Model Military International - Issue 091 (November 2013)

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Modelling Trees Part One - Broadleaf Trees

Modelling Trees Part Two - Conifers

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92 pages, full colour.

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Tank Art Volume 1 - WWII German Armor

92 pages, full colour.

by Michael Rinaldi. There are many “how-to” books in today’s world of scale modeling, but none has covered the “why”, as well as, the “how-to” processes’ the modeler’s artistic approach, until now. Paperback, 208 pages, full colour.

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Tank Art Volume 2 - WWII Allied Armor

O R D E R

There are 5 models featured inside, 4 dedicated technique chapters, plus a special bonus figure modeling chapter by Radek Pituch. Inside features over 500 color photos reproduced in a large format.

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B O O K S

Soviet and Russian Military Aircraft in the Middle East Includes fighters, strike aircraft, bombers, helicopters and transports, Arranged by country with detailed fleet lists, Colour profiles, Second in a major 3-book series. Over 375 photographs and 150 colour profiles.

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Tiger 1 in Action 19421945

This edition has been revised and augmented, with more accurate captions as to dates and locale, together with new illustrations and a chapter on additional units. 288 pages - square spine.

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Officers and Soldiers 21 - French Chasseurs a Cheval Volume 3

This third part illustrates the last years of the Empire; dark years which will see our “Chasseurs” being gobbled up during the Russian disaster. Full Colour, 83 pages.

£15.00

The Weathering Magazine Volume 5 'Mud'

This issue describes in-depth the techniques to create mud effects in all forms and environments. As always these techniques will be demonstrated by some of the most talented modellers from around the World. 70 pages, full colour.

£8.99

Tankograd 6027 - U.S. WW II GMC Wrecker Trucks, Gasoline Tank Trucks and AFKWX-353 COE Truck 48 pages with 150-200 illustrations, among them WW2 action photos, colour photos and technical drawings. Excerpts of technical manuals, wartime photos, photos of restored vehicles. Ideal compagnion for modellers and fans of technology. Complete background history and variants.£9.99

The GMC CCKW Truck in US Service

Illustrated with over 1200 vintage colour and black/white photographs, most of which have never been published, plus detailed line drawings. Hardback, 504 pages.

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The Complete DUKW Historical Reference

This 75,000 word book is packed with archival photos detailing the origin, design, numerous changes throughout production as well as wartime use. 750 photos, detailed line drawings, colour profiles. Hardback, 304 pages.

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A complete and illustrated description of the U.S. M4 Sherman tank series in the Second World War. Over 900 black / white and color photographs. Paperback. 386 pages.

Panzerwaffe on the Battlefield

World War Two photobook series Volume 3. Fully illustrated with Black/White photo’s. 112 pages.

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The latest publication from Oliver Publishing is a book covering German armour during the last battles of Normandy. Full colour artwork depicting over 40 different vehicles.

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Tankograd 5043 - FENNEK: The Fennek Reconnaissance Vehicle in Modern German Army Service Altogether, the Bundeswehr procured 226 Fenneks, some of which have since been destroyed during operations. This publication comprehensively describes the development and technology of the Fennek in all its variants. 72 pages, 144 colour photographs. £13.99

painting techniques to the creation of extremely weathered vehicles. From the painting of a small motor, to producing an entire scene that brings life and context to a vehicle. Paperback, 127 pages, 450 photos.

- Hasegawa 1/72 • In enemy hands KV-2 - Trumpeter 1/35 • BT-7 Tamiya 1/35 • On a Green Island - M3 Lee - Mirage 1/72. Paperback, 78 pages, full colour.

Tankograd 3020 - NUCLEAR WINTER FTX: US Army Vehicles during the Cold War Exercises WINTER SHIELD I and II in 1960-61 In the

Tiger

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early 1960s Germany was the centre of the Cold War and a nuclear clash of the superpowers on German soil was a realistic yet in the same way horrific scenario. 64 pages, Illustrated with 6 colour photographs and 104 b&w photographs. £13.99

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Thomas Anderson draws upon original German archival material to tell the story of the birth of the Tiger. He then analyzes its success on the battlefield and the many modifications and variants that also came into play. Illustrated throughout with rare photographs and drawings, many of which have never been published in English before. 256 pages, Hardback. £25.00

The Weathering Magazine Rust

For the very first time in the world of modeling, we introduce a new quarterly magazine exclusively dedicated to weathering effects and painting techniques.

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Firefly Collection No.4 - A Extreme Weathering Vehicles Super Model International This book demonstrates how to apply No.4 Sound like Thunder: MorThe Secret Garden Sd.Kfz. 234/3 tain and Falaise August 1944 a large diversity of products and

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SON OF SHERMAN VOLUME 1: The Sherman, Design and Development

Tankograd 1008. FeldTankograd 6028.U.S. WW II M10 luftschiffer: The German Balloon and M10A1 Tank Destroyers Corps and Aerial Reconaissance 48 pages with 150-200 illustrations, The Feldluftschiffer, or Feldluftschiffertruppe (balloon corps) provided extensive and often decisive reconnaissance of enemy troop movements and artillery positions, and guided the German forces’ own artillery fire and infantry attacks. 96 pages, 176 black&white photographs. £21.99

among them WW2 action photos, colour photos and technical drawings. Excerpts of technical manuals, wartime photos, photos of restored vehicles. Ideal compagnion for modellers and fans of technology. Complete background history and variants. £9.99

The Wargaming Compendium

Model Laboratory Volume 3 Tiger 1

This book aims to demonstrate the wonderfully varied hobby of wargaming with miniatures, looking at the broad scope of what it has to offer as well as detailed explanations of how to get involved, including comprehensive rules for gladiator combat, Wild West skirmishes and the horse and musket era, as well as lots of advice for anyone new to wargaming. £35.00

In this third issue we face the Tiger I. Step by step process which explains various tricks and techniques: Performing various types of impact, chipping, hairspray techinque, dusting, painting tracks, oils etc 32 Pages, A-4 format, colour profiles, models gallery and products. Full Colour. £6.99

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09/09/2013 09:55

Contents - Issue 91 November 2013 52

30

16

REGULARS

FEATURES

p 4 NEWS

p 6 THINK TANK

p 56 INCOMING

ER p 16 VIKING SUMMER FCEOAVTURE p 38 FOLLOW THE BLUE COAT! 1:48 scale Panther A Dragon 1:72 Churchill in a

What’s new in the world of military modelling MMI’s thoughts on the latest kits and accessories

p 58 BOOKS

The latest book releases under review

p 60 1:48 SCALE

Luke Pitt explores 1:48 scale military models, figures and accessories

p 66 LAST POST

Late breaking news and ramblings from the Editor

38

Panther Pounce at Kovel by Dennis Oliver

Conversion by Brett Green

p 28 PREVIEW

Dragon 1:35 StuG III Ausf. G Late Production

p 30 MERKAVA GENESIS

Sam Dwyer builds Tamiya’s 1:35 Merkava 1

p 36 PREVIEW

Bronco 1:35 Jeep with 37mm Anti-Tank Gun

diorama by Kamil Feliks Sztarbala STEP

p 50 PREVIEW

STEP BY

Bronco 1:35 Korean War M24 Chaffee

p 52 THE CHOSIN FEW

Matt Wellhouser describes the painting of Young Miniatures’ 1:10 scale Battle of Jang-Jin Reservoir 1950 bust

©ADH Publishing Ltd 2013 Tel: (UK) 01525 222573 Fax: (UK) 01525 222574 Email: [email protected] Address: ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Model Military International is published monthly by ADH Publishing. Reproduction in part or whole of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Model Military International is accurate, the publishers and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions.

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Newsline - November’13

MMI Newsdesk, ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Tel:01525 222573 Fax:01525 222574 Email:[email protected]

Tamiya Forthcoming Release

1:35 M561 Gama Goat

T

he Gama Goat was a six-wheel-drive semi-amphibious off-road vehicle originally developed for use by the US Military in the Vietnam War. The Goat used an articulated chassis, so that from distance it appears to be a four-wheel drive vehicle pulling a two-wheel trailer, but it is a single six-wheel vehicle with a four-wheel steering arrangement with the front and rear wheels turning in opposite directions. It was famous for its ability to travel over exceptionally rough and muddy terrain. The vehicle's nickname came from two sources; "Gama" from the name of the inventor of its powered articulated joint, Roger Gamount, and "Goat" for its mountain goat-like off-road ability. Its military designation was M561, 6x6 tactical 1-1/4-ton truck.* Tamiya will be releasing an all-new 1:35 scale Gama Goat. The model will be 170mm in length and 62mm wide. Options will include a front windshield and a front winch. The complex six-wheel drive suspension has been engineered as a single part, easing assembly but retaining plenty of detail. The model will include a seated driver figure and three marking options. Also coming soon from Tamiya is a detailed kit in 1:48 scale of the Russian BA-64B armoured car. The kit includes a half figure of the commander and decals for one version. Tamiya’s 1:35 scale Long Range Desert Group Chevrolet truck will be re-released in a limited edition with seven figures from Master Box too.

Historical information courtesy of Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gama_Goat

New Meng Diorama Accessories Announced

Meng Model has announced two new diorama releases in 1:35 scale: • SPS-010 Water Bottles for Vehicle/Diorama • SPS-011 Beer Bottles for Vehicle/Diorama The 1:35 scale water bottle set contains 12 bottles including one type of small water bottle and one type of big bottle. These realistic bottles are made of high-quality light blue transparent plastic. The 1:35 scale beer bottle set contains 16 bottles including four different types of beer bottles. These realistic bottles are made of light green transparent plastic. Any of these bottles may be put onto vehicles like modern tanks and military armoured vehicles and also used for figure models and dioramas to improve details and reality. Thanks to Meng Model for the information and images www.meng-model.com

Riich Model and Bronco Forthcoming Releases

Riich Model and Bronco continue their prolific release schedule with five new announcements of forthcoming releases: Riich Model Item No. RE30010 – WWII British Commonwealth Weapon Set A This first set includes Sten guns, PIAT, mortars, grenades, helmets and more. Riich Model Item No. RE30011 – WWII British Commonwealth Weapon Set B The second set supplies, amongst other items, three Lee-Enfield .303 rifles, two rifles with bayonets fitted, and two Bren guns on tripods, one in anti-aircraft configuration and one in infantry support pose. Both of these sets will be warmly welcomed by modellers of British and Commonwealth subjects. Soviet BT-7 Fast Tank Mod.1937 Workable Track Link Set An individual link set for your Tamiya BT-7 late version or BT-42. Bronco Item No. CB35168 – 6 Pdr Mk.IV on Mk.III Airborne Carriage This 1:35 scale kit includes a new carriage, ammunition and four British Airborne crew members – a diorama in a box! Bronco Item No. CB35146 – Valentine Mk.XI (O.P.) The latest in Bronco’s line of excellent 1:35 scale Valentine kits.

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Think Tank - PANTHER POUNCE AT KOVEL Scharführer Herberts Panther is photographed some time after the action of 29-31 March 1944, when it was possible to recover the bodies of the German troops killed around the tanks and hastily buried. The number 821 is clearly visible on the turret side. This photograph was taken looking east towards the Cherkasy-Volinski railway station.

Dennis Oliver describes the desperate relief attempt by 5.SS-Panzer-Division at Kovel in Poland during March and April 1944, later dubbed “The Panther Pounce”.

PANTHER POUNCE AT KOVEL T

he town of Kovel, an important rail junction in present day Ukraine, almost exactly halfway between Kiev and Warsaw had been surrounded since 16 March 1944 and an early attempt to break the encirclement had been halted in front of the villages of Novi Koshary and Stari Koshary. The meagre German forces inside the Kovel perimeter - which included a number of hastily armed employees of the German Railways - had been ordered to hold their positions despite the personal intervention of the commander 5.SS-PanzerDivision Wiking, Gruppenführer (Lieutenant-General) Herbert Gille, who flew to Berlin to plead the case for withdrawal but was refused an audience with Hitler. Returning to the front, Gille decided that he could best assist the defence from inside the city and together with his adjutant, Hauptsturmführer (Captain) Westphal, landed in his personal Fieseler Storch aircraft at around noon on 16 March. The decision to remove himself from the division at such a critical time, criticised in some accounts, illustrates Gille's confidence in the abilities of his regimental and battalion commanders and there can be little doubt that his presence

inside the city contributed greatly to the morale of the defenders and that the name Kampfgruppe Gille was intentionally chosen to reassure them that they would not be abandoned. In late March, Kampfgruppe Richter - made up from the remnants of the Wiking division’s Germania and Westland Panzergrenadier regiments, the division's artillery regiment, the anti-aircraft and reconnaissance battalions and commanded by Standartenführer (Colonel) Joachim Richter from the artillery regiment - made the first unsuccessful - attempts to break the Russian encirclement. On Monday 27 March, the headquarters of the Wiking division’s tank regiment and the tanks of 8.Kompanie, the latter under Obersturmführer (Lieutenant) Karl Nicolussi-Leck, arrived at Maciejów, near Chelm in Poland, with a full complement of Panther tanks. The other companies would arrive in the following days as transport was available but Nicolussi-Leck's would be the only Wiking tanks available for an immediate attempt to establish contact with the Kovel defenders. With sixteen serviceable tanks, 8.Kompanie reached their start positions near Stari Koshary around 11.00am on the morning

of Wednesday 29 March, guided by Sturmbannführer (Major) Franz Hack, commander of the III. Abteilung of SS-PanzergrenadierRegiment Germania. On the advice of Hack, Nicolussi-Leck decided to eliminate a Russian anti-tank gun position situated approximately one thousand metres east of Stari Koshary which controlled one of the few areas of solid ground on either side of the rail line. The commander of the Germania regiment, Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant-Colonel) Dorr who was also present, agreed and NicolussiLeck made ready to move out. Almost immediately Mühlenkamp arrived and countermanded the order, insisting that any attempt to take the Russian position would be costly and reduce the already meagre forces available to break the encirclement. He then ordered Nicolussi-Leck to advance parallel to the railway line towards Cherkasy and from there to Kovel via Moschchena. At around noon the tanks moved off with the Panther of Hauptscharführer (Staff Sergeant) Eugen Faas, the commander of the first platoon, in the lead. On the right were the Grenadiers of Hack's battalion supported by ten assault guns of leichte-SturmgeschützAbteilung 190. On NicolussiLeck's left were volunteers from

Grenadier-Regiment 434 of 131. Infanterie-Division commanded by Hauptmann Bolm with a further seven assault guns. Light snow had begun to fall and almost immediately sporadic artillery fire commenced with shells landing either side of the tanks, prompting the Panthers to increase their speed. Within minutes the Russians were firing with every gun they possessed including antitank guns and heavy mortars. From his advanced position, Hauptscharführer Faas reported that muzzle flashes from Soviet anti-tank guns were visible in front and off to his right. Despite the swirling snow the Panthers of his platoon were able to identify the Russian position and returning fire, silenced the enemy guns. This was in fact the first Soviet defensive line and must have been either the Russian strongpoint mentioned by Hack or another approximately half way between Koshary and Cherkasy-Volinski railway stations, possibly along the road to VolyaKovelska. As the tanks ground forward, Faas called Nicolussi-Leck to report that Russian soldiers could be seen leaving their trenches for the shelter of a nearby wood. The company commander now took the lead and drove straight into the

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The Oliver Publishing Group’s book, “Viking Summer”, by Dennis Oliver, covers 5.SS-Panzer-Division operations in Poland during 1944, along with 38 colour profiles, scrap view detail drawings, maps and wartime photos. This and other books in the series are available online from ADH Books www.adhbooks.com

A rear view of the three tanks of Faas’ group abandoned on the Kovel railway line. Closest to the camera is Panther 811, the tank commanded by Eugen Faas with Panther 821 further to the east. The tank in the far distance is one of the vehicles of Kasper’s group that could not be moved into the station.

The tank in the foreground is Panther 811 showing just how badly the track was damaged by a mine. The tank in the centre is Panther 821.

A photograph of Panther 821 showing clearly the evidence of an internal explosion. The tank in the background is Panther 811.

Russian position held only by a few determined machine gunners who were no match for the Panthers. From here Nicolussi-Leck ordered his men to advance north to the rail line, just a short distance away, and to head towards Cherkasy. Only a few metres further on, the marshy ground gave way to more solid terrain and the company's second and third platoons were now able to fan out and advance in line. By now however the snow was falling harder and visibility was becoming a problem with some crews complaining that they could not see further than the muzzles of their own guns. As the weather grew worse, the lead tank of Untersturmführer (2nd Lieutenant) Immelmann stumbled into more marshy ground and became hopelessly bogged. Within a short time four more tanks became bogged and Nicolussi-Leck, also concerned that the accompanying infantry were being left too far behind, ordered these tanks to guard his right flank which faced a wood, as a static defence point under the command of Unterscharführer (Corporal) Kasper. The remaining tanks resumed the advance and soon came under fire from Russian antitank guns. In his after action report Nicolussi-Leck stated that the Russian position was some 600 metres west of Cherkasy which would mean that his remaining tanks must have now been across the railway line. However, later in the same report he mentions that the attack on the town was carried out by crossing the railway embankment. This suggests that the Russian anti-tank guns were actually located not directly to the west, but south-west of Cherkasy on the southern side of the rail line and there was indeed a narrow stretch of solid ground there rising towards the embankment, just before the line turns south towards Cherkasy-Volinski station. Advancing on the Russians at maximum speed three Panthers were hit in quick succession although at least one account suggests that the third was halted by a mechanical failure. A lucky shot from one of the Panther's guns - possibly fired from Eugen Faas' tank - detonated the Russians’ reserve ammunition in a mighty explosion and at that moment the Panthers of the third platoon, which Nicolussi-Leck had sent to the right to outflank the Soviet position, opened fire destroying all twelve Russian guns. As the remaining eight Panthers drove into the now deserted Russian trenches at exactly 2.30pm, the weather deteriorated

to such an extent that NicolussiLeck called a temporary halt to the attack. In a radio message to Mühlenkamp he reported that his remaining tanks had reached high ground, some 600 metres to the west of Cherkasy, and that the accompanying infantry were fighting their way towards his position. The Panthers remained on the high ground for some 45 minutes and in that time were able to send out patrols to reconnoitre the surrounding area. Realising now that Cherkasy was bordered by swamps on three sides NicolussiLeck decided that an attack towards the north-east, directly into the town was impossible. Considering the options available to him, he directed his remaining tanks to advance and take Cherkasy by an enveloping move on his right, approaching the village from the east . However, after moving only a short distance, three more tanks became bogged and it was obvious that this direction was also untenable. Undeterred, Nicolussi-Leck swung his company to his left and crossed the railway embankment and although the Panthers immediately came under heavy fire they were at least on solid ground. Driving straight towards Cherkasy the Panthers fired on the move as fast as their guns could be loaded. Before the town could be reached eight German tanks were hit and immobilised but managed to keep firing and support the others. With the entire western end of the town in flames and the defenders streaming towards the east, the Panthers led by Hauptscharführer Faas, entered Cherkasy urged on by their company commander whose tank was now stuck in soft mud. Without waiting to consolidate, Nicolussi-Leck sent four tanks towards Moschena, their next objective. Meanwhile Hauptmann Bolm’s infantry had fought their way through to Cherkasy and now cleared the remaining Russians from the town. Although the tanks that had moved off towards Moschena had destroyed several anti-tank guns, two had become stuck in the mud and at 6.00pm Mühlenkamp directed Nicolussi-Leck to remain in Cherkasy and screen north, towards Moschena, and east towards Kovel. Much of the infantry of Hack’s battalion of the Germania regiment which had been allocated to support the right flank of the attack were still far to the west and once darkness fell were only able communicate by signal flare. At 7.00pm Nicolussi- A

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Think Tank - PANTHER POUNCE AT KOVEL B Leck reported that he had six

A close-up view of the Panther of Kasper’s group abandoned just short of the railway station. The extent of the damage attests to the ferocity of the fighting.

