A look into the Model-showcases:
US Military, WWII Trucks*.
So I dig making 1/35th scale, Military Models, like Tanks, Trucks, and Figures, and have since I was a young kid. Eventually that led up to me realizing the only way to keep them from getting broken and dusty was to make these showcases. First, there was a wall, outlined with 2x4s and plexiglass sliding windows in front of the heavy shelves!
Then came expensive custom oak cabinets, then I got some more from my brother, then added more myself! then re-stained them in cherry wood, and added lighting! then…moved….and devastated the cases. But I’ve bounced back, albeit slowly now, even since these pictures were taken - I’ve been putting the cabinets back together, the room itself as a bunch of the new style LED can lights on the ceiling, and the cabinets have a different type of strip-lighting LEDs on the edge, works better than the tape lighting of before.
First off, the Americans! Here are the WWII “Soft Skins”, the under-rated workhorses of the war. I’ll start here on one end, and move across the collection, what’s left, and as I fix them. In this corner, are an M4 and M5 High-Speed Tractors (For towing Artillery).
There is a 1 Ton Truck with a Trailer (with the integrated covered cab), and then a short base 2 1/2 Ton Truck, and A Soft Top GMC 2 1/2 Ton Truck, the one carrying Ammunitian, with a half-inch gun ring and winch, and the Communication Heavy C/C Truck, My Dad served in one like this in the Marine Corps. That is followed by a Dump Truck and the equally famous “DUKW” Amphibious Truck.
*I have a dozen Jeeps and Weapons Carriers I’ll take pictures at some point and put them in here too.
I’ve been making models for over 55 years now! dozens broke and disappeared, were used for making (what we thought as kids) some cool realistic pictures, and ended up with melted models. But then I got more serious, it kept me out of trouble, and I wanted to save them again. So I have for the third time, saved them, and going at it again. No one wants them, but what the heck! go to all the trouble of making them might as well have them in a case.
The M2 and M3 Half Tracks:
There are M2, and M3 Personel Carriers, and Communications, Morter Carrier, M16 (Quad .50 Cal. MG during the Battle of the Bulge, and a 105mm being towed by a Half Track (Note. I broke the Gun Carriage hitch! Before we get too far into this, I have used my phone’s camera and my old digital camera…either way 75% of my pictures suck-really bad, on picture, auto, macro, and portrait…. apparently suck, incredibly at taking pictures…so, I don’t take them a lot….its’s a particularly nasty case of non-photographic ability. believe me, this is the best I come up with so far… it’s challenging, sometimes ya get the knack, and sometimes, obviously not, we don’t. So be it, I ask for divine intervention, and he says to edit…a lot.
Just a quick look at the developments of the “Stuart” M2A2, M3, m3a3’s, m5, and m8 Light Tanks:
These are some ancient kits of US WWII, Light, “Cavalry and Reconnaissance Tanks”. Like the M2A2 (I had more like this?) then 2 styles of the Hex-Tureted M3s, an M3 Horseshoe Turret, Um, M3 A1? (PTO) I’m thinking, then an M3A3 and another with soft armor added, an M5 Light Tank, and the M8 Self Motor Carrage (Self Propelled 75mm Howitzer). The last is an M24 “Chaffee” fighting in the final months of the War in Europe, but this is the type that ended up going to Korea in 1950. With these and the following kits, some have figures for them, crewmen that stand outside the vehicles, and the like, but did not take the time to add them too, I may add them if I update these pictures one day.
The M3 Medium became the M4 Sherman, and the world started to change:
Can you name them? I’ll give it a shot off the top of my head, and see if I can still remember….starting with the concept of the M3 Medium Tank, which has adopted the name “Grant” with a 75mm gun in the hull and a 37mm gun in the turret and riveted hull, later they were welded. These vehicles were in full swing on the production lines by the Summer of 1941, being produced at the American Locomotive Company, Detroit Tank Arsenal (Crysler), and Pressed Steel Car Company continuing into 1942. Next, I show an M3 cast-hull version.
