Kalashnikov On Tracks

Historical Background

The T-55's genesis goes back to the T-44 of 1943-1944. The T-44 has the same performance with the T-34/85 but with greater protection thanks to space-saving torsion bar suspension, transverse engine mount and the deletion of the hull machine gun. However the turret was incapable of mounting guns larger than the 85mm gun although a 100mm gun was desired. The T-44 was redesigned into the prototype T-54 in 1945 by the OKB-520 design bureau, based at Factory No. 183 (Uralvagonzavod) at Nizhny Tagil. Originally having the same turret shape as the T-44, it was later redesigned with a dome-shaped turret. Armament was a 100mm D-10T tank gun and two 7.62mm machine guns.  Armour was initially 180mm thick for turret front and 120mm for hull front (the armour was thickened for subsequent variants). In tests conducted with nuclear weapons, it was shown that a T-54 can survive the blast of a tactical nuclear weapon of between 2 to 15 kilotons at a range of more than 300 meters from the epicentre, although the crew could only survive at a range of no less than 700 meters. Therefore, in order to improve protection, the KB-60 design bureau at Kharkov studied a new NBC system called PAZ (ProtivoAtomnaya Zashchita). KB-60 completed its tests in 1956 and a new set of blueprints and the range of modifications needed were sent to Uralvagonzavod.

The T-54M (Ob'yekt 139) was used to test the changes. It was also powered by a new V55 12-cylinder 38.88 litre water-cooled diesel engine generating 581 hp. Main armament was basically unchanged but ammunition capacity was increased from 34 to 45. new ammunition was also developed, such as the BK5M HEAT round which could penetrate 390mm of armour. The commander's TPKU vision device was replaced with either the TPKUB or the TPKU-2B while the gunner received a TNP-165 sight. The loader's hatch-mounted DShK 12.7mm AA MG was removed as it was deemed worthless against fast-flying jets. The turret has a thicker front (200mm) although the rear plate had to be thinned to save weight. The gun was fitted with a two-axis stabilisation as well as night-vision equipment. All these improvement resulted in Ob'yekt 155 and entered production on 1 January 1955 as the T-55. The T-55 was superior to the IS-series heavy tank despite being smaller and lighter-armoured. It has a better rate of fire, anti-tank capability and mobility. The heavy tank concept soon fell out of favour and the new concept of main battle tank began to emerge. In 1961, another round of improvements in NBC protection began in order to protect the crews against fast neutrons and gamma radiation. The system was characterised by a the addition of a POZ plasticised lead lining applied to the entire interior of the tank, requiring the enlargement of the driver's hatch and the coamings over the turret hatches. As an additional benefit, the liner also protects the crew against spalling. The PAZ/FPU chemical filtration system was also fitted and the co-axial SGMT machine gun was replaced with the PKT. T-55s with these enhancements were known as the T-55A. 

The T-54/55 family is mechanically simple yet robust. Compared to Western tanks, they are simple to operate and don't require a high level of education and training for their crews. The T-54/55 family has relatively low weight, allowing easier transport by rail and allows crossing of lighter bridges. They are also relatively small for a MBT, presenting a smaller target profile. While not a match for modern MBTs, armour and ammo updates may improve the old tank's performance that it cannot be dismissed on the battlefield. Nevertheless, the family has serious drawbacks. The small size is actually a double-edged sword - it restricts interior space and  crew comfort, constraining crew movement and slowing down the usage of equipment. The low silhouette also restricts the gun depression angle to just -5˚ (Western tanks usually can depress down to  -10˚) limiting their ability to fire from a hull-down position in a reverse slope. In the Red Army, the limited crew mobility inside the tank was partially solved by restricting the height of the crew members, a practice still continuing as the Russian Army is still operating the low-silhouette T-72/T-80/T-90. The armour, while thick enough to be impervious against most tank guns of the 1950s and the hand-held anti-tank weapons of the era (such as the bazooka, PIAT and RPG-2), became obsolete within 20 years of introduction. The side armour, thinner than the front, was vulnerable to LAW rockets, TOW missiles and even 76mm AP rounds, as proven during the Vietnam War.

In the early 1970s, drawing from combat experience of the T-55 users worldwide, the loader's cupola was refitted with either the DshK/KM 12.7mm AA MG or the 14.5mm KPVT AA MG to deal with attack helicopters. In 1974, the KTD-1 or KTD-2 laser rangefinder in an armoured box was fitted over the gun mantlet. The T-55/55A continue to get upgrades throughout their lives, such as better fire-control system, ATGM capability, ERA armour, suspension, tracks, RPG screen and various other additional capabilities. The T-54/55 was used in various conflicts, starting with the Invasion of Hungary in 1956. In Europe it was also used during the enforcement of martial law in Poland in 1981-1983, the Invasion of Czechoslovakia 1968 and the Balkan Wars of the 1990s. In the Middle East, they were used in the Six-Day War 1967, Jordanian Civil War 1970, Yom Kippur War 1973, Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988, Operation Desert Storm 1991 and Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003. In Africa, they were used during the Angolan Civil War 1975-2002, Tanzania-Uganda War of 1978-79 and the Libyan Civil War 2011. In Asia it was used during the Vietnam War from 1971, the Cambodian Civil War, Indo-Pakistani Wars 1965 and 1971, Sri Lankan Civil War and the Afghanistan conflict. In most cases, especially against the Israeli Defence Force, the T-55 were worse off against their Western-built counterparts although it was actually more have to do with their deployment and usage, as demonstrated during the Battle of Dezful between 5-9 January 1981 during the Iran-Iraq War, where the Iraqis managed to disable or destroy 200 Iranian Chieftain and M60A1 tanks, while losing 50 of their own T-55s.

The T-54/55 family can lay claim to be the most produced tank in history. For the T-55 series, 27,500 units were built between 1955 and 1981. Another 7,000 were built in Poland between 1964 and 1979 and Czechoslovakia produced 8,300 from 1964 until 1979. The Red Army have around 20,000 available should the Cold War turn hot and they still have around 3,000 by the time the Iron Curtain crumbled in 1990. Today perhaps around 500 are still in storage. The T-54/55 were also widely exported and used around the world, from Abkhazia to Zambia. Many of these countries have their own upgrade and modernisation programmes such as the Czech T-55AM, Egyptian Ramses II, 'Enigma' conversion of the Iraqi army, Pakistani Al-Zarrar, Israeli Ti-67 and Tiran series and also the Type 59 series, essentially the Chinese copy of the T-54, which also ran into the thousands. There are also variants such as the BTS-3 armoured recovery vehicles, MT/MTU-55 armoured bridgelayer, BMR-2 minelaying vehicle, OT-55 flamethrowing tank and BTR-T APC. The huge numbers plus age (in the later years) makes the family cheap and easy to purchase. It's simplicity also allows quasi-military forces with no formal training to operate them.