A close-up view of Faas’ Panther. The number 811 is just visible on the turret side.

Another view of panther 821 showing the position of the Balkenkreuz national insignia and the 24-bolt wheels.

combat ready tanks but was confident of recovering four of the vehicles which were stuck in the swampy ground. He was however concerned that his supplies of fuel and ammunition were unlikely to be replenished before the attack resumed the next day. That night Nicolussi-Leck, considering his options and determined to complete his mission, decided that the next day's attack would follow the railway embankment all the way into Kovel. Although risky, his plan would conserve what fuel the tanks had left and would ensure that they were at least able to operate on solid ground all the way to their objective. Further, he reasoned that the Russians would expect his force to advance towards Moschena - particularly in light of his reconnaissance towards that village and the large number of reinforcements which the Soviets were positioning there. He also believed that it was significant that his bogged tanks had not received any enemy fire from the south or east despite their vulnerable condition. Therefore, despite the obvious danger, the railway embankment seemed to offer the best chance of success and at 10.00pm Nicolussi-Leck informed Mühlenkamp of his intentions. Unknown to Nicolussi-Leck, for he never received the message, an order was sent from the regimental headquarters at 1.30am the next morning directing him to withdraw to Stari Koshary and for the men of Grenadier-Regiment 434 to return to their unit. By the time a radio set powerful enough to reach the company could be found the Panthers were already on the railway embankment just 2 kilometres outside Kovel. During the night three of the bogged tanks were recovered and early on the morning of Thursday 30 March, in complete darkness, the Panthers resumed their advance towards Kovel. Once again the commander of the first platoon, Eugen Faas, was in the lead. Almost immediately Faas reported that muzzle flashes were visible some 400 metres west of the Cherkasy-Volinski railway station and directed his gunner onto a target which was at three o'oclock to his tank. After destroying two T-34 tanks the lead Panthers reached the embankment but within a hundred metres, Faas' tank was disabled by a mine, his vehicle holding up the entire column. The remaining tanks moved to the right - that is the southern side - of the rail line to bypass the disabled tank

and almost immediately another Panther, this vehicle commanded by Scharführer Herberts, was halted by a mine. Leaving the safety of his tank and coming forward on foot, Nicolussi-Leck ordered Faas to take command of a strongpoint using the two disabled Panthers and sixteen Grenadiers. The remaining infantry had formed a defensive screen running through the buildings of the railway station and the wooded area to the east. In the meantime a squad of engineers had been sent forward to clear any additional mines and although a path was secured it was not before 6.00 am. It was now light and Nicolussi-Leck’s tanks were visible to every Russian in the area. As the last mine was being cleared Hauptmann Bolm advised Nicolussi-Leck that he had received an order that the tanks were not to advance any further. Stating that he could not remain where he was, Nicolussi-Leck ignored Bolm and ordered his tanks to push forward towards KoveI. There is some debate over where the order originated with some accounts stating that it came from within Kovel via radio and others that it emanated from Mühlenkamp’s regimental headquarters and was delivered directly to NicolussiLeck. The latter seems unlikely as Nicolussi-Leck later said in his defence that he was not obliged to follow any orders given by Bolm. In any case, Nicolussi-Leck ordered his remaining tanks forward. With the company commander's tank in the lead the column had reached a point less than 2,000 metres from the Kovel defence perimeter when NicolussiLeck received a message from Scharführer Möller commanding the last tank in line. A despatch rider had caught up with the company with an order that the tanks were to halt. As NicolussiLeck listened to Möller his tank began to take fire from the Russian positions immediately to his front and at that moment he heard one of his platoon commanders, Oberscharführer Karl Jauss, state that these Russian troops were blocking the north-west exit from Kovel. Realising that if Jauss were correct the German defenders of Kovel were just on the other side of this Russian position, NicolussiLeck ignored the order, told his gunner to engage the enemy and drove straight at the Russian guns. Although the Panthers received heavy fire from their left they were shielded from the worst effects by the snow, which had begun to fall heavily once again. Surging forward the Panthers crushed the Soviet guns under

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This ph

The co Panthe

One of relieve

This photograph of Panther 811, Faas’ original tank, shows the extent of the damage to its tracks.

The commander of SS-Panzer-Regiment 5, Johannes Mühlenkamp – nearest the camera – inspects some of the Panthers that were recovered after the Kovel fighting.

One of the Panthers of SS-Panzer-Regiment 5 photographed in the town of Kovel shortly after the fighting to relieve the German garrison. The wrecks of three Red Army Shermans have yet to be removed.

their tracks and shortly, above the roar of their engines, could hear voices calling to them in German. At exactly 7.30am the tanks of 8.Kompanie had reached the railway loop south of Volyn and the defensive perimeter of Kovel. By 8.10am Nicolussi-Leck, with seven serviceable tanks, was able to report to Gruppenführer Gille. On the railway line, west of the Cherkasy-Volinski station, the crews of Faas’ and Herberts’ Panthers - together with the sixteen Grenadiers who had been left to support them - listened as the sounds of battle moved further and further to the east. In the eerie silence Rynzec, the radio operator of Faas’ tank, tried in vain to establish contact with either the company commander or regimental headquarters far to the west. All was quiet until, without warning, at 7.00am the strongpoint was engulfed in flame and smoke from the fire of a battery of Katyusha rockets. As suddenly as the firing began it ceased and realising that an infantry attack was imminent, Faas ordered Herberts to train the main gun of his tank to the left – or southern side - of the railway line while his tank would cover the right. As Faas was speaking, Soviet troops came running from the woods to the south some 400 metres away. The tanks opened fire with high explosive shells and when the Russians were within 300 metres their machine guns joined the battle. Although great holes were carved from the Russian line, more troops emerged from the trees to fill the gaps and the enemy infantry were by now so close to the Panthers that Faas could hear their shouts and cries above the sound of the intense gunfire. Ignoring their casualties the Red Army men pressed on, reaching the Panthers and climbing onto their hulls. Standing in the cupolas of their tanks both Faas and Herberts fought off these desperate Russian attackers with sub-machine guns and hand grenades. A squad of Russian infantry armed with Molotov cocktails appeared in front of Herberts who was quick enough to despatch them with a burst of sub-machine gun fire. Now, small groups of Russian soldiers tried to approach the tanks under the cover of the railway embankment but these were beaten off by the Grenadiers who had remained in their fox holes. Pursued by the combined fire of the Panthers’ machine guns and those of the German infantrymen, the Russians retreated to the safety of the woods. For the next hour, the Soviets kept up harassing fire

from several anti-tank rifles and a number of machine guns, all of which was largely ineffectual. They also brought up two anti-tank guns but positioned them so far to the south that the Panthers were effectively beyond their range. Within an hour however, Herberts reported that a large mass of enemy infantry was visible in a clearing just inside the wood. The Russians moved through the clearing, into the last stretch of trees and emerged in a wave heading straight towards the German position. Immediately the tanks opened fire and soon after the machine guns and rifles of the Grenadiers joined in, firing into the densely packed mass of Soviet infantry. This force however proved to be just as resolute as the first attackers and was halted just 30 metres from the tanks. As the Russians withdrew, Faas was at last able to establish radio contact with Unterscharführer Kasper, who it will be remembered had been left with four bogged Panthers south-west of Cherkasy. From his position, Kasper was in radio contact with Kampfgruppe Richter and Faas asked him to pass on a request for artillery support, relaying the corrections through Kapser to Standartenführer Richter’s gunners. Within minutes the first German shells were screaming overhead and slamming into the Russian positions. At that moment a forward observer from Richter’s group reached Kasper who then informed Faas and told him that all the guns of the division’s artillery regiment were now at his disposal. As Faas identified a Russian concentration or strongpoint it was brought under intense and accurate fire and it was not long before the Soviets realised that the German artillery was being directed by the Panthers on the railway embankment. The Katyushas began targeting Faas’ group again with a barrage so intense that the Panther crews suffered cuts and bruises from the buffeting they took inside their tanks. Holding his nerve, Faas was able to call in the artillery until the shells were falling directing onto the Russian rocket launchers and in a huge ball of flame their ammunition supply exploded. As darkness approached Faas and two of his crew, Scharfuhrer Kuntze and Rottenfuhrer (Lance Corporal) Petersmann left the cover of their tank and working their way forward as silently as possible – aided by the crash of the Soviet artillery which continued to fire through the night - came within metres of the Russian forward positions at A

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Think Tank - PANTHER POUNCE AT KOVEL

Pzkw V Panther ausf A. Another early model A, this tank was commanded by Scharführer (Lance Sergeant) Herberts and was the second vehicle to be disabled by a mine on the railway line outside Kovel. It is interesting to note the differing patterns created by the application of Zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste. The reader should also note that the British rank equivalents given here are approximate only, refer to ranks used in the 1939-45 period and are given merely as a matter of convenience.

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Pzkw V Panther ausf A. This early model A vehicle was commanded by Hauptscharführer (Staff Sergeant) Eugen Faas. The tank’s number, 811, identifies the first tank - or commander- of the first platoon of the eighth company. There is some debate as to the colour of the numbers used by the company and indeed photographs taken only a few days after Nicolussi-Leck’s relief attempt show that other Panthers used a very dark colour, probably black, in some cases very crudely rendered. My personal opinion is that the numbers of Panthers 811 and 821 were white and neatly applied using a stencil, as those of the sixth and seventh companies certainly were. They were subsequently discoloured by intense heat resulting in the dark appearance evident in our photographs.

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Think Tank - PANTHER POUNCE AT KOVEL B the edge of the wood. From there

they were able to hear the grind and squeal of tank tracks and the barking of orders. The Russians were unmistakeably building up their forces for another attack. Hurrying back to the strongpoint Faas contacted Kasper who now told him that his four tanks had been dragged free of the swamp and that he would move directly towards Faas bringing much needed ammunition and more infantry with him. Warning Kasper that the Russians were entrenched along the railway line, Faas asked if there was any news of NicolussiLeck and the remainder of the company. Replying that he had heard nothing, Kasper made ready to move off at 2.00am. Calling together the tank crews and the remaining infantry at the strongpoint Faas advised them of Kasper’s plan. They were, he told them, ideally placed to take any Russian move against Kasper in the flank and must be prepared to use up the last of their ammunition to do so. Just after 2.00am the men at the strongpoint could hear the sound of Kasper’s tanks moving to the south-west and slowly at first, beginning with a mere crackle of rifle fire, the sound of battle increased to a roar as anti-tank guns and artillery joined in. At the strongpoint, the two Panthers expended their last rounds of high explosive ammunition. The distance between Kasper’s four Panthers and the strongpoint could have been no more than 3,000 metres but due to the marshy terrain and the stubborn resistance put up by the Soviets, it was 6.30am before they reached Faas and Herberts. As Kasper’s tanks took up positions along the railway line and the accompanying infantry began to dig in, Faas discovered to his great disappointment that the promised re-supply of ammunition had been largely consumed in the four and a half hour struggle to reach his position. While Faas was conferring with Kasper considering their next move, Russian shells began falling around them. Taking cover in his Panther, Faas relayed another message to Richter at the Kampfgruppe headquarters telling him plainly that without ammunition the position could not be held. At this point Richter could have been no more than 4 to 5 kilometres to the west and he ordered Faas to take two tanks and attempt to break through the Russian lines towards the German lines establishing a link through which supplies could be funnelled. Leaving his disabled Panther and commandeering one of the new

arrivals, Faas and Rottenführer Becker moved out towards the west following the railway line, warily scanning the edge of the mist-shrouded forest for any sign of the Russians. The two Panthers managed to travel just over 1,200 metres towards the Kampfgruppe when unexpectedly, two anti-tank rounds slammed into Faas’ Panther in quick succession. The second shell set the tank ablaze and as his crew bailed out, Faas remained at his station long enough to call Becker to direct his fire onto the Russian guns before jumping clear himself. As Eugen Faas and his crew huddled in a ditch, the fire from Becker’s tank screamed above their heads towards the Russian guns. Within seconds however Becker’s tank was also on fire and as he and his crew tried to escape the flames, the Russians began firing at the German tankers with machine guns and rifles. Although three of his men had suffered burns they were still able to move and Faas was confident of reaching Richter and his battle group on foot. However, every time they left the cover of a ditch or ravine the Germans were harassed by small arms fire and crossing a small open space Rynzec – the radio operator from Faas’ Panther – was struck in the head and killed instantly. Pressing on, the survivors were amazed to see a flight of Heinkel He 111 bombers appear out of the grey morning sky and proceed to bomb and strafe the Russian positions in the forest. Their elation quickly turned to terror when the German aircraft, assuming that any troops in the area were Russian, began firing at Faas and his men. In the noise and confusion no one noticed that Becker’s gunner had been seriously wounded and now lay unconscious. Reversing his earlier decision, Faas ordered his men back to the strongpoint now some 2 kilometres to the east which, perhaps surprisingly, they reached without incident - although their individual survival must have been paramount in their minds as it was only then that someone noticed the absence of Becker’s gunner. Calling for volunteers to retrieve the missing man – two of the gunner’s friends immediately stepped forward – Faas returned to the spot where the German bombers had fired at his small group. On the way they ran head on into Russian patrol and were forced to shoot their way out of trouble. Eventually they found the missing gunner and carrying him on a Zeltbahn tent quarter returned safely to the strongpoint through the gathering

darkness. The small force on the railway embankment presented a considerable problem for the Russians positioned as it was halfway between the defensive perimeter of Kovel – now reinforced with NicolussiLeck’s Panthers – and Richter’s Kampfgruppe. Although inconsequential in terms of numbers, Faas’ command provided a link between the German lines and the besieged town and kept open the possibility of the garrison’s relief. An annoyance at this stage but one that the Russians were not prepared to tolerate and as the night wore on the artillery fire grew in intensity. According to Ewald Klapdor’s* account, the track damage to Faas’ original tank had been repaired during the day and it was decided that the strongpoint would be moved 200 metres to the west towards the Cherkasy-Volinski station where better cover was available for both the tanks and infantry. In fact, the station had its own air-raid shelter. It was soon discovered however that Faas’ Panther had also sustained damage to its transmission and very soon came to a halt. Similarly the tank of Scharführer Herberts could not be moved and was blown up and another disabled Panther – one of Kasper’s reinforcements – was simply abandoned after the radio was removed. This account fails to explain why Faas’ tank was later photographed on the rail line with its driver’s side track broken and lying on the hull of the vehicle. It is possible that Faas merely took over command of a tank that had been repaired – as he had done during the break out attempt - and that this was not Panther number 811, the platoon commander’s vehicle. In the available photographs that we have, Herberts’ tank – number 821 which has rather obviously suffered an internal explosion – sits on the railway line to the east of Faas’ Panther. Further to the east can be seen a third tank and this is almost certainly the tank of Kasper’s group mentioned as being abandoned. In any case, this left the strongpoint with two serviceable tanks. During the night, small parties of Russian soldiers attempted to infiltrate the German position but were beaten off by machine gun squads, many of which by now were composed of tank crewmen. Encouragingly Faas had made contact with Sturmbannfuhrer Hack’s battalion which was still moving toward the railway line from the direction of Stari

Koshary. Promising Faas that he would do whatever he could, Hack urged his men forward and a small number of Grenadiers under Hauptsturmführer Treucker actually managed to fight their way through to the strongpoint in the darkness. When dawn broke the next morning large numbers of Soviet troops could be seen moving forward from the south and southwest and within fifteen minutes a regimental-sized force of infantry burst from the woods to the east. Holding their fire until the Russians were within 100 metres, every gun in the strongpoint opened up simultaneously, devastating the brown-clad ranks. Regrouping, the Russians mounted another assault, this time from the south, but were beaten back once again. At around noon a barrage from a battery of Katyusha rockets crashed into the strongpoint and also at about this time, under the cover of a mortar barrage, the Russians were able to move a number of anti-tank guns to within 150 metres of Faas’ remaining tanks. Using the last of their high explosive rounds the Panthers managed to destroy all the Soviet guns. At his headquarters Mühlenkamp was only too well aware of the predicament of his men at

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1. The approximate jump off point for 8.Kompanie, SS-Panzer-Regiment 5 on Wednesday, 29 March 1944. 2. The third battalion of SS-PanzergrenadierRegiment 9 Germania under Franz Hack and ten assault guns. 3. Volunteers from Grenadier-Regiment 434 supported by seven assault guns. 4. The Russian anti-tank gun position identified by Hack, commander of the Germania regiment. These were probably the same guns destroyed by the tanks of the company’s first platoon. 5. The tank of Untersturmführer Immelmann and four others became bogged very soon after reaching the railway line. 6. The lead tanks again come under fire from Russian guns which are dug in some 800 metres to their front. 7. At 2.30pm Nicolussi-Leck is forced to call a halt to the attack due to the weather. 8. After attempting an outflanking movement on his left, Nicolussi-Leck almost immediately realises that the ground would not support his tanks and swings his company back to the left and across the railway line. 9. The remaining eight tanks enter the town. 10. Four tanks are sent towards Moschena where two become bogged in the thick mud. 11. The attack resumes on the morning of 30 March and Panther number 811 is disabled by a mine shortly after 5.00am, quickly followed by Panther number 821. 12. At 7.30am Niclussi-Leck receives the order to withdraw, which he ignores. 13. Between 7.30am and 8.00am the first tanks of 8.Kompanie fight their way into the German defensive perimeter.

the strongpoint. Employing a combination of promises and threats he had arranged for supplies of food and ammunition to be dropped by aircraft and at 4.15pm the planes appeared over Faas’ position. In what must have been an extremely disheartening development for the men on the ground, the German transports dropped their canisters on the first past without establishing the strongpoint’s exact location and the much needed supplies sailed into the Russian lines. Throughout the day Faas, who in addition to directing the battle had been trying in vain to make radio contact with any German unit in the area , finally managed to get through to Mühlenkamp at 4.30pm. After listening to Faas’ description of the situation, the regimental commander ordered him to break out immediately in the direction of Kovel. In spite of Mühlenkamp’s direct order it was decided that the break out would be made towards the west and the German lines, a decision that has not been convincingly explained in any of the available accounts. According to Klapdor, Faas in consultation with Treucker, suddenly realised that no one had any idea in which

direction Kovel lay. This is scarcely believable given that the Germans were entrenched on the railway line that ran directly into the town. It is perhaps more likely that both Faas and Treucker realised what awaited them between their strongpoint and Kovel far better than Mühlenkamp and that a withdrawal towards the west was the lesser of two evils. Whatever their reasons, at 4.45pm, after all the available armour piercing ammunition had been loaded into the last serviceable tank, the wounded were gathered together and Faas advised his men that as soon as darkness fell they would leave. Anything of use that could not be removed was to be destroyed. At 5.00pm the Russian artillery fire began again and quickly grew in intensity. Now commanding the single surviving Panther, Faas ordered his gunner to fire off several rounds in the general direction of the Russian lines in order to deceive the enemy, and then led his group towards the west. Following a track next to the railway line the Panther almost immediately came to a barricade that the Russians must have built during the hours of darkness. From the turret of his

Panther, Faas screamed at his driver to run over the barricade and the heavy tank crashed through it, titling dangerously for a few seconds. At that moment Russian infantryman jumped from their foxholes and began firing towards the exposed tank commander and the Grenadiers that followed in the Panther’s wake. As Faas returned fire with his sub-machine gun, several antitank shells slammed into the side of the Panther causing little or no damage – miraculously failing to even affect the wounded men lying on the tank’s rear deck. Moving ahead, with its main gun firing off the few remaining armour piercing shells, the Panther struck a mine and now a stationary target was hit numerous times in quick succession by the Russian antitank guns and began to burn. The driver had been killed and Faas and his surviving crew could do nothing to help the wounded men – at least one of whom perished in the flames. Now running for their lives towards their own lines the survivors realised that, incredibly, they had been caught up in a Russian attack directed towards the west and in the darkness and general commotion many were simply able to mingle with the

Red Army soldiers and return to their own lines undetected. A number of Faas’ tankers were not so fortunate and became trapped in a swamp in front on the German positions and several were killed by Russian mortar and artillery fire. Both Faas and Herberts survived to report to Mühlenkamp, their regimental commander. The seven Panthers of 8.Kompanie that broke into Kovel with their commander, NicolussiLeck, acted as a fire-brigade sealing off one Soviet break through after another until the garrison was relieved and the area declared secure on 18 April, 1944. For his courage and leadership NicolussiLeck was awarded the Knight’s Cross and for a time became a darling of the German Press who christened his relief attempt of 29 March, the Panther Pounce. n

*Klapdor served as an officer in the Wiking division and although he wrote an account of this action he was not present when it occurred and indeed had left the division by the first week of March. Similarly details supplied by Fey and Henschler – both officers of the Waffen-SS - in their works are sometimes unclear or even contradictory.

