Mr. Churchill's Tank

Historical Background

The Churchill tank has its origins in General Staff specification A20, which was intended as a replacement for the Matilda and Valentine tanks. In accordance with the British infantry tank doctrine, and the experience of trench warfare during World War I, the A20 was required to be able to traverse shell-cratered grounds and demolishing infantry obstacles and fixed enemy defences. For these purposes, high speed and heavy armament were not needed. The vehicle was initially specified with two Ordnance QF 2-pounder guns, each in a side sponson, together with a co-axial 7.92mm BESA machinegun. A third BESA and a smoke projector would located at the front of the hull. The specification was later revised to include a turret and drawings were made using the Matilda turret. 

The task to build the prototypes was given to Harland & Wolff, who completed four of them in June 1940. During that time, consideration was given whether to fit a heavier gun at the front of the hull namely a 6-pounder or the French 75mm gun. In the end, a 3-inch howitzer was chosen. The powerplant was the same as with the Covenantor tank: a 300 hp flat-12 Meadows engine, causing the 43-ton A20 to be underpowered. Vauxhall was approached to provide an alternative engine which they did, using a Bedford six-cylinder lorry engine, giving 350hp. With the fall of France and all that the German Blitzkrieg entailed, the trench warfare scenario was no longer applicable, causing the A20 design to be revised. Done by Henry Merritt, the Director of Tank Design at Woolwich Arsenal, it was based on combat experience in Poland and France. The new design specification, called A22 or Infantry Tank Mark IV was given to Vauxhall in June 1940. The A22 was given the name 'Churchill', which according to Winston Churchill, was not named after him, but his ancestor, Sir John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough.

The hull of the Churchill was made up of flat plates, which were bolted in early versions and welded for later marks. The hull was split into four compartments: driving, fighting, engine and transmission. The suspension has that Great War feeling (as with the French B1), being fitted under two large panniers on each side of the hull, with the track running over the top. There were 11 bogies for each side, each carrying two 10-inch wheels. The turret is originally of cast construction and rounded in shape, armed with a Ordnance QF 2-pounder gun. The Mark I carried a 3-inch howitzer in the hull, allowing it to fulfil its infantry tank function (the 2-pounder was not provided with HE shells, being mainly intended for anti-tank work). However as with the B1, the hull gun has poor field of fire and the entire tank has to be moved to aim the gun.The Mark II dispenses with the hull howitzer and replaced it with a BESA 7.92mm machinegun. 

The Mark III introduced the Ordnance QF 6-pounder gun, improving its anti-tank capability. The turret was also enlarged with a hexagonal shape and flat sides. This gave the Churchill a better anti-tank capability against Panzer III and IV it met in North Africa. Also at that theatre, a resourceful officer named Percy Lowell managed to fit American 75mm gun, from numerous knocked-out Shermans into a Mark IV turret, creating the NA75 variant. The gun has worse anti-tank capability than the 6-pounder but with greater versatility by being able to fire HE rounds. The US 75mm is however still weak against the improved Panzer IVs and a new 75mm gun was introduced on Mark VII, which also featured another new turret. The original armour of the Churchill was originally specified to be between 16-102mm (in fact, in 1941, it was the thickest, better than the Matilda II and the KV series). By the time the Mark VII entered service, the frontal armour has increased to 152mm, with only the armour of the King Tiger and the Jagdtiger surpassing it. The only downside was that the armour plate was flat, reducing its effectiveness as compared to sloped armour plate.

With the loss of so much heavy equipment and vehicles in France and with the threat of an imminent invasion, the War Office instructed that the Churchill had to enter production in one year's time. The design was frozen in July 1940, with prototypes completed in December and in June 1940, the first production Churchills rolled off the production line. However, because of its hasty development, the tank was plagued with problems with the engine being the most apparent being unreliable, underpowered and difficult to access for maintenance. The Churchill was first used during Operation Jubilee (the Dieppe Raid) on 19 August 1942. The Canadian 14th Army Tank Battalion (Calgary Regiment) took 60 Churchills for the raid. In the event, all were lost, either being destroyed or abandoned. In North Africa, six Churchill Mark IIIs (dubbed the Kingforce detachment) saw action during the Second Battle of El Alamein, where they proved the near-invincibility of their armour. Following the successful trial, the 25th Army Tank Brigade was sent to the theatre, taking part in the Tunisian campaign. In mainland Europe, the Churchills were the mainstays of British tank brigades, operating in support of the infantry.

The Churchill also provided the basis for a number of the specialised vehicles used for Operation Overlord, colloquially known as 'Hobart's Funnies' (after the 79th Armoured Division's commander, Major General Percy Hobart), namely the AVRE (Armoured Vehicle, Royal Engineers), Crocodile flamethrower tank and the ARK (Armoured Ramp Carrier). The Churchill even saw service during the Korean War, equipping C Squadron of the 7th Royal Tank Regiment. Apart from the UK, Canada and Poland, the Churchills were also operated by the Red Army during World War 2, receiving 258 Marks III and IV (another 43 was lost when U-Boats sank their transports). Post-war, the Churchill was also used by Ireland, Australia and Iraq. In 1943, an attempt was made to produce a 17-pounder armed variant. The larger gun required an enlargement of the hull, resulting in the Infantry Tank A43 Black Prince. Six prototypes were completed when World War 2 ended but the Black Prince project was abandoned when the A41 Centurion proved to be a more simple vehicle.

The Kit

Tamiya Military Miniatures Kit 35210 is actually a re-box of kit 35100 Churchill Crocodile flame tank originally released in 1977. The Churchill Mk. VII, released in 1996 is virtually the same kit as the 1977 release (the gun Churchill can also be made OOB using the Crocodile kit). Tamiya cleaned up the moulds, remove all the Crocodile-related parts and added a new sprue with four new figures (the original figures are still there though).  The parts are spread among five sprues, an upper and lower hull and two one-piece tracks. The plastic were moulded in dark green except the new figures sprue which was moulded in light gray. On first looks however the kit exhibited all the hallmarks of an earlier-era Tamiya kit, chiefly a rather light detailing, which compares poorly with AFV Club Churchills. However, at the time of writing, the Tamiya kit is the only late-mark Churchill in the market and unless AFV Club (or anybody else) announced a new Mark VII Churchill, this kit is the only one available. There are figures galore in this kit: three crew members and a farmer figure plus the original two figures (one crew and one infantryman). Also included is a farm cart and a small clear-moulded sprue for bottles. The kit provide markings for three tanks:

1. 'Ben Nevis', 6th Guards Tank Brigade, 3rd Tank Battalion Scots Guards

2. 'Briton', 34th Tank Brigade, 107th Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps

3. 'Iceni', 3st Tank Brigade, 9th Royal Tank Regiment

Construction

While normally construction starts with the suspension, the Churchill kit started with the front armor panel. Me being a traditionalist (sort of) jumped to Step 4, that is the suspension. Tamiya moulded all the wheels and springs together with the side sponsons. While this simplify the build, it sacrificed some details on this area. Yet, it was welcomed by me as the wheels alone were in the tens! And due to its design, the idler wheel would also have to be fitted at this stage. Only after then I moved back to the front armor panel. The hull machinegun was slotted into place and the stopper was glued behind it. This allows the machine gun to swivel freely and hopefully reducing the chance of it being broken during the build. Afterwards the glacis plate and the rear panel was put into place; the headlights were however left of at this time.

