“Who Do You Think You Are Kidding…”
Captain Mainwaring brought to life in model bust form!
2pdr anti-tank gun
Adding extra realism
IS-4M Heavy Tank
Improving a simple wargames model
Goods Hoists, Stovepipes and Chimneys for scale buildings
Extensive 1:35 scale conversion project 29th April 2016
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contents Vol.46 No.5 2016
Published by MyTimeMedia Ltd Enterprise House, Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6HF UK & Overseas: +44 (0) 1689 869 840 www.militarymodelling.com
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www.militarymodelling.com Features 12 HOMEMADE HOME GUARD
12
Rob Henden scratchbuilds a bust of Captain Mainwaring from the classic TV comedy series Dad’s Army.
20 IS-4M HEAVY TANK
Cookie Sewell relates that sometimes Soviet overachievement did not work – the IS-4 he models here is one example!
36 THE 2pdr ANTI-TANK GUN
Steve Guthrie adds detail to a simplified 1:72 scale wargames model to bring it up to scratch.
41 THE SIX-BOB-A-DAY TOURISTS! Geoff Barnes concludes his description of four vignettes that commemorate the Australian Imperial Force in World War One.
20
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MANAGEMENT
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46 GOODS HOISTS, STOVEPIPES AND CHIMNEYS
Emmanuel Nouaillier offers further thoughts on those typical items and fittings he’s produced for his small scale structures.
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54 ON TRACK 2016 Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
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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 dsb.net 3 Queensbridge, The Lakes, Northampton, NN4 7BF. Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent.
Robin Buckland reports on this annual military modelling show held in Kent.
Departments 8 NOTICE BOARD
News for military modellers.
10 WEBSITE PAGE
What’s going on at militarymodelling.com Military Modelling magazine’s website?
50 SMALL SCALE SCENE
Robin Buckland rounds-up the latest news and releases for armour fans.
56 THE MAFVA COLUMN
Tom Cole asks what’s in Tankette?
58 ON PARADE
Recommended books for military modellers.
62 ATTEN-SHUN!
Products’ review section.
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Aircraft Scale Modelling. F.A.Q. This book is a compilation of aircraft scale modelling techniques, step by step guides with hundreds of colour pictures for WWI, WWII, coldwar and modern aircraft, showing a wide range of painting and weathering techniques. 380 pages, more than 2,500 images. £47.99
Scratchbuilding Masterclass. Four of the best Scratchbuilders in the scale modelling world share their tips, tricks, techniques and advice in scales from 1/72 to 1/15 to help explain how scratchbuilding can open up a new world of modelling beyond kits alone. £15.00
F.A.Q.2 Limited Edition. The third edition of our best-seller. This title is suited for beginners and the advanced modeller alike. The book has 320 pages, more than 1500 colour photographs. £48.99
The Weathering Magazine 14. Heavy Metal. In this issue we examine how to paint all kinds of metals including a golden C3PO, aluminium aircraft, jet exhausts, rusty metal plates, and much more. £8.99
ADAM’S ARMOUR 1 Modelling Guide. The ultimate in the construction of armour modelling! Adam Wilder’s pioneering processes and techniques are described by him in the greatest of detail. These present the culmination of many years of Adamís work, many unseen in print until now.192 pages covering every aspect of assembly, detailing and conversion techniques which keeps Adam at the forefront of scale armour modelling with Worldwide acclaim. £29.95
Tankograd 3025. Armour in Theatre Camouflage & Operation BIG LIFT 63 Cold War Airbridge Markings No 3. from Texas to Germany. 45,000 troops Camouflage & Markings Normandy with 800 main battle tanks, 6,500 Campaign Part 2: US and German other tracked vehicles, 12,000 wheeled forces. Black/White photo’s, colour vehicles and 1,200 aircraft. 8 colour profiles. Paperback. 64 pages. £16.00 photographs, 109 b&w photographs and 5 graphics. £13.99 ADAM’S ARMOUR 2 Modelling Guide. The ultimate in the painting & finishing of armour modelling! Adam Wilder’s pioneering processes and techniques are described by him in the greatest of detail. Adam’s Armour 2 will improve and enrich any modellerís work from beginners to the more proficient. This volume totalling 232 pages covering every aspect of stunning range of finishing techniques which keeps Adam at the forefront of scale armour modelling with Worldwide acclaim. £29.95
M48 Patton. A Visual History of the U.S. Army’s Mid 20th Century Battle Tank The M48. Paperback,120 pages. £20.99 Modelling the Eagle. Announcing the ultimate Eagle publication for modellers and fans alike - a lavish, profusely illustrated, highly informative 84-page magazine devoted entirely to this most iconic of fictional spacecraft in all its incarnations! £7.99
Static Model Manual Volume 11. Military Figures for Dioramas. The ultimate diorama figures painting guide. These easily mastered techniques allow you to get good results using materials you have at home. £19.99
Encyclopedia of Armour Volume 1. Construction. Through the 152 pages and more than 800 high quality and large full color photos of this first volume, modellers can learn everything they need on the construction of military vehicles. £23.99
Encyclopedia of Aircraft Modelling Techniques 2. Interiors and Assembly. This second volume covers in depth through its 160 pages. £28.99
Abrams Squad 14. Abrams Squad: The Modern Modelling Magazine is the FIRST and UNIQUE magazine in the world devoted to Modern Warfare modelling. £9.99
AFV Photo Album Volume 2. STEEL CARNAGE. Hardback, 176 pages £27.99
Tankograd In Detail: Fast Track 17 Leopard 2A4M Canadian Main Battle Tank. In action photographs and a detailed walkaround, English text. - Limited print-run 999 copies. Paperback, 40 pages,75 colour photographs. £10.99
Tanker Magazine Issuee 33. anke Maga ine Iss Dust & Dirt. This is an unconventional and collectable quarterly magazine with more than 100 pages for only £8.99 and a must-have for AFV modellers. £8.99
Gun Trucks. A Visual History of the U.S. Army’s Vietnam-Era Wheeled Escort Platforms Full Colour, 120 pages. £20.99 F.A.Q for Constructing & Painting Dioramas. All that you need to know to build outstanding vignettes and dioramas step-by-step through over 380 questions and answers and more than 1300 high quality photographs. £49.99
German Panzer 1. A Visual History of the German Army’s WWII Early Light Tank. Hardback, over 200 photos, 168 pages. £22.99
Major Credit cards accepted and cheques payable to: 251 Half-Track. A Visual History of the German Army’s Sd.Kfz. This 168 page book is packed with large, clear images of Germany’s well-known and most widely-used armored troop transport and weapons platform. £26.99
Tankograd 9024. AT105 Saxon Wheeled Armoured Personnel Carrier of the British Army 1977 to Today. Illustrated with 126 colour photographs, 10 black & white photographs. £13.99
Photosniper 22.Panzer IV. The Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H and Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. J tanks were produced in the largest numbers in the range known as Sonderkraftfahrzeug 161 in German terminology ñ 7,000 vehicles. 112 pages, 58 b/w and 74 colour photographs, 60 Renders. £17.99
Bookworld Wholesale Ltd. UK Postage: Single book £2.50, two or more books £4.50. Overseas Airmail: please allow 15% of order value.
The Eagle Has Landed. If there is one modeller that th t has h distinguished himselflf over the last decade, due to his amazing dioramas, it is Aitor Azkue. This book shows off the very best of all of his work. With spectacular dioramas, more than 1800 images, step by step guides, and all of his tricks described in detail, there is no book quite like this. 292 pages 10 complete dioramas looked at in total detail. £35.99
British Military Trucks of World War One. Types and Variants of British-Built and Non-British-Built Trucks in British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Flying Corps Service 1914-18. Hardback, 396 black-and-white photographs, 200 pages. £34.99
British Military Trucks of the Cold War. Manufacturers, Types, Variants and Service of Trucks in the British Armed Forces 1945-79 The end of hostilities in 1945 left the British ushered in an incredible demand for a future, forces with a massive surplus of military vehicles potentially nuclear clash between NATO and the placed throughout the many countries involved in Warsaw Pact on European soil. the conflict. Much of this equipment after six The fear of World War Three made possible one of the years of war was in a very poor state of repair, most creative design periods in military technology ever. and a lot was only fit for scrapping. The introduction of the FV numbering system additionally The development and use of military trucks in the aimed at standardising the British military vehicle. post-war period was therefore dominated by the After the war it blossomed into the idea of idealised feverish search for the ideal military vehicle. Moves military truck designs. The result of this heyday had been made between the War Office and British of military vehicle development was amazing trucks manufacturers to produce a family of standard types taking shape on drawing boards. to avoid the logistical nightmare that had occurred during the war with so many different makes. This book aims at illustrating this amazing story for the very first time in one comprehensive publication. This search for much more suitable tactical-truck designs in the early 1950s created a period that was Hardback, 184 pages, 333 B&W photo’s and brimming with new ideas. The upcoming Cold War 55 colour photographs. £34.99
British Military Trucks in Wehrmacht Service. Vehicles captured around Dunkirk, in France, Belgium, Greece and North Africa. Service on the Eastern Front, in the West, South and with the Afrikakorps, Hardback, 304 pages, 547 B/W photo’s, 425 of which hitherto unpublished! £34.99
The greatest celebration of military vehicles an and nd n d vi vvin vintage iinta ntttaaag ge e lif lifestyle fe estty yle le in tth the he w world d
Folkestone Racecourse, Kent, CT21 4HX Email:
[email protected] or speak to the team on: +44 (0) 1258 857 700
www.warandpeacerevival.com
Notice Board
Briefing
Information and diary dates The Editor welcomes copy for publication in ‘Notice Board’. This service is free of charge. Obvious ‘for sale’ notices, either private or trade will not be accepted. These restrictions do not apply to bona-fide museums and collections or traders wishing to pass on information about the availability of products to readers. Would secretaries of clubs and societies please allow a three-month lead time for time-sensitive notices. Please note: under no circumstances will copy be accepted by telephone. All notices must be in writing, by letter or e-mail. Please send all copy for ‘Notice Board’ direct to the Editor at the address listed under ‘Editorial’ on the contents page.
Lancing Model Show 2016 Me (at centre) plus my brother and late father at the Bovington Tank Museum in 1971 (the same year that Military Modelling was launched). As a complete tank fanatic at the time, who would have guessed that just a few years later I’d be working on Military Modelling magazine!
The Southdowns Model Group are holding their 11th annual model show on Saturday 14th May at the Lancing Parish Hall, South Street, Lancing, West Sussex BN15 8AJ. Doors open to the public from 10am till 4pm. There will be Club Displays, Traders, a Model Competition and Refreshments will be available. There’s limited car parking on site, but street parking is also available. For further information please contact Keith Soutter at keithsoutter@outlook. com or tel: 01273 929457, mob: 07796 665874.
Hailsham Model Show
Descending the 226 steps down from the Lion Mound on the Waterloo Battlefield. I hope to report my recent stay at Hougoumont, and other Waterloo memorials, on the Military Modelling website in the future.
Time to fall out! Well, I’ve been at Atten-Shun! and On Parade for over five years now, but my tenure as Editor of Military Modelling has now sadly come to an end. Being my second run on the magazine, my first was between 1975 – ’83, I have had a fairly long association with the title and have consequently become very fond of it. So it is with a very heavy heart that I take my leave, but before I go I wish to extend my thanks to the people along the way that have made the job such a pleasure – previous MM staffers, contributors past and present, and all advertisers and readers. However, extra special
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thanks must go to Consultant Editor Ken Jones, Designer Richard Dyer and contributors Robin Buckland, Peter Brown and Cookie Sewell for all their great help and valued input over the years. Military Modelling will be continuing under Contributing Editor Martyn Chorlton who is a very experienced military and aviation writer and I wish him good luck in his new role. If anybody wants to chat modelling (or anything else for that matter!) then please look me up on my Facebook page or get in touch with me via the www.militarymodelling.com website. So all that remains is a fond goodbye from me!
Hailsham & District Scale Model Club are holding their 3rd Annual Model Show on 9th July 2016 between 10am and 4pm at the Civic Community Hall, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 2AX. There will be club displays, an open competition, traders, and a raffle and refreshments will be available. Admission: Adult £3, Concessions £2, Children 6-16yrs 50p, Family (2+2) £5, Under 5s free (accompanied by an adult). Further information from
[email protected]
Modelfest 2016 IPMS Farnborough will be holding their annual show on Saturday 24th September 2016. Modelfest will be at its regular venue of the Kings International College, Watchetts Drive, Camberley, Surrey GU15 2PQ. The show will be open to the public from 10am to 4pm. Hot and cold refreshments will be available throughout the day
and the show normally attracts approximately 20 traders and 30 clubs and groups. Admission: Adult £4, Concessions £2, Under 16s free (accompanied by an adult). Further information at: www.ipms-farnborough.co.uk
IPMS Ipswich show Graham Lovell has given us advance notice for the Ipswich IPMS Model Show which this year will be held on Sunday 26th June. It will be in the Willow Suite of Gresham Sports and Social Club, 312 Tuddenham Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 3QJ. Opening times are 10.30am to 4pm. Admission: Adults £2, Accompanied Children Free, Accompanied Wives Free! Attractions at the show will include local club displays, trade and second-hand sales, a best model in show competition (voted by visitors). There will be a discounted bar and hot food available on site, which also has plenty of free parking. For more information contact
[email protected]
EMS 2016 The Essex Modellers’ Show is being jointly sponsored the IPMS South East Essex, Hornchurch and Chelmsford branches and MAFVA, Essex Branch on Sunday, 24th July 2016 between 10am and 4pm (setting up from 8am). Admission: Adults £3, Child/Concession £1.50 (Provisonal). The venue is Hannakins Farm Community Centre, Rosebay Avenue, Billericay, Essex CM12 0SZ. For enquiries, please contact: Club – Jim Smith, tel: 07787 381976, email wifflesnoop@ yahoo.co.uk Traders – John Drummond, tel: 1702 205494, email
[email protected]
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.5 2016
BRONCO MODELS 1/35 SCALE CB35010SP Cruiser Tank A34 COMET.............£26.99 CB35134 Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.A......................£36.99 CB35213 sWS w/ 2cm Flakviering 38........£39.99 TRUMPETER 1/16 SCALE TRU00922 Pz.Beobwg.IV Ausf.J.................£179.99 MINI ART 1/35 SCALE MT37002 T-44M Soviet Medium Tank.........£39.99 MENG MODELS 1/35 SCALE MMSS010 D9R Bulldozer w/ Slat Armor......£57.99 MMTS023 Russian ZSU-23-4 Shilka............£49.99 TAMIYA 1/48 SCALE TA32587 Humber MK.IV a/c.....................£13.99 TAKOM 1/35 SCALE TAK02039 Chieftain Marksman SPAAG.........£49.99 TAK02040 Chieftain Mk 2...........................£49.99
TAK02041 Russian Medium Tank T-55 AM.......£49.99 TAK02042 Russian Medium Tank T-55 AMV......£49.99 ZVEZDA 1/35 SCALE ZV3667 Russian T-35 Heavy Tank...........£26.50 HOBBYBOSS 1/35 SCALE HB83870 IDF APC Nagmachon(Doghouse II)..£34.99 HB83878 Vickers Medium Tank MK I ........£34.99 AFV CLUB 1/35 SCALE AF35210 M24 Chaffee British Army..........£39.99 TAMIYA 1/35 SCALE TA35349 French Light Tank AMX-13.........£35.99
Bison/Star Decals and Black Dog Resin NOW IN STOCK - ring for details!
POST & PACKING U.K. £3.00
AUCTION SALE
SATURDAY 4TH JUNE, 2016 AT 11.00 AM A complete private collection of over 1200 UNUSED PLASTIC MODEL KITS IN ORIGINAL BOXES BEING MAINLY DETAILED 1/35 SCALE AND BEING PREDOMINANTLY GERMAN WORLD WAR II Comprising TANKS, ASSAULT GUNS, RAILWAY GUNS, ARMOURED VEHICLES, TRUCKS, FIELD GUNS, WAGONS, PERSONEL CARRIERS, HALF TRACKS, STAFF CARS, MOTOR CYCLE, MORTARS, ROCKET LAUNCHERS, FLAK WAGONS, SELF PROPELLED GUNS, sd.Kfz, StuG, Pz.Kpfw, SOLDIERS, ACCESSORY PACKS, WARPLANES ETC INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING MAKERS:DRAGON, TAMIYA, ITALERI, REVELL, TRUMPETER, ARV CLUB, ICM, ESCI, GUNZE SANGYO, MINIART, BRONCO, HOBBY BOSS, TRISTAR, AIRFIX, HELLER, CMK, ACADAMY, CYBER HOBBY, ALAN, ELITE, SIMUT PRODUCTIONS, PRECISION MODELS, CROMWELL, VERLINDEN, AIR MODELS and MANY MORE Together with compressor, Airbrushes, Spray booth etc. AT THE MART SALEROOM, ROMAN BANK, SKEGNESS, LINCOLNSHIRE, PE25 2SL VIEWING Wednesday 1st June, 2016 11.00 am – 6.00 pm Friday 3rd June, 2016 11.00 am – 6.00 pm Saturday 4th June, 2016 8.00 am to start of sale Catalogues available from http://www.h hunters.com/skegness--auctions
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Telephone:-- 01754 766061
Website
Regular forum member Ron used the Revell 1:48 scale Swift boat kit to create this impressive riverine diorama.
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
A couple of recent photo features have highlighted more of our regular members’ builds, with the collected results from our Panther Group Build project that we had at the end of 2015, while a long-running blog from Lieven Terryn of German Fallschirmjäger from the Ramke
ABOVE: Just one of a couple of models built by Bobby Dale for our Vietnam Group Build, an Italeri Sea Horse of the US Marines. LEFT: Look out for our photo feature showcasing completed models from our Panther Group Build.
W
ith a very international membership, there is always activity on our website forum, morning, noon and night. Our Group Build project for the first three months of the year has proved to be very popular, and the topic of Vietnam has attracted some excellent models of riverine craft, tanks, aircraft, figures and helicopters in a mix of scales so pretty much something for everyone, and it has been great fun to watch the models take shape in the assorted individual blogs that members have been completing. By the time you read this we will have moved into the second quarter, and our next planned topic if you feel like joining in is to be for Softskin Wheeled Transport Vehicles.
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Alistair took a 1:35 scale M48A3 for his project in our Vietnam Group Build.
Website
The end result of another really fine blog by member Lieven Terryn, figures of the Ramke Parachute Brigade in Libya, 1942.
Brigade in North Africa. Another long-running blog on our forum ended up with a beautiful figure diorama and you can find a photo feature showing the details of the completed build, along with a link to his blog where you can follow the progress of his project as it came together. One of the other things we have tried to do over the last few years is add some photos references of actual equipment, and the most recent of these has been one I think of as one of the most distinctive small arms of
BELOW & RIGHT: These are just a few examples of our detailed photo feature showing a Russian Maxi 1910 on the wheeled Sokolov mount. The Sokolov carriage came still packed in its original transit crate.
WW2, the Russian Maxim 1910, mounted on the wheeled Sokolov mount with the small armoured shield. A de-activated example, but a detailed set of photos to illustrate the complete gun and mounting combination.
These 1:87 scale Hueys are from small scale fan Paul Eberle.
ABOVE: The title image of our latest Group Build project for the second quarter, Softskin Wheeled Transport Vehicles.
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Figures
Homemade Home Guard Rob Henden scratchbuilds a bust of Captain Mainwaring from the classic TV comedy series Dad’s Army.
Captain George Mainwaring, Walmington-on-Sea’s Home Guard platoon commander.
The author’s model was awarded a Highly Commended in Class 12 Converted/Scratch Built Military Bust (Up to 1:4 scale) at Euro Militaire 2015.
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M
any of us grew up watching the BBC TV comedy Dad’s Army (1968-1977) and, despite the age of the programmes, their appeal never seems to age or date as subsequent generations still enjoy them today. Written by David Croft and Jimmy Perry it was a historically based comedy set in the Second World War. For anyone who has never seen an episode of Dad’s Army, it told tales of a group of mainly senior citizens who were too old for the armed forces and so volunteered as part-time soldiers. As well as having regular jobs and occupations such as Funeral Directors, Butchers, and Bankers etc., they formed a Home Front army to defend Great Britain in the
event of an invasion by Hitler’s forces. The Local Defence Volunteers (LDV) as they were initially called were later renamed The Home Guard. The group in Dad’s Army was referred to as the Walmington-on-Sea Platoon, a fictional town on the south coast of England probably based on somewhere in Kent. In reality the Home Guard were Britain’s last defence against invasion, and whilst some of the volunteers may have served in previous conflicts such as the First World War, many were inexperienced as soldiers. Added to this they were ill-equipped due to shortages of weapons and had to improvise often using what they had to hand such as bayonets attached to broom handles for example! The trials and tribulations of Dad’s Army most often resulted in hilarious results. The characters became very familiar with their quirks, traits and catchphrases from Captain Mainwaring’s “Stupid boy”, Corporal Jones’ “Don’t Panic!”, Private Frazer’s “We’re Doomed!”, and not forgetting Corporal Jones’ “They don’t like it up ’em!”. The two principal characters were Captain Mainwaring and Sergeant Wilson played by actors Arthur Lowe and John Le Mesurier. Both worked as bankers in their peacetime roles, Mainwaring being Wilson’s superior as the Bank’s Manager, but in the Home Guard Mainwaring was also Wilson’s superior despite Wilson having an obvious officer class background. Captain Mainwaring was a short, stocky and bullish man with clear delusions of grandeur, despite being brave and courageous when the going got tough. A very dependable and patriotic man he took his role very seriously despite often falling short. Captain Mainwaring was also very competitive and the seriousness of his role was often challenged by the ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Warden played by Bill Pertwee who was also tenacious about his role and summed up Mainwaring’s character and stature by the use of his nickname for him, “Napoleon”.
