Waterloo 200th Anniversary
MILITARY MODELLING Leaders do battle in model bust form!
1815 - 2015 The Stiff Upper Lip
Officer of the 71st Highland Light Infantry
Field of Destiny
The Waterloo Battlefield and what can be seen today
Blue Command Painting a 54mm French General’s ADC
29th May 2015
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Vol.45 No.6 2015
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EDITORIAL
contents www.militarymodelling.com
16 THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON
Malcolm Cuming paints a classic 1:9 scale bust of “Old Nosey” himself!
22 NAPOLÉON BONAPARTE
28 FRENCH FOOT DRAGOON Alex Long paints the box art for the CGS Military Figures 200mm bust in a combination of oils and acrylics.
PRODUCTION
Ian Succamore paints Le Cimier’s 54mm figure of a French Napoleonic Army Général’s aide-de-camp.
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34 THE STIFF UPPER LIP
Adrian Hopwood paints Pegaso’s 75mm Officer of the 71st Infantry Regiment (Highland Light Infantry) c.1825.
ADVERTISING
22
Adrian Hopwood paints the Alexandros 1:10 scale resin bust of the French Emperor.
Editor: Kelvin Barber PO BOX 6018, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 2RS Email:
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Designer: Richard Dyer Illustrator: Grahame Chambers Retouching Manager: Brian Vickers Ad Production: Robin Gray
16
Features
42 LIEUTENANT LACROIX
50
48 THE WATERLOO BATTLEFIELD
Adrian Hopwood provides a “short tour” of what can still be seen today at this most historic Belgian site.
52 HOUGOUMONT FARM
34
Adrian Hopwood visits the pivotal Waterloo battle site, so gallantly defended by British troops, and a place where you can now stay to enjoy the history of this legendary site!
42
Departments 12 NOTICE BOARD
News for military modellers.
14 WEBSITE PAGE www.facebook.com/MilitaryModelling www.twitter.com/MilModOnline © MyTimeMedia Ltd. 2015
All rights reserved ISSN 0026-4083 The Publisher’s written consent must be obtained before any part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, including photocopiers, and information retrieval systems. All reasonable care is taken in the preparation of the magazine contents, but the publishers cannot be held legally responsible for errors in the contents of this magazine or for any loss however arising from such errors, including loss resulting from negligence of our staff. Reliance placed upon the contents of this magazine is at reader’s own risk. Military Modelling, ISSN 0026-4083, is published monthly with an additional issue in April by MYTIMEMEDIA Ltd, Enterprise House, Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6HF, UK. The US annual subscription price is 59.40GBP (equivalent to approximately 99USD). Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Military Modelling, Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Subscription records are maintained at CDS GLOBAL Ltd, Tower House, Sovereign Park, Market Harborough, Leicester, LE16 9EF. Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent.
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56 SMALL SCALE SCENE
Robin Buckland rounds-up the latest news and releases for armour fans.
60 THE MAFVA COLUMN
John Ham provides a preview of this year’s MAFVA Nationals at Duxford.
62 ON PARADE
Recommended books for military modellers.
68 ATTEN-SHUN!
Products’ review section.
80 NEXT ISSUE
What’s coming up in your favourite modelling magazine!
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THE GAME CHANGER... 1/10TH SCALE METAL MODELS THAT CAN FIGHT AT OVER 200 METRES! A world first... The Battletrax range has been developed to meet a need for the serious RC military modeller to engage in tank v tank fire fights at scale ranges of up to 2400m with realistic outcomes. 1/10th scale metal models are combined with a GPS aided battle system to provide a synergistic experience that is secondto-none.
We needed a model that was big and powerful enough to handle cross-country terrain, yet affordable and easy to handle.
1/10th is a superb scale for tanks. At circa 25kg combat weight this is a beast - yet easy to transport and display.
Above all our combat system operates prototypically. The WWII tank commander was required not only to identify his target, but also to provide a range estimate to his gunner. We figured it would be easier for a player to estimate
Stock available soon... We are now entering our kit production stage with an initial stock delivery of just 50 Tigers due in September 2015. Order reservations will be accepted on a first come, first served, basis. To be one of the first to own this beautiful model we recommend you place a no deposit reservation now. This is a no obligation expression of interest and will give you first refusal when we request your formal 25% deposit July 2015. The balance due will be requested in advance of model delivery.
Historically there have been tank models and there have been computer games. Battletrax offers a micro-processor supported combat system to use in combination with your exhibition standard model tanks - the best of both worlds and a genuine game changer. 1/10th scale.. There are many reasons why we have chosen to work in 1/10th scale.
his range initially in 1:1 scale e.g. 120 metres and then simply add a zero to produce the range in scale metres. Self-evidently no other scale offers this simplicity.
All images show actual 1/10th scale model
SUMMARY SPECIFICATIONS • Metal construction • 12v drive motors • Turret turn • Gun elevation • Smoke generator
• Fully machined kit • Torsion bar suspension • Recoil • Sound • Weight 25 kgs
As an award winning professional model maker I am delighted to have been involved in the design and testing of the 1/10th scale Tiger tank. The model captures all the essential qualities of the prototype. Mike Pavie
TIGER TANK PRICING A) Tiger Tank - Fully machined kit (static display)
£1,995.00
B) Option Pack (Motion)
£495.00
C) Option Pack (Battletrax Combat System)
£395.00
PLACE YOUR NO DEPOSIT ORDER RESERVATION NOW!
See WWW.BATTLETRAX.CO.UK for full details
GIANT 1/10TH SCALE.
1/16th Scale
1/10th Scale
COMBAT SYSTEM... BATTLETRAX THE WORLD’S MOST REALISTIC BATTLE SYSTEM... Over 200m range!
The dawn of a new era... Ten years in the planning and three years in development sees the dawn of a new era in RC tank battle systems.
any one of over 100 different tank types. Relative firepower and armour resistance is recognised. An onboard compass and encoder identify the orientation of the target’s
It is the system that serious wargamers have dreamed about, but never thought they would see.
This is, without doubt, the most realistic combat simulator using models available.
Up to 20 players a side can fight their models at realistic scale ranges of 2000m+. The independent mesh radio system uses model based GPS and microprocessors to determine outcomes in real time and your model can represent
hull and turret independently. Effective armour thickness at the point of impact is derived by calculating the combined angle of strike (vertical slope of the armour and horizontal angle of attack). If the gun can defeat the armour at the range a stage pyrotechnic detonates automatically in the target.
Battletrax is a brand of Silver Crest Models Ltd and is available only from us. On board compass determines angle of strike..
For full details go to: WWW.BATTLETRAX.CO.UK Silver Crest Models Ltd, Wroxton Business Centre, Welton Road, Braunston, Northamptonshire, NN11 7JG. Tel: 01327 871 437. E-mail:
[email protected] Registered no. 7425348
Telephone Sales Line 01304 206720 Romeo Models 75-64 75-65 75-66 75-67 75-68 75-69 75-70 75-71 75-72 75-73 75-74 75-75 75-76 75-77 75-78 75-79 75-80 75-81 75-82 75-83 75-84 75-85 75-86 75-87 75-88 75-89 75-90 75-91 75-92 75-93 75-94 75-95 75-96 75-97 75-98 75-99 75-100 75-101 75-102 75-103 75-104 75-103 75-104 75-105 75-106 75-107
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Roman Vexillifer Vexilliliifer er Noble Sioux Warrior Spanish palace guard Ambiorix French Zouave, 1866-85 Knight from the middle ages Greek Hoplite Nubian Palace Guard MURMILLONE GLADIATOR Korean Warlord Turkish soldier Kalyoncu French Gentilhomme, the Duellist Iroquois warrior Scottish Gentleman Frankish Warrior Japanese Ashigaru Rissalder Major 1st Skinners Horse Maya Warrior, 16th Century Hajuduk Serb 1804-13 Germanic Warrior Quadi Warrior Marshal Emmanuel de Grouchy Warrior Mughal, 17th-18th Century Mongolian Archer Officer of the Empress ' Dragoons, 1815 Samurai Warrior Bersrker Viking Napoleonic Horse Guide in Egypt Aristide greek general, Plataea 479 A.C. French Revolutionary, 1789 Officer of the Tsar's Guard, Russia 1830 Grenadiers of the guard, Sergeant Second Provocator Pirate Scottish Nobleman, 13th Century Slavic Warrior Germanic-Roman Warrior, 1st Century A.D Roman Drakonarios Captain, XVI c. Jean Andoche Junot, 1771-1813 Roman Centurion Jean Andoche Junot, 1771-1813 Roman Centurion Standard Bearer of the Grenadier Guards Secutor Templar knight
75-108 75mm Spartan Oplite 75-109 75mm Roman legionary, II cen. A.D. 75-110 75mm Dacian Warrior, II cen. A.D.
75-111 75-112 75-113 75-114
75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm
Pirate Captain 18th Century Livonian Knight XIII Century Officer of the 2nd Light Cavalry Fox Warrior
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£43.45 £38.35 £38.35 £ TBA
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SSP001 75mm SSP002 75mm SSP003 75mm
Fix it Sam Kitty Reimer Ilsa's Mech Lab
SSP004 75mm SSP005 75mm SSP006 75mm
Sarah Kilmister Carla McCarthy Captain Ahab
SSP007 SSP008 SSP009 SCF001 SCF002 SCF003 SCF004 SCF005 SCF006 SCF007 SCF008 SCF009 SCF010 SCH001 SCH002 SCH003 SCH004 SCH005 SCH007 SCM001 SCM002 SCM003 SCM004 SCM005 SCM006 SCM007 SCM008 SCM009 SCM010 SCN001 SCN002 SCN003 SCN004 SCN006 SCR001 SCR002 SCR003 SCR004 SCR005 SCR006 SCR007 SCR008 SCW001 SCW002 SCW003 SCW004 SCW005 SCW006 SCW007 SCW008 SCW009 SFD001 SFD002 SFD003 SFD004 SFD005 SFD006 SFF001
Jessica Thunderhawk GOING WEST (Specail Order) Nancy Steelpunch Dark Elf Invocatio Abyssal Warlord The Drow Brock The Wanderer Shargh Orc Fury Khalgrim Gunnarson Keeper of the cliff Lisbeth Thenidiel, Autumn Leaf Leonidas Attila Erik The Red King Arther Blackbeard Ragnar Lodbrock Crusader in battle Templar Sergeant Grand Master The Templar Executioner Medieval Knight Castilian Standard Bearer 15th c. Nobunagas Warrior Guardian of Heaven Medieval Hunter Sherlock Holmes Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Jack The Ripper Dr Watson Tom Sawyer Centurion Blood and Sand Thracian Gladiator Julius Cesar in Alesia (52 AC.) Praetorian Guard Duel of the Beasts Gannicus Legionary in Germania Flammenwerfer Lt Winters BANZAI Burma 1942 82nd Airborne Holland 1944 Florian Geyer 1942 George S. Patton Seaforth Highlander Luftwaffe Pilot Rescue From Hell 2 tercio de Asturias Hernan Cortes Blaue Division Spanish Royal Guard Agustina de Aragón 1808 Spanish Musketeer, Rocroi 1643 Operator 79
75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm 75mm
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RM75-1 RM75 2 RM75-2 RM75-3 RM75-4 RM75-5 RM75-6 RM75-7 RM75-8 RM75-9 RM75-10 RM75-11 RM75-12 RM75-13 RM75-14 RM75-15 £104.50 RM75-16 £38.75 RM75-17 £38.75 RM75-18 RM75-19 RM75-20 RM75-21 RM75-22 RM75-23 RM75-24 RM75-25 RM75-26 RM75-27 RM75-28 RM75-29 RM75-30 £38.75 RM75-31 £309.10 RM75-32 £38.75 RM75-33 £37.20 RM75-34 £41.85 RM75-35 £41.85 RM75-36 £37.20 RM75-37 £40.30 RM75-38 £42.60 RM75-39 £48.15 RM75-40 £38.75 £38.75 £38.75 £37.20 £37.20 £37.20 £37.20 £37.20 £37.20 £37.20 £37.20 £41.75 £87.55 RM75-41 £37.20 RM75-42 £38.75 RM75-43 £37.20 RM75-44 £38.75 £49.75 £42.60 £87.55 £44.05 £40.30 £44.05 £50.25 £37.20 £37.20 £37.20 £37.20 £37.20 RM75-45 £57.80 RM75-46 £48.15 RM75-47 £38.75 £37.20 £37.20 £37.20 £41.80 £37.20 £37.20 £37.20 £37.20 £48.15 £38.75 £85.20 £38.75 £87.55 £92.90 £38.75 £42.60
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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.
ABOVE & BELOW: Military re-enactors are always a popular part of War & Peace shows.
Please send all copy for ‘Notice Board’ direct to the Editor at the address listed under ‘Editorial’ on the contents page.
Lacroix details Thanks to some research by Consultant Editor Ken Jones, we now have some background information on Lieutenant Lacroix who appears on pages 42-47 of this issue… Le Cimier’s 54mm figure is based on François-JosephPamphile Lacroix, c.1794 serving as a lieutenant aide-de-camp to Génèral Etienne-Jacques-JosephAlexandre Macdonald – later Marshal of France. Lacroix’s badge of office is the armband or brassard on the upper left arm. In the French Napoleonic army aides de camp (field assistants) were the “voices” of their Generals – conveying orders and despatches within the generals’ commands. Lacroix was eventually promoted to general and was Chief of Staff to II Corps in 1815. Lacroix survived both of Napoleon’s abdications and died in 1841 and is commemorated on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
The War & Peace Revival This year’s event takes place at Folkestone Racecourse, Hythe, Kent CT21 4HX on Wednesday 22nd July to Sunday 26th July. Featuring military and civilian vintage re-enactors and living history, battle re-enactments and arena events, vintage entertainment, shopping, funfair and models it’s a great family day out. The Vintage Village has civilian displays from the 1930s to the 1960s including Home Front, classic cars and support vehicles and much more –
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something for everyone whether you’re into the military side or just vintage living. Live music day and night gives a real festival feel to the world’s biggest military vehicle event. Travel is very simple with the show ground being just a couple of minutes off Junction 11 of the M20 and the mainline Westenhanger station is immediately next door with direct access from London stations. For those travelling from the continent, the Channel Tunnel terminus is just 5-minutes away and
Dover’s ferry port about a 10-minute drive. This year is quite a significant one as it marks the 75th anniversaries of the Dunkirk evacuation and the Battle of Britain, plus the 70th anniversary of the end of WW2. This year the War & Peace Revival will also be celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Gurkhas’ service to the British crown. The organisers have lots of things planned to recognise these important moments in history, for further information visit: www.thewarandpeacerevival. co.uk
Hailsham & District Scale Model Club Show Regular MM form member Nick Richardson informs us that the above event takes place on 11th July at St. Mary’s Parish Church, Hailsham Town Centre, East Sussex. Doors open from 10am till 4pm and there will be model club displays and local model shops in attendance. All are welcome to come and support or join them.
Scale Scotland Model Show This event takes place at the Hilton Hotel, Edinburgh International Airport, EH28 8LL on Saturday 5th, September 2015. This will be Scale Scotland’s inaugural show and it promises to be well worth attending with a great club attendance, competition and comprehensive trade support promised. For more details see: www.scalescotland.co.uk
Wombourne ASVC show Martyn Crowther, vice chairman of Wombourne ASVC (Aero Space and Vehicle Club), advises us that their annual show ‘Fantastic Plastic’ takes place on Sunday 6th September 2015. Venue for the event is The Community Centre, Church Road, Wombourne, South Staffs WV5 9EZ. This year sees the club celebrating its 50th year so we can hopefully look forward to an extra special event! Further details on: www.asvc.org.uk
Military Modelling Vol.45 No.6 2015
Website LEFT: The 1:72 scale Hasegawa Harrier GR.9 built by Alistair for our Group build. BELOW: Bobby Dale made a neat job of this 1:48 scale Buccaneer.
ABOVE: One for Johnny, as Dirk built this 1:35 scale Sherman. RIGHT: John Glover went for this Red-tail P-51 Mustang.
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
Sean Emmott made a fine job of this 1:48 scale Airfix Lightning F.2.
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ur website always has something new, with news of new kits which include full sets of photos of all the sprues and the instructions, everything that you will find inside the box. This helps to show you exactly what you are getting if you buy the model yourself. It can also be handy if you mislay the assembly instructions, as you can find them here if we have covered the kit concerned. You will also find notifications of upcoming events and news of new releases from the likes of Bronco Models and photos of their built up new models from AFV Club to mention just a couple. We also have plenty of extra reference material you may not see in the magazine itself, such as our regular features on military museums around the world, as well as here in the
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UK, thanks to our worldwide website members. One of the most recent was from one of our Greek members who, while visiting family in Sweden, had a chance to see the amazing Aeromuseum site near Gothenburg. Added to that we sometimes add sets of ‘walkaround’ photos of a specific subject, and a recent one of these has been a very well-restored DUKW seen visiting an event at the REME Museum in Arborfield, their final event before making the move to Lyneham and reopening later in 2016. Our forum is always active, and among our members you will find some of our regular contributors here in the magazine, such as John Prigent, Ian Succamore, Mark Bannerman, Peter Gillson, Gary Radford and others, where you can get a look at what projects they are currently working on. We have also seen a great response to our recent Group
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TOP: The entrance to Aeromuseum in Sweden, what was a huge Cold War underground hanger. ABOVE LEFT: These helicopters in Aeromuseum also give us an idea of the huge underground hanger this museum is located in. ABOVE RIGHT: More from inside Aeromuseum, this time a Swedish Saab Viggen. BELOW: Not only did he visit Aeromuseum, the Panzerdrazine appeard in a photo feature on site, the model also made by Greek-based member, Christos.
ABOVE: The well-restored DUKW seen at the REME Museum in April is in a ‘walkaround’ feature on our website.
Build project in memory of Tim and Johnny, two of our regular members who both sadly passed away last year at an early age. A great variety of subjects made in their memory and a great response that clearly showed how much their contributions were appreciated. MM Robin Buckland
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The author’s completed bust.
The bust before priming.
The Duke of Wellington Malcolm Cuming paints a classic 1:9 scale bust of “Old Nosey” himself!
‘‘ ” He led his forces to many victories culminating in the Battle of Waterloo where he defeated Napoleon Bonaparte in June 1815.
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t goes without saying that ‘The Duke of Wellington’ is one of the most noted Field Marshalls in our history. This is just a short insight into his life otherwise it would take up the whole magazine! Arthur Wellesley was born on 1st May 1769 into a wealthy Anglo-Irish family, his father being The 1st Earl of Mornington, his mother Anne was the daughter of the 1st Viscount of Dungannon. He attended various schools as the family moved to different locations, and in 1781 to 1784 he attended Eton. He wasn’t happy there and found it very lonely. Following the death of his father he and his mother moved to Brussels where they stayed until his early 20s. His mother was very concerned as Arthur had become very idle. A short time later Arthur had enrolled in the French Royal Academy of Equitation in Angers. Here he became a good horseman and learned French, something that
would become beneficial later on. He progressed well and, on returning to England in 1786, he surprised his mother with his attitude and his improvement. In 1787 Wellington was commissioned as an ensign in the British Army serving in Ireland to two successive Lord Lieutenants. He was also a Member of Parliament in the Irish House of Commons. By 1796 he had risen to the rank of Colonel, where he saw action in the Netherlands and India, although he is more known for his role in the Peninsular and Napoleonic Wars where he held the rank of Field Marshal. He led his forces to many victories culminating in the Battle of Waterloo where he defeated Napoleon Bonaparte in June 1815. Following the war Wellington served as the Prime Minister on two occasions, and a leading figure in the Houses of Parliament until his retirement. He remained Commander in Chief of the British Army until his death in September 1852 aged 83.