I then moved on to the upper hull. The upper hull is mainly a one-piece affair but with separate front fenders. The hatches for the driver/co-driver and the side hatches were first cemented to the hull. The engine air intake were assembled but only later I realised that the armoured plates on the intakes are post-war additions. The intake grilles were solid but since I add part B14, they were mostly hidden.  The exhaust are left off as it will be painted differently from the rest of the kit, and that also means that the exhaust fairing/cover will be placed later. The tow cable, spare track links, pioneer tools and cans were also left off. The upper hull was not glued at this time. I test-fit it on the lower hull, found the fit satisfactory i.e needing no filler and left it separate to ease painting and fitting of the tracks.

The turret, as usual was the last assembled before painting. The Mark VII's turret is a composite cast / welded construction (cast sides and welded roof) and I should have enhanced the cast texture (there is basically none actually OOB) before painting, and also replace the moulded tie-downs with wire. However, I have to mention here that the Churchill was started by me years ago, got sidetracked and was only restarted several weeks before. So in my 'excitement', I forgot to redo the cast texture. Also, I am not sure whether the roof of the turret is supposed to look as it was, or needing extra weld beads or whether the fit is real bad. I cemented the roof to the turret shell as it was. Also, when I originally build this kit, I did not intend to use any of the figures, so the hatches were glued shut. The stowage box at the rear of the turret was fixed last.

Painting and Decalling

I painted the model using Mike Starmer's mix of SCC15 Olive Drab of XF-61 Dark Green, XF-62 Olive Drab (I substituted it with Gunze OD) and XF-3 Flat Yellow. For markings I chose 'Briton' as it was the most vibrant of the three available. However the decals have been left outside the protective plastic for too long and they partly disintegrated when handled. This is especially with the tank registration numbers and the tank's nickname. Also, the latter should be placed on the upper half of the engine air intake; however because of the condition of the decals and that I misplaced the first decal for the name, it was placed on the lower half of the intake. The track was painted Flat black and then washed with AK Interactive's Track Wash. They were superglued and looped around the running gear. The upper hull was then mated to the lower half. A wash using black-brown mixture was then added.

Finishing

Although the kit figures were not used (and discarded), I end up adding a figure from Miniart's British Tank Crew Set. I was thinking of adding spare track links, leftovers from the Dragon Sherman Firefly, but there were just a few left that I feel that it wasn't worth it. The rolled tent/bedroll included in the kit were painted XF-57 Buff and then stuck to the turret sides. The tow cables and the kit's spare track links were mounted on their places on the sides of the hull. The jerrican and flimsies on the rear bumper was replaced with their counterparts from Bronco's British Field Accessories Set (the kit jerrican is of American pattern, plus like the jerricans of the Tamiya M16 featured previously, lacked some details; the flimsies were aneroxic and also lack details). Since the Bronco flimsies are larger, a little surgery was done to the mount. I also added a 25-pounder ammo box and a pair of 6-pounder ammo boxes, also from Bronco. I was thinking of adding camo nets but decided not to as the build has already taken too long a time. Further weathering was restricted to an application of Mig Productions European Dust pigment.

Conclusion

Tamiya's Churchill is an old kit and really has been surpassed by the more modern AFV Club kits. However, at the time of writing, it remains the only Mark VII available in the market. However, it is still good built out of the box and with extra effort, can be on par with the newer AFV Club Churchills.

  

The Meatchopper

Historical Background

Before World War 2, the US Army sought to improve the mobility of its forces. The Ordnance Department evaluated the half-track design by buying and testing the French Citroen-Kegresse P17. In 1931, the P17 concept was used in the T14 half-track which emerged as the M2 Half-Track. At the same time, the White Motor Company produced a prototype half-track using their own chassis and the body of the M3 Scout Car. It was longer than the M2 and was standardised in 1941 as the M3 Half-Track. The M3 was generally used as personnel carrier, shuttling infantry back and forth. It was however easily adaptable for other roles, from ambulance to self-propelled gun.

When the Army needed mobile anti-aircraft battery, the M3 was chosen as a basis. The first of a number of AA vehicles was the T1E4, standardised as the M13 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage on 27 July 1942. The M13 was armed with a pair of M2 12.7mm heavy machineguns, mounted on a M33 Maxson mount.  The turret itself was mounted on a powered turntable. The guns were fired electrically and were aimed with a Mark 9 reflector sight. A total of 1,103 M13s were built and they first saw action in Italy. However it was noted that the twin' Ma Deuces' lacked firepower and work began on a four-gun mount, designated T61. It was accepted into service as the M45 mount. The lower pair of guns was mounted slightly behind the upper pair in order to make space for the lower pair's ammo boxes. The new mount was tested on the M3 half-track designated T58 and was redesignated M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage after it was accepted into service. Production began in May 1943, replacing the M13 on the lines. The M16 was followed by the M17, which was based on the M5 Half-Track (the M17 replaced the M14, which was M5-based version of the M13)

The M16 was usually deployed alongside the M15 Combination Gun Motor Carriage (1x37mm, 2x12.7mm MG). They were grouped into Anti-Aircraft Artillery companies of US Armoured Divisions; 8 of each type per company. They were also used in AA battalions and Corps and Army Level, defending high-value locations such as Headquarters, bridges and railway junctions. The M16 first saw service also in Italy in early 1944 and defended the Anzio beach-head from Luftwaffe attacks. However, for the rest of the war, the Luftwaffe was no longer a force to be reckoned with and the M16 was mainly used in the infantry support role, earning it the gruesome nickname of 'The Meatchopper'. The M16 returned to its primary job during Operation Bodenplatte and also defending the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen, following its capture by US troops in March 1945. The M16 saw limited use in the Pacific mainly on the Philippine island of Luzon. The M16 was one of the few WW2 half-tracks to see service post-1945. It was used during the Korean War, again as infantry support weapon. Following the end of that war, it was replaced by the M41-based M42 Duster.