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.5 2016
Figures
ABOVE: During the really early stages of the sculpt, and not looking its best! The Milliput used was quite old, had dried out and didn’t mix very well as can be seen by the variety of shades. This was one reason for painting primer over the top before building up details with newer fresh Milliput. ABOVE: The bust at an early stage with white primer and one of several pairs of glasses that were tried, tested and rejected.
ABOVE: Not looking at its best during the early stages, this time with the cap added. It sat far too high on his head, though this would be corrected later. The basic shoulders are also shown here.
ABOVE: The cap was still far too high on the Captain’s head at this stage, and the whole thing was really at a kind of ‘mock-up’ stage before major refining of the bust was done. Note that the glasses had oddly sized frames and that several pairs were made. Primer was added to the face to smooth out the surface and to help visualise progress. The West Kent Regiment badge was added and a real leather strap later replaced the Milliput one shown.
Arthur Lowe’s character was a superb creation and was so typical of the very essence of the ‘stiff upper lip’, ‘Bulldog Breed’, that has shaped, and protected Great Britain in difficult times, and his character is now truly a much loved British TV icon.
The model It’s really unusual and unfortunate how few Dad’s Army models and collectables have been made available in the many years since its creation. There have been books, and in recent years mugs and other merchandise, but I am only aware of one series of 54mm figures, and some 25mm wargame size figures, available. With so many fans I can only assume it’s the cost of using the BBC copyright that has stunted the flow of miniatures. As a long time fan of the programme, and especially knowing that
www.militarymodelling.com
ABOVE: At a more advanced stage but now in grey primer with the collar and pockets roughly added prior to finishing.
my mother’s father was in the Home Guard in Kent during the war, I have always been keen to model a member of the Home Guard. However, due to the aforementioned lack of figures, the scratchbuilt route was the only way forward. The seed was sewn a couple of years ago when I bought my eldest nephew a complete box set of Dad’s Army DVDs for Christmas and a great black and white photo of Arthur Lowe as Captain Mainwaring adorned the box. I thought then that a bust would be great, but the idea sat inside my head for another couple of years! The idea of creating something from nothing is very exciting and is a “who dares wins” situation. Unlike spending money on a kit, then either losing interest in it or not liking it when finished, a scratchbuilt model can either be re-carved and corrected, or at worst discarded, losing only time and putty.
‘‘ ” Arthur Lowe’s character was a superb creation and was so typical of the very essence of the ‘stiff upper lip’, ‘Bulldog Breed’,...
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Figures
ABOVE LEFT: Nearing completion, basic tunic details were added, seen here in smooth grey primer. By this time the face is much more refined than before. The buttons for the epaulettes are not seen here nor the sewn-on badges and fasteners etc. ABOVE RIGHT: The rough fabric texture of the battledress tunic and the cap were applied by stippling grey primer with a piece of sponge and a rough bristled brush. As this is done the primer dried and left small peaks and bobbles. The rank pips, shoulder titles etc., were cut from lead foil and glued into position with cyanoacrylate.
‘‘ ” I can’t stress how important it was for me to find as many photos of Arthur Lowe as I could, whether they were in his role as Captain Mainwaring or not...
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I recently found myself getting less involved and not learning much from new modelling projects. Therefore, wishing to enjoy a new/fresh modelling experience I decided to ‘bite the bullet’ and break out the Milliput (www.milliput.com). I have tried sculpting before on several occasions with differing results – from a shoulder and torso representation of a tank driver with a resin head for a 1:16 scale tank, to a scratchbuilt James Dean whose head was a passable likeness but with legs and a lower body that didn’t quite match the iconic rebel’s pose! Despite not getting things right in the past, I have often found myself trying to improve on my previous efforts. A bust is an ideal format to work on to create a miniature without having to worry about too much anatomy. I am sure most sculptors have their own methods to kick off a new project, but I decided that making a basic ‘skull’ shape would be my best bet. At this early stage I was busy at my worktop not really planning the ‘Mainwaring Project’ but decided to mix up some of the two-part Milliput ‘yellow-grey’ variety of putty and make a very basic core head shape. This was basically a round blob into which I pressed two 6mm Airsoft gun BB pellets to act as eyeballs. A gap was left between them and a slight depression to act as a guide for the nose, and a ‘stalk’ was added at the base of the ball to act as the basis for the neck which would also be a suitable handhold for working with it. It’s very difficult to document the early stages of the sculpt as it demanded complete concentration and was a sort of ‘see how it goes’ project, but hopefully I can share some of the key development and improvements. I can’t stress how important it was for me to find as many photos of Arthur Lowe as I could, whether
they were in his role as Captain Mainwaring or not, and in a wide variety of angles. The prime source for these was the Internet. Many photos were found and I created a file for future reference. Despite finding many good full face and three-quarter view shots, it seemed almost impossible to find a good profile photo. Thanks to a work colleague who is a keen Home Front enthusiast a suitable photo was found amongst a stack of Dad’s Army books, and Home Guard ephemera. This saved me from having to freeze-frame countless DVDs! The work continued by adding small pieces of putty to build up the basic upper and lower eyelids around the ‘BB pellet’ eyes whilst constantly looking at references on the computer. A small roll/sausage of Milliput was added and blended to start the basis for the nose, and at this stage the putty was left to harden. As I had past experience of sculpting with Milliput it was clear that I had tried to add too much detail while it was still soft and sticky. As it hardens it is easier to form more defined shapes and features. So with this in mind I was more patient and tried to make more subtle changes over a longer period, constantly altering the details and proportions. The danger when recreating a well-known character can be obsessively focusing on the most obvious features, and not looking at the more subtle ones, but it was clear as the sculpting progressed I was compelled to make some glasses, and add Mainwaring’s characteristic moustache. The glasses were made by winding electrical wire around the shaft of a screwdriver, then cutting the wire into rings. The bridge was formed as a semi-circle, and the three parts were then carefully
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soldered together. As I offered up the glasses to the face at an early stage I figured that if it didn’t look anything like him now it wouldn’t be worth pursuing the project, but thankfully it did, and some experimenting with different sized pairs of lenses and lengths of arms followed. Photographs of the lenses on Mainwaring’s glasses were scrutinised and were actually not perfectly round, but to make the shape correct would demand more time, so I chose to make them circular. To add realism I attempted to make clear plastic lenses to recreate the glass, but despite accurately cutting two tiny clear pieces and carefully gluing them into the frames using Microscale’s Kristal Klear, I wasn’t convinced with the effect. The slightest hints of glue, or an uneven fit of the lenses to the frames, would be a compromise so I decided to remove them leaving just the rims. As the sculpting proceeded I added tiny pieces of Milliput to various areas of the face. I found that the most challenging part of improving the likeness was getting the proportions of the features convincing. Smoothing freshly added pieces of putty helped to create an even transition between the areas, and I found a little water on a brush helped to do this. In some instances though, I added too much which made some areas a soft unworkable mess! As a remedy (or should that be a cheat or cover up!) I found that a good alternative to add more subtle texture to the skin was to paint automotive grey primer onto the face. This was sprayed into the aerosol cap, and then it could be painted on thick as filler, or thinned to add finer layers. This technique was very useful and particularly good for painting in wrinkles, such as “crow’s feet” or finer surface details. In addition it proved to be an excellent base for the final paint job.
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My thoughts turned to the next part, and despite trying to follow a logical sequence I added things before they were really ready, the most obvious example being Mainwaring’s cap. My impatience got the better of me and I began to sculpt the beginnings of the all-important cap. The lowest part began life as a ‘band’ of Milliput around the crown of Mainwaring’s head, and the top was added resembling a sort of ‘mushroom’ shape. A crescent shape for the peak was cut out of a flat piece of Milliput, and shaped and fitted to the cap as it cured and became firmer. At this early stage the cap was intended as a base to be worked on and detailed later. Despite my best intentions, I was both shocked and amused at the result of my efforts when I checked the cap against my reference photos, it was clear that it sat far too high on his head and it almost appeared that he had someone else’s cap on who was probably much smaller! The great thing about creating a model from scratch is that most things that fail or go wrong can be changed, corrected or improved, and thankfully this problem was fairly easily put right. The cap was simply sawn off using a modelling razor saw, and a wedge section of Mainwaring’s head cut off making the cap sit lower at the back to match my reference photos. Once done this was the most significant improvement and greatest encouragement during the build. One of the important details that worried me about completing the project was the Kentish ‘Invicta’ rampant horse cap badge on Mainwaring’s cap. It is the “Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment” badge, and this was already familiar to me as it was my father’s “mob” as he would call them, and as a child the sight of the familiar badge
ABOVE LEFT: A close-up showing texture of paint on the cap, just visible is one of the buttons on the epaulettes. These were ‘turned’ from an old aluminium knitting needle in the chuck of the modelling drill using a scalpel blade! The glasses were experimented on using Tamiya Clear colours to get a tortoiseshell effect. ABOVE RIGHT: Basic colours were painted just to see what it would look like. This isn’t the finished paint job, just my impatience to see it finished!
‘‘ ” I found that the most challenging part of improving the likeness was getting the proportions of the features convincing.
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ABOVE: The cap eventually looked ‘the part’ thanks to a large degree to Tony Barton’s excellent white metal cap badge. The one shown is a ‘puddle cast’ one I made in resin; Tony’s original was better defined than this copy but I didn’t want the script to be legible. The cloth texture is clearly seen here too, due in part to the stippled primer.
on TV reinforced the show’s name for me. Although at a push I could have probably created a miniature cap badge, I was more than relieved and delighted to have one made by the very talented Tony Barton who had kindly sent me a variety of incredible 1:6 scale cap badges a good few years ago. These are amazing and despite my sculpt being more akin to 1:8 scale the badge really looks the part. The leather strap was added using a thin strip of genuine leather which had a very fine texture, and the two buttons were made from tiny aluminium rivets. Once the cap was in place the ears received the attention they required. They were not an easy part to sculpt, but really made a difference to the character of the piece, increasing the likeness to a surprising degree. Having got the head to a suitable stage, the neck, shoulders and torso were then basically added from Milliput. The chest was gradually built up, as well as the shoulders to create a reasonable likeness of Arthur Lowe’s character. Despite being a short, stout man, he had a good military bearing, and it’s ABOVE: A close-up view of the tunic, showing the plaited lanyard made from solder wire, and the painted material texture using three varying shades of Khaki. RIGHT: The cloth badges were cut from lead foil and hand-painted to copy Captain Mainwaring’s iconic uniform.
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partly this that made him a formidable character in the programmes. I wanted to recreate this element whilst avoiding making him a ‘dumpy fat man’ in a uniform which would be disrespectful to this great actor and icon. The neck was the first part to be detailed with the shirt and tie being sculpted then the shoulders and chest. The pockets and epaulettes were added from Milliput, and the ‘Home Guard’ shoulder titles and ‘CP1’ patches were cut from lead foil and glued into position. To add detail these were given impressions using a scalpel to represent the depressions of where the thread had been sewn onto the tunic. As a finishing touch the hook and eye fasteners on the collar were made from fine copper wire and glued onto the tunic. On completion of the lower part of the bust, I wanted to cut the back and lower part of the sculpture around 45-degrees as neatly as I could in the style of the many commercially bought ones that I have in my collection. To this end I tried to use my razor saw, but it had seen better days and was far from capable of cutting the rock hard Milliput so something else was required. Not for the fainthearted, I chose to use an angle grinder(!), it sounds horrendous but using a thin cutting disc, it did the job very easily and accurately, and I can’t think of how I could have done it with less fuss. I just had to hold the piece very tightly, and count my fingers afterwards!
Painting I really didn’t expect to get as far as painting this bust, but having done so the prospect was very exciting, even more so than buying a commercially produced item. However, before the main painting I wanted to texture the otherwise smooth bust in certain areas, namely the cap and battledress tunic. To get the effect I wanted, I stippled Halfords’ Grey Primer using a piece of sponge packaging foam (the type of material that white metal and resin figures come packaged in). The paint was sprayed into the cap of the aerosol and allowed to evaporate and thicken slightly. This was then dabbed onto the tunic and cap leaving small peaks which gave a nice ‘wool’ texture.
Head Captain Mainwaring’s hair and skin colouring was by no means easy to reproduce as I soon found out! It is plain to observe that Arthur Lowe had red or ‘ginger’ hair, and had a fair to ruddy complexion, but Dad’s Army ran for many years and he began to grey during these years. The picture quality of the TV shows, and of still photos, also makes it difficult to choose natural realistic colours that best represent him. As I had taken several photos during the sculpt I experimented by colouring one of them on a photo editing suite on my computer, just to get an idea of what he would look like. I found that a subtle hair colour would be best and decided that a more sandy option would look better. For the eye colour I chose blue, but not too bright. Using the computer in this way was a great help and I can recommend using this technique to avoid making time-consuming painting mistakes. The basis for the chosen flesh tone was Vallejo Burnt Umber mixed with white. This gives a
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The completed bust in close-up.
slightly more reddish/purple flesh colour than other alternatives with less yellow/olive tones which works well with Mainwaring’s colouring. It’s very difficult to break down the sequence when I painted this ‘one off’ figure, but basically the face was airbrushed using a foundation flesh colour. This was then oversprayed using a darker shade of the Burnt Umber with less white added for shading purposes. Any details that needed emphasising were brush painted, blending areas such as around the eyes etc. The basic flesh mixture was also lightened using varying degrees of white and progressively applied to highlight the eyelids, the bridge and tip of the nose etc. As I experimented the eyes were painted several times to get the expression I wanted, i.e. a sideways glance of contempt/disdain. Again the colours were experimented with several times. I have found that when painting pale blue coloured eyes it is often best to paint a darker circle first using a darkish grey, black, or a darker blue shade, followed by the required pale blue. This gives the pale blue more contrast against the whites of the eyes with definition and clarity. Something that I experimented with and have swapped and changed over my years of painting, and also a dilemma on this project, was whether or not to add gloss lacquer to the eyes to pick up the natural reflections, or to paint white dots to represent them. Several attempts were made, but finally two dots were chosen on both the pupils as reflections on the whites in addition to clear coating them too! The hair and moustache colour was another dilemma, and I can’t honestly remember my final choice, just to say it’s not a secret, and that I used many mixes of Vallejo and Warhammer colours to achieve what looked correct to me in the end. Some orange shades, medium browns, yellow and white were included, avoiding a bland solid colour. I enjoyed dry-brushing the textures I had created
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myself to finish the effect. The glasses were a fun item to paint as once burnished the wire became a shiny copper colour, and was quite like the metal colour of the full-size glasses. A tortoiseshell effect was represented by applying various mixes of Tamiya Clear colours including Red X27, Orange X26 and Smoke X19, to blend into randomly applied areas.
Uniform During the period of the various Dad’s Army series the characters wore a variety of different uniforms, often the thinner denim battledress as well as the 1937 style battledress which was far thicker and had a ‘woolly’ texture. It was the latter that I wanted to replicate, the stippled grey primer being a good starting point. The whole area of the tunic and cap was airbrushed using one of Lifecolor’s Olive Drab shades with a little Burnt Umber added. A darker shade was mixed and the shaded areas as well as the pockets were outlined and shaded, and finally the whole tunic and cap were sprayed using
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BELOW & OPPOSITE: Views of the author’s completed model.
a ‘splatter’ technique. This was done by removing the needle cap and air cap from my Iwata Eclipse airbrush which ‘splatters’ the paint in tiny random spots of colour, in this case a Burnt Umber biased mixture of the original colour. This technique, unlike usual airbrushing, leaves an even covering of fine dots and spots of a slightly contrasting colour which looks like an uneven material like texture. A lighter shade of the Olive Drab with added white and yellow was splattered on to complete the effect and gave highlights to the texture.
Some final detail painting completed the bust and these small items really made this familiar character complete: the cap badge was painted black, and then gunmetal, with highlights of Vallejo Chrome; the leather strap was painted using Burnt Umber with lightened highlights applied using a pale mix of the leather colour using orange to contrast; the brass buttons were painted using Sylmasta’s superb Gold effect paint which is the nearest thing to gold plating I have found. Finally, the ‘Home Guard’ shoulder titles and ‘CP1’ patches were brush painted with a very steady hand. It was gratifying doing them neatly and evenly once, but pretty daunting having to repeat the task on the other arm!
Final touches I had debated for a while about using the Union Jack flag arrow symbol from the titles of the TV programme to add to the base, but thought that being brightly coloured it may detract from the Khaki coloured figure. Later I decided to use a casting from one of my Dad’s Royal West Kent Regiment cap badges instead. As I didn’t wish to disrespect my Dad or his regiment by using a genuine cap badge on a model I decided to make a copy in resin and at the same time change the “West Kent’s” name to “Captain Mainwaring”. To start this process the cap badge was pushed into a blob of well-warmed and kneaded Plasticine with talcum powder lightly sprinkled on the surface to act as a parting agent. The badge was then very slowly and carefully removed leaving a near perfect image. As I had no polyester casting resin, I chose to mix up some ordinary fibreglass laminating resin which was poured into the mould. This was left until the resin had set (less than 5-minutes) the resultant casting then being removed and the Plasticine cleaned off thoroughly. I was hoping to carve or grind off the lettering from the casting and replace it with the “Captain Mainwaring” lettering instead, but it was clear that there wasn’t enough room for the Slater’s Plastikard letters to fit on the moulded banner. To remedy this I decided to make a replacement banner from plastic card which would be long enough to fit all of the characters, once this was made the whole badge was airbrushed in Humbrol’s Metalcote Polished Steel and buffed to a shine. I avoided using a lighter colour, such as chrome or silver, so as not to detract from the bust. The bust was then drilled, pinned and fitted to a suitable wooden plinth together with the badge.
Conclusion I had a great voyage of discovery during this project and my skill limitations were well and truly tested. I had the same kind of fun as I did many years ago when I first started modelling possibly due to it being different and a new experience. I feel compelled to sculpt more now and try to improve as much as I can. This is in part due to the encouragement I received from my modelling friends on social network – thanks mates, you know who you are! Also thanks to my daughter Holley for platting the lanyard from solder wire for me and Phil at work for lending me a stack of Home Guard/ Dad’s Army ephemera for the project.
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LEFT: The completed bust on its wooden base. The fibreglass resin copy of the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment cap badge was a good alternative to modifying and spoiling an original badge. It was changed to read “Captain Mainwaring” using Slater’s Plastikard plastic moulded letters on a wider ‘banner’ made from plastic card. It was airbrushed in Humbrol’s Polished Steel Metalcote enamel paint which was buffed to create a metal effect.
I would usually recommend you buy this kit or similar but in this case I can’t as it’s a one off piece. However, I can thoroughly recommend that you buy some Milliput, or similar material, and give sculpting a try, you may surprise yourself like I did! As a footnote for my efforts I gained a Highly Commended at Euro Militaire 2015 and Best in Show at On Track 2016 – that’s real encouragement to do more!
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RIGHT: A wooden model of Article 701-1 showing the original turret and glacis designs.
Cookie Sewell relates that sometimes Soviet overachievement did not work – the IS-4 he models here is one example!
IS-4M Heavy Tank T
he IS-4 was the largest and heaviest Allied tank to enter production during WW2 (it just beat the end of the war with Japan) at 60 metric tons (66 short tons) and had armour protection which made it nearly invulnerable to any German projectiles smaller than the 128mm gun. But with all of its attendant problems it had a short production run – only 219 were built over 18-months. After one shining moment where it was rushed to the Far East Military District in 1950 to counter UN forces threatening to enter Manchuria and the USSR, it finished its days in storage yards and as semi-mobile artillery along the border with China. But the vehicle was as fascinating as its troubled history would indicate.
History ABOVE: The original front of the Article 701 hull showing the design of the driver’s hatch and viewer mount.
BELOW: A view of the author’s completed model from the right front.
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The background story of the IS-4 begins with the apparent resentment by Zhosif Kotin, chief designer of the Leningrad tank factory group which was evacuated to Chelyabinsk in 1941, of the success of the T-34 designed by Mikhail Koshkin and Aleksandr Morozov in Kharkov. In April 1942, with the stinging failure of the KV-1 to prove itself a war-winner as a heavy tank, Kotin ordered his thenfavourite designer, N. V. Zeyts, to create a medium tank that had protection equivalent to a heavy tank.
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ABOVE LEFT: The front view of the tank from the Operator’s Manual – even though dated 1947 this still shows the original hatch design. ABOVE RIGHT: A rear view from the manual showing the external fuel tanks and the MDK smoke canisters in position. BELOW: The interior of the driver’s compartment. Loaded with batteries and spare ammunition it is not a very cosy spot!