The Kit

With such a large number of vehicles in service with various nations, it is naturally assumed that the T-54/55 family (from here onwards, I would just refer them as the T-55) is a hugely popular subject. I guess that that's the truth but modelling companies were rather indifferent, especially in the popular 1/35 scale. Old hands such as Cookie Sewell mentioned Tamiya themselves produced a kit of the T-55 in 1967, but as with many of their kits of the same vintage, was awful. Then in 1989, at the time when the T-55 had been relegated to 'B' and 'C' Type formations of the Red Army, Lindberg came up with a T-55 which can also be made into a Israeli Ti-67. Having seen built-up examples in modeling magazines, they are also pretty awful, looking nothing like the real item. In 1992, ESCI produced their version the T-55. Like its predecessors, it also suffered from shape and accuracy issues. It however did not stop Italeri from re-issuing it in 2004. In 1999, Trumpeter and Lee showcased theirs. They generally look OK but still suffer shape issues, which, among others, was caused by the need for motorisation, like the Tamiya kits of the 1970s. Furthermore, Trumpeter's early kits were made from ABS type plastic which was very difficult to cement together. In 2001, SKIF from Ukraine brought the hope that an accurate T-55 finally emerged; being Ukraine-based they should have access to the real thing to make their measurements. Instead they were so disappointing that Cookie Sewell likened them as more as an insult than disappointment. Dragon, that co-leader in 1/35 tank/AFV model industry, advertised for years that they would come up with a T-55 (and I followed the 'New Kit News' section of the Perth Military Modeling Society website month after month) but eventually dropped the plan and continue with their empire of WW2 German AFVs.

Finally in 2002, rather like a bolt of of the blue, Tamiya announced a new tool T-55A. It caused quite a stir (what an understatement!) in the modeling community as (1) it is a Tamiya kit and (2) since it is a Tamiya, everybody's pinning their hopes that this The One after a decade of disappointment (following SKIF's T-55). When it finally hit the market, Tamiya kit 35257 did prove that it IS The One. The kit is moulded in olive green plastic and consists of 275 parts, a small sheet of mesh, a length of twine to make the tow cables, the usual Tamiya poly caps, a small decal sheet and the instruction booklet of course. The moulding is up to Tamiya's usual high standard. The lower hull is in one piece and has all the details, despite being mainly out of sight on the completed model. And, according to online reviews, the dimensions and details of the kit is almost spot-on with optional parts for depicting Polish- or Czech-built machines. The turret have subtle cast texture while having very nice weld beads around the turret top. The barrel is of the usual two-piece assembly which needed careful assembly but nothing unusual there. The mantlet dust cover has very good fabric effect although the trade-off is that the gun would be in a fixed position. Tamiya provided multiple commander's and loader's hatches, depending on which version the modeler makes. There is however no plumbing for the track guard-mounted fuel tanks; the modeler either have to fashion one by himself/herself or get an aftermarket one (or just leave them as they were). The one-piece tracks, while having good detail, is not really suitable to mimic the droopy T-55 tracks. The decal sheet contains markings for two Soviet tanks (T-55A mod. 1962 and T-55 mod. 1970), two Polish tanks (T-55 mod. 1970 and T-55A mod. 1970) and a solo Czech T-55A mod. 1970. Again, they are of the usual Tamiya standard.

Construction

The first step was concerned with the assembly of the wheels. They are of the usual Tamiya style of two halves with a polycap inserted in-between the halves. The idlers are of the 'scalloped' type while the T-55's distinctive 'starfish' pattern roadwheels have superb details. The suspension, together with the rear hull plate and the forward plate, together with the dozer mounting points were then cemented onto the hull. The suspension arms were then checked to ensure that the all the wheels would touch the ground. The already complete wheels were then mounted onto their mountings to double-check the 'sit' of the suspension arms and were then removed for painting. Next, the fuel drum racks were slid into their places and secured with Tamiya Extra Thin Cement. While the flanges do add strength to the mounting, I have to exercise care when handling the model for the rest of the build stage, to avoid breaking the fuel drum mounts. The lower hull was more or less completed at this time and I moved on to the upper hull.

Tamiya provided the upper hull in one piece, with the track guards moulded together. There aren't many parts to add at this stage, just a small number of track guard supports, the upper half of the exhaust....and Parts D27 and D31 (I can't remember what they are called!). The upper hull was cemented onto the lower half....and I found that there are gaps at the corners of the hull. Again, I believe that it has nothing to do with Tamiya's engineering. Anyway, I just fill it with putty - problem solved! Now the rest of the upper hull parts can now be cemented. Here, Tamiya provided optional parts for the T-55 and T-55A, which is the driver's hatch; either D42 for T-55 or D42 and D40 for T-55A, and also for Soviet or Warsaw Pact-built vehicle (the headlights and their brush guards). At this juncture, I decided to build a T-55A, so the bulged driver's hatch was used.  The track guard-mounted storage boxes were then assembled and then cemented onto their places on the left track guard. The external fuel cells were mounted onto the right track guard. Here, Tamiya omitted the plumbing which connects the tanks to the engine. They are not difficult to fabricate using brass or lead (soldering) wire, aluminium foil and scrap plastic plus there are plenty of the plumbing arrangement photos on the internet. Using photos and diagrams available on the internet, I used 0.3mm brass wire to create them - the piping bears the hallmarks of my general clumsiness i.e the straight sections are not straight! Furthermore I couldn't find anything suitable to replicate the fasteners (or whatever they're called) so my external fuel piping simply consist of the plain 'pipes' only. Also, I think 0.3mm gauge wire is too thin; perhaps 0.5mm is better-looking plus I need a better material such as soldering or steel wire. Finally, for the engine deck, I cut the provided mesh using the template included in the instructions and glued them to the frame using white glue. Needless to say, a PE grille is a better substitute. The rear fuel tanks were then cemented into position. Their fit is OK with just a hairline seam to be cleaned up.

I then turned my attention to the turret. Before working on it, a number of holes need to be drilled according to the version you choose. After originally decided to build a T-55A by using the bulged driver's hatch, I then decided to make a Soviet T-55A with AA MG. It is not in the options but I think it can be done with the parts provided in the kit.  The turret shell was mated with the bottom and then I went straight to adding the commander's and loader's hatches. I made a mistake though, one which I only realised when writing this piece. While the anti-radiation cladding was placed between the hatches, I then however, rather absentmindedly referred to Option B in the kit's instructions (a Soviet T-55 with AA MG). To build a DShK-equipped T-55A, I should have referred to Option 'C'. Yes, that option is for a Polish-build tank, but with the benefit of hindsight, I believe that the distinctive feature of a Polish-built T-55/T-55A is just the storage box on the left of the turret. So I end up having a T-55 with the T-55A's turret cladding and driver's hatch! Murphy's Law was in full swing here, and as Forrest Gump said, s**t happens!!!

Tie-down hooks were then cemented to the rear of the turret using the faint placement lines as guide. Again, they are best replaced with copper wire. Moving back to the front of the turret, the gun barrel halves were cemented together. There is a hairline seam but nothing serious here. The muzzle end is separate and fit nicely to the barrel. The barrel assembly was then mated to the moulded dust cover. The provision of the dust cover means that the gun is fixed at 0˚ angle. I have no issues with that especially when the dust cover have very nice fabric effect. The searchlight was assembled and cemented onto its place, together with the mechanism to move it in unison with the gun. The DShK AA MG and the snorkel tube were assembled but were left off until after painting. I have however lost the gun's hand grip and substituted it with a 0.5mm rod. A piece of copper wire from a speaker cable was used as additional detailing, that is, as a control cable from the hand grip to the trigger. The turret handrails were also left off at this stage.

