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NEW How to Build The Steel Wheeled Tiger I A New and revised edition of the ultimate guide to building the Tiger I Steel Wheeled version by Angus Creighton.

The new revised edition includes: ■ Early-batch Sturmtiger, using Tamiya’s 1:35 kit with factory zimmerit, ModelKasten battle-tracks ■ Late-batch Sturmtiger, using Tamiya’s 1:35 kit, Dragon late pattern road wheels, extra frontal armour, no zimmerit, ModelKasten battle-tracks ■ Dragon’s 1:35 Tiger I (SPzAbt 510 1944-45), ModelKasten transport tracks ■ and more...

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Contents - Issue 133 May 2017 REGULARS p 4 NEWS

What’s new in the world of military modelling

p 56 BOOKS

The latest titles in military history and modelling

p 58 SMALL SCALE

New vehicle and figure releases in 1:72 scale and smaller

p 60 1:48 SCALE

Luke Pitt takes a look at the latest in 1:48

p 66 LAST AST POST

Luke Pitt examines the latest in Nuts & Bolts’ series on WWII German military vehicles – Jagdpanzer IV Part 1 – L/48

FEATURES p 6 THINK TANK

Tiger II Part One by John Osselaer

p 16 DRANG NACH ARNHEM

Dragon 1:35 King Tiger and Trumpeter Rail Car by Pawel Rzymski

p 28 ROYAL CARRIAGE

Mirror Models 1:35 Morris C8 Quad MK III by Jose Brito

p 38 PREVIEW

Dragon 1:35 Bergepanzer 38(t) Flak

p 39 PREVIEW

Revell 1:35 Tiger II Henschel Turret

p 40 PAINTING PANZER GREY

Panda 1:16 Panzer 38(t) Ausf. E/F

by Brett Avants

p 50 MOBILE BLOCKBUSTER Part One

Tamiya 1:48 German 38cm Assault Mortar Sturmtiger by Brett Green

p 61 PREVIEW

Dragon 1:35 Panther Ausd. D V2

©Doolittle Media Ltd 2017 Tel: (UK) 01525 222573 Fax: (UK) 01525 222574 Email: enquiries@doolittlemedia.com Address: Doolittle Media Ltd., Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Model Military International is published monthly by Doolittle Media Ltd.. 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.

ISSN 1749-8864

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Newsline - May 2017

MMI Newsdesk, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Tel:01525 222573 Fax:01525 222574 Email:editor@modelmilitary.com

EGYPTIAN SHERMANS BOOK RELEASE Just published by Blurb.com: EGYPTIAN SHERMANS: A PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY OF THE M4 TANK AND VARIANTS IN EGYPT, 1949-1973,

by Christopher Weeks The M4 Sherman tank is one of the world’s most famous tanks, with a long and storied career lasting through World War II into the post-war era, in foreign armies across the world. One of the least-well known users of the Sherman was Egypt, which used the Sherman in combat during its 1956 and 1967 wars with Israel. Egypt also developed its own unique variation mounting the French 75mm gun turret from the AMX-13 light tank, and used a number of specialized vehicles based on the Sherman chassis, ranging from self-propelled artillery to recovery vehicles.

Egyptian Shermans is the most comprehensive work in the English language covering the M4 in Egyptian Army use. Over 45 photographs are featured, the vast majority of which have never before appeared in print in the English language, including details of vehicle insignia, and rare photographs of Sexton selfpropelled guns and a bridging tank used in the 1973 war.

Egyptian Shermans is available now from Blurb.com in hardback, paperback, and PDF formats. 38 pages. Illustrated.

To purchase the book or view sample pages, visit http://www.blurb.com/b/7446053-egyptian-shermans For more information, please contact egyptianshermans@gmail.com

BLAST MODELS NEW RELEASES

Blast Models has announced the release of eleven new figure and accessory sets in 1/35 scale, available now from Blast Models' website: • BL35274F AFRICAN WOMAN N°1 • BL35275K RECYCLED PLASTIC BOTTLES - 12 PCS • BL35276K RECYCLED SODA CANS - 24 PCS • BL35277F AFRICAN WOMAN N°2 • BL35278K HOUSEHOLD BOTTLE N°2 - 18 PCS • BL35279K MUSHROOMS - 30 PCS • BL35280F GERMAN TANKER 1946 W/ GAS MASK • BL35281F GERMAN TANK CREW 1946 W/ GAS MASKS • BL35272F FRENCH SOLDIER N°1 - WWI • BL35273F FRENCH SOLDIER N°2 - WWI • BL35282K 150MM MORTAR MLE 1838 "LOUIS PHILIPPE" & AMMO - WWI • BL35284F FRENCH SOLDIER N°3 - WWI • BL35285F FRENCH SOLDIER N°4 – WWI These are available now online from Blast Models’ website http://www.blast-models.com

IBG MODELS NEW RELEASES

IBG Models has announced the release of Kit No. 35029, a Scammell Pioneer SV/2S Heavy Breakdown Tractor in 1:35 scale. We’ll have more information on this interesting new release in a future issue of MMI. Additional forthcoming releases include a Hungarian Turan Tank, Zrinyi Assault Gun and Japanese Type 94 Tankettes, all in 1:72 scale.

Thanks to IBG Models for the information and image http://www.ibgmodels.com

MAVFA 2017

The UK MAFVA Nationals for 2017 will be held at the Burgess Hall in St. Ives, Cambridgeshire.

The traders will be in the main hall and drama studio, with MAFVA branches and visiting clubs on the ground floor, Drama Studio, in the foyer, upstairs on the balcony and in the conference rooms.

The competition area will be upstairs, and will be roped off during judging. Competition entries are 50p for adults, free for juniors (up to age 16). In addition to the MAFVA competition classes, there will be open classes for non-members.

On the ground floor is a bar that will be serving hot and cold drinks plus a variety of snacks.

There is also a café next door in the Sports Hall.

The Bring & Buy will be on the stage; the membership and back issues desk, the tombola and others will be in the foyer.

Entry for paid-up MAFVA members will be free, (you will be able to re-subscribe on the door).

Adult non-members will pay £1.00, while entry for accompanied children (under 16) is free.

Show location: Burgess Hall, One Leisure St Ives, Westwood Rd, Saint Ives, Cambridgeshire, PE27 6WU Phone: 01480 388500 For trade enquiries, please contact Paul Middleton at liaison@mafva.net

4 Model Military International - May 2017

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10/03/2017 16:09

Think Tank - Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausführung. B aka King Tiger – Part One

The product model of the King Tiger at Bovington Tank Museum is convered in Zimmerit anti-magnetic paste.

KING TIGER part one

John Osselaer explores the origins and development of the King Tiger, and explodes some myths in the process.

T

he Tiger Ausf. B, better known as the King Tiger, was without a doubt one of the most fearsome weapons to be fielded by the German army in World War II. The panzer benefited from an impressive armour protection that was painfully difficult to penetrate and its massive 8.8 cm Kw.K L/71 gun was able to take out allied armour at long ranges.

This combination was a true nightmare for allied tank crews.

Luckily the heavy panzer also had its shortcomings, primarily because of its size and weight, an impressive 69.8 metric tons combat weight. Its transmission and final drive frequently suffered breakdowns and fuel consumption was very high. The Tiger Ausf. B was mainly deployed in Schwere Panzer Abteilungen (Heavy Tank Battalions), both Heer and SS, and served on both the Western and Eastern Front. While many vehicles frequently were unavailable due to maintenance and repair the panzer left a serious impression when encountered in combat. In this first part on the King Tiger the genesis and technical features of the vehicle will be explored.

VK45.02 (P) – PORSCHE TYP 180 As soon as the long 8.8 cm gun had shown its potential the urge to mount it in a tank turret could not be resisted. Professor Porsche was made responsible for the chassis, while Krupp had the task to design a turret. Porsche took the chassis of the VK45.01 (P) as a starting point. The story of this failed (Tiger I) design is generally known so it comes as no surprise that the VK45.02 would eventually follow the same road. Although the design already incorporated strong frontal sloped armour, 80 mm at 55°, it was the complex engine and transmission set-up that killed off the Porsche design, as it had with his Tiger I proposals.

The twin 10-cylinder engines coupled with electric generators providing power to electric engines powering the drive sprockets was a concept too novel and immature to put into production. It would have been a serious challenge to any maintenance crew since the reliability of the set-up was a major concern.

Parallel to the chassis development work on the turret progressed. Several options were considered and for a certain time

the 8.8 cm Flak 41 was put forward as the main armament, mainly on the insistence of Hitler. This choice proved to be quite impracticable and the 8.8 cm Kw.K. L/71 was eventually chosen. Porsche, confident that his project would be chosen for production, had already ordered Krupp to start producing turrets. Contrary to the chassis design, which was a failure, the turret design would not prove to be a total waste, although serious deficiencies would soon see the design replaced, but more on this further on in this article.

Eventually not a single Porsche Typ 180 (production model of the VK45.02) would be finalized, neither the version with the turret at the front, nor the one with the turret at the rear. They would remain paper panzers.

HENSCHEL TO THE RESCUE While Porsche was still working on his design, Henschel, from Kassel, also got involved in the development of the heavy tank.

It is no surprise to see Henschel enter the competition for the Tiger Ausf. B giving their experience with armour production and their industrial capacity. Their first

design didn't even survive the drawing boards, but their VK45.03 started to take shape and got extra design guidelines when Henschel was ordered to use as many standardized components as possible that could be shared with the Panther II design by M.A.N. This requirement would have an influence on the initial design efforts of the vehicle even though the Panther II would never go into production. Germany simply couldn't afford stopping Panther production to introduce a new model. It would have been quite interesting to see both the Panther II and Tiger Ausf. B on the battlefield in order to analyse strengths and weaknesses. On the logistical level the shared components would have aided maintenance considerably.

With the Panther II dropping from the roster, the VK45.03 would follow its own path and very few components would be taken over from other tank designs. In the end nearly every part of the chassis would be purpose designed, except for the steel-tired road wheels. When the designs were finally approved Henschel was awarded a contract for three test

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ess.

The back of the turret has ammo storage racks on each side, carrying eleven rounds.

vehicles (Versuchs-Fahrgestelle)

by Waffen Prüffen 6, which eventually led to a first production contract awarded in October 1942.

Before the first vehicles rolled out of the factory the contract had been extended to 1234 units. In the end only a total of 489 King Tigers would be completed before the Henschel-Wegmann factories were overrun in late March 1945.

BIG BOY The Tiger Ausf. B or King Tiger was, together with its sibling the Jagdtiger, the biggest standard combat vehicle the Germans fielded during World War II. It measured 7.38m in length, no less than 10.286m with the gun included. Its width was limited to 3.755m and overall height was about 3m. This was not exactly an inconspicuous vehicle on the

Special exhaust for testing purposes on the Bovington prototype vehicle.

battlefield, but on the other hand, it could easily stand its ground without having to hide. What would be more troublesome in the operational life of the vehicle was its weight. Clocking in at 69.8 metric tons combat weight the Tiger B was one of the heaviest vehicles to roam the battlefield.

When we switch to examining the armour thickness of the beast it quickly becomes clear why the vehicle was so heavy and at the same time it sinks in why it was so difficult to knock out. The glacis plate was no less than 150mm in a 50° angle, the front nose plate 100mm in a 50° angle, with the hull sides a considerable 80mm in a 25° angle. Even the tail plate was 80mm thick in a 30° angle.

Things get even more impressive when we look at the turret front plate, which was 180mm thick

Commander’s cupola with steel ring and attachment for the anti-aircraft MG.

(for the production turret). Turret sides and back were 80mm in a 20° angle. The turret roof was 40mm, an increase as opposed to most other vehicles from that era. It doesn't take long to realize that this vehicle was incredibly well-protected and that knocking it out in a frontal engagement was virtually impossible. Allied tankers were horrified to see their shots simply bounce off the armour without any prospect of penetrating. Another point of interest what the armour protection is concerned is the fact that, as with other vehicles such as the Panther, the Tiger Ausf. B was characterized by interlocking armour plates. This technique was used to give more structural strength and to make the vehicle more resistant to impacts.

The vehicle had a classic layout

with the driver at the front of the hull on the left side and the radio opereator/MG gunner on the right, with in between them the transmission and radio set-up, which was a Fu5 and a Fu2. The driver had a rotating periscope to his disposition. He used a doubleradius Lenkgetriebe L801 steering gear to steer the vehicle. To his right were the levers for changing gear. The height of the driver's seat could be changed allowing him to drive either with his head out of the hull for road marches or inside the hull with the hatch closed.

The radio operator also manned the hull machine gun, which was an MG34 in a ball mount. He had a single fixed periscope angled to the right.

In the turret we would find the commander on the left side in about the middle of the turret, with

A

Hello there! Bovington’s prototype King Tiger welcomes visitors with its massive 8.8cm Kw.K43 gun.

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Think Tank - Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausführung. B aka King Tiger – Part One B the gunner seated right in front of him. The loader was on the right side of the gun and had his own hatch and periscope.

The motorization was located at the back of the vehicle, separated from the combat compartment by a firewall. The engine was installed centrally, flanked on both sides by two large radiators and a large cooling fan. The grilles of the radiators and cooling fans were protected by mesh wire.

RUNNING GEAR Considering the weight of the Tiger Ausf. B a suspension capable of carrying all those tons was an absolute necessity. German tank designers had gathered quite a bit of experience with torsion bar suspension, especially for the Panther, which imposed similar challenges, being the distribution of weight over the drive train to reduce ground pressure. Logic and experience dictated that a combination of multiple road wheels, sufficient track contact length and wide tracks were required to prevent heavy vehicles from simply sinking in soft ground.

Therefore, a suspension with nine suspension arms was designed.

An overlapping suspension, called Staffellaufwerk in German, was chosen. The advantage of this kind of suspension was that it sufficiently spread the vehicle’s weight. The disadvantage lay primarily in maintenance, especially when one of the inner wheels had to be replaced. The suspension arms carried five outer and four inner pairs of road wheels on each side. The 800mm road wheels were steel discs sandwiching two rubber rings which held the outer steel rim. In order to reinforce the suspension forward shock absorbers were connected to the two forward road wheel suspension arms and rear shock absorbers to the two rear suspension arms. The shock absorbers only acted upon downward stroke and bump stomp prevented the suspension arms from swinging too far.

The final drive housing was mounted in an opening in the hull side at the front of the vehicle.

Power ran from the steering gear through two drive shafts to the right and left final drive. The drive shafts had two double herringbone reduction gears. Reduction of revolutions was first carried out by a large spur gear and then by a planetary gear system which formed the reduction shaft to the drive sprocket. The idler wheel could be moved in order to adjust track tension.

An 800mm wide Geländekette,

A view of the driver’s compartment, taken from the original drivers manual.

or cross-country track, GG 24/800/300, was designed which reduced ground pressure to 1.02kg/cm², which was reasonable for such a heavy vehicle. However the cross-country track was too wide for railroad transport and thus a special Verladekette, or transport track, was designed. This track was only 660mm wide and as a result ground pressure with these tracks was a less favourable 1.23kg/cm². Changing tracks was a real chore and involved special tools and techniques. The combat track design would change a number of times throughout the lifespan of the Tiger Ausf. B. The

initial tracks consisted of double track links with one bridge link, one connecting link, three side links and two track pins, a fairly complex construction. In May 1944 a modified track design was introduced changing the 18-tooth drive sprocket for a 9-tooth variant. In March 1945 a new single-link track was introduced which was again driven by an 18-tooth drive sprocket. It is not uncommon to spot late war King Tigers with transport tracks.