ABOVE: The actual driver’s hatch used on the IS-4 as shown in a revision to the Operator’s Manual. Note the spring boosters to assist in opening the heavy hatch.
The design, dubbed the KV-13, was built and ready for testing in September 1942. Weighing 32 metric tons – or about a ton and a half more than the T-34 variant in production at that time – the new tank had a cast bow, thick armour, a heavy turret with a 76mm gun, and even went so far as to use the running gear from the T-34. Kotin was sure this would be accepted as the new standard medium tank and competed with the T-43 prototype design from Nizhniy Tagil (where the Kharkov factory and its designers had been evacuated). However, even though Kotin, positive the KV-13 would be accepted to the point of ramping up for production, was shocked that the state evaluation commission found that neither the KV-13 nor the T-43 offered any real improvement over the T-34 series tanks. Kotin was somewhat crushed by this failure, but immediately afterwards he was given the task to design a new heavy tank in February 1943. The new design was dubbed the ‘Iosef Stalin’ and two prototypes were built: Article 133 came out in February 1943 and Article 134 in March 1943. Both tanks were based on the KV-13 and used some design features from the KV-1S heavy tank then in production. But the chassis could not handle the loading and anticipated new armament, so in June 1943 another new prototype was produced – Article 237 designed by Nikolay Shashmurin with an 85mm D-5T gun and a new six-wheel chassis (KV-13, IS No.1 and IS No.2 had five roadwheels per side). At
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A photo from one of the Russian websites of the interior of a surviving IS-4M. The items in the foreground are the right control lever, the shift lever and shift gate, and fire extinguisher.
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ABOVE: The turret as shown in the manual. This one does not have the second or forward ventilator installed on it. BELOW: The turret in planform cutaway. Note the ammunition stowage and how cramped this turret is for its size.
A Russian photo of the turret bustle ammunition stowage. The rear ventilator is in the upper centre and one projectile (with a base opening for a tracer element) is in the centre of the rack.
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the same time, experiments were underway to upgun the KV-1S with an 85mm weapon. But teething problems with Article 237’s chassis and an inability to fit the D-5T gun to the KV-1S turret resulted in a hasty compromise: the turret of Article 237 was adapted to fit on the KV-1S chassis. The result was the KV-85 which entered service in August 1943. In September the problems with the Article 237 chassis were ironed out, and it was accepted for service as the IS-85 heavy tank. At the same time, a new variant armed with a 122mm gun was offered as Article 240. This was the heavy tank Soviet commanders had been looking for, and it was adopted for service in October as the IS-122 heavy tank. Eight months later the IS-85 was redesignated the IS-1 and the IS-122 the IS-2; the IS-85 was also dropped when the IS-122 entered full-scale production. Both the IS-1 and IS-2 initially used the cast KV13 bow section favoured by Kotin, but it proved to be a weakness and was easily penetrated by the new German guns. Work commenced at once to up-armour the IS-2, but at the same time the Main Committee on Defence (GKO) ordered new tank designs with vastly improved armour protection. Kotin and his ‘preferred’ design team from Prototype Factory No.100 with the support of Central Research and Test Institute 48 (TsNII-48) under the direction of A. S. Yermolayev were focused on the follow-on IS-2M tank design, so it fell to SKB-2 under N. L. Dukhov at Chelyabinsk to both fix the problems with the IS-2’s armour as well as also work on their own new tank designs. Dukhov’s team proposed two new designs: Article 701, a super-heavy tank with armour to defeat any foreseeable German projectiles; and Article 703, a replacement for the IS-2. The Dukhov team had very little interest in fixing the problems of the IS-2; it was not ‘their’ tank but one from ‘those people’ (Factory No.100’s design team). Dukhov’s ultimate priorities (abetted by factory manager I.S. Zal’tsman and chief engineer S. M. Makhonin) were to ‘show up’ Kotin’s preferred and pampered team, so after a nominal change to the design of the IS-2 they poured all of their efforts into Article 701. But by August 1944 they found they were not going to be able to achieve their goals with Article 701 due to the complexity of the design, and so they also began active work on an IS-2 replacement, Article 703. Dukhov’s change to the IS-2 design, the ‘Roman Nose’ or right-angle bow, was placed into production in June 1944. Derived from the studies they were doing on Article 701, the new design provided a considerable increase in protection over the ‘notched’ KV-13 style bow. But Kotin’s chosen teams’ efforts on the IS-2M tank were not coming to fruition either, and after testing of the single prototype in October 1944 it was judged a failure. Meanwhile progress on the Article 703 design was moving ahead. It used the reliable chassis of the IS-2 but added a new heavy bow (similar in design to that of the IS ‘Roman Nose’ and that of Article 701) made of interlocking slabs of thick armour and a really innovative flattened cast turret that formed a hemispherical shape. The designer of the latter was M. Balzhi. The new tank underwent testing and impressed the state commission as it could meet the requirements to resist the German long 88mm at ranges as close as 350-metres. The new tank was nominated for
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The manual’s views of the side and planform of the D-25T gun. The thickness of the turret front and mantlet is in scale with the gun elements.
acceptance as the ‘Kirovets-1’ for their factory – the Chelyabinsk ‘Kirov’ Tank Plant. Kotin, however, was horrified that ‘his’ boys had failed and the ‘upstarts’ had succeeded. So he interfered with the acceptance of the tank for ‘improvements’ from Factory No. 100 and TsNII-48 designers. Kotin literally took charge of the Chelyabinsk plant from Zal’tsman and did things his way. Yermolayev kept Balzhi’s turret design but modified the hull in a number of areas, adding folded armour on the top for increased thickness and an innovative interlocking three-plate ‘pikenose’ bow; this tank was dubbed Article 248. While the former gave the new tank even better armour protection, their tinkering with the hull design to lighten it in favour of the new armour protection eventually proved to be the tank’s Achilles Heel. (The hull tended to ‘flex’ and crack the engine mounts, causing catastrophic engine and transmission failures.)
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Dukhov’s team then protested to Peoples Commissar for Tank Production Vyacheslav Malyshev. Dukhov and Balzhi felt their design was good as it was whereas Kotin and Yermolayev stuck up for their design. Trying to act like Solomon, Malyshev made some compromises: the Chelyabinsk turret, name and article number would be used, but the Kotin team’s hull would be used. Ten of the new tanks were built by January 1945. But on review in Moscow, the state commission suggested naming it Marshal Stalin; Izaak Zal’tsman, the Chelyabinsk factory director, suggested Pobeda (Victory). But after final testing in April 1945, it returned to being simply the IS-3. Between April 1945 and July 1946 a total of 2,305 IS-3 tanks were produced. Meanwhile, Dukhov’s SKB-2 had continued ‘under the radar’ to work on its Article 701 design, moreso after the fight over the Kirovets-1/Marshal Stalin tank. Between May 1944 and March 1945 six
ABOVE LEFT: The top of the D-25T from Russian photos. As can be seen it takes up a lot of the interior room in the turret. ABOVE RIGHT: The gunner’s controls from a Russian photo. Manual/electric traverse, manual elevation.
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ABOVE: The cross-section of the tank at the centre point of the turret width.
BELOW: The hull of the IS-4 from the manual. The distance between the engine mount and the transmission fittings can be seen here.
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prototypes were built (Articles 701-0 to 701-6; one number was allocated to a ballistic hull and turret for testing against live firing). This was designed to carry the heaviest armour protection ever given to a Soviet tank – 160mm plates at most of the key locations. But testing dragged on and it was not until April 1946 that Article 701-6 was accepted for service as the IS-4 heavy tank. Due to political shenanigans and other manoeuvres production of
the IS-4 did not even begin until June 1947, and per a GKO order it was terminated in January 1947 after only 219 tanks had been built. At that time things had changed and the next generation tank – Morozov’s T-54 design with the reliable high-power 100mm gun – was beginning to show real promise. In reality, the IS-4 did provide what it claimed – its armour was nearly invulnerable to the AP and APC rounds of the day. However, the advent of APDS and HEAT rounds in the early 1950s soon overcame its powerful armour protection. Even so, due to its many teething and operating problems it, like the IS-3 before it, was ordered into a renovation and upgrade program. The order went out in December 1949 to modify all IS-4 tanks to IS-4M standard. This included trackguard skirts, new fans, new stowage, transmission modifications, etc. But at the end of the day the IS-4M was felt to be no better than the IS-4, and neither one offered any major advantage over the also failing IS-3. One of its enduring weaknesses was that the two fans and radiator complexes (which were based on those found in the German Panther) created an unnerving howl when running under load, and troops reported that the tank could be heard approaching more than 2-kilometres away. Given its slow speed and this vulnerability, it is unlikely the tank could have provided much help in a mobile combat situation. Service life was initially short. Other than a short sojourn to the Far East in 1950-1952 to counter UN forces in Korea, the 1947 production tanks were sent to the 22nd Tank Reserve Base and the 1948 production tanks to the 5th Guards Mechanized Army. But after desultory use over the years, in 1968-80 of these tanks were pulled out of storage in Belorussia and sent to the Transbaikal Military District. The reason for the sudden ‘second wind’ for the IS-4 was the deterioration of relations with the Chinese and demands for territory to be returned to China. In response, in 1967 the Soviets made a significant transfer of forces to the Transbaikal Military District and stationed them along the Ussuri River, which formed the border with the PRC. In that year (1967) the district had formed three ‘fortified regions’ along the river: the 97th based around Zabaykal’ska and Dauriy, the 19th at Bilituye, and the 114th at Sherlovaya Gora Station. Each fortified region consisted of the following forces: one machine gun artillery battalion, one artillery battalion, a rocket artillery battery, and four 4-company (41 tanks) tank battalions. The IS-4M tanks served in several of these battalions, assigned in 10-tank companies. The function of these formations was to reside in garrisons close to the bluffs overlooking the river, and when called to alert roll out to nearby prepared positions and prevent any Chinese attempt to cross the river. The tanks had short runs to prepared bunkers where they would pull in hull-down and could be used as both indirect fire artillery and direct fire positions against any enemy forces on the opposite bank. They were not meant for mobile combat (an additional division, the 122nd Guards Motorized Rifle Division, was specifically provided in case they needed infantry support anywhere in the fortified regions). The confrontation came to a head in March 1969 near Daman Island when the Chinese took advantage
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The original armour and angular layout of the tank’s armour protection in side view. The numbers indicate the thickness in millimetres of each section.
of a frozen Ussuri to cross over and seize the island. This was in an area away from the fortified regions (which turned out to be something of a semi-mobile ‘Maginot Line’) and only initially opposed by a handful of KGB Border Guards. Fighting raged for several days and wound up with the Soviets suffering around 40 killed in action and losing a brand-new (and then secret) T-62 tank to the Chinese and the Chinese suffering more than 1,200 casualties when the BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher made its combat debut as well. The Chinese withdrew from Daman Island and things returned to a glum normal. After nearly 20-years of service in these units, in September 1997 President Yeltsin signed a ukase that withdrew the IS-2M, IS-3M, IS-4M and T-10 series tanks from service for immediate scrapping. Only two IS-4M tanks survived intact: one is in the Armor Troops Museum at Kubinka and the other, purportedly from either the 97th or 19th Fortified Region, is in a museum in the city of Chita in the former Transbaikal Military District.
The model Over the years I have been working on collecting both information on the Soviet tank industry and building models of their achievements. As a result, and since there is no styrene kit of the IS-4M, it was added to my list of vehicles to build. Currently it is possible to build most of the WW2 tanks and their derivatives: IS-2 Model of September 1943 (‘notch hull’), IS-2 Model of June 1944 (‘Roman Nose’ hull), IS-3 Model 1945, and IS-3M Model 1956. All of the others have to either be modified from existing kits (e.g. IS-2M Model 1959 and IS-3M Model 1960), scratchbuilt, or made from resin kits. Russian companies such as Brigadier have made resin kits of the IS-4 and T-10 but they are hard to find in the west and rough builds. Having already done a T-10M as a conversion of two Trumpeter IS-3M kits (see MM Vol.39 Nos.3 and 4, February-March 2009), converting two more into an IS-4M seemed to be the way to go. That build also had proved me a methodology to use on the hull, and construction of several other models in past years (such as a US M103A1 heavy tank) gave me ideas on how to do the turret. The only other parts I needed (or thought I needed) were tracks from Trumpeter KV series kits and the fan and radiator assemblies from a Dragon Panther kit.
Hull construction Since the IS-4M used much of the same design and components of the IS-3M, it is fairly easy to get the right parts to begin the model. The hull has
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1 ABOVE: The new jig with a section of hull removed from a kit hull. The braces on the side of the jig hold the razor saw blade vertical.
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the right cross-section and lateral spacing of most of the roadwheels other than their being closer in longitudinal spacing in order to fit seven assemblies into a hull of about the same length. The first step is therefore to remove all of the external detail from the sides of the two hulls (return roller mounts, fittings for attachments such as mud scrapers, etc.) and then build a jig from scrap 0.040” plastic to ensure straight and accurate hull cuts (Photo 1). One of the problems I had with the T-10M hull resectioning was that the hull wobbled in the jig. That causes both transverse and vertical errors in 90-degree angle cuts. I solved the problem here by adding braces along the lower edge to hold the hull firmly in place (Photo 2). Using careful measurements and remembering to number the seven sections that would form the new hull, both kit hulls were sectioned
ABOVE: From this angle the braces holding the hull steady can be seen at the bottom edges of the hull side.
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ABOVE: Tankovyy Desant! While no two IS-4s seem to have the same handrail configuration they all have numerous handholds for infantry such as this posed training shot. BELOW: The seven sections of the new hull laid out in their proper order.
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ABOVE: The initial assembly of the new hull with the side and belly reinforcements in place.
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ABOVE: The hull with the belly pan cover, swing arms and suspension jounce stops in place, as well as the new driver mounts. Later I added covers to the backs of the swing arms to cover the holes – the axles just project through on the actual swing arms.
off (Photo 3). At the same time, the rear plate was trimmed and rear sides cut back to match the IS-4M profile and the front lower glacis plate completely removed. Using scrap plastic stiffeners, the sections were then reassembled into the new lower hull (Photo 4). A minimal amount of putty and filler was needed to complete this operation, which shows the new jig did its job perfectly. The sides and belly were then sheathed in 0.010” sheet styrene, remembering to notch out the sides so the belly pan fit inside the undercuts for the suspension system. The rear upper sides were cut to match the profile of the rear of the IS-4M and then backed with layers of 0.030” and 0.020” styrene to stiffen them. The suspension from the IS-3M kits was then fitted, as well as three return roller bases per side in the proper positions for the IS-4M and the mud scraper and track adjustment arms. A set of final drive mounts from an old Dragon IS-2 were fitted along with booster plates to permit the IS-3M drivers to be fitted to the tank; a section of 1/8” Evergreen tubing was used as an axle (Photo 5). Later, I also added the belly escape hatch, engine access hatch and screw-off drain hatches. The inner wheels were cemented in place at all positions and the drivers pressed into place. A new hull lower glacis built up from sheet styrene to match the original’s 160mm (e.g. four layers of 0.040” and one of 0.020”) as well as notched to match the original tank construction method of interlocking plates (Photo 6). The inner row of wheels and the lower
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RIGHT: The hull with the new sides in place as well as the new lower glacis. The axle for the drivers shows up well here.
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ABOVE: An IS-4M having a bad day. This one has some of its bins missing and the front trackguards and mudguards seem the worse for wear. Note the canvas cover stowed on the turret rear and the cover over the DShKM.
LEFT: Rear three-quarter view of an IS-4M showing the bins and skirts fitted to the tank. This one also has another design of mudguards fitted to the rear – at least four different styles have shown up on these tanks. (Photo: Steve Zaloga)
BELOW: The assembled lower hull with the first coat of paint on the insides of the wheels and the sides of the hull.
hull were painted a flat dark green (Floquil Pullman Green) prior to attaching the tracks. The nicest thing about the Trumpeter KV track is their pre-moulded sag is easy to modify to fit any combination of return rollers or track length if you can make straight cuts with a razor saw (Photo 7). The upper hull was built up using Evergreen sheet styrene. A 0.040” baseplate was fitted with crossbraces and longitudinal braces, and then the angled sides were fitted to it. A notch was cut in the upper glacis plate to fit over the notches in the lower glacis plate. Finally, the turret deck plate was installed from the rear (Photo 8). Later, I cut and drilled out the turret race plate which attaches to the turret decking. This was cut and notched for the turret locking bar which I would add later. To ensure a good fit, I also cut the turret base and ensured that it fit properly at this time. The trackguards were then attached to the upper hull and skirts added by modifying the skirts in the IS-3M kits. Once all parts were in place and the fit checked to ensure a tight fit all around, the attachment points were masked off and the entire trackguard underside and track areas of the lower hull were painted Pullman Green, followed by Floquil Boxcar Oxide Brown (a dark rusty red shade) for the tracks (Photo 9).
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LEFT: The rough upper hull test fitted to the lower hull. The gap around the forward notch will be filled in with putty but ensure that a seam remains later in construction. BELOW: The upper and lower hulls after initial painting has been completed and prior to assembly. The tracks will be weathered and finished later in the build.
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11 ABOVE: The hulls assembled. This also shows the turret base being test-fitted and adjusted now when it is much easier. If the base doesn’t fit, it is much harder once all details and assemblies are in place on the hull.
The four external tanks ready for painting and fitting. The inner tanks have the hoses in place.
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13 ABOVE:The external tanks in place with their fittings added and the hoses plumbed into the model. Each hose forms a loop before entering the hull.
ABOVE: A close-up of the right outboard tank showing the light weld seam added. BELOW: The completed right side stowage with the tow cables, unditching log and clevises in place.
After all was checked out the upper and lower hulls were cemented together (Photo 10). The IS-4 has a rather unique structure in that the engine and transmission are separated by a greater distance than other Soviet tanks. This creates a ‘veranda’ arrangement over the transmission, and also causes the trackguards to stick out further at the rear. The designers used this as a good place to store 360-litres of spare fuel tanks, using the
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The turret shell from which the MK-4 viewer is being surgically removed. Note the number of holes drilled around the viewer.
standard Soviet 90-litre ‘Gasoil’ tanks of the time. These are very similar to the ones which come in the IS-3M kit and so four of them were modified to match the IS-4M tanks. Their end handles were removed and replaced and the attachment fitting points for the stock IS-3M racks were filled in. A new set of racks was built from scratch and details were added such as filler and drain cocks, rack mounts, fuel hose attachment points (unlike the other Soviet tanks, the IS-4M was one of the first to actually integrate the auxiliary tanks into its fuel system and draw on them rather than have the crew transfer the fuel when needed with a manual external pump). A hose was fitted to the inner tank on each side (Photo 11). After adding trackguard detailing such as braces and stiffener stampings, and adding the fittings for connecting the tanks to the internal fuel system of the tank, the external tanks were primed with Pullman Green in the spots that could not be reached by an airbrush later and then attached to the trackguards. The fuel balance and piping system was added and the system plumbed into the tank. Other items added included two spare track links, MDK smoke canisters, a modified IS-3M travel lock, hinges, bolt details and two odd folding brackets that mount on the rear of the transmission cover – I have never seen them on any other Soviet tank and even then only some of the IS-4s seem to have them. (Photo 12) I decided to finish the hull one side at a time. The right side bears the tow cables, clevises, and unditching log. The clevises were modified from the IS-3M kit parts. The tow cable heads came from the IS-3M and were fitted with 3-metre runs of cable made from twisted picture wire. Each was fitted to clamps made from Contrail light styrene tubing and then fastened to the hull per the original tank. The unditching log was a section of Evergreen ¼” tubing with its ends capped and then ‘distressed’ with a razor saw to give it a woodgrain. After light sanding to remove the burrs, the log was then fitted to two brackets made from scratch and glued to the side of the hull. Note that one fast and easy way to make ‘hose clamp’ type bracket fasteners is to take a small section of Evergreen C-beam shape styrene and cut it to the width of the strap being used; glue it in place and then add a small section of styrene rod to the centre and a bolt head opposite on the outside ends of the C-beam section. Plastruct makes suitable styrene hex rod for making bolt heads. (Photo 14) Some of the best details needed for a model like this can be found on the donor tank kit. In the case of the IS-4M it needed MK-4 viewers and also screwoff caps for the various filler nozzles and drains. To ‘purloin’ these details from the donor kit, first drill a number of holes around the outside of the section to be removed (Photo 15). Once the shape is outlined, flip it over and using a grinding tool (here a Dremel
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Side view of an IS-4M with all of the bins and skirts in place. BELOW: A round cutting burr worked best in the Dremel Minimite for removing the plastic from the inside of the turret shell.