What’s in the box? This bust of the Duke of Wellington was first released by David Grieve way back in 1998, but to look at it you’d think it was a new release as the quality and detail matches those of recent manufacture. I think you’d all agree that David has caught the likeness of the Duke extremely well, which goes to show why he still has a huge following with modellers. He has produced many such high-quality models over the years and thankfully today the bust is still available through CGS Military Figures.
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ABOVE LEFT: The face and hair underpainted in acrylics, and the eyes painted in with oils. ABOVE RIGHT: Various oil tones have been added to the face before blending in. BELOW: The flesh tones blended in.
The only difference in the model currently available is that the bust itself is cast in a highquality resin rather than the original white metal, which in my opinion is a bonus as the metal version was rather heavy. Inside the box you’ll find just three components, the resin head/torso and aiguillette plus a white metal plinth. This is accompanied with a set of painting instructions.
Preparation I found that there was very little cleaning up required, so credit there, due to some very fine casting. After selecting a suitable wooden base, I drilled and pegged the bust’s plinth, ready to secure to the wooden base at a later stage. The torso section was then cemented to the plinth. When this was dry the bust was then washed in warm soapy water to remove any particles and grease marks from cleaning up and handling. After the bust had been left to dry thoroughly it was given a light spray of Halfords’ Grey Primer.
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Painting the face I began my mixing equal amounts of Pink Flesh and Basic flesh from the Scale 75 range of acrylic paints. This was thinned down with distilled water and applied until I had a nice even coat, the hair was blocked out next using a shade of dark brown. Before going any further I decided to paint the eyes in. First of all I painted the white of the eyes with Birch, again from the Scale 75 range, and then turned to oils to add the pupil and iris. As per the instructions Wellington had blue eyes, so I began to prepare a shade of blue for the main iris. I began by adding a little Titanium White to some Ultramarine Blue, and to tone down the brightness a speck of Cadmium Red light was worked in (a speck represents the amount on the end of a cocktail stick). The iris was now painted in, so the next step was to carefully add the mid tone. Naples Yellow was blended in to the base colour and from the centre of the iris I began gently stippling it out to the edge leaving the darker blue as an outline. This was now left to dry before the pupil
‘‘ ” I found that there was very little cleaning up required, so credit there, due to some very fine casting.
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ABOVE: The facial skin tones are being built up. BELOW: The neckcloth and collar have been painted before continuing with the rest of the coat.
and highlight was added. With that stage complete I was now ready to start on the flesh tones. To begin with I blend equal amounts of Burnt Sienna and Golden Ochre, to this a little Cadmium Red Light was added along with a touch of Titanium White, to achieve the base flesh tone. Before creating other shades I add a speck of Viridian, this will kill off any orangey tones, and will give the flesh a natural appearance. To the base mix I add some more Titanium White to part of the oils to create the first of the highlights. I repeated this process a further two times. For an alternative tone, which I generally use under the eyes, I mix some Naples Yellow with Titanium White. For the shadows I set out some Burnt Umber, Raw Umber, and finally some Alizarin Crimson. After viewing a few portraits of the Duke, I chose to use a flesh tint with pinkish hue, and keep the contrasting tones relatively subtle. I did read somewhere that when Wellington sat for portraits he didn’t want any wrinkles showing. Whether that’s true or not I don’t know, but if you
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view his portraits there are none visible, so maybe it is true. To get things underway I began by applying various flesh tones to the facial area, and then blended them in with a flat brush. I continued by gradually increasing the highlights using the range of tints from my palette, and then started to add the shadows. I mixed in a little Burnt Umber and Alizarin Crimson to the base flesh mix, and worked these in, keeping the transition subtle. For the lower cheeks I added a little more Alizarin Crimson, creating a very nice warm tone and again I carefully blended them keeping the contrast in tones relatively subtle at this stage. The oils were then left to dry and settle overnight. The oils will have dissipated a little during the settling period, and some of the detail lost. To remedy this, the highlights and shadows are boosted using the wet-on-dry process and once more left to settle. After this stage the final details were applied. With the face completed I could now turn my attention to the hair. First of all I began to add the lighter
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tones, dry-brushing it very lightly, so as not to clog up the strands of hair with paint. This was followed by a wash of a dark brown oil mix allowing them to flow in to the recesses, and pull all the tones together. Once this was dry, darker shadows were added.
Neckcloth and shirt collar The neckcloth could either be painted in white or a creamy shade. I opted for white and began by building up an acrylic basecoat using a mix of White and Mojave White. Having built up a nice even coat, I was ready to make a start on the oils. To begin with, a little Sepia was added to some Titanium White. To help the flow of the oils I dipped the brush in Winsor & Newton’s Sansodor, wiping off the excess before applying the paint. A small flat brush was used to remove the excess oils leaving a nice thin coat of oils to work on. For the shadows I added a little more Sepia to the base colour and gradually working them in, strengthening the density as necessary. Finally the top highlights were applied with Titanium White.
Coat The scarlet coat was richly decorated, with the collar being embroidered with oak leaves, and this is the area where I thought it would be best to make a start. Using Cantabric Blue thinned down I carefully painted around the oak leaves until I had a nice solid colour. This was followed with a coat of Prussian Blue (oils) and then subtle highlights were worked in between the oak leaves. The next phase was to start painting the braiding and oak leaves, adding as much detail as possible before finishing off in oils. An equal mix of Gobi Brown and Sahara Yellow provided a good base
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colour to start on. Next I began to pick out the detail by adding Tenere Yellow to the base colour. I decided to leave finishing this off in oils until I’d painted the aiguillette and complete it in one session. Now that left me ready to apply Antares Red for the base colour of the coat, this took quite a few thinned coats to get it nice and even. In between coats I used a hairdryer to speed up the drying time. For the oils I gradually added Cadmium Red Deep to Cadmium Red Light until I’d acquired the tone that I wanted. To the palette I added some Mars Yellow for the highlights, and for the shadows I like to use green. I personally find that I get better results having mixed a green rather than using one direct from a tube. Prussian Blue and Mars Yellow provided me with tone that I required. As before I dipped my brush in Sansodor thinners and carefully applied a coat of the oils and then removed the excess with a flat brush. Wishing to maintain the subtle appearance, I first of all added some Mars Yellow to the base mix to acquire a midhighlight. Once these had been added I used Mars Yellow to increase the intensity of the highlight where necessary. For the shadows I used the same method as before, by adding some of the green to the base mix, and then working it into the shadow areas and creases, and as with previous steps this was left to settle, and then the highlights and shadows were retouched. After the sash had been painted the shoulder cord aiguillette were painted using the same method used on the collar.
Sash
ABOVE LEFT: The coat has been underpainted ready for the oils to be applied. ABOVE RIGHT: The coat has been given a coat of oils, with the highlights and shadows added.
‘‘ ” ...I personally find that I get better results having mixed a green rather than using one direct from a tube.
This is actually the second time I’ve painted this particular bust, and I must say I’m enjoying it even more this time! One part of the bust I really enjoyed
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ABOVE LEFT: The sash has been underpainted in acrylics, and the shoulder cord and aiguillette painted. ABOVE RIGHT: The sash painted in oils.
painting was the sash as it offered a challenge in trying to capture the shimmer that the material gave off. This time around I wanted to see if I could improve on my last effort. I wanted to give it an undercoat of a darker shade of royal blue, so I added some Cantabric Blue to some Testa Blue to get the right tone. In preparing the palette for the blue I set out the following colours: Ultramarine Blue; Raw Sienna; Titanium White; Prussian Blue. Normally I would soak out some of the oils on some paper to help matt it down, but as I wanted to retain the sheen, I left it as it was and began mixing the shades ready for application. First of all I created the highlight by adding some Titanium White, which gives you a very bright blue, so to dull it down a little I added a tiny amount of Raw Sienna. For the shadows I would use the Prussian Blue. A thinned coat of Ultramarine Blue was applied first and the excess oils removed, and then proceeded to start working in varying tints of the highlights to try and achieve the shimmer the cloth gave off. It took me a little while to do this but the effect was paying off, and I thought it was an improvement on my previous effort, which was rather pleasing. Once I was happy that I’d taken the highlights to the limit at this stage I turned to the Prussian Blue to add the shadows. I left this to dry for a couple of days, and thankfully it didn’t lose any of its sheen, before adding some final touches.
Decorations
The decorations have been detailed and finishing touches applied to the bust.
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The bust shows Wellington wearing the Cross of the Order of the Bath and the Spanish Order of the Golden Fleece. Rather than go into great detail in the painting of these, these were painted in acrylics and metallic. The metallics used are from the DarkStar range as I find their finish very impressive. The acrylics represented the areas that were enamelled and given a coat of varnish afterwards.
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To complete the model, the bust was cemented to the wooden base, the plinth painted black, and a nameplate from Name It! attached (www.nameitplates.co.uk).
Summary I have to say that I really enjoyed painting this bust a second time around, more so than the first. As mentioned earlier, although the bust was first released in 1998 it still has a presence today so will proudly adorn a modeller’s collection. In my opinion it is well worth having and, if asked to paint this bust again, would I? Without hesitation!
Availability The Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington bust (item WB02) is priced at £19 plus p&p. This and other kits from the range are available to purchase from CGS Military Figures. www.cgsmilitaryfigures.co.uk MM
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Views of the author’s completed bust.
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Napoléon Bonaparte Adrian Hopwood paints the Alexandros 1:10 scale resin bust of the French Emperor.
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The Cathedral Ajaccio in Corsica where Napoleon was baptised and where some of the Bonaparte family are buried.
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think I can probably get away without supplying much history about Napoléon – suffice it to say he was a very clever man, a great tactician, built an empire and then lost it! For all of that his legacy leaves us with a period that modellers and historians have tagged with his name, and a military cornucopia overflowing with colourful uniforms, interesting characters and massed battles that even though they are well documented, can still cause experts to argue two centuries later – what could be a better memorial than that? Among the photos reproduced here are some that you might not normally see in an article, or reference piece either. They were kindly supplied by Malcolm Cuming from his trip to Corsica and show the church where Napoléon was baptised and also his home. The sumptuous décor and furnishings of the latter might be of interest for anyone wishing to produce a vignette or diorama perhaps?
The model There are a lot of offerings featuring Bonaparte, some good, some bad, and some just plain ugly. This I think is one of the best busts to be released, and to be honest it almost paints itself for you! Photograph 1 shows the box art, and Photo 2 the components (okay, I added the pins for holding them to the wood blocks I use as handles during painting). The box art shows several views of a nicely painted example, although not enough that it allows you to paint in the finer details without having to look a few things up. There are also several options for colours that could be used for the waistcoat – I chose to copy the box art, but I’ve seen other colours used and to be honest, the model looks every bit as good. It’s all down to personal taste. The components are all sculpted to a very high standard, with casting backing that up and allowing for only minimal clean-up, the filling of a few small air bubbles and no need for putty to hide any joints.
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I’d heard some time ago that Napoleon never actually sat for a portrait to be painted, and that all paintings of him were taken from quick sketches and the memory and ability of the individual artists. With that in mind I thought I’d look around for some accounts of his looks that were taken from firsthand descriptions, the general consensus leading me to have a mental image of a pale skinned chap, with blue/grey eyes. Interesting that there are differing reports of such a predominant feature as the colour of his eyes though… But that notwithstanding, I had a few pointers for how I wanted to render the face. Photograph 3 shows the beginning phases of the flesh tones. I did want to err on a pale complexion, and used a lighter start point than I would normally mix up – but as usual I still just used Mars Brown and Titanium White, coating the face and hand with a mix of the two colours and then building up mid-tones and
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Napoléon’s home in Corsica
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highlights with additions of the white. This is the stage I’m at in this view, though admittedly it looks a little bland and I would beef up the shadows with deeper colours a little later on, but the basics are there and were allowed to dry fully before attempting anything else. Photograph 4 shows the hand having received the same treatment, although it looks even more washed out with the pale resin surrounding it that’s been primed with a pale flesh acrylic undercoat. In Photo 5 I’ve added a few areas of deeper shadow to the hand using Mars Brown with just a little Mars Black mixed into it, and have also begun the process of painting in the clothing. The white section of the shirt has been painted using acrylics – I find them much more effective for pale colours – and I began with a mix of Vermin Fur, Kommando Khaki and Skull White – yes, you guessed that they’d all be Games Workshop colours! This was
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ABOVE: Napoléon’s home in Corsica.
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quite a dark cream/brown colour and took a lot of layers of lighter paint to gradually build up the mid-tones and highlights, adding water and more of the Khaki colour to initially lighten the mix and then bringing in the white to build up to the lightest highlights. When I say there are a lot of layers of paint, there are possibly 80 or so applications on the uppermost sections for where the paint is almost pure white. But there is hardly any build-up of paint as the layers are so thin due to there being a lot of water mixed in to thin the colours being used. It takes time and patience, but the colour transitions are smooth and invisible. Finally in this view is the addition of the red undercoat. I’ve used the Mechrite Red foundation colour from Games Workshop and added in some Tamiya Flat Base to make it really matt. This will soak up any excess oils in the red colours that I’m going to use, hopefully helping to give a matt finish to the area. In Photo 6 I’ve added the red oils, using a mix of Carmine and a little Mars Black to block in the shadow areas, and then the Carmine on its own to fill in the mid-tones. I used Crimson to get the highlights and then put it in the drying cabinet for a couple of days. What you might notice in this view is the lack of a definite shadow between the white and red areas on the lower chest. I deliberately did this because the deepest shadows would be added after the main areas of red were fully dry. As with the previous shot, this also shows me having added the undercoat for the green area, which would be treated to some oils once the red section had dried. Whilst that was happening I returned to paint the eyes in (Photo 7). For these I first painted the eyeball with a lightened shade of the original flesh colour, but mixed in with that was just a touch of a dark blue. This gives an oyster colour that is light enough to look white, but isn’t stark as a pure white would be. Once dry I could add the iris, beginning with some Payne’s Grey to mark out the edge of the iris, and then add within that a mix of the grey and some Mars Yellow and a touch of Titanium White. The darker outer rim gives the eyes a border that allows for a relatively pale eye colour. Without this darker colour the pale iris would be lost on the light coloured eyeball and the effect would be poor at best.
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The pupil is added with some Mars Black and then the delicate operation of adding the catchlight is attempted. It takes a steady hand and a bit of patience to do, but adding the reflection to the eye on the border between the pupil and the iris gives the eye the effect of looking wet, without the trouble of adding a gloss varnish and hoping that that will catch a reflection on its own. Here I’ve had a few tries (better to do when the rest of the eye has dried) and unfortunately it’s not gone too well. In fact while the catchlight in his right eye looks good from this angle – it’s actually too large – and the one on his left eye is almost non-existent and needs re-doing when everything is fully dry. See, us so-called ‘experts’ have bad days as well! Moving swiftly along, we come to Photo 8 and return to the main casting. Here I’ve painted the green area of the uniform with some Chromite Green and a little touch of Mars Black, then added more of the green to build up mid-tones and topped them off with some Buff Titanium to get the highlights. I didn’t want to go too far with the highlights, because the Buff colour would tend to make the clothing look worn – okay in the average working Knight, but Napoleon was not only the chap in charge, but French as well, and that has got to mean that he’s well turned out. Also in this view I’ve begun painting in the braided epaulettes and the medals. I’ve worked with Printer’s inks on the epaulettes, and begun with a dark green oil working through Bronze, then Antique Gold and on to Bright Gold with some final highlights of Silver. The medals I’ve painted with Steve Crisp’s Darkstar Miniatures. These look brighter and will give a little extra punch to the relatively small areas that will remain metallic on the medals once all the other colours are popped in. Photograph 9 shows a closer view of the medals after more paint has been added. The left-hand one has had the white enamel added to the outer triangle sections and the inner roundel has had a blue circle added to it just inside the outer edge. The right-hand medal has had a pin wash added to
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deepen some of the shadows and the ribbons have been painted to match in with the references I had to hand. Moving to Photo 10, this shows the medals from a little further away, but both views are suffering from the ribbons still looking glossy as the photos were taken before the paint had dried. Also shown is that the greatcoat has now been undercoated with a mid-grey acrylic.
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Admittedly the separate sections are looking okay at this point, but they come to life a bit more when test-fitted together as in Photos 11 and 12. Here I’ve added the head temporarily to the main casting to test fit (once again) and to just check how it’s all looking. This was helped of course by having tidied up a couple of the edges on the clothing, adding a definite shadow to the edge of the green sections, and also the red piping around the waistcoat edge. It’s strange how such small additions can make a big difference. I then removed his head so I could continue with the painting by separating the head from the body. The greatcoat was rendered with a green biased grey – mixed from Titanium White, a little Mars
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Black and some Chromite Green. I’ve looked at quite a few paintings of Napoleon in this clothing and the overall impression is of the painter’s using green within the grey to get a particular appearance to the material. If it’s good enough for them, well it’s certainly good enough for me, hence the Chromite Green being added to the mix. I used more of the black to introduce the shadow sections, and highlighted with a pale mix of the green and white. The deepest shadows were added after the coat was fully dry, using Mars Black thinned with some white spirit to blend in washes of dark colour to the relevant sections. The hat was painted in very similar colours, substituting Prussian
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Blue for the Chromite Green and stippling the area to give it the effect and miniature texture of felt. And so to the final views of the finished figure. There’s a few small details, such as buttons and the ribbon and rosette on the hat that have been added, otherwise there’s nothing much to remark upon.
Conclusion After many years of saying “I don’t do Napoleonic subjects” I feel that I’ve found them enjoyable, having done four or five now. The history is more recent and because of that just a bit more interesting due to the presence of relics and reference material. Visiting the site of the final battle – Waterloo – was a bonus too, and one that brings home the massive loss of life, the bravery of the men who took part (on both sides) as they were injured or killed and that whilst Napoleon lost, his determination, charisma and flair cannot be denied. I not only enjoyed painting this model, but also found that the sculpture was easy to bring to life, and is one of the easiest pieces I’ve painted for a while. Safe to say then that I can recommend this one, and it makes a pleasant break from all the WW1 subjects doing the rounds at the moment.
Availability Priced at £45.15 plus p&p the figure (item AXR24) is available from Historex Agents, Wellington House, 157 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent CT17 9BZ.
[email protected] MM www.historexagents.com
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French Foot Dragoon Alex Long paints the box art for the CGS Military Figures 200mm bust in a combination of oils and acrylics.
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or this article I will be detailing my approach to using oil paints applied over the top of an acrylic base. Having been commissioned by Graham Scollick of CGS Military Figures to paint the box art for the third piece in his fantastic trilogy of 200mm French Napoleonic busts sculpted by Carl Reid, I had a real yearning to get the oil paints out. Here’s how I went about it.
The Kit Supplied in high quality resin and expertly cast the kit comes in eight parts, with the addition of a strip of pewter foil for the musket straps. Photograph 1 shows the kit out of the box with just the casting sprues removed. In Photo 2 the kit has been assembled and mounted ready for painting.
