC35675 Russian Maxim M/Gun (1930) RIC35401 Type 2.5-3.2T Light truck

£15.50 £24.50 £24.50 £7.99 £24.50 £7.99 £7.99 £7.99 £24.50

RIC24021 RIC24022

1/24th Admiral Cabrio 1/24th Admiral Cabrio w/hood

£29.99 £31.50

Trumpeter TM02324 ML-20 152mm Soviet How M-46 Carriage £30.99 TM02340 Chinese Type 56 Div Gun £18.99 TM02341 52-K model 1939 A/A gun early £29.99 TM01543 BTR-60PA £TBA TM04546 HMS Westminster F237 Type 23 Frigate £39.99 TM02346 Soviet GAZ-67B £32.99 ££169.99 TM915 1/16th Su-100 TM02348 Zu-23-2 Russian A/A Gun £24.99 TM05565 T-80B £44.99 TM05572 JGSDF Type 73 Light Truck £24.99 TM00432 German Flak Gun Crew £9.99 TM04550 HMS Daring Type 45 Destroyer £54.99 TM00919 1/16th Panzer IV Ausf H £TBA TM01592 German SPW-70 £31.99 TM02331 Russian 100mm A/T gun 1944 £29.99 TM02867 Supermarine Attacker FB.2 £23.99 Kinetic Models (future releases) KN61010 RG-31 Mk 3 Canada KN61011 4x4 MRAP Truck KN62001 1/48th R-11 US/NATO Fuel Truck

£34.99 £TBA £TBA

Bronco Models (future releases) BM35065 Panzer 35T (SKP) BM35066 Nimrod 40M A/A Tank BM35127 SdKfz 233 7.5cm (1942) BM35101 Buffalo MPCV w/slat armour BM35142 MRAP Vehicle “Maxx” BM35110 KV-85 BM35124 8 Rad PzFunkwagen SdKFZ 263 BM35143 Panzer 1 Ausf F (VK1801) BM35167 Italian Topolini open top w/lady BM35166 M-24 Chaffee Indochina BM35144 MkIII Valentine MkIX BM35146 MkIII Valentine MkXI OP BM35168 6 Pdr A/T MkIV Gun Carriage MkIII BM35169 Jeep w/Trailer plus Airborne figs BM35170 6 Pdr with Jeep and Crew BM35171 Italian light delivery van w/civilians BM35172 S.W.S Cargo (GWH w/updates) BM35154 Panzer II Ausf J BM35164 Light Staff Car w/crew Libya AB3562 WWII Brit Field Access set AB3563 T97E2 Track links (M48/60) AB3564 Soviet BT-7 Track BM35125 CV3/33 Tankette series II early

£TBA £TBA £TBA £51.99 £TBA £TBA £TBA £31.99 £19.99 £36.99 £34.99 £32.99 £21.99 £32.99 £32.99 £22.99 £39.99 £TBA £19.99 £11.99 £TBA £TBA £future

Mini Art (future releases) UMA35151 U.S Horsemen Normandy 44 UMA35084 Battle of Bulge figs UMA35089 101st Airborne 1944 UMA35150 Merc Benz 1500A Cargo UMA35145 BZ-38 Refueller UMA38003 European Tram 641 UMA35159 AEC Mk III Arm Car UMA35170 Soviet Heavy Inf weapons UMA35171 Fire Truck w/trailer and pump UMA35165 British Officers UMA35102 Soviet Inf Weapons UMA35173 Gaz-AAA model 1941 UMA35161 U.S Officers UMA38004 French Civilians 30/40’s UMA35144 Red Army Drivers UMA36057 Base with Tram Line UMA35160 Gaz-03-30 Ambulance UMA35162 Panzer III Ausf B May UMA35166 Panzer III Ausf C UMA35168 U/S MP w/motorcycle UMA35169 Panzer III Ausf D UMA35180 US Drivers

£TBA £9.75 £8.99 £27.99 £TBA £39.99 £32.99 £7.99 £TBA £9.75 £7.99 £28.00 £future £8.99 £future £15.99 £future £future £future £future £future £future

New Postage Rates Postage charges (within UK) •Large Letter - £1.50 •Small Parcel 1kg - £3.50 •Small Parcel 2kg - £5.00 •Med Parcel 1kg - £6.50 •Courier up to 25Kg - £8.00 Oversea items at cost, ask for quote

Riich Models (future releases) RE30009 M1 6Pdr Ammo set RV35018 6 Pdr MkIV A/Tank Gun RV35027 Universal Carrier Mk II RV35028 Brit Uni Carrier crew in winter uniform 1943/45 Meng Models (future releases) SS-004 M2A3 Bradley w/Tusk III TS-006 Russian T-90A MTB TS-007 Leopard 1A3/4 AFV Club (future releases) AF35217 6 Pdr Gun QF Mk4 A/T gun Late AF35233 SdKfz 233 8 rad w/75mm Short gun AF35263 SdKfz 263 AF35S67 AAV7A1 Ram/RS w/EAAK AF35236 AEC Matador Early AF35253 Churchill 3” Gun Carriage AF35257 German Fuel/Water tank set AF35258 WWII British Fuel Tank set AG35039 Nato 155mm How Ammo AG35042 M2HB.50 cal M/G Conv AF35049 AEC Dorchester Early AF35273 AEC A/car Mk III AF35060 M-60A1 Patton AF35166 6 Pdr A/T Gun AF35175 M1A1 75mm Pack Howitzer AF35202 17 Pdr A/T Gun AF35209 M-24 Chaffee (korea) AF35219 6 Pdr Gun Airborne Crew AF35145 T-34/85 Mod 1944/45 Factory No 174 w/Int AF35186 Bofors 40mm FlaK 28 A/A Gun AF35S82 NM-116 (M24 Chaffee) AF35201 Valentine Mk III with Rotatrailer Hobby Boss (future releases during 2014/5) HBB83807 4.7cm Pak on Pz35 R731 (f) HBB82602 1/16th T-34/85 HBB83802 US White 666 Cargo soft top HBB83806 French R-35 tank HBB83813 SdKfz 221 Early HBB83818 T-37 Early HBB83822 Swedish CV9030 IFV HBB83824 Russian T-30S light tank

£11.00 £21.00 £32.00 £6.99

£54.99 £44.99 £44.99 £27.99 £TBA £42.99 £69.99 £49.99 £42.99 £14.99 £14.99 £14.99 £7.99 £TBA £TBA £TBA £TBA £TBA £TBA £39.99 £TBA £42.99 £29.99 £TBA £TBA

£26.99 £future £future £26.99 £28.00 £22.93 £29.99 £22.99

Merit Models (possible releases during 2014/5) 1:16 Scale MM60030 1/18th German Flak 88 type 36 £future MM60602 1/6th SMG43 £future MM61601 1/16th German 105mm K18 Cannon £future MM61604 1/16th M-ATV MRAP £future MM61605 1/16th US Maxx Pro MRAP £future MM63502 M-19 soft top w/trailer £future MM62001 1/200th USS Hornet CV-8 £259.99 MM67201 1/72nd Russian OSA-1 Missile boat £89.99 Panzerwrecks Canfora Books KV Tanks on the Battlefield Panzerwrecks 16 Due May Du uel iin ue n the Mis Mist 3D uee Apr prilill Duel Due April

£23.99 £17.00 £36.99

d Ma

ULTIMATE 1/6th SCALE ALL METAL KITS

ng nE ei lan d

I N

A S S O C I A T I O N

W I T H Illustration and graphic design by www.studiomitchell.co.uk

Model to feature in new exhibition ‘Warhorse to Horsepower’

Price £3,995.00+p&p

(incl. VAT)

(Motors/Electronics and special effects are optional extras)

RESERVE NOW with a deposit payment of

£495.00

Mark IV Tank

STRICTLY LIMITED EDITION

*The ‘War Horse’ Tank. ( Picture courtesy of the Tank Museum )

Commemorating the centenary of WW1, we are pleased to present the British Mark IV Tank, available to build as an all metal kit.

Featuring: • •

•

Pressed steel track and roller chain assembly Option of either ‘Male’ or ‘Female’ Mark IV, with parts for both versions supplied as standard Complete rivet detailing All models will be engraved with the Armortek name and a unique serial number guaranteeing the authenticity of your model.

*

Visit our web site for more details www.armortek.co.uk | e-mail: [email protected] 22 Flightway Business Park, Dunkeswell, Devon. EX14 4RD

|

Telephone: +44 (0) 1404 892956

Kompact Kit EASY TO ASSEMBLE SCALE ALL METAL KITS

By Armortek

25 PDR. Price £498.00

inc. VAT

Illustration and graphic design by www.studiomitchell.co.uk

Field Gun (+ p&p)

In stock for immediate delivery*

Made in England Ma

*subject to availability

A superb all metal model • All metal CNC machined and laser cut components • Working elevation and slew • Moulded rubber tyres • Complete with foldaway ground ring • Gun sight • Fasteners • Over 600 rivet details • Simple exploded view instructions

Create your own impressive display piece

FAST DELIVERY Buy your kit online - www.kompactkit.co.uk

Briefing

Notice Board Information and diary dates The Editor welcomes copy for publication in ‘Notice Board’. This service is free of charge. Obvious ‘for sale’ notices, either private or trade will not be accepted. These restrictions do not apply to bona-fide museums and collections or traders wishing to pass on information about the availability of products to readers. Would secretaries of clubs and societies please allow a three-month lead time for time-sensitive notices. Please note: under no circumstances will copy be accepted by telephone. All notices must be in writing, by letter or e-mail. Please send all copy for ‘Notice Board’ direct to the Editor at the address listed under ‘Editorial’ on the contents page.

The Normandy Landing Beaches Today Published by MyTimeMedia Ltd., this new one-off ‘special’ is aimed primarily at those who are thinking of making their first visit to the beautiful beaches of Normandy, and the sites of the D-Day Landings.

Cleveland Open Day IPMS Cleveland are holding an open day for their 20th anniversary on 10th May 2014 at Sunnyfield House, Westgate, Guisborough TS14 6BA. The show will feature model displays and modelling and will be open from 10am to 3pm, with free entry. For further details contact [email protected]

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The remains of the Atlantic Wall defences, plus museums filled with interesting artefacts, make for fascinating viewing. The title even suggests some other places to visit in the UK where you can see additional material associated with the events of the summer of 1944. In the 70-years that have gone by, many of the towns and villages have since been rebuilt, but there is still so much left to see. Using this guide will enable the visitor to fully explore this historic region and also be able to combine a great holiday that includes good food, beautiful countryside and some wonderful sandy beaches. The on sale date is 25th April and the price is £6.99. The title will be on sale at WHSmith High Street branches, Easons and independent newsagents. In addition, it will be available in Tesco and Sainsburys for a limited 3-week promotion.

Moorlands Model Show IPMS Staffordshire Moorlands Model Club present The Moorlands Model Show which is supporting the ‘Help for Heroes’ military charity. The show takes place on Sunday 6th July 2014 at the TA Centre, Martin Leake House, Stonor Street (off Waterloo Road), Cobridge,

Details for the forthcoming Shepway Military Modelling Society show.

Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST6 3HJ. There will be an Open Model Competition and many Modelling Clubs, SIGs (Special Interest Groups) and Traders will be in attendance. Ample free parking will be available as will refreshments and a licensed bar. Doors open 10am till 4pm. Admission £3 Adults, £1.50 Children & Concessions. For Further Information contact Show Manager John Lingwood on 01782 721463, Email smmcmodelclub@ hotmail.co.uk or website http://smmc.moonfruit.com

Faversham celebrates 30-years of modelling As 2014 is the Faversham Military Modelling Group’s 30th Anniversary, they will be mounting one of their occasional shows on Saturday 28th June 2014. It will be a celebration of modelling, catching something of the flavour of the justly popular Figure World. To this end, modellers are invited to bring their best work along to put on display on the tables while the public and fellow modellers will then be given the opportunity to vote for their favourite exhibit. Admission will be free to everyone (as long as children are accompanied by an adult) to encourage as many people as possible to come in, look round and, hopefully, inspire some

of them to get interested and, perhaps, invest in a kit or, maybe, join a club! To mark the start of the Great War, there will be just one competition which will be for all and any models that directly relate to that war. So not only figures, busts, vignettes and dioramas can be entered but also WW1 vehicles, aircraft, ships etc., as well as civilian subjects involved in war work. There will be club and trade stands including the likes of Welling, Gravesham, Shepway and the International Flat Figure Society/British Flat Figure Society as well as traders such as Historex Agents, Hawk Miniatures, CGS Military Figures and 2D Figurines. The Show will be held in the Gatefield Hall at the Alexander Centre, 15-17 Preston Street, right in the centre of Faversham (postcode ME13 8NZ). Entry is from 10am to 3.30pm, and refreshments will be available. For more information contact John Regan on 01795 532135.

Postcodes for ‘Sat Navs’ When submitting notices for shows, etc., would organisers please include whenever possible, the postal codes for their venues, which will help prospective visitors using in car satellite navigation equipment to locate their destinations much easier.

Military Modelling Vol.44 No.5 2014

Website

ABOVE: This diorama using the Airfix 1:32 scale 1910 B Type Bus by site member Gareth Evans is very nicely done.

ABOVE LEFT: Ken Holland did a very neat job on this Austin Armoured Car of 17th Armoured Car Battalion of the RTC, first across the Rhine in 1918. ABOVE RIGHT: Member John Glover did a lovely job on this 1:35 scale Model T Ambulance.

www.militarymodelling.com News from the Military Modelling website and forum If you would like to submit an item for the website email Robin Buckland at [email protected] or come and join our online presence at militarymodelling.com the world of military modelling at your fingertips

T

he forum on our website allows us to operate rather like a model club, only with members joining in from all around the world. We hold a regular series of ‘Group Builds’ and our first one for 2014 has been proving to be very popular. With a mix of WW1 Equipment as the topic, we

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have seen some lovely builds of both tanks, trucks and aircraft all being completed. We have more WW1 topics planned for later in the year, with both Artillery and Figures being the two topics we have planned for the second half of the year. For our second quarter, D-Day will be our topic,

remembering the 70th Anniversary this year. Another lovely story recently has followed on from a forum thread of a couple of years ago, when one of our members scratchbuilt a figure of Squadron Leader A. E.

Umbers, a New Zealander who was killed over Germany in 1945. That sculpture was discovered on our site this year by the pilot’s daughter Jennifer, who is planning a visit to Germany to visit both the crash site and grave of her father. A lovely addition to the story of a model on our website, and bringing home how much it can mean to family, very much the human story associated with a model. There is always a welcome for you on our forum. MM LEFT: The 1:35 scale resin figure from MDC of Sqdn Ldr A. E. Umbers.

Military Modelling Vol.44 No.5 2014

Website

LEFT: One of the Takon 1:35 scale St Chamond models built by Chris Meddings, the man behind Inside the Armour. BELOW: Another of the Takom 1:35 scale St Chamond builds, this one by MAFVA member Colin Rosenwould – see his feature on this model commencing on page 46!

ABOVE: A 1:35 scale British Mk.IV tank built by Andy Claesens as part of our WW1 Group build.

LEFT: One of our first completed models in the group, the MB Models 1:72 scale WW1 Mk.1 Male by Johnny Gers.

ABOVE: Site regular Johan built this 1:48 scale Albatros with a very neat finish.

LEFT: We saw a photo of this ‘in progress’ in our last update, this is Gary Radford’s completed build of the Wingnut Wings Fokker Eindecker.

INSET: Another example of the recent 1:72 scale WW1 Male from MB Models, this time built by Robin Buckland.

www.militarymodelling.com

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Krupp Steyr Waffentrager Fraser Gray presents his own unique interpretation of how this one-off vehicle may have looked in 1945.

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he Krupp Steyr Waffenträger was one of several parallel projects to produce a self-propelled mount for the powerful 8.8cm PaK 43 anti-tank gun, that could be swiftly manufactured adapting components from existing stock. The Krupp Steyr proposal utilised components from the RSO tractor incorporated into a thinly armoured chassis, with a partially enclosed turret to give the crew protection from shell fragmentation and small arms fire. Only one prototype of the Krupp Steyr Waffenträger was completed and it was sent for technical evaluation at the Hillersleben Proving Ground.

Building the kit Trumpeter’s 1:35 scale kit (item 01598) was built straight from the box, apart from adding an electrical conduit made of copper wire for the Notek light, and some fine chain for the stern towing block from Trumpeter’s 06624 40cm Chains Set.

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I constructed the model the same way I would build an aircraft kit. Substantial amounts of painting and weathering of the hull interior and open top turret has to be completed before the hull and turret basket are assembled. There is a lot of work preparing the hull interior for priming and painting. Numerous ejector pin marks have to be filled with modelling putty. I chose to fill all of them, just in case any were visible after the hull and turret had been assembled. To ease production, Trumpeter has moulded the front spaced armour solid. It was a simple task to open up this area, using a drill and a craft knife. A minor problem encountered during construction of the kit was a slight amount of warping on the two suspension arms, parts A4. However, emersion in hot water and some gentle pressure soon corrected the problem. The turret interior looks suitably busy. The arrangement of the various interior fittings can

Military Modelling Vol.44 No.5 2014

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LEFT: The author’s completed model placed in a scenic setting curtesy of Photoshop. The box art for Trumpeter’s 1:35 scale Krupp Steyr Waffenträger model. This kit was reviewed in MM Vol.42 No.4 2012.

only be speculative, as only a few photos of the completed prototype have so far been published. I have my suspicion about the location of the gun’s elevation and traversing wheels, but I followed Trumpeter’s instructions. The only improvement I chose to make to the turret interior, was drilling out the aperture of the gunner’s sight. The breechblock caused me more work, using modelling putty to get the parts to fit. The instructions are a little vague as how the breech should look when correctly assembled. The inclusion of a turned aluminium barrel was a great surprise, as it is not mentioned on the box lid! The tracks are individual links and have to be removed from the sprue and cleaned. A jig is supplied in the kit to model the track sag while the glue sets on the upper section of track. I chose to replace the tracks for a set from Friulmodel, because of their realistic appearance and the ease of weathering and fitting of the white metal tracks to the model. There is very little improvement that could be made to the model by purchasing any after-market photo-etched sets, as the screen covering the air intakes and the 88mm shell caps are supplied in the kit on a photo-etched fret.

What colour scheme? An attractive four-view profile is included in the kit. The first vehicle is an overall Panzer Grey. The second illustration is of a Waffenträger in a striking red primer finish with the gun tube in a contrasting dark yellow,

www.militarymodelling.com

green and red brown camouflage. I couldn’t decide how to paint my model, so I combined them both to produce my own unique interpretation! As practically a ‘Paper Panzer’ you could paint the model in any camouflage pattern you please. There were many exotic German late-war camouflage patterns to chose from, such as the ‘octopus’ camouflage photographed on a Tiger II or perhaps a captured vehicle sent for evaluation in the Soviet Union?

Painting I’m still finding my feet using the colour modulation painting technique. On the two previous models I had modulated, I kept the effect subtle. I decided to turn up the volume when airbrushing the Waffenträger and increase the contrast between the shadow and highlights, and not to get cold feet before I had completed painting the model. However, when I had removed the masking tape I was shocked by the luminous appearance of the model. It looked like a computer-generated image had been transmitted to my workbench, in three dimensions! Nevertheless, as the painting progressed, the effect was toned down by the weathering process of washes and chipping. In retrospect, perhaps the effect on my model is now too stark? I’ll leave it for you to decide! Before I started using the technique, painting had become a chore, but colour modulation has certainly renewed my enthusiasm for building and painting models.

‘‘ ” ...painting had become a chore, but colour modulation has certainly renewed my enthusiasm for building and painting models.

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Photo 1. Because the model is supplied with a partial interior, I took the precaution of filling in all the ejector pin marks with model putty.