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Minimite) grind down the interior of the part until nearly transparent when held up to a 17 strong light (Photo 16). The part can then be removed with a sharp Xacto knife and using fine sanding thin down the backing even more (Photo 17). Once finished, the parts can be installed on the model such as here on the driver’s hatch (Photo 18). The bow was the next section. The driver’s hatch was made from wedge shaped sections of styrene sheet so that a depressed plate would be left in the centre for fitting the twin viewers. These were attached to a baseplate slightly smaller than the location for it on the glacis. Two MK-4 viewers were added and then the entire assembly was fitted to the glacis. The front trackguard braces, towing hooks, front spare track links, and mount for the horn and light were also added. Lastly, I painted on Future floor wax (clear acrylic, similar to Johnson’s Klear or other similar products) and added four sections of Archer Fine Transfers weld bead, followed by another coat of Future to seal them in place. All of this would later receive a coat of Mr. Surfacer 1200 – the driver’s hatch received a coat of Mr. Surfacer 500 to create a rougher surface. (Photo 19) The left side received a cross-cut saw made from scratch and a total of five bins of different shapes and sizes. Bins 1, 2, 4 and 5 attach to the trackguard but bin 3 attaches to the side of the hull. As noted, after these bins were added the hull received some of its final details. These included marker lights and taillights as well as the coat of Mr. Surfacer 1200 on the forward armour sections (Photo 20). One of the main problems with tanks like the IS4M is that since so few were built and they were in service for 50-years(!) they tend to take on a ‘RollsRoyce’ like quality of individual build and ruction features. While there was less variation in this tank than the T-10 series, no two tanks in photos seem to share the exact same features! One thing that popped up was an odd bin on the left front trackguard which is partially open. I have no clue what it is for but could copy it and dutifully add it to the model (Photo 21).
FAR LEFT: The MK-4 viewer once removed from the shell and with its base sanded down to a scale thickness for installation.
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LEFT: Two MK-4 viewers mounted on top of the driver’s hatch. A heavy coat of Mr. Surfacer 500 was added and dappled to create the cast finish.
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ABOVE: The completed bow section of the model less the topcoat of Mr. Surfacer 1200. The putty around the interlocking notch can be seen here, as well as the Archer Fine Transfer weld beads.
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ABOVE: The left side of the model after all of the various bins had been added. Right after this I added the marker lights to the sides of the hull. LEFT: The curious front right bin in place. It looks sort of like a toolbox but nobody would leave one of those open around other soldiers!
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ABOVE: The two radiator bays primed in black and with the cast attachment strips in place.
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ABOVE: The centre section of the engine deck as completed. Evergreen clapboard siding does a very effective job of representing louvres under grillework.
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ABOVE: The centre section in place and the open areas left for the radiator bays. I wanted to ensure I could give these the depth they needed to look right.
BELOW: The interim finished hull sitting amidst the debris on my workbench.
Engine deck I decided when it came to the engine deck that, since the IS-4M is so complex in this area, the best approach would be to fit the centre section to the upper hull but build the two radiator assemblies off the model and install them afterwards. I cut the parts for the centre from sheet and left an area empty so I could fit a section of Evergreen clapboard siding to represent intake louvres. This was covered with a section of S&S extruded aluminium grille and Evergreen L-girder strip to represent the combing holding it in place. Stray
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fittings such as the screw-off filler caps (noted earlier) and lift rings from the IS-3M kit were added. Lastly bolt heads were added from Plastruct styrene rod (Photo 22). When I put the hull together I left plenty of room for the radiator assemblies (Photo 23), and originally felt I could use those from the Dragon Panther here. After all, Russian historians noted the designers were instructed to use the Panther radiator design in this tank. Well, they used the design – but not the exact design! So it meant making the entire assembly for each side from scratch. (At least it saved a nearly complete Dragon Panther kit from the parts bin…) If you’re curious what my workbench looks like in the middle of such a project, here’s the nearly complete lower hull moved off the working surface where I was working on the radiator bays (Photo 24). The bays were cut and assembled from 0.040” sheet styrene, and then the interiors were painted black. To add the cast mounting strips on either side of the bay, I took a thick section of Evergreen strip (0.100” x 0.188”) and carefully determined its centreline. The spacing of each notch for a bolt was laid out, and then holes were drilled in each one. Once complete, the strips were carefully cut apart and the holes – now notches – filed to the proper shape. The sections were then profiled (rounded on the sides and tapering down towards the ends) and cemented to thin strips of 0.010” styrene. Plastruct bolt heads were then added and the mounting strips attached to the radiator bays (Photo 25). Some of the acquisitions I made in my forays to various hobby shops were a collection of oddshaped styrene strips from a Dutch company. One of the better ones was a set of small 45-45-90 angle strips, which after due consideration appeared to work perfectly for fan blades. I cut two disks from styrene and then used a NWSL Chopper II to cut the blades for each fan. I think the original had 22 and I wound up with 20, but it is close enough when viewed through the grillework (Photo 26). The fan towers were built up from sheet with a section of On the Mark Models etched stainless steel rectangular grille trapped in between layers and a cap added on top of it. A tower collar was formed from rolled strip and fitted under the finished outer grille. A standoff from scrap styrene strip was added under the fan and fittings added to the sides of the collar so that it could fit closely to the inside
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ABOVE: Both fans ready for assembly with the two fan towers behind them. The arrangement permits them to slide inside the collar just under the grille and present a correct appearance. BELOW: The completed left side radiator bay with the louvres and grille in place. Also added and primed with Mr. Surfacer 500 is the exhaust fishtail.
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ABOVE: The engine and radiator/fan arrangement with the engine deck removed.
bottom of the grille once installed. Before assembly, the fans were painted Pullman Green and then drybrushed (Photo 27). Like the Panther, the IS-4 radiators are located on either side of the fan tower. Each one is fitted with light armour louvres to protect the radiator below it from shell fragments or bullets. To replicate these louvres, I once again used tiny sections of the Dutch styrene angle strip to form the ends of the louvres, attached them to strips, and then fitted the strips inside the bays. The louvres were then cut to fit and cemented to the angle brackets. Once all the louvres were in place, I cemented the fan towers in place. Strips of flat styrene and L-girder were used to provide the combings for the radiator grillework (also from the OTMM etched stainless steel sheet). Details were added such as the lift off handles (brass wire) and the exhaust fishtails from styrene scrap (Photo 28). (I found out later crews could and did reverse these to point either to the sides or straight to the rear.) Once I had added the radiator bays to the hull (they were a push fit with minimal shimming needed) I checked the entire hull for details omitted. A last coat of Mr. Surfacer 1200 was added to the sides of the hull and the radiator bays to ensure that they captured the cast/rolled look of the original parts (Photo 29).
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ABOVE: The completed hull.
Turret construction I learned the technique of building a simulated cast object from sheet styrene nearly 30-years ago in Texas. By taking straight styrene formers and ensuring a sufficient ‘foothold’ is provided to their edges, and then wrapping them with sections of thin sheet and adding thin coats of putty, a reasonable approximation of a cast object may be reproduced. It also gives the modeller the option to have moving parts such as gun barrels or sufficient depth to provide a partial interior or crew figures. This sort of construction starts with a base that has to fit into the opening for the turret in the tank’s hull. If the turret is to be both removable and locking in place like kits, a transverse bar or strip must be added and fitted before going any further. Having
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LEFT: The engine deck assembly from the early design. Later the fan covers were notched in to allow more room for the ‘foot’ of the exhaust fishtails to sit on the deck surface. Also a small grille was added to the centre access door over the engine.
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ABOVE: A frontal view of the framing with the crossbraces inside the two main formers. Arrows were to prevent installing them sideways as there was about 1mm difference in width and height!
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RIGHT: The turret with the three forward plates, the hatch plate, and the bustle plate fitted to it. The hatch assembly was removed from the turret shell and sanded down prior to installation. Also the ‘cheeks’ were built out with 0.040” scrap but ensuring that nothing interfered with the trunnions.
RIGHT: The turret after the sides were attached and the first coat of putty applied.
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BELOW RIGHT: The finished turret with the kit accessories added where appropriate. Note that no two turrets ever seem to have the same number of handholds or have them in the same places! BELOW: The D-25T gun with its additional details and the modified mantlet fitted for adjustment. The black spot is a plug in the original machine gun port.
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previously done that, layers are then added from heavy sheet above it and eventually the turret plan form is added to form a floor for the turret. But in the case of this turret – which has a cast shape that sweeps up at the front and curls up at the rear, a slightly different approach was made. Two longitudinal plates 0.040” smaller than the profile of the turret on the top and rear were added, spaced apart the same distance as the mantlet drum for the main gun. Cross-braces were added to stiffen the structure, and then three profile floor sections were added to each side from 0.030” sheet. Once these were in place, side stiffeners were added to form the transverse profile of the turret with their outer edges set at the 35-degree angle of the actual
turret (Photos 30 & 31). At this time the gun and mantlet were only pressed into place for estimating locations of the final sections. Next, the front, centre and rear fixed roof plates were added and the mantlet supports reinforced and thickened. A mount of scrap tubing was added for the gunner’s MK-4 viewer to ensure it sat level and square. The removable access plate for the main gun was drilled out and cemented in place, but no details were added at this time. All of these upper plates were from 0.040” sheet to include the hatch base. The hatch section of the IS-4 is identical to that on the IS-3 (makes it easy!) so using the detail capture method described earlier the hatch mount was cut out, sanded down, and cemented in place. (Photo 32) After padding out the trunnion area of the mantlet end of the turret with 0.040” styrene (ensuring the trunnions are not trapped or any cement touches them) and adding filler blocks along the sides and edges of the stiffeners and floor/roof plates, five sections of 0.015” sheet were rolled and cemented into place to form the sides of the turret. Once in place, and after ‘stuffing’ scrap into the gaps to reduce the amount of filler needed, putty was added along the lower side of the turret to achieve the cast ‘balloon’ section prevalent on cast turrets as well as seal the gaps in the upper structure and smooth out the transition in the side panels. (Photo 33) After three applications of putty (with 24-hours between them to allow for thorough drying) and sanding to shape, the turret profile was correct and details were then added. These included the bolts for the removable roof section, three lift hooks, 14 infantry ‘desant’ handles on the sides and rear of the turret, two ventilators ‘borrowed’ from Sherman spare parts, the hatches and three MK-4 viewers. As I opted not to have open hatches or crew figures, there was no room under the hatches for the complete MK-4 as provided in the IS-3M kit. Therefore they were trimmed flush and installed, followed by the torsion bar spring assembly for the hatches. Finally, two sections of tubing (inner and outer) were added as the antenna base mount. (Photo 34) The gun was pretty much out of the box from the IS-3M kit with the exception of the muzzle brake securing bolts added from Plastruct. While many modellers prefer to use turned or cast metal barrels, if the modeller has a Flex-I-File sanding tool the kit ones can usually be more than acceptable once rounded off. The mantlet was formed from using two IS-3M mantlets and cutting them to shape to match the one from the IS-4M. The original machine gun port had to be plugged and a new one drilled higher and to the right of the original. Later, the spare DShKM barrel from the two kits was used to add the coaxial 12.7mm gun to the mantlet (Photo 35). The DShKM mount was used verbatim from the IS-3M kit; all that I did was drill out the bore and add a new muzzle cap (the kit ones were distorted in profile) and drill out the sides of the muzzle brake, plus fill the ejection pin marks on the gun. (Photo 36) The completed DShKM mount with gun and ammunition can. The Trumpeter one needs little ‘fine tuning’ but in comparison with an M2HB the gun is a little plain from a modeller’s standpoint.
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LEFT: Front view of the author’s completed model. BELOW: Rear view of the author’s completed model.
The last things to be added to the model were the antenna (stretched sprue) and the rain cover for the mantlet. The latter is not the same as the one on the IS-3M and thus had to be scratchbuilt. I used Contrail rod and tubing to give it working hinges so it would follow the main gun. Once complete and in place, I gave it and the muzzle brake a coat of Mr. Surfacer 1200 to seal the seams of the former and to give a bit of rough surface to the latter (Photo 37). At this point the model was structurally complete and ready for finishing. (Photos 38 & 39)
Finishing options? Like many other Soviet-era tanks, building them is not as difficult as finding accurate markings and finishing options. This is especially hard when the vehicles were rarely seen let alone photographed, and thus any system of markings is pretty much unknown. Here is what we do know about the IS-4 and its career. In its early days it was assigned in small numbers to training regiments and from what photo evidence is available either bore no markings or the censors blotted them out. Units when listed were always given in the abstract (e.g. “one of our leading tank regiments”) or the equally nondescript “Nth Breakthrough Heavy Tank Regiment”. In its later life the IS-4M tanks were essentially assigned as rolling pillboxes in the fortified regions and spent most of their time in sheds, clean and neat. But as the tanks began to age, they appear to be more and more often left in position and their external parts removed as no longer necessary. Relatively late photos of the tanks show them in their prepared firing positions with most of their external kit missing. To replicate one, we can make the following assumptions:
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• To obtain an attractive and complete model, the 1968 schemes and tables are the best ones to use which means a complete tank with bort numbers, standard finish, and all accoutrements in place. • As these tanks would generally go to their prepared firing positions on their own – and slowly – they would not get overly dirty or muddy, and distances travelled would be under 2 or 3-kilometres from garrison. • Given that the preserved fortified region tank in Chita bears bort number 279 it is likely this was an actual service number for one of the tanks prior to its withdrawal from service in 1997. With all that in mind, I chose that number and colour scheme to use to finish the model.
Painting
• It would have been painted Soviet Khaki #2 or ‘protective green’ when new, roughly corresponding to FSN 34088 when first applied.
First off, the model was masked off (where it had been partially finished) and then overshot first with Pullman Green and then with a lighter topcoat for contrast and to add depth (Photo 40). Once dry, all of the detail parts received
• Tracks would have been painted ‘bituminous black’ to begin with but slowly turned to a rusty red as the paint wore off and was not replaced.
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ABOVE: Close-up of the completed turret area showing the rain cover and the finished mantlet with the DShKM barrel in place. BELOW: The model with its basecoat and topcoat of paint applied. The few details that need picking out such as the saw and exhausts have been painted as well.
• Once assigned to a unit each tank would have had a ‘bort’ or side number applied which the tank commander could then use as a radio callsign.
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RIGHT: The model with its base and topcoats showing the grey primer finish for the unditching log.
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their basecoat: black for the tow cables, saw and the DShKM; dark brown for the exhaust fishtails; and primer grey for the unditching log. (Photo 41) Once dry, the model was shot with a topcoat of Future acrylic wax and then the washes were added. First the decals for the bort number were applied and then snugged down with Solvaset. Next came an overall wash of burnt sienna in mineral spirits to bring out the details. Then it was followed by a mud mixture of yellow ochre, cadmium yellow, white and Liquin oil drying accelerant in mineral spirits. Finally, a wash of black oil paint in mineral spirits was applied to ‘age’ the unditching log as well as to give some of the ‘bituminous black’ colour back to the tracks (Photo 42). To trap the wash coats and give some ‘tooth’ for drybrushing the model, the next step was to overshoot it with Testors’ Dullcote. This also seals the decals and hides their edges. (Photo 43) After the Dullcote had dried, next came the drybrushing. The exhaust fishtails were dry-brushed with Floquil Rust and the unditching log with Testors’ Flat Wood. (Photo 44) This was followed by the tracks which received Floquil Old Silver as well as the DShKM and cross-cut saw. Finally, the entire model was dry-brushed with Floquil Depot Olive (a light olive green colour).
ABOVE: The model now with a coat of Future in place as well as the decals. It has also received its first wash of Burnt Sienna. RIGHT: The model after all washes have been applied (note muddy wheels) and also with a coat of Testors’ Dullcote to seal the finish. Dullcote is also used to fair in the decals and smooth out the finish in their area.
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Weathering The model was then overshot with various weathering powders from ModelMakerZ and Doc Martin’s. These added some soot, rust and light dust to the finish, with the
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LEFT: The model now has its ‘coat’ dry-brushed and some of the first powder applied.
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45 The final coats of powder are now in place.
47 dust concentrated on the edges of the trackguards and the rear of the tank. Gunmetal powder was applied to the DShKM to tone down the silver from its previous dry-brushing application. All powders were mixed with ModelMakerZ carrier agent that provided a smooth medium for their application. Once that was dry the model was overshot with Floquil Dust as a sealant and also as a flatting agent. The forward marker lights were painted flat white, and the rear ones received a base coat of flat white followed by Testors’ Stoplight Red Metallic. A PSP 3mm headlight lens was added and sections of exposed 35mm photo negative were used to provide lenses to the five MK4 viewers. Lastly, a paste mixture of yellow ochre and cadmium yellow oil paint mixed with Doc Martin’s powders was applied to the rear of the hull to replicate fresh mud. This was later dry-brushed with Floquil Depot Buff to replicate drying mud. (Photos 45 & 46). The DShKM mount was cemented in place with the gun at a 90-degree angle to the centreline facing left. This appears to be the standard ‘ready’ carry position for the machine gun on all IS-3 and IS-4 heavy tanks since it is used by the loader and he must be able to open his hatch and quickly swing it into position for use. (Photo 47) The entire time required for this project was around 175-hours, of which about 35 were required to carry out the research and translation of materials to obtain the tank’s history and its most likely finish and place of service. It is a pretty powerful and attractive vehicle even if it was unlucky and not very useful in service – it also cost nearly three times the price of an IS-3 (994,000 rubles versus 350,000).
Conclusion This model fills another spot on my shelves dedicated to ‘missing links’ of Soviet armour, and now has me interested in other gaps such as the T-44 Model 1945 and other moderately obscure tanks. Thanks to Steve Zaloga for his assistance and use of his photos. Note: there are a large number of Russian enthusiast websites that have photos, plans, and even manuals for these tanks available for free download, but others have theirs copyright protected. I have chosen a number of photos and items from the free download sites, and thank the Russian armour buffs for their kind support of those of us in the West who will most likely never have the opportunity to see these vehicles or archives in person.
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RIGHT: Close-up of the DShKM with the ModelMakerZ Gunmetal powder toning down the wear on the gun. BELOW: View of the engine deck on the completed model.
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Bibliography Baryatinskiy, Mikhail; IS-3: Poslednyy Tank Vtoroy Mirovoy (IS-3: Last Tank of the Second World War); “Yauza” Publishing, Moscow, 2010; ISBN 978-5-699-41768-1. Ryabushkin, D. S.: Mify Damanskogo (Myths of Daman Island); AST Publishing, Moscow 2004; ISBN 5-17-023613-1. Solyankin A. G., Pavlov M. V., Pavlov I. V., Zheltov I. G.: Otchestvennye Bronirovannye Mashiny XX Vek – Tom 2 Otchestvennye Bronirovannye Mashiny 1941-1945 (National Armored Vehicles of the 20th Century Volume 2 – National Armored Vehicles 19411945); ‘Ehksprint’ Publishing Center, Moscow, 2005; ISBN 978-5-94038-074-3. Solyankin A. G., Zheltov I. G., Kudryashov, K. N.: Otchestvennye Bronirovannye Mashiny XX Vek – Tom 3 Otchestvennye Bronirovannye Mashiny 1946-1965 (National Armored Vehicles of the 20th Century Volume 3 – National Armored Vehicles 19461965); ‘Tseykhgauz’ Publishing, Moscow, 2010; ISBN 978-5-97771-0106-6. Svirin, Mikhail: Pervaya Polnaya Ehtsiklopediya Tankovaya Moshch’ SSSR (First Complete Encyclopedia Tank Power of the USSR); ‘Yauza’ Publishing, Moscow 2009; ISBN 978-5-699-31700-4. Voyennyoe Isdatel’stvo Narodnogo Kommissariata Oborony SSSR: Rukovostvo po Ehksplotatsii Tanka IS-4 (Regulations for Operating the IS-4 Tank); Moscow, 1947.
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Steve Guthrie adds detail to a simplified 1:72 scale wargames model to bring it up to scratch.
ABOVE: Members of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment bring their 2pdr into action towed by an early Willys MB ‘Blitz Buggy’. While the Jeep could tow the gun easily enough, there was no space in the vehicle for the all the gun crew or a decent supply of ammunition. (Photo: Milifax Collection) RIGHT: The author’s completed gun on its simple desert base.
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The 2pdr anti-tank gun T
he sad story of the British 2pdr anti-tank gun is well known. With its heavy tripod mounting and 360-degree traverse, it was designed to fit into a British pre-war defensive doctrine where anti-tank guns were dug into positions that could cover likely avenues of approach by enemy tanks. German anti-tank philosophy put their lighter and handier 37mm PaK 36 out in front with the attacking tanks where they could react quickly to a changing tactical situation. The 2pdr
could deal effectively with the first generation of German and Italian tanks that were met in the Low Countries and the Western Desert in 1940 but even then, it was approaching the end of its useful life and plans for the new 6pdr were on the drawing board. After the defeat of the British Expeditionary Force in June 1940 and its subsequent evacuation from Dunkirk, over 500 2pdrs were left behind in France. Expecting to be invaded by the Germans within
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weeks, the British decided it was not the time to stop production of the 2pdr so tooling-up for the improved 6pdr could begin. So the 2pdr continued in production and soldiered on. In battles in the Western Desert, it grew less and less effective as German tanks like the PzKfw IV were fitted with thicker armour and longer ranging guns that could shell the 2pdr into silence long before they got into range. Eventually as more 6pdr guns became available, the 2pdr was retired from use in Europe. The were used till the end of the war in the Far East where they could still deal with the thinner-skinned Japanese tanks.