Paint choice My approach to using oils over acrylics is not really too different to my solely acrylic approach, it all begins in the same way, only I transfer to oils at about 80-90% completion. There are a couple of
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key points to observe when using oils effectively over acrylics, the most important of which is that the acrylics need to be very matt in finish. A dry flat matt ground creates a smooth absorbent surface for the oil paints to blend into, helping the oils to dry matt themselves. For that reason I find that Jo Sonja’s and Scale 75’s Scalecolor paints provide the flattest finish. Vallejo on the other hand, although still excellent acrylics, have a vinyl finish which prevents oil absorption and leaves the oil paints to ‘skid around’ on the surface rather than soak in. For the oil paints I use Winsor & Newton Artist Oils with artist’s quality white spirit as a thinning medium.
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Painting Beginning with the airbrush, which incidentally is also a great aid in establishing a matt absorbent ground, the figure has received the customary coat of Jo Sonja’s (JS) Carbon Black. This has been followed up by priming the flesh with Scalecolor (SC) Basic Flesh; the coat with JS Hookers Green/Napes Yellow Hue mix; the waistcoat with SC Iroko/Birch mix; the helmet with SC Necro Gold/Black mix (Photo 3). Before moving onto the face some brush detailing has been added to the helmet (Photo 4), using increasing amounts of black added to the
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A dry flat matt ground creates a smooth absorbent surface for the oil paints to blend into, helping the oils to dry matt themselves. 29
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‘‘ ” When mixing the oils I first squeeze them out onto cartridge paper and leave them for a few hours to soak out any excess linseed oil.
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Necro Gold for shading and highlighted with SC Peridot Alchemy. The eyes are first on the agenda when it comes to the face and I’ve opted for a green shade to compliment his jacket (Photo 5). I’ve used a surprising amount of colours for this, as can be seen on the wet palette in Photo 6. The whites of the eyes consist of JS White, Naples Yellow and a brown mixed from Cadmium Scarlet and Green Oxide. A blue tinted shade is added at the top of the whites by adding Ultramarine Blue, with Alazarin Crimson added at the inside corners. The iris is a mix of Green Oxide and the above mentioned brown mix, edged in black. Highlights are provided by adding Naples Yellow to the green and worked in centrally in an area slightly larger than the pupil which itself is rendered in black with catch-lights added using an off white mixed with a spot of Naples Yellow and Ultramarine Blue. Photograph 7 shows the wet palette and the various transitions of flesh tone created from the following JS colours: For the basic flesh colour: White, Norwegian Orange, Naples Yellow and Burnt Sienna. For the shades Raw Umber, Carbon Black, Dioxazine Purple and Green Oxide added to the basic flesh. Highlights by adding Naples Yellow and White to the basic flesh. Raw Sienna, Permanent Alizarin and Dioxazine Purple have been added
for tones in warm areas while a touch of Green Oxide and Carbon Black have been added for the “5-o’clock shadow.” One of the benefits of the Jo Sonja’s range is that the colours are very similar to those in the Winsor & Newton oils range so mirroring the mix in both mediums is relatively easy. Photograph 8 shows the oil mix for the flesh and uses the following colours: Cadmium Red + Yellow Ochre (to create Norwegian Red); Titanium White; Burnt Sienna; Naples yellow; Raw Umber; Viridian Green; Mars Black; Dioxazine Purple; Alizarin Red; Raw Sienna; Cerulean Blue. Using these colours I have created the same flesh tone transitions as with the acrylic. When mixing the oils I first squeeze them out onto cartridge paper and leave them for a few hours to soak out any excess linseed oil. I then mix the tones using a cocktail stick as this is pretty hard going on the life of a brush. In the same way that a wet palette prolongs the life of acrylic mixes, placing your mixes in an airtight container and depositing in the freezer achieves the same for oils. Photographs 9 and 10 show the first two stages of face painting in the acrylics. I normally begin with lying on all the highlights in the second lightest tone followed by the second darkest shade. This is followed by filling in the mid-tones and developing smooth transitions between dark and light before
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adding further lighter highlights and darker shades. All this is done using very thin layers of paint thinned only with water. Having the various flesh tones pre-mixed on the wet palette makes the face painting process fairly rapid, in fact making the mixes takes about the same time as applying the first stage of layers to the face. Photograph 10 is a far as I will go with the acrylics saving the final layer for the oils. Before moving onto this final oil coat of flesh I have painted the helmet peak, turban and horsehair mane in JS acrylics (Photo 11) ready to receive their own oil coat in the same painting session as the face. Photographs 12 and 13 have had the oil paints added, this is applied in very thin layers with the oils reduced to a skimmed milk consistency using artist’s white spirit. Applying the equivalent oil mixes to the relevant tonal areas in exactly the same order as the acrylics is the first step of this process. Using a slightly larger brush (about a 0 or 1, with the very tip, just about 1mm, trimmed off) dampened with white spirit the transitions are blended using a stippling technique. This is more like gently stabbing the brush on the area to be blended rather than dragging it in a brushstroke fashion. Due to the absorbent matt ground of the acrylic and the evaporation of the white spirit the oils dry relatively quickly but still allow room for some alla prima (wet-on-wet) blending which is particularly useful for adding additional subtle highlights and tonal changes.
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No light-box, matting agent or matt varnish is needed as long as the layers are kept thin with white spirit and the linseed oil has been soaked out prior to use. The oils will normally be dry in a couple of hours but absolute piece of mind can be achieved by leaving it over-night. Photographs 14 and 15 show the coat after receiving washes of JS Hookers Green and Green Oxide over the overly bright pre-highlighted airbrushed layer. This is enough at this stage to bring the colour towards the correct shade as further work will be done on the green after the right arm has been fixed should the paint suffer any damage during its fitting. The pink facings of the 16th Regiment are a mix of Alizarin Crimson, Naples Yellow and White. In Photos 16 and 17 the equipment straps and blanket roll have been painted in JS and SC acrylics in preparation for the oil coat. I find that the boxed Scale Color paint sets of both Wood & Leather and Black & White contain ideal colours for leather and white respectively. The colours contained in these sets are again easily mirrored in oils. For the Leather I used Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Orange, Yellow Ochre, Naples Yellow, Alizarin Crimson and Dioxazine Purple. For the white it’s Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Purple Madder and Mars Black. Photographs 18, 19 and 20 show the development of the Dragoon Musket with the grain
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panted over black using SC Orange Leather and Golden Skin with some JS Cadmium Orange. This has been washed over with JS Red Earth and Brown Earth before receiving final washes with Vandyke Brown oils fresh from the tube without the linseed soaked out. This is to give the wood a slight sheen. The canteen, musket barrel and lock have all been painted using SC Black Metal, Thrash Metal and Speed Metal along with some Vallejo Black for shading. Brass fittings have been completed using the same mix as the helmet as described earlier. In Photo 20 hands, musket strap and musket have all had the oil paint layer added. With the right arm and musket safely fixed in place (Photos 21, 22 and 23) the coat has received its oil paint layer using Prussian Green, Cadmium Green and Mars Black applied using the same techniques described in the face painting. Some of the oil colours do tend to contain more linseed oil than others, Prussian Green is one of these so careful attention is needed when soaking the oil on the cartridge paper, Titanium White for example takes only about half-an-hour whereas the Prussian Green requires around 6-hours. Experience will teach you how certain colours behave but as a rule the rich greens and blues tend to lean towards the shiny side so extra soaking on the cartridge paper is required. One additional benefit of the oils drying matt over the acrylics is that acrylics can then be used over the top of the oils if any fine lining-in is needed, without the fear of the finish not matching or the paint not taking. With the addition of some weathering the bust is now finished and is a fine companion to the Imperial Guard and Cuirassier already available in the range.
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Conclusion I believe that every painter should have a variety of mediums in their arsenal whether they be enamel, oils or different types of acrylic and learning how to use them appropriately and to their full potential is a valuable skill in figure painting and modelling in general. I hope this article may dispel some misconceptions about the medium in this modern world of acrylic only figure painting. They don’t have to take ages to dry, they don’t have to dry shiny and they are certainly very enjoyable to use. MM
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References Napoleon’s Army 1790–1815 by Julien Rousellot published by Andrea Press. http://www.napolun.com/mirror/web2.airmail.net/napoleon/cavalry_ Napoleon.html#frenchdragoons
Materials used 200mm French Dragoon available from: www.cgsmilitaryfigures.co.uk Jo Sonja’s available from: www.rainbowsilks.co.uk Scale 75 Scale Color available from www.historexagents.com Winsor and Newton Oil paints available: from www.artsupplies.co.uk Olive wood base available from: www.facebook.com/historia.miniatures?fref=ts Nameplate available from: www.nameitplates.co.uk
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The Stiff Upper Lip Adrian Hopwood paints Pegaso’s 75mm Officer of the 71st Infantry Regiment (Highland Light Infantry) c.1825.
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lowland regions, and having its base in the district of Paisley in Glasgow. The regiment served some time in India in 1779, showing themselves to be a stout and effective group of fighting men under the command of Sir Eyre Coote. A second battalion was raised and they took part in the Siege of Gibraltar, but were disbanded upon their return home in 1783; the original battalion continuing its service in India until the end of 1798. Over the next few years, a second battalion was reraised once again and the 1st Battalion was moved to South Africa in 1806 under Baird’s command, before moving to South America where they were part of the disastrous campaign in Buenos Aires that ended in the surrender of British forces there. After Buenos Aires they were shipped to Spain and were under the command of Sir John Moore until 1809. At this point they were allowed an adjustment to their uniform, which took the form of being allowed the inclusion of elements of their Highland dress, so long as it didn’t interfere with regulations for the Light Infantry. The 1st Battalion served at Walcheren during the Peninsular Campaign (1810-1814) and were at the final conflict with Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. Continuing with their service to the Crown, the 71st was in Canada between 1825 and 1832.
The parts
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fter Waterloo the British Army’s uniforms transformed into what perhaps was their most colourful and stylish period until khaki was adopted at the end of the century. However, you sometimes pick a figure simply because it looks good – the history or colour doesn’t really feature as an interest, it’s the sculptor who’s dragged you in, and it’s only when you begin to paint the piece that you start finding out that maybe this isn’t such a simple research project as you’d thought. This 75mm Pegaso kit is a case in point because I’ve discovered two different years for the formation of the 71st Regiment – 1777 according to Pegaso and 1775 variously on the Internet. Either way, the 71st Regiment was raised from the Scottish populace, taking in men from highland and
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Really this kit is a marriage of perfection – Maurizio Bruno ‘on the putty’ and Pegaso ‘on the casting’. To be honest, it’s figure modellers’ heaven. Expanding on that, the sculpting is very nicely handled. The pose is just haughty enough to make this chap officer material, and whilst it is a simple up-anddown study, there is no sign of a wooden stance. He’s just pausing before barking out an order! Examination of the quality cast metal components reveals there is very little to catch you out. The part lines for the rubber moulds are obvious and easy to access, and they’re very small and don’t take any effort to clean up. Fit of parts is good; the only filler I used was around the exit hole for the riding crop at the back of the right arm. The model is presented in a stout box with the signature Pegaso colours, a front and rear view of a painted example of the model, and a good backup to that is a potted history and the painting suggestions (Photo 1). If I was to point out one flaw with the model, and it’s the only one, it would be the split of parts regarding the head and main body casting. It would have made life for the painter a lot easier if the head was part of the main casting and the shako separate. As it is, the head and shako are cast as one piece and attach to the main casting at the neck. The joint is seamless, but the Shako peak gets in the way of the brush… I’ll tell you more about that later.
Painting You see, I’m a little confused about the uniform. Pegaso provide a very good potted history and colour instructions, but surfing the Internet and looking around, I seem to see various possibilities for uniform colouration. The addition of plaid trews is one thing, diced red and white bands on a ‘shako’ that was the
Military Modelling Vol.45 No.6 2015
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Kilmarnock Bonnet stretched and stiffened*, and plenty of rank and file renditions of soldiers for this regiment, but not much in the way of its officers’ uniforms c.1825, but you can’t have everything. *British Napoleonic Uniforms – The First Complete Illustrated Guide to Uniforms, Facings and Lace, C. E. Franklin, Spellmount, 2008, 2010. So, and this is where I get boring, because I liked the model just how it was and, having been enthused by seeing a couple of these already painted, I thought I’d just stick with the box art. Red jacket with yellow facings, white trousers, it looks pretty striking.
So, where to begin? I’ve recently moved away from painting faces first. I haven’t a clue why, there’s not really a reason for it, I just seem to get caught up in other areas of the model, this one being a case in point where I began with the main casting. Photograph 2 shows that I’ve got quite a bit done here, but I’ll explain. The arms pretty much foul large areas of the jacket making it a difficult prospect to paint if you join everything together prior to getting brushes wet. However, and here’s me taking a risk, if the arms don’t fit pretty much seamlessly, then painting things separately will make for a nightmare of filling and retouching paint. So, I risked it hoping that Maurizio is every bit as good as I’ve made him out to be. He is, and then some actually. So, having said all that, what paints did I consider using? Well, for the red of the jacket and sash I decided upon oils, the depth and richness of colour with the oils is difficult to beat, although getting the oils to dry matt is another whole problem. For the lighter colours, white of the belts, very pale linen, white of the trousers and the yellow jacket front I would use acrylics. Photograph 3 shows four of the colours that I’d use to make the red colours. Working from left to right, the colours are Indian Red, Carmine, Crimson and Purple Madder Alizarin. To see what the colour actually looks like I’ve done a draw down in Photo 4 on some white card. This serves three purposes; you get to see what the colours look like rather than the printed colour that they’re supposed to be on the outside of the tube. You also get to see the density of the pigment and how each colour will cover (or will not) underlying areas and also just how little oil carrier has remained in the paint. Bearing in mind that the purple is around 20-years old, the crimson is about 10, and the carmine and the Indian Red are both about six. Working from this, it’s obvious that the Indian Red is the densest and driest of the paints, and the crimson the oiliest and also about the most transparent. All of this, then, will affect how the paints are used. The Indian Red, for instance, will overpower any of the other colours unless used very sparingly. The crimson will give the nicest gloss finish, which is exactly what I don’t want, and the carmine, whilst probably the colour that I want to use as the mid-tone, is so weak and ineffectual, that I’ll have to use a lot of it compared to the other colours. So, how can we counter the gloss of the oils? Simply put, it’s down to doing everything possible and practical to get rid of the carrier medium. Firstly a good undercoat (preferably several thin layers) will help soak up oils. I use acrylics to undercoat the areas, and apply a colour similar to how the area will
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finish up. In the case of the red colour here I chose Mechrite Red from the Games Workshop primer colours. It’s a dense paint even when thinned with water, and three coats of this will give a good solid coat for the oils to lie on. A little trick is to add just a spot of Tamiya Flat Base to the last coat of acrylic. Although this makes the red colour go pink (see later photos) but that’s of little consequence. Matt acrylics absorb the oils a lot better than if they were a silk or gloss finish. Another trick is to get rid of as much of the carrier medium as possible. If you get a pool of clear liquid at the top of the tube, or surrounding the paint as you squeeze it onto the pallet, then there’s way too much carrier in the paint. To get rid of this squeeze out the amount of paint needed from any suspect tubes onto small sections of card. I use cut up pieces of paper plates whose card is absorbent enough to leech out the carrier fluid, but don’t use the wax-covered plates, just the really cheap card ones. Leave the paint for half-an-hour and you’ll find a tidemark of the absorbed carrier surrounding the paint. Make sure you have a warm place to dry the model once it’s painted. The heat of an airing cupboard (if people still have such things!) is ideal. A metal plate on top of a double radiator or a drying box made from an old cupboard and a low wattage light bulb (40w maximum) will also do the trick. In the case of the airing cupboard and the metal plate on the radiator, the model needs to be in a box so that it doesn’t get covered in dust as the paint dries. Finally, just don’t pile the paint on! The undercoat (even if it’s pink like it is here) will do most of the
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work and all you need is enough paint to cover the area evenly and a little bit extra so you can mix highlight, mid-tone and shadow colours on the model. If there are brushmarks visible, then there’s simply too much paint on the model. So, let’s go back to Photo 2. The acrylics used on the yellow areas are all Games Workshop, and starting off from a good dense undercoat of Iyandan Darksun (a type of sand brown), I added a darker colour mixed from Calthan Brown and Iyandan Darksun. With a decent covering of this over the whole area I then added more of the Iyandan Darksun to gradually lighten the mix, adding water as well to thin the mixture so that I could build up layers of the lighter paint very gradually. More Iyandan Darksun was added to the point where it seemed that there was no trace of the Calthan Brown, and that was the point that I began adding Skull White so I could bring in highlights to the outer and upper edges of the area. Painting with acrylics is usually slower than with oils, but I find it gives me a smoother effect than using oils when I’m dealing with light colours. Whilst I was working on the front of the jacket, I used the same colours to paint the collar as well. With that all done, I could start painting the main areas of the jacket. I began by making a mix of the Indian Red with a small amount of Purple Madder Alizarin. The purple isn’t very dense, so there’s little chance that it will overpower the much denser pigments in the Indian Red. Even so, it’s a case of adding a small spot at a time and mixing the colours together. I added some White Spirit to the mix to thin down the paint and make it easier to get it to cover the areas I was working on. I find it easiest to work in small sections, letting the sculpted detail on the model make natural breaks for me to use as boundaries. For example, it was easy to paint the section around the right shoulder that is surrounded by the thin cord that loops around that area, then the section beyond that, which has a boundary formed by the sash and part of the crossbelt. When you start looking at the model, it’s easy to see that rather than a large section of red, the jacket is split up into lots of little sections, all of which are painted separately. Because the oils can remain workable on the palette for a couple of days in cool conditions (yes, possibly putting the palette in the
fridge when not in use helps), then the jacket can be rendered over the course of a week if you have only short periods of time for painting. Having painted a section with the thinned Indian Red/purple mix, I use a soft brush to stipple the area to take off excess paint and to even out how the paint covers the area. Then I can add small spots of Indian Red, stippling this in to the surrounding paint. To build up the highlights I used the crimson paint, again adding very small amounts to the areas that I wanted to bring forward, and blended them with the surrounding paint so that the change in colour was gradual and there weren’t any harsh lines of change. I was tempted to make very small additions of orange at this point to make the highlights even brighter, but restrained myself, thinking that I’d let the paint dry and see what the whole jacket looked like. There are tricks that can be used to add paint afterwards to make highlights a lot brighter if necessary. However, the changes in colour can be shown as I go through the painting of the sash. I used similar colours the other aforementioned method, substituting carmine instead of the Indian Red. The Indian Red tends to dry very matt, whereas I want red as a light sheen to the sash. Carmine is nowhere near as strong as the Indian Red, so colour change tends to be more gradual. Photograph 5 shows how the sash section across the figure’s back has been painted in the initial thinned dark red mix. The tassels haven’t been painted yet, so you can see how close the undercoat is to the final colour. Photograph 6 shows the carmine having been added from the top of the shoulder to around the middle of the back, and also the crimson added to bring in the highlights from the top of the shoulder to just past the area where the shoulder blade would be. In Photo 7 I’ve moved around the model to the front, and this again shows the gradual change in colour from the dark red mix through just carmine being built up and onto the crimson highlight. The close-up shot in Photo 8 shows that some shadow areas are left in the deepest creases at the top of the shoulder. These will be blended out a little bit more, but although they’re slightly inaccurate, they need to stay in as they add depth to the area.