As the war gradually came to Germany the company producing the tracks was overrun.

THE MAYBACH HL230 P30 ENGINE No dedicated engine was developed for the Tiger Ausf. B. Instead the tried and tested engine that was already powering the Panther was chosen: the Maybach HL230 P 30.

This was a water cooled V12 23 liter gasoline engine delivering 600 horsepower at 2500 rpm. In order to prevent issues the engine was limited to 2500 rpm with the use of a governor. The function of the governor was double: it activated the second stage of the carburettor and it regulated the engine speed.

Experience had shown that a higher rpm quickly resulted in excessive wear and breakdowns.

Early type tracks on the Bovington prototype.

Gun mantlet and turret front of the early turret.

Turret front of the Bovington prototype showing the shot trap and the binocular gun sight.

Left side of the early turret showing the protruding base of the commander’s cupola and the welded openings for a hatch and pistol port.

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The empty engine bay of one of the Bovington vehicles, shot from the back towards the front.

Gun breech of the 8.8cm Kw.K43 L/71 gun.

Cast gun mantlet on the production turret.

Hatch of the radio operator.

Page from B.I.O.S. Final Report No. 614: Welding Design & Fabrication of German Tank Hulls & Turrets clearly showing the concept of the interlocking armour used on the Tiger Ausf. B.

A shot of the turret interior, taken from large hatch at the turret’s back.

The engine received air from two cyclone air filters on top of the carburettors. The air was first filtered through centrifugal action before passing through an oil bath to remove further dirt.

Two mechanical fuel pumps were used to provide the carburettors with fuel. Radiator fans drew air through an opening in the left bulkhead to ventilate the engine compartment. A fan installed behind the engine drew in air through a duct connected to a vent on the engine deck for cooling the exhaust manifolds. The exhausts were connected to the exhaust pipes through a double ball socket joint so they wouldn't interfere with engine movement. The openings for the exhaust pipes in the rear plate were protected by heavy, cast armour protective shields.

The maximum road speed of the Tiger Ausf. B was limited to 35km/h, but this quickly dropped to 15 to 20km/h cross-country.

Fully filled up the vehicle had a range of about 140km on the road and about 90km cross-country.

The panzer had a fuel capacity of 860 litres spread out over seven fuel tanks. All fuel tanks were interconnected and could be filled through a single opening at the rear of the engine deck.

TRANSMISSION

AUTOMOTIVE CONSIDERATIONS

The Tiger Ausf. B was equipped with a Maybach-designed Olvar 40 12 16 B transmission, mainly produced by Adlerwerke, Frankfurt am Main, but also by Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen A.G. The transmission was the only component the Tiger Ausf. B took over from its predecessor. It was a pre-selective shifted transmission with eight forward and four reverse speeds. As we have seen earlier the maximum speed of the engine was governed. As a result the maximum speed per gear was limited to this engine speed. This gave the following results:

Now that we have run through the Tiger Ausf. B's automotive components we can indulge in some evaluation of the panzer's performance. Armour enthusiasts are often very opinionated when it comes to the performance of the bigger German tanks. That is not hard to see. True, the King Tiger didn't have the best reputation for being mechanically reliable. What is at the base of this? The main reason is the fact that for both the Panther and the Tiger Ausf. B the projected combat weight at the outset of the project was much lower than the weight of the final design. In German tank design projects the numbers following the VK designation indicate the weight class of the vehicle. For the Panther the designation VK30.02 indicated a vehicle in the 30ton class. VK45.03 pointed at a vehicle in the 45ton class. The German tendency to consistently increase the armour thickness, especially of glacis plate and turret front, but also general armour thickness, gave rise to a considerable increase in weight. The main issue here is that the automotive components were never designed for these higher weight classes. Frequent breakdowns were the result. A

Forward: • 1st gear: • 2nd gear: • 3rd gear: • 4th gear: • 5th gear: • 6th gear: • 7th gear: • 8th gear:

2.12km/h 3.19km/h 4.68km/h 6.94km/h 10.62km/h 15.79km/h 22.77km/h 34.6km/h

Reverse: • 1st gear: • 2nd gear: • 3rd gear: • 4th gear:

2.82km/h 4.26km/h 6.25km/h 9.27km/h

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Think Tank - Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausfßhrung. B aka King Tiger – Part One

MG34 in a Kugelblende (ball mount)

MG34 in a Kugelblende (ball mount)

B The usual suspect to give in rapidly was the final drive. The final drive was a delicate piece of engineering that suffered from transferring the necessary power to move the big beast. A broken final drive led to a lengthy repair job or even the abandon of the vehicle when the war situation didn't allow for repair or recovery.

Another frequent customer at the repair shop was the transmission which in some cases wore out at an alarming rate. The vehicle required a skilful driver who could handle the delicate transmission in a

King Tiger abandoned during the Battle of the Bulge, La Gleize, Belgium.

professional way in order to limit breakdowns. The same goes for the engine which, as we have seen, already had a governor to limit the engine speed. The Maybach HL230 P30 may have been well-suited for the Panther, where its 600 horsepower had to move 45 metric tons around, for the King Tiger however it had to contend with nearly 70 metric tons. That left the Tiger Ausf.

B with less than 10 horsepower per ton. The result was a vehicle that was clearly underpowered and that was stretching its automotive components to the

Tracks of a later type.

limit. Does that mean the vehicle was a moving bunker and devoid of any mobility? That may be a too pessimistic view. A fully functioning Tiger Ausf. B was usually mobile enough to get around and carry out its combat missions. Nevertheless the vehicle required frequent maintenance and repair, which resulted in less vehicles ready for combat duty.

In the stage of the war the Tiger Ausf. B found itself, where every vehicle counted, repair crews had to perform miracles to keep up the pace.

Considering the fact that

the King Tiger entered the war at a relatively late stage, it gradually started to suffer from the lower training standards of tank crews. Many of the veterans were either killed, wounded or engaged in forming new units. An inexperienced driver could ruin the automotive parts rapidly. An issue that compounded this problem was the fact that, as the war progressed, the number of spare parts, which had already been low, almost dropped to zero. The factories had the biggest trouble reaching the production quota for new tanks and production of spare parts suffered subsequently.

The Allied bombing campaign was aggravating this problem.

For instance, in late April 1944 a bombing raid totally knocked out the Maybach factories bringing production to a complete stop until October 1944. Auto-Union took over the production of the Maybach HL230 P30. Another issue hampering the performance of the King Tiger was its enormous fuel consumption, which was about 500 litres per 100 kilometres.

This required a steady supply of fuel, which at the later stages of the war was becoming a serious headache. In the final months of the war it was a frequent occurrence that a crew had to abandon a vehicle simply for lack of fuel. In such a situation, the crew would usually drain the gun recoil cylinders and fire a final round to jam the gun in recoil position. Next they would use dedicated explosive charges to destroy the turret and engine compartment.

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The loader’s hatch.

THE PORSCHE VS HENSCHEL TURRET MYTH

Open engine bay of the Bovington Jagdtiger, which is basically the same installment as in the King Tiger.

Largely thanks to the persistence of model kit companies to incorrectly label the two types of turrets of the King Tiger as either the 'Porsche' turret or the 'Henschel' turret a bit of a myth has been created. The sole designer of the turrets is neither Porsche or Henschel, but Krupp, Essen. Krupp had designed a turret for Porsche’s VK45.02 that was cancelled, but not after 50 turrets had already been produced. These turrets would not go to waste, not an uncommon phenomenon with Porsche's creations.

The turrets were modified from Porsche's electric traverse drives to hydraulic drives and mounted on the first 50 chassis from Henschel. This turret quickly proved to have a serious design flaw. The rounded turret front created a shot trap at the bottom part of the turret. A shell hitting that part of the turret could easily be deflected right through the hull roof where the driver, operator and transmission are situated. A similar observation had been made on the Panther, which would eventually receive a 'chin mantlet' to counter the problem. For the King Tiger however such a quick fix wasn't on the cards.

The protruding base of the commander's cupola was another point of concern, especially production-wise. Krupp then designed the 'Serien-Turm', or production turret, which solved the initial turret's issues. The shot trap had disappeared and the commander's cupola was nicely integrated in a well-sloped turret.

SERIEN-TURM (PRODUCTION TURRET)

The Maybach HL230 P30 at Le Musee des Blindes, Saumur, France.

The production turret had a front plate of no less than 180mm in a 10° angle. It only had openings for the main gun, the coax machine gun, a 7.92mm MG34, and the gun sight. The gun sight was a Turmzielfernrohr 9d, a monocular telescopic sight, while the initial 50 turrets had a Turmzielfernrohr 9b/1, a binocular gun sight. The Commander's cupola had seven periscopes providing excellent allround vision for the Commander.

A ring was welded on the armour

guards of several periscopes for mounting the anti-aircraft MG34. The hatch cover was on a pivoting arm operated by a handwheel. In the turret roof a Nahverteidigungswaffe, or close defence weapon, was installed.

This rotatable device launched explosive shells, smoke grenades and flares for close defence and signalling. Other features of the turret roof are the armoured ventilator extracting fumes from the turret, the loader's hatch and periscope, and a shell ejection port.

Starting June 1944 sockets for the 2t jib boom (Behelfskran) were welded to the roof. The crane could for instance serve to lift the engine or transmission and was a great help for maintenance.

At the rear of its turret the King Tiger had a large hatch which allowed the gun tube to be removed from the turret.

Removing the hatch cover even allowed the whole gun carriage to be removed.

The 8.8cm Kw.K. 43 took up a considerable amount of space in the turret. The ammo racks were located in the rear end of the turret, on both sides, and held eleven shells per side. The turret was turned by a traverse drive powered by the engine. A foot pedal controlled the powered traverse. It could however also be turned by hand. One turn on the handwheel delivered a 0.5° traverse, which is not the best prospect in a combat situation.

All production turrets had track hangers welded to the turret sides, two sections of three hangers per side. These allowed for track links being attached and fixed with track pins, serving as additional armour protection.

THE MOST DEADLY '88' The 'raison d'être' of the Tiger Ausf. B is without a doubt the installation of the Krupp designed 8.8cm Kw.K 43 L/71 in its turret.

This incarnation of the famed '88' was the best tank gun of World War II. The massive gun had a barrel length of 6.24m. Combined with a cartridge that was substantially longer and wider than that of the Kw.K. 36 (Tiger I) the A

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Think Tank - Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausführung. B aka King Tiger – Part One

Ring and mounting for the anti-aircraft MG34.

B performance of the gun was highly impressive. In short, any opposing tank roaming about within a range of two kilometres was in serious danger of being knocked out.

A table showing the average penetration established against a rolled homogenous armoured plate in a 30° angle by a PzGr. 40/43 (Armour-piercing composite rigid) leaves little doubt on your fate when the projectile is fired with a muzzle velocity of 1130m/s: Range in meters

Penetration in millimeters

100 500 1000 1500 2000

238 217 193 171 153

The table above shows the penetration capabilities of the gun's most powerful round, a tungsten-cored shot. Very few of these rounds were made since tungsten was needed in other parts

King Tiger at La Gleize, Belgium.

of the war industry. The gun could fire a variety of rounds: • Pzgr. Patr. 39-1: a conventional piercing shell with penetrating and ballistic caps; • Pzgr. Patr. 39/43: an improved replacement for the first shell; • Pzgr. Patr. 40: the tungstencored shot from the table above; • Sprgr. Patr. L/4.7: conventional type explosive round; • Sprgr. Patr. 43: a redesigned version of the previous shell; • Gr. Patr. 39 H1: conventional type hollow charge shell; • Gr. Patr. 39/43 H1: a redesigned version of the previous shell.

The tank guns of the first Tiger Ausf. Bs were of the monobloc type, but quite early on in production these were replaced by a sectional gun tube. Starting June 1944 a smaller muzzle brake, to fit the sectional gun, was introduced.

At present the only King Tiger in running condition, in Le Musee des Blindes, Saumur, France.

SURVIVING VEHICLES Very few examples of this impressive vehicle have survived to our day. The remaining panzers are mainly located in Europe. Le Musée des Blindés in Saumur, France, has the only running King Tiger in the world. For now... Because in Switzerland Team Königstiger is restoring their vehicle in running condition. Another running King Tiger sure is something to look forward to. Below you can find the list of surviving vehicles: • Musée des Blindés, Saumur, France: running condition; at present the only functioning King Tiger in the world; • Schweizerisches Militärmuseum, Full, Switzerland: King Tiger undergoing full restoration in running condition. Team Königstiger give you an insight in their impressive restoration work on this website: www. koenigstiger.ch; • Bovington Tank Museum, Bovington, United Kingdom: both

•

•

•

•

a unique prototype of the King Tiger and a production model are on display. The first vehicle is the second soft steel prototype, Fahrgestellnummer V2. It has the initial turret and many other unique features such as a special exhaust for testing purposes. The production model is covered in Zimmerit anti-magnetic paste.

Panzer Museum, Munster, Germany: production model, which belonged to SS-Pz. Abt. 501, with a completely restored turret interior; Patriot Park, Kubinka, Russia: King Tiger command version, captured in August 1944 and evaluated by the Red Army throughout the war; National Armour and Cavalry Museum, Fort Benning, USA: This King Tiger is currently stored and not accessible to the public; December '44 Museum, La Gleize, Belgium: King Tiger abandoned during the Battle of the Bulge on December 24, 1944. ■ Product turret with Zimmerit anti-magnetic paste; note the installed anti-aircraft MG.

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e

Instructions for laying tracks, taken from the original drivers manual.

PART TWO Time and space allowing part two of this article will examine the combat record of the King Tiger on both the Western and Eastern Front. It will also shed light on the 'unfinished developments' of the panzer, touching upon technologies that would have seen introduction had the war carried on in 1945 and beyond. Many of the tank technologies that developed shortly after the war were first conceived and tested by German engineers. Some interesting 'What if' questions could impose themselves...

Transmission and steering unit.

A view of the turret and spare track hangers from rear three-quarter.

The large hatch at the back of the turret allowing the gun to be removed.

Section of a King Tiger road wheel.

King Tiger abandoned during the Battle of the Bulge, La Gleize, Belgium.

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FEATURE ARTICLE:

Trumpeter 1:35 Heavy Railcar SSyms 80. Kit No. 00221 Dragon 1:35 Sd.Kfz. 182 King Tiger (Porsche Turret). Kit No. 6312

DRANG NACH A Pawel Rzymski is inspired by a wartime photo to recreate a scene with a Tiger II on a heavy rail car in the Arnhem area.

I

have always been a great fan of King Tigers under any guise.

Seeing the picture of the early King Tigers of the Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506, I thought it would be a very interesting build based on a true scene.

I find it quite interesting to know at least a little bit the history of the unit the vehicle we are modelling. So what is the story of the 506th?

The Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506 was formed in July 1943, primarily from personnel of III Abt./Pz. Rgt. 33 of 9th. Pz. Div. Next month the battalion was equipped with 45 Tiger I tanks.

The unit fought on the eastern front until August 1944 when it was sent back to Germany to rest and refit.

The Tiger I tanks were redistributed to other units and the battalion received the brand new Tiger II tanks.

When Operation Market Garden started, the unit under the command of Major Eberhard Lange was sent to help to defend against the Allied airborne troops.

The battalion arrived on the night of 23rd to 24th of September to Zevenaar (17km south-east from Arnhem). The 1st company was sent to Aachan to fight the US forces. The 2nd and 3rd companies were sent to Arnhem fight the British paratroopers. The picture I based my build on is believed to be taken while the transfer to the Arnhem area.