Then there is the common “Recker” or Recovery Vechle, as quickly as they were obsolete, they were often converted to these (becoming M21/23s and ARVs). The M3 Medium was not a perfect vehicle by any means, it was a stop-gap measure and an experiment at the same time, there were not that many tanks around the world yet, and not proven anywhere, but the Blitzkrieg had begun, and it was catch-up time. They knew the war was coming, And we knew we would be sucked into it eventually, there was no way out. Our “Allies” worked out a deal, where we would supply them now if they paid us back later, and we learned pretty quickly from our Lend-lease friends, what was working and what was not! The US Army would get their first real taste of combat again in Northern Africa, and into Tunisia. After that, they were phased out of frontline use, being replaced continuously, by the Sherman Tanks, and their many upgrades and variants. Soon the Grants and Lees that survived- were used in reserve roles, and modified to more practical and needed vehicles like “Tow-Trucks” only in tank form.
When I make my models, like the uniforms, I try to make it one that existed, or the numbers from units identified by a picture, but I make mine the next number in line. The Vehicles I have tried to show how they looked, for example, dirty olive-dirt paint and filthy, with the marking subdued out with black paint, to the point that if there was a camouflage pattern, it’s hard to see, and with markings of a unit that used that particular vehicle at some point, but when we think about the conditions the operated under and where, and when, summer or winter, Pacific or Italy, often in Europe, used in bombed out cities, and dense forest and jungles, etc. Then you see why they are trashed a lot or have tank riders, or gear all over them.
The Sherman Tank was the next evolution of the medium tank, many of the very first models of the M4 went to help other countries already involved in War and oppression. The British started calling their Lend Lease vehicles “General Shermans” and the name stuck, soon the Americans picked it up, and they fancied their new tank and planned to win the war with them. With the M4 they had few options, constrained by shipping load sizes and weight, and they knew not what they were in for, the price of their limits would be learned, and learned quickly, but there were many costly mistakes, and the learning curve was steep, but they learned, unpopular for “Brewing Up”, in reality, most tanks do when hit by an armor-piercing round(s) that detonating inside the vehicles, igniting the ammunition and fuel, vaporizing the crewmen, etc. Armor Piercing Cap and titanium rod are used for getting it through the armor, then it splinters and bounces around and burns…and…boom! then the rest of the shells start to go boom one at a time and the fue sprays everything and can burn for days.. they have a point, fire is scary, but you won’t feel it because the boom will turn your body to mush in the flash before the ignition…just saying, realistically you know that before you even get in the vehicle.
That said, I tend to think of all the different versions rather than their specific order, in reality, many different versions were being built alongside each other, at the same place at the same time, in the same plant, Adding a new Capola, or Transmission/Final Drive housing did not stop the production lines. As parts came in they made the changes, they could jump between building these or those, and keep building tanks. We had different plants making different parts, that fit together, like 10 different lifting handles, suspicion parts, wheels, all the internal bits and pieces. All were precision-made, and most parts worked with the same tolerances as all the variants built, many parts were interchangeable, standardized to an exact standard, bolts would come out, and new parts would bolt back on. And it worked out pretty well.
The Factory welds were, as strong as they could get, and they could weld on them, therefore steel plates could be welded over penetrations as well, As well as the more minor problem with vehicles pulled from ditches and broken tracks, or some bad wheels, a blown engine or transmission, the Americans because their factory building techniques, made them easy to make repairs right in the field, getting the vehicle back into the fight pretty darn quickly, and coming back with new cleaned weapons, and fully loaded, and that was because of all the tons of spare parts, if not from the States, freshly made, then off a busted and broken tank, of which there was many to pick from. Something that was not achievable with our enemy’s forces of the time to keep up with their repairs and maintenance.