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Photos 2 & 3. The prototype vehicle’s bow was protected with spaced armour. I used a drill and a craft knife to remove the unwanted plastic from around the transmission covers.

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Photo 4. The interior received a coat of Halfords’ Grey Primer. The model’s exterior was masked to prevent excess primer covering the attachment surfaces for the upper hull, to ensure a strong bond when the upper hull is glued in place. Photos 5 & 6. A bulkhead was made from plastic card and a length of plastic tube used to represent the axle. When the adhesive had dried the compartment was prepared for painting with another coat of primer. Photo 7. A small jig is supplied with the kit to reproduce the sag in the top length of track.

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Military Modelling Vol.44 No.5 2014

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Photo 8. The roadwheels were temporary attached to the model with PVA wood glue. When sufficient link and lengths of track had been assembled they were dry-fitted to the model. I latter decided to replace the kit’s tracks with Friulmodel set ALT-123 because of their realistic appearance and articulation of each individual track link.

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Photo 9. I decided to finish the model with the driver’s hatch open to show off the interior. I reduced the thickness of the plastic with a craft knife and filler and added an internal cover for the driver’s vision aperture. The adjacent visor is a dummy, and was attached in the closed position. Photo 10. The locking lever is integrally moulded on the underside of the hatch. I carefully carved away the lever with a craft knife. A location hole was drilled and a post made from stretched sprue was used to make the lever’s spindle. Photos 11 & 12. The completed model built straight from the box. Only minor problems were encountered during construction such as sink

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marks caused by the contraction of the hot plastic when the components are ejected from the mould. There is some very fine detail present, such as the retaining screw heads on the Notek light front lens aperture. The photo-etched air intake screen is very fragile and was set aside to be attached after the model had been painted.

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the dimly lit interior of the model. Manufacturer’s fabrication markings were represented with a sharpened Faber Castell Polychromos white pencil. The Lion Roar ‘Marks for WWII U.S. Military Vehicles II’ set (item LT0055) was used to airbrush the various numerals. A full arsenal of 88mm cartridges are supplied, complete with photo-etched caps.

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Photo 14. I painted the various turret fittings and equipment with Humbrol enamels. The dials on the radio are actually supplied for the driver’s instrument panel, but as they are impossible to see when the lower and upper hull is joined, they serve much better here. Photos 15 & 16. Basic painting and weathering has been completed on the turret basket. Paint has to be removed from the radio’s shelf to ensure a strong bond. The posts for the gun’s elevation and traversing wheels have been replaced with brass wire to ensure a firm attachment. Further manufacturer’s fabrication marks have been made using the Lion Roar photoetched stencils and a white pencil.

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Photo 13. I decided to model a prototype, completed in haste, with a red primer interior. I exaggerated the contrast between the different interior components so they can be seen within

Photos 17 & 18. The turret’s fittings were cemented into position. To create interest some items have been painted in dark yellow to suggest they were salvaged from other vehicles to save the manufacturers time. The surfaces that attach to the lower turret have been cleaned of paint to ensure a secure and strong bond.

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Military Modelling Vol.44 No.5 2014

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Photo 19. The two turret halves and upper and lower hulls were joined together with Humbrol Precision Poly Cement. Secured with elastic bands they are left overnight for the glue to set. Photos 20 & 21. The upper hull and turret was carefully wiped with a lint free cloth dipped in surgical spirit to remove grease and debris. To prevent primer and paint from damaging the painted interior of both the turret and hull, I blocked of all the crew access apertures, turret race and prominent air intake with scrap paper and Tamiya Masking Tape. Humbrol Maskol was applied to hold the paper in position and provide a paint and solvent proof seal.

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Photos 22 & 23. Several light coats of Halfords’ Primer for plastic were applied to the model.

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Photo 24. As I had decided to paint the model using the colour modulation technique, a basecoat of Tamiya NATO Black XF-69 was airbrushed to represent the deepest shadows. The paint was diluted with Tamiya Thinner X-20A. A generous amount of Tamiya Clear X-22 was used to give the coat of paint a smooth satin finish.

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Photos 25 & 26. To start work on the colour modulation of the hull I gathered my painting materials. I decided to paint the hull and turret in a dark grey to provide an attractive contrast to the red primer interior. I prefer to mix my own version of Panzer Grey from Tamiya Field Blue XF-50 and Medium Blue XF-18. Substantial amounts of Tamiya Clear X-22 were added to the paint to give a smooth satin finish to the paint. I have painted the Tamiya logo white on the jar lid so I can identify my custom blend. Photos 27 & 28. Colour modulation technique requires that each individual facet of the hull is airbrushed. I started the painting process by isolating the upper hull sides with Tamiya Masking Tape and applying my first airbrushed vignette of the medium tone of Panzer Grey. The armoured plate of the hull deck projects outwards, so I left a strip of the basecoat of NATO Black XF-69 unpainted to exaggerate the natural shadow.

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Photo 29. The masking tape is removed so the work can be checked. Already the hull sides have volume and interest compared to the rest of the unpainted model. Photo 30. The upper bow plate is isolated with Tamiya Masking Tape and airbrushed, using the same blends of Tamiya paint and techniques previously described to paint the upper hull sides. Photos 31 & 32. Moving further up the bow, two more panels are isolated and prepared for painting. The symmetrically placed panels are airbrushed at the same time to give a consistent appearance to the painting. When the paint it is touch dry it is masked to prevent damage from overspray.

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Photo 33. The air intake frame is airbrushed using the same blends of Tamiya paint but in a counter direction, light to dark to contrast with the adjacent plates. Photo 34. The front trackguards are separated from the rest of the model and a vignette is airbrushed using the same blend of Tamiya paint.

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Photo 35. Work is progressing, notice how each individual panel is airbrushed in a counter direction so that it contrasts with the adjacent panel, creating volume and interest to the model. The effect is rather stark, but weathering and washes will reduce the contrast. Photo 36. The colour modulation technique can be quite expensive on Tamiya Masking Tape so I try to reuse the tape before discarding it. Here the two panels have been airbrushed simultaneously to preserve the symmetry of the painting.

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Photo 37. The front upper late plate of the hull has been prepared for painting. The work thus far completed is protected with Tamiya Masking Tape to prevent any overspray spoiling the paintwork. Photo 38. To suggest a greater volume of light falling on the upper hull plate, I added extra Tamiya Flat White XF-2 to my camouflage colour, and then airbrushed

the highlight. The lighter appearance of the hull top will give a pleasant contrast to the turret. Photo 39. The medium to darker tones of Panzer Grey are airbrushed. They have also been lightened to be in sympathy with the highlights. Photo 40. Further applications of Tamiya Masking Tape are used to protect the completed paintwork. The stern of the upper hull plate is isolated from the rest of the model and prepared for airbrushing. Photo 41. The lightest tone is airbrushed first…

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Photo 42. …The medium and darker tones are then airbrushed. Photo 43. All the major panels have now been airbrushed. Medium sized details, such as hatches, can now be painted. The hatch covering the engine bay is masked for airbrushing.

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Photo 44. The lighter tone is airbrushed on the forward engine bay access hatch. Photos 45 & 46. The rear engine hatch is airbrushed to create a contrasting vignette to the forward hatch. Photo 47. The Tamiya Masking Tape is removed so that the work can be inspected.

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Photo 48. The stern hatches are separated from the rest of the model for painting. The lighter tone is again airbrushed in a counter direction to the vignette on the upper hull plate. Photo 49. The hatches are airbrushed in the opposite direction of hull top plate, so the detail is highlighted, creating volume and interest.

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Photos 50 & 51. The smaller elliptical hatches are isolated with Tamiya Masking Tape and Humbrol Maskol applied with a fine brush. The hatches are then airbrushed with the highlight in the opposite direction to the vignette on the underlying hatch.

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Photo 52. When the masking tape is removed the airbrushed paintwork allows each hatch cover to be in contrast to the hull top plate emphasising the detail. Photo 53. Painting of the upper hull has been completed. Weathering and washes will darken the appearance, and thus reduce the stark contrast between the highlights and shadow areas. Photos 54 & 55. Interesting features, such as the overlap of the upper hull plate with the hull, can be brought to attention by using the highlight blend. The area surrounding the edge of the upper hull plate was masked and the highlight airbrushed. Photos 56, 57, & 58. The four prominent lifting lugs are isolated from the lower hull sides with Tamiya Masking Tape and airbrushed with a contrasting lighter shade of the Panzer Grey camouflage colour.

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Photos 59, 60, & 61. The front towing bracket and lugs of the gun barrel’s travel lock are separated from the glacis plate with Humbrol Maskol and Tamiya Masking Tape. When the surrounding paintwork has been protected the detail was airbrushed with the highlight colour to contrast with the glacis plate.

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59 Photo 62. The stern plate is colour modulated using the same techniques as the hull. Photo 63. The towing lug is separated from the backing plate and airbrushed with a vignette in a counter direction.

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Photo 64. The Tamiya Masking Tape is removed and the painting of the stern plate is completed. Photo 65. The stern plate axle casing is separated from the adjacent plate and airbrushed with the highlight colour to emphasise and contrast the detail. Photos 66 & 67. The attachment point for the stern tow shackle can then be airbrushed using the colour modulation technique, in a counter vignette to the surrounding stern plate.

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Photo 68. The towing shackle itself was painted in dark yellow to suggest the standard part for the RSO Tractor was taken from stock or salvaged from a damaged vehicle. I have begun to highlight the bolt head detail using a paintbrush. Photos 69, 70, & 71. Tamiya Masking Tape is used to separate the hinge detail on the engine bay hatches, in preparation for airbrushing.

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Photo 72. The Tamiya Masking Tape is removed to show how each individual element, such as the hatch hinge, contrast against the adjacent detail. Photos 73 & 74. Location points for the gun barrel travel lock have been prepared for painting and are airbrushed in the highlight colour. My airbrush is capable of producing a counter vignette on such small areas of detail.

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Photo 75. The fine hinge detail securing the air intake was airbrushed next. Tamiya Masking Tape protects the surrounding paintwork from overspray. Photos 76 & 77. The large air intake and louvres are prepared for airbrushing with masking tape and then airbrushed German primer red.

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Photo 80. The suspension has some interesting detail that is worth the extra effort of highlighting. I economised on Tamiya Masking Tape and used paper kitchen towel to protect the paintwork behind the suspension from overspray. Photo 81. Always a tense moment! The masking tape protecting the interior paintwork is removed to check if any solvents or overspray have spoilt the interior paintwork. Careful preparation prevents any disappointment and extra work.

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Photos 82 & 83. The turret race is separated from the hull top with Tamiya Masking Tape and Humbrol Maskol for airbrushing in German Primer Red. Photo 84. The hull has now been painted. Small details, such as grab handles and bolt heads, have been painted using a fine paintbrush using the highlight colour with more white added. The Notek light has been painted German Dark Yellow to add interest and to suggest that the part had been taken from stock or recovered from a damaged vehicle. Photos 85. The interior is protected with a cone of paper and the model is given several light coats of Tamiya Clear X-22 to protect the paintwork on the grab handles and bolt heads. Photo 86. To complete the hull painting the gun barrel travel locks were mounted on cocktail sticks and undercoated in Tamiya Semi Gloss Black X-18. After checking the location of the components on the completed model they were airbrushed using the medium and highlight tones of Panzer Grey in accordance with how the light would fall to illuminate the parts.

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Photos 78 & 79. The suspension was now airbrushed using colour modulation techniques. The lower view shows the predominance of the Tamiya NATO Black XF-69 undercoat in comparison to the medium and highlight hues of the colour modulated components.

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Photos 87 & 88. The turret is prepared for priming by cleaning all surfaces with a lint free cloth and surgical spirit. The already painted turret basket is covered in paper kitchen towel secured with masking tape. The open top of the turret fighting compartment is stuffed with paper kitchen towel and waste paper, secured with Humbrol Maskol. The gun tube aperture has been sealed with Tamiya Masking Tape.

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Photo 89. The turret is primed for airbrushing with several light coats of Halfords’ Grey Primer for plastic. When the primer has cured overnight a basecoat of Tamiya NATO Black XF-69 mixed with Tamiya Clear X-22, for a satin finish, is airbrushed on all surfaces. Photo 90. To begin the colour modulation painting of the turret a basecoat of Panzer Grey is sprayed, followed by the highlight tone along the top of the turret. Photos 91 & 92. The back of the turret is also airbrushed following the same painting sequence to preserve continuity with the front of the turret.  To be continued.

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don’t think I need to cover any history for this bust article, I’ve painted a couple of Norman subjects over the years, and well, let’s be honest, this is quite a small piece that has a lot of potential to be other things anyway. Matt Grech of El Greco Miniatures sculpted this piece along with an emerging series of similar scaled busts for his own range of resin kits. There are a variety of subjects and although none are overly complex – being true busts, so it’s just head and shoulders – this one must be one of the simplest pieces.

The parts As you can see from Photo 1 there’s just the main casting and an additional sliver of resin to add for the nasal guard. As Matt has stepped away from his Grecian subject matter, and reduced the scale a little, the curling locks of hair have by necessity been lost (Okay, they’d look very wrong on a Norman piece, but it’s kind of his signature now in my eyes, and I do rather like what he does with the putty in such cases). Sculpting is a little stylised, the face has character and isn’t a clone of anything else that

Norman in the Woodwork! Adrian Hopwood finds a novel way to display an El Greco Miniatures’ 1:12 scale bust.

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Matt has done. Somehow it manages to look North European, although I’m not sure why, but I liked it as soon as I saw it. Added to that, it fitted with a vague idea I had about a particular wooden plinth I’d seen on a neighbouring stand at Euro Militaire 2013. The casting is clean too, in Matt’s signature grey resin. It’s soft and easy to work on, the single mould line I found (on the back of the cloak and a little on to the bottom half of the helmet at the back) was simple enough to work on and remove, but the resin is probably going to allow the modeller a fairly easy starting point for conversion work, should that be the choice. Therefore, it’s really a case of being able to start painting pretty quickly on this one.

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Painting Photograph 2 shows the face painted in my usual method of a flesh coloured acrylic base (the usual three thin coats to build up a solid colour base) followed by Mars Brown oil paints with Titanium white to lighten the base colour to a dark flesh colour with more Titanium White being added to build up the mid-tones and the highlights. Admittedly it looks a bit boring, mainly because this is the ‘jumping off’ point from which the face will be made to come alive. Use of the two colours may seem a bit limiting, but because it’s oil colours, the mix allows for an infinite gradation of shades within the limits of the two colours being used. At this point I dry the model in a warm place for a couple of days (in my case a purpose-built cupboard from the old kitchen that has a 40-watt light bulb in it). Once dry I can start adding a couple of different effects in the way of light glazes and washes that darken and alter certain areas of the face and neck. In the case of this piece I’ve added a shadowed area on the jaw-line and round the mouth to hint at a beard coming through, there’s a mole appeared on

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‘‘ ” Somehow it manages to look North European, although I’m not sure why, but I liked it as soon as I saw it.

the right cheek (simply a small dot of Burnt Umber oils feathered out a little with a soft brush) and some blue/green added under the eye to give him a tired look. All this is shown in Photos 3 & 4. Adding the eyes alters things a lot, and I’ve done this too. Up to the point of painting them in, the face tends to look like a bad zombie, and really doesn’t look right at all. Oh and the lips, they appear to be quite pink, but are actually just a little Mars Brown, a very slight hint of carmine Red and some Titanium White to lighten the shade a fair amount.

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‘‘” I’ve temporarily added the nasal guard so I got an idea of what he’d look like with it in place...

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The top lip is usually in shadow, so will need to remain a darker shade. I’ve temporarily added the nasal guard so I got an idea of what he’d look like with it in place, as this too changes the appearance of the face, mainly because it can cause the eyes to look cross-eyed. The helmet is also fully painted in these shots and I added a couple of small blobs of putty to the nasal guard prior to painting that so it had a couple of rivets fastening it in place. The painting steps to do the helmet were relatively simple, I added several thin layers of Chaos Black acrylics and after these had dried fully, I began adding printer’s ink and oil paints. The good thing about the printer’s inks and their mineral based carrier is that they allow the user to mix in oil paints of any colour and amount to alter the overall shade to what is needed. In this case I can add a lot of black to the initial Bronze colour inks. This gives a good dark starting point that can then be lightened gradually with the straight Bronze colour, and then working through old Gold and on to an Antique Silver colour. With the slower drying times of the inks and the oils in the first coat of paint, blending can be worked at for a couple of hours if necessary, although it’s a rare necessity that calls for that. Usually I work on areas of armour or weaponry by splitting them into sections, so even a fully armoured knight will be split down to separate ‘plates’ that mean a maximum of an hour’s work, and more likely half that to complete each section. This then allows the me to work on such areas over the course of several sessions if there are a lot of metal areas to cover, and the only thing that must be done is to dry the piece in a heated area (back to that drying cabinet) after each session.

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There’s not a lot of the cloak on the model, but what there is allows for a little bit of fun if you want to add a texture effect with the paint. It’s a little long-winded and time-consuming I grant you, and you have to use acrylics and grab hold of a very good quality brush. However, the results can be very rewarding. Photograph 5 shows the initial and very green colour I used for the cloak. I wanted to add a linen texture to the cloak – a heavy woven cloth anyway – and beginning with the darkest shade is a must for this method to work. I added several coats of this colour to build up a solid base, then began adding a little bit of Commando Khaki (yes, it’s another Games Workshop colour!) to the base colour already on the model. The secret here is also to add a lot of water to the acrylic paint now, and use a very high quality brush I use a new Winsor & Newton Series 7 size 1) and load it with just enough paint to be able to draw a line on a piece of paper without flooding happening. I find that loading the brush then passing it across a bit of old T-shirt material is enough to take out the excess paint but allow the painter to get decent lines. If you twist the brush slightly as it passes over the material, it further refines the point. Although the colour of the paint hasn’t been altered a lot, I go over the whole area of the cloak adding fine lines in a vertical direction. They can be short and don’t need to follow through the troughs and rises of the folds, but so long as they cover the whole of the area being painted. I go round the model three times with this colour, working a little randomly as the colour will build up gradually anyway. Next I lighten the colour again and add a little more water to thin the mix and add three layers of horizontal lines. Because there are three layers added randomly, the first coat doesn’t usually show up very well, but the second and third passes add to the density of the pigment and begin to show up. Again some more light colour and water to the mix, and three or four times around the model adding vertical lines.

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This method continues with the addition of lighter paint and water (using white in the last couple of cases instead of the Commando Khaki), and alternating between the horizontal and vertical lining. The results and gradual build-up of colour can be seen in Photos 6 – 10. Importantly, the artist must remember that the lighter colours need to be built up in such a way that they reflect the manner in which shadows and highlights will fall on the clothing being rendered. So eventually the very lightest colours are going on the uppermost sections of the folds whilst the darker colours remain in the deeper recesses of the folds. This is the reason that the method starts with the dark colours and works gradually through to lighter shades. It would be much simpler to go for a dark colour in the recessed and leap straight in to doing the lighter mid-tones and highlights where the casual viewer will notice them. However, closer inspection of the piece (and particularly photos displayed online) will instantly show the omission of the darker graduation of colours and the effect will breakdown and simply cease to ‘work’. Then it’s a case of “what’s the point?” because even skipping the initial steps keeps this as a moderately timeconsuming process.

‘‘” I wanted to keep the colours muted and in harmony with each other...

Finishing The last points to work on are the hair and the brooch. The hair was painted to represent a sandy, almost ginger colouration. I wanted to keep the colours muted and in harmony with each other so the browns of the skin and hair would compliment the green of the cloak and not have any really dark colours stomping around the place to break the flow of the model up – small though it be. The brooch was painted with the same method as the helmet, but holding back on the silver for the highlight, and instead using a bright gold in its place. With the higher detail on this area I returned to it after the metallic inks had dried and added some deep shadows in the form of some Mars Black oils

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in a similar method to pin washing where just a small amount of the very dark paint is added to the deeper recesses to further enhance them.