The Kit

Tamiya's M16 MGMC is another of their ancient kit, being released in 1976. While not as crisply molded as current kits, the Tamiya M16 can still hold its own. The kit shares the same basic part as the M3A2 APC and M21 mortar carrier kits and like the rest of the Tamiya US M3 family, suffered from a less-detailed and too-loose one-piece track link. Test fitting showed that the kit has very good fit, a hallmark of the Tamiya brand. In general the base 'canvas' is there, you just need that extra bit of effort to make it look like some gorgeous, 21st century model kit. The decal sheet contains a number of the Allied star plus vehicle registration and unit identifier markings. The decal placement guide is sort of a no-frills affair with a four-view drawing and the appropriate marking combo list. Three are from World War 2-era and one from the Korean War.

Construction

While most vehicle kit started at the chassis, the M16 kit started with the Maxson mount. The mount, like the rest of the kit, has sufficient, but inadequate amount of detailing, especially on the four M2s. The mount however is nicely engineered and went together easily. However, as some parts would be quite unreacheable when assembled, they were painted first and touching ups to be done later. The ammo cans were split down the middle and the seams were quite hard to remove in places. A vinyl tubing was run either side of the gun mount and two copper wires placed inside each of them to act as firing cables for the guns. Once completed, the mount was set aside. Turning to the chassis, Tamiya provided the same chassis as the one in their M3A2 kit. before starting, leftover plastic (or more probably not-needed moulding) was removed. The chassis include the bottom half of the engine, which was painted flat black and afterwards, the exhaust, and suspension springs were put in place. Also cemented was a long rod ( I think is the shaft for the cable reel). The axles and the suspension for the tracks was then assembled. While the axles are OK, the track suspension was thicker (in scale) than the real items.

Next, the assembly of the cab. The fit is good although, again, the detail is light especially the dashboard - the instrument bezels have rather faint raised lines and pretty hard to paint; decals are best used here but I don't have any. The engine grille have armoured louvres and can be posed in the opened position. While the lights assembly was done, the louvres were left off at this time, to ease paiting and application of decal. The cab doors are moulded as one piece but it can be cut and the upper half can be posed in the lowered position, which I did. The pioneer tools and the jerricans on the outside were also left off at this time. After the cab has been assembled, I painted the interior area first. The driver's and co-driver's seat was assembled and painted separately and were then cemented to the floor of the cab. The 'glass' for the windscreen was made from a piece of acetate and thankfully, the shape has already been cut in place. The armoured cover for the windscreen can also be posed in the deployed or open positions.

For the fighting compartment, I only glued the base for the Maxson mount; the ammo bins, spare headlights, seat cushions and the hinged panels are all left off. Speaking of the panels, each of them have a couple of ejector pin marks which need to be filled and sanded. The front bumper was also assembled but set aside at this time. At this time, I took note of the tyres, which have flash in the middle, which was cut away and the stubs sanded (apparently not enough, as the excess are still visible, especially when the wheels were weathered). The tracks are one-piece affair and typical of the Tamiya kits of the same vintage, there is no feature whatsoever for the inside face. Before painting, I decided to add a bracket for stuff on the front bumper, using styrene strips. I only build one on the left-hand side. The jerrican/bracket combo on the sides of the cab were discarded as they do not have the cover and that the cans have only two carrying handles. They were replaced with similar items from the Academy Tank Supplies Set.

Painting dan Decaling

As usual with American World War 2-era vehicles, the M16 was painted olive drab, this time using Gunze H52. As usual some flat white were added for scale effect. However I think I overdid it, making the paint too light. maybe I should strip the paint and do it again but since I have nearly run out of OD, I decided not to and hoping that subsequent weathering actions would help. I then added a filter using brown. And, at least to my eyes, the 'original' colour was restored. The decals were then applied the usual way. The decal for the stencilling 'Left Hand Drive  Max. Speed 20 MPH' at the back of the fighting compartment was left off as it was only applied during the Americans' stay in the UK prior to Operation Overlord (in order to remind the British public of the American vehicles' left-hand driving position). The unit identifier decal for the rear however folded upon itself and I was unable to restore it.

Finishing

I started with the gun mount. I originally wanted to have ammo belts from the ammo boxes to the guns, but the Academy ones from its US Machine Gun Set was not up to the standard of the guns in the set, so the guns went ammo-less. The copper wires (which were painted black beforehand) were linked to the guns and the mount can be inserted into place. The bags were then glued to the outer sides of the wall, at about the hinges for the upper part of the walls. The upper walls were then glued in the opened position. A few of the packs in the kit was replaced with ones from the Tamiya Allied Vehicle Accessory Set. The tracks were painted flat black and then washed with the AK Interactive track wash. A pair of jerricans were placed in the makeshift bracket. They are marked 'USMC' but were hidden by their placement and also a box set next to them.  M2 barrels from the Academy US MG set was placed in the fighting compartment to act as spare barrels and a pair of M1 carbines from the kit was set in the driving compartment.

A light was black-brown was was then done on the model. For dust effects, I used Tamiya Weathering Master Set Sand, applying it underneath the model and on the tracks and tyres. 

Conclusion

The Tamiya kit of the M16 is old and the mould is not up to the standards of the 21st century. Nevertheless it is still an accurate enough kit for the average modeller and the ease of build compensates its shortcomings. Still it is best if the guns be replaced with better replacements (such as M2s from the Academy MG kit; I have that set but there were only two complete M2s remaining) and the jerricans and the tracks definitely have to be replaced. 

Uncle Joe's Victory Tank

Historical Background

The KV series of heavy tanks, while having excellent protection, was criticised by its crews for its lack of mobility and having an armament similar to the medium-sized T-34. Even the 'fast' KV-1S version was on par in capabilities with the T-34 despite being more expensive. High Command almost cancelled the development and building of heavy tanks but when a Tiger I was captured in January 1943, a decision was made to build a new heavy tank designated Obyekt 237. As a result of the Battle of Kursk, an order was made to re-arm tanks with more powerful armament. As Obyekt 237 was still under development, a stop-gap vehicle, the KV-85 was created, armed with a D-5T 85-mm gun. At the same time, SKB-2 design bureau introduced the KV-13 tank which was rejected on grounds of reliability, protection and the inefficient two-man turret. The KV-13 design however formed the basis for the IS-85 ('IS'= Iosef Stalin, as Kliment Voroshilov has fallen from political favour). The IS-85 was later redesignated IS-1.