Welders were brought out into the field and worked and Tank Repair Shops often not too far from the front lines, welding for sandbag holders, extra steel plates, extra handrails, and hooks to hang gear on, were applied there. The vehicles were retrieved off the battle lines and were quickly picked up and transported if possible, by a Dragon Wagon, or Sherman Recovery Vehicles, they could be moved with 5-Ton Wrecker Trucks as well. Those that were savable were cleaned out, fixed up, painted, and updated for urgent requests, like dozer tanks, extra armor-assault tanks, and hedge cutters, gun changes were done, complete turret changes and engine and suspension changes were done there too. I think in the field, the simple design and construction and availability of swapping parts was an amazing feat in itself because there were so many types of Sherman’s tank dumps that grew all over the Army was fighting, the blown up and knocked out tanks came and were taken to the repair depots, where they were repaired, and repainted, or-set aside for parts, Engines taken out and transmission set aside, guns and turrets upgraded, tracks and suspension upgrades, sometimes even cutting steel plates off the hulls, and up-armoring existing tanks, but that’s another story.
Two M4 Shermans follow these, How the 2 very similar models came to be, that I was showing my, to be wife, the Art of Modeling, so this is a special set to me, she had some fun and understood me, and plastic modeling a little bit more from it, and she did great, albeit some things were glued on upside down (like the cast transmission cover) but I had done the same mistake-because I don’t read instruction-I just look at them, we found a problem with the suspension I think it was, the fixes were quick (Except I use Super Clue about everywhere) and were made before final painting. I was her last Tank Model, but I think she did great, we moved on to big Female Figures… that got out of hand real fast using acrylic and enamel paints, and soon we had made big messes! but repainting happens.
I have a M4A1 / Cast-Hull. They had small crew hatches and were a bit more cramped than the M4s. There is an Early Version M4A1, Small-Hatch. Cast-Hull Sheman, with the 3-piece transmission cover, early bogie wheels, and small mantlet on the turret, and the later M4A1, but still no loaders hatch. Lessons from the English use led to Upgraded variants, and soon they came to the front with the M4A1 Cast Hull variants and M4A2s for lend-lease to Russia, England, guessing Australia, and others, or our Marines who wanted whatever they could get.
Next came the M4A3 Sherman Tanks, with several of these variants shipped off to the Pacific Theater, to fight the War there, all the rest were used in the Mediterranean and Europe. I show a couple of the direct vision ports with the small hatch M4A1 75mm cas upper hull tanks. Upgraded 76mm guns and water around the shells in the hull, they became M4A1 VVSS 76mm Wet-Hull Sherman, mine has the “Big Hatch” Tuttet, with 2 large rotatable cupolas on top, which the men liked because they could get out quickly, but was a weak spot on the top of the turret casting. But in the Pacific, there was little standardization, the Tanks were simple enough to repair, fairly quickly, shipped from place to place, and operated, pretty reliable too. But they showed up a few at a time, and mixed variations, so were very mixed up with 2 of these and 3 of those, maybe 20 of the rest, a few platoons at a time, like the Early Version of the M4A2 with the “Welded in” Crew Hoods for the hull hatches, and GM 6046 Desiel Engine in it. They were wiped out before many pictures were taken of them, or left in the jungles, or stuck in the sandy beaches, some never made it to the beaches and sunk en route. So parts were quite rare in the vast Pacific Campaign.
This is out of order with the Sheman models, but was a pretty rare model, the M4A4. Some of the tanks being sent to England were diverted to China and started the examination of the Tank there, as seen here. M4A4s ended up with the Marine Corps, for using the Pacific, but it seems often they got whatever the Army did not, or not anymore, the stuff they were through with, and turned over to the Corps, they took what they could get, and they managed, this was the feeling they had well after the war. The nest “Section covers the M4A1 Wett and M4A3 Variants more thoroughly.
At one point I believe 11 companies were involved in putting them together, with a lot more producing all the viable parts! They were producing wholly, or putting in the drive train into the hulls, and adding the turrets, It is hard to comprehend all the variable variations there actually were of Sherman Tanks, with 45-to possible-60,000 built with all the variants. They went from aircraft style Radial Engines to Multi-Bank types of engines, to Ford’s V8 in-line engine Gas and diesel. This was much like how the Russians had put together their T34s, in mass production method far outweighing their enemy. The M4A3 type was the most common US Tank built during the War, with a 76mm gun, The M4A3E8 soldiered on through the Korean War, and was even used by other nations well into the 1970s (See the IDF Section).