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As I mentioned, with the paint still wet the colour change from light to dark is somewhat difficult to see, however, in Photo 9 the model has been dried fully and the gradual colour change is a lot more visible. I’ve also painted in the cross belt in this view. As with all the areas of light colour on this model, I used acrylics, and for the cross belt I began with a mix of Kommando Khaki (yes, it’s a Games Workshop colour!) mixed with a little Skull White and a very small touch of Iyandan Darksun. I built this up into a solid colour over the course of several thin coats. One tip here for people using acrylics over the top of oil colours (because if you’re like me you’ll get some of the oils onto the surrounding areas that eventually require acrylics painting onto them) is to add a small amount of Isopropyl alcohol to the initial coat of acrylic, it seems to cover the oil paint rather than ‘beading’ on the oily surface. Subsequent coats of acrylic can be mixed with water; it’s just a case of creating that initial barrier between oils and acrylics that the Isopropyl facilitates. To gradually lighten the colour, which was a dark shade of ivory, I added more of the Skull White, thinning the paint with a lot of water, and working from the edges to the top of the shoulder at front and back. My theory was that the edges would be slightly lighter, as too would the upper areas as the belt passes over the top of the body. I allowed small imperfections to form in the paint to depict minor damage and create interest to what could easily be a flat and relatively boring area of the model, but erred on the subtle side, so
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that it didn’t simply seem to be bad blending on the painter’s part. Photograph 10 shows the back of the model at this stage, the red areas having matted down very nicely, and the deeper shadows have been added with some of the Purple Madder Alizarin, thinned down and added specifically to the areas of deeply recessed detail. The model still lacks its arms, which leads me nicely onto Photo 11… Pink! This does show the difference between the undercoat and the finished colours of the jacket, but also just how matt the acrylic paint is with the addition of the Tamiya Flat Base. The same colours were used to paint the arms as on the jacket, trying to have the same gradual changes and the same colour hues so that it matched the colours used on the main body of the piece. That’s not quite as easy as it sounds, as I was working with wet, shiny paint and trying to match to colour mixes that were fully dry and matt. Anyway, I got there without too much drama. Photograph 12 shows the back of the model, still with those nice pink arms. It also shows how the colour alters the impression of size, in that the figure’s right arm in particular appears to be oversized and quite chubby; once the colours match though it reduces to fit in properly, a case of ‘optical illusion’. Moving further down the figure we make a start on the trousers. It’s difficult to demonstrate the painting and gradual changes in colour when working with lighter shades, so I’ll hopefully give you the gist of what’s happening here and you’ll be able to see what I’m pointing out. Photograph 13 shows the initial coats of a pale ivory colour mixed from
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‘‘ ” ...make plenty of that initial colour, because mixing it up again is going to be timeconsuming and a pain in the neck!
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some of the Calthan Brown, a little bit of the Iyandan Darksun and some of the Skull White. This actually appears darker in real life than it does under the lighting I used to take the photos – a yellow brown that is a fair stab at a dark ivory. The main point here is to make plenty of that initial colour, because mixing it up again is going to be time-consuming and a pain in the neck! I therefore made plenty – enough to do three or four coats, and then a bit extra. Once I’d achieved a solid coverage of this first colour – four coats were necessary – I could begin adding small amounts of the white to the mix, along with some water to thin the mix down substantially, and start building up the mid-tones. In Photo 14 you can possibly see this happening as layer upon layer of the very heavily thinned paint is built up. Possibly the best area to see this is the section just over the stomach. As you can see the edges of the pockets and the upper sections of each fold has become lighter. Maybe it’s not as obvious as when using darker colours, but there is quite a colour difference when you can actually
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pick up the model and turn it round. Hopefully you can see the lighter paint taking effect in Photo 15 as I added more white to the mix and added four or five coats to the sections I wanted to lighten. A little more white and some water were added to keep the paint mix thinned down, and a further five or so coats, working on areas of ever decreasing size, almost like forming the rising altitude of land as depicted on a contour map. In both photos you’ll see that I’ve also added the epaulettes and wings, the buttons and the cords at the shoulder. The epaulettes have been painted with varying shades of grey acrylic with final highlights in white and then a thin wash of a metallic silver added to give the sparkle that the metal threads added into such items. I painted the upper areas with a couple of washes of Yellow Ochre and then added a thinned wash of gold acrylic to that area to have the same effect. The buttons and buckles were painted with metallic colours, using the Dark Star Miniatures range. I’ve found these to be very good and there are enough colours covered in the range that I tend not to have to mix anything up, but can be lazy and just use them straight from the bottle after adding a little bit of water to the paint laid out on the palette. Beginning with the very darkest of the silver colours, I could then work my way through a mid-tone and on to a highlight so that the buttons appeared to be polished.
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The cords are a dark braid, and for these I began by using a black acrylic, lightening it with a little Kommando Khaki to pick out the separate lines of the cords, then adding a lot more of the khaki colour and using a very thin brush to paint cross hatched lines down each thread to make it appear as though the braid was in fact a twist of several ‘threads’. This took a bit of time to do, and by adding the Kommando Khaki only to selected sections of the cord where it would catch the most light, I could emphasize both the twisted make-up of the cords along with carrying through the overhead lighting technique from the rest of the model. Photograph 16 shows the back of the figure and of note here are the gloves that have been painted in a very similar set of colours to the cross-belt. Also is the massive gap (well it looks like that in this photo!) between the body and the right arm. This would partly be filled by the tail end of the riding crop, but also once that was glued in position I’d have to add a little bit of putty and then match up the red paint to that of the rest of the jacket. I’ve added the colours to the shako in Photo 17 and also the hair. Being as the subject is of Scottish extraction I couldn’t resist hedging towards a red headed subject. The shadows are Mars Brown
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and then gradually working through Light Red and Mars Yellow to some very small points of Titanium White. These are all oil colours so that I could wetblend them and make the hair seem less solid. The shako was painted mid-grey and then the body of the piece treated to some Purple Madder Alizarin mixed with some Payne’s Grey, then some Titanium White gently adding to lighten the areas towards the middle and bottom of the shako. The upper and lower decorative bands were painted like the epaulettes, but leaving them a lot darker and also adding Mars Black to help pick out the details after the acrylics had fully dried. The top of the shako was painted with Mars Black and then some Buff Titanium used to create a slight highlight in the centre of the upper surface. I left the eyes for some time, because the peak of the shako fouls them quite badly as far as getting a brush to them is concerned. I tried my best to define the white of the eye using some Buff Titanium mixed with a small amount of Prussian Blue and some Titanium White resulting in an oyster colour and the best I can liken it to. Let this dry fully before marking in the iris and pupil. It took a couple of tries to get the eyes even (Photo 18) and it was easiest to have him looking off to one side and getting the white catchlight in was much more fun than I can mention!
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‘‘ ” I left the eyes for some time, because the peak of the shako fouls them quite badly as far as getting a brush to them is concerned.
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An indoor setting I now had to decide upon how I was going to display him. I’ve wanted to do a figure that wasn’t standing on grass or mud for some time now, but something more civilised, like on a carpet or a wooden floor, and this piece just seemed to be ‘the one’ for that hallway or dining room setting. Conrad Mynett gave me some wood veneers a few years ago, the kind of thing that I suppose is used by dolls house makers on very high end pieces, and I thought that by combining two different pieces, pairing them so that they created the centre of a parquet floor section, then it might just work. I also had a very nice little turned base made for me by Nick Tebbs, who’s bases are so good they tend to stay on a shelf until you’ve got something really nice to put on them. Anyway, with the parquet section glued to the top of the plinth, then the figure drilled and pinned in place I could admire the lovely gaps between feet and floor. It wasn’t much, but they were there. I knew that this would happen as I’d be very unlikely to get both feet flat, level and the figure upright, so I was expecting having to add a little bit of filler. This was done and then I could add paint to the boots afterwards.
Finishing The final photos show the model fully painted. I admit that the upper line of the boots isn’t quite straight on the back of the left leg, I need to go back and correct that, and in hindsight I should have used
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a scalpel during the clean-up stage to define the line between boot top and trouser a little better. As it is the line between the two is a bit soft and rounded, and the brush, no matter how steady the hand, tends to want to wander around like a drunk! Cleaning up the soles of the boots to flatten them off saw me getting a few war wounds from the scalpel. There’s a couple of substantial locating lugs to carve off in a situation like this, and it’s easy to slip, so if you’re doing something similar, remember to be careful and cut away from yourself please. The sword in its scabbard is the final addition, this being painted not to represent a nice shiny parade ground example, but one that’s been out in the rain on a battlefield once or twice recently, and become a bit used. Again I made use of the Dark Star Miniatures range of acrylics for the metallic areas, and oils for the black leather with some Buff Titanium to add the highlights.
Conclusion “I don’t do Napoleonics… I don’t do WW1 or WW2 subjects… they’re just not my bag at all” would seem to be the call I’ve made for the last 10 or 20-years, and yet the last 18-months or two years have seen me repeatedly prove myself wrong with that statement! The truth is that I’m a sucker for a nicely sculpted piece and Maurizio Bruno is a master at form, pose and drapery. This one, apart from that area of the face under the Shako peak being a problem was a joy to paint and to be honest is a joy to look at in the cabinet. It gave me the chance to play about with oils and acrylics to get the best from both mediums, and also produce a figure on a restrained and simple, but eye-catching base. It’s been an enjoyable experience from Pegaso… what more can I say?
Contributing Editor’s Note The lineage of British regiments can be very complicated, and up to 1777 there had been other regiments raised and numbered ‘71’ and then disbanded before the one that became the 71st Highland Light Infantry was formed from the 73rd (Highland) Regiment raised previously by John, Lord Macleod. 1786 - 71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot 1808 - 71st (Glasgow Highland) Regiment of Foot 1810 - 71st (Highland) (Light Infantry) Sources: Richard Simkin’s Uniforms of the British Army – The Infantry Regiments, W.Y. Carman. Webb & Bower 1985. British Napoleonic Uniforms – The First Complete Illustrated Guide to Uniforms, Facings and Lace, C. E. Franklin, Spellmount, 2008, 2010. Without doubt the best and profusely illustrated work published to date on British uniforms for the Waterloo period.
Availability Priced at £38.35 plus p&p the figure (item 75-046) is available from Historex Agents, Wellington House, 157 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent CT17 9BZ.
[email protected] www.historexagents.com MM
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Lieutenant Lacroix Ian Succamore paints Le Cimier’s 54mm figure of a French Napoleonic Army Général’s aide-de-camp.
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here has been recent discussion on the Military Modelling website (www.militarymodelling.com) regarding which figures a beginner should attempt. My answer to this will always be the same; go for the figure that is the best sculpt, at the price you can afford. A cheap figure does not always mean that it is of lesser quality. There are a number of companies that produce cheap figures that are supremely sculpted and produced, and seeking advice about the best is always recommended. I can no longer describe myself as a beginner, and I also have a tendency to set myself challenges. This figure presented a challenge to my skills. Could I make this figure look good? It is cast in white metal and was produced by Le Cimier as item P65 in their personality range a few years ago now. The casting leaves a lot to be desired and there was pitting all over the figure of various depths. Where some of the detail is nicely sculpted, the boots were of a very strange shape without any real detail, the right hand holding the despatch had no fingers of any note, the fingers of the left hand were misshapen, and the tassel had disappeared from his bearskin cap… the list goes on. Could I realistically turn this into a figure that I could take to a show? Now there’s a challenge! Having painted two figures in blue, and written an article about their painting (A Tale of Two Blues! MM Vol.44 No.6), I decided to follow this up with
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this chap who is dressed in the two styles of blue described in that previous article. Having two types of blue on two different figures using the same paints is a challenge, but how about painting these same blues onto the same figure? And then displaying them together? Another challenge. So, with that task laid before me I began the cleaning up, and the correcting of the deformities. Photographs 1 and 2 shows the figure mounted onto a block of wood. The pitted areas can be seen up and down both of his legs and over his back. These had to be filled before priming with a wipe of Magic-Sculpt (MS). The detail on the braid around his stomach looks good but the casting lines were doubled up in some areas, which made them awkward to clean off. The lack of detail on the boots is also obvious in these photos. Note the missing tassel on the end of the cloth bag, (flamme) which covers the top of his busby (colback). The lack of fingers is not entirely obvious in these photos, but the figure’s hands did not pass close inspection. Photographs 3 and 4 show the cleaning up of the figure in process. The mould lines down the arms and legs were some of the largest I’ve ever seen. Thank goodness there are not too many delicate folds in the sleeves of his coat, as they would have taken some serious damage during the scraping and filing that was required to remove these lines. The pitting of the white metal is also fairly obvious in these photos. The boots have been
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remodelled with MS at this stage and some of the pitted areas filled, although this is not easy to see in the photos as there are so many of them. MS was worked into the surfaces with a wet paintbrush to hopefully deposit some of the wet putty into the dimples. The remainder of the putty was used to graft on some fingers to the right hand, which I subsequently carved off and re-did them, as they did not look right. The second batch of putty was then used to give the fingers of the left hand more curves and rounded finger tips. This brings us to the primed figure with the undercoated face in Photos 5 & 6. The eyes are also done in this photo with Vallejo (AV) Burnt Umber. These eyes proved to be a bit tricky as there was some excess white metal over the eyelids, which I had missed in the clean-up stage. I did not fancy my chances of cleanly taking off this imperfection, so I left it in place to hopefully paint over at a later stage. It was not too apparent so I was not concerned. I was also hopeful that I had filled all those pitted areas. I guess my eyes never settled on his right shoulder. The indent here shows perfectly in this photo so it is a wonder how I missed it! The despatch letter also looks a little scruffy, but I chose to ignore this too as I figured I will also cover this over with paint. Now you may be able to tell that I was getting a little annoyed at this point at how many imperfections there were to correct. Choosing to paint over them and not spend the time correcting them, as others would do, is an odd decision, but I have a short attention span and I wanted to get on with the painting. This was not a wise decision by any means, but it is the one I took. So instead of taking the time to inspect every surface and making good all those little problems, I decided to crack on with painting the face. Photograph 6 also shows the highlights of the face painted. Photograph 7 shows the shadows, and Photo 8 shows the tones, such as the reddened cheeks and 5-o’clock shadow. Lifecolor’s (LC) Flesh Set was primarily used for the painting of the face with the addition of LC Black for the darkest shadows (added to the second shadow colour) and LC Terracotta for the red tones, and LC
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Black mixed with some of the flesh tones for the 5-o’clock shadow. The dodgy area around the right eye can clearly be seen in Photos 7 and 8. Hiding this imperfection with paint proved to be beyond me. It is less obvious in reality, but the camera has picked it out. His facial hair was painted with AV Burnt Umber, shadowed with LC Black and highlighted with Andrea (AC) Wood painted on with miniscule dashes along the direction of hair growth. The fur colback was first painted black with mixtures of LC Black and AV Off White. Each raised area of fur was painted on individually rather than dry-brushed. This way different areas could be picked out with different tones to accentuate areas of relief. This is not possible with dry-brushing. I think that dry-brushing has its place, but sometimes when it is used these areas often look like they’ve been, well, “dry-brushed”, and therefore unnatural. I began painting the blues using the original mix described in my previous article – 50:50 AC Napoleonic Blue and AC Prussian Blue. I undercoated the cloth bag (flamme) on his colback. Highlights were painted as before using more Napoleonic Blue and Off White for the highlights, and more Prussian Blue for the shadows. The plume was painted in the same painting style as the fur colback; i.e. not dry-brushing! At this point I noted the tassel missing from the end of the flamme… Cursing myself for not inspecting the figure properly for any more imperfections I then proceeded to add the missing tassel with MS. When dried the blue areas were touched up, and the gold braid painted (Photo 9). I shall go into greater depth regarding painting the gold braid later, but suffice to say that I try to paint all gold areas at the same time where possible. The dark blue coat was next, and received a base coat of Prussian Blue paint. This again was the same method used as in the previous article. Maintaining the uniformity was important, as these figures will ultimately be displayed together. Using identical principles the shadows and highlights were painted using the same paint mixes, with more Napoleonic Blue for the highlights, and Prussian Blue with increasing amounts of Black for
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the shadows (Photos 10, 11 & 12). It was when inspecting Photo 11 that I noticed the large indent on the right shoulder that I had not filled. Once again I cursed myself for my slapdash inattention to detail. I then went about filling this, and the other areas over his legs and coat tails, which I had missed previously. If I had done this earlier I would have saved myself the trouble of retouching up the paintwork on his coat. The Lighter Blue on the coat was painted using the same mixes as before (Photos 13 & 14). Care was taken here to ensure a strong demarcation line between the light and dark blues, with a strong contrasting highlight along the upper edges and a strong contrasting shadow on the lower edges. With the obligatory red areas painted I could then move onto the braid.
Gold
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My current method for painting gold has not changed in some time. Despite my best efforts to find an alternative my technique remains the same. I have tried using different mediums without success. Acrylic gold paint always seems too thick and gloopy for my liking, and when thinned the gold ‘speckles’ suspended in the carrier seem to separate making painting thin lines nigh on impossible for me. Vallejo Model Air acrylic paint is thinned already and is therefore a much easier acrylic medium to paint with. In fact, I now use this product for painting silver as it mixes well with other acrylic paints, such as black, so that highlights and shadows are easy to realise. Unfortunately when it comes to gold paint, this manufacturer has produced a number of paints in the ‘Model Air’ selection, none of which look like gold! The Copper looks like a dulled brown copper rather than buffed, the Bright Brass looks like silver with a hint of yellow, and the Gold looks exactly the same as the Bright Brass. Now I am by no means an expert on colour matching, but it is almost as if someone got the labels mixed up on the last two and they are actually the same colour. These metallic colours would be pretty useful for building up tones on worn plate armour for example. Unfortunately I could not use them for this chap. In the past I have used metallic enamels for gold colours. I have found these to be gloopy too, and any thinner used has a horrible smell to it that has a tendency to give me a headache. You also tend to get the same problem with thinned enamels that is experienced with thinned gold acrylics, in so much as the small gold speckles that constitute the pigment have a tendency to separate out and make it difficult or impossible to paint thin lines. Some painters these days are choosing to paint ‘non-metallic metals’ – sometimes written NMM. This was once a fantasy painter’s realm, but has recently been used by those painting historical subjects. In basic terms it means painting grey metals (silver, iron etc.) using grey paint. Yellow metals are painted with yellow paint, and so on. I am not a fan of the finish this produces and I prefer my gold and silver areas to sparkle. Plus, you will need to paint gold next to a yellow garment at some stage, and I feel this would look slightly odd. That said though many painters do get some special finishes that look very effective using this method.