The IS-85/IS-1 entered service in October 1943 but the issue with the KV-1/T-34 appeared again, this time concerning the 85-mm gun used by the IS-1 and the T-34/85 (and the attendant issues of having poorer mobility while having only slightly better protection). However, as the IS-1 has a larger turret than the KV series, larger guns can be mounted on the IS. Starting in November 1943, tests were conducted using 100mm BS-3 gun (as the IS-100) and the A-19 122mm gun (as the IS-122). The BS-3 has better armour penetration (185mm compared to 160mm for the A-19) but less useful HE rounds. Furthermore it was a relatively new weapon with uncertain supply at the time. After testing both guns, the 122mm-armed IS-122 was selected, primarily because of the availability of the A-19 gun and its better performance against fortifications although it has a lower muzzle velocity (hence lower armour penetration). The IS-122 was later redesignated IS-2 as a security measure. The A-19 was modified with a double-baffle muzzle brake after a gun exploded during trials, nearly killing Marshal Kliment Voroshilov who was attending the trials. The redesigned gun was designated D-25T. Apart from lower muzzle velocity, the ammunition was of separate loading type, allowing a rate of fire of 1-2 rounds per minute. When the manual screw breech was replaced with a semi-automatic dropped breech, the rate of fire increased, to a paltry 2-3 rounds per minute. The A-19 can penetrate a Panther's turret front at 1500 meters while the D-25T can penetrate the more heavily armoured King Tiger's turret front from the same range.  

The IS-2's glacis plate, while still of  the 'stepped' design (in its early version) was sloped and thickly armoured (120mm@30° and 60mm@72°) offering greater protection while saving weight. The glacis plate can resist 88mm AP shell at 1,000 meters. The tank was powered by a V2 12-cylinder diesel engine producing 600 hp. This allowed the 46-tonne tank to move at 23 mph with a range of 150 miles. The main gun featured a thick mantlet and was provided with 28 rounds (due to their size and having separate charges). Two 7.62mm DT machine guns formed the secondary armament - one mounted co-axially with the main gun with another at the rear face of the turret. Later models were equipped with a DShK 12.7mm machine gun on the commander's cupola for anti-aircraft defence. The crew consists of four individuals: driver, commander, gunner and loader. The IS-2 entered production in November 1943 at Chelyabinsk Tankoviy Zavod (ChTZ) with a number of them being IS-1s being brought to IS-2 standard. Starting from January 1944, an improved version was introduced. Simply known as IS-2 Model 1944, the version featured a uniformly-sloped glacis plate, D-25T gun and the DShK AA MG. In order to keep up with demand, a second production was established at the Ural's'kiy Zavod Tyazhelogo Mashinostroyeniya (UZTM). UZTM-built IS-2s can be differentiated by having two-piece welded front while the ChKZ version has a one-piece cast nose. 

IS-2s were deployed with separate heavy tank regiments, usually equipped with 21 tanks each. They were used to reinforce the most important attack sectors in major offensives and were tactically used as a breakthrough tank. They are used to support infantry, using their massive gun to destroys bunkers, strongpoints, crew-served weapons and other sot targets. The Stalins first saw action in February 1944 at Korsun Chevchenkovsky (Cherkassy Pocket), where the 72nd Regiment claimed the destruction of 41 Tigers and Ferdinands (the latter were probably mostly Marders and Sturmgeschutzes) for the loss of eight of their number. In the North, the IS-2 was used during Operation Bagration where on 13 August 1944 where 11 IS-2 of the 71st Independent Heavy Tank brigade stopped an attack by 14 King Tigers of the schwere Heeres-Panzer Abteilung 501. The battle took place at less than 650 yards where the Germans cannot exploit the long range of their 88s while the IS-2s were well-protected at the same distance. The IS-2s continued to be used until the final battle in Berlin where the Soviets were spearheaded by IS-2s of the 7th and 11th Independent Guards Heavy Tank Brigades, 351st, 394th and 396th Regiments, 362nd and 399th regiments of the 1st Guards Tank Army, 347th Regiment of the 2nd Guards Tank Army (part of the 1st Belorussian Front under Marshal Georgi K. Zhukov) and the 383rd and the 384th Regiments of the 3rd Guards Tank Army (part of the 1st Ukrainian front under Marshal Ivan S. Koniev).  

Post-war, the IS-2 was used by Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. The first two countries used IS-2s as early as 1945, taking part in the drive towards Germany while Hungary used theirs when supressing the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Cuba, China and North Korea also received the tank although it was unclear whether the IS-2s were used during the Korean War. And despite the introduction of more modern tanks such as the IS-3, T-10, T-54/55 and T-62, the IS-2 remained in Red Army service (albeit as reserve), taking part in maneuvers as late as 1982. They were officially retired in 1995.

The Kit

Tamiya came out with their version of the IS-2 (as JS-2) in 2007, depicting the 'straight-nose', ChKZ-built variant. The parts are spread among four dark green and two brown sprues, a lower tub, a small stainless steel PE fret, two lengths of vinyl tracks, the ubiquitous poly caps, a length of string and the usual decal sheet. The two brown sprues hold the separate link tracks and a single-piece bottom run; also included are jigs to form the saggy upper run of the tracks. Made of plastic, the jigs require modellers choosing the link-and-length option to exercise care when cementing the track runs together. The parts are well-moulded with no flash and minimal ejector pin marks in obvious places. Cast steel texture is there although some modellers may want to enhance it further. Two figures are included but no DShK machinegun is included as an option to mount on the commander's cupola. Decals provide markings for four tanks:

- 432, 7th Independent Guards Heavy Tank Brigade, Berlin, April 1945
- 13, 88th Independent Guards Heavy Tank Brigade, Berlin, April 1945
- 113, Czechoslovak 1st Tank Brigade, Prague 1945
- 424, Polish 4th Heavy Tank Regiment, April 1945, Germany

The air ID white bands for tanks 432 and 13 need to be painted by the modeller and Tamiya indicate the width and placement for them in the instructions.