More Shermans, here’s the rest in my collection:
Starting with a couple of M4A3 75mm (WETT) Sherman variants one from the PTO, the other ETO, a Rhino with the Cullens “Hedgerow Device” of the time in Normandy Headge Row Battles. Then an old M4A3 one with a Dozer Attachment. I have then Two M4A3E2s “Jumbo” Assault Tanks with the typical 75mm, followed by an upgraded M4A3E2 with a 76mm respectively, followed by some M4A3 105mm (Later called M106) Howizer Support Shermans (Early and later gun mantlets), and wishing for a better anti-tank weapon, lead to the M4A3 76mm (WETT) VV-SS, so named for its new 76mm Weapon, Wett Ammo Storage, and the type of suspicion Vertical Volute Spring Suspension, as a newer type was being tested. I have someone with the extra “Sand-Bag” Soft Armor added on the sides, and another with a lot of steel added to it, another version of an assault tank, the armor would slow it down and make it sink in the mud.
Then there is the M4A3 76mm (WETT), HVSS (Wide-Track) Sherman, an armored-up improvised Assault Tank leading the way. Then some M4A3E8s during the Korean War Era. One Shurman Hulled variant as a “Tank Hunter” or rather a “Tank Destroyer”, the M10, with a 3” Gun on it, and there were 3 versions of these too, maybe I’ll get them in here someday. I do have an old model kit of an M10 (3” Gun) Tank Destroyer, other expedient “AssaultTanks followed being needed in Europe, and the M36 (with a 90mm Gun) stepped up to the plate, and an M36B1 completed the program.
Boy, this goes a lot faster using 1 picture of each model rather than 2-3-4-5!
“FINISHED” 1/35th scale, US. Marines, Betio Island Landing, Tarawa Atoll, 20–23 November 1943:
The Battle may be just a footnote in history class, and even only on the front page for a short spell during WWII. But it was a battle that needs to be studied, and thought about, It was fought between the US Navy, Marine and Army Forces, and the Japanese Imperial Army. I'm pretty sure the Japanese remember. I’ve known people who fought in the battle, which was a bloody ordeal. This represents the 1st and second waves stuck at the sea wall, an LVT2 has tried to climb the wall and has gotten stuck and abandoned pretty quickly, the other and earlier LVT1, is a survivor of Guadalcanal and hopes to service this battle but has to pull people stuck on the reef and those walking in-and give them a lift if possible. After making numerous trips, as a nice slow-moving target. This was like all battles in the PTO particularly rough, but in the end, the Japanese put up a tough fight, but were, overcome by The Marines. The Battle was fought on 20–23 November 1943.
This is about a 20-inch by 20-inch diorama base, the largest I ever made. The Plexiglas cover is nice but blurry on a couple of sides and I don’t know why. Most of the “Track Vehicles” you see in battles, used in a particular battle, often alone, even expendable, abused, just used till knocked out in short or to broke down, where they were fixed, upgraded, and reissued and the process started over. LVT in particular, and short lives, many never left the island.
Some of the WWII, Amphibious Vehicles:
First, I’ll put my DUKW 2 1/2 ton Amphibious Truck called the “DUCK’, then the M29 Weasel, which is an old Monogram kit…sold made in 1/32th scale but was more to 1/35th anyways, gosh, maybe from the early 70s I think, the only Monogram kit I still have around, though I made dozens! And then the LVT-A1, something less than the perfect kit, with simplicity in mind, for young kids in mind, but poor molding and did not fit together well, the tracks have a nice look but left a lot to be desired…that said, I still had to have one of these, and had to keep it in the case for a long time I made a resin one, and upgraded another Italeri kit too, with track that were over my head how to put together-so they required loads of Elmos Glue!. Those two are in the Tarawa Diorama I recently finished, but the plexiglass box for it fogged up for some reason. not humidity. So…there ya go, now ya know, that's what I got on that. And one LVT-A2 still sits in the can I save these boxes… it’s just so off, compared to today’s standards.