After Operation Market Garden ended the unit prepared to take part in the Ardennes Wacht am Rhein offensive that was to begin in December. After the Ardennes offensive failed, the 506th retreated to Germany. The unit finally surrendered to US forces in the Ruhr pocket on April of 1945. A

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H ARNHEM A Tiger II on a heavy rail car.

When Operation Market “Garden started, the unit

under the command of Major Eberhard Lange was sent to help to defend against the Allied airborne troops...

�

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FEATURE ARTICLE:

Trumpeter 1:35 Heavy Railcar SSyms 80. Kit No. 00221 Dragon 1:35 Sd.Kfz. 182 King Tiger (Porsche Turret). Kit No. 6312

All the running gear parts for the two bogies

SSYMS 80

Wanting to represent a Tiger ausf B transported by train, a modeller only has the choice of a single model of railcar: the SSyms 80, a heavy, six axle wagon used by Germany during WWII. Trumpeter’s Schwere Plattformwagen Type SSyms 80 1/35 kit (00221) is as of today the only injection moulded kit representing this heavy railcar. It may not be the most accurate one but surely it is the most affordable and easy to find. Knowing the lack of some details and errors I acquired the Voyager photo etched set 35420 dedicated to this kit.

Trumpeter’s kit is big. It comes in an at least 1.5 times the normal size kit box. However once the box opened and after a closer inspection of sprues it becomes clear that the part count is quite low and makes you think of Tamiya’s “box shakers” – shake the box and a finished model falls out! Well, thanks to the Voyager set it won’t be 100% the case here!

Completed bogie trucks.

A quick comparison between the Trumpeter kit bumpers and those from the Voyager set. The kit parts are way overscale!

The Voyager PE35420 photo-etched and resin set for the Trumpeter kit.

B BUILDING TRUMPETER’S HEAVY RAILCAR

Suspension parts.

BOGIE TRUCKS The build starts with the construction of the two suspension carriages. Each carriage is composed of 3 pairs of wheels, boogies and three axles. The fit of the parts is good so no special treatment is needed here. Just read the instructions carefully and make some tests before applying the glue. The next step was the two bumper plates (front & rear).

And here come the kit BUMPERS – really big ones! In a matter of fact way too big. Comparing both Voyager and Trumpeter parts makes you smile. Not sure how engineers from Trumpeter could make that such an enormous gaffe.

Using the Voyager upgrade parts in this step is not the easiest. First, each bumper plate has twelve bolts. It surely looks nice but the bolts here have been designed (by Voyager) just like nails and in order to attach them one should drill out very tiny holes. After breaking two micro drills I’ve decided to cut off the ends of the bolts and glue them just like modellers do! The

The front and rear wagon walls have been heavily upgraded with Voyager metal, photo etched and resin parts.

The sidewalls of the wagon with Voyager PE parts replacing moulded on or non-existent details.

Test fitting of carriage and the wagon structure.

Test fitting of the whole rail car (minus wooden floor).

The Small Shop Hold & Fold tool came in handy for delicate Voyager photo etched parts.

The completed rail car.

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The base light grey colour obtained by mixing German Grey XFF-63 and Neutral Grey XF-53.

attaching mechanism proposed by Voyager is not the easiest thing to do either. Some delicate photoetched parts may give a bit of a headache.

To finish the attachment mechanism where the second wagon would be, plastic rods are needed that are not supplied by Voyager. I know most of modellers have some of stock but I still think it should be included in the upgrade set.

The last elements used were photo-etched levers that do a nice job replacing the kit parts.

RAIL CAR SIDES Next up came the sides of the rail car. One the first things to do was to remove some of the moulded details in order to replace them by Voyager parts. The access to some of them was relatively difficult because of the raised boards. The solution was to take a paper file, cut it into pieces and use the small parts in order to get to the corners and narrow places. To shape the PE parts the Hold & Fold bending tool from Small Shop was put into service. It’s a bit pricey but thanks to the quality of materials used to create and its very sturdy design it’s a perfect PE companion for years. An excellent investment for any modeller wanting to deal with PE parts. The final step was putting all the sub builds together.

First the sides and the bumpers section were glued to the frame.

The parts were left aside for a little while the so glue could create a strong bond. The result were two separate halves of the rail car ready to put together in order to

form main body of the rail car.

The next evening the two halves were carefully put together. The assembly went smoothly and a small imperfection in the middle was treated with Mr Dissolved Putty. After the putty dried the surface was gently polished. PE parts placed right I the middle of the rail sidewall made it look even better. The two bogie trucks were not glued to the main frame as it would surely ease the painting process later on. The wooden floor was not glued to the rest for the exact same reason.

The last stage of the wagon build was the rail section. I found the section given by Trumpeter was too long for my needs and thus one middle-sized portion of the base was not used.

It was still longer than the carriage so I was happy with the choice I made. After gluing all sections together there was quite a lot of sanding ahead as the fit was not perfect and seems from the glue were quite visible.

There were also some level differences between sections so in some places an evening action with Mr Dissolved putty was necessary. When A

Grey Payne artist oil was used for fading the surface.

The whole model was sprayed with Klir and with Tamiya Flat after drying.

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FEATURE ARTICLE:

Trumpeter 1:35 Heavy Railcar SSyms 80. Kit No. 00221 Dragon 1:35 Sd.Kfz. 182 King Tiger (Porsche Turret). Kit No. 6312

B trying to add rails to the base

it became clear that the nicely textured earth surface had many raised points that were too high and made placing the rails impossible.

There was no choice but to use the brut force to eliminate them! The areas were the earth and stone texture were too high were marked with a marker and than cut off with sharp modelling knife. It was a long a quite unpleasant moment yet … obligatory. Having done this last task I was finally able to move forward to the Tiger II build phase!

BUILD DRAGON’S TIGER II The Tiger II visible in the picture is a very, very interesting one. Why? Let’s take a closer look starting with the turret.

As most modellers know, this is an early zimmeritted turret made

by Krupp for the VK4502P - the Porsche design and competitor of the Henschel’s VK4503 – the future the Tiger II. This turret was mounted on the first 50 Tigers 2 so called "early". Furthermore, this vehicle has the snorkel cover - a kind of black armoured dome on the engine deck. Its role was to protect a telescopic air intake used in case of deep wading. This piece of equipment (exactly the same) can be seen on some first Panther D's and thus it can be found in the Panther D 6299 DML kit too. This combined with the Tiger I type of exhausts indicates a vehicle produced between January and March 1944 meaning during first three months of production!

Some other interesting points (however not connected with the production timeline): transport tracks used during the rail transport, jack and its wooden block on the engine deck, track links on the turret top (for more crew protection?). What is interesting, the same positioning of track links on the top of the turret can be seen on one of the prototypes during test trials.

The base kit for the model is the excellent Dragon Premium kit 6312, quite an old Dragon offering but still one of the best on the market with a lot of goodies inside the box. The kit offers Magic

A large amount of decals were applied.

Tracks (the standard battle track type), single section (so early type) metal gun barrel which is nice, however the muzzle brake is still plastic and most of people will use an aftermarket set. Many finely moulded accessories are included (pioneer tools, fire extinguisher, tow cable heads, jack and cable hooks etc).

ADDING ACCESSORIES To recreate the vehicle on the picture I needed few more accessories. First of all the kit comes without zimmerit and so Atak resin zimmerit set (which I had in my stash since few years) was used. Atak provides one of the finest zimmerit sets on the market.

The set comes with a whole turret which makes the work much easier.

Transport tracks were needed too. For this, I used my last box of Dragon individual tracks (item 6026 from Quatermaster series) which I acquired a long time ago. Even if there is more clean up than with the Friuls, they offer the advantage of being much cheaper and after painting they look very good.

I wanted this model to be VERY shiny so PE parts from 3 different sets (Aber, Lion Roar, Griffon) were used to make a complete and extremely detailed build. The DML kit metal towing cables were replaced with 0.9mm copper from Eureka XXL. Those are much better. First of all they look like the real thing and are easier to bend and shape. The snorkel cover was sourced from a Voyager early exhausts set PEA 227 (but as said before it can be found in the DML 6299 Panther D Premium set).

Last but not least a metal barrel from Aber 35 L13 (early model with big muzzle brake) was used to replace the one from the kit. With all accessories at hand the building could finally start.

The part of the model I started with was the rear plate. The Tiger I style exhausts were done using the standard Tiger II exhausts, 0.3mm plastic rod and special PE parts included in the Lion Roar LE 35035 (discontinued) – in my knowledge the only set for Tiger II that gives this option. Five short

Suspension with Rustall Rust and pigments applied.

The kit's floor after being primed with Mr Surfacer. The floor got grey base of XF-24 Dark Grey lightened with XF 53-Neutral Grey.

First layer of wooden like colour made with a mix of Vallejo Iraqi Sand, Track Primer and Medium German Brown.

After masking different colours were used to differ the colours.

The final effect.

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Mig Productions Dark Wash was applied and cleaned with Ammo's Enamel Thinner.

Gravel for railroad modelling and... Ikea!

Before and after light old school drybrush with a beige acrylic colour.

Before and after applying different dry pigments.

The railroad’s rocky base was enhanced with the three Rails have been painted first with Vallejo flat Black Before proceeding with the soil paint sleepers and different gravel varieties. than with Tamiya Dark Iron. rails have been carefully masked.

The soil was first sprayed with Tamiya XF-24 Dark Grey…

…followed by XF-53 Neutral Grey…

portions of the plastic rod were cut to length and glued with cyanacrylic glue with the PE parts.

After a few moments the newly created component was glued to the previously cut Tiger II exhaust creating a Tiger I style part well visible on the historical picture.

RESIN ZIMMERIT FOR BEGINNERS It was the time when the first zimmerit had to be applied. I have never used resin zimmerit so I was not sure which kind of glue should I work. A two part epoxy seemed too difficult to be applied thinly and super glue drying time was a

…and finally XF-66 Light Grey.

The upper part of rails painted with very practical Tamiya enamel marker.

bit too short. Finally I decided to use simple white glue. The result was excellent. Very slow dry time, and a very easy cleaning of any surplus. I was a bit worried how the white glue would react to cleaning the kit (with water and soap) and after while painting and weathering

but I can say (now when the build is finished) that there was absolutely no problem. I can really recommend this method to anyone who is not familiar with fixing resin zimmerit. It’s a very forgiving method! Let’s get to the build.

Once the zimmerit was well fixed I

A

The finished rail car and track section.

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FEATURE ARTICLE:

Trumpeter 1:35 Heavy Railcar SSyms 80. Kit No. 00221 Dragon 1:35 Sd.Kfz. 182 King Tiger (Porsche Turret). Kit No. 6312

Standard Tiger II exhaust and, 0.3mm plastic rod and PE parts from the Lion Roar set.

Transformation to the very first exhaust type completed.

Basic putty filling was needed on the front part.

B continued the work. Photo etched

parts were used to replace the jack and its wooden block holders. The same was done with the shackle attachments. The exhausts’ heavy armored covers from the kit were replaced by a resin set from Paper Panzer Productions PP35002. The texture on those fine resin parts is far more superior and looks really great. The last thing which was done was the addition of a power cable to the convoy light. It was made of 0.3m copper wire. It is a small detail but looks quite nice and it’s very easy to do.

After the rear plate was done I moved to the hull. In the beginning I decided to make all side skirts (schurzen) bolts visible. In order

Griffon Models exhaust shields.

The rear plate done minus mudguards and exhaust shields which will be attached later.

Mounting holes were drilled in order to allow a later fit in of the schurzen mounting screws.

to do this, all holes must be drilled out. A bit later Master Club resin hexagonal (MC435034) bolts were inserted and glued with super glue. The bolts are very fragile and since this moment I had to be very careful to not to break them while manipulating the model. Before being able to go any further with advanced details the zimmerit had to be applied on the hull. The portions of zimmerit must be first detached from the thin resin plate.

It is not very complicated task however one should do it with care.

Thanks to the high quality of the set, the amount of flash to clean up is minimal and quite easy to deal with. Having the first zimmerit portion already done the application

The excellent Atak Model 35025 resin zimmerit set for the Tiger II with the early turret (so called Porsche).

of the rest was quite easy.

The white glue was thinly applied with a large old brush and the zimmerit positioned with precision.

But the zimmerit was just the beginning of the works on the upper hull. Most of the details where yet to be added. Different bits from no less than three photo-etched sets were used here. On the beginning all the small welded plates (where the side skirts go) were replaced by photo etched parts.

On the engine deck beside grilles glued over the air intakes and exhausts the snorkel cover from Voyager was attached.

The pioneer tools fittings were sourced from Lion Roar white metal set, which is my preferred source since many years (white metal parts are less fragile).

The most difficult and time consuming part were the sides of the hull. As may be seen in the reference picture the tank is fully equipped and nothing seems to be missing. That was nice but some elements would be a bit of a headache especially towing and track fastening cables.

For the tow cable I used the excellent Eureka XXL 0.9mm copper cable. Changing the cable supplied with the kit is almost a must as it really doesn’t look good if you examine it closely. For the track fastening cable I kept the original part as its look is quite acceptable. The work was hard but

the result was good!

I was really happy by finishing the works on the hull. I think this was surely the shiniest model I have ever done!

It was finally the time to attack the turret. Atak includes in its set a one piece zimmeritted turret. It is of excellent quality and only some minor sanding was necessary to fit all parts in.

To enchase the build even more I used a metal barrel. In fact it was a mix of Voyager tube and Aber’s muzzle break. It was a necessary move to mix them as the Aber set was designed for Tamiya kit and wouldn’t fit.

PAINTING THE TIGER II The paint scheme on this one was quite simple but also original for a Tiger II. The reference picture is clear and without any doubt we can say that those tanks (two are visible on the picture) have a dark green hard edged camouflage sprayed over Dunkelgelb base. So, two tone camo no doubt about it.

But first things first.

After cleaning the model the priming was not mandatory. The zimmerit and all PE parts needed a good layer of primer to insure good adhesiveness of the paint.

And so the model received a coat of Mr surfacer 1200 sprayed from a can. The covering was perfect but I must say that using the can type spray will not give as thin

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After detaching some more delicate clean-up is necessary.

The White Glue method in use!

The final result.

The moulded on plates had to be cut off as they didn't match perfectly the Atak zimmerit and were replaced by PE parts.

Rivet counting syndrome - when modelling a different than a very late version of Tiger II each hatch should have two holes (for a second handles set) filled with putty.

The rear plate with the added details.

The grilles carefully glued and -pushed in- with the All tools on the sides of the hull had their fittings other side of the tweezers. and attachments redone with PE parts.

results as using the same product thinned with a thinner and sprayed with the airbrush. The camouflage painting was divided into three steps using Mig’s Ammo late war German paint set. First the model was sprayed with darker shade Dunkelgelb DG3 and than lightened with much lighter Dunkelgelb DG1.

At the end Patafix was positioned to mask areas that were to stay dark yellow and dark green paint was airbrushed on the model.

Next came the habitual battery of oil filters and washes which made the model look more like a combat vehicle than a toy model. The lower part of the hull was heavily weathered using ready to use washes mixed with a pigment for the volume effect. With the hull and the turret painted and weathered it was the right time to take care of wheels and tracks. The wheels have been painted (at the same time as the hull) with a dark yellow tint

using the Ammo paints. A thick and dark wash was generously applied to imitate the dirt that would surely stick to the wheels.