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KIT REVIEW

Tamiya 1:48 German Panther Type G • Kit No. 32520

VIKING S The Editor backdates Tamiya’s 1:48 scale Panther G into an Ausf. A using Tank Workshop’s comprehensive resin conversion.

T

amiya revitalised the mid-sized military 1:48 scale in 2004 with their brand new Tiger I Early Production kit. A number of Axis and Allied releases rapidly followed, with the 1:48 scale Panther Ausf. G appearing in 2005. Tamiya’s mid-scale Panther is well detailed and very easy to build. It also features a diecast metal lower hull with the suspension arms fixed in place. This certainly lends weight to the overall model, but with the fixed suspension and the link and length tracks, the model would look exactly the same weight with or without the cast hull. The front and rear of the metal hull are covered by plastic pieces. Tracks are supplied as link and length in solid plastic. This kit followed the trend of Tamiya’s earlier 1:48 scale releases to that time, in that it was a subject that had already been released by Tamiya in 1:35 scale. Although many modellers hoped that Tamiya might backdate the moulds to produce an Ausf. A or an Ausf. D, this never came to pass. A

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SUMMER

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KIT REVIEW

Tamiya 1:48 German Panther Type G • Kit No. 32520

B TWS TO THE RESCUE American cottage industry manufacturer Tank Workshop came to the rescue of die-hard Panther fans in 2012 with two resin conversions for Tamiya’s 1:48 scale Panther Ausf. G – an early Panther Ausf. D and an Ausf. A with Zimmerit cast onto the hull and the turret. Tank Workshop’s Panther Ausf. A conversion comprises 23 parts in grey resin and five parts in turned metal. The contents are securely packed into a stout cardboard box. The Zimmerit is the vertical pattern arranged in squares – probably the most typical style seen on Panther Ausf. As. The Zimmerit pattern is very well done. It is neatly applied and crisply detailed but appropriately random, just as it would be on the real tank. The kit’s lower hull is employed for this conversion. There is no Zimmerit on Tamiya’s metal hull, but Tank Workshop thoughtfully supplies a Zimmerit application tool if you want to add the antimagnetic paste in this area. Aber’s gorgeous replacement gun barrel and muzzle brake are also supplied in Tank Workshop’s conversion. The turned metal parts are beautifully detailed and will lend a luxurious finishing touch to your model. Instructions are supplied on two letter-sized sheets with three photos and some generic text directions. I would have preferred to see some more illustrations and step-by-step instructions, but an experienced modeller should not have much trouble following the sequence.

THE TOP PRIORITY By far the most important aspect of this project is adequate preparation of the resin. Be prepared to allocate plenty of time to cleaning up the resin parts, thinning backs and edges, test-fitting, and repeating this sequence as often as necessary for everything to fit perfectly. Fortunately, Tank Workshop has made this job a little easier by casting their large parts – the upper hull and the turret shell – onto casting strips rather than a single large block. This means that the strips can be snipped off and the residue cleaned up with a sharp knife and sanding sticks. There is a little ragged waste along the bottom of the hull sides though, so make sure that you remove this as well. You will also need to thin a number of the resin parts, most notably the back of the rear hull. I eventually decided to use very coarse 80 grit sandpaper to remove the thick excess resin. I kept the sandpaper wet to avoid a cloud of fine resin dust. In the end, I needed two strips of the coarse sandpaper to finish the job. I also needed to slim down the sides of the lower front hull plate, and bevel the top edge so that it would match the mating surface of the upper hull front. The inside front edges of the upper hull needed thinning too. I started by grinding the back of the entire front plate with a cutting wheel on my Dremel motor tool, then thinned the edges with a sanding stick.

In common with most of Tamiya’s early 1:48 scale AFV releases, the lower hull is cast in white metal.

The kit’s main upper turret shell.

The one-piece upper hull is conventional injection moulded plastic.

Rather than being cast directly to a chunky block, the hull is attached via a series of resin strips. This makes clean-up fairly easy.

Tank Workshop’s one-piece upper turret shell with the gun mount and cupola cast in place. Once again, the Zimmerit is very well done.

Tank Workshop’s replacement upper hull has vertical pattern Zimmerit cast in place along with other details including the engine deck grilles, jacking block and tool mounts.

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A plethora of resin detail parts are also supplied with the Tank Workshop conversion. These include a new stowage tube for the cleaning rods, outer idler wheels, rear hull and lower front hull parts with Zimmerit, exhausts and the driver’s vision flap.

Panther Production With the hardest part of the project out of the way, construction could now commence. Tamiya’s 1:48 scale running gear was assembled first. Tamiya’s instructions suggest that the outer road wheel halves (A28 and A29) should be glued together before the wheels are attached to their axles, but I think it is easier to first attach the back road wheels (Parts 29) to their axles, followed by the paired inner road wheels (Parts A7 and A8), and finally capped by the front outer road wheels (Parts A28). Take care when attaching the wheels too. There is a little bit of wiggle room, so ensure that the wheels are perfectly lined up before the super glue sets on the metal axles. Fitting the tracks was completely trouble free, starting with the double link over the locating pin on the idler wheel.

Just follow the sequence suggested in the instructions and you can’t go wrong. Once the last track links were fitted, I clamped the top and bottom track runs while the cement was drying to avoid that embarrassing “floating track” effect! Tamiya supplies sponson covers for their Panther Ausf. G hull, and these may be modified to fit the straight-hulled Panther Ausf. A. I sliced a wedge off the side of each sponson cover and glued them to the open sponsons on the resin upper hull. The doctored covers were actually a bit too narrow, but this may easily be fixed with a length of Evergreen plastic strip for each side. Tank Workshop provides a separate driver’s visor and the hinge mechanism, so the visor may be posed open. My visor was not finished in Zimmerit though (it might have been the part A

Aber’s jewel-like turned metal gun barrel and multi-part brass muzzle are also included.

Clean-up is arguably the most important element of this resin conversion. Where the parts were attached via strips, these were first snipped off with a pair of sprue cutters.

Parts attached directly to casting strips were scored lightly and repeatedly with a sharp hobby knife.

The raised strips on the back of the resin parts would interfere with fit, so there were snipped off with sprue cutters then totally eliminated with coarse sanding sticks.

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KIT REVIEW

Tamiya 1:48 German Panther Type G • Kit No. 32520

B from the Ausf. D kit incorrectly

The lightening holes in the resin idler wheels are flashed over, so the waste material was removed with the tip of a hobby knife.

The remaining scraps of resin were tidies up with a toothpick.

The kit’s road wheels and drive sprockets ready for installation. I found it easier to delay attaching the front and back of the outer road wheel halves until they were fitted to the axles.

Here is the sequence that I employed. The back of the outer road wheels were glued in place, followed by the dual centre road wheels. Once these were in place, the front outer road wheels were attached.

The links and lengths from one side of the tracks, removed from the sprue and laid out in assembly order.

The first pair of track links glued to position directly above the locating pin. The pin sits between the two inner guide horns.

packed), so I added some using Tamiya Epoxy Putty and the little TWS Zimmerit tool. Panthers from 5.SS Pz. Rgt. had a shield shape carved out of the Zimmerit on the front of the hull and on the turret side. The space on the front of the hull was usually used for the Wiking emblem, but the one on the turret side was left blank. I carved suitable shapes from the hull and turret using my Mission Models Micro Chisel. More Ausf. A specific details were added and modified at this stage. Tools were sliced from their plastic mounts and rearranged on the hull according to reference photos. A large unditching beam and its mounts in the characteristic Wiking style were scratch built from Evergreen plastic strip. New side skirts were also made from Evergreen plastic sheet and strip. The skirts on the Ausf. A were different to those fitted to the Panther G. The new skirts were made using Tamiya’s as a guide. Unfortunately, one detail that I missed was that the Panther A seems to have six panels, not five. I only noticed this after I had painted the model, and it was too late to make a new set. Stowage was added from several generic Plus Model resin accessory sets, while packs and tarpaulins were formed from Kneadatite twopart epoxy resin. I somehow managed to break off the top hook shape at the rear of one upper hull. This was replaced with a scrap of plastic, superglued to the hull and carved into shape in situ.

FEAR OF FIGURES I am slowly overcoming my fear of painting figures. I recognise that figures can add a sense of scale, context and activity to an otherwise static AFV model, but it is still all too easy to find an excuse not to spend the time necessary to build and paint the figures. This time I therefore decided to finish the figures before I painted the model. That way, there could be no excuses! Over the last six months or so, I have been working on a technique that is fairly simple, repeatable and delivers reliable results. Although I have mainly used this technique on 1:35 scale figures, there is no reason I should not try it on this 1:48 scale crew as well. The figures were from Gaso. Line’s 1:48 scale set no. GAS50365 – German Tank Crew. No assembly is required – all the figures are supplied in one piece each, although three headsets are also included. I had already used one of the half-figures as the Commander in my 1:48 scale Tamiya Sd.Kfz. 232 (see MMI Issue 84), so I had three figures left to crew up my Panther. The figures were first drilled and mounted on toothpicks to avoid damage and fingerprints during the painting process. The first step was an overall coat of Tamiya Fine White Primer straight from the spray can. The Fine White Primer is the best choice to give a lighter base for the coming flesh tones. Using the colours on Gaso.Line’s cover illustration as a guide, I

The idler wheel is moulded with a pin at the top. Don’t cut this off – it is a locating pin for the first track links.

Here, the top track run has been glued to the front of the first pair of links. After the track run has been installed, the top and bottom runs were clamped to avoid the notorious “floating track” effect.

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The back of the rear hull part has been cast with a thick raised area that has to be thinned considerably before the part will fit.

Coarse sandpaper was the easiest and fastest way to thin the rear hull part. This is 80 grit, obtained at a local hardware store. The sandpaper was wet for this job, resulting in a slurry of waste resin waste rather than a billowing cloud of carcinogens.

selected a combination of two main styles for the uniforms – Panzer Black and the so-called “Pea Pattern” camouflage. All the following paints were applied to the figures by brush. First, the heads were painted in a base coat of Vallejo Model Colour 341 Flesh Base with a little 342 Highlights mixed in for a slightly paler shade. The black SS Panzer uniform items were painted using Vallejo’s 333 Germ. Tkcr. (Black) as the base colour. Two coats were enough to ensure solid even coverage. The dark base coat was then dry-brushed 337 Highlight Ger. (Black) for the high points.

The edges and most prominent points of the uniform were also emphasised with the unmixed highlight colour. Details such as epaulets, piping and insignia were then picked out with a fine brush. Note that the SS uniform was subtly different to the Wehrmacht tanker’s uniform, especially with regard to the collar patches, and the location of the eagles on the tunic and the side cap. The Pea Pattern uniform items were painted using combinations of Vallejo paints mixed to match colours found in online reference photos. A 2/0 brush was used to apply the larger blotches of

The kit’s plastic sponson covers were adapted to the straight-sided Panther Ausf. A hull.

The inside top area of the lower front hull part was bevelled with a coarse sanding stick to improve its fit. The edges were sanded too.

colour, while the small contrasting spots were added using a finer 10/0 brush. The figures’ mouths and eyes were carefully brush painted with fine lines of watered-down Vallejo 337 Highlight Ger. (Black), which is actually a dark brown shade. High areas of the face such as the chin, brow, nose, cheeks and ears were painted with paler shades of flesh. I made no attempt to depict the whites of the eyes, preferring a dark thin slit in all cases. I did not worry about targeted dark shading underneath the chin or the eyebrows or the ears in this smaller scale either. Sometimes, less is plenty.

The modified sponson covers were a bit narrow. Note the areas of the inside of the forward upper hull that required thinning (shaded with pencil). The forward engine vents and the driver’s hatch opening have also been thinned and opened with a Dremel motor tool.

A wash of heavily thinned Burnt Sienna oil paint was then applied by brush. The ruddy mixture flows into the low-lying areas and crevices, resulting in some easy shading and a nice fleshy tint. After a sprayed coat of Testor’s Clear Flat Lacquer, the rather uncomfortable looking toothpicks were extracted and the figures were ready to crew their Panther. With the completed figures safely stowed away, I could now paint the model. I used Lifecolor Acrylic German AFV Dunkelgelb Easy 3 Set, Item No. MS01 for the base colour, which provides three plastic pots of paint - UA 249 Dunkelgelb Flashed

A

I thought the upper hull appeared to be riding a little bit too high, so the front upper corners of the metal lower hull were ground down with a coarse sanding stick. This helped the fit considerably.

The driver’s visor flap did not have Zimmerit cast in place, so I added some using Tamiya’s two-part epoxy putty. One tiny ball from each of the strips were rolled together until they were blended, warm and pliable.

Fortunately, Tank Workshop supplies a resin Zimmerit tool for just such a task.

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KIT REVIEW

Tamiya 1:48 German Panther Type G • Kit No. 32520

B Shade, UA 250 Dunkelgelb Ground

Colour and UA 251 Dunkelgelb Deep Shade. I like the colours, but I have found the paint is a bit temperamental in its application. The first thing to keep in mind is that a good primer coat will help the somewhat slippery acrylic paint to “bite” into the surface. My choice was Tamiya’s Grey Primer applied straight from the spray can. I followed this with Lifecolor’s Ground Colour (base shade) thinned with no more than 30% of Lifecolor’s own thinners. This is the second model that I have painted using this same set, and some of the paint had congealed into a vinyl snake at the bottom of the pot. This somehow slithered into my paint cup and promptly clogged the needle. On checking the blockage, I was able to drag the solid paint plug out and I was back in business again. Next time I will consider using a strainer when tipping the paint from the bottle into the airbrush. Next, it was the turn of the Flashed Shade. This is a very pale highlight colour. Rather than spray this uniformly in the centre of panels, it was applied in patches, streaks and spots. I did not use the Deep Shade this time, as its effect would be effectively invisible under the heavy application of brown and green. I really like Lifecolor’s system and the colour that they have chosen for Panzer Dark Yellow. It is true that these paints do not spray as easily nor dry as quickly as Tamiya acrylics – for me at least. However, the finish is extremely durable and resists buffing (i.e. repeated handling will not effect the flat finish). It also handles filters and washes well. The two-colour disruptive camouflage colours are Tamiya XF-68 NATO Brown and GunzeSangyo acrylic H422 RLM 82 Light Green, both heavily thinned with isopropylene alcohol. I find German armour threecolour camouflage to be the most challenging painting task. Sometimes it seems very hard to come up with a convincing finish. My recommendation here is to keep your paint mix very thin, and spray in thin layers, building up gradually. Also, be sparing with the first disruptive colour that you lay down. The final colour will fill in those empty spaces remarkably quickly! My second recommendtion is to keep the faith once the colours are on the model. The finish may appear stark and unrealistic before further detail painting and

The small Zimmerit tool is perfect for the visor, but I wouldn’t want to use it to apply Zimmerit to an entire vehicle!

5.SS Pz.Rgt. Wiking Panthers had a section of Zimmerit carved away on the turret side, presumably for later application of the unit marking. The cast-on Zimmerit was carefully removed with my Mission Models Micro Chisel.

The arrangement of the pioneer tools is different on the Panther A compared to the Panther G. These were rearranged according to the photos in the Oliver Publishing book, “Viking Summer”.

The spare tracks were drilled and pinned to offer positive fit against the Zimmerited upper hull side.

The big unditching beam was made from two strips of .080 x .250” styrene strip glued together and scored with a razor saw to represent the grain. The mount, also from Evergreen strip styrene, has been glued directly to the beam.

1:48 scale Panther G is a great little “kit.Tamiya’s It is supremely easy to build, fit is perfect and detail is good straight from the box... ” The unditching beam test-fitted to the rear hull.

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New side skirts were cut from plastic card using the kit’s skirts as a template. Please note however that the Ausf. A had six sections, not five as I have done here! A tarpaulin and a few rolls and packs were formed from Kneadatite two-part epoxy putty. The tarpaulin was carefully placed over the stowage, and allowed to settle in a natural drape.

Stowage was also added to the rear deck from a number of sources, including these two Plus Model accessory sets.

All the components were sprayed with Tamiya’s Grey Primer straight from the can.

Lifecolor Acrylic German AFV Dunkelgelb Easy 3 Set, Item No. MS01 was used for the base colour.

.060” angle strip was glued to the rear of the skirts as a mounting point.

weathering, so don’t expect the model to look perfect as soon as the three main colours have been sprayed. The tracks, tyres and spare tracks were painted in a 50/50 mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown using a brush. I did not bother painting the top of the track run as it would be completely hidden by the side skirts. A brown filter was now applied overall. Unfortunately, the bottle was getting old and the liquid had thickened so instead of a subtle glaze, the result was more like a medium to heavy brown wash. I brushed enamel thinners (in this case, mineral turpentine from the local hardware store) over the tanned model, which subdued the darkening effect pretty well. I was not wild about the residue left in the low-lying areas of the Zimmerit, but I decided to live with it. Next, a very subtle dry-brushing of the Dark Yellow Base Shade was applied to the top of the Zimmerit surfaces. This blended and diffused the colours. The entire model was sprayed with two generous coats of Future Floor Polish in preparation for the decals. These were sourced from Echelon’s 1:48 scale set no. AXT481015 – Panther Ausf. D, A & G. The decal sheet includes some specific and several styles of generic white numbers for 5.SS Panthers. I was a bit concerned about how the decals would settle into the deep ridges of the Zimmerit, but I need not have worried. I applied two liberal brushed coats of Solvaset to the decals straight after application, and they had snuggled perfectly into the uneven surface after settling overnight. The stowage and the unditching beam were painted and weathered using Vallejo and Tamiya acrylics, as well as a little dry-brushing and sprayed shading using the ubiquitous thinned Tamiya Black / A

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KIT REVIEW

Tamiya 1:48 German Panther Type G • Kit No. 32520

The two-colour disruptive camouflage commenced with a sparing coat of heavily thinned Tamiya XF-68 NATO Brown.