LCVP:
I guess I’ll put this here, it’s a mini-1/35th scale diorama base itself! It was a resin kit so that means there was a lot of ad-lib and customizing to it, and it was built some time ago as well, American, and used in much of the landings after 1942 or so, it was a big player and a major advantage to the allied forces in WWII and the following Wars. I’ve used several model tanks and trucks on the transport deck, but it take’s up 3 model spaces.
“NEW” Into the Cold War and the present day, US. Armor in 1/35th Scale:
Starting with the T26 90mm Heavy Tank in Germany, in 1945 (they became the M26 Pershing’s in Korea), Cold War matainance on an M47 Tank, it was upgraded and updated, and released in June 1951 by the Detroit Tank Arsenal. The American Locomotive Co. soon armed the new German Army the Brunduschwere as well, M48A1 in Cold War Berlin, and M48A3 in Vietnam with the Marines. M60A3 also in the early Marine camouflage patterns, and the Armies short-lived “Starship” variant. Next is a very old model of an M551 Sheridan (Air-Liftable Tank") with a “Shelah” Rocket firing 155 mm gun, that was particularly effective using bee-hive rounds like giant shogun shells filled with darts, it was useful in close-in defense situations.
Then we have an early M1 Abrams with the 105mm Gun first version, A M1Ai (with the 120mm Gun) the M1A1 with the “Experimental” Urban fighting upgrades, (also in the shop being fixed up), an M13 (ARVN modified APC with Catalac/Gauge turret, with .30 Caliber Browings machineguns in it, and a pair of .50 caliber Bronings in the Back compartment, then a American M113 APC, the very first type, followed by and American one, upgraded with the ACAV, as the Kit was applied during out involvement in the Vietnam War. There is an 81mm Mortar Track and a Command and Control of the APC.
Then have some Bradley M2 AFV, an original version, and the version was used in the Middle East. A HUMMV used in KFOR Operation, M151A1 Utility Vehicle 81st MP. BG. (RVN), Mechanical Mule (RVN), Marine AAV “Am-Track” in early configuration and camouflage pattern, and the next generation, used in the Desert, V100 from the 504th MP, 81 Bg, Vietnam. USAF Security Vehicle (a modified V1o0 Armored Car), and an M109 155 Howitzer SP-Gun as it was in Vietnam.
I used a couple of different pictures for each vehicle, I was going to do the whole collection in single pictures of each, but I just want to show more of them, takes a lot of space, and the pictures get smaller, but granted single pictures would be the best way to go, but to much work went into them…
Brown Water Navy, US-Riverine Force:
The famous plastic PBR Boat, an aluminum, Swift boat of the Seals, Navy Underwater Demolition Team (UDT), and a “Listener and Observer Insertian” bot on rubber boats. And a typical South Vietnamese boat.
“NEW” so let’s look quickly at some American 1/35th Scale, mini-Dioramas:
A captured Japanese Spiket Morter on Iwo Jima.
US Airborne landing in Normandy.
The Entrapnures (Kellys Heros). Telly Savalas did not have netting on his helmet though!
US Marines move a wounded comrade, Tarawa, 1944:
Pacific Marine, 1943:
The American WWII Fighter Pilot, bust:
This was a bust that was a gift, and it broke up a bit- so I refurbished it, and put it in the case-cool in its own right, the original maker of the clay figure was cared in the back.
Major Killroy, 1st Air Cavalry, RVN. “I Love The Smell of Napalm In The Morning”:
Bust-not my best work, unfortunately the photos don’t do it much justice either, but I liked the Show.
“NEW” British (UK), Lend-Lease Sherman, Models, in 1/35th scale:
The British Lend-Least M3 “Grant” Tanks had a modified turret, these were built at the Pullman Standard Car Company and Pressed Steel Car Company. Another M3, Modified into a Canal-Defense Tank, and a Modified M7 “Priest”, used by the Canadians, and modified into an Armored personnel carrier. We have a Canadian-built Ram (Sherman) these did not see the battle. Then the Serman’s, with a Lend-Lease early M4A1 Cast-Hull with “Direct-Vision” slots, early M4 with driver and co-driver casted steel mounds, built by the Americans, sold to the English, and giving a ride to American Airborne Troops in France, this is followed by a mini-vignette that goes with the model, I call it “Rations”, a Soldier giving a gift of food, for a Women “Collaborator” with her child. A 105mm Howitzer-Sherman, a 17 Pounder “Firefly”, Sherman D-D, an Amphibious Tank, with the canvas cut off, a Sherman BARV, and an Anti-Mine, Flail Tank modified by the British.