Construction

While instructions have you start by assembling the wheels and adding spare track links on the front and rear hull panels, I started by assembling the lower hull first. The suspension arms have mould lines along the part which easily scraped off with a sharp hobby knife. Other parts were glued on to the hull before tackling the suspension. Although they are positively located, Tamiya still provided a jig to align the suspension. The hull was then painted, together with the still-on the-sprue wheels. The latter were then cut off the sprue and assembled, followed by a touching-up of all the sprue scars. Graphite from a 2B pencil was then applied on the contact surface of the wheels to create a metallic sheen. As mentioned before, Tamiya provided two types of tracks - single-piece glueable vinyl or separate-link. I chose the latter as it allows track sags found on many Stalin tanks. The tracks were then assembled with the upper run being made using the supplied jig. I used Tamiya Extra Thin Cement for this job and since the jig is made of plastic, I followed Tamiya's advice and applied masking tape on the jig. Attention also need to be given to the direction of the tracks. One note though, the instructions are one track link short; a toothless link (Part D3) should be inserted between a toothed link (Part D1) and the four-piece link (Part D4) for the lower rear run of the tracks. After the cement has dried, the tracks were removed for painting

Once complete, attention was given to the upper hull. First holes were drilled into the upper hull. For the headlight, a different position was noted, should one wants to build the Polish JS-2. And unlike their older Sherman kits, Tamiya provided the sponsons, so no see-through effect here! The front fenders have ejector pin marks and these should be filled as they are quite visible. The provided radiator intake grilles were made of stainless steel so it was a bit harder (but not that much) to remove from the fret than brass PE. The main engin grille is plastic can consists of two parts - one already moulded with the rear hull panel. The separate was fitted to the hull with no problem but a bit of alignment need to be done to ensure proper fit. The frontal area of the hull was moulded with cast metal texture which I enhanced by stippling liquid cement all over it. While all the smaller parts and sub-assemblies were cemented at this stage, I left the headlight, the rear tow clasps and the two-man saw off, to avoid breakage and to ease painting.

Moving on to the turret, the upper and lower halves were cemented together. I started by enhancing the turret surface texture in the same way as was done with the hull. I however left the mantlet cover as it is. I also enhance the torch-cut effect by scoring the relevant surfaces with a hobby knife. The halves were joined at along the weld lines as in the real tank. However I weren't quite satisfied with the moulded weld beads. I took lengths of plastic rod and cemented them on the join lines and afterwards drenched them with Tamiya Extra Thin Cement. Once they have become soft, I pressed a small screwdriver to create weld beads. In the end however they look overscale - I should have used strectched sprue! The gun barrel was assembled, again care has to be taken to avoid gaps. The rear machinegun and the tankovy desant handrails were left off as I fear I might break them during painting. The loader's hatch was cemented in the closed position as I only intend to use the commander's figure. 

Painting and Markings

The model was painted in Tamiya's version of 4BO Green - equal parts of XF-58 Olive Green and XF-4 Yellow Green. Before applying the decals, the model was given a green filter. I then applied the markings as per the instructions. For this build I choose markings from the 7th Independent Guards Tank Brigade, Berlin 1945. Mr Mark Softer is a must here as the surface has become more uneven. I then place Tamiya tapes around the turret to mask the demarcation line of the ID stripes. After making markings using a pencil, the tape was removed. The ID stripes (to avoid friendly fire from Western Allied aircraft) was then painted freehand. I also include some 'dripping' effect.The tank number decals however look a bit artificial next to the ID stripes, so I applied some Flat White over them. The model is then given a wash using the usual wash mixture.

Finishing

Finally, as usual the more vulnerable parts can now be permanently fixed to the model. I started at the hull by affixing the headlight (too bad the glass part was not made from clear plastic), the saw and the spade and the tow cables. The latter was painted silver and washed with AK Interactive Track Wash. The spare tracks were then mounted and given the same treatment as the main tracks. Moving to the turret, the rear-mounted machinegun was first assembled and then glued to the turret. I originally intended to have the MG to be moveable but some stray extra thin cement managed to find their way into the 'ball' mounting, jamming it. The handrails were then cemented to the turret. However, in my eagerness to enhance the cast texture, the faint placement markings were obliterated and I have to use the decal placement diagram to fix the handrails in place! Also during the handling of the turret, the commander's seat was knocked off and was eagerly gobbled by the lurking carpet monster. I have to cut a piece of stock plastic to compensate (it was inside the turret and can be further hidden by the figure, so no need to fabricate the seat shape).

Now it is time for some weathering. I mixed Tamiya X-19 Smoke and X-27 Red Clear and apllied them over the external fuel tanks. At first glance, it looked quite gruesome, as if blood has been spilled!  Tamiya Weathering Master Rust and Soot was then applied at the exhausts. Afterwards I applied an overall dust layer using heavily thinned Tamiya XF-57. A slightly thicker mixture was then selectively applied. The 'spilled fuel' mix was then reapplied, to simulate newer spills. Afterwards the lower hull and tracks were liberally covered with Mig Productions Rubble Dust pigment. After it has dried, the excess was removed using a stiff brush and selective removal (mainly on the tracks towards the front of the tank) using enamel thinner.  The commander's figure was painted the usual way and placed inside 'his' hatch. And, while rummaging through my spares box, I found a PPSh-41 sub-machinegun (probably from an old Zvezda/Italeri ZiS-3 kit. The PPSh was without either the drum or box magazine, so I cut off the magazine from and old Tamiya M2 carbine and stuck it inside the magazine recess. Gaps were covered using superglue. And that concludes this build!

Conclusion

The Tamiya kit of the JS-2 was produced with the same attention to ease of build as with its Military Miniatures stablemates. Detail-wise it is still adequate to satisfy most modelers. The cast texture that came with the kit also adequate although I think that the weld beads round the circumference of the turret should be more more beefed up. But the best thing about this kit is the inclusion of the track-forming jig - it certainly helped as forming the track sag by myself produces rather unconvincing results sometimes. 

Topless Greyhound

Historical Background

The M8 light armoured car, from which the M20 was derived, began life as Ford Motor Company's entry, designated T22, for the Ordnance Department's initiative in July 1941 to develop a fast tank destroyer to replace the M6 Gun Motor Carriage. The requirement called for a six-wheeled vehicle armed with a turret-mounted 37mm gun, a better anti-personnel armament of a .50-cal and .30-cal machineguns, better off-road capabilities and glacis armour able to withstand hits from .50-cal rounds. Other prototypes were submitted by Studebaker (T21) and Chrysler (T23). Despite its deficiencies, Ford's T22 design was selected in April 1942. The Army however requested changes to the design. These include revision of the front hull hatches, addition of wheel covers and removal of the hull-mounted .30-cal machinegun. The revised vehicle was redesignated T22E2. By this time however, the Army recognised the deficiency of the 37mm gun against the latest German panzers. In order not to disrupt production, the vehicle was repurposed as a reconnaissance vehicle designated M8 Light Armoured Car, which bridged the gap between M3/M5 family of light tanks and the M3 scout car. Contract issues and the fact that no armoured car has been produced for the US Army in large numbers resulted in production delays until March 1943.