The tracks, tyres and spare tracks were painted in a 50/50 mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown using a brush.

A brown filter was now applied overall. Unfortunately, the bottle was getting old and the liquid had thickened so instead of a subtle glaze, the result was more like a medium to heavy brown wash.

B

The Panzer Green was represented by Gunze-Sangyo acrylic H422 RLM 82 Light Green, also heavily thinned with isopropylene alcohol.

Decals were sourced from Echelon’s 1:48 scale set no. AXT481015 – Panther Ausf. D, A & G.

Viking Colours The camouflage and markings of this model were based on a profile and reference photo in Dennis Oliver’s book, “Viking Summer: 5.SS-Panzer-Division in Poland”, available online from ADH Books www.adhbooks.com

The entire model was sprayed with two generous coats of Future Floor Polish in preparation for the decals. These performed perfectly despite the challenge of the deeply textured Zimmerit surface.

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The matt finish was restored with a few thinly sprayed coats of Testor’s Flat Clear Lacquer, then chipping and scrapes were added using Vallejo’s German Black Highlight.

For ease of painting, I popped off the putty tarpaulin, which was sprayed and weathered separately.

The on-vehicle stowage and tools were painted by brush using Vallejo acrylics.

Reference photos in the “Oliver Publishing “Viking

Summer” book show several clumps of foliage camouflage attached to the side of this vehicle... B Red Brown mix.

The matt finish was restored with a few finely sprayed coats of Testor’s Flat Clear Lacquer, then chipping and scrapes were added using Vallejo’s German Black Highlight colour applied with a small piece of sponge and the tip of a fine brush. The wheels and tracks were finished to represent areas of wet and dry mud. The base (dried) mud was Easy Mud Item No. 21106 – Russian Earth. Once this had set, it was followed by a liberal brushed application of AK Interactive’s Dark Brown enamel wash. Once dry, some of the dark wash was scrubbed off with a stiff brush to provide more contrast between the dry and wet areas. The same products were used for the mud effects on the bottom of the front and rear hull. A 2B pencil was used to highlight the worn high areas of the tracks.

FOLIAGE Reference photos in the Oliver Publishing “Viking Summer” book show several clumps of foliage camouflage attached to the side of this vehicle. The foliage was sourced from Kamizukuri’s 1:35 scale paper Oak Leaves set. A base colour of Vallejo’s Model Colour 70891 Intermediate Green was sprayed onto both sides of the die-cut paper sheet. Branches were bent into shape from multiple lengths of fine copper wire. These were secured with super glue. The branches were painted

”

brown and the paper leaves cut from their backing sheet. A few different shades of green were randomly painted onto the leaves after they had been attached to the branches. A dark brown acrylic wash was also applied to highlight the nice vein detail. Finally, the leaves were brush-painted with Future floor polish for a nice healthy sheen, and the branches were glued in place.

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER Now all that was required was to add the foliage and the figures to the completed model. I glued the hull machine gun and the Commander’s hatch in place, then attempted to secure one of the clumps of branches to the hull using Gator’s Grip acrylic glue. This was less than successful, so I resorted to super glue instead. I applied the glue to the back of one of the branches and held it in place for a few seconds – voila! I used the same technique for the remaining four pieces of foliage. The Commander is peering into the sky looking for enemy aircraft, with one foot and one hand on the machine gun ring. This pose looks quite convincing, but he is a bit wobbly without some reinforcement. I drilled a hole next to one of the vision blocks using a No. 80 bit in my pin vise, and inserted a short length of copper wire. This was super glued and inserted into the hole in the base of the figure that had already been drilled for the toothpick handle. The other two figures were super-glued directly to the kit. A

The foliage was sourced from Kamizukuri’s 1:35 scale paper Oak Leaves set.

Branches were bent into shape from multiple lengths of this fine copper wire.

I tried out a different product for this project - Tuner Model Manufactory 0.2mm Soft Metal Wire Dark Copper.

The twisted wire was painted dark brown, and the leaves were cut from their paper backing sheet.

The leaves were attached to the branches with super glue, with individual pieces picked out in different colours for variation.

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KIT REVIEW

Tamiya 1:48 German Panther Type G • Kit No. 32520

The German armed forces employed a variety of camouflage uniforms The figures are from Gaso.Line’s 1:48 scale set no. GAS50365 – and smocks. This is the Autumn Oak Pattern, photographed by Marcus German Tank Crew. The poses will add life to the vehicle. Nicholls in a Normandy museum.

Here, the patches and small spots have been mixed according to reference photos and carefully applied.

Details have been picked out with a fine brush.

Using the colours on Gaso.Line’s cover illustration as a guide, I selected a combination of two main styles for the uniforms – Panzer Black and the so-called “Pea Pattern” camouflage.

A wash of heavily thinned Burnt Sienna oil paint was brushed onto the faces, resulting in some easy shading and a nice fleshy tint.

B CONCLUSION I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I really like 1:48 scale for AFV models. It is big enough to present plenty of detail and offer a good base for super detailing or conversions, yet it is compact enough to easily display or store the models after they are completed. Tamiya’s 1:48 scale Panther G is a great little kit. It is supremely easy to build, fit is perfect and detail is good straight from the box. If you want to add detail, there are a number of after market updates that will allow you to add photo-etched grilles, tool clasps, turned metal barrels and more. Tank Workshop’s Panther Ausf. A conversion is another gem. It is great to be able to model a high quality Ausf. A, the second most numerous of the Panther variants, and the inclusion of Zimmerit cast to the hull and turret is a real bonus, as nearly all Panther As were finished with this antimagnetic coating. Some modelling skills are required to complete the conversion, mainly in the preparation and fine-tuning of the resin parts, but this project would be ideal for a modeller who wanted to stretch beyond a standard outof-the-box plastic model and try their hand at a multimedia project. Long live 1:48 scale! ■

A Panther in the palm of my hand! Although the Panther was a large tank, the completed 1:48 scale model is quite compact.

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Modelspec Tamiya 1:48 German Panther Type G Kit No. 32520 Accessories Used Tank Workshop Item No. TWS 48101 – Panther A Conversion (TAM) Gaso.Line Item No. GAS50365 – German Tank Crew Echelon Fine Details Item No. AXT481015 – Panther Ausf. D, A & G Kamizukuri Item No. A-5-35 – Oak Leaves (1:35) Tamiya Item No. 32514 – German Panzergrenadier Set Plus Model – Item No. 4021 Ammunition Containers Germany WWII; Item No. 4022 Fuel Stock Equipment Germany WWII (both 1:48 scale)

The Commander figure was mounted on the cupola with a fine piece of copper wire, while the other two crew members were simply glued to the model.

Tools and Modelling Products: Tamiya Epoxy Putty Smooth Surface Kneadatite Two-Part Epoxy Putty Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Revell Contacta Plastic Glue Selleys Super Glue Tamiya Surfacer Gator’s Grip Acrylic Hobby Glue Irwin Clamps (various sizes) Mission Models Micro Chisel Materials Used: The foliage was attached to the hull sides and turret top using super glue.

Tuner Model Manufactory 0.2mm Soft Metal Wire Dark Copper Evergreen Plastic Card and Strip Paints and Finishing Products:

The wheels and tracks were finished to represent areas of wet and dry mud. The base (dried) mud was Easy Mud Item No. 21106 – Russian Earth.

A 2B pencil was used to highlight the worn high areas of the tracks.

Vehicle: Tamiya Spray Can - Grey Primer Lifecolor Acrylic German AFV Dunkelgelb Easy 3 Set. Item No. MS01. Contains UA 249 Dunkelgelb Flashed Shade; UA 250 Dunkelgelb Ground Colour; UA 251 Dunkelgelb Deep Shade Tamiya Acrylic – X-23 Clear Blue; XF-1 Flat Black; XF-64 Red Brown; XF-68 NATO Brown. Gunze Acrylic – H422 RLM 82 Light Green Figures: Uniforms - (Vallejo Panzer Aces acrylics) – 333 Germ. Tkcr. (Black); 337 Highlight Ger. (Black); 344 White (Ger. Winter Tkcr.); 346 Splinter Blotches I; 347 Splinter Blotches II; 942 Light Green; 995 German Grey. (Vallejo Model Color) 847 Dark Sand; 950 Black. Flesh Base Coat: Vallejo Model Colour 341 Flesh Base. Flesh Wash: Rowney Georgian Oil Paint 221 Burnt Sienna. Flesh Highlights: Vallejo Model Colour 342 Highlights Testor’s Clear Flat Lacquer SIN Industries (MIG) Filter – P419 Orange for Desert Camo.; P242 Tan for Tritonal Camo Maru Easy Mud Item No. 21106 – Russian Earth AK Interactive AK 045 – Dark Brown Enamel Wash MIG Pigments – P053 Old Brick Red; P416 Fresh Rust References:

The side skirts were also secured to the resin hull with super glue.

VIKING SUMMER, Firefly Collection No.1 by Dennis Oliver. ADH Publishing 2012. ISBN 978-0-9806593-9-9 Correspondence with Dennis Oliver GERMANY’S PANTHER TANK – THE QUEST FOR COMBAT SUPREMACY by Thomas L. Jentz. Schiffer Publishing, Pennsylvania, 1995. ISBN: 0-88740-812-5 PANTHER AND ITS VARIANTS by Walter J. Spielberger. Schiffer Publishing, Pennsylvania, 1993. ISBN: 0-88740-397-2 Achtung Panzer No. 4, PANTHER, JAGDPANTHER & BRUMMBAR REVISED EDITION. Dai Nippon Kaiga 1994 PANZERS AT SAMUR No. 2. Dai Nippon Kaiga 1990 ✓ (Base Tamiya Kit): Good detail; superb fit; easy build; fast and easy link-and-length tracks. ✗ Nothing worth mentioning. Available from Tamiya kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net

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KIT PREVIEW

Meng 1:35 French FT-17 Light Tank (Cast Turret) • Kit No.TS008

Surface detail looks great, especially the dome-headed rivets. Markings are supplied for four varied schemes.

The simple but well detailed individual track links.

TRACKED PIONEER

Cast texture on the turret. Don’t sand off that raised line either!

The Editor gets an early look at Meng Model’s brand new 1:35 scale Renault FT, the forerunner of modern tanks.

A

lthough the honour of the world’s first tank is usually bestowed upon the British Mark I, it can be argued that the Renault FT was in fact the first standard tank design thanks to its rear-mounted engine, forward crew cab and main armament located in its fully rotating turret. Design work commenced on the Renault FT in 1916. The FT was an innovative concept and clearly more advanced than its French competition, the Schneider CA1 and the heavy Saint-Chamond, but disagreements about the practicality and usefulness of light tanks compared to heavy tanks meant that it was not ordered into production until April 1917. Only 84 FT tanks were produced in 1917, but by the end of the war up to 4,000 had been delivered. In 1940, the French Army still had eight Battalions equipped with 63 Renault FTs each, and three Companies with 10 each. These were joined by additional units also equipped with the FT, hastily formed to counter the German Blitzkrieg. The FT soldiered on beyond the Battle of France, with the Germans capturing 1,704 examples and using some of these as late as 1944 during street fighting in Paris. Considering its essential niche in armour history, the Renault FT has not been served well by the mainstream model industry. The only injection-moulded family of FT tanks was released by RPM in the 1990s. This was an accurate kit, but moulding was crude with big sprue attachments, detail basic and by most accounts construction was challenging, to say the least. Its greatest drawback, however, was its stiff

full-length tracks. Meng Model has now released a 1:35 scale Renault FT that is worthy of this landmark vehicle. Meng’s Renault FT comprises 340 parts in tan coloured plastic, 68 pieces in black plastic, one photo-etched fret, two cast metal parts, four springs, 2 steel rods and a decal sheet with four marking options. Moulding is typical of Meng’s high standards. Detail is moulded on to both sides of many parts. Raised and recessed surface features are really well done, but I especially like the substantial domed rivet heads – a key feature of the FT’s hull. The cast texture on the turret is very well done too. A full interior is provided – fighting compartment, turret and engine – with separate hatches that may be posed open to access all that lovely detail. These are more than basic shapes. The interior is comprehensively fitted out. The hull is supplied as a flat pack, which will actually make painting, weathering and detailing the interior parts easier than a conventional hull tub. The running gear is partly supported by two workable metal Vertical Spring Suspension units – quite nifty. The suspension units and wheels are well detailed. I particularly like the raised casting marks on the outer running gear covers. Optional idler wheel covers are supplied. One is depicted as metal, and the other as timber. The workable track links are supplied as one part each, with only 32 links on each side, but still providing good detail including the lightening holes. The links are simply pressed together without glue. There is a small raised ejector pin blemish on the outside

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centre of each link, but a few seconds with a sanding stick will eliminate these. The three turret armament choices are an 8mm Hotchkiss machine gun, 7.5mm Reibel machine gun or the 37mm Puteaux SA18 cannon. The machine guns are beautifully detailed. If you are not using the Hotchkiss machine gun on the turret, Meng has provided a tripod, ammunition box and ammo belt for separate display. A modest photo-etched fret supplies the Commander’s strap (seat) and some smaller details. Markings are offered for four options covering WWI and WWII, in French, Finnish and captured German colours. The 22-page instruction booklet is logically laid out and clearly illustrated with useful multi-lingual captions were required. Paint callouts are by Vallejo number only. It would have been nice for these to include a generic colour callout too.

Pressed metal and wooden idler covers are offered.

The machine guns are delicately detailed.

Interior details are very finely wrought.

CONCLUSION This is not the first Renault FT in 1:35 scale, but it is by far the best. Meng has delivered a beautifully detailed kit of this landmark tank. Surface detail is state-ofthe-art, and I love the simple yet well-detailed individual track links. You could really go to town with painting and weathering the interior of this model; or you could significantly simplify the build by closing up the hatches and omitting much of the interior. The choice is yours. This is another excellent offering from Meng Model. Highly Recommended. ■

Metal parts, including springs and cast items, are included.

Thanks to Meng Models for the sample www.meng-model.com

Photo-etched parts are included.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

T

Tamiya 1:35 Merkava 1 • Kit No. 35127 (1983 release)

he Merkava 1 (or Chariot, in Hebrew) was developed in the late 1970s with a view to supplying the IDF Armoured Corps with a locally developed product, one whose delivery would be free from the effects of embargo or political to-ing and fro-ing. The design of the Merkava represents a radical departure in the design of an MBT, with the engine being mounted at the front of the vehicle, thereby augmenting the armour protecting the crew in the crew compartment. A benefit of this design was it enabled the vehicle to carry a small infantry section, or supplies, in the rear of the hull, behind the turret area. This was and is a revolutionary concept that to date has not been copied by other AFV designers. The turret is designed to present

a very narrow forward face to the enemy, and the whole vehicle is the very embodiment of sloped armour. Mounting a US M68 105mm main gun, it first saw active service during the First Lebanon War, in 1982, where it was credited with besting the T-72, the main Eastern Bloc/Arab army MBT of the time. Wartime service saw the IDF introduce a number of enhancements to the Merkava 1, mainly in the form of ball and chains under the turret rear to eliminate the shot trap there, and more MGs mounted on the turret to combat infantry anti-tank teams. The model depicted here doesn’t have those enhancements, being amongst the first of the breed. Tamiya’s 1:35 scale kit was released in 1983 and at the time

was one of their best. Beautiful details on both the turret and the hull, compared to their other releases make the Merkava looks positively space age. Fast forward to today, and I think Tamiya’s Merkava kit certainly holds its own, is very easy to put together, dimensionally accurate, but crying out for detailing. I think most Tamiya kits are like this, and that’s great. I’d rather build a kit like this than build a kit with 20 parts per suspension assembly, but that’s just me.

GETTING STARTED I always like to start construction by getting the major hull and turret components together and any gaps filled. Being a kit of the 1980s, there are motorisation holes on the hull underside to fill. I filled these with Tamiya two part epoxy putty. The hull and turret parts fit perfectly with no gaps, which allowed basic construction to move at a brisk pace. The fun begins once these parts are together, really adding or improving detail. I was able to replace all the road

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The Merkava 1. This angle emphasises the small turret size in relation to the hull. Minimal markings and an air recognition panel mark this vehicle as a Lebanon veteran.

Sam Dwyer uses Tamiya’s still very respectable 1983 issue Merkava 1 as the basis for a detailing project. wheels, the sprockets and idlers with Bitzkrieg resin items. These deliver a vast improvement over the kit parts, and given that I wouldn’t be covering them all in mud, this detail wouldn’t be wasted. The kit tracks were also replaced with Friul metal tracks. I don’t need to say much about Friul track that hasn’t been said already. Dead easy to put together, look great and really capture the sit of the real thing perfectly. On the hull front, the kit tow bollards were used as they are quite nicely detailed. I replaced the braided loop on the crew step with some fine Karaya tow cable, as the kit part was smooth and didn’t represent the wire cable look of the real thing. I also added a photo etched number plate from Verlinden Productions. I think I

MERKAVA

GENESIS

purchased VP’s IDF number plates way back when this kit was first released, and only used them for the first time on this model. These tiny photo etched number plates were added to both the hull front and rear. These plates have raised numbers on them, the thinking behind these is that the paint may burn off in the case of the vehicle being burnt out, but the raised numbers will still be visible, allowing the IDF to identify which tank has been lost. The hull rear was detailed with some resin fire extinguishers from Blast Models, and some brackets and handles from the Eduard etch set, designed for this kit. I got the etch set thinking it might have some handy components, and ended up using only 3 or 4 pieces, the biggest being the turret

basket mesh floor, which I ended up covering in stowage. Oh well. All the handles on the hull rear firstly had their location holes filled with Evergreen rod, then replaced with copper wire for a more in scale look. The rear rubber fenders were replaced with 5 thou Evergreen plastic card, with their retaining bolt strip added from the Eduard set. Moving to the upper hull, I chose to depict a very early vehicle, which meant I didn’t have to add non-skid texture to the upper hull top. There is some conjecture as to whether these first vehicles had non-skid, I went with no nonskid for this build. The drivers’ episcopes were replaced with resin items from Blast Models, and the drivers’ hatch glued shut. I removed both the front fenders, as I’d not seen this modelled

before, yet quite a few war time shots show them removed or lost due to battle damage. This exposed the area inboard of the drive sprockets, so I added a track pin knocker plate to each hull side. I used Evergreen strip for this. I detailed up the exhausts on both hull sides by adding some copper tubing to represent the pipes themselves, I built up a box from Evergreen strip inside the hull just so if peering down the exhausts you can’t see daylight. The left hand exhaust had a fine strip added around the outside of its opening from 5 thou plastic rod. The kit side skirts were handy templates to make replacement parts again from Evergreen, this time 10 thou plate. I carefully trimmed the retaining bolts off the kit parts to use on the new skirts. A

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Merkava 1 • Kit No. 35127 (1983 release)

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The low angle looks mean. You can see the Tamiya kit holds up well given its age, by the lack of wholesale changes evident here.

The entire running gear was replaced with Bitzkrieg resin road wheels, sprockets and idlers. These really lift the Tamiya kit. The kit’s side skirts acted as a template for plastic card replacements.