Breakthrough base! So I guess that the model’s about finished and just needs putting on a base. Now this is where the point of buying this particular piece comes in, and the plinth along with it. I thought that instead of having the model perched on top of the wood I wanted the piece to look like he’s peering out of it, giving the sense perhaps of him having broken through a doorway without the effort of making a doorframe etc., and having to source a larger or more involved figure. I drilled a hole into the base of the bust so that a thick piece of wire could be glued in place and a corresponding hole was sunk into the plinth to get him leaning at the correct angle. Simple really, although it works better when you see the piece in the flesh I think – the photos don’t seem to show the idea I was working towards quite as well as I thought they would. However, the end photos show perhaps an idea of what I was trying to do if nothing more, and overall I’m pleased with the effect.

Limited canvas The model itself doesn’t seem to offer all that much of a canvas to show off different textures going. Having said that, there is a surprising amount one can play about with regarding the helmet, skin and cloak; and this is what I’ve tried to do with the various textures shown here. There’s nothing too difficult, although some of it as mentioned is timeconsuming, and a smaller piece like this offers the opportunity to practice these techniques on limited spaces that give a more instant ‘fix’ than having to

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paint larger areas and then have the disappointment of the effect not working. Stripping off small areas is always less traumatic than larger sections, so this little model works well as a practice piece. Added to that the cost of the model is relatively low, and this again perhaps encourages the modeller to test out ideas with a view to the financial loss being minimised if it all goes pear-shaped. The final, and

possibly most important point, is that working on something that’s been well sculpted and produced will always be easier and more satisfying than trying to paint something of a lesser quality – think of the old proverb about sow’s ears and silk purses. Matt has sculpted a couple of other pieces for this range, and they are – as mentioned previously – a little more involved regarding the amount of work he’s put into them and that will knock on to the painter to give perhaps a broader canvas for paint techniques. I like them, but this simpler one served the purpose I wanted very well indeed. MM

Availability The model (item EGM-BU18 Byzantine Auxiliary, IX-XI Cent.) is priced at £13 plus p&p and is available from El Greco Miniatures, 63 Glebe Drive, Brackley NN13 7BX or from their website: www.elgrecominiatures.co.uk

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1ATB in France Peter Brown continues to relate the structure, equipment, colours and markings of the tanks of British 1st Army Tank Brigade. (Part 2 continued from MM Vol.44 No.4)

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n the 22nd May, Brigade HQ and the remains of the two Battalions returned to the Vimy area. German air attacks were very heavy and the move was not complete until the evening. Considerable casualties had been during the action at Arras, 4RTR losing 176 officers and men killed, wounded or missing with 7RTR reporting 50 in all. Tank state was:

During the night of the 22nd/23rd, 4RTR were concealed in trees on Givenchy Ridge west of the Vimy-Arras road to counter any German attack from Arras, with 7RTR protecting the right flank on high ground east of Souchez. One more Mk.II had rejoined. Around 50 French Somua and Hotchkiss tanks were also arranged for defence.

4RTR – four Light Tanks with one unfit, 12 Mk.I of which four were unfit. 7RTR – 13 Mk.I and six Mk.II.

The photos accompanying this article are published courtesy of Bob Gregory. They were all taken by German soldiers during or more likely after the French Campaign. Caption details come from Bob, Nick Watts and the author using what information is on the back of the prints with locations which can be made out.

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LEFT: Two tanks with no identifying markings on a train photographed at an unknown location would at first sight appear to be of limited value. However, as neither has the trenchcrossing ‘box’ at the rear of the tank or even the white recognition square seen on all known photos of tanks with 7RTR in France, it is likely that they were from Base Ordnance Depot stocks. It is also possible that they were among the tanks used by the Beauman Tank Company and they may be the two which were loaded at Caen Station.

7RTR’s account for the 23rd says that by 09.30 hrs they had advanced to cover the Noulette Cemetery Ridge west of Souchez when orders were received to move to meet an enemy attack in the Carincy-Albain St Nazaire area. A and B

Companies moved to counter this with D Company in reserve. Several enemy tanks - described as “the same size as a Mk.II” so probably Panzer III or IV - were knocked out by 2pdr fire and the Germans withdrew. The two Companies rallied near Souchez about 14.00 hrs and were joined by D Company, together they moved to the Noulette Ridge. A German motorised column was observed which moved towards Souchez. The available tanks, about 14 or 15, were split into five Sections. Two were left to hold the Noulette Ridge, two to form blocks on the outskirts of Souchez with the French while one advanced through Souchez towards Carinel to meet the advance. They encountered some anti-tank guns and infantry in Carinel which were engaged by machine gun fire. With the enemy strength found to be small, all tanks apart from one section blocking Souchez withdrew to the Noulette Ridge. Some probing

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BELOW: Although no markings are visible from this angle, other photos of this scene of a Matilda on a German tank transporter trailer show the serial number which allows us to identify the tank as one of those seen on the train. At the time the series was taken it appears undamaged, while another photo offered on Ebay shows it with several marks from shell hits so it probably ended its days on a firing range. Photos of Matildas are popular which translates as expensive which makes me very grateful to Bob Gregory for allowing the many images which accompany my text to be published.

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Several British tanks were recovered by the Germans and tested, this is Grays originally T6910 PMV266 now with a German number WH-0170638. (Tank Museum photo)

‘‘ ” Then the French commander at Fournes requested help against a German advance...

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moves by German infantry were engaged with limited results. As dusk fell a withdrawal to the Givency Ridge had begun when the Germans attacked with tanks and infantry towards the ridge. One Mk.II forward of the ridge and another on a flank below it engaged them and fired off all their ammunition, claiming four or five tanks knocked out. Both Mk.II were abandoned as they had gearbox and clutch trouble. The remaining tanks moved to Carnin. Late on the 23rd orders were issued to an area northwest of Carnin, this was accomplished with no interference from the Germans who as usual did not operate at night. The Brigade was able to rest on the 24th, on the 25th a composite 4/7 Battalion was formed. AFV strength was four Light Tanks from each Battalion, the 4th provided 12 Mk.I and the 7th six Mk.I and two Mk.II, one of them described as mechanically doubtful, and six “Spare Crew Carriers”. It was organised as: ‘I’ Tank Company – one Mk.II for the Company Commander, a Light Tank for the Recce Officer and five Sections each of three Mk.I. One Mk.II and three Mk.I were held in reserve. Recce Group – one Light Tank for the Section Commander, two Sub-Sections each with three Light Tanks. Transport vehicles came from both Battalions. The combined Battalion was sent towards Orchies to support an attack by III Corps and the French. The remainder of the Brigade, now with little more than their revolvers, were to move to the west of Lille. On arrival the following day they were ordered to Dunkirk to embark for the UK. All vehicles were left behind, most were damaged before being abandoned but were not allowed to be burned. 4/7 Battalion arrived in the assembly area in the Bois de Flines 4-miles southwest of Orchies on the 26th but were unable to contact the units they

were to work with. The planned attack had been cancelled without the Battalion being informed. New orders arrived to move to Seclin, which they did under heavy bombing. The commander arrived in the town but was unable to find the III Corps HQ. A group of five Light Tanks, some Carriers and lorries arrived but the ‘I’ Tanks had become separated. This group was sent on to Dunkirk. Contact was finally made with III Corps but only two or three ‘I’ Tanks could be found which were also ordered to Dunkirk. Some more tanks then came in along with orders to move to support 2nd Division. On the move from Bois de Flines one Mk.I ‘I’ Tank had been overturned by near misses from bombs, a Light Tank was destroyed and another Mk.I abandoned with a defective gearbox. Others had become separated leaving 13 Mk.I and an LAD detachment which moved to Fournes which was reached about 01.00 hrs on the 27th, avoiding Seclin where there were many fires and diverted as the bridge at Wavrin was mined. Petrol was low but supplies were arranged. The Battalion was ask to support 25th Infantry Brigade but was too far away to reach them in time to attack. Then the French commander at Fournes requested help against a German advance, but new orders to work with 25th Infantry Brigade meant they moved towards Pont du Hem with one tank left behind with gearbox trouble. The Infantry Brigade HQ ordered them to Neuve Chappelle to support the Queen’s Regiment. On the way two tanks broke their tracks, the remainder were ready to support the Queen’s when their orders were changed, instead they were to help extricate the Camerons at La Bassée. This they did, moving down the road in line ahead. Several tanks were lost to shelling and fire from German tanks in hulldown positions. Only two tanks, one with damage to the reduction gear casing, rallied after the attack and these with the LAD party were ordered back before

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the last bridges were blown. The CO lost touch with them and they made their way to Dunkirk. Another crew missing at Neuve Chappelle also reached Dunkirk on the 29th. Together with those dismounted crews who reached the town they were evacuated. It was later learned that three Mk.I and the two remaining Mk.II ‘I’ Tanks which had become separated were directed to 5th Division and operated with them until all broke down. Crews were ordered to Dunkirk.

No.1 Army Tank Brigade Workshop Royal Army Ordnance Corps Brigade Workshops travelled to France on the HMS Shepperton Ferry on 5th May after being delayed first by mist and then German minelaying. Moving to Brevel, by the 8th they had established their workshop and started work repairing two of their own lorries. On the 9th they were working on two Mk.I tanks from 4RTR and the following day recovered and repaired a Light Tank which had

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Greenock is another tank which was popular with amateur and official photographers, one view was used as a postcard sold after the campaign was over and the author has two cropped views bought on Ebay. They show how photos can distort the truth... While several shots were taken at La Panne, another shows it in a wooded area described as Lens so it was probably taken to the beach by the Germans for propaganda purposes. Some marks on the print of the rear three-quarter view should not be taken as markings but that photo does show the striped tactical sign.

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damaged a bogie wheel in a collision with a wall. May 12th saw them moving to Breteuil. One Mk.I was repaired by a rearguard party and later returned to 4RTR but the other was handed over to the RAC Base Depot. By the 14th they were just north of Saintes in Belgium, although they had a workshop in operation in a barn they were unable to recover a 7RTR casualty as they were not given its location. On the 16th they moved again to Marcq despite coming under air attack, claiming four aircraft shot down by rifle and Lewis gunfire though only one was seen to crash. Another workshop was prepared and one Mk.I and one Mk.II were brought in. These had to be abandoned when they moved again to Tressin, although no orders were received to destroy the tanks their engine sumps were shot with pistols, gun breeches were removed and the power traverse on the Mk.II smashed. Movement was hampered by refugees, an attempt to recover more tanks failed due to a blown bridge. On the 18th they were at a chateau at Ascq where they began work on one Mk.I and one Mk.II which had broken down. These were still being repaired when orders came in the afternoon on the 20th to move to Vermelles, again movement was difficult due to troops and refugees on the roads. However, a Mk.I was recovered from Petit Vimy and returned to its owners. They assembled in a tree-lined avenue near Mazingarbe before taking over some farm buildings. Work on the two tanks brought with them continued while more Mk.I and Mk.II were

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recovered. On the 22nd the Mk.I had had its engine changed but still needed a new gear selector lever. As an attack was expected, a defence was organised using two Mk.II tanks which was still being repaired with a running Mk.I in support. A column of armoured and other vehicles was seen nearby early on the 23rd, they were thought to be Germans but moved off without approaching any closer. Then orders were received to move to Bauvin, the running Mk.I towing another Mk.I until it broke down. Two more Mk.I and a Light Tank were collected on the way, bringing the number on hand to one Light Mk.VIB, three Mk.I and two Mk.II Infantry Tanks. Attempts to recover two more Mk.I and a Mk.II at Mazingarbe were abandoned when the party sent out was turned back by a British officer as the road they were travelling on was thought to be highly unsafe. With more enemy attacks expected and bridges being blown which would restrict movements, the unit moved to Kemmel and continued work on the tanks leaving a detachment at Ploegsteert working on a Mk.II. Two men were wounded in a bombing raid. Work continued while attempts were made to contact 1st Army Tank Brigade. Orders to move the tanks towards Bergues were received late on the morning of the 26th, two Scammells set off towing a Mk.I tank each with

a Light Tank on a trailer towed by a machinery lorry. With these at Bergues the Scammell returned and by the early hours of the 27th three more tanks had been brought from Kemmel. Even after all the various moves the unit was intact apart from two casualties and two other men left behind in hospital before the move to Belgium. This was thought to be because of the care taken to disperse and camouflage vehicles, so an order to move to Dunkirk and locate in an open field was not welcomed. The CO travelled to Dunkirk and after being detained while his identity was checked, he returned planning to bring his unit in and hand over any tanks which could be operated to defend the town. One was handed over, vehicles were brought in and abandoned. Those fit men who reached Dunkirk were evacuated although several were killed on the crossing home.

The subject of Peter Heath’s Matilda Mk.II model (see MM Vol.44 No.4 Military Vehicle Special, Ed.) was another tank photographed from several angles. The image in the built-up area shows the serial and full name Greynam while the others in the middle of a field only show part of it which could easily be misinterpreted. Close-up view shows damage which is proof of how well protected the Matilda was. Note the breech mechanism of the 4” bomb thrower with the wooden parts missing.

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‘‘ ” During the move one Mk.II caught fire while trying to tow another which had gearbox damage, the local fire brigade had to be called to put out the fire.

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During the week before they evacuated, they had recovered and repaired one Mk.I and returned it to its owners as well as recovering another six Mk.I, four Mk.II and one Light Tank and some transport vehicles. Of these, the Light Tank, three Mk.I and two Mk.II were still with the Workshops when they reached Dunkirk. Their War Diary stated that if they had not had to continually move and had had more vehicles to carry equipment allowing their few recovery trailers to be used for tanks and not carrying stores, they might have achieved more.

Beauman Tank Company One other unit using Matildas was the Divisional Tank Company of the Beauman Division. This Division was an improvised force formed from troops south of the Somme during the Battle of France, it was named after its commander Brigadier-General A. B. Beauman. Most of its units had been serving on Lines of Communication duties. It held a 55-mile stretch between Pont St Pierre near the junction of the rivers Andelle and Seine and the coast at Dieppe, with the survivors of 1st Armoured Division and 51st Highland Division. On 27th May four junior officers and 19 other tanks arrived at the HQ of Northern District Lines of Communication at Rouen to form the nucleus of this unit. They collected five Mk.II ‘I’ Tanks from Rive Gauche Station. These were probably from the six reported sent to Cherbourg in error in the War Diary of 1 Base Ordnance Depot and ordered to be sent forward to No.1 Reserve Section, Armoured Corps Ordnance Field Park. All five tanks needed work, engine clutches on all of them were out of adjustment, two had flat batteries and one had water in its fuel tank. Four tanks were driven to camp with another on tow. More troops arrived as did five Mk.I ‘I’ tanks and spares, on 3rd June it was recorded “All 10 Tanks in running order” and “1 Mk.II ‘I’ Tank arrives as C.H.Q. Tank, apparently in good order”. Late on the 5th they moved to Rouvray Aerodrome as a parachute landing was expected. During the move one Mk.II caught fire while trying to tow another which had gearbox damage, the

local fire brigade had to be called to put out the fire. These two Mk.II together with another Mk.II with burned-out clutches were moved to Sotteville Station, two were loaded onto a train but a third was left behind after its guns had been made useless. A Mk.I which had also broken down was abandoned. As the landing did not materialise, on the evening of the 7th the Company were ordered to move to a wood north of Gratainville which was reached at 02.00 hrs on the 8th with four Mk.I and three Mk.II ‘I’ Tanks. Two small detachments, each of one Mk.I and one Mk.II, were sent to assist in the defence of the river at Vascoeuil while the remainder had been joined by a Cruiser tank and a Scout Car. Their next move was to cover a withdrawal to Fluery, crossing the River Seine at Les Andelys. This was not possible as the bridge was closed, so they travelled via Courcelles-Sur-Seine despite being slowed down by refugees. On arriving at Gaillon on the 9th, contact was made with 1st Armoured Division who promised to send fuel oil and petrol. Moving to high ground west of Gaillon to meet the resupply, a Mk.I which had developed gearbox trouble was abandoned after its engine had been wrecked. Some fuel oil but no petrol was received. The unit reported to the French General Maillard who ordered them to investigate reports of German tanks. Moving to Fontaine la Verte, one tank developed steering trouble. Although tanks were heard across the Seine, none were seen and they withdrew early on the 10th. Petrol was supplied by the French enabling them to carry out a short reconnaissance. New orders from Beauman Division came to withdraw to Sees but these were ignored as they were needed by General Maillard. They moved back to Venables, nearing there around 13.00 hrs a column consisting of a Mk.II and two Mk.I came under anti-tank and machine gun fire. One Mk.I was hit in the track and abandoned before being destroyed by 2pdr fire from the Mk.II before it and the remaining Mk.I withdrew, still under fire. Another Mk.I was abandoned with its engine seized. Now a general withdrawal was ordered. A Mk.II was abandoned with a broken track, it was

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destroyed by 2pdr fire. Reaching Irreville they refuelled, however a Mk.I was lost when it burst into flames after its steering clutch had collapsed. Around 22.00 hrs a Mk.II broke a track and was harboured in a wood east of St Martin. Attempts were made to get hold of spare track pins, by 23.00 hrs on the 11th only one Mk.II was still running. When the main detachment reached La Chappelle Gauthier, its track was broken and pins sent to the disabled Mk.II which rejoined despite problems with its radiator. At attempt to find tanks left behind by 1st Armoured Division located an A13 tank at Rouge Perriers which was reported to be repairable if spares could be found. However, despite some work it could not be made mobile. Meanwhile the Company was now back under command Beauman Division. On the 14th they were reduced to two working tanks, two armoured cars were improvised with a staff car and a 15cwt truck were ‘armoured’ using fuel cans packed with earth with spare Vickers and Lewis guns as armament. Early on the 15th a Mk.II was sent to cover the bridgehead at Lisieux with orders to return track pins to enable the other tank to move. While waiting for this the remainder of the unit moved back, a despatch rider was sent to find out what was happened and returned to report that its engine had been on fire. It was later seen returning amid clouds of steam. With help from a large lorry and the other tank, during the following day it made its way to Caen Station. By 04.00 hrs on the 17th the two tanks had been loaded onto a train. The armoured cars were used to provide protection for the Division’s HQ as it moved to Cherbourg. Here the personnel embarked to return to Southampton. From there they moved to Farnborough where they were disbanded on 2nd July.

Organisation There were two War Establishments for ‘An Army Tank Battalion’ for the early-war period which differed slightly. III/1931/33A/2 notified in ACI’s on 13th April 1938 specified:

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Battalion Headquarters – 2 ‘I’ tanks for command and 4 light tanks for liaison plus a ‘pool’ of 4 Carriers, Tracked, Personnel Carrying for carrying relief personnel. Three Companies, each: Company Headquarters – 1 ‘I’ tank for command, 1 light tank for liaison. Five Sections each of 3 ‘I’ tanks. Total AFV strength was seven Light Tanks and 50 ‘I’ Tanks, with in addition 21 motorcycles, seven various cars, four 15cwt trucks with specialist bodies, seven 30cwt and 11 3-ton lorries. III/1931/33A/3 notified on 27th March 1940 specified the same number of tanks, though ‘I’ tank crews were now given as four men to allow for the change from Mk.I to Mk.II tanks. There were to be two tracked carriers in Headquarters plus two each in each Company giving an overall total of eight. Supporting vehicles also changed, at full strength a unit would have 30 solo motorcycles and three combinations, four cars, five 8cwt, 11 15cwt and nine 30cwt trucks plus 14 four-wheel and four sixwheel 3-ton lorries. 4RTR had four Carriers when they unloaded in September 1939 which agrees with the April 1938 Establishment, while the Movement Orders for both Battalions into Belgium show eight Carriers which suggests they were using the newer organisation.