The M8 family has an all-welded hull although some external plates were riveted. The most distinctive feature of the vehicle was its lorry-like arrangement of wheels (one axle forward, steerable and two more paired towards the rear). The glacis was sloped with an actual thickness of 19mm. The floor however was only 3mm thick, making the vehicle vulnerable to mines. The vehicle was powered by a Hercules JXD 6-cylinder petrol engine rated at 110hp, allowing an average speed of 30mph off-road and 56nph on roads with a range of 400 miles. The Hercules JXD was quieter than other comparable engines and this feature, together with certain mechanical part tailored for low noise operations, allowed the vehicle to close with the enemy without virtually being detected until the last possible moment. As befits its role, a powerful radio set (SCR 506 at first) was mounted, with some vehicles carrying two. The fully-rotatable turret mounted a M6 37mm gun with a Browning M1919 .30-cal MG mounted co-axially with the main gun. An M2 .50-cal machine gun was sometimes mounted on a ring or a pintle mount - the M2 was not a standard feature of early production vehicles and many were added in the field. The 37mm gun was provided with 80 rounds, although only 16 may be carried if the second radio was fitted (field modifications on the two-radio M8s may raise the 37mm ammunition load to 40) while the M1919 has 1,500 rounds and the M2 500 rounds. Grenades and mines were also provided, along with M1 carbines for personal defence.

Only one M8 variant entered production during the war - the M20 Armoured Utility Car (also known as the M20 Scout Car). The M20 has the turret of the M8 removed and replaced with a low, open-topped armoured superstructure and armed with a ring-mounted M2 heavy machinegun. To compensate for the lack of anti-armour weapon, the crew was provided with a bazooka. Originally intended as command vehicles, the M20 was provided with extra radios. Apart from the command function, the M20 was also used in reconnaissance duties alongside the M8. The extra room available also made it suitable for personnel and cargo-carrying duties. The reduced weight made it faster and nimbler than the original M8. The M20 was originally designated M10 but to avoid confusion with the M10 Gun Motor Carriage, the designation was changed to M20. A total of 8523 M8 were built, solely by Ford. To that number, a further 3680 M20 were also built.

The M8/M20 first saw action in Italy in 1943. While generally more capable than the M3A1 scout car it replaced (being faster and adequately armed and armoured), it exhibited poor off-road capability, restricted on roads, reducing its usefulness in reconnaissance.  The thin floor made it vulnerable to mines and add-on armour kit was designed to give more protection (alternatively the crews place sandbags on the floor). Another problem is that commanders used the M8 in fire-support role, for which it wasn't really suited because of thin armour. Furthermore, while the 37mm gun was adequate against German recon vehicles, the M8/M20 itself is vulnerable to the 20mm gun arming most German recon vehicles. Apart from the European and Mediterranean theatres, the M8 was also used in the Pacific, where they partly revert back to their original role of tank destroyers. .The M8 was nicknamed 'Greyhound' by the British in keeping with other US-made armoured cars ordered by them such as Staghound (T17E1) and the T18 Boarhound.

The Kit

In 1998, Tamiya released a new-tool kit of the M8 Greyhound and it was fairly obvious that the M20 would soon follow. This they did in 1999. The parts were spread among six olive drab-coloured sprues, a length of string plus the usual, Tamiya-standard poly-caps and the decal and instruction sheets. The parts are virtually the same with the M8 kit with the exception of the turret parts, which was substituted for the coaming and other M20-specific parts. Since the two kits share many parts together, a modeller can use the unneeded 37mm rounds and/or mines to spruce up the same company's M8, should one have that kit in their stash (or planning to buy one). As usual there are no external stores but I believe this is probably moot as many modelers prefer to buy aftermarket items or make their own. Apparently, Tamiya provided the 'regular' SCR 506 radio of the M8 instead of a more powerful SCR 508 commonly fitted to these vehicles, but honestly I can't differentiate between the radio sets. Tamiya however do provide a bazooka and a single M1 carbine (yet there are three slots for personal weapons in the vehicle!). Decals provide markings for three vehicles:

-  'Tex', 1 Plt, C Coy, 82nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Armored Division, France, August 1944
- 1 Plt., B Coy, 807th Tank Destroyer Battalion, Germany 1945
- 'Passy', CO's vehicle, 2nd Dragoon Regiment, 5th Armored Division, Free French Army, France, August 1944

Construction

As with many other military vehicle kits, construction starts at the underside of the vehicle. A separate floor was glued to the hull. This was followed by attaching the suspension and the drive train. Despite being underneath the vehicle and would be mainly invisible, the exhaust was left off, to be painted separately. Before attaching the rear panel, holes were drilled into it to accommodate the lights later on. Next, the interior of the vehicle. The bulkhead and the sidewalls were added, together with the crew seats. The radio and the fire extinguisher were painted separately and then cemented to their respective places. The whole of the interior was painted XG-62 Olive Drab as per the instructions. Other smaller stuff like water canteens were stuck into their places, before attaching the upper superstructure. A jerrican was also included but strangely, with regards to good details elsewhere in the kit, the jerrican has no detailed cover.

Moving on to the upper hull, the steering column / wheel and dashboard were assembled. While waiting for the cement to dry, the upper hull was cleaned up and holes were drilled as instructed.  The M20 superstructure was moulded with separate walls, to ensure proper angles of the side plates. Also cemented on the superstructure are some boxes and the upper bracket for personal weapons. The included M1 Bazooka and its ammo tubes were however left off while the map table was cemented in the opened position.The upper hull was then cemented to the lower half first and this was followed by the superstructure and the engine panels. Other panels and various smaller parts were also cemented. The hatches for the driver and the co-driver was cemented in the closed position. The ring mount for the machinegun was assembled but was left off at this time to allow easier access to the interior. Tamiya provided an option whether to use the mine racks or storage boxes on the sides of the vehicle - I chose the mine rack. Again, it was left empty at this time. The mudguards were left off in order to fit the wheels later on.

Painting and Decaling

As usual with American WW2 vehicles, the M20 was painted overall Olive Drab. I used Tamiya's XF-62 for this purpose. I originally wanted to paint the suspension parts Flat Black as seen on everyday lorries but having browsing photos on the internet, they were also painted Olive Drab. As for the markings, while I love colourful ones, the French option was too bright for me so I opted for the 807th TD Battalion with its 'Crunching Kitty' insignia. The decals, as usual. received the Mr. Mark Softer treatment. This was followed by the usual black/brown wash. And ooppsss I almost forgot, the exhaust pipe and muffler were painted Burnt Iron

Finishing

Starting with the interior, I looked for some items in my spares box. I found two M1 carbines from the old Tamiya US Infantry Weapons Set. Although they look cruder than the only one M1 carbine provided in the kit,they make a good addition (plus, the crudest area, would be out of view).  But when I tried to set them in the remaining two slots in the interior, they can't fit (should've done some test fitting when assembling the interior!). In the end I only used one, and placed it on the bench next to the radio. Also found is a M1 helmet and also a map (sort of) from my Tamiya Churchill kit. I used colour pencil to spruce up the map (and making it look horrendous instead). various bags, rolls, jerricans and ammo boxes were then affixed to the model, courtesy of the spares box and the Academy and  Tamiya vehicle accessories sets.