Tamiya only moulded half the hinge detail for the hull stowage boxes. This detail was added with some strip styrene.

Bitzkrieg’s sprockets come with lightening holes moulded right in. Friul Model tracks fit perfectly around the sprockets. Leaving the front fender off required some blanking off of the hull underside, as well as adding the track pin knocker.

IDF style number plates were added from an old Subtle cast texture was added using Mr Surfacer, Verlinden etch set. Spare tracks are from Friul, with brushed on and stippled with an old brush. The the mounts added from styrene, and a Grandt Line lifting eye is from RB Models. bolt to secure it all.

Tamiya Quick-Type 2 part epoxy putty was used for stowage tarps and ID panels. This putty rolls out very thin and is perfect for depicting thin material.

I used the kit parts for the tow cable ends, with the cables themselves replaced with Karaya cables. I sourced a shovel from a Tasca Sherman kit.

Early Merkava 1s didn’t seem to have non skid applied to the horizontal surfaces, so I didn’t add it here. Hinge torsion bars were added to the turret stowage hatches from 5 thou styrene rod.

The .50 cal liner was built from 10 thou styrene, topped off with some Tasca 50 cal links. A spent case catch bag was sculpted using Tamiya Quick Type epoxy putty.

I added tarps and an air recognition panel using thinned out Tamiya putty as previously described. I draped this over lumps of Blu Tack, to give the effect of crew stowage in the turret basket

The commander’s Mag58 was replaced with a Live This overall view shows how little was actually Resin piece. Linked 7.62mm ammo was added using changed on the kit Andrea white metal ammo. The commander’s Glilon rifle came from Blast Models.

The .50 cal mounted above the main gun was added using a Tasca .50 cal with a scratch built mount and ammo container. Early mountings relied on a rope to fire the weapon, rather than an electical solenoid.

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B Where the skirts were missing, I

added mounting brackets from thin slices of Evergreen L angle.

TURRET DETAILING Moving to the turret, the first step is to glue the barrel halves together and let the glue harden. I carefully sanded the mating halves of barrel, to ensure it glues together perfectly. Setting this aside, I filled all grab handle and tool location holes with Evergreen rod and CA glue. This is an efficient way to fill gaps, and its easy to drill new location holes in this plastic. I used Mr Surfacer to texture the cast sections of the turret sides, sanding the texture down where the putty was too rough. Cast numbers were added from 1mm Slaters’ Letters. These are handy little styrene letters and numbers were glued to the turret sides, the left side upside down as per shots of the real thing. On these early Merkavas a 60mm mortar was mounted outside the vehicle, on the commanders side of the turret. On later versions this mortar was mounted inside the turret, under armour, to protect the crew while using it. I added the mounting hardware from the Eduard set, but not the barrel itself, which was quite common. The D shaped tie downs are from RB Models. The kit tow cables were replaced with Karaya copper cables and then attached to the D shackles. The kit turret basket is perfectly usable, especially given I was going to stow the vehicle with crew stowage and gear. The only addition to the turret basket was the mesh on the floor, from the Eduard set. Wartime shots of these tanks shows the turret baskets full of crew gear. To simulate this,

I firstly rolled out some Tamiya 2 part quick type epoxy putty. The putty was mixed per directions, rolled out on a kitchen tile, with lots of talc to stop it sticking, until you’re left with a very thin sheet of putty. I draped this into the empty basket, and used offcuts of resin to bulk up the stowage. Using a paintbrush dipped in talc, I then folded the still soft putty over the lumps of resin offcuts masquerading as crew gear. A resin IDF jerry can was positioned on the left side of the basket. Once I was happy with how the draped tarp looked, I added an air recognition flag from the same rolled out putty. Given the age of the kit, the crew served weapons were pretty basic, so replacing these was a no-brainer. The Commander’s Mag58 was replaced with a Live Resin weapon, the belted ammo was added using Andrea Miniatures white metal 7.62mm ammo. The .50 cal above the main gun was added using a Tasca .50 Cal, on a scratch built mount, with a scratch built ammo can and spent brass catch bag. At one point I had 5 reference books open on my desk, as well as images up on my nearby computer screen of the .50 cal arrangement, just to capture all angles of this tricky assembly. The finishing touches on the turret were added, being the tension springs on the stowage lockers and the crew Galil assault rifles, and the whole thing was ready to prime and paint. A

Vallejo primer was used to undercoat the model and unify all the disparate materials used on the kit. Priming the model is useful as it can highlight any flaws in the model before any real colour goes on. Mercifully, there weren’t any gaps or other nasties evident after a coat of primer

Lifecolor IDF Sand 1982 was used as the main camouflage colour, matching the real thing quite closely. This hardy acrylic paint airbrushes beautifully

Thinning Lifecolor paint with its own thinner, rather than water, ensures perfect results every time. I paint everything at this stage, including the stowage and antennas.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Merkava 1 • Kit No. 35127 (1983 release)

I built up dust, dirt and grime with washes, using commercially available solutions and my own mixes, both acrylic and enamel. Markings are added before weathering, so that they get weathered at the same rate as the rest of the model.

B PRIME DIRECTIVE I always prime my models. Unifying all the differing construction elements under one coat of Tamiya Grey Primer is very satisfying and allows you to check for any construction errors or gaps or things missed. Mercifully there wasn’t anything glaring showing up after primer. The primer coat was quickly followed by a few light coats of Life Colour IDF sand 1982. Life Colour can be somewhat temperamental, I used their proprietary thinners and encountered no problems. I hand painted the white stripe on the main gun barrel, and applied decals from Bison Decals. These went over the low sheen Life Colour paint without silvering or fuss. All the small details, things like tyres and stowage etc was painted in using Vallejo Acrylic paints. I find

By mixing acrylic and enamel washes (not at the same time) you can achieve some interesting results.

hand painting the small details really tedious, but it pays to be careful when painting these in, nothing looks worse than sloppily painted road wheels!

TREADING THE MIDDLE PATH So, how do you weather an IDF vehicle? I once saw a T-72 model at a competition that looked like there’d been an explosion at a nearby pastel chalk factory, and knew I didn’t want to go down that road. Alternatively, nothing looks as stale and lifeless as an unweathered model. Somewhere in between was what I wanted to achieve. Shots of these Merkavas in combat shows them in surprisingly good condition, so I didn’t want to over weather mine. I started off with a wash made up of Vallejo Buff and Vallejo German Camouflage

Fuel and oil spills were added using Tamiya panel line ink. Small chips were done with a sponge using Vallejo black/brown.

Beige. This was thinned heavily and the resulting mix washed over the model and allowed to pool naturally around detail and into crevices. Used in this manner Vallejo paint is very forgiving and after a couple of applications a nice build up of dust and dirt was imparted onto the model. Next were localised washes around details and into the mesh on the engine deck, mixed from Windsor and Newton oil paints and odourless turpentine. This step adds shadow and depth to the model. Over all of this, I added a relatively light application of pastel chalks, which were then sealed by brushing liberal amounts of tap water over the chalks allowing them to settle. Oil paints were also used to fade out the model, augmenting

the pastels. Lighter shades of oil paint were dotted on the model, concentrating on where dust would logically accumulate, this was then blended in with a brush moistened in odourless thinners. Over the course of a few days (to allow for the previous coats to harden) this process was repeated, really building up layers and depth to the weathering on the model. Once this weathering had hardened, I added oil stains to the engine deck, blown road wheel hub seals, and around fuel filler caps. A few drops of gloss enamel varnish added to an oil paint wash makes the oil stains look fresh and oily! The last step in finishing this impressive vehicle off is to add some paint chips and scrapes. Again, I faced a dilemma. IDF tank crews tended to repaint their steeds at regular intervals. I’ve

Carefully picking out details like fire extinguishers and ammo liners can really add punch and visual interest. I always use Vallejo acrylics for this. It took 4 or 5 coats of fluoro orange to get the ID panel to be this bright.

Powdered graphite was rubbed into metal items such as the Mag 58 and Glilon rifle to add a metallic sheen. I use a cut down round brush for this, allowing control where the graphite goes

The commander is a Blast Models figure, and was painted with Vallejo acrylics. The more time spent picking out fine details the better.

Scratches on the side skirts were done with a sponge, and I tried to be as random as possible with them. I kept weathering to a minimum, and didn’t go mental with paint chips.

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All areas of the model were constantly compared to ensure the weathering was unified and nothing stands out as out of place. Careful washes with a light colour can bring areas together

The white stripe on the barrel was painted on before the main camouflage colour, and masked carefully. This is a unique feature to IDF tanks and looks great.

The rear crew/infantry doors received a little extra attention with weathering, as in real life this is a high traffic area. Rubber items like the rear fenders and the escape hatch rain guard were painted with dark grey, rather than black, which is more realistic and imparts a more weathered look

seen shots of them repainting them during lulls in combat, so I couldn’t go too hard with the chips. Using a small sea sponge, I added restrained chips and scrapes with the original vehicle paint colour, Life Colour IDF Sand 1982, Vallejo German Camouflage Black Brown, and finally Vallejo Terracotta. By chipping back through the original colour down to the primer, this adds age and depth to the scrapes and chips, and can trick the eye into thinking there is more detail on the model than actually exists.

FINISHING TOUCHES A figure was added from Blast Models, with a Hornet head, all painted with Vallejo acrylics, the antennas painted white, and this beast was done. IDF subjects offer the modeller a real reward, not only are they born out of constant combat and operational use, but theyre tough looking to boot. The venerable old Tamiya kit is still a gem and builds up well after all these years. ■

The hull front was scrapped and chipped carefully. This area of a tank always cops a beating. Tracks were weathered in a similar way to the tank itself, then sanded with fine sandpaper to show some shine where they contact the ground

Modelspec Tamiya 1:35 Merkava 1. Kit No. 35127 (1983 release) Accessories Used: Bitzkrieg BK038 Merkava 1 Wheels Bitzkrieg BK050 Merkava 1 Sprockets Bitzkrieg BK044 Merkava 1 Idler wheels Friul Model ATL63 Merkava 1 tracks Eduard ED35574 Merkava 1 etch Live Resin LRE35088 Mag 58 Tasca 35L9 .50 Cal HMG RB Models 10374A D-shackles Blast Models BL35009K IDF AFV accessories Blast Models BL35018F tank commander Paints and Finishing Products: Lifecolor UA035 Israeli Sandgrey 1982 Vallejo 70950 Black Vallejo 70820 off white Vallejo Panzer Aces 306 Dark Rubber Vallejo 70822 German Camo black brown Vallejo 70821 German Camo beige Vallejo 70819 Iraqi Sand Vallejo 70880 Khaki grey Vallejo Game Colour 72065 Terra Cotta Vallejo Game Colour 72008 Orange Fire ✓ Easy to build; dimensionally accurate; lovely surface detailing; stands up well to scrutiny even today. ✗ Cries out for some extra detailing. Available from Tamiya kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net

Rating

No ball and chain armour on these early Merkava 1s - thank goodness! You can see the shot trap under the turret rear, and why this armour was added on later variants

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KIT PREVIEW Bronco Models 1:35 US GPW ¼ Ton 4x4 Utility Vehicle (Mod.1942) with 37mm Anti-Tank Gun M3A1 • Kit No. CB35107

The lovely rag top is thin and subtly textured.

Fine supports are provided for the canvas top.

ARMED JEEP Ross Ferro examines the latest in Bronco’s growing Jeep arsenal, this time with a 37mm Anti-Tank Gun.

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his recently released kit from Bronco follows hot on the heels of their US GPW Ton 4x4 Utility Truck with Trailer and Airborne Crew, and Bronco looks to be on a winning formula. Not so long ago Tamiya was the King of the GPW, with the Italeri kit not that far off the pace. However, I have to report that the Bronco offering has now taken the venerable 1:35 scale kit of the jeep to a whole new level. The jeep kit itself has been well documented in terms of contents and parts finesse by Luke Pitt in an earlier issue on MMI, and all of

the comments and superlatives used to describe the kit back then hold true for this jeep kit as well. The difference in this release is the addition of sprues to construct the jeep with the canvas roof top erected as well as sprues for the 37mm anti-tank gun ammo boxes. The rag top and rear panel are nicely detailed and very thinly moulded and capture the look a feel of the weatherproof covering particularly well. This also goes for the finely rendered plastic frames representing the look of the folding tubular roof mechanism frames beautifully. The 37mm M3A1 Anti-Tank Gun is an exceptionally fine piece of plastic moulding and captures the details and look of the real thing very convincingly. Construction of this little gem is dedicated to its own 15 steps of the total construction guide and it can be said that time, patience, good eyesight, nerves of steel and a steady hand will be most useful assets to posses when putting together this little anti-tank weapon. I mean, we did want the details didn’t we? The inclusion of a small photoetched fret for the anti-tank gun further adds to the sense of finesse, but in some cases plastic parts are thoughtfully provided as alternatives if photo-etch is not

The kit supplied decal sheet.

your thing. The upper and lower gun shields are commendably thin and almost translucent. To my eye they look pretty much scale thickness. You are also given options in terms of military or civilian road wheels for the gun trailer as well as the ability to build the gun in transport or combat/firing modes. In addition to the standard non-directional military tyres, Bronco has also provided early civilian cross-ply tyres as an option – nice touch. Bronco also supplies a number of 37mm anti-tank and high explosive shells in addition to four ammunition crates. There are 5 potential decal and painting options given with good old “any colour you want as long as it is Olive Drab” being the order of the day for both the jeep and the gun. This is yet another fine release from Bronco and sets the standard for both the jeep and anti-tank gun. We can only wait with much anticipation to see what other little plastic goodness Bronco has in store for we modellers and our ever-increasing stash in the near future. Highly Recommend. ■

Driver detail is well done. Looks like he is in pain though!

Note the different style of cross-ply tyre provided for the gun carriage.

The 37 mm gun is intricately detailed.

Thanks to Bronco for the sample www.bronco-model.com Some patience and a steady hand will be needed for assembly.

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Tech Guide

- Dragon 1:72 Churchill Mk.IV • Kit No. 7424

FOLLOW THE BLUE COAT! Kamil Feliks Sztarbala details Dragon’s small scale Churchill Mk.IV tank, also adding a crew and infantry riders.

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lthough I gave up building 1:72 AFV kits a few years ago, sometimes I like to work with something different to my usual 1:35 vehicles and 1:48 aircraft. This opportunity came along when I was asked to build a model of vehicle involved in Operation Bluecoat, namely a Churchill tank from 6th Guards Tank Brigade. I didn’t find too many archive photos of such vehicles on the web, but I stumbled across a UK-based manufacturer of aftermarket accessories mainly dedicated for Braille-scale AFV kits of British origin: Don Taylor Modelworks. The company owner graciously shared some interesting reference pictures with me. I also picked out two sets of resin figures and a decal sheet from him. Now I only had to obtain DML’s Churchill Mk.IV kit, RB Model’s turned aluminium barrel and copper towing cables from Eureka XXL. The latter are dedicated to a modern Leopard tank kit, but a quick look on their details and length revealed that they’re suitable for Churchill as well.

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Building the Churchill At first glance, DML’s 1:72 Churchill appears to be an excellent kit with quite a lot of sharply moulded details and wisely designed parts that should go together easily. However, an experienced modeller will notice some weaknesses even during the initial examination of the kit. The first issue are the tools and towing cables moulded onto the hull. Second, a small amount of parts isn’t a disadvantage unless they are easy to remove from the sprues. In this case, some parts are quite complex, thus cutting them off is time-consuming if we don’t want to damage them. Some fitting issues also appeared during the assembly.

The axles of idler wheels were too long as well. My first step was to remove the crudely moulded towing cables from the hull sides. Their symmetrical arrangement didn’t seem particularly realistic anyway.

Suspension is comprised of four parts, two per each side of the tank, so a lot of careful cutting is required to remove them from the sprue. The sprocket wheels didn’t fit the hull sides and couldn’t be put in their places even by using brute force. Therefore, I had to shorten and thin the protruding pieces of their axles.

Once the running gear was almost complete, I could begin mounting the hull. To adjust the front armour plate, I had to thin the sidewalls a bit. Next I attached the tracks. Since their upper sections are only partially visible in the assembled kit, I cut them off to get some track links for extra armour.

All tools are moulded onto the hull parts. Although they’re quite sharp, I emphasized their edges using Trumpeter scribing tool to make painting these details easier.

The upper part of the hull had to be modified in accordance with my idea on the kit. I wanted to mount the driver’s and hull gunner’s hatches in an open position. Fortunately, DML’s designers at least marked the shapes of the hatches on the inner side of hull roof.

Then I enlarged the holes with a scalpel.

I started by drilling 0.6 mm holes.

Now I could cut the holes to the proper shape.

Next, I increased their diameter using a 1.1 mm drill.

A file was used to make the edges smooth and level. November 2013 - Model Military International 39

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Tech Guide

- Dragon 1:72 Churchill Mk.IV • Kit No. 7424

… and cut out its legs as well as the ammo box.

Before I recreated the hatches, I had to fill the interior. First of all, it was necessary to place the driver. I picked one of the figures from the British AFV crew set…

By heating the resin, I could easily adjust the head and arms to the proper arrangement.

Simple imitations of driver’s legs, seat back and some equipment of hull gunner’s station were made of styrene profiles. I didn’t pay excessive attention to interior details, because they will be barely visible in the finished kit.

The whole interior was primed black. Next, I airbrushed a coat of AK-interactive AK092 Cremeweiss over the driver’s compartment.

AK 094 Interior Streaking Effects enamel was used to bring out the details. I also added some paint chips by rubbing off the fresh layer of acrylic paint with a hard-bristled paintbrush.

To assemble the hull, I had to make more modifications. First, I cut out the oil can holders.

Many photos of Churchills taken during Operation Bluecoat show that the front parts of mudguards were often removed. So did I…

Of course, I sanded the edges with a file to get the proper thickness of remaining parts of mudguards.

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Such modification made the lack of front I magiced up its representation from small wheel tensioning mechanism easily noticeable. pieces of various styrene profiles. That allowed me to glue the hull top to the rest of the kit.

It was time to focus on exterior details. The oil can holders were thinned, slightly damaged and attached back to the rear mudguards. I also separated the oil “flimsies” and drilled the exhaust pipe endings.

The hatches were made from pieces of 0.25 mm styrene sheets. I used flattened pieces of 0.4 mm tin wire to recreate the straps holding the “flimsies” of oil. Two small notches in the turret ring were unnecessary, so I filled them with pieces of styrene sheets.

Resin stowage came from various Armo’s sets, while the tow cables were manufactured by Eureka XXL. I mounted the latter in a way commonly seen on the archive photos.

Finally, I added extra armour in accordance with the reference pictures. Since the previously cut out pieces of DS-tracks were not sufficient to complete the task, I bought ESCI’s inexpensive Sherman kit just for the additional track links.

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Tech Guide

- Dragon 1:72 Churchill Mk.IV • Kit No. 7424

Painting

All bays were masked using pieces of sponge and carboard.

Tamiya XF-51 Khaki Drab worked as the base colour for all external surfaces.

The whole kit was primed with Tamiya XF-1 Black.

Next, the kit was given a layer of AK-interactive AK088 Worn Effects acrylic fluid.

I also strengthened the highlights on some edges by spraying a thin, almost transparent layer of Tamiya XF-57 Buff onto them.

The most exposed areas and armour plate joints were highlighted with strongly diluted Tamiya XF-51 Khaki.