Painting and Decaling

Like their World War 2 predecessors, there are a number of colour combinations which can be used to replicate the colour of post-war Soviet tanks. For this build, I decided to forego my colour mix for the Russian Green and decided to use Tamiya XF-65 Field Grey, as used by many modellers I have seen on the internet. The model was painted in this colour, which was lightened with 20% Flat White for scale effect. Once the paint has cured, I mixed some Tamiya XF-5 Flat Green with some 90% thinner to make a filter layer for the Base colour. The tyres were painted Tamiya XF-63 German Grey and the machinegun XF-69 NATO Black. When dry, I rubbed some powdered graphite to the MG for that metallic sheen. As photos of the real tank shows it to have a slight sheen, Tamiya TS-79 Semi-Gloss Clear was sprayed onto the model. The tracks were painted XF-64 Red Brown and were then washed with AK Interactive's Track Wash.

As mentioned before, I had originally intended to build a Soviet T-55A with AA MG (or a Soviet T-55A Model 1970) and therefore I did not intend to use any of the kit decals. Even though I have built a T-55 Model 1970 (more or less) which is Option B of the  marking scheme, I decided to finish my model as something else. With thousands of tanks in Soviet service and with practically no distinctive individual markings, I can practice artistic licence with plenty of freedom here. Browsing the internet, I came across a number of photos of T-55s of the Soviet Naval Infantry during the Cold War. The tanks have the three-digit identification numbers common to Soviet AFVs plus the Soviet naval ensign on the glacis plate and the side rear of the turret. IIRC, the three-digit ID number is not arbitrary and may change during deployments or exercises. Just to be different, I used the spare turret number decals from my old Tamiya T-62A kit. Despite their age, they are still good and apply easily. I used the large numbers and tactical markings for the turret and smaller numbers for the searchlight and the glacis plate. For the Soviet Naval Ensign, I used the one available from Dragon's Scud launcher kit. The one in the Dragon kit has the 'flagpole' in the design but photos show that both designs - with or without the 'flagpole' were used. Unfortunately, like older Hasegawa decals, the white portion of the decal was more ivory than white. No Naval Ensign decals were placed at the rear quadrants of the turret as Dragon provide only one decal suitable for placement there. It wasn't a problem anyway as there are photos showing Morskaya Pekhota tanks without them. All decals were then subjected to Mr Mark Softer treatment.

Finishing

The remaining parts such as the handrails, snorkel tube and the AA machinegun assembly are fixed to the model. The unditching log was painted a base colour of Tamiya XF-55 Deck Tan and washed with XF-59 Desert Yellow. Afterwards I drybrushed XF-64 onto it. The spare Ammo boxes on the turret side were also painted XF-65 Field Grey with the straps painted Mr Color Khaki. The model was then subjected to the usual wash process. The wheels and tracks were then permanently fixed to the model. To create the draped effect of the 'dead' tracks, I superglued the upper run to the tops of the roadwheels. It looked passable enough, although as stated before, workable track links were the best.  For weathering, I decided to add mud to the lower hull and tracks. This time I mixed Mr. Surfacer 500, Mig Productions' European Dust' pigment and lacquer thinner and apply them all over the underside of the model using an old brush that's on its last legs (or bristles to be exact). I only apply a thin mix/layer this time and to add some texture, I stipple the wet mixture with another old, stiff brush. The model was then set aside to dry. Then I washed the 'mud' with Mig Productions' Earth Effects wash mix. Afterwards, I mixed a thin slurry of water and the same pigment powder and apply them on the tracks and the underside of the track guards. Then I mixed a semi-dry mixture of pigments and enamel thinner and apply them sparingly on the tracks, to mimic mud stuck in the tracks' groove. Finally I apply Tamiya Weathering Master Soot on the exhaust port.

Conclusion

Without doubt, one the best (some consider it to be THE best) Tamiya kit so far, even though many modellers have to wait for 30-something years for it. All the parts were finely moulded and of course they feature excellent fit, allowing an easy build. While there are many permutations of the basic tank, Tamiya has covered the main variants, mainly with the alternate turret hatch options. Soon after the kit hit the market, aftermarket manufacturers also follow suit with various PE, track and also conversion sets. As stated before, the kit just need a good separate track links, preferably in metal to more accurately depict the sag of the dead tracks. The external fuel plumbing also need to be added, either being scratch-build or using aftermarket set, to more accurately depict the tank. Tamiya have also included metal separate track links (read : Friulmodel) and also with PE and metal barrel in special boxings of the basic kit. They have also since released two more T-55 based kits : the Iraqi Enigma T-55 and the Israeli Tiran 5.  Too bad I have run out of space in my display cabinet!

Prince Char-Ming

Historical Background

In 1919, the French General Jean Baptiste Eugene Estienne wrote in his memo entitled Mémoire sur les missions des chars blindés en campagne, the concept of Char de Bataille (battle tank) that would be able to accomplish a breakthrough of the enemy lines by destroying fortifications, gun emplacements and the opposing tanks. In January 1921, a Government commission initiated a project for such a vehicle. The specifications include fixed armament (to save costs), a weight of 13 tonnes, maximum armour thickness of 25mm, a low hull so that the gun could fire into vision slits of bunkers and a small machine gun turret to ward off infantry attacks. It should also function as an armoured observation post. Two variants were envisaged - a close support tank with 75mm howitzer and an anti-tank version with a 47mm gun. The project attracted interest from the French industry and four prototypes were submitted : Renault and Schneider co-operated and submitted the SRA and SRB, Forges et Aciéries de la Marine et d'Homécourt (FAMH, also known as Saint Chamond) submitted one and  Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée (FCM) submitted their FCM 21 design.

In the spirit of the so-called 'Estienne Accord' which discouraged industrial competition among the defence companies, FCM was asked to give up their patent rights to the Army. In return, they were promised a large order of 1,000 vehicles of which Renault and Schneider would build 500 each, FAMH and FCM 125 each, Delaunay-Bellville (of which their enlarged FT-17 design was rejected earlier on) 83 and the remaining 167 would be alloted at the Government's discretion. On 13 May 1924, all the prototypes were presented at the Atelier de Rueil and in March 1925, General Estienne decided to base the production model on the SRB as regards the general form and mechanical parts with the gun and tracks developed from the FCM design and FAMH suspension. Armour was to be increased to 40mm. In November of the same year, Renault was ordered to build a wooden mock-up and in January 1926, three prototypes, each built by Renault,  FAMH and FCM, were ordered.

These prototypes were built between January 1929 and September 1930 and were used in the test programmes. By that time, the vehicle was known as the Char B (the 'B' however merely refers to a general classification code rather than 'Bataille') and was used not only for technological experiments but also in tactical ones. In the course of the programme, the prototypes were extensively reworked to meet changes in specifications. And on 6 April 1934, the first order was made for seven Char B1 (again the B1 indicates that it was one of simultaneous projects to improve the Char B). The Char B1 were built by Renault (182), AMX (47), FCM (72), FAMH (70) and Schneider (32). However, with a unit cost of 1.5 million francs, the order had to be cut to 400.