To make the wheels look more realistic the flat surface (in contact with tracks) and the rim were first painted with Tamiya enamel marker and than treated with AK Interactive Dark Steel pigment.

Let’s get to the tracks. The combat tracks can be seen on the reference picture stowed in front and just behind the tank. For this task I used simple Tamiya rubber bands which had the advantage to be very flexibly and easily rolled.

The rubber tracks need a good layer of primer. Just like in the case of the model the Mr Surfacer 1200 did the job very well. Tamiya NATO Black was airbrushed next to give the dark colour base. Tamiya enamel marker was used to give the wore metal aspect. On the beginning it seemed a bit too shiny but after applying earth colour

Turret ready.

pigments it looked really alright.

The transport tracks were painted and weathered almost exactly the same way. The tracks were painted off the model and weathered once put on it. The worn metal was than simulated with a silver Humbrol paint and not the Tamiya marker.

To finish the model few fuel stains and leafs were applied mainly on the engine deck.

PAINTING THE HEAVY RAILCAR SSYMS 80 Painting the railcar and the base required a visit to the local hobby shop. Having only two different grey paints in my stash it was definitely not enough to create an interesting and non-monotonous model.

After priming the first layer of paint was a mix of Tamiya XF-53 Neutral and XF-63 German Grey. The result was a medium grey monotone base. To vary the surface darker vertical bands were airbushed. To achieve a natural but quite visible visual effect the A

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FEATURE ARTICLE:

Trumpeter 1:35 Heavy Railcar SSyms 80. Kit No. 00221 Dragon 1:35 Sd.Kfz. 182 King Tiger (Porsche Turret). Kit No. 6312

B The Tiger II in all its unpainted might.

Primer. Nothing less and nothing more.

A paler shade of Dunkelgelb has been sprayed over the base coat.

Camouflage done.

Light brown wash.

Light filter made of oil paint and enamel thinner applied all over with flat brush.

Darker washes applied.

The lower hull was heavily weathered with Mig Productions Dark Wash, AK interactive ready to use liquids and Mig Productions pigments.

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B base paint was darkened with

Tamiya XF-24 Dark Grey. To unify and fade the surface Grey Payne oil paint was applied in small dots and gently washed away with large brush and white spirit. The result was a nice delicate semi transparent dark grey filter like layer. Next came the‌ whole bunch of decals. Their number was really impressive over ten per side!

In order to prevent any silvering effect the model received a good layer of Klir. Finally the suspension was treated with Rustall rusting agent and pigments. Pigments were also used on the railcar main body to give a dusted look. Well, it was not the end of works yet. The very important wooden deck was yet to paint. The painting process to achieve a desired wood effect was quite long and demanding.

First the plastic decks were given a medium grey acrylic base.

Next a mix of darker brownish and sandy colours gave more wooden look. It was just the beginning. With the help of Tamiya masking tape some parts of the floor were masked and individual planks were painted with different grey, green and wooden colours.

While the result was quite pleasing it was too flat. A dark wash applied in all recesses helped and gave the needed depth. Coming next was another classic technique. A beige acrylic paint was used to make a subtle drybrush. At the end darker pigments were used to give dirty appearance. To finish the work on the wood parts I took few real pieces of wood (the sticks of cotton candies my children ate!!!).

They were used as limbers and blockers used during transport.

Trumpeter does supply them in plastic but real wood looks far a lot better. With a little paint from the Vallejo Panzer Aces series New Wood and Old Wood plus was Brown Wash from Mig productions the work was done and the effect was quite convincing. The last but not least was the base with the railway. First of all gravel was added to the surface of the base. It was a necessary step as the moulded ground was not realistic enough. I used 2 gravel types for railway modellers and‌ one from Ikea (which was a real bargain). The surface was first moistened with white glue diluted with a little bit of water than the gravel was sprinkled over. After priming the whole surface wad painted with Tamiya XF-52 Flat Earth. It gave the needed earthy base colour. Furthermore the rocky surface was over sprayed A

After the basic dark yellow paint, a well pronounced brown wash OIF-OEF from AK Interactive was applied to simulate dirt.

The final effect.

Muddy pigments were applied using pigment fixer.

Great and very practical stuff I bought during the Saumur Model Exhibition.

I will not run out of leaves anymore!

Fuel Stains were added using special AK Ineractive Liquid.

The completed Tiger II.

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FEATURE ARTICLE:

Trumpeter 1:35 Heavy Railcar SSyms 80. Kit No. 00221 Dragon 1:35 Sd.Kfz. 182 King Tiger (Porsche Turret). Kit No. 6312

I wanted this model to be VERY shiny so photo-etched “ parts from three different update sets were used to make a complete and extremely detailed build... ”

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B with gray paint and the railways

sleepers with a brown one. The rails were first painted with Vallejo black as a base. After masking the area around them the rails were given more metallic aspect by airbrushing diluted Tamiya XF-84 Dark Iron. Their upper part which would be in contact with trains wheels was painted with the Tamiya enamel marker. After the rails totally dried the groundwork received several thin layers of different greys and few oversprays of diluted Tamiya XF-52 Flat Earth.

This last “treatment” gave the base an earthy colour. Thanks to the different gray shades applied before the whole groundwork

presented nice variations of colours. To finish the work a dark wash was applied bringing up details and giving more depth to the whole set up.

With all the pieces ready the build was almost finished.

The last detail - in order to simulate more dirt dry pigments were applied on the wagon’s platform. The earth coloured pigments were sparkled over and fixed with white spirit. ■

Modelspec Trumpeter 1:35 Heavy Railcar SSyms 80 Kit No. 00221 Dragon 1:35 Sd.Kfz. 182 King Tiger (Porsche Turret) Kit No. 6312 Available from Dragon kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Mirror Models 1:35 Morris C8 Quad MK III, N.º 5 Body • Kit No. 35400

ROYAL CARRIAGE José Brito builds Mirror Models’ 1:35 scale Morris C8 Quad in a scene featuring HRH Princess Elizabeth.

T

he Morris Commercial C8 FAT (Quad) is an artillery tractor used by the British and Commonwealth forces during WWII. It was used mainly to tow artillery guns.

The first Morris C8 Quad was delivered in October 1939 and it stayed in production until 1945. There were two changes to the mechanical side of the vehicle and it was produced in three body variants. A new fourcylinder engine mounted was on a sub frame, not directly onto the chassis. The full metal body had a characteristic “beetle back” shape.

It could carry up to six men and it was capable of stowing 24 complete boxed rounds of 25- pounder ammunition and at least eight boxed antitank shells, together with the vehicle and gun detachment equipment.

Approximately 6,000 Mk.IIIs were manufactured from 1941 to 1945. The front axle was mounted below the springs and four- wheel drive could be switched on or off as required.

Tyres were 10.50 x 16 inch size.

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CONSTRUCTION

The Morris C8 MK III, N.ยบ 5 Body from Mirror Models is presented in a box with a very attractive box-art.

Once the box is open, we are presented with a bonanza of modelling stuff. The sprues are very well packed and the body main part, along with other parts, is protected inside a cardboard box.

The instructions are clear and concise. They are presented in A4 format and all steps are crisply presented. The paint and decal placing instructions are presented in full colour and also in A4 format.

The main body part is made in a single piece. This is a great moulding achievement and will speed up the building time.

Mirror Models also provides three small photo-etch sheets covering the entire model, and also a small decal sheet for four different vehicles and a small portion of fine wire.

The tyres are vinyl and feature nice detail.

Construction is very straightforward and, as usual, I used Deluxe Materials Rocket Hot and Rocket Rapid glue solutions. These glue solutions are great to bond plastic and photo-etch parts. They have different viscosities and, according the situation, we can select the most suitable solution.

To reach all the small details, I also use Deluxe Materials Plastic Magic Glue. For the best results I use their Pin Magic applicator. Pin Magic applicator will allow close control because the Plastic Magic Glue is ultra-thin. Being so thin, it is ideal to work as capillarity.

The photo-etched parts provided cover the entire model and definitely will improve the final look of our model. The metal parts are extremely fine and very well made.

The Mirror Models kit details are lovely and once everything in place, our model starts to take shape.

At this stage, the windows are masked in Tamiya masking tape and put aside for a while, waiting the final assembling and painting process.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Mirror Models 1:35 Morris C8 Quad MK III, N.º 5 Body • Kit No. 35400

PAINTING Soon the model is ready for painting.

All the extra work and details really improve the final look. The combination of plastic, photo-etch and scratch work is well worth the effort.

As usual, I like to paint my models in the Zenith Painting Technique. This is a completely different and much more accurate technique when compared with the modulation style.

In the modulation style, the model looks like a 3D CAD job. With the Zenith Technique approach, the light effects are accurately represented in the model.

In the Zenith Painting Technique, the colours must be airbrushed in well thinned and consecutive layers.

With this technique, the model is exposed to the light and the paint is applied in the same fashion as if the model was exposed under a spot light. The colour transitions are ultrasmooth and the model has a higher visual interest. For this task I used several green colours from the Vallejo Model Air range.

Before priming the entire model, the canvas top must be glued in place. The small gap formed by the canvas and body is easily filled in Deluxe Materials Perfect Plastic Putty. This is an acrylic paste that can be thinned in water. Once dry, it is rock hard and can be sanded. It dries really fast and is ideal for this task.

The entire model is primed in Vallejo 73607 UK Bronze Green Primer. The primer must be applied in several layers in order to keep the fine surface detail. The surface detail is just amazing and Vallejo primers are a great solution to keep all that detail. Also, once dry, it’s rock hard and is a very nice base for the painting.

Before starting the final weathering and finishing, we must apply the decals.

In order to turn the surface smooth, the spots were brushed in Vallejo Gloss Varnish 27650.

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The decals were cut from the sheet with the help of a brand new scalpel. Mirror Models decals are crisply printed and do not have flash.

As usual, for the decals placing process, I use Microscale Micro Set and Microscale Micro Sol. In the desired spot we apply a small quantity of Microscale Micro Set. This formula will increase the decal adhesion into the model surface.

The decal is submerged into water and all we have to do is wait a few minutes until the decal peel from the underlay sheet.

The decal is gently transferred to the desired spot with the help of a tweezers. The excess of water is removed with the help of a cotton bud.

At this stage we can also make some corrections to the decal position.

Once the decal in the final place, we apply Microscale Micro Sol. This formula will soften the decal and increase the setting.

Let the decal untouched and when the formula is fully dry, the decal will look great and will look like painted over the surface.

To seal the decals in place, a coat of Vallejo Matt Varnish 27651 is applied.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Mirror Models 1:35 Morris C8 Quad MK III, N.ยบ 5 Body โ ข Kit No. 35400

WEATHERING & FINISHING With all the decals in place, the model is ready for the weathering and finishing. Before the weathering and finishing, the models only look like super toys, but very soon this is about to change.

The lights and shadows were painted in several Vallejo Model Colour colours.

The canvas cover is brush painted in Vallejo Model Colour 987 Medium Grey. Applied in several layers and in order to keep the surface detail.

The colour variation was achieved by applying several oil colours from MIG Productions. The oil colours must be applied very well thinned in MIG Productions Odourless Turpentine and with the help of a round medium size brush.

This process will add the volume to the canvas and really improve the final look. Once finished the final look is very convincing and canvas sag looks natural.

MIG Productions Buff oil colour was also applied over the more exposed parts. This will add that extra touch of accuracy and visual interest.

MIG Productions Light Sand Wash, well thinned in MIG Productions Thinner for Washes is also applied all over the most exposed parts.

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MIG Productions Decay Wash and Earth Wash were applied over the vertical parts and in subtle vertical lines. This will represent the exposure to the elements. As usual, these were heavily thinned in MIG Productions Thinner for Washes.

MIG Productions Mud Splash Wash, thinned in MIG Productions Thinner for Washes is applied around the wheels and lower parts.

The dusty look was achieved using MIG Productions Pigments. Several colours must be used in order to get a more realistic look. In the meantime, we must have some care. The colours must be accurate and in the right spots. Also, we must not overdo this process otherwise our model will look inaccurate and unrealistic.

The pigments were fixed in place with the help of MIG Productions Pigment Fixer and MIG Productions Thinner for Washes. All we have to do is apply several drops over the pigments by brush and let it dry without touching it. During this process the model will turn very dark and it seems that the pigments disappear, but once the fixer and thinner evaporates the pigments will appear again and they will look very natural and realistic.

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MIG Productions Oil and Grease Stain Mixture Wash was applied around the lubricated parts. The results are very, very convincing and the shinning of the product, very realistic.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Mirror Models 1:35 Morris C8 Quad MK III, N.º 5 Body • Kit No. 35400

BASE

The ground was shaped in heat isolation foam. This foam is cheap, easy to find and easy to work. Also, is lightweight and ideal to make volumes.

The foam was glued to the wood base with the help of Deluxe Materials Foam 2 Foam glue solution.

The model’s final position is studied and decided at this stage.

A resin Joefix Studio’s resin trunk is used for the tree. Before painting it, we just need to open several holes.

The foam is carefully paced on the base.

The soil was made from Vallejo Dark Earth. This is a textured acrylic paste and can be thinned in water. It is extremely easy to apply and we can apply it by brush or spatula. The bond to the foam is really strong and once dry is rock hard. The texture is very natural and scale match.

We will later fix several branches in these holes.

The moss concentration is achieved by mixing MIG Productions Fresh Green P049 and MIG Productions Olive Green oil colour.

The resin trunk is primed in Vallejo 73603 German Panzer Grey Primer and then airbrush in Vallejo Model Air 71046 Pale Grey Blue and 71006 Camouflage Light Green.

The Joefix Studio branches are glued into the holes previously opened with the help of Deluxe Materials Rocket Hot glue. This is a time consuming task, but necessary in order to make a natural and convincing look tree.

The trunk also received some weathering using MIG Productions oil colours. That colour variation adds that extra touch of realism and accuracy.

Once finished, the tree looks really natural and with nice volume.

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The vehicle and tree in the final position. During this process we really must pay attention to the composition and place the elements in a very balanced way.

In order to achieve a natural looking vegetation, we must use several items and combine them in a random way. As usual, my choice is the products from MiniNatur, Model Scene, Treemendus‌

Small leaves, from Joefix Studio’s, are glued in to the base with the help of MIG Productions Wet Effects and Damp Earth Mixture.

Besides gluing the leaves to the ground, this product also adds a nice finish to the soil and protects it from the future weathering work.

Small turfs from Joefix Studios are randomly glued into the base with the help of Deluxe Materials Rocket Hot glue.

Soon the base is ready for the final step - pigments.

Several pigments from the MIG Productions range are applied and mixed together over the base.

Once in place, they are fixed with the help of MIG Productions Pigment Fixer.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Mirror Models 1:35 Morris C8 Quad MK III, N.º 5 Body • Kit No. 35400

FIGURES I always add figures to my dioramas.

Besides the human factor, they can tell a story. In this case I will place three figures… and a pig.

The driver comes from the SKP catalogue and is a lovely resin item. It is based in several well-known pictures from Princess Elizabeth. Sadly I do not know the brand of the other two figures and pig, as they came from my spare parts box.

For the first time I painted my figures exclusively in acrylics and for that I used the Vallejo Face Painting Set. I’m happy with the final result and all we have to do is following the tutorial provided by the brand.

CONCLUSION The Morris C8 Quad MKIII N.º 5 Body from Mirror Models is a lovely kit. Due the number of parts it’s not for the beginner, but the fit, accuracy, detail… is absolutely stunning. It will also take some time for building it, but in the end we are rewarded with a lovely model. ■

Hope you like it.