While handling the stowage, I accidentally knocked one of the tie-downs off. As it was a pretty small part, it was quickly devoured by the Carpet Monster. I have to drill a new hole and inserted a copper wire to replace the lost part.  An application of Flat Clear followed. The model then received an overall 'dust' application using thinned Tamiya Xf-57 Buff; on the vertical sides, I streaked them downwards to create the so-called 'rain' effect. However the brush I used was a 2/0 brush, which was really too large for this application. After the wash has dried, I moved down to the undercarriage. The wheels were daubed with Mig Productions European Dust and Iraqi sand pigments in water. When dry, the excess was removed with a stiff brush. Afterwards, I used cotton buds damped with enamel thinner and wiped them around the sidewalls and contact surface of the tyres to further remove pigments from the said areas. I decided to add radio aerials using copper wires; however I neglect to check whether I still have them in stock. There were none and I have to leave the aerial bases as they were. 

Conclusion

What else can I say? Another kit with good engineering from Tamiya. The parts fit almost perfectly (the 'almost' part was mainly due to my clumsiness). While the details are a bit softer than other companies' kits, the ease of build more than compensates for it. It's nice out of the box, rewarding beginners and average modelers with a good model. Modelers with more skills than me can add a whole lot of additional items to spruce up this kit even further.

French 'Kiss

Historical Background

In 1926 the French Army decided to provide armoured support to regular infantry divisions by creating autonomous tank battalions equipped with light and cheap infantry tanks. For this role, the Char D1 was developed but it was neither light nor cheap. In 1933, Hotchkiss et Cie presented a proposal for a lighter, and theoretically cheaper design, using new innovations such as entirely cast steel hull sections. On 30 June 1933, the proposal was accepted by the Counseil Consultatif de l'Armement and on 2 August 1933, a specification was issued for a six-ton tank with 30mm armour protection all-around. Prototypes were ordered from Hotchkiss but the specification was issued to the entire armaments industry to provide alternative proposals. As a result, Renault was the first company to submit a proposal for the nouveau char leger, eventually becoming the R35. In January 1935, the Hotchkiss prototype, a turretless, machinegun-armed tankette was presented to the Commission d'Experience du Materiel Automobile at Vincennes with the second prototype being presented in May. Both were rejected because of a new specification that increased the armour thickness to 40mm. On 19 August 1935, Hotchkiss delivered the last prototype with a redesigned cast hull and a APX-R turret armed with a short 37mm gun. This was accepted in November 1935 as the H35 and an order for 200 (later 400) vehicles was made with the first production vehicle was delivered on 12 September 1936.

The first series of vehicles was tested until early December 1936. The H35 was shown to have a poor cross-country handling making it impossible to steer (and fire its armament) safely over bumpy terrain, posing danger to any nearby friendly infantry. As a result the infantry arm rejected the tank, with just two battalions equipped with 100 of the type: the 13ᵉ and 38ᵉ Bataillon de Chars de Combat (BCC). The remaining 300 were turned over to the Cavalry, which were late in receiving the Somua S35 tank. The cavalry however wanted a faster tank and a new prototype was made in 1937 with a Hotchkiss 6-cylinder, 5.97-liter engine rated at 120hp instead of the 78hp engine in the H35. The larger engine caused the hull to be enlarged with the hood now almost horizontal. The new version was presented to the Commission d'Experimentations de l'Infantrie on 31 January 1939 and was accepted as the Char leger modele 1935 H modifie 1939. It was decided that the H39 would replace the original H35 on the production line from the 401st vehicle onwards.

The Hotchkiss H35/39 is a small vehicle, weighing 9.6 tons (12.1 tons for H39). The hull consisted of six cast armour sections bolted together. Although the armour thickness was just 34mm instead of the specified 40mm, it was still one of the thickest for 1930s light tank design. The crew consisted of two persons: the driver and the commander, who also took the job of loading, aiming and firing the gun. The suspension consists of three bogies per side, with each bogie carrying two rubber-rimmed wheels. The H35 was powered by a Hotchkiss 6-cylinder, 3.4-liter air-cooled petrol engine. The designed road speed was 28km/h; however the type rarely reached this number because of difficulties in engaging the highest (fifth) gear. The H39, with its better power-to-weight ratio can reach 36.5km/h on road. Both H35 and H39 were equipped with an APX-R cast turret, with a thickness of 40mm and armed with a low-velocity, short-barreled SA 18 37mm gun and a co-axial 7.5mm Reibel M31 machinegun. A total of 102 rounds was carried for the main gun with another 2,400 rounds for the machinegun. The SA 18 had weak anti-tank capability so from January 1940, the longer-barreled SA 38 37mm gun was fitted to the tanks of platoon, company and battalion leaders and it was intended to refit all Hotchkisses with the longer gun by the end of 1940. The turret had a rotating cupola with a PPL RX 180 P visor but there was no hatch in the cupola. Access into the turret was through a hatch in the back of the turret. The commander can sit on the opened hatch door for better observation but left him vulnerable to enemy fire.

In the Cavalry, the Hotchkiss replaced the earlier AMR 33 and AMR 35 light tanks. The H35 equipped the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Division Légère Mécaniques (DLM), the 18th Regiment de Dragons Portes and the 4th Cuirassiers. And because of the slow deliveries of the R35, the H35 was also used to equip the 22nd, 24th and 33rd BCC as well as the 342nd and 351st Compagnie Autonome de Chars. The H39 was delivered to the 3rd Division Légère Motorisée, 4th and 5th Division Légere Cavalerie, 25th and 26th DCC and the 2nd and the 3rd Divisions Cuirassées de Reserve. Another unit, the 342e CACC, equipped with SA 38-armed H39s was sent to Norway, arriving at Narvik on 7 May 1940. The 12 survivors were withdrawn in June and disembarked in the UK. The 342ᵉ CACC later formed the nucleus of the FFL's armoured force, the 1ere Compagnie de Chars de Combat de la France Libre. In operational formation however, the Hotchkiss were mismatched: the fast H39 operated with the slow Char B1 while the slow H35s were paired with the fast Somua S35. The Hotchkiss's 37 mm gun was superior to the 20 mm gun arming Panzer IIs and were only matched by Pzkpfw 35(t) and 38(t) with similar guns, while their thick armour was quite impervious against German 37mm guns. However, the spread-out formation, lack of radio as well as overburdened tank commanders led to disastrous results. Lack of fuel sometimes caused entire formations to be captured intact. After the fall of France, the Vichy government was allowed to retain some of its tanks in North Africa (with the 1ere Régiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique) and Syria.