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This returns me to the method I use. I undercoat using a very dark brown (AV Burnt Umber plus LC Black). The basecoat was then painted using Burnt Umber oil paint and Gold printer’s ink. This does tend to end up gloopy unless thinned. Using white spirit thins the printer’s inks well enough to paint thin lines; the inks do not tend to split, and hold their colour, but it also smells and gives me a headache. So, the payoff for being able to paint thin lines is getting a headache, and when the white spirit evaporates it leaves a gloopy mess on the paintbrush. Add to this the annoyance of having to place the figure in the airing cupboard to dry, as the inks do not dry quickly, and have a tendency to wash off if painted over with white spirit when not fully dry. Highlights were then added with neat Gold printer’s ink, which was blended by stabbing at the edges with an old paintbrush the bristles of which I sliced in half to get a flat end. Any further highlights can be achieved by adding Silver printer’s ink to the Gold printer’s ink. Shadows can be created with Burnt Umber or Black oil paints. With the gold lace painted I then turned my attention to the cross belt. To create the effect on the cross belt, and to maintain the uniformity with the previous Napoleonic officers I have painted, I stuck to the formula of adding Titanium White and Yellow Ochre oil paints to the Gold printer’s ink. This was painted on the pattern shown, which was then put into the airing cupboard to dry again. Further shadows were then painted onto this with neat Burnt Umber. Photographs 15 to 20 show the process of painting the gold. The gloves and the despatch letter were painted with various shades of grey with white highlights. My attention then turned to the trousers, which
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were again painted using the light blue mixes. Photographs 21 and 22 show the base colour. Photographs 23 to 26 show the various stages of painting the shadows and highlights. At this point I decided to see how the blue I had painted matched that of the Gourgaud figure from my previous article. It didn’t match, being too dark. Infuriated now with not comparing this colour
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at the beginning of the painting process I then began to add more and more highlights to all the light blue areas so that they became lighter in colour. The results of this can be seen in Photos 27 & 28, along with his boots being mostly painted with various shades of dark grey/black. Offering this figure up to Gourgaud again showed that he was still not light enough. So, further
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highlights were applied until finally the colours matched (Photos 29 & 30). This completed the main figure. All that remained was to paint his sword, which by the miracle of article writing had already been done when painting the other gold areas. The sword was then glued onto the figure and made good using MS. With the paintwork on the scabbard slings touched up with my gold mixes it was time to seal the paintwork using Testors’ Dullcote through an airbrush. As with the other Napoleonic officers he was mounted onto a base depicting a marble floor (Photos 31 & 32). I have been asked why I had not weathered his clothes. The answer being that I wanted him in parade ground uniform, as soldiers with muddy boots would probably not be let into the Palace at Versailles!
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Conclusion With Lacroix finished I took a mental step back and asked myself the questions I began with on this project: Could simple mixes be reproduced? Well, yes, if you keep checking from the beginning whether the colours are coming out similar or not. Photograph 33 shows the three figures together; Lacroix on the left, Davout in the middle, with Gourgaud on the right. Fortunately the colours look like they match. Could I turn this into a figure I would be happy to take to competitions? Yes, eventually. If I had paid attention to the details at the beginning and corrected all the things that needed correcting before beginning painting then the process would not have been quite so aggravating. Added to this (as the sharp sighted may have noticed), you can paint on some light folds in clothes that are not MM actually there!
Visit
The Waterloo Battlefield Adrian Hopwood provides a “short tour” of what can still be seen today at this most historic Belgian site.
ABOVE: Grisly remains of the fallen.
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TOP: Flat topography of the Waterloo battlefield. ABOVE: A long way down – steps leading up to the Lion on the mound. RIGHT: Johan Kees with the author at right.
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s the history behind the last battle that smashed Napoléon’s French forces is so well documented in many historical tomes, along with the uniforms and leading characters, I’m not going to devote any space to that. Instead this is a short tour with the help of some photos to show what there is at the site of the battle in the present day… or at least was there when I visited few years ago! The battlefield is pretty unremarkable and consists of several ploughed fields that are used for crops. There is a visitor centre, a small museum and a converted cinema which deal with the history of the battle, while a pub across the road provides liquid refreshment. In summer it gets very busy, so if you go slightly out of season you’ll get a better feel for the open topography and be able to view what’s on offer in a more relaxed manner. I went in late March, early enough to avoid the crowds, but just at the start of the tourist season so that everything was open. The focal point of the battlefield is now the mound, built after the battle to mark the passing of so many soldiers and topped off by an absolutely huge statue of a lion. The steps up to the top of the mound are steep, fairly narrow and tiring to anyone who’s not fit… I’m pretty fit and I was most definitely “shattered” when I reached the summit! An accompanying photo looking down the steps gives you a good impression of just how high it is. Once you’ve dragged yourself away
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ABOVE: These cannon balls are relics from the battle. BELOW: Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. ABOVE: Lion Mound is 40 metres tall and the summit offers a splendid view of the battlefield area. BELOW: A map of the battle lines.
from the top of the steps, and looked around, the view is fantastic – well worth the climb. Whether viewed from the ground, or from the top of the mound, you realise just how open and relatively flat the area is. Dotted around the whole area are maps showing the deployment of troops and from the top of the mound you get a distinct feel of how the battle began. The visitor centre at the base of the mound was extended in 2009 by the time of my third visit. Inside there is the usual memorabilia directed at the casual tourist. However, there are also more serious items for sale including, historical books, films, documentaries and replica weapons. Certainly within that lot there’s something (no doubt several things!) to attract the amateur historian in all of us.
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Back outside and a visit to the converted cinema is a must. Johan Kees, my good friend from Antwerp who accompanied me on my second visit to Waterloo, has supplied the photos of the mural inside the cinema. Whilst it is now getting a little dated (I first visited it in about 1985 and it hasn’t changed since) the clever effect given to the first time visitor of walking up a set of stairs to a central viewing platform within its vast domed interior, to find that laid out below you, and painted all around the walls, is a panoramic view of the battle in mid flow. Napoléon’s Guard defending desperately, Blucher’s Cavalry charging forward in the near distance and Wellington’s troop squares advancing amid clouds of musket smoke. It’s the best conceived display I’ve seen regarding a battle. The figures of men and horses below the viewing 8
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Visit
Napoléon’s staff from the left to right - General Reille, General Cambronne, Marshal Soult, Marshal Bertrand, and General Drouot.
platform are life size, with perspective used cleverly to make distant troops smaller as they gather to press their advantage. Finally, the museum and this is where I’ve taken most of my photos, from the now tired-looking mannequins with their officers uniforms, Napoléon’s wax casting taken from his death mask, and the grisly remains of skulls from fallen troops. It’s worth a look
around, and again, I’d advise attempting to get there slightly out of season. There is a tour of the battlefield – the audio unfortunately lacked clarity – but it took us down the sunken roads, and from this perspective it’s more obvious that the land can be used to hide troop movements and ambush an enemy’s formations more easily than is evident from high up on that mound.
ABOVE: Willem Frederik George Lodewijk - Prince of Orange. BELOW: Part of the impressive panoramic scene depicting the battle. INSET: A sunken road.
Military Modelling Vol.45 No.6 2015
Visit General Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher.
All in all, it’s a day well spent, and I’d like to thank Johan Kees for taking me there in 2007 which enabled me to refresh my memories from 20-years before, and also have a little knowledge when I revisited in 2009 with Malcolm Cuming. I’ll leave you with the photos that will hopefully provide some interest and give a flavour of the battlefield and some of what you MM can see there today.
ABOVE LEFT: A Polish lancers’s Czapska. ABOVE: Napoléon Bonaparte with Mamelouk in attendance. INSET: Napoléon’s death mask. LEFT: A cuirass.
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Visit
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Hougoumont Farm Adrian Hopwood visits the pivotal Waterloo battle site, so gallantly defended by British troops, and a place where you can now stay to enjoy the history of this legendary site! A
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hilst I’ve neglected to detail history around the Battle of Waterloo, Hougoumont Farm is well enough known that featuring a few photos of it are perhaps worthwhile. I took these whilst staying over with my sister and her husband in Brussels, and managed a side trip to the farm when visiting Waterloo with Johan Kees. A couple of years later I revisited the farm (or tried to!) with Malcolm Cuming. It was disappointing to find notices prohibiting visitors from going anywhere near to the farm, so I was lucky to get these views and to actually walk round back in 2007. I’ve included three photos of a model of the farm that’s located at the Waterloo Museum (Photos A, B, & C ). This depicts the farm as it would have looked in 1815, and whilst the buildings have been repaired and re-roofed since the battle, enough of the structure remains to see the layout and get a feel for the size of the farm and just how open the ground is around it. Photograph 1 shows a view from the approach to the farm and takes in the elevation shown in
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the model view Photo C, whilst Photo 2 shows the end elevation of that same large barn. In the model the smaller building at the front left has been reduced to boundary walls that are about 2-metres tall, whilst the larger middle building with its four buttresses (there is a fifth one that isn’t as obvious on the model towards the right) and the barn to its right is what remains. Photograph 3 looks to be a pretty ancient and dilapidated building, but seems to be hidden within the central courtyard on the model. Photographs 4 & 5 show the skeletal and rather unnerving trees that are off to the far right of model view Photo C. In the close-up of the trunk of one of the trees, there is still evidence of lead shot that has penetrated the trees during the battle, similar damage can be seen cratering some of the external walls at 8 various points around the farm as well.
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‘‘ ” The difference with the farm compared to the battlefield of Waterloo is that there is a definite sense of desperation still to be felt.
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Photograph 6 shows a view with my back to the trees, and takes in the elevation of the farm shown in Photo B of the model – I’d be standing off to the bottom left. Also in Photo 6, the trees towards the right that are behind the wall are in the area of the model that depicts the garden area with the decorative hedges. Photographs 7 and 8 show a couple of the memorials that can be seen at the farm. The difference with the farm compared to the battlefield of Waterloo is that there is a definite sense of desperation still to be felt. Whilst the land around the farm has more in the way of cover for attacking troops than the wide-open fields just up the road where the main battle took place, I can imagine that defending the farm would have been real mayhem, with shot raining in from all sorts of directions. It’s one of only a few times that I’ve felt some connection to history – strange because I’ve visited many museums, castles and the like; this place just seems to have echoes attached to it.
Rescued at last! Hougoumont, which was built in the late 17th or early 18th century, was a working farm until 2003 until it fell slowly into an advanced state of dilapidation. Restoration work to Hougoumont Farm began in October 2013 under the management of the Intercommunale de Bataille Waterloo 1815 and in consultation with The Landmark Trust, a
charity that preserves architecturally interesting and historic buildings at risk. Work is to be completed in time for the Battle of Waterloo Bicentenary in June 2015. The walls of the courtyard have been limewashed but the brickwork of the external elevations has been left exposed, as it was during the battle. The great barn was made weather tight and the massive timbers of the internal structure cleaned and repaired. This has now become the main visitor centre. Members of the public can now book self-catering breaks in the former “Gardener’s Cottage” which is beside the south gates. The apartment, contained within the upper two floors of the building seen in Photos 9 & 10, has been furnished in-keeping with the site and its history. Like other Landmark properties, the building will contain a library of books to enrich the experience and a specially written history album will provide an introduction to the site. The lettings income will secure the long term future of the Hougoumont site by helping pay for its ongoing maintenance to ensure it never again falls into disrepair and continues as a place to stay for anyone interested in the famous Battle of Waterloo and the rich sites of this corner of Belgium. Prices for a 4-night stay in the apartment, which will sleep four people, start from £482 from this July – good value really as that works out at around £30 per person per night. The website for bookings is: www.landmarktrust.org.uk/Properties-list/ hougoumont-waterloo/Holiday
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Photo: Courtesy of The Landmark Trust.
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Photo: Courtesy of The Landmark Trust.
Acknowledgements My thanks again to Johan Kees for spending the day with me at Waterloo and Hougoumont Farm – good memories of a day walking round such a historical
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site. Thanks also go to the Landmark Trust (
[email protected]) for the extra information relating to the site’s restoration and the MM additional photos.
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AFV reviews
Small Scale Scene
ABOVE LEFT: Attractive box art on the 1:72 scale M60A3 from Revell. ABOVE RIGHT: A finished example of Revell’s 1:72 scale M60A3.
Robin Buckland’s monthly column for military vehicle modellers.
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he days are longer with some warmth and bright sunshine, and it always feels good to come out of the short dull days of winter. To go with this better feeling generally, we continue to see a steady stream of kits, accessories, books and modelling aids to keep the modeller occupied and with something new coming along to look forward to. There are plastic kits coming on to the market that were once the preserve of specialist resin kit makers along with others that we just never expected to see produced in kit form. However, this does create a problem for the resin model manufacturers in that they can devote a lot of time to new masters, and then moulding and casting them for production, only to find that a new plastic kit of it comes out, and of course sold at a cheaper price than they can
compete with. Having said that, some of the recent large scale plastic kits are expensive but clearly attracting a good market among customers worldwide. Anyway, let’s have a look at some recent additions...
Revell Another of their very nicely produced models in the range of 1:72 scale armour from Revell, the M60A3 was used by the US Army from the early 1980s until replaced in front line units by the M1 Abrams. Powered by a diesel engine and armed with a 105mm gun, it also used a laser rangefinder in place of the stereoscopic sight used in earlier variants. The kit is moulded in a sand yellow plastic and comes on four sprues. One carries the link and length style tracks which fit and work very well. Another carries
VE-Day box art for this 1:35 scale Sherman from Italeri.
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the parts for the turret, including the separate little cupola for the commander, along with the rear stowage basket parts. One of the two larger sprues carries the parts for the lower hull, along with suspension arms and roadwheels for all the running gear parts, for which there are quite a few compared to some other tanks. Finally, the second of the two largest sprues carries the upper hull along with the rear hull plate and lots of other detail fittings for both the hull and the turret, including the gun barrel and the canvas-covered mantlet. Detail throughout is very finely done and the result is a really good-looking model of this Cold War-era MBT. Four options are provided for in terms of colours and markings. The first two are both camouflaged with the MERDC schemes. One is a tank in C Company, 3rd Armoured Div, 3rd Battalion/32nd Armor based in West Germany during the early 1980s. The next is one from B Company, 1st Armoured Div, 1st Battalion/1st CAV Reg also in West Germany, a little later, in 1991. The second two are both for plain Olive Drab examples. One is for B Company, 8th Infantry Div, 3rd Battalion/68the Armor, still in West Germany but in 1988. Last is a US-based tank, one from C Company, 1st Battalion/210th Armor, based at Fort Drum in New York during 1990. Thanks to Revell for our sample. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit www.revell.de/en or facebook.com/Revell
Italeri To celebrate 70-years since the end of WW2 in Europe, Italeri are giving their box art a facelift to provide for a VE-Day themed series of releases, one of which is their 1:35 scale 76mm gun armed M4A2 Sherman. The kit itself is not new and is a model that has been in their range for a good few years now. It features one-piece track, though this could be replaced by metal or plastic individual links, and the kit itself still stands up quite well. In this case, there are four marking options provided for it, and every one of them is for a Lend-Lease M4A2 in service with the Russian army on the Eastern Front. For those who don’t know what the ‘Wet’ designation is for, this relates to the type of ammunition stowage, a way of limiting the chance of a hit detonating the on-board ammunition storage bin, as opposed to the older ‘dry’ stowage of earlier variants. It is not a complex kit and can be built up quite quickly if you go for a straight from the box model, though there is of course room to add or upgrade details as you go, including using an alternative source of tracks. The instructions are straightforward and the inclusion of Russian markings for the model is a useful reminder of how these US built AFVs played an important role in the defeat of the German Army on the Eastern Front. Thanks to The Hobby Company, who are the UK importers for the Italeri range, for our sample.
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The new Ambulance variant of Tamiya’s Gama Goat, this time with the inclusion of full tilts.
Tamiya
Bronco
It’s been a while since Tamiya released their first 1:35 scale kit of the unusual 6x6 Gama Goat. Now they have released this new Ambulance version of it, the M792. It is a highmobility wheeled design, with a 6x6 arrangement where the front four wheels are on the motorised tractor unit, which is in turn permanently connected by a flexible joint to the last two wheels on the load carrying trailer. Their first release depicted the early version, appropriate for when it was used in Vietnam. What Tamiya have done this time is gear it towards later operations, such as in Grenada, where rather than an overall Olive Drab finish, it wore the multi-colour MERDC camouflage scheme. It has the main sprues from the original kit, with the addition of an all-new parts sprue. This has the extensions for the benches in the load area to enable it to carry stretchers, and it has an additional figure included with it, in the later style uniform and helmet appropriate for the Grenada period. Most welcome though is the inclusion of full tilts being included, for both the forward cab as well as for the rear trailer. These even include clear plastic parts for the windows, textured to give a good representation of the soft, foldable plastic rather than the plain glass of the front windscreen. Fit of parts is excellent, and the way they have done the flexible joint for the driveshaft works rather well. Transfers include Red Cross markings, and along with the multi-colour camouflage and the full tilts, this will be quite an eyecatching model. Our thanks to Tamiya and The Hobby Company, who are the UK importers.
The 8.8cm FlaK 37 auf Sonderfahrgestelle IVC is the latest full kit from Bronco in 1:35 scale and is a good example of co-operation as they have worked with Dragon on this one. The main vehicle hull is the Bronco model, while they have used the Dragon model for the 8.8cm FlaK 37 that this version was equipped with, at least one seeing action in Italy during the war.
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The chassis is neatly done, with separate parts for the individual torsion bars of the suspension, and then all those roadwheels to add as well. Once you have the running gear all in place, then the tracks are supplied as individual links, along with tiny track pins, two per link, to hold them all together. If done carefully this should leave you with a flexible, ‘workable’ track. The superstructure is quite straightforward, including the large armour panels used for front, back and sides, which in turn folded down to allow the gun to go into action, while the fold down sections became the working footplate for the gun crew to operate the gun itself. Also included to fit to mountings on those side plates are the rifles for the crew, held in brackets, along with packs for the individual crew members, all neatly stowed and with shelter quarters wrapped around them. Bronco did release one of these before, along with the
Bronco’s latest, their 1:35 scale Sonderfahrgestell with 88mm FlaK 37, for which Dragon provide the gun itself.
larger FlaK 43, but this one features the shorter barrelled FlaK 37 88mm gun, and this is the Dragon piece which they have previously released with its own carriage already. With elements of that carriage still on the sprues, as it isn’t worth the time to remove the odd parts on a production line, there are a lot of unused parts you can consign to your spares box. Among the parts to use are clear parts for the indicators on the gun mounting, and a sprue with a few empty shell cases as well as some complete rounds. As a good model of the 88mm gun did already exist, there seems little point in Bronco repeating the same thing, so good to see a co-operative approach between both companies. You have the option of building it with the superstructure sides either in the erected travel position, or folded down for the gun to be in action. There are etched-metal parts to use in the build, which include items such as engine grilles and the brass end plates for the 88mm shells, though not as many as will be found in some Bronco kits. Only one of these vehicles, armed with the FlaK 37 was built, and was sent to serve with Flakartillerie Abt (df) 304, with 26th Panzer Division in Italy in 1944. The plain yellow finish and markings for this are provided, along with a possible camouflage scheme that might have been used on the vehicle had there been any more. An interesting model, and with all of the detail included in the 88 itself, plenty to keep you busy for a while. Thanks to Bronco Models for our sample.
Plastic Soldier Company
Box art for the Plastic Soldier Company 15mm scale PzKpfw 38(t) and Marder variants.