Losses The total number of tanks reported as lost in France included 126 Infantry Tanks given as 97 Mk.I and 29 Mk.II. Of these, 77 Mk.I and 23 Mk.II would have been on the strengths of 4RTR and 7RTR with five Mk.I and six Mk.II with the Beauman unit. The remaining vehicles were replacement tanks in depots. A total of 345 Light Tank Mk VIB were also lost, the majority with the Divisional Cavalry Regiments formerly with the Infantry Divisions but later formed into Reconnaissance Brigades with others serving with 1st Armoured Division. To be continued.

Translating the text on the distant photo of Gypsy gives us “Light French and heavy British tank. In the grave 3 Panzerjäger.” The smaller tank is an A11 but it interesting to learn is that the graves are those of anti-tank gun crews. They probably manned a 3.7cm PaK 35/36 on the outskirts of Achicourt before falling victim to one of the tanks in the photo. Whoever buried them marked the place with a cross and a helmet and also laid a belt of ammunition around the boundary. The identity of the A12 can just be made out by the serial number, crossreferencing it with the rear view’s registration and name confirms these are two views of the same tank.

‘‘ ” ...two armoured cars were improvised with a staff car and a 15cwt truck were ‘armoured’ using fuel cans packed with earth with spare Vickers and Lewis guns as armament.

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AFV

Crafty Camouflage! Colin Rosenwould takes on the tricky paint finish for Takom’s 1:35 scale French WW1 Saint-Chamond tank kit. TOP: The author’s completed model.

BELOW: Box top artwork from Takom’s Saint-Chamond tank kit.

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here are some kits that just cry out to you and this was definitely one of those! I saw it advertised and decided that I simply had to have it, and that I would also soon get it built. I previously knew nothing about this vehicle but luckily the comprehensive instructions provide a nice potted history. The Saint-Chamond was the second of the French WW1 heavy tanks, 400 being built between April 1917 and July 1918. The

most obvious feature of the tank is the relative shortness of the tracks in relation to the length of the body. It looks like it would nose dive at the earliest opportunity, especially given the trench terrain it would be expected to operate in. There were several versions of the tank but this particular one is labelled as “Early Type”. It comes with a single crew figure wearing a splinter mask. These were used to protect the crews’ faces from flying shrapnel and metal flakes inside the vehicle.

Construction As my references for this model were lacking (one photo of a preserved vehicle and some black and white Internet photos) I decided that this was to be an out of the box build. Initial impressions were very favourable. There were quite a few heavy mould lines visible, but nothing that a sharp knife and some filing couldn’t sort out. Construction moved on a pace – the main hull box is in one piece with just a few details to be added. The cupolas were the trickiest bits here as their two-part construction required some careful gluing and filling. The front middle cupola needed some work as it had a quite prominent line around the top which wasn’t visible on the original. The rivets that I removed were replaced with some taken from the underneath of the suspension where their omission wouldn’t be noticed. I don’t know why manufacturers keep moulding main gun barrels in two halves. They either won’t line up properly or need so much cleaning that they

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‘‘” I don’t know why manufacturers keep moulding main gun barrels in two halves.

The rebuilt barrel made from plastic tube.

lose their rounded shape. This was the case here, so I decided to cut the barrel away and replace it with a piece of round plastic tubing. I think it looks much better, but of course since my build, a replacement metal barrel has now been released – typical! The suspension was a whole heap of fun – at least I think I was laughing, although my wife kept asking if I was okay! The key to this is to take your time and use a slow-setting glue; I used Tamiya Extra Thin cement. It’s difficult to get hold of here in the UK so I buy it when I see it. This gives plenty of time for

ABOVE: Main hull under construction. The inside of the cupolas were marked in pen to identify their number. LEFT: The very complicated suspension section.

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AFV

ABOVE: Side view of the right-hand side suspension.

any adjustments to be made before it sets solid. An added advantage of Tamiya Extra Thin is that should you glue a part incorrectly, flowing some more glue over it frees it up to enable corrections to be made. At this stage I decided to take a detour from the instructions and so made up the tracks. This was so that I could dry fit them to the suspension unit to check I’d made enough links. Very little clean up was required on them, just a quick once over with a sanding stick being all that was required. Care needed to be taken to make sure they lined up straight, as they do seem to have a tendency to twist. Prior to joining the hull top to the suspension unit the latter was given a coat of Tamiya NATO Black XF-69. The fitting of the hull top to the chassis was a simple enough task, but a little care was needed as the suspension is a tad fragile!

Painting

ABOVE: The black undercoat is applied to both sections. RIGHT: Close-up of the yellow on the hull front. BELOW: The initial yellow colour sprayed on.

RIGHT: Green paint on – at the second attempt! Note the cardboard box into which the black was painted.

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One of the reasons that I chose this kit to build was the super paint schemes that could be used. The French WW1 tanks, and to a certain extent those of WW2, sported some amazing camouflage schemes. This one was set to be a challenge mainly due to the planning needed to accomplish the scheme. I always like to put a dark undercoat on my models. I have used many over the last few years but have now settled on using Vallejo Model Air Black 057 through my airbrush. However, if the weather is dry and warm then Games Workshop Chaos Black from a rattle can (out in the garden!) is a good substitute. The black serves two purposes. Firstly, it shows up any minor errors or imperfections in the build that can now be corrected and secondly provides areas of shadow in hard to get to areas should they be missed during the main airbrushing. At this point it looks like some kind of WW1 stealth tank! There are two paint schemes that date from 1917 shown in the instructions; one named Fantomas and the other Chantecoq. I chose to paint Chantecoq as shown on the box art as it looked a

AFV

LEFT: The grey is sprayed on. BELOW: A front shot of the grey paint added.

little more interesting (and challenging!). There are five colours used in the scheme, all coming from the Tamiya acrylics range. My airbrushing set up is fairly simple. I use an Iwata Revolution CR which has given great service in the 10-years that I’ve owned it. However, it’s on its last legs now so this may be the last model that I manage to use it on. Coupled to this is an Iwata Smart Jet Plus compressor which is a gem of a thing. Accurate pressure settings can be dialled in and it also has a small reservoir tank so it’s very quiet indeed. I thin my Tamiya paints using Mr. Color Thinner which I find gives a super smooth finish. The painting instructions call for the main yellow colour to be Tamiya Dark Yellow XF-60, but I felt that this wasn’t quite right and so I mixed a 4:1 mix of Tamiya Flat Yellow XF-3 and Dark Yellow XF-60 using the box illustration as a guide. From the black stealth tank it now looked like the great granddad of something from the Transformers movie! I have learnt through experience that it is best to leave paint at least 24-hours (and sometimes 48-hours) before attempting any masking. Whilst paint may appear to be dry in reality it has often not cured properly. Better to be safe than sorry! For masking camouflage patterns I use a combination of decorator’s masking tape, Blu-Tack and Humbrol Maskol depending on the surface to be masked. This time it was mostly masking tape as the plates were mainly flat. I followed the box illustration as closely as I could but applied a little artistic licence in certain areas (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!). The first pattern colour to go on was the green. The instructions called for Tamiya Olive Green XF58 but on reflection this looked too dark, almost a black-green. I decided to re-spray it to a lighter shade and so got all my Tamiya greens out on the workbench and did a custom mix to try and get close to the box art. On the model the colour looks a grass green shade but my camera has darkened

it slightly. More drying time passed, more masking and then on with the grey. The suggested colour, Tamiya Medium Grey XF-20, was fine but was lightened slightly to allow for the shade to darken during weathering. I now had a dilemma. Should I continue with the masking or hand-paint the brown and black? I decided

ABOVE: The Vallejo Brown is hand painted on.

LEFT: The Vallejo Black is added.

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ABOVE: Another shot of the black. BELOW: After a coat of Future the decals go on.

would not let their vehicles get too filthy. Secretly though, it’s because I have had too many disasters at this stage and have ruined quite a few kits! My system at the current time revolves around Humbrol enamel washes, especially the Black one. They are readily available where I live and I find they work very well. Working a panel or section at a time, a brush moistened in white spirit was brushed over the panel to dampen the surface. Next using a 00 brush, a tiny amount of wash is touched to the surface. Capillary action draws the wash along the lines to add depth. Time is needed once again to let the enamels dry completely. I have no idea if paint chipped on these vehicles in real life but today’s modelling vogue is for some form of chipping so a little was added. My paint of choice for chipping on most of my models in Vallejo German Camouflage Black Brown 941. Two methods of applying chips were used. Most of the side panels and the top were painted using a small 000 brush. Chips along the lower end panels were applied with a piece of sponge, roughly torn and held in a pair of tweezers. The sponge was first dabbed onto a piece of newspaper to leave an almost dry, small amount of paint. to get the brushes out and, following the artwork on the box as closely as I could, painted the brown using Vallejo Burnt Umber 941 and the black with Vallejo Black 950. I thin Vallejo paint using Lifecolor Thinner as I have found this to be an excellent combination. The top of the vehicle had no painting instructions so I called on the modelling community via the www.militarymodelling.com website for some advice. The consensus of opinion was to copy the general pattern from the sides.

‘‘” The decals went on beautifully with no problems at all.

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Decals After an appropriate drying time, the whole vehicle was given a coat of Future acrylic floor wax (formerly Klear in the UK, but now known as Pledge Multi-Surface Wax, Ed). The decals went on beautifully with no problems at all. A touch of Micro Sol ensured that they set snug against the surface. Another thin coat of Future then it was time for some weathering.

Weathering I’m not a fan of overly weathered vehicles. I try to convince myself that crews whose lives depended on serviceable vehicles

The very prominent roof mounted exhaust was painted using the new Dust and Rust Diorama Set from Lifecolor which comprises four rust colours and two dust colours. Thanks to my friend Andy Evans for suggesting using this set. The system relies on building up increasingly dark colours then washing in black/blue. After brush painting the initial basecoat the other three shades were applied using a torn piece of sponge. Weathering on the lower hull and suspension was a combination of MIG Productions weathering pigments and white spirit. The pigments were brushed on with an old brush and then white spirit flooded over the area. This was repeated until it looked right. The kit tracks were airbrushed with Tamiya Dark Iron XF-84 and then covered in a variety of MIG pigments at random, sealed again with white spirit. Once dry, exposed metal was simulated by painting the exposed parts with Humbrol Metalcote. I use a method first shown to me by Andrew Burlington from Nottingham MAFVA. Cotton buds (Q-Tips in the USA) are dipped in the Metalcote and allowed to dry. Then the cotton bud is brushed over the tracks, then a dry bud used to polish up the exposed highlights. The same technique was used for the kit machine guns after first painting them with Vallejo Black.

The base The model cried out for some kind of scenic base. I purchased a picture frame of the right dimensions, big enough to fit the model. I removed the glass and glued the hardboard backing securely in place with PVA glue. After leaving overnight to dry, PVA glue, DIY filler and a bit of water were mixed together to make a thick paste. I also added a few drops of Vallejo Brown to add some colour. The mixture was spread into the hollow area in the picture frame with some undulations added to break

up the level. I decided not to add any tank tracks to the base as the ground pressure of the vehicle on dry, summer roads would not leave any. While still wet, I sprinkled on a thin layer of fine, dry soil collected from the garden. I sometimes prepare this soil by putting it in a warm oven for a few minutes to dry completely – please get permission from the manager of your kitchen first! The grass on the edges of the road was from Reality in Scale and is excellent. Once the components were completely dry I sprayed on a variety of browns through my airbrush to break up the monotone colours. The grass areas were treated in the same way.

Conclusion This was a very enjoyable and quick build. The kit itself went together beautifully with very few problems. The paint scheme was where the most time was spent and was definitely a challenge. It certainly stands out in my display case from all the MM other monotone green and grey vehicles!

ABOVE & BELOW: Front and side views of the author’s completed model.

‘‘” The paint scheme was where the most time was spent...

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MAFVA

RIGHT: John Church presides over an early meeting of MAFVA London Branch.

The MAFVA column News and views from the Miniature Armoured Fighting Vehicle Association

Tom Cole describes how the MAFVA has kept up with model making in the modern world.

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Tankette, then and now. Volume 5 was the first to feature photos. The latest Tankette has colour pages abundant drawings and a variety of interesting articles. (Photo on Vol.49-1 cover by John Woolford)

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ext year sees MAFVA’s 50th Anniversary. This makes MAFVA the oldest military vehicle modelling society in the world and just a year younger than the International Plastic Modellers Society. Whilst MAFVA might be nearly 50-years-old the organisation is proud to have kept up with the changes that have happened in the last five decades. Like many societies MAFVA started as the meeting of a small group of friends in someone’s house. It was decided early on that an in-house magazine would be produced and this would eventually became Tankette. In those early days the magazine was home printed with text and drawings, but it was not until Volume 5 Edition 1 in October 1969 that the magazine appeared with photos. The early magazines had been hand printed but with Volume 5 a professional printer produced the magazine in half foolscap. As the years went by so the quality of the magazine improved with advances in printing technology. The next big step was with Tankette Volume 44 when the magazine grew to A4 size and was presented for the first time with colour pages. Whilst Tankette may have changed over the years the nature of the articles within the magazine has stayed constant. The intention has never been to rival commercial magazines but aims to appeal to model makers and historians interested in rare and unusual vehicles. The latest volume gives a taste. There are articles about Charles Jarrott’s Isotta-Fraschini Armoured Cars from former Tank Museum curator and world-renowned military vehicle expert David Fletcher. We also have a colour photo study of the Japanese Type 97 TeKe Tankette at the Puckapunyal Tank Museum in Australia with 1:35 scale plans and there is a scale modellers’ guide to building the Cromwell tank by well-known author Dick Harley. The emphasis in Tankette has always been on good quality and well researched original articles. Typical of this in a future Tankette we have a

splendid article by renowned AFV expert David Nicholas. He has produced a very comprehensive article on the Inter War Birch Gun. This was a pioneering self-propelled gun that was many years ahead in terms of the concept of this type of weapon. As well as the extensive research there are drawings from modelling expert and draughtsman Peter Davenport in 1:35 scale. Drawings have always featured in Tankette and the change to A4 has meant that they can be in all scales including 1:35 and 1:48 as well as the more traditional 1:76 scale. Model making is, by its very nature, a solitary hobby but MAFVA has branches throughout the world and groups of modellers meet regularly to discuss their favourite hobby. In the early days this would often be in someone’s house but as the Branches expanded so new venues were sought. Many MAFVA Branches meet in Community Halls but the Cambridge Branch has for many years been privileged to meet every month at Duxford and until quite recently the London branch met at the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth. In the early days MAFVA Branches would host or visit a local model show but as it became easier and cheaper to travel so MAFVA members began to regularly travel many miles to attend model shows. Now MAFVA Branches attend events all over the UK, such as On Track in Folkestone and of course the MAFVA Nationals at IWM Duxford. (Cambridge Branch has regularly travelled overseas and has been successful in the competitions at the Saumur Tank Museum in France.) MAFVA has not been slow to keep up with technology. MAFVA has its own forum page on the Armorama website (http://www.armorama.com) and the MAFVA website (www.mafva.net) is a

Military Modelling Vol.44 No.5 2014

MAFVA

‘‘” It’s a great time to be a member of MAFVA for many reasons...

ABOVE: A modern MAFVA meeting this time, the Cambridge MAFVA at the Saumur Tank Museum in France.

great way to keep up with the latest events in the MAFVA world as well as a source of information on a variety of armour related subjects. Much has changed in the world since MAFVA first formed in 1965 and MAFVA has embraced many of these changes and today is a modern well-organised group of model makers. MAFVA members receive the magazine Tankette which is full of fascinating articles that cater for all areas of interest. As a member of one of the many MAFVA Branches there is a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and travel with them to museums and model shows not just in the UK but throughout Europe. It’s a great time to be a member of MAFVA for many reasons so if you have ever been tempted to join why not take that step now?

RIGHT & BELOW: Tankette has a variety of articles that cover a range of subjects. Forthcoming articles cover the whole spectrum from the World War One W^D Models Thornycroft Type J Lorry to Quadbikes in Afghanistan.

Postscript John Church was a founding member of MAFVA, and one of its most popular personalities. Inspired by his own experiences of operating wartime military vehicles, he was a prolific modeller and gifted draughtsman who played a pioneering role in the development of our hobby. John will always be remembered for his legendary range of 630 scale plans of British, Commonwealth and American vehicles and artillery, of the pre-1939, Second World War, and post-1945 periods, and his lasting legacy is the pleasure that he gave to countless modellers who created miniatures from these plans. Sadly, John passed away on the 18th January 2014, at Milford-on-Sea in Hampshire. He is survived by his wife Beryl, and their children and grand-children, to whom all at MAFVA extend our deepest sympathy MM and sincere condolences.

ABOVE: In a future issue of Tankette we look at the vehicles of the Berlin Infantry Brigade in the late 1980s. LEFT: The 2013 MAFVA Nationals included this fine T-34 122 from Mark Gilbert. The 2014 MAFVA Nationals will be covered in Tankette 49/4.

www.militarymodelling.com

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AFV reviews

Small Scale Scene

ABOVE LEFT: Bronco’s box art for the new 1:35 British Airborne Jeep and 6pdr anti-tank gun, complete with crew figures. ABOVE RIGHT: Box art for Tamiya’s M151A2 MUTT “Grenada 1983” kit.

Robin Buckland’s monthly column for military vehicle modellers.

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ow almost at the end of March as I write this, how good it is to have seen the back of the rain that has caused so many problems with flooding around the country for so long, and some spring sunshine warming things up for the year. Hard to believe we are already close to the end of the first quarter. There has been flooding in Europe and deep snow and freezing temperatures in much of the USA. If you have been affected by the terrible weather conditions, I hope you are managing to sort things out for the better. We have seen the news from the Toy Fairs, and those first promised releases for 2014 are now beginning to go on sale. Early shows, such as On Track, are already behind us. So, what we have seen so far looks good, and there’s much more to look forward to in the rest of the year.

Bronco We are only just into March and I am already filling my list of ‘favourite’ kits of the year. Bronco have, for me anyway, done it again with another variation on their ¼-ton truck (yes, that’s a Jeep to most of us!) in British Airborne Forces format, this time towing the airborne version of the 6pdr anti-tank gun. They have also included a crew of British Airborne figures riding along as well. We have looked at their excellent and detailed model Jeep before, and this one is of course almost identical, but with new stowage arrangements for the ammunition boxes for the 6pdr. Some lovely details are included, like the holders for the headlights inside the engine compartment, the clips to secure the bonnet, the small stowage lockers on the back seats that can be modelled open, plus optional parts so the front wheels can be ‘steered’ to

the left, right or straight ahead. We have already seen the airportable version of the 6pdr anti-tank gun released by itself, but instead of the original ‘in action’ crew figures this time they are riding on the Jeep, plus one standing on the gun carriage itself. These new British Airborne figures are nicely sculpted, and feature a good selection of small arms that includes the Mk.V Sten with the wooden stock. The detail and work in the kit is highlighted by the fact that the instruction booklet stretches to 26-pages, including good explanation of the marking options, plus colour painting guides for the figures as well as the Jeep and gun. There are three frets of etched-brass parts, some quite tiny, and bolt heads which are moulded onto the carrier sprues. These need to be shaved off and then fitted in place. Just be aware that these are very tiny! Therefore, with all this small detail present, it’s not one I’d suggest to a beginner, but more for a modeller with some experience. There are also three sheets of transfers, one each for the Jeep and the gun (including stencils for

the ammunition rounds) and a third with insignia for the figures. I have to say that I am a real fan of the subject choices Bronco have been coming up with recently. Thanks to Bronco Models for our samples. Hannants are the UK importers.