The B1 had 40mm of armour on the front and sides. It was armed with a 75mm ABS 1929 SA 35 howitzer mounted on the right-hand side of the hull front, a 47mm L/27.6 SA 34 in a fully-rotating APX 1 turret and two Chatellerault M1931 7.5mm machine guns. Ammunition capacity was 50 rounds for the 47mm gun, 80 for the 75mm gun and 4,800 for the machine guns. The crew consisted of the driver, who also acted as the hull gunner and a loader serving the hull gun. The remaining two crewmembers were the radio operator and the commander, who also has to act as the loader and gunner for the turret gun. The commander was considerably overburdened especially if he is the platoon commander, commanding other tanks. A total of 35 B1 were built. The main production version was the B1 bis: 369 were built between April 1937 to June 1940. The B1 bis featured a thicker armour (60mm) and the APX1 turret was replaced with the APX4, armed with a longer-barreled L/32 SA 35 gun, improving its anti-tank capability.

The general appearance of the B1 reflected its long gestation period stretching back to the 1920s. Its large tracks, going over the hull was reminiscent of the rhomboid British heavy tanks of World War 1. This similarity was partly as a result of the requirement of the B1 as an assault tank (or char de rupture), optimised for punching holes into the enemy's fortifications, including good trench-crossing abilities.  Fuel consumption was bad, necessitating frequent refuellings and therefore limiting its operational capability. In actuality, despite its supposed role, the B1s formed part of the Divisions Cuirassées de Réserve (DCR), which lacked strategic flexibility and thus were intended for the second phase of an attack. The 47mm turret while reasonably effective at the time, was an ergonomic nightmare (as mentioned beforehand). At the start of the Phoney War, the B1 were grouped within the DCR, forming the second echelon of an assault, while the initial assault was to be led by cavalry Somua S35 tanks. In May 1940, three DCRs, each with 69 tanks were mobilized and part of the 37ᵉ Bataillon de Chars Combat (BCC) have their B1 tanks rearmed with the SA 35 guns.

After Operation Fall Gelb began, four more DCRs with 52 B1 each were constituted, together with five Compagnie Autonome de Chars (Autonomous Tank Companies) with 56 B1s with another 34 in the 28ᵉ Bataillon de Chars de Combat. The B1s were used in countering the German assault, but with inadequate air cover, the Allied vehicles became victims of Stuka attacks. Bad deployment also resulted in these tanks being used as plugs in the defensive gaps. Their sturdiness however resulted in some success against the German panzers such as the-then Colonel Charles de Gaulle's counter-attacks at Iaon and Montcornet and the defensive stand at Hanuut and Stonne. At the latter, a single B1, named Eure, commanded by Captain Pierre Bilotte attacked and destroyed thirteen Panzer III and IV tanks before having to withdrew with 140 hits on his tank. Along with the British Matilda tanks, the B1 is the most feared tank by the Germans as the 37mm gun arming the Panzer IIIs and the anti-tank units were unable to pierce the frontal armour. The majority of B1s lost in the Battle of France however were not through enemy action but due to the lack of fuel and mechanical problems.

Following the fall of France, the Germans captured hundreds of Allied tanks, including 161 Char B1 bis tanks. These were absorbed into German service as the Panzerkampfwagen B-2 740(f) and were used in second line and training roles. Sixty were converted into flamethrowing tanks (Flammwagen auf Panzerkampfwagen B-2 740(f)) and sixteen converted to carry the leFH 18 105mm field gun. In German hands, the tanks took part in the Balkans Campaign and Operation Barbarossa. They also form part of the garrison units in France and the Channel Islands. When France was liberated in 1944, some of the B1s were recaptured. These were used provisionally by the French Resistance against pockets of German forces, such as those defending Paris. The B1 was also used by the 2nd Company of the 13th Dragoon Regiment of the Free French forces from October 1944 until its disbandment in April 1946.

The Kit

In 2006, Tamiya delighted the modeling community by announcing a new 1/35 kit of the Char B1 bis, in the wake of Hotchkiss H38/39 family from Bronco and Trumpeter. The kit contains 220 parts moulded in beige coloured plastic plus 130 sprue-less individual track links moulded in chocolate coloured plastic. Also included are a few poly caps, two lengths of heavy chain and the usual decal and instruction sheet plus a small sheet describing the action at Stonne. The colour guide is separate from the instruction sheet and is printed in full colour. Scanning through the parts and the instruction sheet shows that Tamiya missed the six boltheads on the 75mm gun mantlet and also the 'pig tail' lifting hook on top of the mantlet. The individual track links are of snap-together type and require only a minimal clean-up of the pour plug by light sanding. A sitting tank commander figure is also included, to be placed in the turret hatch. He looks rather emaciated though. Decals provide markings for four tanks:

- 257 'Bourrasque', 2nd Section, 1st Company, 15ᵉ BCC, 2nd Armoured Division, France 1940

- 481 'Vercingetorix', 3rd Company, 46ᵉ BCC, 4th Armoured Division, France 1940

- 467 'Nivernais II', 2nd Section, 3rd Company, 37ᵉ BCC, 1st Armoured Division, France 1940

- 205 'Indochine', 3rd Section, 3rd Company, 15ᵉ BCC, 2nd Armoured Division, France 1940

Selection for the markings has to be made partway through the build as the tanks feature different track guards and exhausts.

Construction

Construction starts with the roadwheels - 32 of them. Two halves each. Each half has excess sprue tags which needs to be cleaned. The wheels were then place d into a u-shaped gondola which would then be cemented onto the lower hull. I believe that this could be a recipe for disaster (or at least very tricky handling). So, although Tamiya recommends that the wheels are to be left unglued so that they could turn freely, I glued them with the sprue tags intact, but positioned so that they would be hidden inside the hull. The next step was concerned with the sprocket and idler wheels and also the forward suspension, which includes the 75mm howitzer assembly. The howitzer was secured with three poly caps, which allows it to traverse, elevate and depress, albeit at restricted angles, just like the real thing. The uprights together with the idler wheels (and the howitzer) were then need to cemented onto the lower hull, otherwise I won't be able to push them in if done later. The rest of the lower hull parts were then cemented.

Before working the one-piece upper hull, 26 1mm holes were drilled into the specified areas to fit various hull fittings. Then various  fittings were added. including mud chutes, rear hull fittings, track guide and various hatches and access panels. About the mud chutes, the 'intake' apertures are actually moulded shut and detailers might want to drill them out for that extra detail. The upper hull assembly was then cemented (I used Tamiya Extra Thin Cement) onto the lower half. They fit perfectly with no gaps present. The basic hull construction was then finished with the addition of the glacis plate and the mantlet for the howitzer. As mentioned before Tamiya omitted the six boltheads and the 'pig's tail' on top of the mantlet. There should also be weld beads surrounding the mantlet cover. While I did notice those omissions, I entirely forgot about them in the euphoria of the build and only realised after the model has been painted!

Next I assembled the tracks - I wish every model company could have this kind of track for all their models. The links came off the sprue and simply click together. The basic assembly took just 10 minutes with just that light moulding pips to be cleaned up. The tracks however were a tight fit around the hull, so I checked the drape of the tracks around the hull, subtracting the excess when necessary (it took 61 links for each run actually). The tracks were then removed for painting and to be added later. Turning my attention back to the hull, the track guards were attached. This is where the decision to build which marking was made - I decided to build Option B - 'Vercingetorix', which have the track guards without gaps where they meet the hull. There are also two choices for the exhausts; as I have already chosen 'Vercingetorix', the extended exhausts with their appropriate ends were used. The exhaust shrouds were cemented to the piping but I only dry fit the exhaust assembly to the hull to ease painting.