A piece of cardboard was used as a guide to get sharp edges between the colours. Business cards are excellent for this purpose.

The smallest details were highlighted with Mr.Color C321 Light Brown applied with a brush.

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Additional scrapes were done with a scalpel blade. As I previously coated the kit with Worn Effects fluid, it was easy to recreate some paint chips. My first step was to dampen the surface with water. Then I started tapping it with a brass wire brush from rotary tool accessory set.

…but I didn’t care too much about that, because I planned to retouch the chipping anyway. I took a very fine brush and painted some scratches using AK-interactive AK 711 Chipping Color and Vallejo MC170 Glossy Black.

Unfortunately, I managed to reveal bare plastic here and there…

Vallejo’s 70304 Track Primer and MC170 Glossy Black as well as AK-interactive AK722 Dark Tracks were used to paint the extra armour. I mixed the paints in different ratios to get a variety of colour shades on the particular track links.

That stage was completed by spraying a layer of clear gloss coat over the whole kit.

All tools and stowage were also finished with acrylic paints. I used a mixture of Rusty Tracks and Gunmetal Grey for the tow cables, Sand, Middlestone and Burnt Umber for the boxes and bundles, and Gunmetal Grey for the guns and shovels.

The details were brought out with AK-interactive enamel washes. I used AK045 Dark Brown Wash for the hull and AK083 Track Wash for the tracks and extra armour. November 2013 - Model Military International 43

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Tech Guide

- Dragon 1:72 Churchill Mk.IV • Kit No. 7424

The effect was secured with matt varnish from Lifecolor. Once it dried, I wiped the hull edges and outer surfaces of tracks with a soft pencil. Next, I applied a rusty acrylic filter on the extra armour.

Small tufts and clods of grass stuck on the running gear and side mudguards are a distinctive feature visible on the archive photos of Churchills that have seen action. I represented these with 3.5 mm static grass mixed with a small amount of earth pigment.

The mixture was poured with lighter fluid…

…and randomly applied in the corners of running gear and mudguards.

I enhanced the effect by adding some bright and dark earth pigments, secured with pigment fixer.

I also brush painted some damp patches and oil stains, using AK-interactive AK084 Engine Oil enamel. To get an variety of effects, I was applying it either on dry or wet surface. In the latter case, I was dampening the surface with white spirit.

The final touch was to wipe the edges of wheels with a soft pencil.

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Figures

Many photos taken during Operation Bluecoat show the tanks serving as infantry carriers, so I decided to place some figures on my model. I chose a set of 1:76 British Infantry manufactured by Don Taylor Modelworks. It contains a few resin castings with separately casted bodies, arms, heads and some combat gear.

I started by cutting off the main parts from the casting blocks, using a jeweller’s saw.

The first figure required only minor adjustment. I had to cut out a notch for the tow cable glued to the mudguard.

Other infantrymen needed more advanced surgery. A few modifications could be done after heating the resin parts, but in most cases, the only solution was to break the legs and attach them in different position. Black C.A. adhesive worked as glue and filler as well.

Adjusting the heads and arms was also time-consuming. Again, a lot of heating, cutting and filling with C.A. glue was necessary. Another two figures from DTM’s tank crew set were fitted to the turret hatches. November 2013 - Model Military International 45

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Tech Guide

- Dragon 1:72 Churchill Mk.IV • Kit No. 7424 Aside from the Churchill, I also planned to feature a local female guide. A friend gave me one of the figures from WWII Underground Resisters set produced by Caesar Miniatures. Although the figure was very nicely moulded, it also required some modifications to fit my idea. First, I had to disarm the girl. My next step was to convert the jacket to a coat. I started by applying some ProCreate two-part epoxy putty. The rough shape and thick folds of coat were formed with a DYI tool made from styrene rod. Then I added some fine creases using a bamboo barbecue pick. The latter was previously sanded and cured. Afterwards I levelled the edges of coat and added some details, including the seams and outer pockets. Finally, I thinned the coat edges and formed their final shape, using a sharp craft knife. The whole figure was smoothened with fine-grained sandpaper.

To make painting easier, all resin figures were temporarily glued to toothpicks or matches.

Next I focused on details. I used a mixture of English Uniform and Burnt Umber from Vallejo to enhance the shadows in folds and recesses.

I began by priming them with Tamiya XF-1 Black.

The base paint mixed with bright beige was used to add some highlights.

The base colour was mixed from Tamiya XF-49 and Mr.Color C55. Although both paints are named Khaki, the colours are actually quite different from each other.

Then I finished the combat gear.

The infantrymen and crew were glued to the tank using C.A. adhesive. I sprayed a mist of satin varnish over the whole kit to make the excess glue indiscernible.

Last but not least, I had to paint the faces and hands. They were coloured in accordance with the Jaume Ortiz formula, but I tried to mix lighter shades than used for larger scale figures.

The girl’s details were coloured in the reverse order than the soldiers. I started by painting exposed parts of the body. Next were the blouse and skirt. The coat was finished by applying several transparent layers of different shades of blue.

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Base

Since it was poorly polished and crudely lacquered, I had to sand its sides. While I was at it, I also carved the initial shape of the ground.

Next I coated the top surface of the block with Vallejo’s Dark Earth acrylic paste.

A 1:72 vignette should be properly exposed, so I decided to use a solid wooden block as the stand.

Before it dried, I applied some grass tufts and small clumps of bushes from Polák Model’s scenery sets and carefully poured some earth pigments onto the surface.

I also imprinted the tracks in the ground.

Once the acrylic mixture finally dried, I added AK-interactive’s AK042 European Earth and AK081 Dark Earth pigments to get the proper colours and texture of the surface.

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Tech Guide

- Dragon 1:72 Churchill Mk.IV • Kit No. 7424

Luckily, I found the right screwdriver to remove the basis of the stand at the last minute before the final photo shoot! I must admit that I really didn’t like it.

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Mini Modelspec

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Many photos of Churchills taken during Operation Bluecoat show that the front parts of mudguards were often removed...

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Dragon 1:72 Churchill Mk.IV

Kit No. 7424

✓ Crisply moulded and nicely detailed. ✗ Tools and cables moulded to the hull; some parts difficult to remove from sprues. Available from Dragon Kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net

Rating

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KIT PREVIEW

Dragon 1:35 StuG III Ausf. G Late Production Dec. 1944 • Kit No. 6593

Dragon’s latest addition to their ever growing Sturmgeschutz line is a late production StuG. III Ausf. G. Graham Tetley takes a detailed look at the newly tooled parts for this version.

LATE STUG I t has taken a few years and we have come close, but finally Dragon has released this, the (almost) final StuG III G. Most of what is in the box we have seen before, but a handful of parts are new for this version. What makes this a Late G is no zimmerit finish, the close defence weapon and remote control machine gun mount, and the “Saukopf” (boar’s head) mantlet. There are approximately 30 different parts in this kit to produce the above features, as well as a new superstructure roof, engine deck and return rollers. We get the normal Dragon box full of parts and there are no surprises if you have seen a Dragon StuG before. There are 21 sprues, approximately 615 parts (of which about 140 are unused), 3 etched brass frets, one length of braided wire and a decal sheet. Markings are provided for 3 vehicles, all from East Prussia in 1945, with one unidentified unit and two from and identified unit. For this version, Dragon has given us DS Tracks instead of Magic Tracks. I think this is a step backwards (see below) but many will appreciate them. There is nothing to report on the moulding quality other than it is generally flawless with no flash and no surprises. Construction starts with the lower hull and running gear and Dragon provides us with working torsion bars if you want to have your suspension sprung. The

idler wheel comes with etched inserts for added detail, and the road wheels have the standard ‘CONTINENTAU’ stamped on them. The new final drives need the teeny bolts adding but the instructions clearly show where they need to go. The fenders are provided as separate parts and a full complement of tools with moulded-on clasps is provided. As an added bonus, Sprue G includes a spare set of tools (2 each of a shovel, axe and crowbar) to go straight into your spares box. A length of metal wire is provided for the tow shackles, which themselves are pre-drilled for ease. The etched fret provides the grilles, fender supports and the aforementioned inserts for the idlers, with an added fret giving us the luggage rack for the engine deck. We also have a tiny etched chain included that is used to secure the gun cradle. Moving onto the superstructure, a detailed interior is provided although there are still some prominent omissions. We are still lacking the shell ejection basket, ammunition stowage, gas mask containers and ammunition for the MP40s - these are provided, but not called out in the instructions. The new ‘Saukopf’ mantlet has the hole included in it that my references (Achtung Panzer No.5) show to be for a co-axial machine gun. If this is correct, then there is no machine gun assembly included affixed to the main gun mount. Also, we have the part

for hull roof that represent the close-in defence weapon, but the instructions do not show the installation of the weapon itself. It is there in Sprue P if you wish to use it. A full radio rack is there, and what we have is an interior that is busy enough when viewed through the roof hatches. The kit provides a full set of schurtzen racks, but no plates for the side armour. This kit comes with 40 cm tracks in DS Plastic but Dragon does not note the proper length for them before installation. My experience with DS Tracks is that they are normally too long or too short and this is why I feel that their inclusion, rather than Magic Tracks, is a backward step.

The Sow's Head never looked so good.

New hull roof specific to the late stug.

Lovely detail on the front glacis

Newly tooled engine deck

CONCLUSION When I compare the kit to the December 1943 version, kit 6581, we are missing the Magic Tracks and the metal schurtzen. If Dragon can provide them in that kit, then why not in this? In that regard, I feel that it is lacking and suffers from some omissions that are already in Dragon’s parts catalogue and should be there. The interior has some omissions that are peculiar to this StuG version, so check your references if you are concerned about total accuracy. That said, this kit represents what it is supposed to so, in that regard, it is a welcome addition to any StuG III collection. I will be replacing the DS tracks and making my own Schurtzen. ■

Three decal options included.

The new, late G, drive sprocket

Detail on the new return rollers.

Thanks to The Hobby Company Limited for the sample www.hobbyco.net New DS tracks included. Note the small amount of flash.

Hollow guide horns on the DS Tracks.

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Tiny bolts for your new final drive housing

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Halifax Modellers World

29 Union Street, Halifax, HX1 1PR

DRAGON 1/35 SCALE DN6483 3.7cm flak 37............................... £19.99 DN6593 Stug IIIG Late 1944.................... £45.00 DN6779 Panzer IV Ausf.D DAK.............. £49.99 DN6766 OPEL MAULTIER Ambulance.. £45.00 DN6772 234/4 Premium Edition.............. £45.00

MINIART 1/35 SCALE AIRFIX 1/48 SCALE MIN35152 AEC Mk.1 Armoured Car....... £32.99 AX03702 British Vehicle Crew................... £9.00 MIN35163 German Paras & Tankers........ £8.99 PLASTIC SOLDIER 1/72 SCALE TAMIYA 1/35 SCALE WW2V20013 M5 Halftracks x 3.............. £13.95 TA35329 JGSDF Type 10 Tank.................. £44.99 WW2V20014 M5 A1 Light Tanks 3.......... £13.95 WW2V20015 M4A4 Sherman/Firefly..... £13.95 MIRROR Models 1/35 SCALE RIICH MODELS 1/35 SCALE MRR35106 CMP C15TA Ambulance........ £36.99 RC35111 Carrier Mk.1 w/Crew................. £31.99 DRAGON 1/72 SCALE MRR35200 Russian T-20 Tractor.............. £27.99 DN7504 LRDG Chevy w/2cm................... £18.99 MRR35204 Russian Fuel Trailer................ £12.99 VULCAN MODELS 1/35 SCALE DN7493 VK45.02(P)H................................ £19.99 VSM56010 STZ-5 Tractor........................ £24.95 DN7506 Panther D Late prodn................ £19.99 BRONCO 1/35 SCALE CB35162 M22 Locust U.S version........... £24.99 MENG MODELS 1/35 SCALE TRUMPETER 1/72 SCALE CB35062 8.8cm Flak Sonderfrgstll........... £39.99 MMTS-006 Russian T-90A MBT............. £44.99 Pz.Sfl IVa Dicker Max................................. £12.99 CB35097 Marder II Ausf D........................ £28.99 MMVS-003 GAZ-233014 STS Tiger......... £49.99 CB35156 DAK Topolino car....................... £21.99 ZVEZDA 1/72 SCALE CB35152 Allied Correspondents.............. £11.99 TAMIYA 1/48 SCALE ZV6170 British Bofors 40mm w/crew.... £7.50 CB35159 U.S Jeep Crew............................. £7.99 TAM32575 Tiger 1 Late............................ £24.99 TRUMPETER 1/35 SCALE TM01579 Russian BTR-80 APC................. £39.99 TM01579 Russian T-64A Mod 1981.......... £39.99 TM05512 BRDM-2 Late.............................. £29.99

Bison Decals now in stock! Ring for details

Tel/Fax 01422 349157 Shop Hours:Mon,Tues,Thur 10.30-17.30, Wed closed, Fri 10.30-17.00, Sat 9.30-17.00, Sun 10.30-16.30

POST & PACKING UK £4.00

www.halifaxmodellersworld.co.uk

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Young Miniatures 1:10 scale Battle of Jang-Jin Reservoir 1950 • Item No. YM 1838

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THE CHOSIN FEW Matt Wellhouser describes the painting and shading of Young Miniature’s big 1:10 scale Korean War Marines bust.

I

n 1950, the US Army and the US Marine Corps took on about 33 Red Chinese Divisions at a reservoir in the middle of Korea. It was bitter cold and savage. This battle occurred between 27 November and 13 December 1950. As you look at photos of the US Marines in this battle, their faces betray the tough times that they endured. Young Miniatures took a fairly well known photograph and turned that in to a fantastic piece of art. The kit consists of just a few resin parts - the main bust, the head, helmet, rifle and three pieces of the hood on the jacket. As usual, the parts are expertly cast and require just a little cleanup. One note - because the head is enveloped in the hood and helmet, I would recommend you spend some time test fitting the parts and get familiar how they interact with one another. I usually paint all the parts separately and then assemble as much as possible, so on this step, I took my time to make sure everything was going to fit.

The face was also primed with Tamiya Grey, with pre-shading at the sides.

PAINTING UNDERWAY

Once all cleaned up, the parts were primed and paint started to fly. I pre-shaded with flat black sprayed through the airbrush. I tend to do this more and more, as it helps define the shadows. Starting with the face, I used my pretty standard mix of Vallejo colours - Brown Sand 876, Basic Skintone 815, Burnt Cadmium Red 814 and Black Red 859. I add a touch of Burnt Umber 941 and Black 950 to the shadows. If you have read my previous articles (you have, haven’t you?), you’ll get the idea on this technique. First I base coated with Sand Brown. Then very thin controlled glazes of the base plus Basic Skintone were added. In the end, the highlight mix was about 70% Basic Skintone to the base colour. Then the shadows were added using he Cadmium Red in a similar fashion. As each thin glaze coat dries, you can go back and add another lighter layer. Several times I had to mix a mid tone glaze to go over the join of a highlight and shadow to kill that sharp demarcation. I use Black Red very sparingly with the deepest shadow mix. It is a dark colour; a little goes a long way. I also added some Magenta to Burnt Cadmium Red to use as a glaze over the cheeks and nose to give a cold- frostbitten appearance. I painted the eyes with a light mix of Basic Skintone, Light Flesh 928 and Brown Sand. Then the pupils were painted in. A final coat of Future Floor polish gives the eyes that sparkle.

For the face, I base coated with Sand Brown then I used my pretty standard mix of Vallejo colours - Brown Sand 876, Basic Skintone 815, Burnt Cadmium Red 814 and Black Red 859.

The paint job started with a coat of Tamiya Grey Spray Can Primer, followed by a sprayed pre-shade of Flat Black.

UNIFORM COLOURS The uniform on this figure is the issue overcoat with hood. If you look carefully, you’ll see that he has a field cap on under the hood. These caps have ear flaps that can fold down. According to my references, they were fur lined. The overcoat was a standard Olive Drab shade with fur lining in the hood. With this much Olive Drab, you have to be creative in your paint mix to vary the shades of OD or there is no variation or interest in the figure. I tend to mix and match the various shades of green just to break up the monochromatic palette. Don’t try to match exact colour here- paint to what looks right to your eye.

The highlight mix was about 70% Basic Skintone to the base colour. The shadows were then added using Cadmium Red.

Here are my mixes for each portion of the figure (all Vallejo): Jacket: • Base: German Filed Grey 830 + Green Grey 886 • Highlights: Base + Sunny Skintone 845 • Shadows: Base + Black 950 Hood on Jacket: • Panzer Aces Felgrau 335 (that is a Vallejo colour) • Add Sunny Skintone for Highlights, Black and Burnt Umber 941 for Shadows • Fur: US Field Drab 873 and English Uniform 921 • Add Flat Earth 983 and Sunny Skintone for highlights Blanket rolled around neck: • Base: US Field Drab 873 + A

The eyes were painted with a light mix of Basic Skintone, Light Flesh 928 and Brown Sand. The pupils were painted in then a final coat of Future Floor polish was added to give the eyes that sparkle.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Young Miniatures 1:10 scale Battle of Jang-Jin Reservoir 1950 • Item No. YM 1838

B English Uniform + Khaki Gray

(added a drop of Tamiya Flat Base to the mix to make it really flat • Shadows: Burnt Umber + Black added to base mix • Highlights: Base + Sunny Skintone Ammo Bandolier: • Base- Green Gray 886 + Khaki 988 + US Field Drab 873 • Add more Khaki and Sunny Skintone for highlights, Black added for Shadows Sling for Rifle: • Panzer Aces 335 Feldgrau + Khaki 988 I painted the inside of the hood parts separately then when the head was finished they were glued on to the head that was already glued to the torso. That’s why the dry fitting at the beginning of this project was important. The only putty used was on the back of the hood. It was a fabric seam on the real deal, so it just needed a touch of A&B. The helmet received special attention as I wanted to depict a worn, weather beaten cover. A decision had to be made about what colour to paint the cover. This particular helmet cover is two sided - one side is primarily green and the other brown. Checking references did not reveal too much because a majority of photos taken

The helmet, with its cast cover primed and ready for paint.

The helmet was base coated with US Field Drab and Iraqi Sand. I added a drop of Tamiya Flat Base to the mix. This really deadens the finish.

I then used Andrea Brown and Black Inks to define the seams and edges of each tear in the cover.

I also emphasized the dirty areas on the cover by carefully applying thin washes of the inks in selected areas.

at Chosin are in black and white. I checked with a friend of mine who has several contacts at the US National Marine Corps Museum. The consensus was that the Marines primarily wore the brown side out at Chosin. The box art depicts the green side of the cover. Your choice, but I wanted to stray a little form the box art. The helmet was base coated

With this much Olive Drab, you have to be creative in your paint mix to vary the shades of OD or there is no variation or interest in the figure.

I painted the inside of the hood parts separately and then when the head was finished they were glued on to the head that was already glued to the torso.

For the darker brown spots, I mixed Mahogany Sand and Leather Brown. For the lighter spots, I used US Field Drab.

Once dry, I dusted the cover with some pigments- some homebrewed stuff and MIG European dust – then I worked the cover over with a variety of artist oil paints. I use burnt umber, raw umber, black and some sepia.

with US Field Drab and Iraqi Sand. I added a drop of Tamiya Flat Base to the mix. This really deadens the finish. Then the spots were painted. For the darker brown spots, I mixed Mahogany Sand and Leather Brown. For the lighter spots, I used US Field Drab. I kept the mixes very thin, sometimes having to go over each spot a couple of times. I then used Andrea Brown and

I tend to mix and match the various shades of green just to break up the monochromatic palette.