In model form Having scratchbuilt a number of 2pdr portees in the past, I was delighted to learn that a couple of kit manufacturers, Ace and Zvezda, were producing injection-moulded kits of the gun. I picked up one of the Zvezda kits as it was available when the urge to build struck me. Designed as a wargames model, it is of snap-together construction and includes a base and two figures. It also includes two carriages, one for an emplaced gun and one being towed which is a nice touch. The issue with the emplaced carriage is that it sits far too high. The two folding legs should be almost straight when the gun is deployed but the kit parts have a 30-degree angle in them. However, the solution is simple. Cut the legs in two at the joint, file the ends and cement them back together. Don’t worry about the joint as it was concealed by a loose leather boot designed to keep dust and grit out which I made out of putty. You will also have to bend the pads at the end of the legs slightly to stay flat. Something I neglected to do on my model which you should do is to reduce the thickness of the pads by filing the bottom a bit. The axle and transverse leaf spring is moulded in one piece attached to the bottom of the turntable. I left the
ABOVE: Canadians at practice with the 2pdr. Notice the amount of kit scattered around and the fact most of the guns’ crews are not wearing headgear. (Photo: Milifax Collection)
BELOW: Unidentified Canadian troops practising on the 2pdr in England. (Photo: Milifax Collection)
ABOVE: The kit carriage and gunshield showing the incorrect stance of the trail legs and the oversized attachment points for the gun on the inside of the gunshield. BELOW: The carriage showing the oversized spring tie rods, handspike and missing handspike sockets.
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The gunshield before removing the moulded-on details.
ABOVE & BELOW: Modifications to the inside and outside of the gunshield. ABOVE: Rear view of an Australian-built 2pdr.
Gunners from 1st Anti-tank Regiment RCA training on the 2pdr in England. (Photo: Milifax Collection)
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spring in place but carved away the axle and replaced it with a bit of styrene rod. I drilled out the ends and added bracket and clamp details from bits of styrene and etched-brass scraps. At the same time, I replaced the spring tie rods that run from the ends of the spring/ axle assembly to the bottom of the fixed rear trail leg. I replaced the moulded lifting handle on the rear trail leg pad with one made from styrene rod. I cut away and discarded the handspike moulded to the left side of the
trail and replaced it with one scratchbuilt from styrene rod. On the real gun, there is a handspike socket at the end of each trail leg. The kit only has one, at the end of the fixed trail leg. I trimmed it off and made three matching ones made from drilled out styrene rod. All I did with the wheels was add a conical stud axle from a piece of sharpened styrene rod. The gun itself features large locating pins for the major parts which fit quite well but remember to trim the ends as the protrude through the matching holes and can through other parts out of alignment during final assembly. Unlike most gunshields, the 2pdr one features complex curves at the top and sides which makes a simple replacement with thin sheet styrene difficult. I’m sure at some point there will be an after-market replacement but for now, I just sanded down the front and back of the kit part to thin it a bit. This means replacing the rivet and hinge detail and the gunner’s toe box which I did using styrene, Tichy Train Group rivets and Archer Fine Details resin rivets. The gunner’s foot pedals are far too thick as moulded. I could have replaced them but just went as far as filing them thinner. The gunner’s traversing wheel needs a leather boot or gaiter made from putty added to the 90-degree angle where it meets the gun mounting. The traversing wheel is okay but I replaced the elevating wheel with a thinner one from the spares box. The ‘carpet monster’ got the recoil shield so I made a new one from a bit of styrene sheet. The breech detail is bit blobby so I sanded it off, filed a notch in
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LEFT: A view of an Australian-built 2pdr from the left side. BELOW: Gun showing scratchbuilt and added parts including breech details.
the rear of the breech ring and added a scratchbuilt breechblock. I cut away that odd pie-shaped part of the gun sight and replaced it with a new elevation guide made of styrene scraps. I left the eyepiece in place and added the gun commander’s peep-sight from a bit of photo-etched scrap (originally from a 1:35 scale Chieftain stowage bin hasp I think). To the right of the gun, the kit would have you assemble the main ammunition bin sight box and spare ammunition box from a two-piece moulding.
ABOVE LEFT: Rebuilt carriage showing corrected folding trail legs and boots and new spring tie rods, handspike, handspike sockets and axle. ABOVE RIGHT: Underside of carriage showing new axle and attachment points. RIGHT: Gun showing scratchbuilt and added parts, including sights and boot on traversing wheel.
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ABOVE LEFT: The completed unpainted gun. ABOVE RIGHT: The completed and painted gun on scenic base.
ABOVE LEFT & RIGHT: The author’s completed gun on its simple desert base.
I discarded this, keeping the bin lid, and made up separate boxes from styrene. There are supposed to be two boxes of extra ammunition stored between the ammunition bin and the shield but only one would fit. The right side of the gun mounting that connects to the shield and carries the ammunition bin is a stamping with a prominent lip around the edge. I added this from strips of thin styrene.
References British and American Artillery of WW2 by Ian V. Hogg. Arms and Armour Press, London 1978. The Caunter Scheme by Michael Starmer. S.P. 2003. The 2-pounder Anti-tank Gun in Canadian Service by Doug Knight. Service Publications, Ottawa 2008. WW2 Fact Files: Anti-tank Weapons by P. Chamberlain and T. Gander. Arco Publishing, New York 1975.
Products used Humbrol Paint, Hornby Hobbies Ltd, Margate, Kent CT9 4JX. Zvezda kits and Tamiya paints distributed by The Hobby Company, Milton Keynes MK5 8PG. Tichy Train Group, PO Box 220, Alamance, NC27201-0220, USA. Archer Fine Transfers, PO Box 1277, Youngsville, NC 27596, USA.
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Painting and weathering I airbrushed the finished model with Tamiya Desert Yellow XF-59 with some Buff XF-57 added to tone down the yellow a bit. According to Mike Starmer, photographic evidence shows when 2pdrs were finished in the Caunter Scheme, it was applied only to the front of the gunshield. I used Tamiya Dark Green (JGSDF) XF-73 for the Slate and Gray Green (IJN) XF-76 for the Silver Grey. I painted the leather boots on the folding trails and traversing handwheel gear and the sight box Humbrol Leather 62. I applied a pin wash of Burnt Umber oil paint to parts of the gun, gunshield and wheels, followed by a light dry-brushing with Humbrol Cream 103. The elevating and traversing handwheels are a non-ferrous alloy so I dry-brushed them with gunmetal mixed up from silver and flat black enamel. Because of the weather and terrain in North Africa, the paint on the vehicles and guns deployed there tended to become scratched, chipped and battered rather quickly. I applied chips and scratches with Humbrol Dark Wood applied with a splintered toothpick and a worn-out 10/0 brush. Depicting chipped paint realistically in 1:35 scale requires a very fine touch so in 1:72 scale an even lighter touch is needed. The model is mounted on a wooden base with terrain added from fine sand glued down and painted with craft acrylics. As advised by the late Shep Paine, the final weathering on the model was a light dusting of sand coloured pigment on the gun and the terrain on the base to bring the two parts together and make it looks like it belongs there.
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The six-bob-a-day tourists!
Geoff Barnes concludes his description of four vignettes that commemorate the Australian Imperial Force in World War One.
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y next vignette is of Private Shamus Doherty, Lewis gunner with the 18th Battalion, during the Passchendaele campaign on the Western Front. Following Gallipoli, the majority of Australian army forces fought on the Western Front. When the AIF divisions arrived in France, the war in Europe had long settled into a stalemate. Opposing armies faced each other from trench systems that extended across Belgium and Northeast France, from the English Channel to the Swiss border. The development of machine-guns and artillery favoured defence over attack until the final months of the war. Throughout 1916 and 1917 losses on the Western Front were heavy and gains were small. The Australians and other allied armies would attack time after time, preceding each attempt with massive artillery bombardments intended to cut barbed wire and destroy enemy defences and morale. After these bombardments, waves of attacking infantry emerged from the trenches into no man’s land and advanced towards enemy positions. The surviving Germans, well warned of the attacks and protected by deep and heavily reinforced bunkers, were usually able to repel the attackers. Any limited territorial gains tended to be lost in the inevitable German counter-attacks. Both sides would sustain heavy losses, and the stalemate would resume. In July 1916 Australian infantry were introduced to this type of combat at Fromelles, where they
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suffered 5,500 casualties in 24-hours. By the end of the year about 40,000 Australians had been killed or wounded on the Western Front. In 1917 another 80,000 Australians became casualties in battles, such Bullecourt, Messines, and the four-month campaign around Ypres, known as the battle of Passchendaele. Shamus Doherty was at Passchendaele and was a key character in Joe Maxwell’s factual but racy account of the war called Hell’s Bells and Mademoiselles. Maxwell was with the 18th Battalion, from New South Wales, a Gallipoli veteran, and held various non-commissioned ranks from Lance Corporal to Company Sergeant-Major over the next four years. He went up and down the ladder several times due to his preference for fixing problems with his knuckles, but he was a good leader of hard men, and eventually became a 2nd Lieutenant. “Into the 18th Battalion blew Doherty”, he wrote, “A lumbering, care-free Irish-Australian, with a heart of gold, whose very presence was a vitalizing force, but Doherty, indeed, illustrated the truth of the saying ‘Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.’ He was filled with a robust zest of life that made one envious. Worries, reflections, introspection, he scorned. Yesterday was gone: tomorrow may never come. Today was here, pulsing, throbbing under the flare of the sun or glowing amid the wrack of storm...” “Icy winds, sleet, and slush ushered in winter. It was clear that the last British offensive had been a colossal failure and that battalion commanders were
ABOVE LEFT: Private Shamus Doherty, 18th Battalion, A.I.F., trudges through the ruins of a wood in Passchendaele, West Flanders, Belgium, during the protracted Third Battle of Ypres, 1917. He wears the standard British webbing, 1914 pattern, and the British steel helmet but his jacket and trousers are of a distinctive Australian cut. Sculptor Phil noted, “that all clothing and equipment was affected by the climate and trench conditions. Even the skin had a sour colour”. ABOVE RIGHT: The constant rain soaked everything. I painted Doherty in acrylics and made a lot of use of a Gel Medium to give a wet sheen to his clothing. Phil stresses the everpresent mud. “Helmets were smeared with mud to stop reflections but bear in mind that mud streaked when it washed off... rubber coated canvas rain cape, khaki originally, but always mud-streaked, wet or dry...”
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ABOVE: Doherty is armed with a Lewis light machine gun, 28lbs in weight, 550-600 rounds per minute, with a range of 2,000 yards. The maintenance manual stipulated, “if the return spring weight is correct and the gun is properly cared for, the Lewis gun will function well”.The rain, mud, and constant flying grit from high explosive rounds made a mockery of these instructions. LEFT: Doherty’s balaclava and mittens were knitted by the good ladies of the Australian Comforts Fund back home but are now ingrained with mud, like his jacket and trousers, and rotting in the wet conditions. The tree is a stump collected from a wind-blown cliff top during a wet winter walk – seemed appropriate!
forced to concentrate on harassing of the enemy by frequent trench raids and to scour No Man’s Land with strong fighting patrols. These patrols of 24 men carried a Lewis gun and slithered around in the mud between the opposing trenches from dusk till that black hour that precedes dawn. Three shifts divided the night, and it fell to my lot to lead one”. He survived the war, a number of wounds and a few torrid romances! He was also awarded the VC, MC and Bar and the DCM. On Armistice night in Paris Doherty participated in a riot provoked by him when the drunken Aussie-Irishman leapt on stage at the Folies Bergère. The chorus line of near-naked ladies had displayed only French, British and US banners, and he felt honour-bound to put the antipodean case with a battered Aussie flag! His final words to Joe Maxwell as they demobbed were: “You don’t have to worry about me and women any more, boss. My hobby’s beer. My mate Jim and me’s going back to the bush”. Maxwell's book, first published in 1932, was a best seller in Australia and went into five impressions.
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‘‘ ” In March 1918 the German army launched its final offensive of the war, hoping for a decisive victory before the military and industrial strength of the United States could be fully mobilised...
No.5774 Private Raymond Tanner, 1st Infantry Battalion AIF in 1918, equipped with the essential and inevitable tool of Western Front combat, an entrenching tool. Digging trenches, repairing them, carrying very heavy boxes of ammunition and rations, and interminably waiting around were prime occupations, according to my uncle Ray, interspersed with brief interludes of high excitement and stark terror.
The Western Front, 1918 The final vignette shows my uncle, No.5774 Private Raymond Tanner, 1st Infantry Battalion, in 1918 with that inevitable tool of combat, a shovel. In March 1918 the German army launched its final offensive of the war, hoping for a decisive victory before the military and industrial strength of the United States could be fully mobilised in support of the allies. The Germans initially met with great success, advancing 64-kilometres past the region of the 1916 Somme battles, before the offensive lost momentum. Between April and November the stalemate of the preceding years began to give way, as the allies combined infantry, artillery, tanks and aircraft more effectively. This was pioneered by an outstanding Australian general, John Monash, in the Australian capture of Hamel spur on 4th
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July 1918. The massive allied offensive to capture the Hindenburg Line began on 8th August at Amiens, and the AIF distinguished itself at Mont Saint-Quentin and Péronne. In early October the Australian divisions withdrew from the front for rest and refitting and were preparing to return when Germany surrendered on 11th November. Throughout the war, there had been a grim merry-go-round ride for the AIF. They were a long way from home and it had cost a lot to train them and get them overseas. If they were serving on the Western Front, they took their leave in England and France. For anyone who was injured or became ill, the harsh same economics applied. Medical care in England and France was directed principally to repairing troops that could be rehabilitated and sent back to active service. Only if it was unlikely that a
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man would be fit within the stipulated ‘reasonable time’ – at first three months but extended in 1916 to a more practical six months – was he returned to Australia. In other words, the men went home only when they were useless to the war effort. This often meant that he would not be of much use to the community on his return, either, being too badly damaged physically or mentally to be a fully participating member of the civilian community. All too often his job was gone, taken by someone who stayed home or by the newly emerging workforce of women. A damaged man usually lost out to a fit one in the tight post-war labour market. The plight of the returned veterans, wounded and intact, would become one of Australia’s major problems in post-war years. Despite the need for heroes when the war was raging, the care of those who returned left much to be desired. My uncle Private Raymond Tanner, 1st Infantry Battalion, AIF, was one of those who survived. He had joined up in 1916, aged 18, labourer by profession, parents’ consent given. He was
ABOVE: Images of the Western Front are often of mud and rain, but in the summer and autumn months, conditions were dry, gritty, aggravating and equally unhealthy as the debris of winter became airborne. It was impossible to keep clean and prevent eye infections. Powdered pastels gave a realistic patina of dust. RIGHT: The figure is mounted on a small plinth that has been covered with plaster and grit. This allowed a trench with its corrugated iron debris to be incorporated in a compact area. A single poppy has momentarily caught Private Tanner’s attention.
‘‘” The plight of the returned veterans, wounded and intact, would become one of Australia’s major problems in post-war years.
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wounded in action in 5th December 1917, again 16th April 1918 and yet again three months later on 15th July. Each time he was hospitalised in Surrey, England, then returned to the Front. He survived and lived a full and healthy life.
The website of the National Archives of Australia supplemented my uncle’s stories, heard when I was a child, with his service record.
References
Uniforms For detailed uniforms and equipment, I recommend Osprey Men-at-Arms Number 123, The Australian Army at War 1899-1975, by John Laffin and Mike Chappell, Osprey Men-at-Arms Number 478 The Australian Army in World War 1 by Robert Fleming and Mike Chappell, and Osprey Warrior 155 ANZAC Infantryman 1914-15 by Ian Summer and Graham Turner. I have a much-treasured copy of Australian Military Uniforms 1800-1982, Kangaroo Press, 1982, by Monty Wedd, which is now scarce but invaluable. Another book now long out of print but very useful is the Blandford Colour Army Uniforms of World War I by Andrew Mollo and Pierre Turner.
Correlli Barnett’s The Great War is concise without losing any of the drama. The massive 12 volume Official History of Australia in the War of 19141918 was conceived by C. E. W. Bean who was with the Australians at Gallipoli and the Western Front, and in it he wrote a scrupulously detailed account of ANZAC. It is available online from the Australian War Memorial’s website. This website is invaluable with its many resources. The desert campaigns are included, and Yells appears in Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T. E. Lawrence, Jonathan Cape, London, and With Lawrence in Arabia by Lowell Thomas, Hutchinson and Co., London, 1924. Joe Maxwell tells Doherty’s stories in Hell’s Bells and Mademoiselles Angus and Robertson, 1939.
On screen reference Peter Weir, the Australian film director who made Master and Commander, made a fine feature film some years ago about the Dardanelles campaign called Gallipoli, climaxing in the charge at Nek. Australia’s Channel 9 television network made an epic 8-hour dramatised series about an AIF battalion from its early recruitment to its post-war demobilisation called The Anzacs. There is the fine feature film The Light Horsemen. Beneath Hill 60 is a gruelling film about the Australian tunnelling teams on the Western Front. Another recent title to lookout for is Russell Crowe’s post-war Gallipoli film The Water Diviner.
The figures As before, these are 120mm in scale, sculpted by the talented Phil Walden. I painted them in artists’ acrylics. Some conversion was done using a mixture of Duro and A&B Putty on wire armatures. Groundwork was a mixture of cellulose filler, various gravels and pebbles for a selection of jars, plus a dusting of pastel chalk.
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The watercolour sketch of a battalion moving up to the start line combines well with Phil Walden’s figure. Artwork like this allows the modeller to match his palette to the eyewitness versions of the actual events.
‘‘ ” Each time he was hospitalised in Surrey, England, then returned to the Front. He survived and lived a full and healthy life.
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Goods Hoists, Stovepipes and Chimneys Emmanuel Nouaillier offers further thoughts on those typical items and fittings he’s produced for his small scale structures.
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s in the first part of this article (MM Vol.46 No.3), I’ll continue to mainly focus on specific examples, giving some ideas or hopefully inspiring you to want to spend a little more time than usual to build such features (Photo 1). It is also interesting for you to apply your own personal touches by adding elements to commercial kits, as they are not always reproduced to particular requirements, and even more so in the smaller scales. Once again it gives an opportunity to demonstrate where we can go deeper into the details by overcoming the reduction scale. So, using photos, let’s see how I went about it.
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Photo 2. Goods hoists may be relatively small, but they do give an undeniable touch of realism to certain urban façades that had storage space on their upper storeys and here’s the example I took as inspiration to reproduce one to scale. There are all sorts of hoists, carrying a pulley or a marine block and even though most are now long since out of use and have almost disappeared from buildings, some remain in place seized up with rust. Photo 3. Eleven etched-brass parts ready to be assembled to make up a lambda-shaped bracket hoist in very small scale as suggested by its manufacturer. Indeed, this is how I did it to imitate the equipment seen in Photo 2, by simply adding a pivot allowing it to swivel outwards. Photo 4. Using a simple pulley taken from a second kit, I undertook a scratchbuilding exercise inspired by the original set up. I used a small sheet of aluminium foil, some Grandt Line nu-bolt-washer mouldings, two pieces of plastic card (1 x 3 x 10mm, scribed in advance to simulate woodgrain), and two sections of Evergreen Strip No.102. Photo 5. I first assembled the parts for the pulley with cyanoacrylate glue, then two 5mm long sections of Evergreen strip were positioned either side of it and secured with two Grandt Line nuts/ bolts added to perfect the realism in this small scale.
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Photo 6. Once completed, the piece was sandwiched between two wooden beams that make up the arm of the hoist, and then two more nuts and bolts were added to each side to simulate the fixings.
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Photos 7 & 8. For the curved metal sheet that protects the equipment from the elements, a small piece of aluminium foil was shaped by bending it round so that it corresponded approximately to the real example, before randomly deforming the edges with some fine tweezers. The finely constructed model was placed unpainted on the building’s façade for checking. Photo 9. Before painting the basic shades with enamels. For the wood and the metal parts I used Humbrol Chocolate 98, and Light Grey 147 for the galvanised metal cover, both colours being diluted with mineral thinners and applied in thin coats. Due to the very small size, I inserted a nickel-silver rod into the back of the hoist, which helped to hold it while it was being painted and aged. Photo 10. After applying the usual ageing with acrylics paints, washes and pigments, the edges of the metal cover and pulley were finally rubbed with a graphic pencil to emphasise the metallic appearance. Note also the small nail head marks in the galvanised metal cover, made in advance with the point of a needle, to which I have applied some rust streaks. Photo 11. The finished model in place above the lintel of the goods entrance, equipped with a suitable rope and hook to complete the installation.
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Photo 12. Old chimneys and other rusty stovepipes make very interesting features to depict an atmosphere more relevant to the era I was modelling. Situations and examples of these are almost infinite.
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Photo 13. A simple chimney extension made from a piece of Grandt Line ‘stove pipe’ and augmented with a curved protective cover made from a thin sheet of aluminium foil. This was common on French roofs in the urban landscape of the first part of the 20th century when coal fires were used to heat French houses. The unit was stuck into the angled top of a scratchbuilt chimneystack. Photo 14. Once painted and weathered using the usual techniques, this simple assembly makes this building’s chimney just perfect and an interesting alternative to a normal chimney pot.