Enjoy and be safe!

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Modelspec

“

I always add figures to my dioramas. Besides the human factor, they can tell a story.

In this case I will place three figures… and a pig...

”

Accessories Used: • 1:35 SKP, PRINCESS IN ARM, Ref. 101 • 1:35 Brand ? (from my spare parts box), Farmers and pig, Ref. ?

Materials and Paints Used: • • • • • • • • • •

Hood glue Deluxe Materials glue and special effects solutions Heat isolation foam Wood base Injected plastic Resin parts Plastic card Metal parts Vallejo primers, acrylics and thinners MIG Productions oils, washes, pigments, filters and thinners • Graphite soft pencil • Plus Model Lead Wire References Used: Several internet sites and forums ✓ Great model from Mirror Models with a nice fit and very accurate. Also an unusual subject. ✗ Nothing that I can think of.

Available from Mirror Models are available online and from hobby shops worldwide.

Rating

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KIT PREVIEW

Dragon 1:35 Bergepanzer 38(t) ‘Hetzer’ w/2cm Flak 38 • Kit No. 6399

The new upper hull.

Rear fighting compartment bulkhead.

TRACKED FLAK

One side of the late-version gun mount.

Andy King examines Dragon’s newest 1:35 scale Hetzer family variant – the anti-aircraft Bergpanzer 38(t) mit 2cm FlaK 38.

T

he Bergepanzer 38(t) was a development of the tank destroyer based on the same 38(t) chassis but with a lower superstructure and open topped fighting compartment and was used as a recovery vehicle for Jagdpanzer units. This particular version with a 2cm Flak 38 was proposed but never made it into production.

Yet another ‘what-if’ to be released by Dragon and in the box you get fourteen sprues in grey styrene, a small fret of etch metal and a tiny decal sheet… and that’s it really! As per usual a lot of the sprues come from different kits such as the 38(t), Flakpanzer 38(t), Flak 38 and of course their Jagdpanzer 38(t) (don’t call it a Hetzer) so nothing really new and it means a lot of parts destined for the spares box.

Quality of moulding is very good with little flash or mould pin marks present and detailing on the parts is good too.

The etch supplied is for the ammo box holders in the gun base and thankfully the tracks are not DS vinyl this time but instead are the link-and-length type with track sag moulded in.

As it’s an open topped AFV the interior does feature some interior detail such as the transmission at the front, rear firewall and of course the mount for the 2cm Flak. Two radios are moulded into the rear firewall and the addition

of cabling for these will make the inside look busier.

The 2cm gun is a later type with the pressed metal traverse and elevation wheels, simplified gun sight and can be positioned at three angles. If you want a flat trajectory the hydraulic struts for the gun and sight will need to be modified.

You get two ways of mounting the gun inside the hull for some reason. Option A is a simplified platform and option B being the base from the Flakpanzer 38(t). Just four ammo boxes are supplied in the kit but due to the high rate of fire the 2cm flak possessed I should imagine there would be many more, it’s even worth considering a trailer as

most vehicles mounting the gun had one in tow.

Two colour schemes are provided for ‘unidentified units’ with colours quoted from Mr Hobby.

I can’t help but think Dragon missed a trick with this one as a proper Bergepanzer 38(t) would have been far more interesting (unless they have one in the works of course). The basics are there so we shall have to see as recovery vehicles are about the last things left to do German armour-wise in kit form. ■

Link and length tracks – hooray!

Some of the individual links.

Many thanks to The Hobby Company Limited for the review sample www.hobbyco.net

Drive sprocket and idler wheel.

Kit photo-etch and decals.

The 20mm barrel.

Road wheels.

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KIT PREVIEW

Revell 1:35 Tiger II Ausf. B Henschel Turret • Kit No. 03249

Marking options.

Graham Tetley examines Revell’s rebox of ICM’s 1:35 scale Henschel King Tiger.

Idler wheel with strange drive teeth.

TIGER II REBOXED W

ith so many King Tigers on the market, Revell now enters the fray with their boxing of the recent ICM kit. You have probably read about the history of the King Tiger many times before so I won’t bore you. Instead, let’s look at what is in the box.

This is a simple kit coming on six sprues, plus separate upper and lower hull parts. The tracks come as four pieces of vinyl with two of each making up one track run. Markings are provided for three vehicles (more on that later) and the A4-sized instruction booklet has nice, clear, construction steps. All parts are cleanly cast with no noticeable flash at all on my kit. There are some slight sink marks on the rear hull near to where the tow shackles attach but these can be easily filled if you want.

An inspection of the parts reveals this to be an early production hull and turret. You can tell this by items such as the extended screen mounts for the engine grills, chamfered ventilator cover, turret track hangers and position of the Pilzen mounts on the turret roof.

There is a mish-mash of early and late features included though (location of the jack block on the rear plate and the jack itself, engine deck armoured ventilator cover etc.) that are called out in the instructions so check your references if you are building a specific vehicle.

Looking at the parts I must say that the detail is really rather good. There are some lovely weld

seams throughout and the upper hull itself is very well done. The side skirts have been molded integrally with the upper hull and they do still look very convincing.

Although the lower hull has been molded with the rear plate attached and separate sides a test fit reveals some exceptional engineering with no loss of detail.

Construction commences with the turret and a basic gun breach is attached with detail also on the inside of the loaders hatch.

The cupola is a little basic but will suffice. There is a modicum of detail included in the lower hull comprising of the torsion bars, part of the floor & bulkheads but nothing else. The suspension isn’t designed to be moveable despite the torsion bar detail but the roadwheels are very well done and on a par with Dragon’s efforts.

When we get to the upper hull we have all sorts of small parts and nothing has been missed. The tools are a little bland and would benefit from etched clasps as would the tow ropes.

Markings are included for ‘332’, which was captured by the Americans during the Battle of the Bulge. It was subsequently shipped back to the USA and extra markings are provided for the shipping stencils. They are well-printed and in register.

There are a few detail discrepancies and things that could be better. These are: • The gun barrel & mantlet are molded together but split into two halves. This is unusual and will leave a difficult seam to remove from all of the lumps & bumps

present.

• The sprocket teeth are too square and do not match to anything in my references.

• Comparing to the plans in my Achtung Panzer and Speilberger references the upper hull, road wheels and sprocket dimensions match exactly. The turret however seems a fraction too short and is compressed in the area between the commander’s cupola and the rear hatch.

• The rear idler wheels have been molded devoid of detail on the inner faces.

• There should be a track replacement cable and associated mounts on (from the front) the left hand side of the hull. All of this is missing.

• Vinyl tracks. Revell/ICM gives us some lovely plastic links for the track hangers and it is a shame that this has not extended to a full set for the kit.

• Etched engine screens are conspicuous by their absence.

I have yet to see an ICM kit with etched parts included so, if it bothers you, seek out a suitable set.

No details missed here.

Upper & lower hull pieces.

CONCLUSION Most King Tigers on the market come with a high parts count, separate link tracks and etched parts so this is not aimed at that section of the market. It is certainly much simpler to build but comes with a level of detail that will please most modelers.

Where it does win is in its price point as, in the UK, it can be had for anywhere between £21 and £25. So despite the niggles noted above, it does represent excellent value for money and comes unreservedly recommended. ■

Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For details visit www.revell.de/en Separate piece lower hull sides.

Close-up of the turret roof.

Some sink marks on the rear hull.

Rear plate details.

Track face details.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Panda 1:16 Panzer 38(t) Ausf. E/F • Kit No. 16001

PAINTING PANZER GREY

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Brett Avants uses Panda’s large scale Panzer 38(t) as a demonstration base for painting and weathering Panzer Grey.

T The Panda 1:16 Panzer 38(t) in the box. It’s a big box.

Not a whole lot of parts, but they all go together well.

The kit includes photoetch, a turned aluminium barrel and separate link-to-link track as well.

he Panda Panzer 38(t) is a new 1:16 scale plastic that is truly a multimedia kit. Most of the parts are plastic, but the kit contains individual track links held together with metal pins, an aluminium barrel, and photoetch. The kit is fairly straightforward to assemble, goes together very well, but nonetheless cries out for superdetailing and weathering. I added some field modifications as seen on several Panzer 38(t)s in the Russian Campaign, including some extra track stowed on the front slope and a couple of make-shift jerry can racks on the turret sides and the rear fenders. This kit would also make a great base kit for a Hetzer, Marder or another 38(t) variant. One can only hope!

In this article, what I would like to do is only touch the highlights and modifications during construction and quickly go straight to the fun part – the painting and weathering! This may be blasphemy, but model construction is basically the step I need to complete before I get to paint and weather the model! So what I would like to cover here is my method of painting Panzer Grey using this large scale vehicle. The same techniques would apply at any scale.

The kit went together extremely well, with little to no seam filling and fiddling with the parts. The photoetch included with the kit fit great. I noticed that a couple of rivets were absent on the turret side and on the fenders, and added those using Tichy Train parts. I also added some “field modifications” such as a couple of Jerry Can racks to the turret and the rear fender.

You can see some photos of the vehicle without paint, and some of the photoetch and the metal barrel visible. Now on to the primer!

Sprockets and idlers.

Seam on idler.

Road wheels and separate tyres.

PAINTING PANZER GREY I primed the vehicle with a new paint from Scale Finishes. Their grey primer is a lacquerbased paint that sprays straight from the bottle wonderfully. I sprayed the entire vehicle with several thin coats and let it dry for a day or so.

The next step is to “pre-shade” the tank using Tamiya NATO Black, which is really a nice dark grey colour. I thinned this with Tamiya Lacquer thinner and sprayed it into the shadow areas of the tank, the recessed areas and generally all on the lower hull. Yes, it looks weird, but these shadows will make model pop when the Panzer Grey base coat is applied. Is it realistic? I’m not sure, but I always strive for a slightly overdone scale painting and weathering effect. That’s my style.

Next I use Tamiya Panzer Grey thinned with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner and put a couple of very thin coats of paint over the primer and the initial NATO Black shading. These coats of paint should be enough to establish the base colour while also allowing the preshading colour to show through. The colour still looks a little light, but it will darken up later as we add filters,

Sink line along the circumference of the tyres.

A

One of the suspension units.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Panda 1:16 Panzer 38(t) Ausf. E/F • Kit No. 16001

B washes, weathering and oil paint shading. I will

The gap between the rear plate and the hull.

let this dry for a little bit, at least a couple of hours or perhaps shorter if I use a hair dryer to speed up the process.

I now use Vallejo acrylic paint to highlight some of the raised details. I have typically gotten away from drybrushing and have instead chosen to basically paint all of the raised details. For this application I used Vallejo Light Grey 990. This may seem stark, but once the filter and weathering are applied, things will tone down a bit.

My next step is to apply a blue-grey filter to the entire vehicle. I use MIG Productions Cold Grey filter. It can be brushed on straight from the bottle with a large round or a wide flat brush. This filter is very thin and adds a nice tint of blue-grey to the entire vehicle. Again, the lighter areas of the Panzer Grey should be visible along with the darker pre-shading areas

of the NATO Black, but all of the areas now have been blended together using the filter.

I now seal the entire vehicle with Tamiya Gloss Coat or Pledge/Future Floor Wax with the airbrush. I spray the entire tank gloss, especially focusing on the areas where I will apply decals.

The Panda decals were very thick, so I wanted to make sure the area was completely glosscoated and dried rock hard.

I applied the decals with Solvaset, and let them dry thoroughly. I repeated the Solvaset application a couple of times to make sure the markings were as flat as they could be.

Once everything was dried, I applied another couple of coats of gloss to the areas there the markings were. This gloss coat also protects the finish thus far from any adverse effects from the subsequent weathering processes, and provides a nice glossy finish for the enamels and oils. A

Some of the lip was shaved off.

The hull is getting there.

Fenders and photo-etched parts for the track hangers.

The tricky seam on the machine gun barrel.

The rivets for the fender braces were .040 rivets from Tichy Train Group. I sliced the rivet head off of the post and applied them on the fender braces where the detail as missing.

The front hull.

More added rivets.

Tool straps in photo-etch.

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The hull is getting close.

Tools on the right side.

.040 rivets.

Left side tools fastened in place.

Left side details.

Right side.

The rear hull plate prior to adding detail.

For the missing rivets on the turret side, I measured and marked their locations with a pencil. I then drilled holes using a mini-motor tool, and slipped the post right into the hole.

.060 rivets and small drill.

The hull and turret.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Panda 1:16 Panzer 38(t) Ausf. E/F • Kit No. 16001

Rear upper hull details.

Left front.

Right side.

Track links on the queue.

Positioning the road wheels and suspension.

B

Completed tracks for both sides.

These photos show the turret Jerry Can racks that were added as field modifications.

Positioning the tank Commander.

Brass strip soldered together and superglued to the turret. The 1:16 Jerry Can is from Verlinden.

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The tank painted with Scale Finishes lacquer primer. This paint sprays perfect straight from the bottle, goes on smooth and dries flat. But be sure to wear a facemask or respirator. The fumes will kill brain cells for sure!

I focus on the corners, the crevices and other areas that will appear darker when the base coat is added. Yes, it looks weird, but the effect is outstanding.

B WEATHERING Now the fun begins! Below are my general steps/effects for weathering. These are pretty much done in the order in which they appear, but not always. Sometimes I may skip a step, and sometimes I may repeat steps to get the desired effect I am looking for.

• Washes – thin layers of paint selectively applied to nooks, crannies, around details and such to make them pop out. Adds contrast and some wear and tear look. For this Panzer Grey vehicle, I used several colours in layers, such as Ammo.Mig 1000 - Brown Wash for German Dark Yellow, A.Mig 1005 – Dark Brown Wash for Green Vehicles, and A.Mig 1006 – Blue for Panzer Grey.

• If you don’t use the hairspray technique to chip your vehicle, you can use a small sponge

Tamiya Panzer Grey thinned with Tamiya lacquer thinner and sprayed on the model. Be sure the paint is thin! Note the way the paint covers, but also allows the pre-shading NATO Black to bleed through. This looks a little light now, but the filters and weathering will bring it all together and darken the colour a bit.

(from the filling used in seats and such) to create some very small chips in selected areas.

I like to use Vallejo Camo Black Brown as a basic chip colour. For Panzer Grey, Ammo.Mig 911 Grey Shine is also a good colour to simulate lighter and more shallow chips.

• Streaking – Constant dirt and grime on the vertical surfaces due to weather and water. On this vehicle, I used AK 069 – Streaking Grime for Panzer Grey, A.Mig 1203 – Strreaking Grime, and a little bit of A.Mig 1206 – Dark Streaking Grime. I also used a little Burnt Umber and Sepia oil paints.

• Some more detail painting – Sometimes the weathering tones down the detail. Use acrylic paint as an alternative to drybrushing to bring out raised detail. I used Vallejo Light Grey 990.

• Streaking with pigments – Mix pigments into a

pigment fixer or with Mineral Spirit to create a dirty thin soup. Apply this as you would enamel streaking paint with a fine brush. When it dries, it’s like real dirt streaks. For this tank, I used my old MMP Weathering Pigments, including ETO Dust, Medium Earth, Earth Dirt, Dark Earth, and a little Tropical Earth.

• Oil paint rendering – Use oil paint to achieve some subtle paint variations, some shading and some weathering. I used Grumbacher Burnt Umber, Winsor Newton (WN) Charcoal Grey, Sepia, Titanium White and Payne’s Grey.