Black Inks to define the seams and edges of each tear in the cover. I also emphasized the dirty areas on the cover by carefully applying thin washes of the inks in selected areas. I also used lightened base colour to bring out the fabric texture and wear along the edges of the torn edges of the cover. Once dry, I dusted the cover with some pigments- some

The back of the uniform with the painting and shading complete.

The upper section of the rifle is supplied as a separate part. This was primed and base coated with Vallejo Buff. Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna oil paint was then applied. With a dry brush, I gently drew the brush across the wet oil paint to simulate wood grain. Once dry, some touchup with various browns and black oil colours completed the wood finish. I used Humbrol Metalcote Gunmetal on the barrel, and fittings. A little ground up pencil graphite helped weather the metal portions of the rifle.

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Modelspec Young Miniatures 1:10 scale Battle of Jang-Jin Reservoir 1950, Item No. YM 1838 Brush Used: # 00 Windsor Newton Series 7 sable brush Paints Used: Tamiya Grey Aerosol Primer Tamiya acrylic XF-1 Flat Black; XF-49 Khaki; XF-51 Khaki Drab Citadel Boltgun Metal Vallejo Model Colour (Various – see body text for more details) ✓ Fantastic sculpting; high quality moulding; straightforward clean-up.

The only putty used was on the back of the hood. It was a fabric seam on the real deal, so it just needed a touch of A&B putty. The bust, minus the helmet, awaits final assembly.

✗ Nothing worth mentioning. Available from Young Miniatures products may be seen on their website www.young-miniatures.com

homebrewed stuff and MIG European dust. Then I worked the cover over with a variety of artist oil paints. I use burnt umber, raw umber, black and some sepia. The intensity of the colours helps to emphasize the effect of grime and dirt. The metal part of the helmet was painted with Olive Drab 889 (Vallejo). Then finally, I apply Testors Dullcoat to the finished helmet with my airbrush. All the

painting and varied finishes tend to “gloss up” the finish. The helmet straps are applied after the helmet is glued in place. I use a small soldering iron (as a heat source) to gently persuade the straps into position. The upper section of the rifle was primed and base coated with Vallejo Buff, then Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna oil paint was applied. With a dry brush, I gently drew

the brush across the wet oil paint to simulate wood grain. Once dry, some touchup with various browns and black oil colours completed the wood finish. Then I used Humbrol Metalcote Gunmetal on the barrel, and fittings. A little ground up pencil graphite helped weather the metal portions of the rifle. The bottom of the bust is painted Flat Black and affixed to a nice wood base.

Rating CONCLUSION I hoped to achieve the dirty, cold war weary look of the US Marine at Chosin. The bust is full of character and you could even add snow if you so desired. Fantastic kit, with a few parts - perfect for the Korean War collector! ■

This is a simple bust to assemble, with fantastic facial expression and interesting painting potential.

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Incoming BRONCO

1:35 SCALE ITALIAN LIGHT CIVILIAN CAR (OPEN TOP) • KIT CB 35165

This is the second version of the little 1:35 scale Fiat Topolino from Bronco but now comes with an open top and the addition of a female figure and a Dalmatian dog. Much of the kit is the same as the previously released DAK version but it may be worth running over the main features again. The kit is presented in a large box with nice artwork adorning its face. In typical Bronco fashion, a very well illustrated and precise instruction booklet is included, with three marking choices - two very attractive civilian schemes and one in basic black. 125 parts over 9 sprues are included with 9 in clear, 11 in grey (for the figure and dog) and 105 in sand coloured plastic for the vehicle itself. A separate upper body moulding is also included, encased in a clear plastic bubble to protect it from damage. The standard of moulding on this piece is excellent and now even more so with the introduction of this open topped version. The sidewall and mudguard thickness for instance is so thin that it is almost in scale! The kit’s details include a complete engine, fuel tank and radiator, two separate doors and an engine bonnet. The front half of the radiator grill/ bodywork may be positioned in the open position if you wish, exposing the engine. A lot of thought has gone into this assembly as there is detail on both sides of the radiator grill, both interior and exterior. On reflection, I would have liked the grill work to be seethrough, but maybe I’m asking too much as I don’t know if this would be possible with conventional moulding. A separate chassis is included but this piece misses out on the lightening holes on the outside rails of the chassis frame. However, these were hardly seen unless the vehicle was overturned or on a hoist and in my opinion are perfectly fine the way they are. The wheels and tyre assemblies are a bit of a disappointment. I really prefer the more recent trend of having the tyre split down their horizontal axis including the tread pattern as flat disks. This approach in my opinion gives great fidelity of detail. On this kit Bronco has taken a backward step and produced a one piece wheel and tyre combination that has the tread moulded onto the tyre itself. The tread detail is good, just a little faint. The real problem is, even with minor sanding to remove the mould seam, some of the pattern is lost. The hub caps on all the wheels are moulded separately which will allow the modeller to leave these off, but the hub nuts will have to be added if you choose to do this. These are included on the sprue but are not called for in the instructions. 17 photo etch pieces are included that really just add to an already outstanding model. This new kit from Bronco is a welcome addition and in my opinion the best example of its type available in any scale today The moulding on the bodywork is a case study on how fine plastic injection moulding can be. The list of accessories included is large and the overall execution of this kit is outstanding. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Bronco Models for the sample www.bronco-model.com Luke Pitt

PLUS MODELS

1:35 SCALE WWII RAILWAY SIGNAL ITEM NO. 245

Plus Models always seem to come up with something that is a little different and at the same time useful. This new accessory fits the bill on both counts. It consists of 22 resin castings, one length of chain, 29 photo-etched pieces (of which one of which is coloured on both sides) and one piece of clear acetate. The model is an outstanding representation of a European Railway signal pole used from the late 19th century right through to the early 1960s. What Plus Models does that sets these apart is consistently offer different and interesting product. It is nice to see a manufacturer going the extra mile for the modeller and this set is no exception. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Plus Models for the sample www.plusmodel.cz Luke Pitt

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BRONCO MODELS

1:35 SCALE T97E2 WORKABLE PLASTIC TRACKS FOR M48/M60 AND M88 • ITEM NO. AB3563

Bronco has established quite a reputation as a premier producer of plastic kits in 1:35 scale. This reputation is well deserved, as their attention to detail is nothing short of amazing. From time to time they tend to produce something that is a little out of the ordinary. This new release from them fits that bill in my opinion. I have always liked the look of the American M48 and M60 series of tanks but have been turned off by the lack of detail on the various models available. Even the new Dragon M48 kit and its quite outstanding tracks didn’t exactly inspire me to purchase the kit. Maybe I’m just hanging out for an up to date version of the M60, who knows? But looking at this new set of tracks from Bronco suddenly gives me the feeling that I’d like to build an M60. The set consists of 23 brown coloured sprues that reminds me of the workable Modelkasten track sets. The layout and colouring and assembly sequence is very much to the Modelkasten formula. A whopping 1174 separate parts (and their associated clean up) is included. The parts are cleanly moulded with the only cleanup (other than the sprue attachment burs) fine flash on the tip of some guide teeth. The track rods have small mould seams but nothing to really worry about. These don’t hinder assembly or the track articulation. The tracks themselves are broken down into four parts for each of the pads and one part for the guide horn The assembly of these tracks in particular would benefit from some sort of assembly jig and will be quite time consuming. However, the detail when complete will be breathtaking. Overall, I recommend this track update, although somewhat time consuming in their construction, they should be well worth the effort. They are without a doubt the most detailed tracks of this type available today. Our thanks go out to Bronco for the review sample. Recommended. Thanks to Bronco Models for the sample www.bronco-model.com Luke Pitt

REALITY IN SCALE

1:35 SCALE ROWING BOAT ITEM NO. 35205

REALITY IN SCALE

1:35 SCALE LARGE DOGS • ITEM NO. 3522

Reality is Scale is well known for their diorama accessories. I am always on the lookout for animals for my scenes and this release, large dogs, certainly appeals. Within the plastic box, we find a ziplock bag with four resin dogs. There are no sprues to remove, no flash, voids, blobs, or bubbles. They are cast in a grey resin. I could only identify one breed, the German Shepherd, but this is fine as many mutts (mixed breeds) have been adopted as pets. The sculpting on the lying dogs is very good as is the sitting longhaired mongrel. However, something is not right with the sitting shorthaired dog. Looking at this large head, the ears seem to be position too far forward and there is something else about his front legs that I can't quite put my finger on. I can accept that the casting has caused the legs of the prone dogs to be thicker but this is easily remedied with a little knife and file work if one chooses. While I understand that these are large dogs, they seem a tad too large for 1:35 scale. In the last photo, we see a Tamiya German Shepherd in front of the prone one and it seems more of a puppy than an adult. Truth be told, dogs do grow to different sizes so I will save these for modern setting where statistics show they (as well as humans) are now larger than their generations before. Highly Recommended. My thanks to Reality in Scale for the sample www.realityinscale.com Saul Garcia

Many modellers like to add a water accent to their dioramas and Reality in Scale has released a row boat to add to that stream or lake. In a clear plastic box with two locking hasps, we find a resin boat along with a ZipLoc bag containing a pair of oars, a pair of eyes for the oars, an anchor, a plank for the bench, and the rope for the anchor. Cast in a tan resin, I found no bubbles, blobs, voids, or flash. One of the oars' body is warped but a dip in hot water will cure that. No instructions are provided so one must look at the color photograph on the box to see how to assemble the boat. After removing the plank from the casting gate, I slid it as far as it could go. I then noted where I would need to drill. Looking at the length of the wire eyes, it is obvious I need to cut them down a bit. I did notice that the oars do not slid into the eyes as they should, this is an important feature of row boats so I may replace the wire eyes with one of my own making. The details on the oars are very well done with wrapped twine for the handles. The boat itself is a mystery; it seems to have a locker at the front and another at the rear. Looking at the box top, it seems the rear locker was used for sitting. The plank sides of the boat seem exaggerated, almost like vinyl siding on a home but absolutely no detail or texture appears on the bow (front) or stern (rear) of the boat. I will simply scribe it in after knocking down the sides with some sanding sticks. Highly Recommended. My thanks to Reality in Scale for the sample www.realityinscale.com Saul Garcia

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Book Reviews

THE AMPERSAND GROUP

SON OF SHERMAN VOLUME 1 THE SHERMAN DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT ISBN: 978-0-9773781-1-1

I could just sum up this review very quickly, firstly saying, “wow”, and secondly, if you are any kind of Sherman fan, you really need this book. However, just in case you would like a few more details, here goes. Late in the last century, Ampersand Publishing released a concise 120 page volume entitled “Modeler’s Guide to the Sherman”. This book comprised mainly of material that had been previously published in MMiR magazine, including a chapter covering 15 different Sherman model builds. Also included were walk around photos, scale drawings, camouflage and markings and bibliographies for references and model resources. In terms of the drawings, which were really the heart of this original book, the focus was the running gear and hull of the various Sherman types. The book proved very useful and popular, and plans were put in place for a more detailed update. Now, 14 years later, we have Volume 1 of the original book’s successor, hence the title “Son of Sherman”. This is a hefty tome at 346 pages. The paper is high quality and glossy, but more importantly, the contents are a truly comprehensive coverage of the design, development and variants of the M4 Sherman tank during the WWII era. The book is effectively brand new, with little or nothing of the original “Modeler’s Guide” remaining – everything has been reworked, expanded and sifted with a fine tooth comb. The book features more than 130 multi-view drawings covering each Sherman sub-type by hull, final drive housing, turret and running gear. The factories that produced these variants are also covered. All 75mm and 76mm turret types are included. A staggering number of large and well-reproduced wartime photos are offered, as well as relevant images of restored and museum examples where appropriate. There are more than 900 photos in all. Most photos are in glorious black and white, but there is a decent smattering of colour too, especially in the interior and running gear reference sections. Captions are detailed and relevant. In addition to all this, the book also describes transporting the Sherman to the battlefield, applique armour, production and registration data. The book is available in either soft or hard cover versions. Presumably we will see coverage of howitzer and British variants, as well as post-war and non gun-tank variants in future volumes. “Son of Sherman Volume 1” is a remarkable achievement. It is clearly a labour of love by its authors, Pat Stansell and Kurt Laughlin, and the team who contributed archival and photographic resources. The book was nearly 15 years in the making and the wait seems more than worthwhile. This will be an essential companion to any M4 Sherman modeller, whether casual or obsessive. Highly Recommended. Thanks to The Ampersand Group for the sample www.ampersandpubco.com Brett Green

NUTS AND BOLTS

VOLUME 29 RAUPENSCHLEPPER OST RSO

This German publisher really needs no introduction. What they offer is a one stop reference source for the student historian and modeller. This new reference book has some 176 pages and was prepared with the aid of restored examples. It offers a rare example of a complete history of the vehicle and all the details that go along with it. The book is logically broken down into a number of sections. The first 83 pages are devoted to the development and history of the vehicle in German service. The development and technical aspects are covered in this section, followed by the differences between the prototype and production vehicles. A very useful chart aimed squarely at the modeller describes these changes and modifications. The next section discusses all the units that operated this vehicle. This section is lavishly illustrated with a little over 170 black and white wartime photos The next 16 pages are devoted to very well drawn 1:35 scale plans of all the known variants of the vehicle. John Rue has really captured the essence of the vehicle in these drawings. Sixteen colour profile drawings follow over the next eight pages and are wonderfully executed and presented. Then follows 61 pages of walk around photos from the various restored examples. Almost the entire vehicle is covered from the interior and engine through to a detailed study of the running gear. The last 18 pages are devoted to a number of model builds and are of a very high standard. In my opinion, this is the best references source that I have come across for this particular vehicle. It strikes the right balance between historical fact, photo coverage and high quality colour profiles. Some may be put off by the price of this book, but really, if you want one reference source for this vehicle, then this is the one to purchase no question about it. This is a great publication and comes highly recommended. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Nuts & Bolts for the sample www.nuts-bolts.de Luke Pitt

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SERVICE PUBLICATIONS

WEAPONS OF WAR SERIES THE HEAVY UTILITY IN CANADIAN SERVICE BY ROBERT H CLARKE 155-MM HOWITZERS IN CANADIAN SERVICE BY JOHN DAVIDSON

The Heavy Utility in Canadian Service by Robert H. Clarke and 155-MM Howitzers in Canadian Service by John Davidson are the two latest titles in the series joining the growing range of similar titles devoted to Canadian war materiel. These books cram a lot of useful information backed by black and white photographs and scale drawings into their 24 A5 sized pages and are a great addition to the library whether you are a modeller, historian or enthusiast. The first title is the Heavy Utility in Canadian Service, which offers a great background to CMP 8 cwt heavy utility truck that was produced by Canada and used in Commonwealth armies initial as a staff vehicle with 4x4 capability and then in a variety of specialist roles such as Administration, Ambulance Communications and Command to name a few. It was produced in seven different variants and many sub variants existed. This informative title details the history of the vehicle, a general description, descriptions of the variants and its many roles in WWII across the Commonwealth forces. Like all books in this range it is well supported by black and white photos and line drawings in the centre spread. With a kit of this important vehicle due shortly this is timely and an excellent reference. The other title covers that important weapon system the 155 mm howitzer in Canadian service from the end of WWII until present day in the medium artillery role. The book covers the systems used, which are the US M114 (M1A1 CDN) towed howitzer, the M109 SPG and the current lightweight M 777 howitzer procured for service in Afghanistan. The title describes the organisation of Canada’s post war artillery forces, detailed histories of the three howitzers, developments and employment of the howitzers over the post Second World War period. Again supported by a good cross section of black and white photos and line drawings, this title is a good basic reference for Canadian Medium Artillery. These books cram a lot of useful information backed by B&W photographs and line drawings into their 24 A5 sized pages and are a great addition to the library whether you are a modeller, historian or enthusiast. Recommended. Thanks to Service Publications for the samples www.servicepub.com Al Bowie

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1:48 Scale – A round-up of the latest news and releases

A SAD LITTLE SOP STORY “SOP”, or Standard Operating Procedure, is an established procedure to be followed when carrying out a given operation in a given situation. Over my last couple of builds I note that I have a standard operating procedure that seems to permeate all of my builds. It follows the same pattern time after time. Does this mean every model I do will invariably have the same set of problems associated with it? For me, it seems that I run out of patience when I get close to painting the model. Now, anyone who has ever read one of my modelling articles will no doubt be aware that I often lament the fact that I have to re-paint almost all of my builds. I’m quite diligent with the research and build steps but I’m a tad obsessive with detailing and as a result of this my builds tend drag out over months. When

it comes time to paint, dust and grit will have inevitably have attached themselves to all my subassemblies. Any sensible modeller would just slow down and prepare the surfaces in a slow and deliberate fashion. Not this modeller. No, this modeller just goes in and paints with gay abandon. The results are always the same, grit dust and generally a finish that a three year old might be proud of. A wise man once said ”If you keep on doing the same thing you are going to always get the same result”. In my case this is oh so very true. The next step in my standard operating procedure involves stripping the model to re-paint. This always results parts falling off and detail being rebuilt, often in a haphazard fashion and often not to the same standard as the original. At this stage I

generally get a tad huffy and my mindset is always the same. My inner voice always asks the same question “Why are you doing this dude? It’s not like you are finding a cure for cancer. You are just building a silly little plastic model!” As a result of this I tend to rush the last part and that usually results in a model that is not really up to my expectations. The feeling is always the same. I’ll often hate the model when complete. It is only after a few months that I tend to warm to any of my builds. And only after I’ve forgotten all the dramas associated with the build. So that’s my sad little “SOP” story. What’s yours?

Unit next time Luke Pitt

TORO MODELS

1:48 SCALE YOUNG GIRL WITH DOG • ITEM NO. 48F55

This new addition to from Toro Models is quite a nice little set. Both of the castings are very well done and are wonderfully detailed. The dog is cast as three pieces consisting of a main body and two paws. The young girl is cast as two pieces with the right arm being a separate item. These figures would not be out of place in any setting and in any time frame. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Toro Model for the sample www.toro-model.com.pl Luke Pitt

CORPUS

1:48 SCALE US PILOTS ITEM NOS. C-48001 AND C-48002

Corpus is an offshoot of The Bodi and both of these new figures are some of the best I’ve seen in 1:48 scale for quite some time. The skill of Krisztian Bodi, the sculptor involved, is quite frankly amazing. His technique and style is unique and this translates well into his sculpts. The two figures are presented in these sets are US pilots from the 1942-45 time frame but with slight modification could be used in other time periods too. The subtle fabric creases and folds are quite simply amazing. The facial details are noteworthy as they capture both detail and character at the same time, which is rarely seen in any scale. The posing of the figures is also outstanding as they suggest endless applications. Both of these figures scale out well and would be outstanding additions to any vehicle or diorama. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Corpus for the review sample www.thebodi.eu Luke Pitt

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Luke Pitt hosts MMI’s examination of the growing world of 1:48 scale military models, figures and accessories.