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Photo 15. A more elaborate example of a chimney pipe created for installation on a roof. The assembly was made with a piece of stovepipe, to which I added some tube and Evergreen strips, Grandt Line nuts and bolts, small strips of riveted plates and so on to perfect the item.
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Photo 16. Once rusted with pigments dabbed on a fresh enamel wash, the corroded welded joints were the final touch to give some character to this stovepipe. In this scale, the major parts and joints were emphasised with a graphite pencil point. Photo 17. Another stovepipe I made more recently from the same reference was aged using chipping fluids. This pipe will run up a building façade, the outlet of the stovepipe passing through a window. Photo 18. A similar situation and typical of some old workshops, barns and other industrial buildings.
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Photo 19. A relevant end to this subject is the quick construction of a basic and typical chimneystack made with bricks and covered with concrete. After having noted a suitably interesting type of chimney, I drew it to scale on graph paper. I cut the basic shape of the chimney out of 10mm polyurethane foam board, with the base angled to match the pitch of the roof. I cut this again with a craft knife to obtain a width of 8mm, perfect to simulate it in 1:72 scale. After I removed the cardboard, the small rectangle was scuffed with a wire brush to recreate the texture of rough concrete rendering. Photo 20. Very fine white metal cast chimney pots were added to the top of the stack, fixed in place with contact adhesive or super glue. A true foam
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board will tolerate both of these. I simulated the cement joints surrounding and built up around the chimney pots on the top of the stack (the ‘flaunching’) with the filler I always use to imitate old stucco.
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Photo 21. In this scale, the metal ties, anchors and fixings were reproduced by using 0.5mm brass sheet, Evergreen Strips item 102, Evergreen Rod item 128 and a couple of Grandt Line nuts and bolts. Photo 22. Equipped with simple tools and armed with a good deal of patience, it should not be too difficult to obtain a realistic result, despite the very small size of the item in this scale. These small features can add a lot of character and make a difference. It will need only appropriate and very simple painting to resemble the real thing as closely as possible.
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Photos 23 & 24. The finished model before and after being placed on the roof of an old shack. After I applied the ageing methods previously developed concerning concrete (MM Vol.43 No.4) it only remained to put the chimney in place onto the roof, making the flashing joint with the same water-based filler applied with an old, fine brush. Photos 25 & 26. Two chimneystacks I made some years ago depicting some very old, but typical installations found in French city centres. I fitted the 1:72 scale bricks into place one by one with a coat of filler and reproduced the irregularly applied cement courses between them.
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AFV reviews
Small Scale Scene Robin Buckland’s monthly column for military vehicle modellers.
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n writing the column this month I have to say how sad I was to hear that our editor Kelvin Barber is going to be leaving us as from this issue. He was Assistant Editor to Ken Jones all those years ago when I started writing for Military Modelling so we have known each other now for some 31-years. My thanks go to Kelvin for all his support with my contributions to the magazine and to our associated website. I’d like to take this chance to wish Kelvin and his wife Sue the best of luck for the future and with whatever he does next. At the same time there are still lots of new kits, books and modelling accessories coming on to the market and still more news of things to come. A mixture of scales this month as ever, some from mainstream plastic kit manufacturers and some from the smaller cottage industries that provide so much to our hobby as well.
Bronco A recent release from Bronco, and another variant of the latewar sWS (schwere Wehrmacht Schlepper), this time with the armoured cab and carrying the quad 2cm Flakvierling 38 AA gun on the rear platform. It is the old Great Wall Hobby kit now available under the Bronco banner, and includes the engine with it and adding that extra detail to the chassis. The whole kit is really very nicely done and these kits do build up well, though there is a lot to them with the number of parts.
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The chassis is well detailed, while using a one-piece moulding for the frame, which keeps it all square, and then all the suspension and drivetrain detail to fit to it. The front tyres are multi part assemblies and the track is made up from alternating pattern individual links. The armoured cab is nicely done, and there is all the detail you want inside, and engine covers that can be fitted open if you want to be able to see that engine. With etched-brass for the mesh drop sides to the rear body, and what is essentially another well detailed model in its own right, the Flakvierling 38 with four 20mm guns and the shield, which had a full 360-degree traverse in a mounting on the rear load deck. Just the one scheme suggested for colours and markings, and this uses the late-war standard pattern of sand/green/brown. The model is very nicely done, all highly detailed and plenty to keep you occupied in the build. Fit of parts on these is good and the end result is impressive, having seen one built before. Good to see Bronco add this to the variants of the sWS they now carry in their range. Also included as they usually do, a poster of the box art without all the text on it, ideal to pop into a
clip frame and hang on a study wall. Thanks to Bronco Models for our sample.
The Plastic Soldier Company With their new 15mm scale wargamers kit of the Raupenschlepper Ost, the RSO, along with the 75mm PaK 40 this is a very neatly thought out new addition to the Plastic Soldier Company’s growing range of models. What you get in here are four sprues, so four copies of everything, so whatever your chosen options, a number of bits left over to add to your spares box for other projects. Let’s start with the RSO, which can be built in any of three combinations. One is with the regular rounded steel cab, and this also has a full tilt which fits the body nicely and doesn’t have to be fixed in place. Most helpful for a wargames model. The second option is for the simplified einheits cab. Both of these cabs make up from front and back parts, plus the two doors. Windows in both are moulded solid and there is no internal detail to the cabs. Good for producing multiple models for gaming but they could be cut out and internal seats and
ABOVE LEFT: Box art for Bronco’s latest 1:35 scale sWS variant. ABOVE RIGHT: Box art for the new set of four 15mm scale RSO Tractors and PaK 40.
glazing added. The rear body also provides a choice of sides, either basic or with a row of winter track grousers stored on them, though then the tilt won’t fit. The other option is for the open cab, made up from flat panels, the rear body sides folded down as a crew platform and the circular mounting for the 75mm PaK 40, for which a different gunshield is used. Also on each sprue is the split trail mounting used for both the 75mm PaK 40 and the smaller 50mm PaK 38. Even if you do choose for all four RSOs in the box to be the SP version, you can still do 4 x towed guns as well thanks to the extra barrels provided. So you have three different towed gun variants you can build. There is the towed 75mm PaK 40, and a different shield is provided for this one. Then, using the same basic split trail carriage you can also make either the 50mm PaK 38, with its different pattern shield, or using the barrel of captured French 75mm guns fitted with a Solothurn muzzle brake, creating the PaK 97/38. To add to all these you also have some gun crew figures, six kneeling and two more laying prone. Add a few ammunition boxes and ammunition rounds for both
The built models of the RSOs by the Plastic Soldier Company.
AFV reviews
Box art for the 1:35 scale WW1 Mk.V from Meng, complete with interior detailing.
50mm and 75mm guns, bearing in mind this is multiplied by four. I really like this set, as it has great potential for wargamers, but also for modellers as well. Thanks to Will and Anita at the Plastic Soldier Company for our sample and it is available from them via their website at www. theplasticsoldiercompany.co.uk/
Meng Well, I am impressed! The new 1:35 scale model from Meng of the British WW1 Mark V Male tank is quite a stunner. The very first thing to strike you I think is the unusual depth of the box, which gives a hint to the quantity of kit parts you will find inside. Why? Well that is because unlike other WW1 tank kits that we have seen come onto the market over the last couple of years, this one has full interior detailing, for the engine, crew compartment and ammunition stowage etc. A good indicator lies within the neatly produced instruction booklet, where the build sequence is split into 63 stages. As for contents in the box, no less than 23 sprues (including multiples of some) plus the engine cover frame, etchedmetal parts fret, poly caps, chain and transfers. The first 14 stages deal with building a well-detailed engine, with bearer beams, floor surround, linkages and then the cover which effectively hides most of it from view. Then comes the driver’s seat and controls and fan belts before fitting that whole sub-assembly to the floor of the tank. Next you add the radiator, water tank and the armoured fuel tank at the back. At this point you also add the rear escape hatch with its machine gun mount, which itself is nicely detailed. After
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adding the fuel pipes in step 24 it is time to shift focus to the drive chains and roadwheels along with the start of the side sponsons. In putting these together you fit the drive chains, drive sprockets and idlers, both patterns of roadwheel, along with internal ammunition racks for main gun rounds and boxes of mg ammunition. Once both sides are done, these get fitted to the central floor and engine compartment which was completed earlier. Worth pointing out that colours for all the internal details are noted as you go along. This main unit is assembled in stage 37 before moving on to the commander’s cab, which can be assembled with panels open or closed. That leads into the driver’s cab roof before it gets to the exhaust and the detail fittings for the roof of the fighting compartment. Here are fittings such as the periscope and the mechanical arms of the signalling semaphore. With the roof in place you add the exhaust and the unditching beam rails. With the central element of the tank mostly done, it is stage 51 when you get to the side gun sponsons. Breech detail is good on the 6pdrs of this Male variant, along with those of the machine guns. With both of these done and fitted you add some final external detailing in stage 59 and in the next step, add the individual link tracks. With the tank itself done now, the final steps provide an unditching beam along with chain fixings and a wooden fascine for crossing trenches, also with chain fixings. With the build complete you find the three options for colours and markings. First is a khaki brown tank of the
The 1:72 scale wargamers model of the Flying Pig, in resin from Sgts Mess.
9th Battalion of the British Tank Corps, in France in 1918. Option 2 is another in khaki brown, tank number H41 now on display at the Tank Museum, Bovington. The third and final option is overall dark green and features ‘Devil’, a tank of the 4th Battalion, Royal Tank Corps at Bovington Camp in 1925. This is a stunning kit and will make for a significant build project and opens a host of potential ideas for dioramas with maintenance, transport or battle damaged/destroyed tanks on the battlefield. I believe they are set to release a machine gun armed Female version this year that will go with it. You can find these in the UK, but for the first Meng kit I have seen for review, my thanks to Hobby Link Japan who supplied our sample. See it listed on their website at https://www.hlj.com/product/ MENTS-020/Mil
Sgts Mess The FV1611, the Humber Pig, was an armoured truck produced in the early 1950s, with around 1,700 originally built, of both Mk.I and Mk.2 versions. In later years they were put to use particularly in Northern Ireland, where some were given other fitting for use in riot control. The ‘Flying Pig’ was a version with large screens that folded out on each side like wings, in addition to the large ‘bull bars’ on the front. There are two new resin models from Sgts Mess, designed primarily for wargamers and quite simple models. Both the standard Humber Pig and, seen here, the Flying Pig
are available. The body is a onepiece resin casting which is nicely done, and only requires a little basic clean up around the bottom of the hull to remove small bits of excess resin. That was easy to do on the polyurethane resin with no more than a craft knife. To add to the hull are the four wheels which are cast in white metal, along with the bull bars and the two side screens. These can be fitted folded back against the body, or extended out to the sides. The metal parts are cleanly cast and assembly is a quick task, so it is ready for a coat of primer and painting. Another interesting one to add to the growing range of post-war British AFVs now available in the range from Sgts Mess, and one that does look quite different thanks to those large side shields. Thanks to Gary and Ellen at Sgts Mess for our example and it is available through them, along with other items from the range. It’s available via their website at www.sgtsmess.co.uk/
MMS One of the latest releases from MMS in their range of 1:76 scale white metal models is the US M2A1 half-track. Neatly cast the metal parts are easy enough to clean up ready for assembly, which can then be done with super glue or solder. The bodywork is most noticeably different from the M3 series by the lack of a rear door, so troops had to climb over the top of the sides, thus becoming exposed to enemy fire. Also the two large stowage boxes on each side, which were accessible from
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AFV reviews Built and painted, this is the new 1:76 scale metal model of the US M2A1 half-track from MMS.
doors on each side of the hull. The kit includes the .50 cal which fits to the pulpit ring mount, along with a .30cal machine gun than can be fitted to any one of three mountings around the rear troop compartment. It is nicely cast as ever, with the one piece chassis and the main bodywork also done in a single piece casting, the quality of which is as good as we have come to expect from MMS. An exploded assembly diagram is included and this one does go together well. At the same time Barry has done another variation on their 1:76 scale Crossley truck, this time the 4x4 tractor unit, which will make a great alternative to put in front of a Queen Mary trailer (such as the Airfix one) and used by RAF aircraft transport units. It is well detailed and cast in white metal. There is some fine metal flash to be removed from some of the parts but that isn’t difficult and can be done with a sharp craft knife. Handy to have a couple of spares in the pack for some of those smaller details so if you do have an error with a soldering iron that is too hot, there is a spare. The chassis and main cab parts are in the outer bag, along with two smaller polybags that contain the other detail parts. This makes things a bit easier to find them all, and by packing the smaller parts separately, saves them from getting damaged, or damaging, the detail on the larger kit parts in the pack. Assembly instructions are Revell’s photo of their 1:35 scale Leopard 2A5 built and painted.
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included with the kit as usual for MMS and it is nice to see this one added to the range. The one thing to add is some clear plastic for the window glazing, though with flat panels for the front windscreen and side windows this is quite easy to find and fit. As ever with metal models, do give it a coat of primer prior to painting. Thanks to MMS for our samples and they are available via their website at www.mmsmodels.co.uk/
Revell With Revell based in Germany, perhaps not surprising that they have a variety of kits of the Leopard tank in their range, and a 1:35 scale Leopard 2A5 version is one of them. It can be built as either a German army example, or one with the Dutch army. This is a re-boxing of a kit which first appeared back in 2012, though apparently with some new parts though I don’t know just what these are. One aspect of this recent release, other than featuring their new style packaging and instructions, the model is moulded in a grey plastic rather than the dark green they have used before, and I have to say I prefer the grey. Detail all round is pretty good, for running gear, hull and turret. The gun barrel is moulded in two halves so you have a seam line to deal with, though sadly it also suffers from some sink marks which will also need filling and sanding. That is a shame, though an alternative that many
will go for is to use with an aftermarket replacement. The turret is nicely done, and the sloped armour panels on the front are just so different in looks to the original slab sides turret of the first Leopard 2 variants. Tools to fit to the hull are separate items, and the driver’s hatch is a sliding type which is well represented so it can be fixed open if you want to add crew figures. Do decide at the outset of your build if you want to go for a German or a Dutch version, as there are detail parts that differ depending on which one you go for. These are identified throughout the build stages in the instructions, and a point I like that with their new colour instruction booklets, these are clearly identified using little colour images of the Dutch and German flags where you choose the appropriate parts to use. The track is a soft black vinyl material, as are some mudflaps and the two tow cables. The detailing on the track is actually not bad, but they suffer from prominent ejector pin marks and sinkage, especially on the inner faces. So your options here are to go with them and use perhaps paint and pigments to ‘muddy them up’ or use individual link replacements which are available on the market. The three colour camouflage schemes apply to all four options provided for in terms of colours and markings, which cover one Dutch and three German examples. These are: Leopard 2A5, A Eskadron/42 Tankbataljon, Havelte, 1999; Leopard 2A5, Bundeswehr, PzBtl 33, Bergen, 1996; Leopard 2A5, Bundeswehr, 2./Pzbtl 393, Bad Salzungen, 2010; Leopard 2A5, Bundeswehr, 5./Pzbtl 104, Pfreimd, 2006. Overall this is not at all bad. There is room for some minor improvement to add using aftermarket alternatives, such as the track and the main gun barrel, but the list price is still very good value for a 1:35 scale AFV kit these days and I believe that should be taken into account. Thanks to Revell for our sample, this is in the shops now. Revell kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit www.revell.de/en or facebook.com/Revell
Giesbers Models The Bob Semple tank was perhaps one of the worst designs to carry the description of a tank, but at the time was made out of necessity. Designed and built in New Zealand in 1942 it was made in response to the threat then posed to both Australia and New Zealand by the advances of the Japanese across East Asia. New Zealand had no industrial base for the production of armoured vehicles and they accepted that with the losses the Britain had suffered of AFVs in France and North Africa that they had enough problems to deal with before any could be spared to ship out to New Zealand. The tank took its name from the then Minister of Works, Bob Semple, who ordered its production. It was based on a locally built Caterpillar D8 tractor, with a ‘protected’ enclosed superstructure added to it. They didn’t have armour plate manufactured in New Zealand so they opted to use a corrugated steel which was available, in the hope that the corrugations would help deflect bullets! Armed with six Bren machine guns, the gunners would have lain on mattresses inside the superstructure to be able to operate them. They were never put to the test and the exact number built is not known as far as I am aware. After some use to raise morale in parades in places such as Christchurch and Auckland they were dismantled and reverted to simple tractors. So an interesting and unusual AFV from WW2 even if it was too high, poorly protected, lightly armed and very slow, it demonstrated a desire to fight back against a potential invader. This new kit from Jan Giesbers is cast in polyurethane resin and is quite simple to assemble and an exploded assembly diagram is included. The main body is a one-piece casting, with that very distinctive corrugated look to most of it. Then there are the two track units, the bottom plate for the hull and a turret. To add to the turret and body are the six machine gun positions and there you have it. Some light resin ‘flash’ to clean off and as ever take a little care in removing the casting feed blocks but then it leaves a simple enough assembly job. Once built give it a coat of primer before painting,
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.5 2016
AFV reviews
ABOVE LEFT: The Bob Semple tank, a 1:76 scale resin kit from Giesbers Models, assembled but not painted yet. ABOVE RIGHT: Box art image for Kingfisher’s new One Tonne Land-Rover Signals.
something that is always best for resin models. Made by Jan Giesbers in Holland, these are available through Black Lion Models, also in Holland, via their website at www.blackliondecals.nl/
Kingfisher Miniatures A recent multi-media kit from Kingfisher Miniatures, with a mix of resin and white metal parts for the Signals variant of the One Tonne Land-Rover. The chassis, main body and other
major parts are in resin, while smaller details such as the driveshafts, wing mirrors, the rear radio mast and the like are delicate metal castings. There is basic clean-up required to get rid of some fine flash on the resin
parts in particular, but nothing too difficult and it only needs a sharp craft knife to prepare the parts for assembly. Assembly instructions are provided, and this includes both notes and an exploded assembly diagram. The body is cast in one piece which is nicely done, though with all doors moulded shut. Hence you will have to cut them out if you wanted to make one with the addition of interior details and the doors opened. For the closed up vehicle though, very nicely detailed and one that will look good once completed. Available from Kingfisher Miniatures, my thanks to Alastair for our sample. See their website at www. kingfisherminiatures.co.uk/
News A variety of bits of news this month as there is no let-up in the pace of new releases from various manufacturers around the world. In the large scale of 1:16, Classy Hobby are planning their second version of the PzKpfw II Ausf L Luchs, along with a couple of separately available crew figures in the same scale, which will be good for any other Panzer kits in this big scale. Back down to 1:35 scale, AFV Club have released a kit of the US ‘Husky’ mine detection vehicle though no word of when it is set to be in the UK yet but I am awaiting one thanks to Hobby Link Japan who have them in stock. Meanwhile UK importers Pocketbond are expecting
ABOVE LEFT: Box art for the second 1:16 scale Luchs coming from Classy Hobby. ABOVE CENTRE: Two new 1:16 scale Panzer crew figures also due from Classy Hobby. ABOVE RIGHT: Box art for the new Husky from AFV Club.
a couple of new Chieftain variants, the experimental Marksman AA and the Mk.2 gun tank, as well as four new T-55 kits, all from Takom, and these all look very promising. Also due in with them from Trumpeter are a JS-2M, a KV-7 SP gun and a Modernised T-90, a kit which apparently has over 1,000 parts to it! As for the smaller scales, Model Miniature in France have
A new Marksman AA tank from Takom.
The Chieftain Mk.2 due soon from Takom.
released new 1:72 scale resin models of the AMX-13 90mm armed variant and the AMX
AuF1 SP gun, complete with open ammunition bins on the back of the turret.
ABOVE: Four new T-55/T-54 variants from Takom due soon with importers Pocketbond. BELOW LEFT: A Modernised T-90 from Trumpeter, with over 1,000 pieces. BELOW CENTRE: A JS-2M in 1:35 scale from Trumpeter. BELOW RIGHT: Trumpeter’s new KV-7 in 1:35 scale.
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Show report RIGHT: This 1:48 scale Battle of Britain diorama made good use of the recent Airfix kits for the Hurricane, vehicles and figures.
On Track 2016 Robin Buckland reports on this annual military modelling show held in Kent. ABOVE: Rob Henden’s scratchbuilt bust of Captain Mainwaring was a welldeserved winner of ‘Best of Show’.
BELOW LEFT: This excellent 1:35 scale ‘Rome Plow’ of the Vietnam War was a worthy Gold prizewinner. BELOW RIGHT: A Gold medal-winning M32 of the IDF was very nicely done.