Tamiya We previously mentioned the new Vietnam version of the M151A1 MUTT that Tamiya have released, and at the same time they have done the M151A2, this time with the later style sidelights and front mudguard, along with figures and stowage to represent one as used in Grenada in October 1983. Essentially many modellers will be familiar with the basic vehicle kit, which goes together very cleanly as we expect from Tamiya, so not a difficult build. What Tamiya have done though is to add new figures, plus the additional stowage seen particularly on the bonnet and managed to breathe new life into an existing kit from their range. Overall nicely done. Our thanks to The Hobby Company, who are the UK importers.

This is the Vietnam version of Tamiya’s M151A1 built, prior to painting.

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Military Modelling Vol.44 No.5 2014

AFV reviews

Box art for the new Revell 1:35 Panzer 35(t).

Revell A recent release under the Revell banner is a 1:35 scale PzKpfw 35t. One of the Czech built tanks which were incorporated into the German Army in the early stages of WW2, along with the slightly smaller PzKpfw 38t. It is another of those examples of co-operation as the kit itself is not a new one as such, but the existing CMK kit now sold under the Revell brand and with a new set of markings. Moulded in a grey plastic this isn’t a complex kit, and no interior detailing to it. The parts are nicely

done and overall a neat kit, which features link and length plastic parts for the track, a solution which works well. The marking options, both for overall Panzer Grey vehicles, are one in Wehrmacht service in Poland, 1939 or the Rumanian Army in 1941. With the wide distribution network of Revell, this should make it much more readily available. (An extensive feature on modelling the CMK kit, plus a full-size walkaround, featured in our recently published Collectors’ Edition Military Vehicle Special, Ed). Thanks to Revell for our sample. Revell models are available from all

ABOVE: Box art for the E-Z build SU-122 from Pegasus Hobbies. BELOW: Built example of the Pegasus Hobbies SU-122.

good toy and model retailers. For further information visit www.revell.de/en or facebook.com/Revell

Armourfast

Box art for the new Armourfast Valentine, and a look at the kit sprue, of which there are two supplied in the box.

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The latest release from Armourfast in their range of quick assembly wargames models is the Valentine Mk.II. With two complete kits in the box this is nicely detailed and good value for money. As per usual, the instructions are on the back of the box and no transfers are included, but there are plenty available on the market. Overall detailing is nicely done, including the rivets. I also like the way they have managed the one-piece track and roadwheels with the main suspension units which fit to the side of the hull. They are rather simplified and perhaps the wheels themselves are a little on the thin side, but overall they look okay. The turret hatch is a separate part, well two actually, so can be fitted open if you want to add a commander figure. Thanks to Armourfast for our sample. You can find them in shops or direct from Armourfast, Unit 4, Orsett Industrial Park, Stanford Road, Orsett, Grays RM16 3BX. They also have a website at http://armourfast.com

Pegasus Hobbies Staying with wargames models for a moment, there is also a range produced by Pegasus Hobbies that we haven’t seen much of here in the past. One of their recent releases is for the Soviet SU-122, another of their easy-assembly (or “E-Z Build” as Pegasus call it!) style wargamer’s models which actually look pretty good. With two complete kits included in the box these are good value for money. Parts include upper and lower hulls, track sections moulded in one piece complete with the inner roadwheels then separate parts for the outer roadwheels, fuel tank hatches and stubby 122mm gun mounting. Moulding is good and assembly is naturally straightforward. There are no transfers included, but there are plenty available from other producers these days. Not the level and finesse of detail you will find in kits like Dragon’s in this scale, but fine amongst this genre of simple assembly models aimed at wargamers and which have proved very popular in recent years. Plus you get two in the box of course. Thanks to UK importers Pocketbond for our sample.

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LEFT: Box art for the TOG2. ABOVE: The parts of Giesbers TOG 2 kit.

Giesbers Models One of the new releases to be found on their stand at On Track this year is another very interesting Heavy Tank prototype. The TOG 2 was built early in WW2 as a single prototype by Fosters of Lincoln, and first ran in 1941. It was intended to be used if the war in Europe bogged down into the muddy fields and stalemate of WW1, which never of course happened in the event. Hence it never got past the single prototype, which still exists in the collection of the Tank Museum at Bovington. The hull was unique to the design, while the turret used on this one was the same as used on the A30 Challenger, armed with the 17pdr gun. This 1:76 scale model is simple enough, with just seven cleanly cast parts. The large hull is an excellent one-piece casting, then the two track units and the lower hull plate plus the turret, turret base and the gun. A small amount of basic clean up of the castings prior to assembly, plus removal of the casting feeds which I didn’t find any problems with, the fit of

parts proved to be excellent. There is an exploded assembly diagrams included in the kit to guide you. Once complete, it is quite huge compared to other models in the same scale. This is the first model I can recall of this unusual British heavy tank prototype, and it’s very neatly done. Jan manages to continue to find some really interesting choices for his ranges. Giesbers Models are available through Black Lion Decals at www.blackliondecals.nl in Holland.

Airfix One of the first of their 2014 releases from Airfix I am very pleased to see. Last year these were included in the larger RAF Re-supply set. They are such useful models in small scale that I am sure many others will be pleased to see them released as a set of their own. It’s one of those kits that you are likely to want more than one of, I know I will be buying some more. The set includes just the Standard Light Utility, the

Box art of the new RAF Vehicles set from Airfix.

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The new Lorraine 150mm SPG from 20mm Zone, by Early War Miniatures.

motorcycle and the Bedford truck which can be finished as either the MWC tanker, or the GS MWD. Good use of clear plastic for the doors on both the Standard and the Bedford and, so different from the old Airfix kits of years ago, the glazing for the windscreens is even included as well. They go together really nicely and it’s good to see Airfix take the opportunity to release this set in its own right.

The little Bedford, in either tanker or GS format, is particularly lovely I think. Thanks to Airfix for our sample this is available now.

20mm Zone Another release in the 20mm Zone range of easy assembly resin and metal models is the Sdkfz 135/1 150mm SPG LS(f). Based on the French Lorraine chassis, with a high superstructure around the fighting compartment, and armed with a 150mm gun, these conversions made good use of the many chassis captured in 1940. They were used in North Africa and NW Europe. Intended to be easy assembly models aimed especially at the wargames market, these are quite neat. The one-piece hull is well cast in resin, and needed only a minimum of tidying up prior to the quick assembly. Cast in metal are the two track units, the rear recoil spade, an elevation handwheel to fit inside the fighting compartment and the gun barrel itself. They also include two crew figures which you need to remove the metal base from in order to fit them within the model. The track units have a few casting runners between the

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ABOVE & BELOW: Box art for the new 1:72 scale Mk.I Tanks from MB Models. ABOVE LEFT: City Fountain from Airfix. ABOVE RIGHT: City Steps from Airfix.

roadwheels that need to be there to allow the metal to run properly through the mould, but need to be cut out during the assembly. Basic assembly instructions are included and once together this looks pretty good. As it is a mix of resin and metal parts, a coat of primer is needed prior to painting. This is quite quickly growing into a very handy range of models made by Early War Miniatures. For more details see http://earlywarminiatures.com/

MB Models Some excellent news for this WW1 anniversary year has been the release of two new 1:72 scale kits of the British WW1 tank from MB Models (Master Box). We are perhaps used to their 1:35 scale figure sets and vehicles, but now they have added 1:72 scale to their range as well. First is the Male version, armed with 6pdr guns in the side sponsons, as used during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. It features the early tailwheels to help with steering, though these were easily damaged and later discarded. It also has an etchedbrass mesh for the anti-grenade screen that fits on the roof. The one thing to be careful with is removing a towing hitch for the

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for the front which is easily broken when you remove it from the sprue, and not being a big part in the first place, be careful not to lose it. The same basic kit is used in the Female version as well and it’s just the side sponsons and armament that are different. This time with four machine guns in the slightly different shaped side sponsons. Again it has the etchedbrass mesh and frame to fit on the top. Not a complex build it goes together rather nicely, and a good set of assembly instructions are included. Tracks are one-piece vinyl style and fit snugly in place. The colour guide is given on the back of the box for a plain brown finish for the Male, and a multi-colour scheme for the Female. These are available now, and thanks to MB Models for our samples.

Accessories After their announcement of planned releases for this year, it has been the resin building accessories for dioramas and wargamers that are among the early releases from Airfix. There are four different subjects, the smallest of which is a City Fountain, and another a set of City Steps. Resin castings, all in one

The ruined Czech Restaurant also now available from Airfix.

New Airfix Polish Bank Ruin in 1:72 scale.

piece, they come securely packed in a block of expanded polystyrene within their attractive boxes, and will paint up rather well. The other two are ruined buildings, with one titled ‘Czech Restaurant’ and the other ‘Polish Bank Ruin’. Both of these are again single-piece resin castings, and the Bank is their biggest one to date in the range. Like the City Steps, the Bank has wire railings already fixed

in place on the casting, so with the Bank and the Restaurant, you just have some etched-brass window frames to fit in those windows which are still in one piece. They have clear glazing as well, but whether that would be intact in buildings this badly damaged, I’ll leave you to decide whether to fit that or not. The quality of the resin casting is first class, and with the secure and colourful packaging.

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Fort Capuzzo ruin in 1:72 scale from Claudio Rolfi. Weathering washes and powders in a number of varieties now from Ammo.

As I mentioned last time, Ammo is the new brand on the modelling scene as the carrier for Mig Jiminez products. These are products designed by Mig so many releases from before are now also available under the new Ammo branding. For example, the various streaking grimes and weathering powders, as well as acrylic paint sets. There are some handy primers, particularly the Dunkelgelb colour that will be ideal for those painting the German 3-colour schemes of post-1943. With thinners and airbrush cleaners all in the range, definitely worth

having a look at. For modellers in the UK, the range is set to be available from Inside the Armour, and you can find out more their own website at www.insidethearmour.com or of course the Ammo website at www.migjimenez.com/en/ I picked up one of the new diorama bases from Resicast/ GBS at the On Track show at the beginning of March. Designed to go with the Resicast British 6” Gun (available separately), this has the baseplate, along with the remains of two bits of brick wall, a low sandbag wall and some ammunition crates. In with it, as it

ABOVE: The new Resicast/GBS base for their 6” gun. BELOW: Resicast’s base painted with the gun added as well.

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Italian House also in 1:72 scale from Wars by Ninive.

is also available separately, is a set of ammunition rounds, with three different types of shell, some charges, and some more shells but moulded within their protective wicker wrappers. The ammunition crates are worth mentioning as they are cast hollow with separate lids, so these can be filled with some shells or left lying around empty. All of these are beautifully cast in polyurethane resin and contain all you need to give the gun itself a really nice base to display it on. Some moulding feeds to clean off, but that isn’t difficult, then assembly and a coat of primer prior to painting to your taste. Overall a really well done display base that is ideal for a subject that will fit well with this 100th Anniversary year of the start of WW1. Thanks to Graham at Resicast for our sample. A new manufacturer of diorama accessories to the column is from Italy, made by Claudio Rolfi, and goes under the name of Wars by Ninive. One of them is the frontage of the Italian Fort Capuzzo in North Africa. A famous name in the history of the war in North Africa, and one I can remember my own father mentioning as one of the places he passed through during his time in the Eighth Army. This is very neatly cast in resin with the front wall and gate of the fort, and as well as the etched-metal part for the gate itself, I am really pleased to see they have included the piles of debris in front, where the wall itself has been brought down. Very simple to use with just the

four parts in total, plus an Italian flag so you have all you need to re-create the scene. Such a well-known and photographed site in North Africa, this gives you an opportunity for a diorama which is instantly recognisable for where it is set. As ever with resin and etched-metal it will need a coat of primer prior to actual painting. Another of this new range of 1:72 scale diorama accessories is a South Italian House. This is a nicely styled house to fit in with Southern Italy. Just the frontage and a section of side wall, including a section of pavement in front of it, ideal to create a backdrop in a small scale diorama. Cleanly cast in resin, there are only the three parts to it, so simple preparation and assembly once more. Packed securely in a stout cardboard box, this will get to you safely in the post, and with the box art featuring an image of a painted example it gives you a good guide to work from. My thanks to Claudio Rolfi for our samples. I understand they have also started to produce ruins and accessories in 1:35 scale as well now. For more details see www.crninive.it/index.php/en/

Publications The first issue for Tankette volume 49 is out for members of MAFVA. Some very interesting original material as we have come to expect in Tankette on some more unusual subjects. Tim Neate covers part 3 of his

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series on the Saracen APC, with details of the different types as well as some useful reference photos to go with it. Then there is a scratchbuild/conversion from Mark Gilbert for the Centurion FV4005, It uses an AFV Club chassis but with the large new turret needing to be scratchbuilt, which Mark made a very neat job of. Then there is the first part of a new series on German

Armoured Trains, written by Raymond Surlemont and is due to be continued in the next issue as well. For those who like Japanese subjects, some 1:35 scale plans of the Type 3 75mm ‘Ho-Ni III’ SPG and pictures of a preserved example in the USA. Finally, a piece on the AA4 Mk.7 Radar, as used by the Royal Artillery. A couple of examples of the real thing survive to this day

at the Muckleburgh Collection in North Norfolk. The article is accompanied by some 1:76 scale drawings from John Church, whose recent passing is also carried as news in this issue. Tankette comes with being a member of MAFVA, and details are available from Gary Williams, 45 Balmoral Drive, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire CW4 7JQ or email [email protected] MM

Cover of the latest issue of Tankette for MAFVA members.

Early Matador Gun Tractor due from AFV Club.

Korean War M-24 from AFV Club.

British Airborne 6pdr coming from AFV Club.

Churchill 3” Gun Carrier from AFV Club, see review on page 70. US LSM in 1:144 scale, due from Revell.

Valentine with Rotatrailer from AFV Club.

Latest kit news! Among the new releases we can expect this year are some good ones from AFV Club. These are set to include an early variant of the Matador gun tractor, an airborne version of the 6pdr anti-tank gun, the Churchill 3” Gun Carrier, a Korean War version of the M-24 Chaffee, a set of German sea mines that will be ideal for the Italeri 1:35 scale S-Boat, and for British armour fans, another Valentine, this time with the

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AFV Club’s new set of German Sea Mines.

addition of the Rotatrailer as well. All in 1:35 scale of course. Due from Revell is another interesting one, in 1:144 scale this time, with a US Landing Ship Medium (LSM), which will also include a cargo of vehicles as well. For Landing Craft fans this one should be good. Then in large 1:16, news that Takom is to do another large scale variant of their WW1 era FT-17, this time fitted with the machine gun armed turret and all the interior

detail too plus a tank crew figure to stand alongside. This one will be imported to the UK through Inside the Armour, who kindly passed on the news.

The next 1:16 scale FT-17 due from Takom.

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Books

On Parade Books, magazines and DVDs reviewed The Editor welcomes publications for review. Unless a prior arrangement has been made with the Editor review samples WILL NOT be returned. All samples intended for review in ‘On Parade’ should be sent direct to the Editor at the address listed under ‘Editorial’ on the contents page.

Panzer Killers – Anti-Tank Warfare on the Eastern Front by Artem Drabkin. Published by Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS. ISBN 9781-78159-050-8. Price £19.99. enquiries@pen-and-sword. co.uk www.pen-and-sword.co.uk This is an interesting title, one that tackles a particular subject by using each chapter to carry the story of a different veteran of the Soviet anti-tank units in WW2. The author is a keeper of a Russian website called ‘I Remember’, dedicated to recording the oral history of WW2 veterans. The book contains material recorded between 2001 and 2006, covering 11 veterans, all of whom served in the Soviet antitank units of WW2. The text in each chapter has been neatly translated into English by Stuart Britton. He notes that as these were taken from interviews, they decided to leave out the questions, and just capture what was related by each of these veterans. It does result in a few jumps in

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the stories, and the breaks in the text indicate the result of a different question and the memories that came from the slight change in topic. The chances of survival for these anti-tank gun crews was low, and that is reflected in a number of the accounts as they tell of the level of casualties and that most of them were themselves wounded in some way or other. Indeed two of them served in Finland in 1941, through to the end of the war in 1945, while others joined later. An interesting variety of units are represented, from the light 47mm anti-tank gun (based on the German PaK 36) which while reliable and easy to operate, was at a disadvantage when dealing with heavier German tanks, even with the provision of discarding sabot anti-tank rounds. Some were horse-drawn, some by truck or Jeep. Then there was the larger 76mm gun, this time usually towed by truck, and a couple feature the huge ISU-152. These stories make for some fascinating reading. Tales of individual actions of course, but also the friendships that develop and which can sometimes be torn apart as you saw your friends killed around you while you survive. Of lack of food, some with good winter clothing and others coping without appropriate warm clothing, and of commanders both good and bad. Even the role of the political officers that were a part of the communist army throughout WW2. In one instance there is also mention of an officer who was so bad to his men that they ensured he did not survive his next combat experience. Fighting in Finland, at Kursk, and crossing the borders into Germany and final victory all

The Battle of Barrosa 1811 – Forgotten Battle of the Peninsular War by John Grehan and Martin Mace. Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS. ISBN 978-1-84884-826-9. Price £19.99. By the winter of 1810 - 1811, the armies of Napoleon had overrun most of Spain and his brother Joseph Bonaparte sat on the throne in Madrid. The Spanish government, however, had found refuge in the fortified port of Cadiz and the Spanish people refused to admit that they had been conquered. With a British/ Portuguese army under Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Graham helping to defend Cadiz, their cause seemed set to prevail. Unfortunately, the Spanish wanted to throw Graham’s force into a somewhat reckless battle against the French. If the battle was won, the French siege and threat to Cadiz, established in early 1810, would be lifted, but should the battle be lost, Cadiz would be rendered defenceless and the Spanish government left at the mercy of the invaders.

feature in these accounts. Fighting on the Eastern Front many of us will know was fierce. Conditions were often poor and casualties were high. Antitank units were a prime target for attacking German tanks and often both gun and crew were literally overrun. With the passing of the years memories can fail or become mixed, but this makes for a really interesting insight into the experiences of a number of veterans, each from different backgrounds and

Opportunely, Marshal Soult as French corps commander ordered the local commander Marshal Victor to detach one third of his men to assist Soult with his forthcoming assault on Badajoz. This provided an opportunity for the Allies (British, Portuguese and Spanish) to ship a large force out of Cadiz south to Tarifa and then move to engage the French siege lines from the rear. The opposing forces met on the heights of Barrosa on 5th March 1811 in one of the fiercest fought encounters of the Peninsular War – arguably at stake were the very survival of the Spanish nation and the future course of the war against Napoleon. The commander of the Spanish forces kept his troops out of the action, leaving a furious Graham to battle on with the Portuguese and British units against numerically superior forces. Whilst the battle failed in its primary objectives of breaking the French hold of Cadiz and destroying the siege works, heavy casualties were inflicted on the French and the Allied force was able to return unopposed to Cadiz. The authors’ well-written text is supported by several appendices listing various orders of battle, three maps and 17 monochrome illustrations. A bibliography and general index round off this well-produced and interesting book that’s a thoroughly good addition to the Napoleonic bookshelf. Stuart Asquith

with differing experiences. One or two were clearly eager for a ‘heroic’ role and the passion to defend the motherland is clear for most. I found this a very interesting read, and learnt more about the veteran’s experiences. In battle or close by, they went through a life changing time, and we are lucky to be able to read their stories, as clearly many who were with them did not survive to be able to recount the events. Robin Buckland