• Using dark and light washes to simulate dust and grime in crevices – I also like to use A

The tank has been coated with Pledge/Future, the decals applied, another coat of Future applied, and some streaking done. I usually weather on a satin or gloss surface for the first few steps. Then give the tank a good flat coat using Vallejo Matt Medium.

This is the model after the MIG Cold-Grey Wash is applied. This is a nice product and can be applied with a large flat brush straight from the bottle. Apply in thin coats, being careful not to let the excess accumulate around the detail. This is a filter, used to tint the base coat with a cold blue colour. The wash will come later. Note the change in colour from the previous photos. A filter adds colour variation, depth and interest to the model.

The front hull. You can see some chipping done with a sponge and the Vallejo Camo Black Brown, and some pin wash around the raised details on the fenders and the rivets. The streaking in this photo was done with a combination of AK’s Streaking Grime for Panzer Grey and Ammo.Mig’s Dark Streaking Grime.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Panda 1:16 Panzer 38(t) Ausf. E/F • Kit No. 16001

The turret. Note the streaking again, using the same colours as the hull. Also note the raised detail has been highlighted a bit with Vallejo Light Grey. You can see the chipping effects around the edges and the effect of the pre-shading showing through the base coat, filter and the weathering. This type of weathering is done in layers, one on top of the other, gradually. The build-up process can take time. Don’t rush it!

The top of the rear hull. Note the various streaks, the colour variations, the wash around the rivets and the highlights. More will be added on top of this, such as additional washes, oil paint shading and pigments.

B lighter colour washes in nooks and crannies to

simulate dried accumulated dirt in these areas.

An alternative or a complement to the darker washes we normally use. You can use enamel or oil paint, or make a mixture of mineral spirit or pigment fixer with pigments. Use Ammo.Mig or AK Dust Effects.

• Painting spare track with Lifecolor Rust set – The Lifecolor Rust set is a great one-stop set to simulate rust on tracks and worn areas. Use the sponge technique to apply various layers to achieve depth and contrast.

• Tamiya Dark Earth and MIG Mud and Pigments

– I always spray the lower hull with Tamiya Dark Earth as a precursor to any application of mud or pigments. It adds a nice earth base as a starter for the rest of the weathering on the lower hull. MIG Dry European Mud is a great product to simulate a heavy mud layer. Use pigments over this layer for added effect.

• Pigments in the tracks – Add pigments on the tracks and use pigment fixer to secure it place.

• Touch up washes, detail painting, pigments and such – finally, look over the model and add any final touches, go back and redo spots that just don’t look right.

• Graphite pencil – use a #2 pencil sparingly to highlight and add bare metal effects to the edges of some of the vehicle and to the tools.

Sparingly, though. It’s easy to overdo!

The photos show almost a step-by-step process that I used to create this tank.

Hopefully they will help you try out and experiment with a few products you have never used, or use something in a new way. Don’t be afraid to try a new product or a new technique.

It may not work the best the first time, but continued practice and refinement will help you get that effect you are looking for! A

There’s a lot of surface area to finish, and you can get some “ nice effects with all of the products on the market right now... ” A little more streaking done with Sepia and Burnt Umber oil paint. The tools are starting to get some attention as well.

Note the chipping and colour variations around the front of the tank.

Weathering on the right side.

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A few of the tools that I use for weathering.

I am starting to put some mud and dirt on the lower hull. This is MIG European Mud paste. Just slop it on, not too thick, but enough to show the texture and colour. Use a blow dryer to speed up the drying time.

Additional weathering with enamels.

The spare tracks are starting to get a little attention with the Lifecolor Front view. rust set. These colours are ideal for creating rust effects on tracks and other areas. They are acrylic, dry fast and can be brushed on or sponged on to get various layered effects.

Note how the mud and Tamiya Dark Earth has been brought up on the front hull. This will be even more noticeable as we start using pigments.

I use Sepia and Burnt Umber oil paint to create wear and tear areas next to hatches, on crew walkways and other high-traffic areas. This effect combined with the edging from the graphite #2 pencil really makes a difference.

Pigments have been applied to the lower hull. I typically use several colours of pigment, layer them all on, and add pigment fixer with an eye dropper. I gently drip one or two drops and let capillary action take the fixer all across the pigments.

Once the initial layer is completely wet, I will sprinkle various colours of pigment on the wet surface with a brush. When dry, the various colours come to life!

The rear hull with the rusted exhaust, and the initial mud and dirt layers.

Various colours of earth on the lower hull.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Panda 1:16 Panzer 38(t) Ausf. E/F • Kit No. 16001

B Nearly done!

At a later stage, don’t forget to add some visual interest to the model, such as leaves and twigs that the tank has accumulated. Remember, tanks drive through the ground more than they drive on top of it! These are Hudson & Allen leaves with roots from weeds I dug up in the yard. I fixed the leaves and twigs on the model with Liquitex Matt Medium. It has some adhesive properties and dries completely flat.

Note the pigments on the front hull. You can mix dry pigment with enamel thinner and/or pigment fixer and apply them like a wash. Using a fine brush, let the watery mixture flow in the corners and nooks.

Once the mixture dries, it appears like dirt caked in these corners.

Multiple colours give you various effects. You can even layer these washes for differing colours.

Note the pigment-covered and dark-washed wheels and tracks. Cake the pigment colours (plural!) on the tracks, then add fixer with an eyedropper. It looks mushy at first, but when it dries, the effect is fantastic!

You can see the rear of the vehicle with the mud, dirt and pigments all on various parts. Even in these photos, I still wasn’t done yet. Build up the look gradually, and take your time, working in structured areas at one time.

The front of the vehicle is almost done! Again, note the consistency in the pigment/mud on the front with the tracks and the everywhere else. Look at real photos and see where dirt accumulates. Don’t be afraid to get your tank dirty!

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B CONCLUSION To sum up, the Panda 1:16 scale Panzer 38(t) was a really nice kit to build and paint. It is big, which is good as its size allows one to really focus on the painting and weathering. There’s a lot of surface area to finish, and you can get some nice effects with all of the products on the market right now. This is a beautiful kit right out of the box, but it also begs for field modifications, and even conversions if you are ambitious! ■

The finished vehicle!

This makes for an interesting subject, and one that hopefully can be looked at more than once and still find something new and interesting.

The kit went together “ extremely well, with little to no seam filling and fiddling with the parts...

”

Note all of the colour variations from the different pigments, washes, filters and weathering techniques.

This large scale is a great canvas for painting and weathering techniques.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:48 German 38cm Assault Mortar Sturmtiger • Kit No. 32591

MOBILE BLOCKB

PART ONE – ASSEMBL

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KBUSTER

EMBLY AND ZIMMERIT

Box art for the forthcoming production kit.

S

turmtiger was a World War II German assault gun built on the Tiger I chassis and armed with a 380mm rocket-propelled round.

The official German designation was Sturmmörserwagen 606/4 mit 38 cm RW 61.

Its primary task was to provide heavy fire support for infantry units fighting in urban areas. The few vehicles produced fought in the Warsaw Uprising, the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of the Reichswald.

The fighting vehicle is also known under a large number of informal names, among which the Sturmtiger became the most popular.*

TAMIYA’S 1:48 SCALE STURMTIGER IN THE BOX Hot on the heels of their Elefant, Tamiya has now released another German heavyweight in 1:48 scale, the Sturmtiger.

Tamiya released a 1:35 scale Sturmtiger way back in 1994. This was a great kit at release and still stands the test of time well today.

I was lucky enough to receive a test shot of Tamiya’s forthcoming 1:48 scale Sturmtiger. The test shot sprues are presented in grey plastic, although the final kit will almost certainly be presented in Tamiya’s familiar dark yellow styrene.

The kit comprises around 194 parts, ten polythene caps and four

cylindrical metal ingots. There are no decals includedt as the subject vehicle has no markings. To be fair, nobody would be likely to mistake this gargantuan vehicle for anything else, so markings are probably superfluous!

Unlike its 1:35 scale big brother, the hull and superstructure sides are moulded as one full side each with separate panels for the engine deck, casemate front, rear and roof.

Separate sponson covers are supplied too.

The internal casemate permits the gun to elevate and traverse thanks to polythene caps.

The roof hatch is supplied in two pieces and may be posed open, but there is no interior detail. Mortar barrel counterweight and the shell loading crane are both included.

Typical of Tamiya’s 1:48 scale military kits, four cylindrical metal ingots are supplied for the lower hull to add “scale weight” to the model.

The lower hull is moulded as a single tub with the swing arms / axles moulded in place.

The road wheel and drive sprocket detail is very well done.

Tracks are made up from a combination of individual links and two different lengths - short and long. The long lengths are for the straight sections of the top and bottom runs.

Outer and inner surfaces are well detailed.

The plastic parts are rounded A

Tamiya will be offering this self-adhesive zimmerit coating sheet as a separate option for their 1:48 scale Sturmtiger kit.

* Historical summary adapted from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmtiger

Brett Green builds a test shot of Tamiya’s brand new 1:48 scale Sturmtiger, adding Zimmerit from two-part epoxy putty.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:48 German 38cm Assault Mortar Sturmtiger • Kit No. 32591

I used Tamiya Epoxy Putty – a two-part epoxy compound – to create the zimmerit on my kit.

Equal portions from the two strips are rolled together and flattened It is possible to roll the putty to almost paper thinness. using a glass jar. Baby powder was used to prevent the putty from sticking to the palette and the glass.

A sheet of rolled putty is draped over the target area on the model, in this case the hull front.

The putty is pressed into place using fingers and a toothpick before the excess putty is cut off with a sharp hobby blade.

B out with a Commander figure. He is

well moulded and the facial detail is particularly nice. He is designed to stand next to the vehicle, or perhaps on the engine deck.

The instructions are well laid out over 18 steps with clear illustrations supplemented by text directions where required. The section dealing with the tracks is especially well done.

It would appear that all production Sturmtigers were treated with Zimmerit antimagnetic paste on the hull sides, rear and front; as well as the front and rear mudguards. Tamiya will be releasing a separate self-adhesive Zimmerit coating sheet for the Sturmtiger as Item No. 12672.

CONSTRUCTION Construction of the basic model and the conversion are covered in detail in the accompanying photos and captions.

I departed from the suggested

assembly sequence, deciding to build the hull/casemate first.

Even before I glued a single part together, however, I dealt with the zimmerit.

ZIMMERIT CHOICES All production Sturmtigers wore a coat of zimmerit. If you want your model to be accurate, and as there are no 1:48 scale Sturmtiger resin zimmerit sets that I am aware of, you’ll need to add a zimmerit coat using one of the following two methods: 1. Do it yourself with putty and your favourite zimmerit application tool.

2. Using Tamiya’s self-adhesive zimmerit set made especially for this model.

The easiest of these options will undoubtedly be Tamiya’s selfadhesive zimmerit. The various zimmerit segments are printed onto a textured vinyl sheet, and feature two different patterns. The zimmerit looks great on the sheet,

The mudguards with the completed zimmerit pattern and the masks removed.

The same process is repeated with smaller parts. These are the front mudguards.Tamiya masking tape is used to blank off the areas that won’t be covered in zimmerit.

and the depth of the pattern means that it should show up well on your model under a coat of paint.

All you will need to do is cut the sections from the sheet, punch or cut out the circles to accommodate the conical bolt heads, peel off the backing and apply them to your model. Voila! Instant zimmerit!

However, as the self-adhesive zimmerit is not yet available for the Sturmtiger, and as I was impatient to build the model, I decided to make my own using Tamiya’s two-part epoxy putty.

I own a selection of zimmerit sculpting tools, including stamps and rakes…

DIY ZIMMERIT Tamiya Epoxy Putty Smooth Surface has the smoothest surface of all the putties that I have tried, and was also the least likely to stick to the zimmerit tool. It remains workable for at least 30 minutes after mixing too – very handy.

For the zimmerit tool I used the end of a 1.8 mm precision metal screwdriver.

Zimmerit pattern applied to the front hull…

…but I chose to use the simplest of them all – a 1.8mm precision screwdriver. The screwdriver is pressed into the soft putty at a 45 degree angle to produce straight columns of zimmerit pattern.

…and to the rear hull, although much of the work will be hidden behind exhausts and on-vehicle stowage.

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The hull sides were masked in preparation for their zimmeriting (if there is such a word!)

Tamiya Epoxy Putty is made up from two flat strips, one white and one pale grey-green. I took an equal quantity from each strip and rolled them together, then rubbed the ball of putty briskly between my palms. The warming action of the rubbing helps soften the putty and speeds the mixing process.

Once the putty was the shape of a long snake, it was rolled back into a ball and rubbed between the palms again. This was repeated several more times. Only when the putty is a single colour is it ready to be used.

The mixed putty is quite sticky, so our working surfaces must be very smooth. I laid out a sheet of greaseproof paper, and chose a glass jar as my rolling tool. I sprinkled the jar and the paper with Johnson’s Baby Powder, which I find works even better than

The spherical gun mount and associated parts.

Hull sides with zimmerit in place.

water to ensure the putty does not stick. The ball of mixed putty was squashed and rolled using the jar, peeling the putty from the glass before rolling it ever thinner.

When the putty was as thin as I could manage, it was pressed onto the plastic. Pressing the putty not only improves adhesion, but also makes the putty thinner still.

The excess was cut off with a new hobby blade.

Now it was time to apply the pattern to the putty, starting with the small front mudguards.

I removed the masking tape and pressed the screwdriver into top corner of the soft putty. I applied the tip of the screwdriver at a 45 degree angle, and worked down the first column, one indentation at a time. With the first column done, I started the second, and the third, and so on.

Hull parts gathered together in preparation for assembly.

The basic hull starts to take shape.

The process was repeated for all the panels that needed zimmerit.

By the way, don’t forget to drill out the locating holes through the new coat of zimmerit before you glue the parts together.

Applying zimmerit with two-part epoxy putty and a screwdriver

The big 38cm mortar barrel features rifling inside.

The kit parts do feature cast texture, but I wanted mine a bit more prominent. The ball mount may elevate and traverse thanks to the use of polythene caps.

undoubtedly demands more effort than a self-adhesive sheet, but on a model this small and with only a limited area covered, it is quite a manageable job. I spent a bit over half a day doing mine and I was reasonably pleased with the final result. A

Rough cast texture was added using a mix of Tamiya Putty and Extra Thin Liquid Cement.

Front and rear casemate parts ready for assembly.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:48 German 38cm Assault Mortar Sturmtiger • Kit No. 32591

B BALANCE OF ASSEMBLY With the zimmerit allowed to set overnight, I assembled the upper hull and casemate, followed by the lower hull, running gear and tracks.

Everything went together quickly and as advertised.

I left the headlight, the loading crane and the outer road wheels off until later in construction.

CONCLUSION With their 1:48 scale Sturmtiger, Tamiya has once again delivered a well-detailed and easy to build model of an iconic vehicle.

Tamiya’s 1:48 scale Sturmtiger was a treat to work on, and looks great when it is finished. ■

Tamiya includes separate sponson covers to block the open space above the tracks.

Modelspec Tamiya 1:48 German 38cm Assault Mortar Sturmtiger Kit No. 32591

Road wheel, drive sprocket and idler wheel components. The idlers and drive sprockets are held in place with polythene caps, making the track installation a bit easier.