TAMIYA

1:48 SCALE TIGER I (LATE PRODUCTION). KIT NO. 32575 TAMIYA TIGER I (DETAIL UP) ZIMMERIT COATING. ITEM NO. 12653

Tamiya’s new 1:48 scale kit of the venerable Tiger I represents the late production type with steel road wheels. It follows on from one of the first in the Tamiya 1:48 series and this rendition is by and large is an improvement on those early releases. Tamiya’s 1:48 scale Late Production Tiger I comprises 197 parts in sand plastic. The moulding is first class, with no clean-up needed except for a few fine mould seams. The detail is so fine in places it defies belief. The lower hull is a one-piece plastic (yes plastic!) affair, onto which the suspension is attached. The large upper hull moulding comes in six parts which thankfully go together very well. The turret has been modified with a late cupola integrated onto the turret roof. Two marking choices are provided, the first being “313” from the 505th Panzer Battalion in sand and brown and the second being “211” from the 101st Panzer Battalion in a three-colour spaghetti scheme. Comparisons between this kit and the Skybow/AFV example are inevitable. This new Tamiya kit is, at first glance, not as detailed or as complex as the Skybow/AFV kit. For example the tracks are clearly better in the Tamiya kit but detail elsewhere runs second place. The great strength of the Tamiya kit, however, is its ease of assembly and presentation. Even the total novice modeller could build the Tamiya kit in hours where the same certainly cannot be said for the Skybow/AFV kit. The Tamiya kit has been designed for a separate Zimmerit sheet (Item 12653 with both fine and coarse turret finishes), where the Skybow/ AFV kit has it already moulded on, although only as the finer rendition on the turret. So in reality the choice comes down to build speed and whether you prefer to add your own Zimmerit. I quite like the separate Zimmerit sheet provided as a “detail up” option. Aside from having the two variations of Zimmerit on the turret it has a nice “scale like” texture to it as well. The Zimmerit is printed on one sheet and it is left up to the modeller to cut out the various shapes out and then stick then onto the donor model. From the look of Tamiya’s instructions, it appears that a Mid Production variant of the Tiger I may also be on the cards, which would make perfect sense. Overall this is a very well done addition and I have no hesitation in recommending both the kit and the Zimmerit sheet. Both Recommended. Thanks to Tamiya for the sample www.tamiya.com Tamiya kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net Luke Pitt

HAULER

11:48 SCALE PHOTO ETCHED UPDATE FOR THE UM KIT OF THE BA-6 ITEM NO. HLX48339 This is quite a small set even by Hauler’s standards, comprising just 41 small photo etch pieces. As with most of Hauler’s sets, this one concentrates on the parts that need to be replaced. In this case, it supplies the side armoured louvers, the front bumper various external fittings and various hinges. Given the low purchase cost with this update you really can’t go wrong. Recommended. Thanks to Hauler for the sample www.hauler.cz Luke Pitt

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BUYERS GUIDE>>>>>>>>> AVID READER

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Contact Details - for companies featured in MMI... ACCURATE ARMOUR/ ARMOUR DISTRIBUTION

Units 15-16 Kingston Industrial Estate, Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, PA14 5DG Scotland. Tel; 01475 743 955 Fax; 01475 743746 www.accurate-armour.com

ADALBERTUS

Iberyjska 7/49, 02-764 , Warsaw,Poland [email protected] www.adalbertus.com.pl

THE AIRBRUSH COMPANY Ltd

Unit 7 Marlborough Road, Lancing Business Park, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8UF. Tel; 08700 660 445 www.airbrushes.com

ALCLAD II LACQUER

5 St Georges Close, Bacton, Norfolk. NR12 0LL Tel; 01962 65216 Fax; 01692 652334

ALPINE, ROYAL MODEL, ARTISAN MORI, YOSCI; SMARTMODELLING No.7 Gordons Way, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0LN. UK Tel; 01883 734746 [email protected]

AMPERSAND PUBLISHING (via Historex Agents in UK)

235 NE 6th Avenue #4 Delray Beach, Florida 33483-5543, USA Tel; 561-266 9686 Fax; 561-266-9786

ARCHER

(Historex in UK)

PO Box 1277 Youngsville, NC 27596-1277, USA www.archertransfers.co

BADGER AIR-BRUSH COMPANY 9128W Belmont Ave, Franklin Park, IL 60131 Tel; 847/678-3104 www.badgerairbrush.com email [email protected] (In the UK from www.shesto.co.uk)

BISON DECALS

Available from www.hannants.co.uk and www.pdi-model-supplies.com

DELUXE MATERIALS www.deluxematerials.co.uk [email protected] Tel; 01529 455 0340

DRAGON MODELS

(The Hobby Company in UK)

Dragon Models Ltd, Kong Nam Ind. Building B1-10F, 603-609 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan NT, Hong Kong Fax; (HK) 4110587 www.dragonmodelsltd.com (For 1:6 Action Figures, please contact Amerang in UK)

ECHELON FINE DETAILS

Available from; wwwaccurate-armour.com & http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~kriegsketten/

FRIENDSHIP MODELS

12 Delta Drive, Musselburgh, East Lothian, EH21 8HR Tel; 0131 665 0866 Mobile; 07877166225 www.friendshipmodels.com

GREAT NORTH ROADS

9a Marcombe Road, Torquay, South Devon, TQ2 6LL Tel; 01803 400436 www.greatnorthroads.co.uk email [email protected]

HANNANTS

Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 2LZ, Tel; 01502 517444 Fax; 01502 500521 www.hannants.co.uk [email protected]

HISTOREX AGENTS

Wellington House, 157 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent, CT17 9BZ, UK Tel; 01304 206720 Fax; 01304 204528. www.historex-agents.co.uk [email protected]

HOBBYLINK JAPAN

CAMMETT

(Lifecolour, Scale Caliber)

Unit 5 Greenfield Industrial Estate, Forest Road, Hay on Wye, Powys, HR3 5FA Tel; 01497 822757 Email; [email protected] www.cammett.co.uk

CLASSIC PUBLICATIONS

Midland Counties Publications, 4 Watling Drive, Sketchley Lane Industrial Estate, Hinckley, Leics UK. LE10 1YF Tel; 01455 233 747, Fax; 01455 233 737 [email protected] www.classic-publications.com

CREATIVE MODELS LTD

(Mig Productions, Vallejo, Accurate Miniatures)

Unit 6-10, Honeysome Industrial Estate, Honeysome Road, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire. PE16 6TG Tel; 01354 760022 www.creativemodels.co.uk [email protected]

DARTMOOR MILITARY MODELS Haylis cottage, Budlake, Broadclyst Exeter, EX5 3LJ, England Tel; 01392 881271 www.dartmoormilitarymodels.com

C/ Santiago Rusinol 7, Pral 2a, 08750 Molins de Rei, Barcelona, Spain www.migproductions.com

MILICAST MODEL CO.,

9 Rannoch St., Battlefield, Glasgow G44 4DF, Scotland Tel/Fax; 0141 633 1400 [email protected] www.milicast.com

MISSION MODELS

(ETCHMATE, GRABHANDLER, MICRO CHISEL)

www.etchmate.com www.missionmodels.com Tel; 818 842 1885 Fax; 818 842 1886 [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

THE ARMORY; M&MODELS

9329 S. Cicero Ave, Oak Lawn, IL 60453, USA http://home.earthlink.net/~mmodels/

www.airconnection.on.ca

www.ianallanpublishing.com Mail Order Dept 01455 254450 Kiev 02099, Ukraine, Borispolskaya 9 building 64. Tel/fax; (+38044) 369-54-12 [email protected] www.icm.com.ua

ITALERI

(The Hobby Company in UK)

Via Pradazzo, 6, I-40012 Calderara Di Reno, Bologna, Italy, Tel; 051 726037 www.italeri.com

JUST BASES

21 Graham Road, Paignton TQ3 1BB Tel; 01803 558520 www.just-bases.co.uk

JUST KITS

Schiffer Publishing, 4880 Lower Valley Rd, Atglen, PA, 19310 USA www.schifferbooks.com

SCHIFFER BOOKS in UK

Bushwood Books, No.6 Marksbury Avenue, Kew Gardens, Surrey TW9 4JF, UK. Tel; 020 8392 8585, 020 8392 9876, email; [email protected]

SCHUMO KITS

www.schumo-kits.com

SDV MODEL www.sdvmodel.cz

SIMPLE 2 TRADE

No 2 Hollywood Lane, Hollywood, Birmingham, B47 5PP Tel; 0121 474 3030 www.simple2trade.com

SMARTMODELLING

No.7 Gordons Way, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0LN UK Tel; 01883 734746 [email protected]

MONROE PERDU

SQUADRON

Monroe Perdu Designs, 3168 Renee Court, Simi Valley, CA 93065, USA. www.monroeperdu.com

ORDNANCE MODELS Via; www.steelmodels.com

PACIFIC COAST MODELS Tel; 001 707 538 4850 [email protected] www.pacmodels.com

PO Box 164, Heathfield, Sussex TN21 8WA, UK www.panzerwrecks.com (Creative Models in UK)

Jizni 56, 370 10 C. Budejovice, Czech Republic. [email protected] www.plusmodel.cz

POCKETBOND LTD

(Trumpeter & AFV Club in UK)

PO Box 80, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, England, AL6 0ND Tel; 01707 391509 Fax; 01707 327 466 [email protected]

PSP MODELS LTD (Mission Models in USA)

Unit 19B, Applin’s Farm, Farrington, Dorset DT11 8RA, UK Tel/Fax; 01747 811 817 www.psp-models.com

QUICKBOOST

www.quickboost.net

REVELL GmbH & Co. KG

LSA MODELS

SB MODELS

Model Design Construction, Victoria Place, Victoria Road, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3FW Fax; 01773 513344 [email protected] www.modeldesignconstruction.com

SCHIFFER BOOKS

(Swash, Tasca, Gap, Yosci, Royal Model)

4 High Street, Botley, Southampton, SO30 2EA Tel; 01489 781177 www.justkitsandmodels.co.uk

MDC

Industriestrasse 6, 94347 Ascha, Germany Fax; 09961 910 7826

Tel; 01892 533036 www.modelwholesaleuk.com

Orchard Mews, 18C High Street, Tring, Herts, HP23 5AH Tel; +44 (0) 1442 890285 www.revell.eu

(TASCA, MASTER BOX) Retail; 151 Sackville Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 3HD, England. Tel/Fax; 01273 705420 [email protected] www.lsamodels.co.uk

SCHATTON BARRELS

MODEL WHOLESALE UK LTD

PLUS MODEL

ICM

Via Hannants in UK

(Creative Models in UK)

HUSSAR PRODUCTIONS, CANADA

BOOKWORLD WHOLESALE

CALIBRE 35

MIG PRODUCTIONS

PANZERWRECKS

IAN ALLAN

Unit 10 Hodfar Road, Sandy Lane Ind Est Stourport, Worcs, DY13 9QB Tel; 01299 823330 Fax; 01299 829970 [email protected]

http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~m.a.mori/index_eng.html

Sano-shi, Kurohakama-cho 162-1, Tochigi 327-0813, Japan www.hlj.com

BLAST MODELS

Via AFV Modeller or www.blast-models.com

MODELING ARTISAN MORI

UK distributor for Model Victoria and Royal Model

P.O. Box 114, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA13 0WY. Tel/Fax; 01229 430 749 [email protected] www.sbmodels.net

1115 Crowley Drive, Carrollton, TX 75006-1312 U.S.A

SWANN-MORTON

Owlerton Green, Sheffield, S6 2BJ Tel; +44 (0)114 234 4231 Fax; +44 (0)114 231 4966 General: [email protected] www.craftknives.com

TAMIYA JAPAN

Tamiya, Inc., 3-7 Ondawara Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8610 JAPAN www.tamiya.com

TAMIYA UK;

THE HOBBY COMPANY LIMITED Garforth Place, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PG, UK Tel; 01908 605686 Fax; 01908 605666 [email protected] www.hobbyco.net

TRUMPETER

www.trumpeter-china.com Pocketbond in the UK

VERLINDEN PRODUCTIONS (Historex in UK)

811 Lone Star Drive, O’Fallon, Missouri 63366, USA www.verlinden-productions.com

VALLEJO

(Creative Models in UK)

Acrylicos Vallejo, SL Apartado 337 - 08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona, Spain Tel; (34) 93 893 60 12 Fax; (34) 93 893 11 54 www.acrylicosvallejo.com

VLS CORPORATION (LSA in UK)

(TRAKZ, WINGZ, CUSTOM DIORAMICS, WARRIORS); Lincoln County Industrial Park, 1011 Industrial Court, Moscow Mills, Missouri 63362, USA www.modelmecca.com

WHITE ENSIGN

Unit 5, Cobnash Industrial Estate, HR6 9RW Tel; 0844 415 0914 [email protected] www.whiteensignmodels.com

WWII PRODUCTIONS, AUSTRALIA

PO Box 794, Cheltenham GL52 3ZW, UK [email protected]

12 Prince Street, Waratah, 2298, NSW, Australia Tel; +61 (0)2 4967 3205 Fax; +61 (0)2 4967 3207 [email protected]

SBX MODEL SHOP

ZVEZDA

SBLC

Norwich Road, Ipswich. IP1 5DN Tel; 01473 464311 www.sbxmodelshop.co.uk

(The Hobby Company in UK)

Promishlennaia Str.,2, Lobnya, Moscow Region, 141730 Russia [email protected] www.zvezda.org.ru

■ Please mention ‘Model Military International’ if you make contact with any of the companies listed above - thanks! 64 Model Military International - November 2013

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Next Issue On sale 7th November 2013 WAGEN WHEELS OF THE WILD EAST Luke Pitt converts and details Tamiya’s 1:48 scale Steyr truck, while Bruce Culver provides accompanying reference in a Think Tank piece.

ISSUE No.91 November 2013, Published October 3rd 2013 Editor; Group Editor; Publisher; Graphic Design; Advertising Manager; Advertising Sales; Advertising Assistant; Office Manager; Administration Manager; MMI Website;

Brett Green Marcus Nicholls Alan Harman Alex Hall Colin Spinner Mark Peacock Joe Brown Paula Gray Hannah McLaurie ADH Web Team

Printed by; Symbian Print Intelligence, Hertfordshire, UK Distributed by; Seymour Distribution 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Tel; 020 7429 4000 Newstrade; Select Publisher Services 3 East Avenue, Bournemouth, BH3 7BW Tel; 01202 586848 Email; [email protected] Model Military International is published on the first Thursday of each month by; ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX UK www.modelmilitary.com Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574

TEENY 72

Editorial enquiries; Email; [email protected]

Alex Clark improves Revell’s 1:72 scale T-72B1 model 1985.

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Reproduction in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written consent from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Model Military International is accurate, the publishers and printers can not accept responsibility for errors and omissions.

SMALL PACKAGES Pt. 2

Thomas Morgan describes the painting and weathering of his Trumpeter’s 1:35 scale 8.8 cm Pak 43 auf Leichte Waffentraeger (Ardelt).

FOR YOUR SAFETY

BATTLE OF THE BULGE 1:35 scale diorama by Patrick Dorn.

Don’t forget, when using solvents such as glues, paints, thinners and cleaning agents, always ventilate your work area thoroughly and wear a face mask. When using power tools, side cutters or any tool that can suddenly break or create high-speed airborne particles, wear approved eye protectors with hard, clear lenses. Please always model in safety!

...and much more! Due to many influencing factors, we cannot guarantee the appearance of the above projects, but we’ll try our best!

Advertisements are accepted for publication in Model Military International only on ADH Publishing’s standard terms of acceptance of advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising department. Please write to the address above. All advertising, circulation and subscription enquiries should also be directed to the UK address above. Subscription rates are; 1 year (12 issues); £44 UK £56 Europe £69 Worldwide (Airmail) Binders; £8.50 plus postage (UK £2.45, Euro £4.45, World £6.45) For all orders, please call; (UK) +44(0)1525 222573 or visit www.modelmilitary.com Back Issues; Back Issues are available at the current cover price. See the latest back issues advert or visit www.modelmilitary.com The paper used in this magazine is manufactured at the Leipa Georg Mill and is 100% recycled using de-inked pulp. The mill conforms fully with the requirements of both FSC and PEFC and carries the full accreditations for their environmental policies.

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The Last Post.. GRECIAN A10 CRUISER COLOURS H istorian and British military camouflage authority Mike Starmer has written with some observations and corrections on the scheme that I used to paint my Inside the Armour A10 Cruiser Tank in Issue 89 of MMI. Mike’s comments will be very useful for anyone planning a similar scheme for their Aegean vehicles:

Hello Brett, I have read your article on the A10 of 3 RTR in Greece. It is well built and nicely finished although alas both colour and disruptive scheme are incorrectly depicted which is a great shame. The disruptive design applied to these particular tanks was the subject of my lengthy analysis of some 30+ pictures two years ago and the notes and a drawing are in my ''Caunter' camouflage book. There was nothing random about the design, it is based on M.E. General Order 297 November 1940 as follows: 2. In order to deal with the situation the following arrangements will be made in future: (a) All vehicles in the Middle East will be painted with a common basic colour. This will be LIGHT STONE (British Standard Colours 61). (b) Up to two contrasting colours in addition to the basic colour may be selected by Commands to complete the camouflage scheme. When a vehicle is transferred from one Command to another the basic colour will NOT be changed, and it will be necessary only to over-paint with the two contrasting colours. For example, if a unit were transferred from Egypt to the Sudan it would be necessary to over-paint the two contrasting colours “silver grey” (British Standard Colours 28) and “slate” (British Standard Colours 40), in use in Egypt, with the light purple brown (British Standard Colours 49) and the light stone in use in the Sudan. However this order was not exactly followed due to an imbalance of disruptive areas and adjustments were made. The majority of A10 were painted in this manner. I realise that you may have had only a few pictures to work from, in fact looking at your model I can see which ones but regrettably you chose one of the few A10s that did not fully follow the directive. Unless you have the cruiser tank Caunter drawing you could not know what the rear deck should have looked like. As for colours I would agree that your choice of Light Stone and Silver Grey are correct in this case due to the evident low contrast between them. But unless your Lifecolor paints are different to the set I have then those colours are not what they purport to be. Lifecolor Light Stone is nothing like yellow nor dark enough, it is far too creamy pink and Silver Grey 28 is actually pale grey green not Lifecolor's mid-grey. I did put mixes for those and other British colours in Tamiya paints on ML some years ago. Your choice of colour for the markings is incorrect too. Blue would have been used by the 3rd Regiment but there wasn't one. The 3 RTR colour should have been yellow as the second regiment in 1st Armoured Brigade but it clearly isn't that colour either. It has been suggested that the actual colour may have been green, the regimental colour, a practice not unknown during that period, 3 RTR often used purple. Attached are photos of my models using Light Purple Brown and Slate as the disrupters. These were painted to test the contrasts between the order colour and a possible alternative and to test the design variations. Regards, Mike

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY FV432!

T

o celebrate the 50th anniversary of the venerable FV430 series coming into service with the British Army in 1963 (and still in service today), Kit Form Services’ latest release in their 1:24 scale ‘Classic British Military Vehicles’ series is the FV432 Mk 2/1. The model is fully detailed, complete with folding crew seats, detailed drivers station, Larkspur radios, removable engine decks & a lift out K60 power pack. All doors & hatches are working...rear door, commanders hatch, drivers hatch, folding mortar hatch & front access panel. The tracks & sprockets have been CAD drawn & Rapid Prototyped & the tracks are cast in white metal as individual links. Etched mesh parts are included to create a range of roof stowage baskets. Pre-coloured clear cast lights & a complete 40 page pictorial instruction booklet are included.

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66 Model Military International - November 2013

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09/09/2013 15:24

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09/09/2013 10:07