The final step before the painting stage was the assembly of the turret. First, the sub-assembly of the 47mm gun and the commander's (or was it just the periscope's?) cupola. The latter came in two halves which need to be cemented carefully to avoid visible seams. I simply add a bit more cement than usual and when the halves were mated together, the excess cement oozed out and left to dry. It was then scraped off using the hobby knife and the leftover was sanded. The turret was then assembled with the turret hatch in the open position as I intend to use the commander's figure. The cupola was then put on the turret unglued as it was designed to be rotateable. It is now time for painting.

Painting and Decaling

'Vercingetorix' was painted in a 3-colour (4 if you count the demarcation line between the colours) called Puzzle 1er Type which consists of vert olive mat foncé (matt dark olive green), brun (brown) and ocre jaune (very light brownish sand). Tamiya's interpretation of those colours are XF-58 Olive Green, XF-9 Hull Red and 2 parts XF-59 Desert Yellow mixed with 1 part XF-60 Dark Yellow. The demarcation line was XF-69 NATO Black. I first painted the tank overall ocre jaune. This was followed by hand-painting the camouflage colours. The demarcation line should be a relatively thin line, but as you can see, some are quite wide. This caused by the paintbrush I used, which was not small enough for such application. On hindsight, I should have used a felt-tip marker pen for those lines, or overpaint the excess using any of the base colours where appropriate.

The decals were then applied. They were of the usual Tamiya quality, which is rather thick. They were subjected to repeated applications of Mr Mark Softer especially those running over rivets, hatches and panel lines. For positions against the latter two, the decals were 'persuaded' to get into the recesses using a suitable tool such as a (discarded) ball-point pen tip. To unify the colours, the model was then subjected to a filter wash of XF-57 Buff. Once dry, it was subjected to a pin wash to help pop-out the raised details. The tracks were painted XF-64 Red Brown and then washed with AK Interactive's Track Wash. It was then dry brushed silver at the contact points with the ground. The heavy tow chains were also washed with the Track Wash, as I do not have any blackening / 'antiquing' liquid in my arsenal - I think the effect was the same though. The exhaust pipes were painted XF-64 and once dry were randomly dabbed with Tamiya Weathering Master Rust. BTW, the tank was named after Vercingetorix, the Gallic chieftain leading their revolt against the Roman Empire from 52BC to 46BC.  

Finishing

The remaining loose parts can now be permanently attached. Not many of those, just the aerial base, turret guard rail, the exhaust assembly and the tracks (the tow chains are to be attached later). I then moved on to the weathering stage. I have seen photos of B1 tanks with dirty staining on the hull, probably from the oil used in lubricating the tracks, sometimes looking quite severe. I simulated this staining using a combination of Tamiya X-19 Smoke and Tamiya weathering Master Soot. These were applied in vertical streaks down the upper half of the hull and also around some maintenance hatches. X-19 Smoke was also used to mimic lubricant leak around the hub of the sprocket wheels. Next, I applied AK Interactive Earth Effects wash at the lower hull, wheels, tracks and the mud chutes. This was followed by a 'wet' application of Mig Productions' European Dust pigment; the excess of which was removed using a stiff brush. The chains were then hooked onto the towing eye and hung over the hooks at the rear of the hull using Tamiya's instructions as guidance. The commander's figure was assembled and painted using Tamiya acrylics as instructed although I substituted X-9 (Gloss) Brown with X-22 Clear to mimic the sheen of the tanker's leather jacket. He was then placed inside the turret hatch. Finally, a length of copper wire was cut, painted black and attached to the aerial base, finishing the build. And yes, I notice that the aerial is not straight!

Conclusion

I believe Tamiya's Char B1 bis is among the easiest kit I have ever built. While it was easy to build, the kit did not sacrifice the details (OK, there are some omissions, but those are relatively minor and easily corrected). It already looked good when built OOB and I think all it needs to look great was just the addition of PE track guards, PE (or home-made) exhaust guards and the addition of a bit more rivets, boltheads and weld beads. For those who must have a black crossed tank in their collection, this kit allows easy conversion to PZkPfw B-2 standard, or use Tamiya's follow-on PzKpfw B-2 kit. While it costs a bit more, I think it was quite justified. A must-have kit for anyone who wants to complete his/her collection of World War2 tanks. Now, how about a better-detailed, modern moulding technology Somua S35 tank? 

Poetic Armour

Historical Background

During the Interwar period, the Red Army fielded the large but cumbersome (not to mention mechanically unreliable) T-35 multi-turreted heavy tank. The T-35 conformed to the 'heavy penetration tank' portion of contemporary Red Army doctrine of 'deep battle' where the heavy tank (also known as 'siege tanks') would be used at key tactical positions to draw and concentrate enemy fire or destroy enemy fortifications while supporting the infantry. Therefore the heavy tank emphasized on very heavy armour and firepower at the cost of mobility. Disappointment with the T-35 caused the Red Army to draw up a requirement for a new heavy tank in 1937. The TsKB-2 design bureau led by its chief engineer Zh. Kotin designed the tandem-turreted SMK (Sergey Mironovich Kirov). At the same time, the team also designed the smaller KV (named after Defence Comissar Kliment Voroshilov) tank, essentially a single turret SMK. Although actually not designed for production, the KV was given approval by Stalin.

The SMK and KV, together with the rival T-100 were presented to the General Staff in September 1939. The tanks were tested at the Kubinka Testing Grounds near Moscow and soon the war against Finland allowed the prototypes to be tested under combat conditions. While all three candidates showed their resilience against enemy anti-tank weaponry, the SMK and the T-100 showed very poor mobility and reliability. The SMK was disabled by an anti-tank mine on 19 December 1939 and had to be abandoned until it was recovered in February 1940, The KV however performed well and subsequently  50 pre-production vehicles were ordered. Also, during the Winter War with Finland, the Red Army found it difficult to deal with the Finnish concrete bunkers and ordered a heavy turreted howitzer mounted onto the KV tank chassis. Initially, the 76.2mm armed KV tank was known as the Little Turret and the 152mm howitzer-armed tank was known as Big Turret; they were later redesignated as KV-1 Heavy Tank and KV-2 Heavy Artillery Tank respectively.

The KV-1 weighed 45 tons in its initial 1939 model, with a fairly long hull at 6.75 meters. The suspension is of the torsion bar system with six twin roadwheel bogies. The caterpillar tracks are wide, lowering the pressure footprint and allows better traction in snow and mud. Because of the weight of the tank, the designers had to use a 20-year old Caterpillar transmission which was sturdy but unreliable and the tank need to stop to shift gears (it was also known that a hammer was used to shift the gears), making the KV tricky to handle. The weight also reduces the top speed and limiting its ability to cross bridges. When combat experience resulted in more armour and other improvements without an increase in engine power, the later models have more trouble keeping up with the medium tanks and with difficult terrain. The armour however was unheard at the time, with up to 90mm thick on the glacis and turret face; only the British Matilda II and the French B1 can rival the KV's armour. Subsequent variants received more armour, in the shape of thickened hide or applique armour, but without an increase in engine power, their mobility suffered further. The KV-1 was initially armed with the L-11 76.2mm gun. It was later armed with a F-32 or F-34 gun of the same caliber and finally the Zis-5 anti-tank gun. Three to four 7.62mm DT machine guns round-up the armament.