Accessories Used Voyager Item No. Ap 030 – Tiger I Early Version Grill Eureka XXL Item No. ER-4802 – Towing Cable for PzKpfw VI Tiger I Figures With Attitude – StuG Crew Figures Tools & Modelling Products: Tamiya Epoxy Putty Smooth Surface Tamiya Putty Basic Type Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement 1.8mm Screwdriver Revell Contacta Plastic Glue Selleys Super Glue Mission Models Micro Chisel ✓ (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 Thanks to Tank Workshop for the conversion sample www.tankworkshop.com

Rating

Running gear in place, although I have left off the outer road wheels at this stage. They will be fitted after painting. Note the four metal ingots installed as weights inside the lower hull.

Here are all the parts required for one full track run. There is only one spare link per side, so do be careful!

The instructions suggest the best sequence of assembly. First, a The full runs in place, fitted per instructions. run of ten single links are glued together for the drive sprocket.

I glued these together before fitting them to the sprocket.

The upper hull ready to be attached to the lower hull – but I did not glue them in place just yet.

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Rear hull plate detail.

Upper and lower hull assemblies are test-fitted here.

Applying zimmerit with two-part epoxy putty and a screwdriver undoubtedly “demands more effort than a self-adhesive sheet, but on a model this small and with only a limited area covered, it is quite a manageable job... ”

NEXT TIME Next time, Brett will add some after-market details and paint Tamiya’s new 1:48 scale Sturmtiger.

Next time we will cover painting, weathering, adding a crew and a scene.

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Book Reviews SHERMAN TANKS BRITISH ARMY AND ROYAL MARINES, NORMANDY CAMPAIGN 1944

BY DENNIS OLIVER PEN AND SWORD PUBLISHING ISBN: 1473885302

I must first declare that I am a friend of the Author, however the reader will find this a true and accurate review.

The Sherman Tank is probably the best documented of any Western Allied tank of World War Two and the author of this title in the new Tank Craft range of titles from Pen & Sword is no stranger to the subject. Dennis Oliver has previously written on the introduction of the Sherman to service with the British in North Africa in two titles and various pictorial titles on British Sherman Tanks, British armour in North West Europe and others. I must admit I was intrigued when Dennis told me of this title and eagerly pre-ordered my copy which I am now reviewing.

This title in a large format A4 cardboard printed cover to cover and attempts to cover the British Use of Sherman Tanks in the Normandy campaign of Jun to Late August 1944 where the Sherman and its SPG derivatives made up the majority of the British Armoured formations.

So, what’s in this title? Well I must say that answer is quite a lot. It is defined by its size being only 65 pages and this means that the information is in short format and cannot go into extensive detail, similar to Osprey Vanguard and similar titles.

Having said that there is an amazing amount of great information contained in its 65 pages. The book begins with single page introduction and followed by chapters: • The Normandy Battlefield – three pages of the major points of the campaign in chronological order • The Armoured Division – eleven pages describing the composition of the Armoured Regiments and the Armoured Division equipped with Shermans and a brief description of the actions they fought.

• Camouflage & Markings – twelve pages of colour plates covering the salient points of the markings, colours and any camouflage applied with detailed notes on each subject and from at least two elevations.

• Model Showcase – nine pages in full colour photographs of well assembled and finished models of the major Sherman types that saw service with the British in Normandy.

• Modelling Products – A very brief introduction to the model kits of Sherman appropriate to this subject and accessories.

• Armoured Brigades – Similar to the Armoured Division section but covering the independent Armoured Brigades • The Royal Artillery – Covers the RA Formations and use of the Sherman in Normandy in OP and SP roles • The Royal Marine Armoured Support group – details this unique formation.

• Technical Details and Modifications – 3 pages detailing the differences in the types of Sherman’s employed with recognition points • Appendices: Covering RAC, The Regiment, Seniority & Markings The information contained is very well presented and backed by well captioned photos where the author clear makes it known that his interpretation is to the best of known facts and is not set in stone - a refreshing viewpoint to this reviewer. The printing has adequate resolution and the colour plates are very well done.

If I have any criticism it is that I would have liked to see this done in many more pages in detail and a better reading list, which misses most of the major titles on the subject. 65 pages limits the amount of information that can be presented however I feel that Dennis has got a very good balance in his presentation and this will be a very useful book for students of the subject, which in all fairness is a very broad and encompassing subject. I would also question the cover model of a Guards Armoured Firefly 1c in a scheme more suitable for the Post Normandy conflict.

This is a great introductory title and a must for any modeller of British AFVs of the late war period, or wargamers seeking to understand the British armoured formations. It is not definitive but provides a compact synopsis suitable to those wanting an introduction to the subject. I recommend this title and look forward to others in the range.

Highly Recommended.

Purchased by reviewer. Available online from Pen & Sword www.pen-and-sword.co.uk Al Bowie

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CAMOUFLAGE AND MARKINGS OF COMMONWEALTH AND GREEK ARMOUR IN THE BALKANS CAMPAIGN APRIL – MAY 1941 MODEL CENTRUM PROGRES VIA CASEMATE UK ISBN: 978-83-60672-27-3

Sadly, a lot of histories and titles on WWII tend to cover the initial Blitzkrieg and the pick up a few years later when the US entered the war. During the period between some important and oft overlooked campaigns took part such as the controversial campaign for Greece and Crete in early 1941. This campaign had a huge impact on the Middle East campaign as it stripped the already poorly equipped British Desert forces of much needed Armour, seasoned Infantry and most importantly motor transport, which was all lost with the exception of the troops that managed to be evacuated. During this period Rommel ran roughshod over the depleted forces in North Africa.

Very little is available pictorially from these campaigns and this latest title in the excellent Armor Photo Gallery Series goes a long way to redressing this with an excellent collection of Photos detailing the Commonwealth and Greek armour used in this futile campaign.

The book coinciding with the 75th Anniversary of the campaign provides a great balance of images, colour plates and a brief history supporting the images. This title by the Jeffrey Plowman lives up the high standards he has set for himself with his previous titles on Allied armour in the MTO. The Author has collated an excellent collection of photographs many being published for the first time with excellent supporting captions and text.

These are presented chronologically by campaign and are printed in a good size with high definition.

These have been collected from a variety of private and public sources and tend to show the end results of battles as is typical of losing campaigns such as these where the main source of photos is from the victor.

The book provides chapters on the two campaigns with sub chapters devoted to the formations using armour in the campaign:

CONTINENTAL GREECE

1st Armoured Brigade HQ Sqn 4th Queens Own Hussars 3rd Royal Tank Regiment 1st Rangers of the Kings Royal Rifle Corps 2nd New Zealand Division 6th Australian Division Greek Armour

CRETE

Bren and Universal Carriers 3rd Kings Own Hussars 7th Royal Tank Regiment The subjects covered are varied and typical of the haphazard equipping of the Commonwealth forces of the period caused by the massive loss of equipment in France. These are: • Universal and Bren Carriers • Vickers Light tanks Mk III & VI • A 13 Cruisers • Dingo Scout Cars • A10 Cruisers • Marmon Herrington AC • Matilda Mk II The informative text gives brief histories of each formations actions and even gives a table of the fate of A10s of 3 RTR. 24 Full colour side profile plates are provided of the more interesting subjects covered in the 148 black and white images.

This title is aimed primarily at the modeller and provides excellent references as such with the many detailed shots. Despite this, it will also happily find a home amongst historians and armour enthusiasts alike.

Jeffrey Plowman has filled a lot of shortfalls in available references to date on Allied armour in the MTO and this one fills a long missing gap on the subject. He is to be commended for his thorough and diligent research which has resulted in excellent titles such as this one and the others in the same range Highly Recommended.

Available online from Casemate Publishing UK www.casematepublishing.co.uk Al Bowie

SCALE MODEL HANDBOOK FIGURE MODELLING VOL. 15 MR BLACK PUBLICATIONS ISBN: 2241-1054

The Figure Modelling series from Mr Black has been around for some time now, and as always, this one is filled with brilliant figure pieces from all genres.

Vol 15, presented here, does not disappoint and also has brilliant content.

This book comes in the form of a soft cover A4 size book, printed on high grade matt paper comprising 50 pages and seven brilliant articles.

The subjects covered are as follows: • Michael Wittmann - Tiger Ace in Normandy by Man Jin Kim • Captain, the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders at Tel El Kebir 1882 by Juanma Vergara • Praetorian Guard 1st Century BC by Louis D Orio • Private, 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders, Le Cateau1914 by Stelios Neofytidis • Bear Clan Iroquois by Sergey Popovichenko • Pietro Ballonis Masterpieces by Pietro Balloni • Rhino by Javier Gonzalez Each of the above articles is very well done. I particularly liked the article by Pietro Balloni on his own works, and I have also had the privilege of meeting him and holding some of those pieces in my own hands.

This, as with all the other issues, is brilliant, and if figures are your interest, get yourself a copy of this.

You won’t be disappointed at all.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Mr Black Publications for the sample www.mrblackpublications.com Andrew Judson May 2017 - Model Military International 57

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09/03/2017 10:30

A round-up of the latest news and releases in 1:72 and 1:76

REVELL

1:76 SCALE SD.KFZ.11 AND 7.5CM PAK 40 KIT NO. 03252

This is the Matchbox kit that dates from 1977 that has been resurrected and re-boxed by Revell, who acquired the molds some time ago.

Seeing this kit for me was like meeting an old school friend that you have not seen for 30 years. It was these Matchbox kits that got me hooked on model making and, as an eight year old, they were great because they came in three colours of plastic and didn’t need painting. The diorama bases were absolutely brilliant and I loved Matchbox kits, so much so that I have managed to amass a collection of those models that captivated me as a child.

So here we have a straight re-box of the Matchbox one tooled way back in 1977. The molds have held up well and, when compared to my Matchbox original, the main plastic parts show no signs of deterioration on the main kit. Molding is crisp and clean with no flash at all on my review example although the vinyl tracks have not held up so well.

What we have are the Sd.Kfz. 11 tractor towing a PaK 40 anti-tank gun and a BMW R75 motorbike with sidecar unit. These are displayed on a lovely diorama base representing a wrecked North African styled building.

There are three sprues of vintage goodliness here with one vinyl sprue containing the tracks. Unfortunately, these are seriously affected by flash and cleaning them will be a nightmare.

Revell has done away with the three-coloured Matchbox sand yellow, dark yellow and dark earth coloured plastic (Booo!) and given us monotone, boring, 21st Century Dark Yellow. There are only 112 parts to this along with decals for two marking options. The instructions are nice, clear and uncluttered and I have so far spotted no errors.

If you are looking for exact scale detail and 21st Century finesse then you will be disappointed. Detail is good to excellent on the parts, but some (such as the PaK 40 gun shield) are very thick. Keep in mind though that this was designed in an era when modelling was for fun. The figures are very well detailed for their age and I hope that the photos here show that.

Although I built this over 30 years ago one thing that I do remember is that the fit was generally very good but the way that the sidecar attaches to the motorbike is poor and mine kept snapping off. I guess I should never have put it in front of my Hornby train set and pulverized it at speed!

Nostalgia aside, I can certainly recommend this kit. It is ideal for wargamers but, perhaps more importantly, great to give to your children or grandchildren to introduce them to this hobby. It is a nice, fun, model that can be built quickly and displayed with pride. The current UK retail price is reasonable too. It would have scored 10/10 had it been in 3 colours, as it is I give it 9/10 due to the flash on the tracks.

Highly Recommended.

Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers.

For details visit www.revell.de/en Andy King

Comparing the monotone new Revell sprues to the original colourful Matchbox parts.

58 Model Military International - May 2017

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REVELL

1:72 AND 1:76 SCALES WARRIOR IFV, T-55A/AM AND M7 HMC PRIEST KIT NOS. 03144, 03304, 03216 Three new kits arrived from Revell recently, all at the smaller end of the scale spectrum and as they are so small I shall put the three together in one review.

First we have the 1:72 Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle as used by the British Army and this comes on four sprues in grey styrene. All parts are well moulded with little to no flash and the surface detail is quite good considering the scale however because of the scale and moulding limitations, items such as the turret basket mesh, side stowage basket and headlight brush guards desperately need replacing with aftermarket as these are very chunky. Also things such as the mudguards could do with thinning for a better scale effect.

The gun barrel is useable and just needs the muzzle drilling out and the tracks are of the ‘link-and-length’ type and look pretty good.

Colours and markings are for two British Army Warriors that saw service in Bosnia, one is in the familiar green and black scheme with SFOR markings during 1997 and the other is an all-white scheme for UNPROFOR duties during 1994.

Next up we have the 1:72 T-55A/AM and the comments above regarding moulding quality apply to this kit too, with little flash present however there are a couple of heavy mould seams on the rear hull (part A5) around the transmission housings that will need removing. I was quite surprised at the detail on this one as it is pretty good, especially the road wheels. Again some details will need replacing such as the engine grills, headlight brush guards and the tow ropes as the texture on these is a bit nondescript.

The fuel tanks on the rear hull will be tricky to clean up as they are split in two and you will lose the moulded detail, also the hull and turret could do with some texture as they are smooth. The 23mm AA gun for the turret is quite nicely done for the scale.

Like the Warrior above, the tracks are of the ‘link-and-length’ type but the top run has a moulded ‘sag’ in them which is nice feature. As there are four options you need to choose early on which version you are going to build as there are a

few detail differences between them such as the hatches, stowage boxes etc.

As stated you have four finishing options (all in green); one from the 6th Guards Tank Regiment, Group Of Soviet Forces in Germany 1975; A T-55A of the 273rd Tank regiment, Peoples Army Of Vietnam, 2015; T-55A from the 14th Tank Division, Czechoslovak Peoples Army, 1985 and a T-55AM of the 7th Tank Division, National Peoples Army, East Germany, 1990.

Finally we come to the M7 HMC Priest and unlike the two above this is the very old 1:76 scale Matchbox kit that dates from 1979 (according to the stamp underneath the diorama base) and the only difference between then and now is that it’s not moulded in two colours.

Considering the age of the kit the moulding quality is quite good and relatively flash free although as you would expect some mould seam lines are present and details are quite chunky in places. The moulded-on tools could do with removing and replacing with aftermarket items as these are very simplified, the same could be said of the engine grills and main gun. Tracks are one piece vinyl ones.

The decal options are for two vehicles; US 5th Army in Italy during 1943 and a British Army Priest of the 12th HAC Regiment, Italy 1944.

All three kits the decals are very nicely printed and in register. Out of the three I would say the best kit is by far the T-55 as I was quite surprised by the quality of the detail. The Warrior is pretty good too and seeing that the Priest is pretty ancient in kit terms, with some TLC and aftermarket it should scrub up pretty well (although I would discard the crew figures).

All Recommended.

Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For details visit www.revell.de/en Andy King

May 2017 - Model Military International 59

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Luke Pitt explores the wonderful world of 1:48 scale models and after market.

1:48 Scale – A round-up of the latest news and releases THE EVER-INCREASING COST OF MAIL ORDER AND A POSSIBLE RETURN OF THE TRADITIONAL HOBBY SHOP

T

he way that we purchase models has changed dramatically over the years.

Traditionally we used to go to hobby shops to purchase kits and all the related tools and materials that go with them.

I remember years ago the Squadron shop used to advertise in all the modelling magazines with these snazzy two page spreads with drawings of all the models on offer. The really cool thing was, if you ordered from them, there was an option of receiving a catalogue of all the kits on offer and indeed an update every month, all done by post. I must admit, I looked forward to the supplements each month and the specials that they contained. It was the sheer number of things on offer and the way the supplement was presented, it just looked cool.

Of course, all this took place before the World Wide Web and Internet shopping took off. The cost of postage at the time was reasonable and to be honest, even when ordering from Australia, surface mail (or sea freight) was never really considered.