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Over the Battlefield – Operation Bluecoat, Breakout from Normandy by Ian Daglish. Published by Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS. ISBN 9781-84884-049-2. Price £25. enquiries@pen-and-sword. co.uk www.pen-and-sword.co.uk I have read the two other titles in this series from Pen & Sword and Ian Daglish, and this makes another excellent addition to this series of books. It offers something a bit different as this, along with the other two books on Operations Goodwood and Epsom, are based around aerial reconnaissance photos taken at the time, and now held in a fascinating archive. Like the previous two titles, this takes us through the chronological sequence of the battle, covering each section

French Tanks of World War II (1) Infantry and Battle Tanks by Steven J. Zaloga. Osprey New Vanguard No.209. Published by Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78096-389-2. Price £9.99. www.ospreypublishing.com In the period following the Great War, French tank development all but stopped as there were no funds for new designs as well as large stocks of FT tanks, several British heavy tanks and a few Char de Rupture 2C on hand. Some new types were put in hand, work on what was to become the Char B series began in the early

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of it in turn, and in detail. There was a lot going on around the area of Bluecoat, all at the same time, but this book focuses on the battle from the VIII Corps viewpoint, rather than the US troops to the West or XXX Corps to the East. It also of course is balanced by seeing it from the German side as well. It

1920s but it was a long time before it reached production by which time they were a dated design. A few Char D1 built in the 1930s were soon worn out and sidelined by being sent to Tunisia. But German rearmament led to a major expansion of tank production in the 1930s with new vehicles produced in various classes. This first of two books covers those designed to accompany infantry and spearhead attacks with a bonus on a series of supporting vehicles. In the infantry class, the smaller chars d’accompagnement were to be used in separate formations supporting infantry units as required. The FCM 36 were only built in small numbers, the main types being Renault R35 and the improved R40 alongside Hotchkiss H35 and H39 originally intended for use by cavalry units. Older versions carried the same short 37mm cannon as fitted to the earlier FT series alongside a coaxial machine gun, this was later replaced by a longerbarrelled type with better antitank performance. The heavier chars puissants or chars de manoeuvre were to be used by the French

breaks it into five main sections, which are then sub-divided into a total of 17 chapters. The main sections are Breaking In; Across the Souleuvre; Breaking Through; Bite and Hold and the finally, The Hinge of Normandy. So much is captured in these pages, including chance advances such as the taking of Dickie’s Bridge, of British Troops going into battle on the back of the Churchill Tanks when their lorry transport could not keep up across country, and of the number of British tanks that became casualties. It was by no means an ‘easy’ battle, and the German units proved very able to react to events and put in an effective improvised defence. Right up to the last minute they offered stout defence against the advance, but finally the combination of events throughout Normandy, the failure at Mortain, the lack

armoured divisions or Division Cuirassée. These formations were only created in early 1940 and many of their tanks were delivered shortly before the German advance into France leaving little time for crews to train on them. A few older Char D1 were recalled for service at home along with some betterarmoured Char D2 but the iconic vehicle of this type was the Char B. This mounted a 75mm gun in the hull which had to be aimed using a complicated steering mechanism as well as a 47mm in the turret. The Char B1 Bis was better armoured and armed with an improved turret gun. To support these tanks two series of lightly armoured vehicles were available. The Renault UE designed to be used to resupply infantry units under fire was used in armoured units but the Chenillette Lorraine was developed to tow a fuel trailer and carry other stores on board. It was later modified as an armoured infantry carrier with space for 10 men including some in a trailer. All these tanks suffered from having small turrets with space for only one man who had to act as commander, gunner and loader. While there were plenty of tanks available in May and

of supplies and battlefield information that was outdated by the speed of events before plans could be put in place. The battle for Perrier Ridge was a tough one, and the detailed description of events is a fascinating account of battle. Even with all the detail, the author writes this in a style which is both informative and enjoyable to read. It is the kind of book that is ideal to keep with you in the car if you should choose to visit the part of France where all these events took place 70-years ago this year. A number of modern photo comparisons show you the views at particular points today and these can really help bring the battlefield to life for any visitor. Add this one to the previous two books in the series and you have some great travel companions for a trip to the Normandy battlefields. Robin Buckland

June 1940 they were unable to stem the attacks of better trained and better organised German units in easier to use tanks. It was a case almost of ‘too much but too late’. The development of these vehicles is covered here in Steve Zaloga’s usual readable style. Alongside this are details of production problems and the organisation of units as well as a look at those designs intended to replace them had events not prevented this. Text is accompanied by a selection of period photos and views of preserved vehicles as well as several colour plates. French camouflage schemes of the late 1930s were among the most complicated and colourful developed and several are shown. One plate in particular shows the tank commanded by then-Colonel de Gaulle. Data tables provide basic data on size, weapons, protection and production. Anyone wanting the story of French tanks in WW2 will find this a useful addition to their reference collection. Those who prefer electronic versions can download it in ePub and PDF formats through the Osprey website. Peter Brown

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Books

Nürnberg’s Panzer Factory – A Photographic Study by Roddy MacDougall and Darren Neely. Panzerwrecks, PO Box 164, Heathfield, Sussex TN21 8WA. ISBN 978-1-908032-06-5. Price £32.99. [email protected] www.panzerwrecks.com This landscape-format book tells the story of the M.A.N (Maschinenfabrik AusburgNürnberg) factory at Nürnberg, where so many Panthers were built. But it’s far more than that. The 222 photos, most at full-page size, are mostly from the M.A.N archive and private collections with others from NARA showing the factory as it was found after the Allied occupation. Very few have been seen in print before, and those that have are shown better here than in other sources. After a short introduction there’s a foreword by Hilary Doyle followed by a short history of M.A.N. Then the photos start, with each section having a descriptive text to start it. To begin with there are some of the M.A.N diesel trucks, interesting for their use by the German armed forces, and the unusual amphibious Sperrmachine with its eight wheels. Next is M.A.N’s involvement in the design of wheel-and-track armour, with photos of this very odd-looking vehicle. Then we move on to the PzKpfw I, II and III plus StuG III, where splendid photos have very good captions that point out things many readers would not otherwise notice. The next section deals with the repair and rebuilding activities at Nürnberg. Panzers were returned here for a full factory rebuild after heavy damage, and some of the photos will leave you wondering how much of the vehicle could be rebuilt and how much went for recycling as scrap. Others were rebuilt as Panzerjäger IIs with new superstructures and

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7.5cm or 7.62cm guns and new superstructures, and those are in the photos too. It’s probably inevitable that many will turn to page 53 where the Panther coverage begins. Yes, it takes up most of the book and it is extremely detailed. Here are the 2nd prototype, with even its engine bay shown, early production Ausf Ds on trial, hulls being machined, production line views, the tests of running gear, close-ups of the temporary cabin fitted in place of the turret for tests of new-production chassis before acceptance by the Wehrmacht, and a whole series of photos of the work done at Gräfenwöhr to put the initial Panthers into fighting order (some of which show the right-side stowage boxes added to the Panthers of Pz.Abts.51 and 52). Over 50-pages of Ausf D photos! Then the Panther II takes up seven pages including close-ups of its running gear – the book being in chronological order - before the Ausf A is dealt with. Only 11-pages here, but showing details of it with both cupolas and both the ‘letterbox’ and ball mounts for the bow MG mount. Next is the Bergepanther, with 13-pages showing the winch and spadeequipped version including the trials that proved that the spade design had problems. Page 150 begins the Ausf G coverage. Here are all kinds of goodies, including details of the infrared lamp mounting on the gun mantlet and a full set of factory photos of the Ausf G interior. The last 38-pages deal with the bombing raids against the factory and their effects on Panther production. Yes, it did continue at a reduced rate until December 1944 but very few were completed after then. This is not just a set of photos of bomb damaged buildings, there’s a lot more including the interior of one of the factory’s bomb shelters, dismounted engines on trestles, Panthers awaiting hoped-for rebuilding, the last completed Ausf G, transmission and gearbox on trestles, and even the V2 prototype hull and turret still in the factory after its capture. This is a treasure trove of detailed Panther photos. Very highly recommended! John Prigent

Boneyard Nose Art – U.S. Military Aircraft Markings and Artwork by Nicholas A. Veronico, Jim Dunn and Ron Strong. Published by Stackpole Books. Available in the UK from Casemate UK Ltd, 10 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford OX1 2EW. ISBN 978-0-8117-1308-5. Price £17.50. casemate-uk@ casematepublishing.co.uk www.casematepublishing.co.uk I have to admit to having had a fascination with aircraft nose art for years, and seeing this new title from Stackpole Books is delightful. It also features somewhere that has been at the top of my personal ‘wish list’ for more years than I care to remember. The bulk of the photo content is of course taken in the aircraft ‘Boneyard’ at DavisMonthan in Arizona. The thought of being able to wander through this vast aircraft park in the desert would be my idea of heaven. I believe you can go on a bus tour of the site, but are not allowed off the bus. Several thousand aircraft are parked in row upon row. On the basis I won’t get the chance to do that, then seeing this selection of photos of just a fraction of the examples that can be found there is a real treat. The book gives a good background to the evolution of aircraft nose art, going back to warriors individualising their mounts or armour, perhaps well illustrated in aviation by Baron Manfred von Richtofen painting his aircraft all-red. Something we seem to like to do, in the same way that many people have pet names for their cars! The book is split into sections by aircraft type, so you have Fighter Nose Art and Markings (often including decorated tails as well), Bomber and Patrol Paint, Tanker and Transport Art and then Helicopters and Special-use Aircraft. It closes with an Appendix on the Pima Air and Space Museum, located close by DavisMonthan and then a bibliography with suggested further reading. Aircraft nose-art was never really designed to be for public display, and during WW2 in particular,

repeated to an extent during the Gulf War, some of those images have been rather daring. In the modern age of political correctness, this has been the subject of some controls which are also tackled in the book. It is usually about giving an identity to the aircraft, a sense of belonging perhaps. Sometimes a desire to indicate a fierce warrior, as with the Tiger’s Mouth designs seen on the old P-40s of the American Fighter Group in China in WW2, and often seen in other styles on aircraft up to the present day. With others it is about memories of home, of patriotism and family. The result over the years has been some really excellent examples of artwork that are destined for the furnace of a scrap dealer rather than living on mounted on the wall of an art gallery. Thankfully this is the kind of record that enables some of these to live on, and be appreciated by others before they are melted down by the scrapman. With the way the aircraft are stored in the Boneyard, used as a simple place of storage before being brought back to life and sold to foreign customers via the re-generation centre, as a site for satellite verification of destruction (as with the B-52s), a source for spares to keep others flying, a source of war reserves in the event of a real emergency or simply part of the journey to the scrapman, the differing aircraft types and their conditions make for fascinating viewing. Common types such as Phantom and Hercules are there, along with even more modern F-18s (including one from the Blue Angels display team). The huge B-52s and B-1 bombers, even the once so secret - Mig 17s and 21s secretly obtained and used by the US to train their pilots for combat against these Soviet types while not admitting that they had them. I found this a fascinating book, sad perhaps to see the likes of the F-14 Tomcats confined to storage, a long time favourite of mine and the real star of Top Gun for many. Add to them all the white coverings over glazing and intakes, common on all the aircraft stored at the AMARG then as well as interesting for the aviation enthusiast, the potential ideas for modellers and how you might display an aircraft model in a slightly different way, then this is clearly packed full of ideas. Robin Buckland

Military Modelling Vol.44 No.5 2014

Books

Stuart Asquith’s round up of some of the recent releases from Osprey. www.ospreypublishing.com Fall Gelb 1940 (1): Panzer breakthrough in the West (Campaign 264) by Douglas Dildy. ISBN 978-1-78200-2644-2. Price £14.99. Arguably, seldom in the history of warfare has the clash between two such apparently equally matched forces been decided so swiftly and conclusively as the German conquest of France and the Low Countries in May and June 1940. Unwilling to launch itself headlong against the extensive fortifications of France’s Maginot Line, Hitler’s Wehrmacht moved 136 divisions through Belgium and northern France in order to attack the Allied forces there and gain territory from which to continue operations against both France and the UK. This title follows the fortunes of the German Heeresgruppe A as its three panzer corps move stealthily through the dark, hilly and thickly forested Ardennes in southern Belgium from 10th May onwards, before forcing their way across the River Meuse and racing through France to the Channel. The Carthaginians 6th-2nd Century BC (Elite 201) by Andrea Salimbeti & Raffaele D’Amato. ISBN 978-1-78200776-0. Price £11.99. During its 700-year history, Carthage, the Phoenician colony on the coast of present day Tunisia, grew from a refugee trading settlement into the hub of a maritime empire capable of claiming dominance over the central and western Mediterranean, rivalling first the Greek western colonies

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and then the might of Rome. Carthage’s large mercenary armies, led by some of the most able generals of the ancient world, contended with Greeks and Romans for colonial territory and power. From their near Eastern roots, the Carthaginian forces became increasingly Hellenised through their contact with the Greek world, but the details of their appearance, armour, weapons and military culture remain challenging subjects. Here the authors combine the latest archaeological and documentary evidence with photos of surviving artefacts to examine the history, organisation and tactics of the Carthaginians. Forces of the Hanseatic League 13th – 15th Centuries (Menat-Arms 494) by David Nicolle. ISBN 978-1-78200-779-1. Price £9.99. This book is the military overview of what was arguably the most significant cross-border confederation in medieval Europe, namely the Hanseatic League of independent German trading cities. The author describes how wealthy and emboldened mercantile harbour towns such as Lübeck and Hamburg tested their strength against local princes from the 12th century. They formed their first federations in the 1230 1260s to combat Baltic pirates and to resist Danish expansion. The author also records how, from 1367 until the 1490s, the mature and wealthy League rivalled the naval might of the various Scandinavian powers, the Dutch and the English. Period paintings, photographs and newly researched artwork by Gerry and Sam Embleton complete this most interesting work.

British Battleships 1914-18 (2): The Super Dreadnoughts (New Vanguard 204) by Angus Konstam. ISBN 978-1-78096-170-5. Price £9.99. As word reached the Admiralty of the large guns being used in the building of Germany’s dreadnought fleet, concern at the possibility of the British dreadnoughts being outgunned prompted the Royal Navy to order the construction of their own ‘super dreadnoughts’. The Orion, King George V and Iron Duke classes that were subsequently produced, as well as the Queen Elizabeth and Royal Sovereign classes of ‘fast battleships’ that followed them, were amongst the most powerful warships of the Great War and saw action at Jutland in 1916. Even though the outbreak of war meant that many of these ships entered service only partially evaluated, Britain’s ‘super dreadnoughts’ were a key component in denying control of the sea to Germany. This book covers the design, development, operational history and service modifications of these ships and looks at their role in the defeat of Germany. (Note: British Battleships 1914-18 (1): The Early Dreadnoughts is New Vanguard 200.) 42cm “Big Bertha” and German Siege Artillery of World War 1 (New Vanguard 205) by M. Romanych & M. Rupp. ISBN 978-1-78096-017-3. Price £9.99. In the early days of the Great War, Germany unveiled a new weapon – the mobile 42cm Type M-Gerät howitzer – soon to become known as the infamous Big Bertha. At the time it was the largest artillery piece of its kind in the world and a

closely guarded secret. When war broke out, two of the howitzers were rushed directly from the factory to Liege, where they quickly destroyed two forts and forced the defenders to surrender. After several such performances, German soldiers christened the howitzers Fat or Big Bertha after Bertha von Krupp, owner of the firm that built them. Allied forces picked up on the nickname, applying it to other German siege guns as well as the original 42cm howitzers and the legend of Big Bertha was born. This book looks at the design and development of German siege guns and the specialised equipment required to transport and operate them. Also included is a full order of battle for the German siege artillery batteries and many rare photos of Big Bertha and the other German pieces that shared that nickname. Robin Hood (Myths and Legends 7) by Neil Smith. ISBN 978-1-4728-0125-8. Price £10.99. This title takes a look at Robin Hood the famous outlaw, covering both the fact and the fiction of Britain’s most famous outlaw. According to legend, he robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, but who was the outlaw known as Robin Hood, how did his legend develop, how has it changed over the passing centuries? The author explores how the legend grew starting with a re-telling of the early ballads that established his stories and how famous names such as Little John, Friar Tuck, Maid Marion and Alan-a-Dale became associated with Robin Hood. He also enters the fairly perilous world of Robin Hood scholarship with an analysis of the case for a ‘historical’ Robin Hood and a review of the most likely candidates. Fascinating stuff!

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Product reviews

Atten-Shun! The Product Review Column The Editor welcomes product samples for review. Unless a prior arrangement has been made with the Editor review samples WILL NOT be returned. All product samples intended for review in ‘Atten-Shun!’ should be sent direct to the Editor at the address listed under ‘Editorial’ on the contents page.

Tamiya Vought F4U-1 Corsair “Birdcage” in 1:32 scale The release of Tamiya’s Vought F4U-1 “Birdcage” Corsair kit was well received last year, and also discussed and dissected to distraction after its release on many Internet sites. It is an excellent piece of plastic kit design, but does have some ‘discrepancies’ that were pointed out by modellers who know their Corsairs. I’d recommend to the fastidious… Why not try a Web search? There’s plenty out there to read. Alternatively, the vast majority (of us) will

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find what’s presented as more than adequate. It all depends on what you’re prepared to do with the kit. Scale aircraft modellers and military modellers may find that the larger 1:32 scale opens up interest for dioramas with a super-detailed model, perhaps opening up some panels and hatches and the addition of figures and equipment – albeit on a

large base. I remember some such 1:32 scale dioramas from past competitions – Geoff Illsley’s “Devil in the Cornfield” of a downed Bf 109 in Kent in 1940, and his “Bader’s Hurricane” bringing together the skills of scale aircraft modelling and diorama building – and there were some helicopter dioramas, one I remember with troops fast roping from it. The Corsair would make an ideal scene for United States Marine Corps or US Navy – on land or carrier – or for kit converters – shortening the wings, for a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm scene. There is a choice of having the wings folded or extended – the wing joints are nonoperable, it’s either one or the other, but choosing the ‘wings folded’ mode rather than extended would also cut the overall dimensions of the base. An illustrated booklet is included in the box that gives a short history of the Corsair

with some good photos and information about the aircraft. I felt that more could have been made of this booklet but any book is better than no book in a kit! A pylon base is also included if you wish to depict the model wheels up, for display on a desk, or similar, but it looks as if it would be a bit ‘wobbly’ and respond to vibration. For anyone intending making a Tamiya Corsair this late on from its release, or still looking at that big box you bought last year, I’d recommend taking a look at Tamiya Magazine’s book, How To Build Tamiya’s 1:32 F4U-1 Corsair by Marcus Nicholls with models by him, Brett Green and Spencer Pollard. However, for some down to earth remarks and a review on the model I enjoyed reading and would also recommend Tom Cleaver’s assessment on http://modelingmadness.com/ review/allies/cleaver/us/usn/ tmcf4u.htm Ken Jones Price £109.99 UK distributors, The Hobby Company, Milton Keynes MK5 8PG.