On 22 June 1941, the Red Army had 508 KVs on strength. They made first contact with the German panzers a day later at Raseiniai when the KVs of the Soviet 2nd Tank Division attacked and overran the German 6th Panzer Division near Skaudville. The 37mm PAK 36 anti-tank guns and the Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) were ineffective against the KVs. Although out of ammunition, the KVs, using their invincibility, literally ran over the anti-tank guns. On the next day, a single KV-2 blocked the Germans' advance, shrugging all attempts to knock it out. On 18 August 1941, the German 8th Panzer Division was approaching the town of Krasnokvardeysk, near Leningrad when it was ambushed by five well-hidden KV-1s led by Lieutenant Zinobiy Kolobanov. His unit destroyed 43 German panzers and AFVs in a single half-hour action. Lt Kolobanov was awarded the Order Of Lenin for his actions. The appearance of the KVs (and T-34s) came as a surprise because of faulty German intelligence. The Germans, shocked by these tanks, studied any captured examples and came up with their response later in the war, in the shape of the Tiger and Panther tanks. Nevertheless many KV-1s were lost, being destroyed by air attacks, 88mm Flak and field artillery and anti-tank infantry squads. Many were also abandoned through lack of fuel, breakdowns and general confusion of war. The KV was used throughout the great battles of 1942 and 1943 although it found itself unable to keep pace with the faster and more maneuverable T-34s. The armour was also becoming obsolete in the face of better German tank and anti-tank guns. By 1944, only the interim KV-85 sub-type were still in service, although a regiment of KV-1s saw action in Manchuria during August 1945. 5,219 KV tanks (all variants, including prototypes) were built. 

The Kit

Trumpeter Kit No. 00358 was that company's fifth KV tank in their catalogue after KV 'Big Turret', KV-2, KV-1 Model 1941/KV 'Small Turret and KV-1's (sic) Ekhranami. The kit depicted a KV-1 Model 1942 with a 'simplified' welded turret and ribbed steel road wheels. The kit contains 237 parts spread among 9 light gray and 1 clear sprue. Two types of track is provided - continuous 'rubber band' style and link-and-length. The latter incorporates the sag for the upper run while the former is flexible enough for a modeler to use his/her favourite technique in order to replicate the sags. The kit can also be built into a KV-8 flamethrower tank as it include parts for the flame and the 45mm guns - although no clear indication is  made of the KV-8 - just an optional step in the instructions. No PE is included, not even for the engine deck grilles. Online reviews of this kit (and every other Trumpeter KVs) speak of great accuracy and I take their word for it. Of course there are some minor glitches, but they can either be safely ignored or require minor corrections. Only one marking option was provided - 'Besposhadniy' of the 6th Guards Tank Brigade.

Construction

The lower hull consists of the usual tub with separate rear plate. The tub is however made up of a basic structure (with no details) and applique plates which need to be glued to the former. Once the basic structure has been completed, the detail parts (axle bump stop, final drive housings and return roller mounts) were added onto it. This was followed by the two- (four if you count the additional armour plate on the glacis and the turret ring armour) piece upper hull. Then the suspension parts (road wheel axles and track tensioning mounts, for the time being) were cemented onto the hull. The axles have hexagonal locating stubs which correspond to the similarly shaped holes in the hull sides which ensure correct positioning. Part A22 of the track tensioning arm were left unglued. At this time I'm not sure whether this would help in the track assembly, but better safe than sorry.

The detail parts for the upper hull then cemented onto their places. This include the solid, but with petite raised details, engine grilles. These unfortunately hides the reasonably detailed engine vanes moulded onto the rear upper hull and are best replaced with aftermarket ones. The V-shaped bullet splash protector was cemented after dry-fitting it to the hull, looking for the best location and I think there are indentations underneath the upper hull but Trumpeter did not indicate those in their instructions. The roadwheels, idlers and sprocket wheels were then assembled. The first mentioned have a poly cap inserted between the halves to ensure snug fit and also allows some movement, easing the painting process. The wheels were left off and I moved on to the turret.

The square welded turret (hence the title 'simplified turret') came in one-piece main shell and the turret bottom (with a separate turret ring attached to the hull). The weld seam on the turret looks well done - showing all the subtlety of Russian wartime craftsmanship. The various fittings were then cemented onto the turret. These include a reasonably detailed turret hatch inner face, which allows it to be posed in the open position. Nevertheless a modeler might want to add a figure inside the hatch or add their own turret interior as it was totally empty inside the turret, not even a rudimentary gun breech. The business end of the turret was made up six parts, including a single-piece plastic barrel. And as mentioned before, alternative parts were included if one wishes to build a KV-8 flame-throwing tank. The machine gun barrel at the back of the turret was however left off to avoid breakages.

Afterwards, I returned to the hull. The wheels were first attached to the hull. The idler and drive sprocket remain free to allow adjustments when fitting the tracks. I however add a small amount of cement on the locator stubs to allow some friction. For the tracks, I decided to use the link-and-length plastic track as it has the sags pre-formed. There are ejector pin marks on them, but they were easily scraped off using hobby knife. When the glue has dried, the tracks were removed, along with the wheels for painting. One last step to do before commencing the painting stage was attaching the track guards/fender. The fender supports are of the solid and hollow types I have to keep an eye on the instructions. There is some gap but the excess cement covered them up. A storage box is fitted on the left-hand fender but there is no mention of drilling holes to accept the locator tabs - I just cut off the tabs and fit the box between two fender supports as indicated.

Painting and Decaling

Trumpeter provides just one marking option for this kit. Like many of my Soviet AFV kits before this, the KV was also painted in my interpretation of the Russian 4BO Green. The tracks were painted metallic grey and once dry, was washed with AK Interactive's Track Wash liquid. A 2B pencil was used to add a metallic sheen to the contact surface of the wheels, simulating wear. The same effect was applied onto the the tracks by dry-brushing Mr Color Silver. The decal sheet provides markings for 'Besposhadniy', a KV-1 Model 1942 presented to the 6th Guards Tank Brigade by seven Stalin Prize art laureates. The sponsors (four artists and three writers) named the tank Besposhadniy (merciless) with a cartoon of a tank blowing Hitler to pieces and a poem, when translated to English:

Through the blazing fire we go
In our heavy tank
On to the rear of the enemy
Where we smash him in the flanks
Your tank's crew is fearless
Our eyes never close
As we carry out
Stalin's combat orders!

Besposhadniy was presented to the brigade during a ceremony held in Moscow on 25 May 1942. The tank was commanded by one Lt Pavel Khoroshilov and cut a swath of destruction between the end of May 1942 and March 1943. After 700 kilometers and destroying 27 tanks, 7 armoured cars, 4 self-propelled guns, 9 mortar emplacements, 10 artillery pieces, 17 machine gun nests, 10 trucks, a staff vehicle, 5 motorcycles and a supply dump, it was knocked out near the village of Ashkovo, killing the commander and wounding the driver. It was however recovered and presumably preserved at the Museum of Armoured Vehicle Technology at Kubinka, outside of Moscow. The decals are reasonably thin and reacted positively against setting solutions. The decal sheet includes Besposhadniy's kill tally in the shape of stars, triangles and circles towards the rear of the turret. The decal sheet however omitted the poem's title on the driver's front plate. I thought of hand-writing it but decided not to as the actual inscription was more of the 'print' type. The model was then subjected to the usual wash process.