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T
he end of February saw the first major show of the year in Folkestone as On Track returned for its established one-day show on Saturday 27th February 2016. The weather was kind and remained fine so it turned out to be another good show to start the year off. Held in the Leas Cliff Hall, it has a very familiar, comfortable feel to it as I was last there for the four days of Euro Militaire 2015 and will be back there later this year for the next event. It has been the home for these annual model shows now for many years. For the visitor and for the traders, On Track is just a bit different for being only a one-day event, held on the Saturday. For my wife Una and I that meant an early start on the Saturday morning to drive down and get in to set up a small display table on behalf
of our www.militarymodelling.com forum ‘club’. Some traders had been in to set up their larger stands on the day beforehand, while smaller stands were set-up on the day, prior to the public being allowed in at 10am. I’ll try and keep my comments to a minimum and leave more room for the photos to illustrate the event. The traders and club stand occupy the entrance foyer and the main hall, and the balconies around the main hall were filled with club stands. Down another level is the Channel Suite, and this is split between a competition area and the MAFVA branch stands, as it is MAFVA who look after the competitions and the judging of them. There were some very fine entries in the competitions, though a couple of the classes were not as well supported as in other years. One of the class winners that caught my eye for being a more unusual subject was an excellent 1:35 scale Vietnam War ‘Rome Plow’. The quality of the entries though was good and perhaps the one aspect that encouraged me a lot was to
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.5 2016
Show report
see the number of very good entries in the Juniors classes, which were I think the most impressive I can remember seeing here. Well done to all those juniors who entered their models, and once again to Armourfast for supporting those classes. Back in the main hall the traders had a busy morning, though it quietened down as the day progressed, and it provided a great chance to look at new models and to chat with old friends, as well as meeting new ones. The atmosphere at On Track is really very friendly indeed, and the hall offers the facilities on all three levels to sit down round a table with a coffee, or something stronger, maybe get something to eat, and just talk models for the day. A useful variety of traders and therefore varied models and materials on sale. Smaller manufacturers such as Matador Models and their range of resin models, Barry Walby of MMS with his metal models, as well as Milicast, Dan Taylor Modelworks, Kingfisher Miniatures, Sgts Mess, Armourfast, and SHQ, while ModelTrans Modellbau and Jan Giesbers were here from the continent, all with small scale models. For larger scales, both Resicast and Des Kit were there, also over from Europe, along with plastic kit dealers. Add books, paints, wood bases and all the other materials you might be looking for, this always a good way to start off the year. Best of show went to one of our regular contributors, Rob Henden, for his marvellous
scratchbuilt bust of Captain Mainwaring of Dad’s Army (as featured in this issue), while the prizes were awarded by Rex Cadman for the senior ones and Tracy Layton from Armourfast for the Juniors. Well done to all those who helped make the day run so well, MAFVA with the competitions and especially to the show organizer, Harold Hanna of Matador Models. Well done Harold, another excellent day!
ABOVE: A neat Falklands diorama by Paul Gandy on the South Wales MAFVA stand.
Rex Cadman presented the senior ‘Best of Show’ award to regular Military Modelling contributor Rob Henden.
ABOVE: An opened up FT17 in large 1:16 scale, using the Takom kit. BELOW: Nice to see a softskin entry in the competition with this US truck and trailers combination.
Tracy Layton presented the Junior ‘Best of Show’ awards.
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MAFVA
LEFT: Tankette covers military vehicles of all periods. From 1915 and “Little Willie”… ABOVE:…to modern day vehicles like the Russian T-14 Armata MBT that appeared in the Moscow Parade in late 2015.
The MAFVA column News and views from the Miniature Armoured Fighting Vehicle Association
Tom Cole asks what’s in Tankette?
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ast year we celebrated MAFVA’s 50th Anniversary and 50-years of the MAFVA magazine Tankette. As the current editor it is has been my pleasure to produce the magazine for the last three years. We looked back last year in the magazine at how Tankette had changed dramatically in the five decades. Tankette first appeared in 1965 (some 6-years before Military Modelling!) when it was home printed with just text and drawings and distributed, mostly by hand, to the few early members. Volume 5 edition 1 (printed in October 1969) was a major step forward as the magazine appeared with black and white photos. For the first time a professional printer produced the magazine, then in half foolscap. As the years passed so the quality of the magazine improved with advances in printing technology, but it was not until Volume 44 that the magazine grew to A4 size and was presented for the first time with colour pages. Whilst the size and format of Tankette may have changed the type of articles in the magazine has remained constant. Tankette LEFT: The cover of Tankette 50/5. (Photo: John Woolford)
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was never intended to rival commercial magazines like MM. Instead the magazine has always aimed to appeal to model makers and historians wanting in-depth information on military vehicles that often cannot be found elsewhere. Over the past 50-years the magazine has covered all periods and all countries from “Little Willie” all the way up to the latest Russian vehicles paraded in Red Square just recently. Frequently, the articles and plans in Tankette have been followed by kit manufacturers, first in resin then by injection-moulded plastic kits. For example, over the past two years we have had a series of articles by Peter Davenport about the often-overlooked Vickers Medium tank and, at the time of writing, I understand HobbyBoss are about to release a Medium Mk.I and two versions of the Medium Mk.II. We are fortunate to have some regular contributors that are military vehicle experts, such as Dick Harley, David Fletcher, David Nicholas and Peter Davenport. They all generously contribute top class, authoritative articles and drawings on a regular basis. Most articles are illustrated with high quality drawings in all of the popular 1:35, 1:48, 1:76 and 1:72 scales. In the early days of model making when, compared to today, there were very few proprietary kits available the only way to possess a model of a particular vehicle was to scratchbuild it. Scale drawings are still very useful as a means for checking that kits are accurate, help their improvement or even sometimes in aiding placement of parts where kit instructions are unclear. All of the articles, drawings and
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.5 2016
MAFVA
In the latest edition of Tankette we look at British military trains of WW2. (Photo: Bovington Tank Museum)
ABOVE LEFT & RIGHT: Tankette 51/3 also looks at the first British Armoured Personnel Carrier and the exhibits in the military museums in Moscow.
photos are donated by MAFVA members and the subscriptions cover magazine publishing and distribution costs. Tankette articles are not normally available elsewhere and are a benefit for MAFVA members. Most are very comprehensive and some are provided as a series of articles running throughout the year. Typical of this is Dick Harley’s well-regarded Cromwell Kitography series examining the A27 Cruiser from the modeller’s perspective including a review of all the after-market accessories and transfers. As more information or new products become available articles are updated and Dick will do this in a future Cromwell article. To give a flavour of the sort of subjects covered, here is an outline of the articles that will appear in Tankette 51 Volume 3. Dick Harley has produced a splendid article on British Armoured Trains used in World War Two and has for the first time in many years released drawings of the ‘C’ and ‘K’ trains that formed part of Britain’s defence during the war. David Nicholas looks at Britain’s first Armoured Personnel Carrier, a revolutionary
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experimental half-track vehicle that appeared in the 1920s. We stay in the inter-war period with an article and drawings from Peter Davenport about the Dragon Mk.I. Coming bang up-to-date MAFVA Chairman John Ham visited Moscow last year and he provides an excellent colour spread on the Central Armed Forces Museum and the Great Patriotic War Museum – both in Moscow. We have always ensured that Tankette has good quality and well-researched original articles that you will not find either on the Internet or in commercial magazines. As a MAFVA member you will receive six magazines a year, but in addition you will have access to 50-years of back issues. Most are still available and there is a useful index on the MAFVA website (www.mafva.net). So if you are looking for articles on military vehicles that are not available to the general public then why not become a member of MAFVA? Membership details are on the MAFVA website or you can contact our Membership Secretary Neil Wharton at 85 Alexander Avenue, Earl Shilton, Leicester LE9 7AH (
[email protected]).
As well as looking at military vehicles, Tankette also reports on what the MAFVA membership have been doing. Here we see a motley crowd from MAFVA at Shuttleworth in 2015 selling Tankettes.
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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.
Fighting for Napoleon – French Soldiers’ Letters 1799-1815 by Bernard Wilkin & René Wilkin. Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS. ISBN 978-147383-373-9. Price £19.99. Based on more than 1,600 letters – most of which have never been published before – this work provides the reader with a good insight into the lives of ordinary French of the Napoleonic Wars. These conflicts are rarely seen from the perspective of the lowly ‘other ranks’ of an army, so the experience of ordinary soldiers is less well known. Direct accounts of campaigns and battles, recruitment and training, barrack life, the experience of captivity and being wounded are all here, based on letters written mostly by uneducated men to their immediate family. A few illustrations are included as is a chronology of the Napoleonic Wars, a bibliography and an index. This really is fascinating stuff, and surely a ‘must’ for students of Napoleonic warfare. Stuart Asquith
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British Military Trucks of the Cold War – Manufacturers, Types, Variants and Service of Trucks in the British Armed Forces 1945-79 by Les Freathy. 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. ISBN 978-3-936519-42-6. Price £34.99.
[email protected] www.bookworldws.co.uk Armed forces need large numbers of vehicles to move men and equipment around. Some are specialised such as ambulances, radio vehicles, fuel tankers, tank transporters or artillery towers, others are lightweight types for scouting roles while the majority are cargo and troop carriers of varying capacities. These range from special designs through to basically civilian vehicles with a few modifications for military use. There are also
many purely civilian designs of cars, vans and buses which are used where appropriate. In the years following the end of the Second World War, Britain’s forces used vehicles from many manufacturers for lots of roles. The best of the wartime vehicles remained in use for many years, but it was intended to produce a range of specially designed ones for frontline use. This proved to be too expensive resulting in smaller quantities than expected being bought while simpler, though still adequate designs, were adopted instead. Most of these were supplied by British manufacturers, they also changed over the years as they were amalgamated, taken over or went out of business. Covering this story is a major undertaking. This book does it as well as most could want. It begins with an overview of vehicles in military service for the century up until 1945 ranging from early steam engines to the designs of the war years. The plans for the specialist C.T. or Combat Vehicles series for frontline use and the General Service and Commercial Line classes are briefly described. Most of the book is devoted to the vehicles produced by each manufacturer. Each has a short introduction then photos of the different types with photos and brief technical data. These range from wellknown and widely-used vehicles such as Land-Rovers and generations of Bedford trucks to less well-known and less-successful vehicles like the Austin Gypsy. The Germanbuilt vehicles used in Berlin and elsewhere in Germany get their own chapter. Others such as the few American types in use are also included. Trailers of all sorts are not forgotten. Most photos are black and white though the final chapter shows a selection of vehicles in colour. There is a lot in this book. Many designs would need a book of this size or bigger to cover them in detail but what we have here gives an overview of what was used in this period. Peter Brown
Scale Model Handbook – WWII Special. Mr Black Publications, PO Box 76341, 17102 Nea Smimi, Athens, Greece. Available in the UK priced £23.35 from Historex Agents, Wellington House, 157 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent CT17 9BZ. www.mrblackpublications.com www.historexagents.com Well, as Special’s go, it’s not a bad place to start – one featuring WW2 subjects is going to be popular, especially with the stellar cast of writers Stelios can call on! Usually I scan through a Mr Black’s publication before settling down to read it properly – although I’ve got to admit that I was captured by the first article almost instantly, as it features the idea of creating a 3D representation of a Tamiya kit box art. I grew up making Tamiya kits in my early teens, so it was an instant fade back to sepia as I settled in to read all about how Kaz Tomori went about creating his diorama. His article takes a Panzer II tank and four figures all rushing to attack an enemy that is somewhere off to the fore. Added to the scene is a section of North African terrain and a rather windswept palm tree. Interesting how he animates the figures to breath life into them and also the scene – a clever visual start to this Special. Staying with a vehicular theme, the second article is offered up by Carl Startin, and features just one figure in a relaxed pose, but standing next to a Simca 5 in a section of muddy street that has a sprinkling of snow. Whilst on the face of it, this model is a lot simpler than the first article, seeming static and relaxed, the subtle painting, along with additions to the vehicle and scratchbuilt scenery all speak of a skilled hand being used to offer up a quiet little portion of life in a back street away from the turmoil of conflict. The next two articles are focused on single figures – the first of these by Juanma Vergara again brings us a character inhabiting the cold of the Eastern Front, and gives us a good coverage of using oils
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.5 2016
Books
and acrylics to paint the grey/green uniform and winter coat, but then to bring life with a very realistic face. Again, there are many small details like the scattered straw and rubble on the groundwork that just add to what at first appears to be a very simple scene – but looking closely shows how naturally placed these things are, along with the slight variations in colour for the clothing – close enough to see that it’s a military issue uniform, but varies enough to hint at different materials and probably different factories manufacturing the clothing items. The second of the figure articles is produced by Man Jin Kim, and features a superb rendition of a camouflage smock. The figure represents what appears to be a very young German infantryman, walking off to war with his rifle on his back. Again a subtle figure that is brilliantly painted, my words are wasted on this one, it’s just a lovely little example of what someone good can do with a brush. Oh, and so far all the subjects have been German, and all in 1:35 or 54mm scale. So to ring the changes, Toshihiro Sano brings us the fifth article about a US BAR Gunner, again in 1:35 scale, and like Carl Startin’s piece, this is a relaxed pose making painting the focus of the piece. The painting is very nice, but I’m just uncomfortable with the pose of this offering from Alpine Miniatures. The relaxed stance is very good, but the position of the BAR gun on the shoulder looks a little unbalanced. These were big heavy pieces to handle, and the sculpting doesn’t seem to convey that in a convincing manner. It’s not the fault of the painter, he’s done an excellent job, but take a look at the model and I’m pretty certain you’ll see what I mean. The next article up is from Ioannis Tsiktsiris and goes up a scale to feature a 75mm Japanese Officer brandishing a Samurai’s Katana. It’s in a classic pose with the sword raised ready to deal a slashing blow from right to left, and because it’s ‘mid-action’ it could be said that the figure looks a little strained. However, it does work well and the model has been added in to a jungle setting with a portion of tree and some ferns. The fabrication of the tree alone makes me think that this guy is a saint, each and every leaf was fastened into place individually – a mind numbing proposition, and only for
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the dedicated. It does look very good though. As break now from figures the seventh article features a bust. Again we have a German subject, this time he looks a little more comfortable as he’s from the desert theatre of war, a German DAK. The feature here is Oberleutnant Gerog Briel produced as a limited edition for Alabarda Club of Spain. The simplicity of the piece, being a true bust and only featuring the head, shoulders and part of the chest of the figure is in how the details are handled. The worn and battered paint on the helmet is superb, the wrinkles on the neck subtle and realistic, and the clothing appears as though it would be soft to the touch – really good handling of the different textures by Juanma Vergara. The eighth feature is again a bust, with a little more of a story to tell in that it’s the Russian soldier from Life Miniatures. I’ve painted this one myself (see MM Vol.45 No.7, Ed) and found it a little bland facially. Getting any expression out of the features is difficult, but Kaz Tomori has managed far better than I did. The work around the eyes particularly brings the model to life, and interesting read that I found enlightening, with a face that begins to favour Tom Hardy by the time it comes to the end. Next up are a pair of Alpine Miniatures – an Italian AFV driver and a German DAK Panzer Officer in 1:35 scale. These figures are posed together and work quite well as a small vignette, and the article comes from Mr Black Studio – Stelios, is that you? The article is short, and offers mixes for the areas being painted in the form of listings of the paint colours. There are no notes about the amounts of each paint in the mixes, so although it would be possible to use the mixes, you’ll still have to use your discretion to get to the colours you want the mixes to become. From two figures with fairly static poses, we move to the next article that positions two German soldiers from the Masterbox range in their desperate attempt to attack a section of Stalingrad. The small street scene from Stelios Neofytidis is well put together and there is an apparent interaction between the two soldiers – one rushing forward, whilst the other is in the process of hurling a hand grenade. Again,
the paint descriptions come in a listed format but this time with percentages to make up the mixes where multiple paints are used for certain areas of the models. However, that only runs as far as the flesh mixes, after that you’re back to guessing the ratios for the colours being mixed. Returning to the larger scales, Toshihiro Sano takes on the Young Miniatures DAK bust. It’s a nice model to begin with but Toshihiro does a good job of utilising the larger scale to bring this piece to life. Mr Black is back with a further article, this time aimed at beginners and showing how plastic figures can be cleaned up to provide a cheap but perfectly useable model. Sometimes we modellers pass over plastic 1:35 scale kits as we search for more expensive offerings that we perceive to be of much higher quality. This one page article shows that sometimes we might be missing something there… Following on from that is a more complex article, again from Mr Black, which shows several German figures from the Masterbox range, along with some scratchbuilding and conversion work to build a diorama with five figures and the corner of a building. The flow of the movement makes for a good-looking scene, and the article gives a reasonable description of how things are put together. There’s not too much about the scenery building, as the article focuses more on the construction of the figures and their subsequent painting. The last two articles both feature kits from Alpine 1:35 scale figures. The penultimate article shows us a British Royal Tank Regiment Crewman painted by Toshihiro Sano. In fairness he needs a tank to lean against, but that doesn’t detract from how well this little offering is painted. The final article is penned by Stelios Neofytidis and uses two Russian tank crew figures to form a simple vignette. Again this is a pair of figures designed primarily for use with an AFV of some description, although once again a small scene has been made to display the figures on their own and a decent paint-job lifts them to a level beyond their expected use. To conclude, Mr Black has managed to put together another quality product that reads well,
gives decent instruction and fires the imagination. Hopefully this all adds up to sending you back towards the modelling bench with renewed enthusiasm! Adrian Hopwood
Artillery of the Napoleonic Wars – Artillery in Siege, Fortress and Navy 1792-1815 by Kevin Kiley. Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS. ISBN 978-1-84832-637-8. Price £30. This title chronicles the story of the guns and men during the 23-years of almost continuous warfare from 1792-1815; from the battlefields of continental Europe to the difficult terrain of North America and of the seas, lakes and rivers that connected them. The technical information is accompanied by descriptions that offer the reader the opportunity to perhaps imagine just what it must have been like to manoeuvre and man the guns in a variety of situations, whether on the march or on the battlefield. Based on years of research into the regulations of the period, eyewitness accounts of artillerymen and material taken from official sources, the information provided by the author will certainly be of particular interest to students of period artillery, while the narrative will also appeal to the general reader. In addition to the text, there are over 50 tables, 10 maps, 31 illustrations, 11 appendices, a glossary, a bibliography and an index. This highly recommended work is a companion volume to the author’s previously published (2004/2015) Artillery of the Napoleonic Wars: Field Artillery 1792-1815. Stuart Asquith
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Books
Scratchbuilding Masterclass edited by Chris Meddings. Inside The Armour Publications, 4 Duncombe Lane, Bristol BS15 1NR. ISBN 9780-9932-5881-7. Price £15 plus £4 p&p.
[email protected] www.insidethearmour.com Chris Meddings’ latest book from his newly formed Inside The Armour Publications, Scratchbuilding Masterclass adheres to the modelling theme, and takes a punt at general modelling by offering an insight into promoting scratchbuilding to all modellers with words and photos. Think about it, showing scratchbuilding and all it entails in one book – what do you show? Will it be the basics? Do you follow a step-by-step approach? Do you go for an advanced approach? Or will it be for absolute beginners? Will it cater for experienced modellers? What level do you aim it at? How do you present it? Do you use contributors? That’s lot of questions and a tough call for any publisher/editor/compiler/ designer… Chris has followed the contributor compilation route by presenting the work and thoughts of some of the Hobby’s top-flight modellers… And well known for building models and parts from scratch are David Parker, Alex Clarke, Stephen Tegner and George Moore to which the publisher/editor has also topped and tailed the book with his own additions. A Basic Guide to Tools and Materials opens the proceedings showing some basic and necessary tools and materials described and illustrated. George Moore begins the features with
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Scratchbuilding for Yourself and for Casting, with an Introduction, Tools, Materials and Their Uses, Adhesives and Rivets, Nuts and Bolts, where he passes on lots of helpful points and information. This feature ends with a ‘Case Study’ and George offers information on producing Toothed Quadrants and Drive Cogs – handy for dealing with those toothed segments found on elevation mechanisms on artillery, mechanical gearboxes and the like. He continues with Reproducing Identical Parts, Using a Template to Locate Bolts and Rivets, Building up Complete Single Forms using a Universal Carrier as an example – with photographs and drawings. Once you’ve made a part or parts how do you reproduce it – perhaps for a production kit? George rounds off his section showing how he did this when scratchbuilding a 9.2” Howitzer, and the section ends with photos of his work and some he’s mastered for various companies. Alex Clark follows showing how to master models in the smaller scales – his preference is for 1:72 scale although he confesses to dabble in larger scales from time to time. Illustrations show how to scratchbuild T-90 and T-72 turrets and how to convert parts as a basis ready for moulding. Moving on there’s a pattern-making sequence showing the sections produced for casting a BTR-80 hull. Creating Intricate Detail in 1:72 scale takes some doing where the parts can be dauntingly miniscule, like the Buran-PA periscope sight. With the sight completed Alex moves on to building an engine, but the captioning has gone a bit haywire here where the first two captions on the first page are repeats of those for completing the Buran sight and bear no relation to modelling an engine. Continuing, some photos show the building of an engine and examples of appropriate gearboxes are shown. Making multiple parts and using simple jigs for various fittings is a useful sequence that encompasses making rivets and bolts all topped off with Alex Clark’s Modeller Gallery with some highly detailed 1:72 scale models during construction and views of a FlaK 3.7cm, main image on the book’s cover. David Parker’s work is next with a complete feature on fitting
out the Sperry A1 top turret for HK Models’ 1:32 scale USAAF B-17G, making parts from scratch and using commercial ones where available. A super detailing exercise using a lot of scratchbuilt parts that could be displayed as a completed item in its own right alongside the B-17 as most of the detail David has put into the already crowded turret isn’t visible with the turret in place in the aircraft. Various Case Studies follow with a 1:16 scale German Scissor Telescopes and its mounting – there’s nothing available commercially, so if you want one of these you’ll have to build it. Also shown is replacing poorly modelled kit parts with more accurate scratchbuilt ones. Correcting a 1:16 scale Tiger II engine bay and the gun sight mount, an ammunition bin and fuel cell for a 1:35 scale Soviet T-62 rounds off this section. David Parker’s Modeller Gallery shows extensive interior detailing work on a Tiger II, that will be familiar to many from AFV Modeller magazine he edits, and its supporting specialist titles, plus his award-winning HK Models’ USAAF B-17G. Stephen Tegner is South African and works in the Army Museum there and is known for 1:1 scale restorations as well as his large 1:15 scale model AFVs – scratchbuilt throughout. His section, the final compilation in the book, is titled Full Scratchbuilding in Larger Scales. Steve’s work on large scale fighting vehicles will be known to the many who have seen his impressive French Char B1, Somua S35 and Czech Type 37 tank models. Steve explains and believes “Everything is Geometry” and whatever the shape or complexity it can be represented in model form. He discusses raw materials, essential tools, plastic angle iron and how he produces plastic tubes for his large-scale models. Making accurate master patterns from which to cast track links is shown as a photosequence… and he mentions that anyone skilled in CAD can create 3D printed versions, which is the direction plastic modelling is going in – expensive now, but prices will decrease with time and 3D printing will be available to not only the wealthier – hopefully!