I have to get my thinking cap on and look these up, I’m sure there is a Canadian Tank, Irish or Scotch, and other UK forces depicted in the “English Sections here” including Indian, and Polish Forces.
“NEW” Oh Ya, here’s the rest of the British, Canadian, Australian, Etc., UK Armor in 1/35th Scale
Lend-Lease (US) MB Jeep of the 1st Armored Division, Austen “Tilly” in England, a Lorry, a (LRDG) Long-Range Desert Reconnaissance Truck, aQuad Gun-Tracktor, its Limber, and a “25 Ponder” Howitzer. Then we have the 25 Pounder Deployed and in action in North Africa. Next 4 different Universal Carriers, first a typical “Bren-Gun Carrier”, then one armed with a water-cooled Vickers, another “Bren-Gun” Carrier but in Italy, and one with “Wading Equipment” for the landing at Normandy, many coming ashore right off the beach head, soon after it was established.
Gosh then I have 9 different Armored cars, the British used quite a few during the war, but the names have gotten the best of my memory, there is a Staghound is it, in Holland, Rolls-Royce maybe Desert Recoonacence (Like most in my collection), the next two look much the same but there are 2 different variants, can’t think of the name, Dingo? Pannard? AEC.
Starting the next bunch are the M3 Stuart Tanks (That the British called “Honey’s”), with the first “Riveted Type” Hex-Turret, followed by the Horseshoe type Turret both representing the African Campaign. They are followed by a Desert and Jungle Matilda II, a Desert, Valentine Tank? Standard and up-armored Cromwell tanks? and four versions of Churchill Tanks, in the Desert, and France, into Europe with a 75mm (Sherman Gun Manlet) configured vehicle, and the Famous (Flame-Trower Version) The Crocodile.
You know I should have, and wanted to, but having 2-3 pictures and its story, and then the next vehicle. etc. But it would take so much time and space, and it’s just a bunch of my old models anyway, so I have grouped most together, but then you can kind of compare them as well I suppose.
Some of the more modern English Equipment:
This will be dialed in, in a couple of days…right? Australian Vietnam M113 “Assault Vehicle”, Centurian, “Still-Brew”(Cheiften), and the Desert Challenger, all very intimidating British Vehicles of the pretty recent past, compared to their early model tanks, the differences are huge! I’m guessing 6x the weight, twice the weight of a WWII vehicle even. Faster with an incredibly accurate weapons system, that can fire on the move, the long ranges provided in the desert were perfect for this platform, however in the tight-ness of city warfare not so much a few guys with Molotov cocktails and it’s still a flame on the situation. Still, the tea brewer oven was brought along, built in the later vehicles, a distinctive English mandate.
“NEW” No Collection is complete without some French Pieces, Here are mine:
What were they, Pugout, um FMC, Samua…I’ll get the names here in a few….this is going to be challenging for me…to remember! Oh got me off the start, B1B….ya, no I’m gonna have to get this right… stand by.
“NEW” I have a Russian Vehicle Collection Too, Here is the T-34 section: (Editing! Now)
T-34/76 with the early horseshoe style, big hatch turret, and the cast, and welded Hex turrets, with the soft edge, ribbed turret-ring, sharp edge, round edge, multi-panel. Some have the so-called “Mickey-Mouse ear” hatches on top, some have a single and the Commander has a Cupolla and different sighting systems, I can’t name all the factories anymore, different types of track were used early and later, and some have the grousers added. Everyone who could be was making them. and they were all a little different, it’s been reported over 50,000 were made and up to 60,000 with those into the Cold War. Many were repaired after salvaging them from the battlefields and sent back out, some drove off the factory line directly into the battle.