Finishing

The track assembly together with all the wheels are now permanently fixed onto the model. There isn't much else cemented onto the model except for two pairs of spare track links on the track guards and a pair of tow cables. Trumpeter supplies a length of braided wire which was cut into the specified length onto which the plastic end shackles were superglued. The cables were painted XF-56 Metallic Grey and washed with AK Interactive Track Wash (the latter can also be used for this purpose). One end of each cable was slipped into the towing eye and the latter was then attached to its position uncemented. The other end was slipped onto the hook on the hull side. The machine gun barrels were then painted and cemented onto their places, finishing the basic build. To weather the vehicle. I started off by applying heavily diluted XF-57 Buff on all the horizontal surface of the model. The same was applied on the vertical surfaces but in vertical streaks, creating the so-called 'rain marks'. The lower hull, wheels and tracks were then liberally dabbed with Mig Productions' African Earth pigment in enamel thinner. Once dry the excess was removed using stiff brush. For crew figure, another one from the excellent MiniArt Soviet Tank Crew At Rest set was used.

Conclusion

Tamiya has a serious contender in kit engineering with the emergence of Trumpeter, well, at least for the KV tanks. The Trumpeter kit is fairly easy to build without sacrificing the details which the old Tamiya kit lacks. Sure, it needs some help with aftermarket goodies to make it even more outstanding. Despite being much newer, the Trumpeter kit is not much more expensive than the Tamiya kit (or everybody else's for that matter).  I however think that better value for money could be had by us modelers if Trumpeter adds just another couple of markings for variety. 

North African Green Tiger

Historical Background

Henschel's Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger I design stretched back to 1937 when the Waffeanamt requested them to develop a Durchbruchwagen (breakthrough vehicle) in the 30 ton range. Before the prototype was completed, a request was issued for a Durchbruchwagen II, weighing 36 tons, with 50mmm frontal armour and mounting a Panzer IV turret armed with a short 75mm gun. Its development was also dropped in favour of the more advanced VK3001(H) medium tank and VK3601(H) heavy tank designs. In 1938, Henschel received permission to develop the two designs, the first German tanks to use the overlapping and interleaved Schachtellaufwerk main road wheels concept, which were already in use with the Wehmacht's half-track vehicles. Weighing 40 tons, it was to be armed with a 7.5cm L/24, or a 7.5cm L/43, or a 7.5cm L/70, or a 12.8cm L/28 gun and protected by 100mm, 80mm and 60mm of armour at the front, turret sides and hull sides respectively. Combat experience against the British Matilda I and II infantry tanks and the French Somua S35 cavalry and Char B1 heavy tanks showed a need for a better armed and armoured tanks.

In May 1941, Porsche and Henschel were asked to submit new designs for a 45-ton tank, to be ready for trials in June 1942. Porsche decided to update its VK3001(P) Leopard prototype while Henschel decided to update the VK3601(H) design as VK4501(H) H1 armed with a 88mm L/56 gun and VK4501(H) H2 armed with a 75mm L/70 gun. About a month later, during Operation Barbarossa, the German Army were shocked to encounter the superior T-34 and KV-1 tanks of the Red Army. An immediate revision of the requirements was made: weight was increased to 45 tons and armament was to be of the 88mm calibre. The design however did not include sloping armour and the deadline was shortened to 20 April 1941, which was Adolf Hitler's birthday. Both companies' designs made use of the same Krupp turret and were presented before Hitler at his HQ in Rastenburg. The Porsche design was rejected as its petrol-electric hybrid power unit was problematic and used too much copper, a strategic war material. The new tank was given the nickname 'Tiger' by Ferdinand Porsche.

The Tiger tank represented a new approach in German tank design by emphasising more on firepower and protection. The armour thickness was 100mm (hull front) and 120mm (turret front), the hull side plates were 60mm thick while rear and side superstructure and the turret rear and sides were 80mm thick. The Sherman tank's 75mm gun could not pierce the frontal armour of the Tiger at any range and need to be suicidally close (around 100 meters) to penetrate the side armour. The US 76mm gun can penetrate the side armour at 500 meters using M62 APCBC round and can penetrate the front armour at the same distance using the HVAP round (which were however always in short supply). Only the M3 90mm gun of the M26 Pershing and M36 Jackson plus the British 17-pounder gun firing APCBC round can pierce the frontal armour at a respectable 1,000 meters. On the Eastern Front, the 76.2mm gun of the T-34/76 and KV-1 have the same performance as the American 75mm gun against the frontal armour but able to penetrate the side armour at 500 meters using APCR rounds. The 85mm gun of the T-34/85 had better performance, able to penetrate the frontal armour at ranges between 200 to 500 meters while the powerful 122mm gun of the IS-2 can penetrate between 500 and 1,500 meters. The Tiger's main armament was the 88mm KwK 36 L/56 gun which was derived from the more famous 88mm Flak 36/37 dual-purpose gun. It has a high muzzle velocity and the projectiles were fired in a very flat trajectory. Aided by excellent targeting optics, it allowed greater first-shot kill probability.

The Tiger was powered by a Maybach HL210 P45 petrol engine developing 650hp at 3,000rpm but from the 251st Tiger, it was replaced by a 700hp Maybach HL230 P45. Even so, the Tiger was redlined at 2,600 rpm due to the inability of the transmission to hold up under the strain of transferring the power to a 56-ton vehicle. An engine governor was later installed, cappping the engine at 2,600 rpm and the maximum speed at 38km/h. The Schachtellaufwerk suspension system allowed a more uniform load distribution on the tracks, however it came at the cost of complexity and increased maintenance. For example, replacing a rubber tyre from an inner wheel require a removal of up to nine outer wheels. During the autumn and winter conditions of the Eastern Front, mud and snow could become packed between the roadwheels, which could then freeze, immobilizing the vehicle. presumably the German designers felt that the improved road performance, retaining mobility while having some wheels shot off and the extra protection was worth the trouble.

The Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf E as it was officially known, were organized into independent heavy tank battalions, of which the Army's Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 and 502 were the first units set up. The Tiger entered operational  service with Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 in August 1942 and joined combat on 16 September 1942 at the Leningrad Front. The 501st was assigned to the North African Theatre, arriving there between November 1942 and January 1943 and first saw action near Terbouba, Tunisia on 1 December 1942. Based on these early engagements, the Tiger acquired a near-mythical reputation among the Allied troops facing them, despite their relatively small numbers. Fourteen Tiger I (the Roman nomenclature was added after the introduction of the King Tiger tank) commanders achieved more than 100 kills and the tank was forever associated with panzer aces SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Michael Wittmann of the schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 101 and Oberleutnant Otto Carius of schwere Heeres Panzer Abteilung 502. The Tigers served until the end of hostilities in May 1945.