Military Modelling Vol.44 No.5 2014

Product reviews

Life Miniatures “The Few” RAF Fighter Pilot Bust in 1:10 scale A new release in Life Miniatures’ range of 1:10 scale busts is a study of one of “The Few”, a Royal Air Force Fighter Pilot with his dog in 1940 – the year of the Battle of Britain. The kit (item LM-B009) is boxed; the parts cast in resin and sculptor SeungYeop Lee and painter San-Eon Lee have combined talents to

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produce a superb miniature. The 17 parts in the kit are crisply cast in light grey polyurethane resin that includes a cast resin rod to mount the figure, but a base of generous proportions, wood or otherwise, will be essential for final display. Represented is a young pilot with his pet Spaniel dog resting on his right shoulder. The model is more of a ‘half figure’ study than one confined

to the dimensions of the traditional bust of only head and chest. The sculptor has obviously studied wartime photos of Royal Air Force pilots closely and has got things more or less correct for 1940. The RAF Type B leather flying helmet with Mark III goggles, along with the Type D Oxygen Mask with Type 19 Microphone, which are correct for late 1940 and ‘The Battle of Britain’. He wears a 1932 Pattern Life Jacket and the harness for a seat type parachute. In addition to the kit box top illustration of an assembled and painted model there are

three illustrations on the side showing the position of helmet adjustment strap and a rolled goggle strap. The others show the life jacket and a close up of the stencilled instructions on it for tying the tapes and inflating. If you paint one of these, don’t miss the legend on the quick release box of the parachute harness – it’s engraved upside down on the disc to be read by the wearer) TURN TO UNLOCK – PRESS TO RELEASE. This can just be made out on the box top illustration. (An illustration for guidance is reproduced here.) The dog compliments the figure well, and the sculptor has made a good likeness of a Spaniel. The pilot’s face depicts a young man – late teens early twenties – and not the usual narrow-eyed, rugged high cheekboned, ‘chiselled from stone’ look that some sculptors favour, but for me can be a bit ‘too samey’. This one is different and has character and another good one from Life Miniatures; it’s available from Historex Agents, Wellington House, 157 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent CT17 9BZ. [email protected] www.historexagents.com Ken Jones Price £48 plus p&p Life Miniatures #102, 1F, 469-14, Dapsimni-Dong, Dongdaemun-Gu, Seoul, South Korea. http://lifeminiatures.kr

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Product reviews

Wingnut Wings Fokker E.1 Early in 1:32 scale Recently New Zealand based manufacturer Wingnut Wings, who specialize in quality 1:32 scale aircraft models from the First World War era, have added four new kits of the famous (or infamous!) Fokker Eindecker to their range. Their kit of the Fokker E.IV variant (item 32029) was reviewed in MM Vol.43 No.13 and now we have their Fokker E.1 Early (item 32021) for review. The kit comes packaged in Wingnut Wings now familiar stylish format, with evocative colour box top artwork by Steve Anderson. Once the decorative lid is lifted from the sturdy reinforced card lower, the kit’s contents are revealed. Inside we have a 26-page instruction book, seven individually bagged sprues of plastic injection-moulded components (one transparent), one sheet of decals, and last but not least (also individually bagged with the decals) a fret of 21 photo-etched metal detail components, such as harness and the distinctive perforated cooling jackets for the Spandau and Parabellum machine guns. The majority of the 141 components in this kit are moulded in a light grey plastic and the seven sprues breakdown as follows: Sprue A. Contains parts for tail/ rudder, undercarriage, and details for cockpit interior. Sprue B. Is the largest of the seven sprues and in addition to other details contains the wings, fuselage halves, engine cowling, and two of the three cockpit coaming options. Sprue C. This is the transparent plastic sprue, which contains

different styles of windscreen. Sprue D (x2). You get two sprue Ds in the kit as, in addition to a single Spandau machine gun, this sprue contains one wheel and its cover. Sprue E. Holds components for the 7-cylinder 80hp Oberursel U.0 engine. Sprue G. (There is no sprue F) This is specific to the Fokker E.1 variant and holds the third cockpit coaming option. A single plain, but well printed decal sheet by Cartograf of Italy provides all instrument dials, stencils, and markings necessary to complete one of the five finishing options offered in the kit. While not as colourful as some of the late-war German aircraft, there are however some interesting options in this kit to model aircraft flown by some famous pilots. The options are: • Fokker E.1 1/15, Otto Parschau, June-July 1915 (8 victories). • Fokker E.1 5/15, Kurt Wintgens, FFA 6b, July 1915 (19 victories). • Fokker E.1 8/15, Uffz. Kneiste, FFA 62, August 1915. • Fokker E.1 13/15, Max Immelmann (15 victories) and

Oswald Boelcke (40 victories), FFA 62, August 1915. • Fokker E.1 14/15, Eduard Böhme, FFA 9b, August 1915 (2 victories). The kit instructions – or should that be construction manual? – are to Wingnut Wings’ usual format and high standards. To start there is a potted history of the Fokker E.1 and dimensions of the fullsized aircraft. Colours from the Tamiya and Humbrol paint ranges are quoted as colour reference, and some Federal Standard numbers are also quoted. There are eight distinct stages of construction to complete this model (nine if you include the final painting and applying the decals), and each is clearly laid out with colour tinted CAD illustrations of the kit’s components supported by captioned photos of the full-sized aircraft thus providing the modeller with a comprehensive overview of what goes where and how. The instructions also include internal and external rigging diagrams. As mentioned there are five finishing options to this kit and it is very important for the modeller to decide which aircraft is going to be represented before starting the build as there are also several optional and alternative parts needed to represent a specific aircraft. For example, there are two types of machine gun to choose from, the Parabellum LMG 14 or the lMG 08 Spandau. Wingnut Wings provide what they term as a ‘high detail’ option for both weapons i.e. with barrel cooling jackets and gun sights provided on the photo-etched fret, or a solid injection-moulded plastic option. One of the more noticeable options is the ability to construct an aircraft with either

high or low mounted wings, carful study of the instructions is a must! Construction starts with the cockpit and this is almost a model in its own right, with small details such as the hand air pump for pressurizing the fuel tank being represented. I would recommend taking several photos of the completed cockpit before it’s finally installed into the fuselage, as once inside much of the detail will not be easy to see! The same could be said of the 7-cylinder Oberursel engine which is constructed from 19 separate parts. All the components of this kit are of the highest quality, exhibiting fine surface detail and texture. If you look closely at the wings for example, you can see subtle ridges representing the ribs and structures that would be underneath the fabric on the real aircraft. The tyres even have minute air valves and the legend ‘CONTINENTAL’ can just be seen moulded on the tyre walls. Arguably the Fokker Eindecker has, in comparison to other aircraft of the First World War, been a little neglected by kit manufacturers, but with this and their other Eindecker variants Wingnut Wings have certainly put that right – and in some style too! Wingnut Wings products are available to order direct from their website or via Hobby Link Japan. My thanks to Richard Alexander and the Wingnut Wings team for our review sample. Richard Dyer Price US $69 Wingnut Wings Ltd, PO Box 15-319, Miramar, Wellington 6022, New Zealand. [email protected] www.wingnutwings.com

Military Modelling Vol.44 No.5 2014

Product reviews

Tommy’s War Action at Néry, L Battery, RHA, September 1914 in 54mm Having now had an opportunity to take a first hand look at this delightful resin cast set from Tommy’s War, I can only add how beautifully produced these resin castings are, and that they are also very well presented and packaged. Released at the end of 2013, this is the first in a special series of VC Heroes sets from Tommy’s War, and it also includes a gun and limber as well, again a first for this developing series of 54mm scale models. Ideal timing of course with 2014 being the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of WW1. The kit comes in a good-sized box, which features a photo of an assembled and painted diorama on the lid. Inside is an

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A4 folder, and within this you’ll find a copy of the Tommy’s War newsletter, News from the Front, which has the background story to the scene depicted in the model, when just one gun of the battery was kept in action by three survivors who kept it in action while their comrades were knocked out one by one. Also in the folder are two equally well-presented set of assembly instructions, which are produced using clear exploded assembly diagrams to guide you. With the gun itself, a 13pdr in this case, the parts required for each step are neatly illustrated, though you need to check the next page to be clear on exactly where the parts are to be placed. If there were room for one minor tweak that would improve things, then it would be to have the positions indicated a little better on just where they fit without needing to look at the following page. That is really a minor point though. The three figures, sculpted by Nino Pizzichemi, are all cleanly cast and easy to

assemble. The figures depict the three VC winners: Captain Edward Bradbury; Battery Sergeant George Dorrell and Sergeant David Nelson, all depicted in action around the gun. To go with them, and with a separate instruction sheet to show you how, they have made use of some etched-brass parts to create the braces for two of the figures, hanging down off their shoulders. A fourth figure is included, the body of a casualty on the ground close by. To go with them, in a separate bag within the box, are some empty shell cases plus some full rounds. The figures go along with the 13pdr gun which is in itself a very nicely cast model, plus an associated limber. All cast in polyurethane resin they do only need basic clean up to be ready for assembly. The back plate of the shell tubes that fit in the limber need to be filed down to get the best fit but again, nothing too difficult. The flaps can be left down for the gun in action, but

you could fit them closed if you wanted to. Add all these together and what you get in the box is a set of models that will allow you to recreate this scene of the three gunners working their last remaining gun, and keeping the attacking Germans at bay until assistance could come to their aid. All this action is described in the newsletter that accompanies the set. This is the biggest kit so far in the Tommy’s War range and it really is excellent. I am sure I am not the only one keen to see how Darren will follow this one. It’s worth noting that the gun and limber are also available as individual kits, as is the 18pdr gun, which uses the same carriage. My thanks to Darren at Tommy’s War for our sample. Robin Buckland Price £120 Tommy’s War, 29 Newquay Close, Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 1XN. Tel: 07958 626236. www.tommyswar.com

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Product reviews

Vulcan Models British Light Tank Mark VIB North Africa in 1:35 scale At the outbreak of the Second World War the most numerous type of tank in British Army service was the Light Tanks Mk.VI series. Many were stationed in the Middle East, at the time of the first battle of the North African campaign in late 1940 there were almost 250 of them in the area. They fought in all the early actions in the desert as well as in Syria, Greece and Crete though by the end of 1941 they were being phased out. Some were sent as part of the garrison of Cyprus but these did not see action. Various additional items were fitted to these tanks including sandshields over the front part of the tracks, extra stowage on the hull side and a rack for 2-gallon cans on back. During 1940 several also mounted a large searchlight attached to the commander’s cupola. Vulcan has depicted these vehicles with kit their ‘British Light Tank Mark VIB North Africa’ (item 56011). Close inspection shows it was to have been called “(Desert Theme)” but the box and instruction sheet have small stick-on labels to change that. Basically this is the original Mk.VIB kit (item 56008) with extra sprues and etched-metal parts for the sandshields, stowage and searchlight. In total it comprises eight sprues in dark grey plastic, two in clear plastic, separate upper turret and lower hull shells along with separate small sprues and individual parts, metal springs and rods for the suspension, two etched-brass frets, decals and instruction booklet. Readers may have built a VIB already or else be familiar with Pete Heath’s build of kit 56009 in last year’s Military Vehicle Special (Vol.43 No.3) or even my review in Vol.42 No.2 so I will concentrate on the new parts. The sandshields consist of one main and one small part for each side. The side stowage unit can be built either from a single plastic part with etched parts for the locking strap on the side or, for the more ambitious, it can be assembled from etch including the boxes inside the frame which gives the option to show it empty

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if you prefer. Cans are cast in a block in two parts, basically most of them plus the tops with etched handles. An etched rack is included to go round them which could be modelled empty or with one or two separate cans sourced from elsewhere. Etched parts even include hasps and padlocks and a pennant for the antenna! The searchlight comes as two parts for the main body with separate clear lens and mounting to fit it to the cupola. One small change may be welcomed by modellers. The spring units of the suspension bogies come with the option of plastic parts for the central shafts for those who do not want to assemble them from metal rods with end cap parts cut from Sprue B. Colour and decal options cover two tanks from 7th Armoured

Division both in the Caunter scheme though note that ‘Camo Sky’ should read ‘Silver Grey’. Decals are for: Agrippa listed as A Squadron 6RTR November 1940 with background to name and tac sign in blue, ‘Mobile Division’ sign of white disc on red square and Arm of Service markings as both 30 on green and without background. This appears to be based on an IWM photo showing the tank from the back, this does not show the AoS though another later view of a tank listed as 6RTR from the front with AoS of 30 with no background (and also with no searchlight). Given the name this one may have been transferred from 1RTR as 6RTR used names beginning with F. Anglesey of C Squadron 1RTR from August 1940 has tac sign and background to name in red,

white on red ‘Mobile Division’ sign and Arm of Service 24 on red. These agree with IWM photos. Take care if building this option as the colour instructions use some views of Agrippa but with the correct decals referenced by their numbers on the decal sheet. Overall this looks good and will make a nice model out of the box. Adding figures or extra stowage, using decals such as Echelon sheet D356128 reviewed in Vol.42 No.4, perhaps converted to a Mk.VIA using Mouse House conversion set MA150 reviewed in Vol.43 No.7, one or more of these widely used tanks from various units or locations could be modelled. Many thanks to Leo for producing the kit and more so for sending one for review. Peter Brown www.vulcanmodels.com

Product reviews

Italeri Pz. Kpfw. VI Tiger I Ausf. E Mid production in 1:35 scale The Tiger tank must surely be one of, if not the most, kitted tanks available to the modeller. With most of the major, as well as, smaller independent model manufacturers boasting at least one Tiger tank variant in their inventories. So it’s not too much of a surprise that after Italeri released their Early Production Tiger I kit they would produce a Mid Production version, item 6507. To begin with a quick mention of the kit’s box art, I like the way that Italeri have chosen not to place their company logo or any text over the painting of the Tiger. This means that if you had a mind to you could cut the image out and keep it as a piece of artwork. The painting represents a Tiger from sch.Pz.Abt.508 Anzio, Italy 1944, which is one of the four finishing options available with this kit. Two more of the finishing options are also shown in colour on one side of the box. Text on the box states that a crew figure is not included in the kit even though the box top painting depicts the tank with its commander! Inside the box we find a 16page instruction booklet with a brief history of the vehicle in English, Italian, and German languages. The instructions show sprue layout and highlight parts from Italeri’s original Early Production Tiger variant which are not for use. Two polythene bags contain the six individual sprues (A to E) of plastic parts, with sprue B being duplicated as it contains wheel and track components. The track in this kit

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is of the link and length design, which some modellers may opt to replace with a more refined after-market version. There is also a fret of photo-etched parts, bagged with some cardboard for protection. The fret contains mesh covers for the engine deck, the cylindrical covers for the exhaust system, and individual sections of trackguard to replace the thicker plastic versions found on sprue A. Markings are supplied on a small black and white decal sheet printed by Zanchetti Buccinasco of Italy. The registration and reproduction is good, and the transparent carrier film has been kept to an absolute minimum. The tactical numbers and national crosses on the sheet enable the modeller to produce one of four specific vehicles: 1. Sch.Pz.Abt.505 Russia winter 1943/44. 2. Sch.Pz.Abt.507 Russia winter 1944. 3. Sch.Pz.Abt.508 Anzio, Italy 1944. 4. Sch.Pz.Abt.508 Anzio, Italy 1944. Version 1 is whitewash over Dunkelgelb 1943, while versions 2, 3, and 4 each sport a 3-colour camouflage scheme (Dunkelgelb, Schokoladenbraun and Olivgrun). Paint codes from the Model Master II, and Italeri acrylic paint ranges are quoted in the instructions as colour references. The kit is moulded in a light grey plastic, and while perhaps not as refined as one by Dragon, Italeri have nevertheless made a good attempt at replicating a zimmerit finish. The early type turret sides are ‘clad’ with zimmerit textured plastic components (parts 61 and 62)

from sprue D, and the hull front, sides, rear, and a replacement gun mantle, also on sprue D, are similarly zimmerit coated. Construction of the model starts with the assembly of the lower hull/chassis. Unlike some Tiger tank kits from other manufacturers which have the lower hull as an almost complete one-piece moulding, here the modeller is required to do a bit more work by adding the plates where the main drive wheels will attach to the hull (parts 2A and 4A) at the front and where the idler wheels attach at the rear of the vehicle, before finally completing the hull ‘box’ by adding the hull rear plate (part 9D). I would suggest completing this first stage of the build and setting the assembly to one side and allow plenty of time for the front and rear sections to fully set firm in their correct locations before moving on to stages 2 through to 5 where axles, drive sprockets, roadwheels, and tracks are added. The tracks are of the link and length variety, close study of the instructions is advisable here. The instructions say that the drive wheels should be left free to rotate which obviously will allow enough play in the track to aid its final location. While you are waiting for the hull to set, you could skip ahead to stage 14 where the zimmerit ‘cladding’ is added to the turret sides. This will need to be attached carefully to ensure correct alignment. It may be beneficial to immerse these zimmerit parts in hot (not boiling!) water to soften the plastic a little before curving them around the outside of the turret. The instructions show the zimmerit

parts temporarily held in position with tape, perhaps the use of some small clamps or clothes pegs might also be helpful here. This is another sub-assembly that would benefit from being left to one side to allow the glue to thoroughly dry before removing tape and/or any clamps. As already noted above there are four colour schemes to choose from allowing the modeller to build one of two vehicle variants. Choosing either versions 1 or 2 models a tank with the Feifel air cleaner system and its distinctive hosing, while versions 3 or 4 will produce a vehicle minus Feifel cleaners and some different hull details and fittings. It is important to decide which finishing option that you want to build before you start construction, as at stage 8 of the assembly sequence you are asked to assemble components for the engine cover specific to versions 1 & 2 or for versions 3 & 4. From then on construction is straightforward so long as you remember to keep to your chosen final configuration! Construction culminates in the addition of external details on the turret, then its final painting and decal application. This Tiger tank kit from Italeri has some of the features that we would expect to see as standard from a more expensive model to the same scale, with the inclusion zimmerit being a plus point. There is some rudimentary interior detail to the turret and a basic Maybach engine is also supplied. The main hatches can be modelled open and also have periscopes, but these are moulded in grey plastic where they could have been moulded in transparent plastic for added realism. If you are a on a budget and don’t want to produce your own zimmerit effect on another manufacturer’s kit, then this 1:35 scale Mid production Tiger tank kit from Italeri maybe an option worth considering. Richard Dyer www.italeri.com Price £31.99 UK distributors, The Hobby Company, Milton Keynes MK5 8PG.

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Product reviews

AFV Club Churchill 3 inch 20 cwt Gun in 1:35 scale Described as “Carrier, Churchill, 3-in. Gun Mark I” in its Service Instruction Book of August 1942, this was an unusual vehicle. Based on the hull of the Churchill tank it had a large armoured box instead of a turret. Armament was the 3” 20cwt gun which was originally designed as an anti-aircraft weapon during the Great War. This was still in service at the start of WW2 though by then it was being replaced by newer guns. Fitted to the Churchill its mounting allowed only limited traverse of 5deg. either side as well as 15deg. elevation and 10deg. depression. The design had a chequered history. A report on self-propelled guns written in late 1941 stated that 100 3” guns were available and some could be fitted to Churchills. Various production figures were discussed, in the end 50 were ordered including one prototype. Production was slow, only one was delivered by mid-1942 and 19 by the end of the year with the contract complete

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by mid-1943. The main problem was what to do with them. The Half Yearly Report on the Progress of the Royal Armoured Corps for June 1942 stated: “This is really an S.P. Artillery weapon and was produced as an interim measure until the 17pdr can be mounted in a tank. The majority are to be issued to Army Tank Battalions on the scale of 1 Troop 3 per Battalion. A small number are to be issued to AntiTank Regiments.” Later reports increased the number to three Troops of three per Battalion. None appear to have been accepted by artillery units, the only confirmed users being 1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade who had a ‘Heavy Support Company’ with nine of them between September 1942 and February 1943. Other than that little is known about them. At one point it was planned that they would be converted into Armoured Recovery Vehicles but that did not happen. At least one had its gun removed and tubes fitted over the trackguards to carry Snake mine-clearing charges but the final end for many, if not most, was to be buried! They

would still have been there if it were not for the building of the Channel Tunnel when a few corroded examples were brought to light. So far none have been restored. AFV Club have chosen to add this version to their range as item AF35253. Their kit has mostly the same parts as their other Churchills without a full turret (one sprue with the lower part of one is included for other items) but with the addition of a new sprue with engine deck, casemate and parts of the trackguards, a metal gun barrel and a small etched-brass fret. These are used in conjunction with existing trackguard, engine deck hatches, exhaust and cupola parts. Other than this we have the usual parts such as metal suspension springs and band-type tracks. A few small details have been overlooked. The forward sections of the trackguards on Churchills have an extra plate over them as protection against the muzzle blast of the gun. This feature was not needed on the Gun Carrier so kit parts B19 and B32 should be modified accordingly. Other items

could also be changed, such as the covers over the air intakes parts E11 left off and jack blocks E3 mounted on the rear trackguards parts B16 and B29. These vehicles most likely did not have the smoke grenade boxes on the rear so skip Section 11 in the instructions and also leave off the towing hook parts C15 and C16, filling fill any holes associated with these parts. Decals are limited to serial numbers for the prototype T31996 - note that this vehicle had the ‘heavy’ pattern tracks not the light ones in the kit - and a choice of three vehicles from the production batch with S prefix and R suffix. Two of these are recorded as serving with the Canadians although no unit markings are included. Colour scheme recommended is “Dark Earth over Khaki Drab”, Dark Tarmac or SCC1A Very Dark Brown over SCC2 Brown would be a more likely choice. An unusual subject which makes a welcome addition to AFV Club’s Churchill series. Peter Brown Price £42.99 UK distributors Pocketbond, PO Box 80, Welwyn, AL6 0ND.