Around 550 Hotchkiss were captured by the Germans and distributed to independent panzer companies as Panzerkampfwagen 35H 734(f) and Panzerkampfwagen 38H 735(f). Many have the original cupolas replaced with a two-piece hatch and used for police and occupation duty in France. Others serve in Russia during Operation Barbarossa (with 211th Panzerabteilung) and anti-partisan duties in Yugoslavia, such as with the 7.SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Division 'Prinz Eugen'. Several were sent to Axis partners Croatia, Bulgaria and Hungary. Those in France later fought against Allied armour in 1944. The Hotchkiss was also used as a chassis for a number of conversions such as ammunition carrier, self-propelled gun and tank destroyers. The Hotchkiss fought their last war in 1948 when 10 H39s were used in the Israeli War of Independence.

The Kit

In 2006, Bronco announced their entry into the scale modelling world by introducing the Hotchkiss H39 as their very first kit. Despite its size, the kit consists of 483 plastic parts (although 264 are the separate-link tracks), a turned aluminium barrel, a short length of chain, six metal springs (five in my box) plus the usual decal and instruction sheets. The kit have detailed interior (for injection moulded plastic), including the engine and the driver's compartment and the transmission/final drive. As Bronco later released the SPG/tank destroyer versions (with open fighting compartment) of the Hotchkiss, this was probably the reason why they were included in this first release. The separate-link tracks were, upon first sight, quite tiny although they do have good detail. Overall it was better than the Trumpeter kit released two years before Bronco's where I had the opportunity to compare them at the now-defunct Miniature Hobbies in KL (and chose this kit over Trumpeter's when recommended by the owner). Decals provide markings for five tanks:

- 25e BCC, 1ere DCR, France 1940

- 211 Panzerabteilung, Finland 1941

- 7.SS-Freiwiligen Division 'Prinz Eugen', Norway 1943 (unlikely, as the 7th SS division fought in the Balkans) or Norwegian Tank Battalion, Norway 1942

- Russian Company, 82nd Armoured Battalion, Israeli Army, 1948

- 7e Cuir, France 1940

Construction

As stated above, for its size, the Bronco H39 sure packed a lot of parts and many of them are for the interior. However, as with the Hobby Boss Renault R35 kit, I did not add the interior parts, save for the bulkhead (Parts C6 and A19), to add a bit of strength to the hull. The transmission cover was then cemented to the hull followed by the detail parts on the rear hull panel and the transmission cover. Next were the suspension. One thing I can say about them is that the front and rear halves of the bogies are moulded as one piece, eliminating the wobbly assembly experienced during the building of my R35.  However my kit missed one of the stainless steel spring. I didn't even attempt to contact Bronco about this matter...instead I tried my own solution. Unfortunately, the best option, using the spring from a pen did not present itself as none were available. I ended up using stretched sprue, wound around a cylinder (pencil) and then gluing the coiled sprue onto the relevant. It look horrible! The suspension units were then cemented to the hull, together with the rest of the wheels. The lower hull was then painted

While waiting for the paint to dry, I painted the track links, cut them off the sprue, cleaned them and placed them inside a container. I then assembled them, 10 at a time using Tamiya Extra Thin Cement. The links are fairly tiny resulting in some dodgy moments during assembly. The real problem was that the links have a less than good fit, especially when I tried to to wrap them around the sprocket and idler wheels. Another problem was the sprocket teeth - there were too many of them than they actually were. So I have to do an emergency surgery, as fast and as clean as possible, in removing the extra teeth, as the cement is fast drying (the operation on the other sprocket teeth was done at a more leisurely pace as the problem has been identified). Only after the tracks have been assembled can work on the upper hull be resumed. I started by putting the track guards in place and adding hatches to the sides of the upper hull. While the instructions have you add the upper hull to the lower half first before adding the details, I diverged a bit by assembling some parts, such as the driver's and the engine hatches first. Only then did I cement the upper hull to the lower hull. Some smaller parts were added but I left the exhaust and the tools at this time.

Finally, the turret. The gun was assembled first and here Bronco provided nicely detailed parts although that's about it regarding the turret's interior. It was then set aside and I assembled the turret proper. There isn't much to assemble, just the turret shell, the bottom, vision slits and the hatch. The latter was cemented in the closed position. The gun assembly was slotted into place, followed by the turret bottom. And the model was off to the paint shed....

Painting and Decaling

Having rejected the German and Israeli options, I was left with just the two French Army options. The 25e BCC option is more interesting as it had that playing card symbol on the turret, in this case, a red heart. The instructions called for this option to be painted in olive drab. I'm not sure about that and end up painting the model in Olive Green, using Tamiya XF-58. As for the decals, while the instructions were clear on the placement of the turret markings, it was less so for the hull ones. For the left-hand side view, the heart symbol was shown to be on the rear of the right-side hull, a very unlikely place for markings. Yet for the rear view, it was shown to be on the rear hull panel. Using common sense (rather than any documented evidence), I placed the symbol on the right side of the rear hull panel with the registration number on the opposite side. There were no decals for the registration number for the front plate however. I should have cut the decal and reposition it on the front plate, making up for the lack of markings on the front

Finishing

There isn't much to do at this stage, I just add the last bits such as the tools. The exhaust was painted Burnt Iron, then dappled with XF-64 Red Brown and was followed by an application of Tamiya Weathering Master Rust. The chain was left unpainted, although I still apply Tamiya's Weathering Master Rust on it. At this moment however I decided to add the trench skid. Yes, it was a pretty dubious decisison as the model has already been painted. Anyway it was assembled, painted and stuck to the rear of the tank.  Good thing I did that before starting the weathering process. The usual pin wash was done using the black-brown mix. The lower half of the model was then liberally coated with Mig Productions European Dust pigments. I do not have any accessories to be placed on the model except for a figure from Miniart's French Tank Crew set. He was painted the same way as the figure in my R35 build.

Conclusion

Bronco took a brave first step (and never look back) into the scale modelling world by having a tank not kitted by everyone else (except Heller and Trumpeter) as their first kit. It is very fine and fairly complicated for such a small kit. Terry Ashley pointed out the shortcomings of this kit, mainly concerning the with the running gear (the issue was rectified in Bronco's subsequent H38/39 release). While I'm not overly concerned with the number of bolts on the idler or of the shape of the heat shield, the mould slip on the wheels and also the wrong number of sprocket teeth were indeed a cause for concern. However, in general, the build process went together well although I must say that that the track assembly process was tedious, especially because of its size and the fit problem. Recommended to all (if you have issues with the problems mentioned, just grab the H38/39 release, it also allows you to build the SA 18-armed H38).