The PzKpfw 38(t) and two alternative Marder III variants are recent additions to The Plastic Soldier Company range of 15mm wargames vehicles. The kit box contains five large sprues, supplying the parts to build five complete models, in any combination of three different types. Firstly there is the basic PzKpfw 38(t), the Czech tank which the Wehrmacht used so effectively in the early stages of WW2. This uses the basic upper and lower hull, along with
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AFV reviews
the one-piece track units, which are also used for the other two Marder variants that can be built from this kit. Assembly is quick and easy, and the fit of parts is good. The only minor thing to sort out if you build the turret is that there is an odd bit of plastic on the underside of the turret ring. I don’t know how this crept into the mould but it needs to be removed to enable the turret to fit into place. It isn’t a problem though as it takes just a few seconds to remove it with a sharp craft knife, and any mark is soon hidden with the turret in place. You have an option to fit either a closed hatch for the commander, or there is a separate one provided with the hatch moulded in the open position so you can fit a commander figure, and there are a couple of options of these to choose from as well. The Second kit option is for the Marder III H, a rearengined vehicle that mounted a 75mm PaK 40 in an armoured superstructure, along with a different style working platform for the crew, which fits over the rear engine deck. The gun and the parts for the armoured shield fit perfectly and again you have the option to fit some gun crew figures in place as well. The end result is quick to do and looks just right. A third option covers a Marder III 139, which mounted the captured Russian 76.2mm gun in a much smaller shield arrangement. This one still uses the basic chassis and upper superstructure, but with a different top plate and engine deck, armour side panels and then the gun mount and smaller shield on top of that. An option with this one is to fit the top of the shield with a rollbar, or an alternative part which has these combined, covered with a badweather tarpaulin. Yet another option is to fit the two empty crew sets on the rear deck, or there are two crew figures included, moulded into the two seats which you can fit as the crew rather than leave it empty. Once again, this proved quick and easy to assemble. So, you can build five complete models from this box, from the basic PzKpfw 38(t) to two of the rear-engined variants of the Marder III and
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The 5 x 15mm models built, with two types of Marder and two built as PzKpfw 18(t) gun tanks.
This rather more unusual 1:35 scale figure set from Bronco Models is now in production.
all go together well and look good. Each sprue also caries no less than nine crew figures, so a total of 45 figures in here as well, plenty of spare to use in other models. The speed and ease of assembly is ideal for wargamers wanting to get them done quickly, but many modellers I know like these small scale models for making up into good-looking replicas, perfect for dioramas or those with limited space. No transfers are included in the kit, but there are a lot of options available in
the Plastic Soldier Company range of transfer sets in the same scale which are sold separately. Thanks to the Plastic Soldier Company for our sample, see their website at www. theplasticsoldiercompany.co.uk
All are very nicely done, and the parts break down in a style that’s common among many 1:35 scale plastic figures. For the Chaplain, in his vestments, there are also a few extra accessories included, with a small suitcase to carry them in, a small cross, two candlesticks and a couple of chalices; ideal to mount on the bonnet of a Jeep, as illustrated in the box art. The others are all on their knees, a couple are also holding bibles, while one other has a Red Cross armband moulded on his arm. They are in a mix of uniforms, all of which are nicely detailed, and assembly and colour details are noted on the back of the box. These new figures certainly offer the chance for a diorama scene that is just that little bit different. Thanks to Bronco Models for our sample.
Accessories
Figures The latest set to be released from Bronco Models is titled God’s Blessing and features six full figures, a standing Chaplain figure, along with five bareheaded US solders kneeling for worship.
A recent release from Eduard is set 36 284, a fret of 1:35 scale etched-brass parts to upgrade the exterior of the Meng kit of the early version of the Israeli Achzarit, an APC based on the chassis of a T-55 tank. This
A photo of the Eduard parts added to Meng’s model of the Achzarit.
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set includes new parts for the various brackets on the hull, for the fire extinguisher, along with new parts for elements of the mudguards and a number of panels around the hull. There are new covers for the many periscopes, which are much closer to scale thickness and that replace the kit parts. There are even the small chains that fit to the fuel caps, so they don’t get lost when refuelling. A good clear set of instructions are provided which show where the parts are used, and where some parts of the kit need to be removed in order to use the finer etched alternatives. The Achzarit itself is an interesting
real-life AFV conversion, and while Meng’s kit is good in the first place, the addition of these new parts can push the level of detailing up another notch. With thanks to Eduard models for our sample. Available via their website at http://www.eduard.com/ German Factory colours is a recent release from Ammo of Mig Jiminez from Spain, a set will please German armour fans. It contains three 17ml bottles of the basic colours to match the primers used at German vehicle factories in WW2. There is a grey primer, then a Light Red Base primer and the familiar RAL 8012 Rotbraun. These are formulated to
be suitable for brush painting, and with a little thinner, for airbrushes as well. One of the good things about these paints these days is the inclusion of a metal ball within the usual dropper style bottle, and these are differentiated from their earlier releases by the use of the bright yellow cap. This indicates they contain the ball, which works as an agitator when you shake the bottle to ensure the paint is properly mixed before you use it. From having worked with these since they started using them, I find it really helps and I’ve been very happy with the colours. Have a look at their website at http:// www.migjimenez.com/en/ MM
German armour primer colours, a new acrylic paint set from Ammo.
An LVT-4 with 105mm M1 Howitzer is due from Ding Hao.
A 1:35 scale Sherman Calliope is due in soon from Academy. The Panzertriebwagen No.16 German Armoured PzTrWg 16 is an armoured diesel train coming from Trumpeter.
The Churchill with Twin Bobbin Type B carpet layer from Ding Hao will add to the Types A and D already available in the mainstream AFV Club range.
The new 1:24 scale Saxon APV from Kit Form Services built. Trumpeter will be doing their 1:35 scale T-62 plus a KMT mine plough.
Hobby Fan will be doing a resin commander figure to go with the new AFV Club M60A1.
The little 2.8cm PaK 28 plus a transport trailer is due from Bronco.
News Recent news has included more of the recent batch of new releases to come from AFV Club, along with their associated product lines of Ding Hao (limited edition, premium range) and Hobby Fan (resin models, figures and accessories) which are becoming available here in the UK. Importers Pocketbond Ltd are expecting more of these in, along with new releases due from other manufacturers such as Academy and Trumpeter. Bronco have more new kits planned for the coming months, and so as not to leave out the resin
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A new, well-detailed Kfz.15 Horch is coming from Bronco Models.
kit manufacturers, Kit Form Services have released a new 1:24 scale model of the British Army Saxon APC while Resicast are planning both a 9.2” Heavy Howitzer and a British WW1 horsedrawn General Service wagon.
New 1:35 scale 9.2” Heavy Howitzer coming from Resicast.
Resicast’s forthcoming 1:35 scale British WW1 GS wagon.
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MAFVA
The MAFVA column News and views from the Miniature Armoured Fighting Vehicle Association
John Ham provides a preview of this year’s MAFVA Nationals at Duxford.
O
ne of the premier military modelling shows held each year is the MAFVA Nationals. Traditionally held on Father’s Day at IWM Duxford, the event this year will be held on Sunday 21st June. It promises to be a very full day with the traditional MAFVA Marquee full of traders (see below), club stands and of course the MAFVA
National Modelling Competition. This year we have a variety of traders all specialising in different aspects of the hobby. It is a great opportunity to buy that hard to find kit and many of the traders offer discount to MAFVA members. The Bring and Buy stall will undoubtedly be busy and as usual will be run by Simon and Fiona from the Cambridge
THIS PAGE & OPPOSITE: A collection of some of the models that were entered in the MAFVA Nationals in 2014.
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MAFVA
Branch. This stand seems to get bigger every year with a vast variety of kits and military books changing hands at very reasonable prices. Outside the MAFVA Marquee we will have Rita and Steve and the ladies of the Nottingham Branch running the MAFVA tea stall to provide tea and light refreshments for the traders and MAFVA organising team, as well as helping out with the Tombola at the front of the marquee. The event is self-funding and the money made on the tea stall, tombola and Bring and Buy all goes to bolster the money collected from the traders. Moving away from the MAFVA marquee the Military Vehicle Wing of the Duxford Aviation Society will be putting on a display of the museum’s vehicles and they will be running vehicles in the arena behind the Land Warfare Hall. Also outside we will have a first for the MAFVA Nationals in the shape of the UK Tank Club and their impressive collection of large size (mainly 1:6 scale) remote controlled tanks (www.uktank.org/default.htm). Back to the MAFVA Marquee, we are expecting the usual high standard entries for the MAFVA Nationals competition. This has a variety of classes in all scales and, although most classes are only open to MAFVA members, there are some open classes that mean anyone can enter. We are always encouraging younger model makers so the Junior Classes offer the
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opportunity for the next generation to show what they can do. All winners in the Junior classes will receive a prize courtesy of Armourfast. If you have never been to the show it is highly recommended as one of the best military model shows in the world. Details of how to get to IWM Duxford and prices to get into the museum are at www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford Any queries for the show should be addressed to: Paul Middleton, 39 The Leas, Baldock, Herts, SG7 6HZ (with an SSAE) or
[email protected] MM
Traders attending the MAFVA Nationals 2015: Accurate Armour Armour Models Armourfast Black Lion Bull Models Dan Taylor Modelworks Friendship Models Geisbers Models Gramodels Matador Models Milicast Model Company MMS Models Parabellum Pinnacle Modelling Supplies Pol Models Resicast Sgts Mess Sovereign 2000 Starmer’s Armour Tank Trap The Real Model Shop Yanks
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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.
Prelude to Waterloo, Quatre Bras – The French Perspective by Andrew W. Field. Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS. ISBN 978-1-78346-384-8. Price £25. This new hardback book covers the Battle of Quatre Bras, one of the battles that led up to the confrontation at Waterloo itself, and which took place on the left of the Battle for Ligny. I must start by saying that while I had heard of the Battle for Quatre Bras, I knew little more about it but I am pleased to report that this book has now changed that. The author has previously tackled Waterloo from the French Perspective, and he has now turned his attention to Quatre Bras. It takes some detective work to narrow down the story and the sequence of events. As it was essentially a defeat for Marshall Ney, there was a victory for Napoleon a little further to his right at Ligny and the whole situation somewhat overshadowed in history by the Battle of Waterloo just a couple of days later. Looking at the
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events from the French point of view is an interesting approach and it tells us a lot about the context of European warfare at the time, about the importance of communication and the potential for misunderstanding, and for me, the vagaries of the ‘what ifs’ of battle. If his forces had moved on Quatre Bras earlier in the day, or maybe the night before, there could have been a very different outcome. Had things gone differently, might not have been the success that it was. It was an attempt by Napoleon to fight one army at a time, to defeat the Prussians while prevented Wellington’s forces from reaching them, and then to be able to turn and face Wellington’s troops afterwards. Things did not go to plan, and the indecisiveness of a force of 20,000 men and artillery under D’Erlon could have made all the difference by supporting Ney at Quatre Bras or creating an even more crushing defeat of the Prussians in the end did neither. Communications were too slow and unreliable and a commander who felt pulled between two commands and failed to understand the strategic situation to help him make a decision on what to do for the best. The author has made good use of the sources available and presents an interesting story of the events around the crossroads at Quatre Bras, of infantry in Line and Column, along with forming Square to counter cavalry attack. The successes and the failures in the confusion of battle joined, and the aftermath of the decisions made in the moment. I found it a very readable account, and quite fascinating. Robin Buckland
Waterloo – The Decisive Victory edited by Colonel Nick Lipscombe. Published by Osprey Publishing, Oxford. ISBN 978-1- 4728-1047-3. Price £35. www.ospreypublishing.com Published to coincide with the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, this well-illustrated and beautifully produced, 416-page hardback book, complete with slipcase, is a joy to behold. Edited by Colonel Nick Lipscombe, with a Foreword by His Grace the Duke of Wellington and an Introduction by Peter Snow,
With Wellington’s Outposts – The Peninsular and Waterloo Letters of John Vandeleur by Andrew Bamford. Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS. ISBN 978-1-84832-774-0. Price £19.99. John Vandeleur was commissioned into the British army in May 1809. He served in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo, successively in the 71st Highland Light Infantry, the 12th Light Dragoons and as an aide to his father. Continuing his career in peacetime, he rose to command the 10th Hussars before retiring in 1846 as a
this volume contains the work of 10 distinguished military authors of well-established pedigree, such as Mark Adkin, Philip Haythornthwaite, Charles Esdaile and Andrew Field. The articles look at the battle from a variety of different viewpoints, covering such aspects as Napoleon’s Lost Opportunities, the Commanders, Waterloo Eyewitnesses, the Prussian Army at Waterloo and the Legacy of the Battle. Notes, orders of battle, a bibliography and an index round off the text. The work is the official publication of the Waterloo 200 organisation and provides an interesting, readable and authoritative discourse on what was surely one of the most important battles in history. This really is a book to treasure and enjoy. Stuart Asquith
colonel. He died in April 1864, aged 71. As an officer in a light infantry unit, then one of light cavalry, Vandeleur regularly served on the outposts of Wellington’s forces, in frequent contact with the French and as a result, often obliged to live a rough and ready lifestyle. This gentleman’s letters home to his parents provide a lively and engaging account of active service during the Napoleonic wars, recounting everything from day-to-day life on campaign to the experience of pitched battle at Vitoria and Waterloo. The conditions he endured, and the comradeship that sustained him are well recounted in this collection of letters, previously only available in a rare private publication from over a hundred years ago. Andrew Bamford is the author of several books, including Gallantry and Discipline: The 12th Light Dragoons at War with Wellington, to which this present volume is in part intended as a companion. Eighteen monochrome illustrations and three maps are included, as are six Appendices – Report on the 12th Light Dragoons After the Retreat from Burgos; Major Brotherton’s
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Books
Account of His Capture; Orders and Instructions for Outpost Duty 1815; Lieutenant Colonel Ponsonby’s Account of the Waterloo Campaign; The Finding of the Court and the Approval and Confirmation Thereof by the Queen; HM 10th Royal Regiment of Hussars – Return of the Number Embarked at Gravesend. These are followed by a select bibliography and further reading, and finally an index. Stuart Asquith
British Cruiser Tank, A13 Mk.I, Mk.II, Armor Photo History No.4 by Peter Brown. Model Centrum Progres, Warsaw, Poland. ISBN 978-83-60672-23-5. Price £28.95. www.modelbooks.republika.pl There isn’t much detailed information to be found in print on the development and service of the British Cruiser Tank A13, or indeed its progenitors, those other early ‘cruisers’, A9 and A10… I recall some passing references in the old Profile Publications and a Polish Tank Power No.335 and a few magazine articles on the A13 over the years, and presently what information is available over the Internet comes from these diverse, early accounts and latterly, but more importantly, Peter Brown’s nine-part series on the type in Military Modelling in 2010-11. British publishers don’t seem to want to entertain the subject as a book, so once again it’s left to a Polish publisher, Model Centrum and Peter Brown who has studied British armoured vehicles for around 40-years or more. This is a complete 88-page study of the A13 with information drawn from prime
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sources, photos, many of them published for the first time, diagrams, 1:35 scale drawings and colour profiles. Inspiration for the A13’s suspension system lay with the automotive designs of American Walter Christie’s and samples of Christie’s vehicles were purchased and studied by Great Britain and Russia in the early 1930s. Britain produced a medium sized ‘cruiser’ tank, only based on Christie’s ideas, with large roadwheels and the first production models were in service with British armoured regiments by 1939 in time for service with the British Expeditionary Force in France for another, and inevitable war in Europe. After the Battle of France, where practically all of the A13s were lost and left behind, the type saw service in North Africa and Greece before being ‘retired’ and replaced by the more favourable Crusader and later Cromwell ‘cruiser’ designs later in the war. The A13, like the A9 and A10 cruisers, was strangely never given a name. It wasn’t a particularly reliable tank as far as its V12 Liberty petrol engine and power train were concerned, but for 1939 – 1941 it was fast on the road and its suspension coped more than adequately operating cross-country… when everything worked! The 2pdr gun in the turret was adequate for contemporary tank-to-tank combat, but no High Explosive round was available more due to British doctrine for conducting armoured warfare than availability. The armour was thin, but it later carried bolted on and angled armour plates on the turret, essentially an early attempt at ‘spaced’ armour, presumably to counter German AP rounds from anti-tank rifles, 2cm cannons, 3.7cm anti-tank and tank guns. No tank armour at that time would stop heavy projectiles deployed by Germans from medium to heavy artillery and AA units within their divisions experienced in France by the 1st Army Tank Brigade’s heavier armoured Matildas at Arras. Tables in the text highlight contracts for production numbers and prove very useful for the relevant WD numbers, plus their appointment to the various divisions and the tank
strengths for armoured units. A list of specifications and the differences between the Mk.I and Mk.II is given – the different gun mantlets and the co-axial machine gun fitted – .303in Vickers or 7.92mm Besa. A lot of this can be identified in the photographic content, which is excellent, and a lot of the photos are from Bob Gregory’s collection. Bob Gregory has been collecting photos of British tanks from the early-war period for quite some time and he and the author have collaborated and researched British tanks of the Battle of France. Both are very knowledgeable on the BEF’s armour and equipment and words and text herein is prime source information. A lot of the photos were taken in France by German soldiers who were encouraged to carry their cameras on campaign, something officially forbidden to British soldiers. German photos of British equipment are uncensored, and using the British marking systems used by the British Expeditionary Force, the destroyed and captured vehicles featured in them can often be identified to their units within 2nd and 3rd Armoured Brigades in 1st Armoured Division. These details are highlighted in the colour profile section of the book. Any British photos taken and released for publication 1940 onwards received the censor’s Rubylith pen on the print, usually the divisional insignia, which when processed and reproduced for publication came out as a white blob. Very frustrating, as many of today’s researchers into that period will testify. The colour profiles by Arkadiusz Wróbel and scale drawings by Krzysztof M. Zurek are to a constant 1:35 scale in the book’s 205 x 290mm format, which is useful for modellers wishing to pep up the available Bronco kits, which do need some attention and correction if you are in any way fastidious. Incidentally, “Modelling the A13” would make a good follow up… This book is the first ‘complete’ work published on the A13, with its origins firmly in Peter Brown’s excellent series in MM. He’s gone “the whole nine yards” and answered those who remarked on Internet chat rooms and forums that the series
should be made into a book. Well, here it is! It is an excellent piece of work, well researched and designed with the majority of the photos reproduced large enough to clearly show relevant detail, and it’s highly recommended. Ken Jones
Victory in Italy – 15th Army Group’s Final Campaign 1945 by Richard Doherty. Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS. ISBN 978-1-78346-298-8. Price £25. The relatively unknown success in Italy of Lieutenant General Mark Wayne Clark’s 15th Army Group, comprising American Lieutenant General Lucian Truscott’s American Fifth Army and Lieutenant General Sir Richard McCreery’s British Eighth Army, came in spite of the diversion of major formations to North-West Europe, difficult theatre terrain, a harsh climate and general war weariness. The author reveals that the Allied campaign in Italy, overseen by Field Marshal Alexander, succeeded due to planning, preparation and training. Shortages meant that equipment had to be improvised, while air/ ground operations were coordinated to a high level. The leadership and generalship displayed were of the highest order, even though the multinational Allied forces included Brazilian, Indian, Italian, New Zealand, Polish and South African troops as well as American and British. In April 1945 the Allied offensive surprised the Germans
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of Army Group C (General Heinrich von VietinghoffScheel) with its speed and as a direct result the Germans capitulated on 2nd May, before the surrender in Germany. The author is Ireland’s leading military history author with 26 published works to his credit and this certainly shows through in the well-written text. The book includes 42 monochrome illustrations, eight maps and two pages of drawings, outline orders of battle, a glossary of terms, a bibliography and an index. This title provides an interesting insight into a late-war campaign, which to date, seems to have received only limited attention. Stuart Asquith
M88A2 Hercules by Ralph Zwilling – Tankograd In Detail Fast Track 08. Tankograd Publishing, Verlag Jochen Vollert, Am Weichselgarten 5, 91058 Erlangen, Germany. UK distributor Bookworld Wholesale, Unit 10 Hodfar Road, Sandy Lane Industrial Estate, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire DY13 9QB. Price £10.99.