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Product reviews

Merit International German 15cm sFH 18 Howitzer in 1:16 scale During the turn of the 19th - 20th Centuries most of the developed countries sorted out their normal field artillery into four basic categories: light (65-90mm); medium (100-130mm); heavy (140-165mm); and super-heavy (170mm and up). Each class was assigned at a specific level of service, e.g. light at regiment and division, medium at division and corps, heavy at corps and army, and super-heavy as needed for specific battlefield missions. But as time went on, most of the armies soon settled on two or three medium battalions and one heavy battalion for a division. The German army was no different, with a 10.5cm light howitzer, 10cm gun, and 15cm gun/howitzer serving these functions; they also had a shortbarrelled 15cm howitzer for infantry support. But their maidof-all work heavy gun was the 15cm schwere Feldhaubtize 18 or heavy field howitzer Model 18. The German army covertly developed a dual weapons system between 1926 and 1930, which produced a 10cm gun (K 18) and the 15cm field howitzer (sFH 18). Both went into production in 1933 with Rheinmetall having done the

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barrels and Krupp the carriage design. A total of 2,295 sFH 19 and about 1,500 K 18 guns were built before the end of WW2. It was a good weapon and fired a 43.5kg HE round to a range of 13,325 metres, but eventually turned out to be insufficient against the Soviet 152mm ML-20 and the US 155mm M1. Increasing the propellant charge did give it a bit more range, but in the end it wore out the barrel quickly; there is a tube cut away in the Belgian army museum in Brussels that shows how badly these guns wore out.  For many years this weapon has been very popular with modellers and has been available in several scales from 1:285 through to 1:35. This is the first large-scale kit of the gun in styrene, however, and it appears to do it justice. The model (item 61603) provides for the gun to be posed in either towed or firing modes, and many of the parts such as the spades and limber are removable for that purpose. Construction is very similar to the US M198 kit (item 61602) and also there is a 10cm K 18 kit to be offered (item 61601); the latter is most likely the possessor of the missing G sprue from this kit!

Assembly starts with the trails in Step 2 (Step 1 only shows the optional positions) and is very complete. All nonremovable parts (such as hand spikes, lifting arms, etc.) come with straps or brackets in place. While some modellers may have wished them separate or done in etched-brass, it is likely most will live with this. One thing I do miss from the good old days of Revell in the 1960s is a call out for each item – there are a lot of components here which I cannot identify and it would have been nice to give them a name! Step 6 covers the assembly of the centre section of the lower carriage and the rotating base for the upper carriage. As with many kits of this size, a steel screw is used instead of a styrene pin for traversing. Step 8 covers the assembly of the recoil cradle and elevating mounts for the gun. Note that I could not find any place on this kit where there were ejection pin marks that would show when completed. Step 9 completes the recoil mechanism and Step 10 covers the gun tube. This latter component is a two-piece styrene affair, so you will need a Flex-I-File or similar device to smooth out the joint. There is no separate muzzle crown, but there is simulated rifling for about a scale 50cm down the tube. With some flat black paint and silver dry-brushing it should look reasonably well, but perhaps a nickel insert would have been nicer. The gun does not have an operating breechblock but it can be left loose if desired. The tube may be left loose to be placed in firing position or drawn back in battery. The elevation cylinders are installed in Step 13 and use the steel springs for balancing the big gun; brass tubes go over the outside for a smooth finish.

Each of the spades consists of 14 parts and can be either hung on the trails or popped into place for firing. Care must be taken as there is a separate lock (parts D27/29, cemented in place) for each spade and it appears to actually hold the trail in place. Steps 17 and 18 cover mounting the gun to the carriage, and there are a lot of “do not cement” flags here. One part covers the elevating mechanism which is attached to the right trail, and uses a brass tube and hinges to ensure it can replicate the flex in the original. Step 19 and 20 covers the sights, and the main sight consists of 10 parts; as before there are no clear parts, but the only clear part here is the inside of the optic (part C44). The main wheels are held on with screws; attach inner wheel with screw and then cement outer wheel in place. The tyres are nicely done but the sharp of eye will note a small seam in the centre of the wheel; this is impossible to remove, but it would appear it was probably found on the original as well. Step 22 covers the limber, and a diagram is provided to get the right spread between the two arms of the carrier. Here the wheels are held in place by vinyl caps to the limber axle. Only one finishing option is shown – Feldgrau – with the red and white aiming stakes to brighten it up. Of course, sand and camouflaged options are available, but not provided in the kit. Overall this is an excellent kit in the now blossoming ‘pipe fitter’s scale’ of 1:16. It does prompt the question of when a crew and a 1:16 scale SdKfz 7 will follow though! Cookie Sewell UK distributors Pocketbond, PO Box 80, Welwyn, AL6 0ND.

Military Modelling Vol.44 No.5 2014

Product reviews

Trumpeter Soviet GAZ-67B in 1:35 scale Over the years this vehicle has seen much bench time, since the 1973 Tamiya kit there has been several releases in 1:35 scale alone, these include two from Maquette (one as a prime mover with 45mm field piece and limber), Eastern Express and maybe not so well-known Parc Models and AER Moldover. The Genesis of the GAZ-67 series, a general purpose light all terrain multi role four-wheel drive utility vehicle was mirrored off the extremely successful US-made Willys Jeep, under the lend-lease scheme some 20,000 units were supplied, the design was copied and developed in 1941 by the Gorkovskiy Avtomobilniy Zavod (GAZ) or translated the Gorky

Dragon Models Ltd “Chow Time” German AntiTank Crew w/3.7cm Pak 36/37 (Eastern Front) in 1:35 scale The Eastern Front quickly became no friend to the German soldier, and when winter 1941 hit things really got bad. Not only was the weather nasty, the advent of vehicles like the KV and T-34 also ruined the day of many welltrained soldiers. The 3.7cm PaK 36/37 anti-tank guns were soon shown to be worthless against these tanks, and were soon

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Automobile Factory. The GAZ-67 series remained in production between 1943-1953 with excess of 92,000 builds leaving the production line. Trumpeter has now released a very good rendition of this little Soviet workhorse, configured from over 200 parts broken down over five sprues cast in olive green styrene, one sprue cast in clear providing windscreen and lenses, the headlight inserts being moulded in a convex shape giving more depth and realism rather than just clear plastic disc. A onepiece tilt is provided with moulded canvas profile but no internal detail present, and a token fret of four etched-metal parts is offered but only three are identified on the plans. A set of five separate vinyl tyres displaying some really fine

derisively named “door knockers” by their crews. Dragon has now released what amounts to an instant vignette kit of a PaK crew having a meal while waiting for their next operation (item 6697). The kit comes with the well-known Dragon PaK 36/37 kit with all of its accessories such as the ‘Stick Bomb’ Stielgranate 41 HEAT round and, surprisingly, the kit also offers an upgrade to the Soviet 45mm Model 1932/1938 gun via a new barrel. (The two guns were designed by

tread and side wall pattern have been favoured over styrene parts and, whilst this isn’t to everyone’s liking, some careful finishing will enhance and bring out any detail. Instructions are clear and well spaced, just pay attention to the now familiar grey shaded arrows pointing out the sequence and direction of build and subassemblies. Assembly begins with more than enough parts for a convincing GAZ M1 I4 engine and radiator system; worthy of note is that the radiator grille supplied represents the postwar variant not the WW2 build depicted on the box art. The quality of moulding is extremely good and even exquisite in places with many parts falling in the minuscule bracket, just don’t drop anything into the abyss (Carpet Monster!). Exquisite also means very fragile and difficult clean up, the utmost care will be needed during sprue removal, scalpel and the finest of manicure scissors would be a plus on this project. The transmission and drivetrain take their share of petite parts and form into small but detailed sub-assemblies that dress the chassis, a one-piece girder type frame with crossmember, the positive being no multi-part

the same team when the Soviets and Germans cooperated in the early 1930s.) The gun is nicely done and the upgrade kit includes the new barrel and breech for the Soviet 45mm piece. A total of 13 new parts are included for this gun. The rest is the nice little 37mm piece that has been around for a number of years. However, no ammunition or ammunition canisters are provided in the kit, which is a bit odd considering the rest of it. The three figures are all wearing greatcoats with two men standing and eating and one man cooking over a fire, which is not provided. Each figure consists of at least nine parts (head, torso, arms, legs, two-piece coat and collar) with separate headgear and details. The kit also provides a loaf of field bread, open mess kits with the tops used for carrying food, and assorted cans including one which the kneeling man is trying to open with a bayonet (guess the Germans didn’t have the P-38, but I digress...)

construction which avoids possible alignment issues and build errors at a later stage. The bodyshell forms from a one-piece floor pan, augmented with front, side and rear panels all carrying nice levels of surface detail. Canvas half doors are supplied in use or moulded as stowed, equally the option of tilt up or down is available, provided finishing and decal options just cover two vehicles, normal field operations, dark overall green with index stencil numbers and dark overall green with red star and (white identification ribbon across bonnet, this to be added by the modeller). References show the Germans pressed these into service during their advances so another finishing option to be considered. Overall this is a nicely finished kit that would be well suited on any size diorama, display or stand alone subject, it may be small but the shear number and size of parts requiring the touch of a watch maker take it out of the weekend build category. Highly recommended. Nigel Norfolk Price £29 UK distributors Pocketbond, PO Box 80, Welwyn, AL6 0ND.

While the parts are well done, the instructions are black and white photos and it’s very hard to make out which parts go where. Also, there are no instructions provided for painting the figures, which lets them down a bit. At least there is a nice box art painting by Ron Volstad to use for reference. Three suggested finishing options are provided: one 3.7cm PaK 36/37; one 3.7cm PaK 36/37 with Stielgranate 41 loaded; and one 4.5cm PaK 184(r), all in grey. No decals are provided. Overall this is a bit of nice change from the “four unrelated guys in a box” sets of recent days. Cookie Sewell Price £23.50 Dragon Models Ltd., Kong Nam Industrial Building, 10/F, B1, 603-609 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong. Tel: 2493 0215. Fax: 2411 0587. [email protected] www.dragon-models.com UK distributors, The Hobby Company, Milton Keynes MK5 8PG.

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Product reviews

Star Decals Decal sets in 1:35 scale More new releases from Star Decals covering a range of subjects. Each set comprises a sheet of silk-screen printed waterslide decals with individual items in matt finish on their own separate piece of backing sheet and an A4 sheet with full colour drawings of the subject vehicles showing camouflage scheme and markings placement.

35-983: US Tanks and AFVs in Italy #01, M4A1 Sherman tanks This has markings for cast-hull Shermans. Alternative markings are provided for two tanks of C Coy, 191st Tank Battalion landing at Salerno in September 1943 with thick yellow rings surrounding the white stars, these tanks also had either lighter paint or mud over the base Olive Drab. Tanks of

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35-983 752nd Tank Battalion seen in the summer of 1944 was less colourfully marked but were finished in a 3-colour camouflage scheme. Numbers for two tanks are provided. A dozer-equipped tank with 16th Engineers in 1st Armored Division was in black over Olive Drab with yellow ring markings on the turret sides. 35-988: M2 and M2A1 Halftracks, US 12th Armored Division This has markings for three different vehicles. An M2 of 44th Armored Regiment seen during training in the USA had an unusual side marking and large silhouettes of what appear to be American aircraft. Two M2A1 with 56th (AIB) Armored Regiment in Europe have side markings based around a large white X, one bearing the name Lucky Thirteen? White stars of suitable size and format as well as registration numbers in blue or white are provided. 35-991: M4 and M4A3 105mm Sherman Tanks, N.E. Europe 1944-45 105mm armed Shermans were used to support 75mm and 76mm tanks in American units in the final years of WW2 and this set covers three vehicles. One served with 69th Tank Battalion in 6th Armored Division and had the unit’s black panther on its white stars. Another more conventionally marked tank was

with 49th AIB in 8th Armored Division in Germany in 1945. Third option is a sandbagged and camouflaged tank of 25th Tank Battalion, 14th Armored Division. 35-992: Operation Nordwind, The Ardennes 1944-45 Part 1 has markings for three German tanks all in late-war camouflage schemes. First is a well-known Tiger 2 from s.SS-Pz Abteilung 501 captured at La Gleize. This carried the number 332 on the turret and can be depicted in German hands or with various markings added by American troops after capture. Another Tiger from the same unit with number 222 includes alternative decals for these in blue and red are included. Additional numbers in blue outlined white are included as a bonus for use on other vehicles. The final option is for a Panther G from an unidentified unit with turret number 725. 35-984: Congo Crisis, Swedish UN Troops in Congo Part 1 This covers M8 Greyhound armoured cars and an M3A1 Scout Car of the Swedish ONUBattalion. Nowadays the UN operations in the early 1960s may not be well known but this sheet allows modellers to create an M8 chosen from cars named Anne-Belle, Bibi-Belle, Lulle-Belle and Nina-Belle in unusual threetone colours as well as an M3A1 named Olga Belle including names, ONU and other markings including shipping stencils.

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Military Modelling Vol.44 No.5 2014

Product reviews

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35-986 35-987: Balkan Peacekeepers Part 1 This covers Ukranian BTR-70. Two are vehicles in plain white in the Sarajevo area in 1992-93, one armed and one ambulance version. Vehicles with the VDV (Airborne) Battalion in 1995 were finished in two- or three-colours schemes and options are provided for vehicles in both styles. More complex 5-colour schemes were used by 240 Special (VDV/Airborne) Battalion and decals allow two different vehicles to be modelled.

35-995: South Ossetia War 2008 Part 1, Russian AFVs This offers decals for nine different vehicles. These include a BTR-70M and a BMP1 with Russian Peacekeepers in August 2008 including the MC marking, two T-62A with added bar armour and a T-62AM with the BDD appliqué armour package, BMP-1 and BMP-2 without the MC and an MT-LB. All apart from the last one are in multi-coloured camouflage schemes.

35-986: Balkan Peacekeepers Part 2 This covers Russian BTR-80. Four options are provided, one three colour APC with IFOR, plain green and 3-colour SFOR and a 5-colour KFOR schemes. Decals include panels to be used as flags for the aerials.

UK price is £5.60 per set. Production is by Carl’s Stickers, Armnat-Charoen, Thailand. See their website www.star-decals.net or contact [email protected] for more details. Thanks to Johan Lexell for sending samples for review. Peter Brown

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Wings Cockpit Figures WW2 Luftwaffe figures in 1:32 scale Four more figures in the range of resin kits from Wings Cockpit Figures. The period is WW2 this time, and Luftwaffe figures along with one described as ‘German Beauty’, which is a beautiful likeness of Marlene Dietrich. For those of us familiar with the delightful WW1 figures from Tommy’s War, you will recognise the sculptor of these, Nino Pezzichemi. Helmut Wick is in an ‘action pose’, describing a recent dogfight no doubt. The body and legs are a one-piece casting, with separate arms and a choice of two heads, one in flying helmet and the other in Luftwaffe sidecap. The relaxed

figure of Adolf Galland is similar in that the arms are separate parts and you have a choice of head, either with flying helmet or cap. Both of them feature him smoking his characteristic cigar. Hugo Sperle was a Field Marshall in the Luftwaffe, and the figure depicts him in 1940, when he was in command of Luftflotte 3 during the Battle of Britain, based in Northern France. Carrying his Field Marshall’s baton he is dressed in a long leather coat. Finally, comes the slim figure of film star and singer, Marlene Dietrich, and she has been captured I think to perfection in this lovely figure. My thanks to David Allen for our samples. Robin Buckland [email protected] www.wingscockpitfigures.com

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Dragon1/35 Scale

D60 D6 38 ....................................................£9.99 £9 99 D6038 US Marines (IWO Jima 1945)

D6055 ..................................................£10.25 British Commonwealth Troops (NW Europe44)

D6280 ..................................................£11.50 D6280 D6 £11 1 50 German Mine Detectors (WSL2)

D3012 D3 12 ..................................................£10.25 D30 £10 10 25 D3312 D33 3312 ..................................................£10.25 £100 25 2 U.S. Marine Tank Killers U.S. 1st Cavalry

D33 D3 13 ..................................................£10 10.25 D3313 ..................................................£10.25 Marine Recon

D6191 ....................................................£9.99 Achtung-Jabo! Panzer Crew (France 1944)

D62 D6 11 ..................................................£14 14.50 4 D6211 ..................................................£14.50 U.S. 29th Infantry Division (Omaha Beach, D-Day 1944)

D6214 ....................................................£9.50 D6281 ..................................................£16.99 Panzer Crew, LAH Division (Russia 1943) Germania Regiment (France 1940) (GEN2)

Forces Of Valour 1/32 Scale

UN80080..............................................£56.99 Kfz.70 Personnel Carrier East Front 1941

UN80079..............................................£59.99 SturMGeschutz III Ausf.G Warsaw 1944

UN80425 UN80425..............................................£49.99 UN £49 4 99 German Messerschmitt BF109G-6 1943

UN80073..............................................£49.99 UN8 N 0073 £49 4 99 UN80060..............................................£59.99 UN8 N80060 £599 99 German 4X4 Field Ambulance Invasion US GMC 2.5 Ton Cargo Truck With 4 X .50 of France 1940 Cal AA Guns

UN80052..............................................£46.99 UUN8 0052..............................................£466.99 9 German Elefant Italy 1944

UN81610..............................................£39.99 German SD. KFZ. 251/1 Hanomag

UN80038..............................................£56.99 UUN8 0038..............................................£56 56.99 German 3 Ton Cargo Truck Eastern Front 1941

UN80020..............................................£54.99 UN81013..............................................£49.99 UUN8 0020..............................................£544.99 9 UN8 UN 1013..............................................£49.99 99 German 3 Ton Cargo Truck US M2A1 105Mm Howitzer France 1944

Minichamps 1/35 Scale

350043000 350043000...........................................£66.49 35 £66 66 49 M1 Abrams US Battle Tank

350042270...........................................£90.24 GMC CCKW 353 B2 Water Tanker

350042070...........................................£90.24 3 042070 350 ££90 9 24 GMC 353 Wagon 1942

350020002...........................................£82.46 350 5 020002 £82 8 46 350011081...........................................£66.49 82 350 50011081 £666 49 4 T-34/76 1943 Captured Tank Flak 36 88 mm Russia 1943 MOT 314

Briefing

Next issue

Volume 44 No.6 will be on sale 16th May 2014

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l Old Wooden Doors How to achieve dilapidated paintwork

l Painting the Blues!

French Officer duo in 54mm scale

l It’s a frame-up!

AFV Club’s SdKfz 263 Panzerfunkwagen

l Krupp Steyr Waffentrager

Concluding the colour modulation painting exercise

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