1,355 Tigers were built from August 1942 until August 1944. The relatively low production numbers was caused by the complexity of the vehicle and the usage of expensive materials and labour-intensive production methods, and in turn, money. A Tiger tank cost more than twice the cost of a Panzer IV and four times the cost of a Sturmgeschutz III. Also, unlike most other German tanks, there was only one official variant, the Sturmtiger assault gun / self-propelled rocket launcher.

The Kit

Tamiya's 'modern' family of 1/35 Tiger kits began 1989 when they released a late production Tiger. Since then Tamiya has come out with various reboxings of the original kit and then worked backwards in releasing their Tigers. In 1997 they released the kit of an Early Version Tiger and a year later came out with this kit. The parts were moulded in dark yellow and were spread among six sprues, a lower hull, two cementable flexible plastic tracks and a small decal sheet. There are no PE parts included although a set of PE grills were available separately. The parts in this kit are actually the same with those in the Early Production kit but with additional parts to make the initial version supplied to Rommel in North Africa, such as fenders, early version of the Feifel air cleaners, tropical exhaust covers and early mantlet. A commander's figure in a relaxed pose is included. The decal sheet provides markings for four 501st Abteilung vehicles with its distinctive large turret numbers.

Construction

To begin with, the suspension arms were cemented onto the lower hull. Each arm has a smaller location tab so that all of the suspension arms would be of the same angle. The rear plate and the final drive covers were then cemented with no major issues (there is a slight gap at the rear plate but easily filled). Then came the most tedious part of this built - the wheels. Sixteen sets of wheels needed to be assembled and because the Schachtellaufwerk suspension system may cause problems with painting, the wheels were painted first and then set aside. In the meantime, I moved on to the upper hull. The front armor plate and its assocociated parts were assembled and cemented onto the upper hull/hull roof. The  kit did not include PE mesh screen for the engine deck but luckily the local Tamiya stockist at the time (this kit was actually built several years ago, when the Malaysian rights for Tamiya distribution was held by Daisheng) had one which was dutifully grabbed by me.

I did not realise it at the time but I forgot to install Part A22 after supergluing the PE mesh! At least that area would be partially hidden by the tow cables and perhaps I could hide it further with some accessories..... The hull roof was then cemented onto the hull and was followed by the glacis plate. But before attaching the latter, holes were made into it in order to accommodate the shovel. Two further holes are also needed to be drilled (for the headlights) if one is building either marking options A or B. I then returned to the lower hull, first painting it and then cementing the interleaved wheels into place with the exception of the outermost wheels (parts B6).

Moving to the rear of the hull, Step 7 involved fitting the exhausts, towing eyes and the rear fender. The last was left off until the tracks were fitted. Next were the Feifel air pre-cleaners. The main part of the system was made from two halves, resulting in a seam that was difficult to remove. The tubes leading in and out of the canisters were cemented on the canisters. The latter were then dry-fitted onto the model to check the position of the tubes (the tubes have keyed tabs, but I did it just in case). Step 9 was skipped partially as the jack and the spare tracks would be added after painting. Returning to the Feifel system, I cut the provided vinyl hoses using the templates in the instruction sheet. The hoses have details that replicate the original items nicely and have good fit - I did not superglue them as instructed. The completed assembly was then cemented onto their places. This was followed by attaching the exhaust shields and hose guards. Finally the hatches, headlights and the front towing eyes were cemented before I moved on to the turret.

The mantlet was assembled first and Tamiya includes a rudimentary breech for the main gun. The turret halves were then mated together, along with the mantlet. There were seam lines at the front and the back, but were no big deal. The turret roof was the cemented, also with no fuss. Purists however might want to add welding beads along the edge of the roof. The two-piece gun barrel was cemented and, with care, no seam would be visible. Mine did but I add Tamiya Extra Thin Cement, and press the halves tighter. The resulting ooze, once dry, was trimmed away with a sharp hobby knife. The commander's cupola was assembled, also with seams at its bottom. To finish the basic build, the loader's hatch was also cemented in the closed position.

Painting and Decaling

The model was then painted Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow with some XF-64 Red Brown added to simulate, more or less, the brownish yellow colour which the Tigers of the 501st were painted in. I then chose the markings for tank 731 / 'Norbert'. The decals have good colour registration, yet they were thick - thick enough that the edges of the carrier film was quite visible. The model then was then completed in the usual manner. Anyway, after a number of years, I was intrigued by online discussions of the Tiger I in North Africa, specifically its colours. While many are of the opinion that the Tigers were painted the normal Afrika Korps colours, others argued that it was painted brown, and most intriguingly, green (at least on some of the Tigers). Well, not dark green but pea green or even captured olive drab. Interested by this line of argument, I decided to repaint my Tiger. After stripping the decals and removing the pioneer tools, I used Tamiya's instruction in their 1/48 Tiger kit as a guide, by mixing equal parts of Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow and XF-58 Olive Green (although I think there is slightly more XF-58 in the mix). I have to admit that it looks weird for a Tiger to look greenish instead of panzer grey and/or the predominantly dark yellow camo scheme. For the new markings, I chose '813', however, I have lost the stalking tiger insignia of the 501st, making the markings for '813' less than complete. The large decals were then subjected to a virtual bath of Mr Mark Softer in an attempt to draw them down to the model's surface. The model was then subjected to the usual wash process.

Finishing

To begin with, the one-piece tracks were painted XF-64 Red Brown and set aside to dry. In the meantime, pioneer tools were painted XF-59 Desert Yellow and Gunze 28 Steel. The towing and track repair cables were painted XF-56 Metallic Grey. The tracks were then looped and glued using superglue. To place the tracks, I first looped them over the already-assembled suspension units, then the still loose sprocket wheel was placed in the loop and the tracks were stretched until the sprockets engage the holes in the final drive housings. The outermost wheels were then cemented and the upper run of the tracks superglued to the wheels. While they look OK, the drape of the tracks can't beat workable aftermarket tracks such as from Friulmodellismo or Modelkasten. The pioneer tools were then cemented on their places. On the rear plate, the jack was placed onto into its place, I however decided not to add the spare track links. The holes were sealed and the paint re-applied.

Afterwards it was time for weathering. The tracks were first subjected to AK Interactive's Track Wash solution. I found that it worked all right although I later found out that it works best if the track was base painted in light colour, such as Tamiya XF-57 Buff. The tracks were then drybrushed silver at the raised areas. Finally, Mig Productions Gulf War Sand mixed with enamel thinner was liberally applied to the lower hull and tracks and once dry, the excess was removed using old, stiff brush. A length of brass wire was cut and glued to the aerial base. Finally, to finish the build and to hide my omissions, an 88mm ammo crate from Academy and two jerrycans from AFV Club (the latter were among the best I have ever seen, IMHO) were placed onto the rear deck.

Conclusion

In short, another great kit from Tamiya. Virtually all the parts fit perfectly and amount of detail included is adequate for an out-of-box build. My gripe with this kit was the thickness of the decals and the separately available engine deck grilles, especially the latter. Later, I found that Terry Ashley of the Perth Military Modeling Site in his review of this kit's 1/48 brother pointed out that all of 501st Tigers have their headlights located on the glacis plate. So, retrospectively, Tamiya got their instructions wrong for '731' and '813', but I think I can live with that. I highly recommend this kit, especially to those who got intimidated by the more complex kits offered by Tamiya's competitors.