[email protected] www.bookworldws.co.uk The M88 series armoured recovery vehicles has supported several generations of American AFVs since they entered service in 1961. Based on components of the M48 tank they had a totally different hull mounting an A-frame and carrying various recovery and repair equipment. With the introduction of the M60 a major upgrade to M88A1 standard was brought in the mid-1970s, with production of all-new vehicles and conversion of existing ones. This was not able to handle the M1 Abrams so it was again improved to create the M88A2 with more powerful AVDS-1790-8CR 1,050hp diesel engine, strengthened suspension and a heavier
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winch and A-frame. All these increased its towing ability by 25%, lifting capability by 40% to 35-tons and winch capacity by 55% to 140,000lbs. It also acquired the name Hercules which is not only fitting but is also an abbreviation for Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility and Evacuation System. First fielded in 1997 it is used to support Abrams and other heavy armoured vehicles in US Army and Marine Corps units and has also been exported. Following the usual format of the series, basic details are provided but the main focus is photos. Most are full-page general views of vehicles on their own and on exercises towing and lifting. Detail views are smaller but at four per page still big enough. Coverage is extensive both outside and inside providing modellers with as much detail as they might need. All photos are well chosen and clearly reproduced, making this an obvious choice for someone wanting to know more about these vehicles or model them. Peter Brown
Die Wehrmacht, Beutepanzer 1939-45 – Polish, French, British, Russian, USA, Italian by Robert Johnson and Uwe Feist. Published by Feist Books. Available in the UK from Casemate UK Ltd, 10 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford OX1 2EW. ISBN 978-0-9855212-3-3. Price £32.99. casemate-uk@ casematepublishers.co.uk www.casematepublishing.co.uk This excellent title was published back in 2011, and covers a popular topic these days in the German use of Beutepanzer (‘Booty tanks’) during WW2. With limitations on their own production capacity, it made sense for the German military to make use of the huge numbers
of military vehicles, both armoured and softskins, to bolster their own units. In terms of trucks alone, it is worth remembering the German infantry divisions still relied heavily on horsedrawn transport right up to the end of the war, a stark contrast to both the US and British armies of the time. They made good use of the ‘windfall’ of equipment that was still usable/repairable from equipment captured during the invasions of Poland, France (including those left behind by the BEF after Dunkirk) and the opening stages of the war in Russia. Later on they also made good use of equipment taken over from their Italian allies. With 264-pages in the book, there are hundreds of interesting archive photos in this one. The book is split into sections by country, and starts by covering the Polish equipment, from the tiny TKS to the tanks and artillery tractors based on the Vickers design used in the Polish 7TP, along with many pieces of artillery. This is followed by France (including some Belgian equipment), with tanks, halftracks and small UE carriers were put to good use in large numbers. Many were also converted into SP artillery and tank destroyers as well as the use of tanks such as the Somua S35 and Char B. When it comes to British equipment, there is coverage of both France after the evacuation of the BEF, along with those captured in Greece and North Africa during the fighting there. The photos include coverage not only of the tanks and trucks in the state they were found, but also of them when they were put back into use by German units, often with enlarged national insignia to clearly show their new ownership. Following a chronological sequence, it moves on to Russia, and the huge numbers of tanks captured during the early stages of that campaign. This includes light tanks such as the T-26, BT-7, T-34 and KV-1 and -2, as well as the heavyweights like the T-35. Next in line comes the USA,
where Shermans and Jeeps are featured along with the Lee/ Grant series captured in North Africa. The final three sections cover equipment from Italy, from Hungary, and the LendLease equipment (British and American) captured in Russia. This even includes photos of about 30 Stuarts found on barges at one point. Photographs are reproduced to a high quality throughout the book, and while there were a fair number I had seen before, the high percentage were new to me, and they offer more inspiration for detailing models and with detail of these captured vehicles under their new ownership. Captured equipment was a valuable resource to the German army in WW2, relieving some of the pressure on their own raw materials and production resources. An interesting book for modellers and those just interested in the history alike. Robin Buckland
Magach Tanks of the IDF Volume 2 – Magach 2 and 3 Tanks in the Six-Day War by Dr. Robert Manasherob. Published by SabIngaMartin Publications. ISBN 978-0-9841435-3-2. www.sabingamartin.com This second volume on the M48 or Magach series tanks in Israeli Defence Force service covers their use during the Six-Day War in June 1967. The build-up to the campaign and the part played by the two IDF brigades equipped with the Magach are described in detail including action against Egyptian JS3’s. Most of the tanks were ‘Magach 2’ which were M48A2C versions almost as
Military Modelling Vol.45 No.6 2015
Books
delivered apart from a Frenchmade searchlight over the gun mantlet on some vehicles with a small number of ‘Magach 3’, older M48A1 rebuilt with a raised engine compartment like the -A2 series but more importantly mounting the L7 105mm main gun. Photographic coverage is very extensive as will be expected by anyone who has seen other books in this series. Over 170 period photos, mostly black and white with a few in colour, show the tanks, their crews and some supporting vehicles in the days before the war, during it or on parade immediately afterwards. Captions identify the units operating them and point out details differences. Markings get special attention, both standard ones such as the system of separate numbers for hulls and turrets and unit and tactical symbols. These show several interesting variations including some which were hastily and hence not very well painted and some which were not applied as officially intended which probably upset senior NCOs then and might upset competition judges now! Images and captions provide a wealth of detail which is ideal for modellers. As if that were not enough there are 16-pages of colour walk-around photos of a standard M48A2C showing it from all angles with detail close-ups including both styles of muzzle brakes fitted, plus three sets of five-view plans in 1:35 scale showing Magach 1, 2 and 3. Colour schemes and markings systems get their own chapter with the systems in use described plus colour plates giving side, front, rear and partial views of 13 individual tanks. Plenty of material here for those wanting to model these tanks in their chosen scale as well as for anyone interested in the original tanks and their use. All is presented to the series’ usual high standard. Thanks go to the author for sending me a copy for review. They can be bought through SabIngaMartin Publications’ website priced at US $40 plus post and packing. Peter Brown
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Panzer II vs 7TP – Poland 1939 by David R. Higgins. Osprey Duel No.66. Published by Osprey Publishing, Oxford. ISBN 978-1-4728-0881-3. Price £12.99. www.ospreypublishing.com The campaign in Poland in September 1939 has not attracted much attention despite the fact that it saw the first use of Blitzkrieg tactics. It is examined here along with two types of tank widely used then,
Airframe Album No.6 The Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu – A Detailed Guide To The Luftwaffe’s ‘Flying Eye’ by Richard A. Franks. Published by Valiant Wings Publishing, 8 West Grove, Bedford MK40 4BT. ISBN 978-0-9575866-8-0. Price £15.95. The latest addition to the range of soft-cover Airframe Albums by Valiant Wings has 114-pages and follows the standard format for these excellent titles. The first 10-pages make for the
Germany’s Panzerkampfwagen II and the Polish 7TP. During the early part of WW2 the Panzerwaffe relied heavily on light tanks with the Panzer I and Panzer II forming the greater part of their strength in Poland. Evolved through several versions the Panzer II had a 20mm automatic main gun and relatively thin armour which made it better suited for scouting duties than tank against tank fighting. In contrast the 7TP had been developed from the Vickers 6-Ton tank and had a more powerful 37mm gun although its armour was also thin. Although in a straight fight a 7TP could destroy a Panzer II at a greater range than they could damage it, German training and tactics proved superior. Development, characteristics and specifications of both vehicles are described as is the training of their crews and how they were intended to operate. Organisations of
Introduction, giving the basic development history, along with operational use in the hands of both the German Luftwaffe and their foreign customers. The archive illustrations here even include one of the original full-size mock-ups of the airframe design. It also introduced me into how little I knew of the type, as I had previously been unaware of the solid nosed trainer B-variant, along with the small armoured crew compartment of the C-version as well. These are in addition to the large glazed crew pod of the more common A-variants that saw widespread use. This is followed by 51-pages for the Technical Description, which includes all the fine detail you could want really, using manufacturers drawings/ diagrams, as well as detailed photos of component elements of the aircraft, the engines, armament, control surfaces and crew compartment seats, controls etc. This in turn is followed by 15-pages illustrating the Evolution of the design, with 3D drawings
Panzer-Abteilung and Polish tank battalions contrast the mixed set-up of the Germans compared to a unit with just one type of tank. The overall strategic situation and plans of both sides are laid out. As to the two vehicles in battle, several actions are followed. Generally the 7TP performed well enough though the Polish forces were forced back before the campaign ended in their defeat. Complementing these accounts are a series of photos of the two types and some of the others used, plus colour plates of typical examples giving colour and markings schemes. Other plates show the fighting compartments, ammunition and views through their gunsights as well as a 2-page spread of one of the actions described. Anyone looking for more detail on these two tanks will find this a useful book covering all aspects of them and their use. Peter Brown
and notes detailing the differences between all the individual prototypes and then production variants. More great material for modellers is then added, with 13-pages of text and many interesting archive photos tackling the topic of Camouflage and Markings. This is rounded off with seven pages of fine colour profiles that will give plenty of ideas for your next model. Then we come to the final section, with some neat Fw 189 A builds in 1:72 scale (from Condor Models) and 1:48 scale (Great Wall Hobby), plus a peak at a resin kit in 1:32 scale that is due to be available later this year. There is a very complete listing of all the various kits that have been available over the years, along with detailing and accessory sets, including transfer sheets. All in all an interesting and illuminating history on this particular aircraft type, as well as being a real boon for modellers. It continues to develop Valiant Wings Publishing’s list of titles in this Airframe Album series. Robin Buckland
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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.
Revell
Battle of Waterloo 1815 figure set in 1:72 scale As you will be well aware from this month’s contents, it’s now 200-years since the Battle of Waterloo. Not too surprising then that we see some anniversary sets coming onto the market. One of them is a Battle of Waterloo set of 1:72 scale figures from Revell, with three nationalities covered in it (item 02450). There are British Life Guards, all mounted of course, along with Prussian Infantry and French Grenadier Guard. Although these latter two are both sets of foot figures, each does include a mounted officer.
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The French have 48 figures, including the mounted officer, a standard bearer and drummer along with a variety of others in their own poses, with multiples of each of these. The large bearskin hat is a particular feature and they are also sculpted wearing their greatcoats. The Prussians have 42 figures, again with a mounted officer, drummer and standardbearer among them. I think my favourite pose among the figures, as it is with the French, are the men shown using the ramrod and reloading their rifles. There was a bit of flash evident on one or two of the figures on this sprue but nothing drastic and easily cleaned away with a sharp craft knife. Then we get to the British Life Guards, which has 17 figures along with their mounts. A nice variety on the poses for the horses, so
you can mix and match these with the figures to get a good combination which won’t all end up looking the same. The plastic used is what I describe as semi-rigid, so there is some flexibility in things like swords and rifles to stop them breaking too easily, but not as soft as the old vinyl style used by Airfix and ESCI back in the 1960s and ’70s, which were difficult to use as the paint flaked off so very easily. Being a bit more resilient these ought to fare much better. All in all a nice mixture of figures and, while useful for wargamers, these could also be incorporated by themselves into a good-looking diorama. Robin Buckland Price £17.99 Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit www.revell.de/en facebook.com/Revell
Product reviews
HobbyBoss Soviet T-37A Light Tank (Izhorsky) in 1:35 scale Of all of the early Soviet tank designers, probably the luckiest man of the lot was Nikolay Aleksandrovich Astrov. He was a promising young engineer at a lamp factory in Moscow when he was arrested as an “enemy of the people” in 1929. Sent to the formidable Butyrskiy Prison, he was soon fortunate enough to be sent to what the Soviets called a Sharashka – a design bureau working for the OGPU that provided better treatment than the prisons did. While there he showed a flair for armour design by creating the PT-1 and PT-1A amphibious tanks; while they were not accepted it did lead to his release from prison in 1934 and return to more serious tasks of tank design. Assigned as chief tank designer at the Izhorsk factory, one of his first tasks was taking the T-37A light amphibious scout tank, designed by OKMO in
Zvezda French and Russian Line Infantry figures in 1:72 scale Zvezda have released two boxes of unpainted, self-assembly plastic figures set in the period of the Napoleonic Wars. Each box contains the parts for six infantry figures in a set selection of poses; the French Line Infantry (item 6802) have two
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Leningrad, and getting it into production at their plant. Astrov changed a number of the less desirable features of the tank, such as adding tapered floats to the trackguards to give it more buoyancy in the stern and other changes. In 1935 he totally redesigned the T-37A and came up with the superior T-38 tank. A total of 2,356 T-37 tanks were built at Izhorsk including 75 chemical tanks (e.g. flamethrowers) and 436 radio/command versions. All but about 300 were produced under Astrov’s control. A number of years ago LF Fort from Ukraine produced a
kit of the T-37A radio tank with its distinctive ‘handrail’ antenna. That kit had 294 parts, all in grey styrene, but as many kits of its vintage was produced by early Eastern European methods meaning multi-part hulls and turrets, ‘short shot’ parts, and some just plain simple moulding. This is a state-of-the-art kit with a one-piece hull tub and onepiece turret shell with first-rate moulding (item 83821). While it unfortunately retains the concept of single link tracks, they are crisply moulded on seven sprues and foam packing is provided between each sprue to protect the delicate teeth on the links.
Each bogie consists of 11 parts and comes on its own sprue; the bogies come with styrene springs but then again it does make for a simpler build. The etched-brass in this kit is used very smartly and covers the parts which benefit from it. These include wave deflectors at the front, muffler straps, and the engine intake grating. There is no interior in the kit but it comes with a very nice and petite DT machine gun and ammunition disk but no details inside the hatches. Three finishing schemes are offered, all in 4BO dark green: parade vehicle with red stars; white band across turret and white square with black 1 inside it; and wargame markings with white bands on the four sides of the turret (front/back/left/ right) with two yellow marking bands. A small sheet of decals is provided for them. Overall this is a really nice kit but for tracks this petite HobbyBoss should think about link-and-length configurations. Cookie Sewell
figures marching, two standing firing, one ‘at the ready’ and one priming his musket, while the Russian Line Infantry (item 6808) offers two figures at ease, two standing firing, one loading his musket and one figure marching. It is claimed on the box that the parts snap-together, so no glue is needed and for the most part this is true, although there are just a
couple of parts that can be tricky to locate and secure. The figures are slender in build but do in fact measure 25mm, and each comes with an 18mm square base, so once assembled, they are ready for painting and then putting into action. The box artwork is both eye-catching and useful as a painting guide. Neat as the figures are, this reviewer remains unsure
as to Zvezda’s target market with these new releases, as they are not particularly useful as wargame figures and possibly a little on the small side for diorama builders, but we shall see. Stuart Asquith Price £4.25 per box UK distributors, The Hobby Company, Milton Keynes MK5 8PG.
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Product reviews
Ultracast Pilot figure kits in 1:32 scale Two recent releases from Ultracast are “WWII USMC Seated Fighter Pilot Gregory ‘Pappy’ Boyington” (item 54015) and “Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot MidLate War” (item 54106). Mike Good sculpted both figures for
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Tamiya’s 1:32 scale kit of the F4U-1 Corsair, the aircraft in which as a United States Marine Corps Reserve major he scored most of his victories while commanding Marine Fighter Squadron 214 (VMF-214) ‘Black Sheep’. Boyington formerly flew with the ‘Flying Tigers’ in China, but as a reserve officer in the USMC and an experienced fighter pilot he eventually went back to active service duties in the Corps. He was eventually shot down and taken prisoner by the Japanese and later was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and The Navy Cross. He shot down “around” 28 aircraft, and many more were claimed, although his total and final score is disputed. His nickname ‘Pappy’ was common in the US military for officers and NCOs considerably older than the men (most just out of their teens) they commanded. the manufacturer and they are simple to assemble once the resin castings are cleaned up – removal of thin runners and any fine mould part lines on the parts. The detail is very good, sharp and well defined, as is the anatomy. The figure of ‘Pappy’ Boyington was designed to fit
The kit comprises seven parts, one is a tiny and separate part for the helmet’s cupped chinstrap (don’t miss it!) that assembles into the seated pilot figure for the Tamiya Corsair, wearing an S1 seat type parachute in the classic “hands on stick and throttle” pose. The head is separate and thus could be turned anywhere from looking forward or to the classic pose of looking over the left side cockpit coaming. A colour photo is provided on the kit wrapper that gives painting details – basically a light khaki with the yellow life preserver – the US Navy M-450 flying helmet and AN 6510 type goggles are worn. The S1 parachute is a bit on the small side, but as it’s designed to fit the Tamiya kit’s seat and won’t be visible with Boyington in situ, it doesn’t really matter, and if you want him higher in the cockpit – or lower – the parachute pack is the part to adjust. Look at the accompanying USMC wartime posed photo of Major Boyington in the F4U-1 – sitting low in the cockpit he’s probably not sat on his chute… no harness of seat or chute is visible. The German WW2 fighter pilot wears the archetypal Luftwaffe leather flying jacket with officer’s shoulder straps and trousers with large patch pockets and calf length flying boots. The body is a one-piece casting with separate arms and there is a choice of head with this one – the flying helmet with goggles or Luftwaffe officers’ peaked cap. An optional pistol holster is also included in the sixpart kit that fits to a locating hole just below the belt at the waist under the left arm. He’s smoking a cigarette held in the right hand and the completed figure can be posed near to an appropriate 1:32 scale Luftwaffe aircraft model. I think the inclusion of a figure or figures and ground equipment and a pilot in or out of the cockpit, adds a lot more interest and a definite sense of scale to a carefully built and painted aircraft model… but then, I suppose, we are talking dioramas. The photos of the finished models are courtesy of Ultracast. Ken Jones Price $24.95 each + shipping and handling extra at $9.95 CDN Worldwide Ultracast PO Box 31025, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 8K1.