Around 15 years ago things started to change. First of all, my traditional mail order house increased their postage rates dramatically in addition to cutting the monthly supplements. I had to look elsewhere

and internet mail order houses were fast becoming the norm. Depending on your location, the Asian mail order houses seemed to offer the best prices for kits and indeed postage. Over the last year or so however, I have begun to see the postage rates slowly but surely rise, in some cases to the point where it just isn’t cost effective to buy from overseas suppliers any more.

This really hit home with my last mail order purchase. I was quite frankly gobsmacked at the postage cost involved. The funny thing is, I keep on hearing from the postal providers that traditional postage is dead hence the need to increase costs, but I also hear from the very same providers that internet shopping has exceeded everyone’s expectations so I’m thinking this may be bunkum and a simple case of corporate greed on the part of the postal providers worldwide.

So, where does this leave the humble punter? It may mean the return and resurgence of the humble bricks-and-mortar hobby shop (which I would welcome) or indeed people only shopping inside their country’s own borders. What do you think?

Until Next Time Luke Pitt

MIKR MIR

1:48 SCALE SOVIET T-90 SOVIET LIGHT ANTI–AIRCRAFT TANK ITEM NO. 48-006

Eastern European short run plastic manufacturers have made great strides in recent years in terms of their presentation and sheer variety of what they offer. This new manufacturer has recently released a Soviet T-90 and by and large it is a sound offering.

The kit is moulded over seven medium grey sprues together with a small photo etch and decal sheet. The level of moulding is good for a short run kit and is comparable with anything from say “UM” or “Ace”.

A few dimensional errors are apparent when comparing this kit to some published plans but on others, the so-called fatal flaws are not as pronounced. The main areas of concern are the turret and hull angles.

I have seen some very harsh online criticism of this kit and to be honest it may be unjustified.

Firstly, scale drawings are notoriously unreliable with some not agreeing with others and secondary the assumption is that, any new kit should simply fall together. If it doesn’t the kit is wrongly perceived as rubbish!

To me this kit looks the part and from my observations it has more good points than bad. The tracks and road wheels for instance, are very well done and a credit to the “tool maker” involved.

Given the relative low purchase price of this kit I firmly believe it’s a worthwhile proposition.

Recommended.

Thanks to Creative Models Australia for the sample www.creativemodels.com.au Luke Pitt

FIGURES WITH ATTITUDE

1:48 SCALE GERMAN, US AND RUSSIAN HELMETS

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In my opinion, figures are the ultimate counterpoint to any model. They relay a sense of scale to the models that we produce and, if presented well, can be a detail “hot spot” that draws the casual observer toward the chosen piece. The face and head gear of any figure always draws attention and up until quite recently have been poorly represented in 1:48 scale by kit manufacturers.

Figures with Attitude has seen fit to include in their range a group of German, US and Russian helmets. These helmets compliment their head range perfectly and I have been told they have been printed down from the original items. This has resulted in almost perfect examples of the helmets selected.

I can’t recommend these highly enough.

Highly Recommended.

Available via Facebook from Figures With Attitude https://www.facebook.com/ FiguresWithAttitude48/ Luke Pitt

09/03/2017 10:36

KIT REVIEW

Dragon Panther Ausf. D V2 Versuchsserie • Kit No. 6830

Dragon adds new parts to create an early Panther prototype.

Graham Tetley checks it out.

PROTO-PANTHER

N

ot so long ago Dragon released the first version of this kit, number 6822. It is fair to say that it got a mixed reception for reasons that I will expand on below. After the first release additional information became available which allowed some improvements to be made.

In this updated release we have the exact same contents as 6822 but a number of new parts have been created. Dragon has also provided us this time with etched screens for the air intakes.

The moulding quality of the parts varies from good to mediocre. Being based on the Panther D, those parts still hold up well despite being approximately 15 years old now.

The casting is sharp, detail excellent and there are no moulding flaws present. The same can be said for the new Sprue ‘H’ which contains the storage bins on the rear of the hull, new exhaust mufflers (and curved horizontal cover plate) and a pair of new air intake covers on the engine deck. Dragon also tooled up new road wheels for 6822 which we get here and whilst they look good, close up you can see tooling flaws. Unfortunately, the sprue containing the upper hull & turret looks like it was made by Dragon’s ‘Z’ Team and resembles the sort of short-run plastic kit that we were used to seeing from the Soviet Union 20 years ago. The parts lack definition, detail is either clunky or non-existent and there is flash

present. The kit just lacks quality consistency throughout. Markings are basic and comprise of three crosses only.

As with all kits, I study the instructions to see if I agree with the construction sequences. If you follow what Dragon ask here you will come across serious problems as they have you building the lower hull & running gear but then chopping parts off of the rear hull later. What I recommend you do is build Step 6 first and then go back to Step 1.

The prototype Panther had a different rear end to the production version but rather than provide the correct parts, Dragon have us use a plastic template that attaches to the lower hull sides and then use it as a guide to cut the lower hull to the correct shape. If that wasn’t enough you also have to cut approximately 5mm from the lower rear plate and remove most of the moulded on detail. There are no guides on the parts so all I can recommend you do is cut carefully and test fit often. But DO NOT build it as Dragon’s instructions tell you to.

Because there are no tools or track hangers the rest of the hull will go together quickly. There are some annoying niggles though, with the main one being that you also have to re-shape the front vision port flaps as they don’t fit the holes in the hull. Whilst we get in this kit etched screens (but not for the circular fan covers) there is a gaping hole beneath so it would be best to box it all off from the inside.

When we get to the turret the detail on the new parts is pretty sparse. The interlocking turret face armour is lacking all weld detail and some holes have to be filled as well. Plugs are provided for the turret sides but no chain if you want to depict them open.

There is no gun breach provided so you may as well have it fully closed and do away with the extra work. The gun barrel comes in two halves from which you have to remove the muzzle brake and replace it with a rather crude new part.

DS tracks round off the package and whilst nicely detailed there is still plenty of flash present. There are no side skirts on this vehicle to hide the prominent track sag that Panthers had so DS tracks are not suitable in my view.

I am sorry Dragon, but this is perhaps the most disappointing of your kits that has crossed my workbench. The main newly tooled parts are poorly done, the instructions are a recipe for disaster and I feel that too many corners have been cut by relying on the modeller to carry out corrective surgery rather than you providing the actual parts.

If you want to own a prototype Panther then this, and not the earlier boxing, is the best and easiest way to go about it. But it could, and should, have been so much better. ■

The new fan covers.

The new Sprue ‘H’.

Turret devoid of fine detail.

The new and crude muzzle brake.

Road wheel close-up. Just visible are the tooling marks.

The jig for re-shaping the rear hull.

Thanks to The Hobby Company Limited for the sample www.hobbyco.net

New upper hull parts.

Get your scalpel and saw ready!

Photo-etched engine grille screen.

DS Track detail.

May 2017 - Model Military International 61

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p 63 ModellersGuide 133.indd 1

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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 adalbertus@adalbertus.com.pl 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 smartmodelling@smart7.fsworld.co.uk

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 info@badgerairbrush.com (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 info@deluxematerials.com 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

CAMMETT

(Lifecolour, Scale Caliber)

Unit 5 Greenfield Industrial Estate, Forest Road, Hay on Wye, Powys, HR3 5FA Tel; 01497 822757 Email; cammettco@btinternet.com 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 midlandbooks@compuserve.com 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 info@creativemodels.co.uk

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

www.etchmate.com www.missionmodels.com Tel; 818 842 1885 Fax; 818 842 1886 info@missionmodels.com, sales@missionmodels.com, orders@missionmodels.com

THE ARMORY; M&MODELS

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

MODEL WHOLESALE UK LTD Tel; 01892 533036 www.modelwholesaleuk.com

ORDNANCE MODELS

Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 2LZ, Tel; 01502 517444 Fax; 01502 500521 www.hannants.co.uk sales@hannants.co.uk

HISTOREX AGENTS

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

HOBBYLINK JAPAN

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

HUSSAR PRODUCTIONS, CANADA www.airconnection.on.ca

ICM

Via Hannants in UK

(ETCHMATE, GRABHANDLER, MICRO CHISEL)

HANNANTS

BOOKWORLD WHOLESALE

CALIBRE 35

MISSION MODELS

MONROE PERDU

BLAST MODELS

Unit 10 Hodfar Road, Sandy Lane Ind Est Stourport, Worcs, DY13 9QB Tel; 01299 823330 Fax; 01299 829970 info@bookworldws.co.uk

9 Rannoch St., Battlefield, Glasgow G44 4DF, Scotland Tel/Fax; 0141 633 1400 milicastmodels@hotmail.com www.milicast.com

9a Marcombe Road, Torquay, South Devon, TQ2 6LL Tel; 01803 400436 www.greatnorthroads.co.uk email svfarrugia@yahoo.co.uk

IAN ALLAN

Via AFV Modeller or www.blast-models.com

MILICAST MODEL CO.,

www.ianallanpublishing.com Mail Order Dept 01455 254450 Kiev 02099, Ukraine, Borispolskaya 9 building 64.

Tel/fax; (+38044) 369-54-12 export@icm.com.ua 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

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

MDC

Model Design Construction, Victoria Place, Victoria Road, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3FW Fax; 01773 513344 orders@modeldesignconstruction.com www.modeldesignconstruction.com

MODELING ARTISAN MORI

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

MIG PRODUCTIONS (Creative Models in UK)

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

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

PACIFIC COAST MODELS Tel; 001 707 538 4850 info@pacmodels.com www.pacmodels.com

PANZERWRECKS

PO Box 164, Heathfield, Sussex TN21 8WA, UK www.panzerwrecks.com

PARAGRAFIX

104 County Street, Suite 101 Attleboro MA 02703 USA Tel: +1 508.431.9800 M-F 9am to 4pm EST http://www.paragrafix.biz pgms@paragrafix.biz

PLUS MODEL

(Creative Models in UK)

SCHIFFER BOOKS

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; info@bushwodbooks.co.uk

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

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

No.7 Gordons Way, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0LN UK Tel; 01883 734746 smartmodelling@smart7.fsworld.co.uk

SQUADRON

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: info@swann-morton.com 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 enquiries@hobbyco.net www.hobbyco.net

Jizni 56, 370 10 C. Budejovice, Czech Republic. plusmodel@plusmodel.cz www.plusmodel.cz

TRUMPETER

POCKETBOND

VERLINDEN PRODUCTIONS

(Trumpeter & AFV Club in UK)

Bachmann Europe PLC Moat Way, Barwell, Leics, LE9 8EY Tel; 01455 841756 info@pocketbond.co.uk

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

SB MODELS

UK distributor for Model Victoria and Royal Model

P.O. Box 114, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA13 0WY. Tel/Fax; 01229 430 749 sales@sbmodels.fsnet.co.uk www.sbmodels.net

SBLC

PO Box 794, Cheltenham GL52 3ZW, UK RICHARDSBLC@aol.com

SBX MODEL SHOP

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

www.trumpeter-china.com Pocketbond in the UK (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 MODELS (Toms Model Works)

8532 Lamar Drive, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA Tomsmodelworks@aol.com www.whiteensignmodels.com

WWII PRODUCTIONS, AUSTRALIA 12 Prince Street, Waratah, 2298, NSW, Australia Tel; +61 (0)2 4967 3205 Fax; +61 (0)2 4967 3207 ww2prod@optusnet.com.au

ZVEZDA

(The Hobby Company in UK)

Promishlennaia Str.,2, Lobnya, Moscow Region, 141730 Russia office@zvezda.org.ru www.zvezda.org.ru

SCHATTON BARRELS

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

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

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Next Issue On sale 4th May 2017

ISSUE No.133 May 2017, Published April 6th 2017

BE MY VALENTINE

The Editor gets his hands on a test shot of Tamiya’s forthcoming 1:35 scale Valentine tank.

Editor;

Brett Green

Group Editor;

Marcus Nicholls

Publisher;

Alan Harman

Graphic Design;

Alex Hall

Advertising Manager;

Sean Leslie

Office Manager;

Paula Gray

Administration Manager; Hannah McLaurie Administration Assistant; Julie Lane MMI Website;

Doolittle Media Web Team

Printed by; Henry Stone Ltd, Oxfordshire 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; tim@selectps.com Model Military International is published on the first Thursday of each month by; Doolittle Media, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX UK www.modelmilitary.com Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574

BELARUS

Editorial enquiries; Email; editor@modelmilitary.com

Konrad Dzik’s challenging but impressive 1:35 scale Belarus tractor.

Advertising enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Email; sean@doolittlemedia.com

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.

BURMA LEE

Jim Turner builds and details Tamiya’s venerable 1:35 scale M3 Lee.

FOR YOUR SAFETY 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 highspeed 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 Doolittle Media’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

SHANGHAI MODEL SHOW REPORT Brett Green covers the New Year’s Model Show in Shanghai.

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.

© Doolittle Media 2017

The paper used on this title is from sustainable forestry

Order online now at; www.modelmilitary.com

Subscription enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574 Email; enquiries@doolittlemedia.com

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The Last Post...

NUTS AND BOLTS VOLUME 37 -

JAGDPANZER IV PART 1 L/48 (SD.KFZ.162)

BY JOACHIM BASCHIN AND MARTIN BLOCK Luke Pitt examines the latest in Nuts & Bolts’ series on WWII German military vehicles – Jagdpanzer IV Part 1 – L/48.

L

ow sleek and deadly. These are the words that come to mind when I think of the Sd.Kfz.162. To my thinking, this was the ultimate expression a Panzer IV tank Panzerjager. The design just looked right.

The “Nuts and Bolts” series of reference titles really needs no introduction. What they offer is a one-stop reference source for the particular vehicle they cover. I like the convenience of these books. For me, it’s is so much easier to just grab them, open a page when I require it and basically getting on with it.

In reality, these books are more like five traditional books in one, a development history, wartime photo coverage, line drawings and colour profiles and a comprehensive walk around photo essay.

This new reference work has some 180 pages. This reference work is logically broken down into segmented parts. The first 95 pages are devoted to the development and history of the weapon’s use in service. Within this section, selected subsections discuss the development and technical description, followed by the differences between the prototype and production vehicles.

The book is jammed packed with details like the variations of the weapon system itself and how they were used in the field. I particularly liked the way the authors have detailed each division that operated these vehicles and in what time frame. The first section is lavishly illustrated with a little over 153 black and white war time photos.

The clarity and captions on these photos are noteworthy as they cover

an infinite number of additions and modifications adopted in the field.

The next 13 pages are devoted to 1:35 scale plans of all the known early versions. John Rue never disappoints with his illustrations and the four three-dimensional drawings just add to the experience. Fourteen colour profile drawings follow over the next 8 pages and are wonderfully executed and presented. What I like about these profiles is that within the profile itself, a small black and white photo is inserted to which the artist has given his interpretation.

This, I believe should be the industry standard. The one thing that did strike me is the profiles are now presented diagonally (as opposed horizontally). I guess this has been done to fit the page (as the profiles are in 1:35 scale) but, I would have liked them horizontally. Just makes it easier to view.

The next 56 pages consist of 193 colour walk around photos of restored examples. The entire vehicle is covered from the interior; engine through to a detailed study of how all the various hatches opened.

The last six pages are devoted to three model builds by Tony Greenland.

In summary, if you plan to build this vehicle then you really can’t go past this book. It is everything you could possible need reference wise. I for one can’t wait for part two in this series. These books are an absolute must for anyone interested in the Jagdpanzer IV. ■ Thanks to Nuts & Bolts for the sample http://www.nuts-bolts.de

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