Using drawings glued directly to a wooden former that is cut and sanded to produce a cast hull shape and finished by forming plastic sheet softened with a heat gun overall is shown. Sounds easy, but practice will undoubtedly make perfect here. Complicated Heat Forming and Hot Styrene Filler are interesting techniques followed by Mould Preparation and Casting where the basics for reproducing parts in resin from your own patterns at home are shown. Larger scale details – nuts and bolts, rivets, hinges and even periscopes with Perspex blocks are mentioned before the Stephen Tegner Modeller Gallery rounds off his contribution and the contributors section with photos of his Char B, engines and interior details and views of the Czech 37 and inside the turret of a Soviet KV-1. Finally, Chris Meddings shows how to cut plastic sheet accurately. If you usually just reach for a knife and ruler, things have moved on a bit and you should try a scriber or P-cutter for more accurate cuts. Basics techniques like cutting rod and tube and stretching rod and sprue are highlighted. The book is a good compilation of modelling and will be of interest to anyone who’d like some guidance and pointers in ‘getting into’ scratchbuilding parts and maybe complete vehicles. If you’re already into scratchbuilding it’s good to read about the techniques of others sharing their experience in the field. On the production side the publication has a few glitches with its typography and some points on design. Hopefully I’m not getting too picky here, but black type on dark blue and grey coloured text boxes doesn’t really work or read well for those of us who no longer have 20-20 vision, and would be perhaps better printed ‘white out of’ or with a lighter colour – whereas black on white and the lighter colours is no problem. Although the book has an index with page numbers linked to the contents, unfortunately it appears that the folios were left off the pages. Whatever, I liked it! Congratulations to Chris Meddings on his latest title now out from Inside The Armour self-publishing. Ken Jones
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.5 2016
GO TO THE PAST Commemorate the 1914-18 Centenary
Bird Battlefield Tours Convivial & informative. Group or private tours to the Somme and Ypres.
Nick Bird:
[email protected] birdbattlefieldtours.com
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.
Orochi Model M3A3 Bradley CFV – Standard Edition in 1:35 scale This new kit of the Bradley is offered by Orochi Model, a subsidiary of Takom. It provides a no-nonsense simplified kit of the M3A3 and is available in two classes, ‘Deluxe’ (item IM001) and ‘Standard’ (item IM002). The differences between the two kits are that the Deluxe one comes with four resin parts (bustle stowage), a two-piece brass gun barrel, and single link white metal tracks held together by steel pins. That kit has 722 parts to this kit’s 488, almost all with the track sets. What you get with this kit is a solid kit of the basic Bradley with the modifications for the CFV such as the vision blocks on the dismount compartment roof/reloading hatch and other detail changes. It has a onepiece styrene gun barrel and
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180 links of snap-together styrene track (similar to the Meng tracks). All hatches may be posed open and the wheels and tracks may be left moveable thanks to the vinyl wheel keepers. Some corners have been cut – the lower skirts on the A2 and later Bradleys actually consist of two thin sheets of armour steel spaced about 25mm apart but here, as with most of the other kits, they are moulded in one section. This is not too bad though, as the ERA arrays block most of the views of the skirts when installed. A total of 180 rivets and bolt heads are provided on the edge of the A sprues and these all have to be cut off and attached by the modeller per a location map on the first page of the nice instructions book. Assembly is very straightforward with the lower hull and running gear coming first and the tracks in Step 5. However, you only have either/ or mounting options for the rear hatch and the ramp – unlike the Tamiya kits the latter is not a working part. The ERA comes in segments and all of the bow sections are attached to replica brackets rather than just stuck on the surface of the engine access hatch. A separate turret race guard is also provided. All of the vehicle periscopes are provided as clear styrene parts, as are all headlight lenses. As this is the A3 version with BUSK kit, it comes with the armour glass ‘birdcage’ for the commander as well as the commander’s independent thermal viewer that mounts at the right rear of the turret. Spare 7.62mm
Riich Models If.5 Maschinengewehrwagen 36 in 1:35 scale Riich Models have released another welcome kit for a piece of German horse-drawn equipment (item RV35012). While we often think of the panzers and half-tracks used by the German Army, most of their infantry divisions remained reliant on horse-drawn transport right through to the end of the war. The number of dead horses found among the wreckage around Falaise in 1944 shocked many Allied soldiers who saw the devastation, my own father included. The two elements to this are a limber, plus a separate cart carrying a twin AA mount for the MG34, known as a zwillingslafette. Also stowed on the cart were the standard tripods for the MG34 so they could be dismounted from the AA mounting and set up as standard tripod mounted heavy machine guns. The kit is very well detailed and you have the task of assembling both carts and the zwillingslafette mount, along with two horses and three crew figures, one of which is the gunner to be sitting in the gun mounting, which did have a full 360-degree traverse. The two tripods are also included to stow on the back of the cart. Tyres for each cart are moulded separately, in a hard black plastic. Better for painting than a vinyl
ammunition cans are provided for the rear of the bustle, but unlike the Deluxe kit there is no stowage. Like the Tamiya kits, the TOW launcher may be shown stowed (flat against the side of the turret) or deployed (swung parallel to the ground and elevated). Both the gun mount and TOW mount are fitted with vinyl keepers to hold them in the desired position. However, note that the AA gun sight
style I think and they do have a neat tread pattern moulded into them as well. There are etched-metal parts included, along with twine and chain for the horses harness to the limber. Very cleanly made and in their own individual packs within the box. There are also clear diagrams to show how to add these on the model, including the use of small etch rings that they pass through, fitted to the leather harness on each horse. Altogether a good clear set of instructions with a fair bit to do for a relatively small model. Painting instructions are given in colour, and are simple panzer grey as an overall colour, though they do also include the multi-colour pattern used pre-war if you fancy a go at that instead. I am enjoying seeing these pieces of horse-drawn equipment from Riich, as we already know they have a field kitchen planned next. Such an important element of the German military in WW2 and largely overlooked by kit manufacturers (other than Tamiya’s field Kitchen and the ESCI wagons) over the years. If you are interested in seeing the real thing for reference, there is one in the St Petersburg Siege Museum while another more complete one, with both limber and MG cart, is in the Batterie Todt collection in the Pas de Calais. Robin Buckland
(parts E10/55/39, C48 and PE3) must be left loose as shown in the directions if the gun mount is to elevate. Marking and finishing data is minimal; colours are flagged during assembly but overall the vehicle is basic sand. Small G33 markings are provided for 2-3 Cavalry Squadron, 2nd ID. I suggest seeking out more accurate and complete markings via after-market offerings. Cookie Sewell
Military Modelling Vol.46 No.5 2016
Product reviews
35-859
Star Decals Decal sets in 1:35 scale More sets of decals have been recently released by Star Decals covering a range of different periods and nationalities. 35-861 Canadian Armour in Italy gives markings for three Sherman V. Two are Olive Drab vehicles from the Three Rivers Regiment C Squadron in Lucera in October 1943. Champlain had a cartoon crewman named “Little Henry” on its side while Cartier had its name repeated in black and white. Both had their serials painted on their hull sides twice. Atlas of the Ontario Regiment was in the Light Mud and Blue Black scheme with the A Squadron tac sign painted point down. Arm of Service markings come on a separate small sheet for the coloured background with the white numbers as separate decals. Price £6.99. A wide range of armoured vehicles are used by various groups in Afghanistan. 35-859 Afghan AFVs gives markings for several Northern Alliance units. These include a UAZ-469 in a multi-coloured scheme mounting a 106mm recoilless rifle, a plain green BTR-70 fitted with ZU-23-2 antiaircraft guns with improvised shields, BRDM-2 armoured cars in two- and four-coloured
35-851
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35-860 schemes, a BDRM-2 AT in green and black and two different ZSU4-23M Shilkas in dark green. There are also MAZ537 8x8 heavy tractor units in green or camouflaged schemes. Another Shilka with the Afghan National Army is in a sand and brown scheme while one believed to be with a Taliban unit is in an elaborate green, yellow, black and blue finish. Price £5.60. 35-860 Afghan Tanks covers several T-55 variants. Tanks serving with the Northern Alliance include examples in plain dark green, green and black, green, brown and sand and a six-colour finish. Two with Taliban units are in two shades of green and green, yellow, black and blue finish. Price £6.99. Several sets cover German WW2 units. 35-851 for 1. Skijager Division includes a VW Kübelwagen, several RSO/1 tracked tractors, a Grille Ausf H and two Germanmodified T-34/76. These are mostly in white schemes. Price £5.60. 35-852 for Grille H 15cm sIG 33/1 auf PzKpfw 38(t) gives markings for eight different vehicles in Italy, Russia and the Balkans from several units with decals for national markings, names, unit insignia and tactical signs. Price £5.60.
35-852
35-853 is for various Lastkraftwagen trucks, all in plain grey in Russia. One is a Mercedes-Benz L 3000 used for carrying fuel in 18 Pz Div complete with suitable warning signs. Three Opel Blitz S include a suitably marked fuel transporter from 1 Pz Div, a Luftwaffe truck mounting a 2cm FlaK gun and a medical vehicle with 30 Inf Div. A bonus of generic data and warning markings is included. Price £6.99. 35-854 Panther G gives markings for standard tanks from 5 Pz Div in 3-colour, ‘ambush’’ and winter schemes, and gun and command tanks with Fsch Pz Rgt HG all in East Prussia in late 1944 or 1945. Price £5.60. 35-855 covers Panther G and a Tiger I in East Prussia in late 1944 or 1945. Panthers are from 5 Pz Div, Grossdeutschland and Fsch Pz Rgt HG with the latter in winter scheme while the Tiger is from Grossdeutschland. Markings include various panther and devil heads as well as national markings and tactical numbers. Price £5.60. 35-856 is also for late-war units in East Prussia. Included are an SdKfz 250/1 half-track from 5 Pz Div, an SdKfz 251/1 with 20mm cannon from an unidentified unit, a StuH 42 also from an
35-861 unidentified unit, an upgunned StuG III Ausf C from StuG Brig 232, a StuG III Ausf G from StuG Brig 185, a Jagdpanzer IV L/48 from Fsch Pz Rgt HG and a Jagdpanzer IV(A) from an unidentified unit. Price £5.60. 35-857 German Tanks in Italy No.6 covers PzKpfw IV with options for Ausf H tanks from 15 Pz Gren Div, 16 Pz Div, 24 Pz Div and 26 Pz Div. Price £5.60. 35-858 German Tanks in Italy No.5 SPGs & AFVs has markings for an SdKfz 250/7 half-track with 26 Pz Div, PzKpfw III Flammpanzers from 16 Pz Div and 26 Pz Div, a StuG IV with Pz-Jg Abt 34, a Grille Ausf F from 26 Pz Div and a Marder III Ausf H with 71 Inf Div. Price £5.60. All are in the usual format with individual decals clearly printed in a matt finish. Each item is on its own small section of backing sheet that may need slight trimming. Vehicle colours and markings position details are shown in multi-view coloured drawings with a useful ‘map’ showing where each decal is on the sheet. Production is by Carl’s Stickers, Armnat-Charoen, Thailand. My thanks go to Johan Lexell for sending these for review. Peter Brown Prices in text www.star-decals.net
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35-853
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Product reviews
AFV Club M24 Chaffee WW2 British Army Light Tank in 1:35 scale Most American light tanks produced during WW2 were developments of pre-war vehicles but a totally new design was introduced into production in 1944. The M24 was a major improvement on the earlier M2, M3 and M5 series. It used torsion bar suspension fitted to a wellshaped hull and a large turret mounting a 75mm gun adapted from a lightweight design produced for aircraft use. This gave it a gun equivalent to early Shermans in a smaller and lighter package. Production began in March 1944 and the first tanks were issued for service in late 1944 and early 1945.
Some were allocated for British use where they received the name Chaffee after the US Army General of that name. Supplied under contract S/
M1468 they had serials in the range T330410 to T330809 which would have covered 400 vehicles although records show only 289 were received. They
were issued to the Recce Troops of some tank regiments towards the end of the war in Europe, small numbers were listed with the Guards and 7th Armoured
for the European game server. This code is valid until December 2016. Not for Resale.” A 29.7 x 42cm colour poster of Bismarck, though unfortunately this is folded in half for it to fit into the box, which is a shame as it spoils the poster!
Italeri ‘World of Warships’ German battleship Bismarck in 1:700 scale Italeri continue their association with Wargaming.net and their online multiplayer military themed computer games with this repackaged (Dragon Models Ltd) kit of famous German battleship Bismarck, this time from the World of Warships game. The Bismarck is arguably one of, if not, the most well-known battleships of the Second World War, and consequently a popular subject with kit manufacturers and modellers alike. I don’t play World of Warships myself, but it looks like it follows a similar format and concept to the World of Tanks game. I imagine that Bismarck is one of those ships that many gamers aspire to research, unlock, and use within the World of Warships game, making her an excellent choice of subject for
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Italeri to start a new series of models with. The kit (item 46501) is attractively packaged in its World of Warships themed livery, with a main box art image showing an artist’s impression of an imposing bow on view of Bismarck at sea. The box top also informs us of the bonus extras that come with the kit, these are: An A5 booklet which contains an explanation of the World of Warships game, a potted history of the Bismarck, information on Bismarck’s in-game characteristics, and the bonus codes for use with the online game. The codes are found on the back page of the booklet and are: A bonus code which unlocks the following in-game goods: • Diana - Russian Premium Cruiser, Tier 2 • One port slot • 500 Signal Flags
Three invite codes to share with your friends, the code (for new players only) unlocks the following in-game goods: • 7 Days of Premium Account • 1,000 Gold (the virtual currency used within the game to purchase equipment and extras for your warship) Note: Text on the back cover of the booklet states that “Each type of code can only be used once on a World of Warships account. The code is only valid
As an aside, I was surprised to find a small 5ml bottle of liquid cement this inside the box, as it was absent from the World of Tanks kits I reviewed in MM Vol.46 No.3. As the cement is a liquid there is a possibility that it may not be available with the kit depending on which country its being shipped to. Now on to the kit, sprues A through to K fit snugly inside the box and for extra security are packaged in polythene bags. The majority of the components are moulded in a grey plastic with the notable exception of a single transparent sprue (H), which provides small ship’s boats and
Product reviews
Divisions and one with 4th Canadian Armoured Division around VE Day. AFV Club have released several versions of the M24 with different parts and decals for wartime and post-war vehicles. This release (item AF35210) is for a British version. Parts come moulded mostly in dark green plastic with a small clear sprue, band-type tracks of the metal T72 pattern used on wartime tanks, two etched-brass frets, a metal gun barrel complete with spring to allow a recoil action, some brass spent cartridges for the 75mm, a few resin items and a length of thin cord. The British features such as the stowage boxes on the trackguards, BCF fire extinguishers and fittings for
two Arado floatplanes. The use of transparent plastic to mould ship’s boats and aircraft in warship kits is becoming a common and welcome practice as it yields a more realistic finish when representing glazed objects. All components are crisply moulded and exhibit some fine surface detail, I would recommend where possible to keep the application of primer and paint as thin as possible to avoid the loss of this fine detail. In general construction of this model looks simple enough, the instruction sheet is in a foldout plan format on one sheet of paper. The instructions show sprue tree layout and components not required for this model are indicated with a grey tint. I assume that the surplus components are for those found on Bismarck’s sister ship Tirpitz. The nine stages of construction are clearly illustrated in the instruction sheet. It is obvious from the very first stage that the kit is intended to be finished as a full hull model, although the kit can easily be completed in a waterline configuration by omitting the lower hull and its running gear. Should you wish to complete the model as suggested by the instructions with a full hull a cradle type display stand is supplied. Stage 2 of construction deals with the ship’s main, secondary and tertiary armament. The four
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the No.19 aerial set are on a new Sprue L. There is also a resin spare wheel and two small resin items for aerial bases, as well as a seated resin figure in a duffel coat who appears to have a mug of tea! This is shown in some issues as being included in early releases of the kit but was not flagged on the box on mine. Construction follows a typical pattern, from fitting out the hull ‘tub’ with torsion bars then wheels, upper hull and trackguards plus fittings including etchedbrass trackguard supports and engine deck grille. Note that the stowage boxes are different with the longer one on the right-hand side. One thing missed out is the shovel,
main turrets each have a lug (part 22C) which has to be fixed underneath the turret, this lug then fits into a slot where each turret is mounted to the deck thus allowing the completed turret to rotate without falling out of its mounting. Each of the gun barrels for the four main turrets can be built to elevate and depress independently. Thanks to modern moulding techniques gun barrels for both primary and secondary armament have a slight recess indent moulded in which helps create the illusion that they are hollow. It should be noted that there is not an option for fixed gun barrels sporting canvas blast bags in this kit. However, there are many after-market accessories available for Bismarck in 1:700 scale. This leads me neatly on to mention that unlike the original Dragon release of this model under the Italeri label there is no photo-etched fret provided with the kit, but again these are readily available for this warship should the modeller wish to add some extra or more refined detail.
axe and sledgehammer which were relocated to the engine deck, part C19 in the kit. Turret includes a basic breech for the 75mm which can be made to recoil but no other interior parts. Crew hatches in the hull and turret can be positioned open. Cupola body and periscopes come as clear parts as does a neat driver’s windscreen though it is not shown in the instructions. Colour and markings options with suitable decals are included for four vehicles. All are listed as in ‘Dark Green’ though Olive Drab would be more appropriate. Two are for tanks being evaluated in the UK, photos show them without stowage boxes so they would
After dealing with the ship’s main armament the instructions move on to the general construction of the rest of the ship. All looks to be quite straightforward and logical, there may be potential for an annoying and visible join line between parts 9B and 10B, the base of the forecastle, but as already noted the parts of this kit are crisply moulded so with a little care the join should be relatively easy to hide/fill when taking advantage of the bead of molten plastic that results from gluing the two parts together. Construction of the model culminates with the addition of the running gear detail, should you decide to build the model in full hull configuration, and then Stage 9 is the addition of the display stand. The display stand can be decorated with a nameplate and two World of Warships anchor logos courtesy of the decal sheet provided with the kit. The decal sheet also provides boot line strips, the fake white bow wave as
need the original American stowage layout which the instruction do not give. A tank from 1RTR with 7th Armoured Division on a parade on 1945 carried a spare wheel on the glacis, its finish looks glossy as it was ‘bulled up’ for the day and it may have been repainted in SCC15 for the event. Final option is a tank with 5th Infantry Division in Germany in 1946 - actually 13th/18th Hussars though not described as such – which for some reason was missing the turret stowage bin. Peter Brown Price £42.99 UK distributors Bachmann-Europe PLC
, 13 Moat Way,
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part of the camouflage scheme, Kriegsmarine ensigns, and the backgrounds for the large swastikas found on the deck at the bow and stern. For obvious reasons the swastika itself is absent from the decal sheet, so if you wish to make the model more historically accurate (rather than game accurate) you will have to source these yourself. Only one colour scheme is shown in the instructions and colour callouts are from Italeri’s own range of acrylic paints. At the time of writing Bismarck is the first, and thus far, the only warship model available in Italeri’s World of Warships line so it will be interesting to see what Italeri ‘launch’ next. I am not sure if HMS Hood is available to play in the World of Warships game, but perhaps the Hood would make a logical and welcome choice! Richard Dyer Price £39.99 UK distributors, The Hobby Company, Milton Keynes MK5 8PG.
65
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