[email protected] www.ultracast.ca
Military Modelling Vol.45 No.6 2015
Product reviews
Dragon Models Ltd M6 Heavy Tank in 1:35 scale Dragon released their ‘Black Label’ M6A1 kit in July 2014 (reviewed in MM Vol.44 No.11) and nearly all reviewers noted the problems with the kit which apparently derived from the resin Commander Models kit. Unfortunately this kit (item 6798) uses 95% of the parts from that kit and thus perpetuates the dimensional errors. First and foremost is that the tracks are too wide. The actual tank had tracks listed as 25.75” wide or 18.7mm in 1:35 scale. The ones on the Commander kit worked out to 30” as per the instructions using two sets of after-market T49 tracks or 21.7mm. The tracks on this kit – while newly moulded as noted – are also 21.7mm. This is a shame, as the kit DOES have the proper roadwheel design and very nice bogies. Most of the rest of the features of the kit are not too bad, and they fixed a number of the errors in the resin kit. It does come with an inner mantlet for the combination gun mount (which had to be scratchbuilt with bent styrene and other annoying detail work on the Commander one). However, the M6 37mm gun is way too fine
and is close to a 20mm gun in size which is a shame. The front hull glacis mantlet is nicely done and the driver’s viewer is included. But the machine guns are a bit anaemic and do not look the part of proper “Ma Deuces”. It took me about two weeks of looking and checking and finally using a high grade image run through Photoshop Elements to see how the exhausts were mounted in the tank. The upper bar on the outside cells of the grille was removed and two trumpetshaped exhaust horns projected down into the exhaust bay. The kit provides the complete grille but no exhaust tips. Much of the kit’s breakdown mirrors the resin kit. Each bogie consists of seven parts and also needs a mount to the hull. But here Dragon has four bogies attached to the hull and
four to the outer skirting rather than each other (they were connected in real life). The turret at least is more conventional with a shell connecting to the base; the other one had the roof connecting to the shell which was a problematic fit. It does come with the HF antenna mount for command tanks properly moulded and this attaches to the upper forward section of the hull. However, the .30 calibre tripod on the front right trackguard is missing. Also while the port is provided for the single .30 calibre gun remaining after testing (on the right front of the bow plate) no barrel is provided. There are two different finishes offered for this kit, both in Olive Drab. The choice is between the Armored Test Board, Fort Knox, 1942 (“Junior”, USA 3014361 note that it was separated by
Takom Skoda 30.5cm M1916 Siege Howitzer in 1:35 scale Used by the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War One and Germany in World War Two, this weapon was the flagship of the Austro-Hungarian siege batteries. Developed and built by the Skoda Works in Pilsen, now the Czech Republic, equivalent to a 12” naval gun, the weapon could deliver a 1,000lb armour-piercing projectile with an approximate range of four miles. Takom’s kit (item 2011) is presented in a small but robust box, displaying cover art showing a large front elevation of gun mount and prominent barrel feature augmented with WW2 German artillery crew in what looks like old sepia style photos. Side box art shows the weapon in a Dunkelgelb pattern on mounted casemate, sprue shots and kit releases. Approximately 100 parts over three sprues cast
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in a tan/beige styrene carried in a much heavier than normal pre-sealed crisp cellophane including the instructions plus two small polycaps that form part of the elevation gear but no decals. Only 18 simple black and white stages over eight pages to follow and painting guide for three liveries: overall Dunkelgelb, Germany April 1945; Dunkelgrau,
Schwere Artillerie Abteilung 624th Siege of Sevastopol 1942; Olive Green, Hungarian Army 101 Artillery Group Eastern Front 1943. Immediately apparent is the quality and surface detail of the mouldings, although some of the sprue gates are a bit heavy and will require care when removing. The instructions look
commas in the peculiar style seen on some early-war tanks, e.g. 3,014,361); or Fort Knox 1942 (reference number 8293). A small sheet of Cartograf decals is included. Overall, it is a shame that Dragon did not take the comments on the first kit to heart and modify the moulds for this kit. But if you want one, this is the place to start as it is a much easier build and being styrene easier to correct. Cookie Sewell Price £59.99 Dragon Models Ltd., Kong Nam Industrial Building, 10/F, B1, 603609 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.
straightforward but dry fits are still the order of the day as areas around the turntable and front of cradle are a little unclear. The barrel assembly is nicely done by fitting three tube parts inside each other thus eliminating that dreaded side seam, although not over generous on the internal rifling. The supplied parts for the shell dolly are finely cast, complete with nicely scaled spoked wheels, plus the three variants of round and toolbox that will enhance the overall kit and be sure to look good on any diorama. Overall a good subject and with some care on the smaller parts augmented with a wipe of filler should build into a nice example and once painted should look an impressive piece of armour in any collection and should be popular with German and heavy artillery fans. Nigel Norfolk Price £37.99 UK distributors Pocketbond, PO Box 80, Welwyn, AL6 0ND.
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Product reviews
AFV Club M60A1 Patton Main Battle Tank in 1:35 scale Last year AFV Club finally began to release its highly anticipated M60 series which they had previewed at AMPS 2013 in Atlanta. In brief, the wait has been worth it as it is a truly spectacular kit (item AF35060). While they call it the “M60A1 Patton” this tank never received a formal name in US service. What it provides is the midproduction M60A1 with the thickened turret armour, a choice of either steel or aluminium roadwheels, and a wealth of optional details. The engine deck access grilles are all separate parts, there is a choice of escape hatch, the main gun is provided complete, and black vinyl flexible covers are included for the mantlet and main gun sleeve. Probably the only negative comment is the fact that there is an overdone casting texture to the turret, hatches and hull but while not quite right I think most modellers will not worry about it very much. It is not as severe as the recent Revell Germany M48A2 kits as a comparison. The suspension is complete and all separate parts – welded plates, torsion bar mounts, torsion bars, and bump stops and shock absorbers are all attached to the lower hull tub. The lower hull for this kit is slide-moulded in one piece and very neatly done. The first seven steps cover the suspension, and while it only shows the aluminium roadwheels being used you can swap them out for the cast steel ones; these even come with a separate ‘lip’ ring for accuracy. Drivers also come with premoulded clean-out holes.
72
The driver’s compartment comes with basic fittings to include controls and pedals. The driver’s viewer (parts C29/30 and F1) is separate to the driver’s hatch and may be turned if desired. Note from the plethora of hole blanks on the underside of the glacis (part B1) many more versions are forecast! Details are typical of AFV Club kits; for example, the external fire extinguisher controls consist of four parts (B13 x 2, B8 and E72). The entire engine deck is composed of no less than 34 parts with separate sections, lift rings and hinges; however, there is no engine or interior detail (I suspect a companion Hobby Fan resin set will be offered!) The rear grilles are separate and even show casting numbers (as to all parts that require them). All four stowage bins come with separate lids and handles so they also can be shown open. As it is the mid-production version of the tank, it comes with the original M48 style side-loading
air cleaners. Each one consists of eight parts. There are also two different designs of rear deck telephone boxes that attach to the rear of the hull. There is also an option for either a grille section for the right rear engine access door or the wading stack and its fitting. Somewhere along the line the strange feature of a recoil spring has returned and must be fitted to the recoil mount during assembly of the gun breech. Oh well! The main gun either has a solid styrene mantlet fitted (A4) or the flexible black vinyl one (T2) with accordion sleeve (T5) and the searchlight mounts attached. The turret basket comes with a complete etched brass floor and back mesh set. The entire assembly is very petite and care must be taken during assembly to not break the styrene parts. The commander’s cupola comes with two shells – one solid, one clear – so you have a choice of either masking off the ports or simply using a preferred method to indicate clear parts (I prefer sections of old 35mm photo film header) instead. There is also a black vinyl cover (T4) for
the commander’s machine gun. The searchlight also is a far cry from the older Tamiya ones and consists of 18 parts and a solid clear lens. A black vinyl power cable (T3) is provided for hook-up. The kit comes with black vinyl track runs; the directions do not indicate one way or the other if they are gluable or require ACC cements. These may be replaced with any of the excellent AFV Club single link track sets such as item AF35005 (T107 track) or item AF35010 (T142) tracks. While the T107 is theoretically for just the M88, it is close enough to the actual T97E2 track to work perfectly. Five different finishing options are provided: Austrian Army (Olive drab, 224 with unit markings); IDF, Sinai 1973 (sand, 817878 with turret markings); HQ50, 3-33 Armor 3rd US Armored Division 1977 (USAREUR scheme, black markings); B66, 4-69 Armor, 8th ID (3-colour scheme of sand, black and dark green with black stars and white markings); USMC (MERDC Winter Verdant scheme, black markings). For some reason all canvas is shown in white on the painting guides but is more of a field drab/khaki shade in real life. A nicely done decal sheet covers all of these variants. Overall this is one of the best things for armour modellers who like modern and US armour in a long time – kudos to AFV Club for this kit! Price TBA Cookie Sewell UK distributors Pocketbond, PO Box 80, Welwyn, AL6 0ND.
Military Modelling Vol.45 No.6 2015
Product reviews
Meng U.S. Cougar 6x6 MRAP Vehicle in 1:35 scale The MRAP is certainly one of the more iconic vehicles that have appeared in recent years. Born from the conflicts in South Africa the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle saw a resurgence following the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was the Pentagon’s MRAP program that deployed around 12,000 vehicles for operations. The vehicles are designed with a ‘V’ shaped hull and are armoured to withstand the force of an anti-tank mine, or an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), being detonated under the hull. The vehicles have saved a great many lives and if they are damaged are normally returned to service quite quickly. Their main drawback has been their height which raises the centre of gravity with a risk of rollover and of striking electrical cables with the obvious risk to the crew. The Cougar MRAP is manufactured by Force Protection Industries and was produced as either a 4x4 or a 6x6 version, with power coming from a Caterpillar C-7 diesel engine producing 330hp.
The Meng kit (item SS-005) arrives in one of their typically large boxes and inside there are: 15 tan sprues; two sprues of tinted transparencies; four sprues of clear transparencies; two vinyl sprues; eight vinyl tyres; one hull top; one MG body; one set of poly caps; one sheet of etched-metal; a decal sheet and the instruction booklet. The instructions comprise 33 stages and they are quite busy so during assembly the modeller will need to pay careful attention. Assembly begins with the lower hull and the substantial drivetrain, and while the front axle is not marked as being moveable, it could be posed at an angle with a little work. There are optional parts for the fuel tanks and the front bumper. Fitting of the
wheels completes the chassis but the modeller would be well advised to leave these off until painting is complete. The interior is quite complex and features all the seats that are found in the full-size vehicle. The seatbelts are in a flexible material that can be glued using regular styrene cement. The interior will need to be fully painted before it is closed up and this includes the double glazed windows. Moving to the exterior there are mudguards, a finely detailed exhaust along with the IED Jammers and searchlight. Assembly continues with various external fittings, hatches, weapons ring and the doors. Final assembly stages deal with the various antennas
and it is commendable that Meng have actually supplied the antennas fully moulded and not left the modeller to provide them. Markings are given for two versions both being painted in sand: Cougar 6x6 United States Marine Corps; Cougar 6x6 Hardened Engineer Vehicle United States Marine Corps. Once again, Meng Model have produced an interesting model with some very fine details. There is an apparent size discrepancy with the full-size vehicle and the model, and although I do not have a full set of plans, only when the model is complete could I then compare the measurements. However, this is a great-looking kit and it will be very popular with modern armour fans. Brian O’Donoghue Price £49.99 Meng Model, Rui Ye International Co., Limited, Flat/ Rm. A30, 9/F., Silvercorp Int’l Tower, 707-713 Nathan Rd., Mongkok, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 9666 9759521-1. www.meng-model.com Available in the UK from Creative Models Limited www.creativemodels.co.uk
in place at $4.95 CDN. Two different types of exhaust ejector pipes found on Mk.IX (and late Mk.V) aircraft, which can be fitted after the model is painted, are the welded construction flared, or ‘fishtail’, (item 48262) and the tubular six-port varieties (item 48263) both at $9.95 CDN. Two kinds of upper cowlings found
on the Mk.IX Spitfire, flat item 48264 and bulged item 48265 at $7.95 CDN each. Both have fine rivet, the Dzus fasteners and intake detail, and are cast as onepiece items. Prices are in Canadian Dollars with shipping and handling extra at $9.95 CDN Worldwide see full details on the Ultracast website. Ken Jones Prices in text Ultracast PO Box 31025, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 8K1.
[email protected] www.ultracast.ca
Ultracast Replacement resin aircraft detail parts in 1:48 scale The after-market for detail replacement parts is now vast – in modelling terms. All these Ultracast parts are designed around and specifically for commercially available kits. First is a pair of Messerschmitt 262 seats without harness – but with the back cushions in place – for use in single or the two-seat night fighter variant (item 48259 $9.95 CDN). All of the following are for Eduard’s Spitfire Mark IX kits... A spinner and four-blade propeller finely cast with seam
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and rivet detail is item 48260 for $10.95 CDN. Item 48261 is a replacement cockpit door, with the emergency crowbar clipped
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Product reviews
35-928
35-932
Star Decals
35-929
35-930
35-931 74
Decal sets in 1:35 scale Several more sets of decals have been released by Star Decals covering a range of periods and subjects. Format is the same as usual. Individual decals are clearly printed in matt finish with each item on its own small section of backing sheet so some subjects may need slight trimming. Multiview coloured drawings show vehicle colours and markings placement details are included along with a useful ‘map’ showing where each decal is on the sheet. Production is by Carl’s Stickers, Armnat-Charoen, Thailand. 35-928 Afrika Mix #4 covers both light and heavy vehicles. At the light end are six different Panzerjäger I from different units in grey, grey with mud camouflage, grey and sand paint and plain sand. Heavy vehicles are Tigers operated by 7/10 Panzer Division in Tunisia with options for three tanks including one named Norbert, overpainted turret numbers are included as appropriate as are the small ‘stalking tiger’ emblems. Price £6.99. 35-929 Afrika Mix #3 has markings for Fallschirmjäger Brigade Ramke in North Africa. Three different VW Kübelwagens in sand or grey for I and II Battalions and two Opel Blitz from II and III Battalions including one with a large canvas screen over the cab can be modelled from this set. Price £4.30.
35-930 is a basic set of Stencils for the M113 APC with various instructions including advice for preparing to swim the vehicle and details of equipment added in appropriate shades. Price £4.30. 35-931 offers markings for several M113 with the ACAV shields used by US Army airborne units in Vietnam. Included are two different vehicles from 17 Cavalry, 82nd Airborne Division including one with the red/white cavalry marking, two from D Troop, 173 Airborne Brigade with what looks like a ‘winged skull’ marking and two options for B and D Troops of 101st Airborne Division with the “eagle’s head” divisional marking supplied in two parts. UK price £5.60. 35-932 is one of two sets for 11ACR ‘Black Horse’ in Vietnam and Cambodia. This gives markings for three different M577A1 tracks including one with a large unit shield on its sides and one fitted as an ambulance vehicle. Two different options for M132A1 ‘Zippo’ flamethrower vehicles are included with alternative crossed sabres or name. Price £6.99. Peter Brown Prices in text www.star-decals.net
[email protected]
Military Modelling Vol.45 No.6 2015
Product reviews
Revell ZiL-131 in 1:35 scale Revell have partnered with ICM again with this truck kit, the ZiL-131 (ZiL = Zawod imeni Lichatschowa) now available under the Revell banner (item 03245). Introduced in 1967, this Russian built 6x6 truck was made in both military and civilian versions. The basic truck is the one depicted in this kit, a GS (General Service) style body. Others were built as articulated tractor units, tankers, as mounts for the BM-21 rocket system and with various styles of command/ office body, in common with the URAL-375, along with civilian fire engine bodies as well. It is estimated that around 1-million of these trucks were produced over the years, and were sold to many other countries as well as Russia. The kit is very cleanly moulded in a sand coloured plastic, with the sprues still carrying the ICM logo. There is a lot to the build
Dragon Models Ltd Tauchpanzer III Ausf. H in 1:35 scale As noted in my review of the earlier Tauchpanzer kits, the Germans basically conceded that the tanks would sink, so their approach was to waterproof the tank and fit it with a snorkel system and pressure relief exhaust so it could operate autonomously under water. For their invasion of England that was planned for late 1940 the Germans converted 168 PzKpfw III Ausf F and G tanks to use this system; these were dubbed Tauchpanzer or diving tanks.
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with a well-detailed model truck. You start with the chassis, which has separate side members and has to be built up with the appropriate crossmembers, so do be careful this sets nice and square, or you could have problems fitting the cab and body later on. It also includes the engine so this might encourage you to add fine detail like the electrical wiring, and finish the cab with the bonnet open, displaying the engine within. To give you an idea of how much is involved with building the chassis the first 43 stages of the 80 steps
This new kit (item 6775) now builds into the Ausf H version of the Panzer III with the wading kit and the early short 5cm gun. It carries over most of the same components from the cyber-hobby F and ‘defrocked’ G kits less the DS Plastic seals and hoses. As with all Dragon Panzer III kits the suspension begins with five of the original seven ‘mini-sprues’ and three new ones provided for the early model ‘porthole’ drivers and more complex idlers, plus newly moulded shock absorbers. The hull pan is one with the side hatches and other detail
in the instruction booklet are devoted to this element! Another 15 stages of the build are involved with building the cab, which has nicely detailed dash and crew seats, even down to the handles and window winders to fit on the inside door panels. Externally, items like windscreen wipers and wing mirrors are all there as well. The cargo body has the option of folding down the wooden troop seats, or fitting them folded up to make the whole load bed free for general cargo. Tyres are produced in a black vinyl and feature a neat tread pattern.
changes. It retains the full torsion bar suspension from the other kit and the detailed suspension components and muffler assembly. As with the earlier kits all hatches are separate with some interior details and can be positioned as the modeller chooses. All engine deck ventilators are spaced and mounted on separate frames to get the correct appearance and ‘lift’ needed to give an accurate representation of the original. A completely new engine deck is provided for the early variants of the PzKpfw III with this kit. The kit includes the rudiments of an interior, but unlike many Russian or Ukrainian kits the details they provide are highly accurate as far as they go. This should please the ‘aftermarket boys’ as there is more than sufficient room for a nice resin interior here and enough ports and hatches to see it through. The gun follows most of the Dragon standard design concepts and faithfully replicates the internal mantlet as well as the rest of the small details of this petite weapon. For the H model this kit does provide the early PzKpfw IV cupola as well as a different turret shell with the ventilator
Four options are provided for in terms of colours and markings. The chassis and running gear are all black, and with cab and body in plain Russian green for marking with the East German Army (NVA) in 1980, a Soviet Army truck based in East Germany in 1980, a Russian Army truck from 2000 or a camouflaged option with the Soviet Army in Afghanistan in 1980. This is a very neat kit of this well used Russian truck and you’ll get a good-looking model as a result from the build. I think it is good to see this continued co-operation between manufacturers such as Revell and ICM. Robin Buckland Price £22.99 Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit www.revell.de/en facebook.com/Revell
fan mount. It switches over from the 3.7cm gun to the 5cm gun but many of the early variants’ parts are also included. The kit comes with 36cm DS Plastic track runs. As this kit covers the ‘defrocked’ tanks it provides for three finishing options: 2./Pz.Rgt. 35, Russia 1941 (panzer grey, white crosses, red bear, choice of yellow 2xx numbers); 3./Pz.Rgt. 7, 10th Panzer Division, Russia 1941 (panzer grey, white crosses, white rune, bison, white 544); 5.Pz.Rgt. 35, 4th Panzer Division, Russia 1941 (panzer grey, white crosses, yellow 503). A sheet of Cartograf decals is provided. Overall this is the last original design of the diving Panzer III and offers much more colourful markings. Cookie Sewell Price £56.50 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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Briefing
Next issue
Volume 45 No.7 will be on sale 26th June 2015
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l A7V Sturmpanzerwagen The inside story on Meng’s kit!
l Moisture & Damp
Depicting water damage on model buildings
l Desperate Hope
l The heat is on!
Life Miniatures’ Russian Infantryman bust
CV3/35 Lanciaflamme Tankette
See more about what’s in Military Modelling magazine month-to-month in forthcoming issues and see some of the articles you may have missed from past issues and subscription offers on our website: www.militarymodelling.com As a Military Modelling subscriber you will also be able to unlock modelling articles, have access to the current issue and back numbers you may have missed, and other features that do not appear in the magazine or openly on the website’s pages… Don’t forget! Issue No.6 will be published on 26th June 2015 price £4.75 – don’t miss it! Order your copy now! Or better still why not make it your first copy in a year’s subscription to Military Modelling magazine? See our subscriptions offer on page 4 in this issue...
If you can’t always find a copy of this magazine, help is at hand! Complete this form and hand in at your local store, they’ll arrange for a copy of Waterloo 200th An each issue to be niversary MILITAR reserved for you. Y Some stores may MODELL ING Leaders even be able to do battle in mode l arrange for it to be bust form ! delivered to your 1815 - 20 15 home. Just ask!
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Military Modelling Vol.45 No.6 2015
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Military Modelling Vol.45 No. 6 2015