Then the 8.5cm version came out, now called T-34/85, and some of these variants, I can’t begin to recall all the factories or small changes made, there were different guns and methods of putting them together, and used in service by several other nations well into through Cold War, and used by some countries possibly still today. If you look closely at the T-34/76 and T-34/85 models in the pictures you can pick up many small differences in them all. The particular units have been lost with time as well, I may look them up one day, the numbers on the hull are often changed with my model, just because I want to show the unit but not a particular tank generally.
There were many variations, including the SU-152, SU-85, and SU-100 self-propelled gun platforms, even pushing captured Pz.III hulls into service, converting them into SP Guns, this tells you how many they had been capturing! They were reproduced for Russian use. The T34s and their variants, largely in the Recovery Vehicle types, went on for a long time, maybe the 60s anyway. Then upgraded again and sold off to anyone in the Eastern Block in the Cold War, Korea, the Middle East, Africa, Etc. Anywhere they wanted conflict, There are likely some still being used somewhere by someone.
“NEW” The Rest of the Russian Armor Models in the 1/35th scale collection:
A GAZ Jeep, an Armored Car, and a little amphibious tank, then the KV-I early rounded turret, squared turret, and up-armored turret, the KV-85S, and early IS-2, KV-IIs (Early and later production turrets), and an ISU-152. Then, there are some Lend-Lease Vehicles, M-3 Lee, and M4A3 76mm WETT, with the Big-Hatch Turret. and Universal Carrier, with a 51-caliber MG on it.
“NEW” Russian, Cold War and to the Present Armor in 1/35th Scale:
Off the top of my head, I’ll have to double-check this later, BMD? BTR, BDRM, T-55, T-65? T-72 is it?…
Imperial Japanese Infantry Officer, Philipines 1942:
I guess this big guy fits in here, as the opposing force, in that war.
“NEW” German WWII 1/35th Scale” Soft-Skins”, Trucks & Semi-Tracks:
Uh, let’s see here, snapped some pictures with the phone, and my fancy camera, You probably know these, 1st off is an Opel Blitz standard medium truck, then a later modified Opel, and a late model, “Blitz Truck” Several companies eventually geared up to make these, this is the wood-cab type, materials were running out. Then there is a Phänomen Granit 1500L, an older version of the Phänomen Granit Medical Ambulance. A German-made FORD Medium Truck. Steyer Command Car, then a Personnel Carrier, and the 1500 medium 4x flat-bed truck with a 2.0cm Flak Gun mounted in the back. Then there is a Horch 4x4 Type 1A of the Hermann Goring Division. A couple of three versions of the Krupp Protze (6x4 Trucks), Then we have the Hanomag SS-100, NH 4x2, 6ton-Prime Mover, and Last resort Coal Burning version). A Farm type of tractor was pushed into Luftwaffe service to move planes around. Then there is this “Ex-Italian-Army” Prime Mover, confiscated into German service, to tow the 8.8cm towed weapon, the most feared weapon to the Allied Tankers. We have a Tracked RSO East-Front Supply Vehicle and an RSO Extreen-Weather Supply Vehicle. There are 4 trailers to be used with various vehicles.
There is a Cetron civilian car-an officer confiscated for use. A Desert Kubelwagon, a Schwimwagon, a very old Kubelwagon, and some BMW and Zundap Motorcycles. A NSU Kettenkrad, HK 101 Tracked Motorcycle. (a semi-track motorcycle).
A Sd. Kfz. 250 Munitions Carrier, and a Sd.kfz. 250 Reconnaissance Vehicle. There is an early “C” model, and a late model Sd. Kfz. 251/D” Semi-track Personnel Carrier. A “C” model with a 3.7cm gun mounted for infantry support, followed by a short-barred 7.5cm gun version, and long barred 7.5cm “D” model with Infra-Red Equipment on it, then an Infra-red equipped personnel carrier, support vehicle. a Sd.kfz 251 Ammunition Carrier, and aSd.Kfz. 251 Rocket Launcher.
The little tracked vehicle was Borg-Ward, “Munitions Carrier” i/e Bunker Buster, it placed explosive charges in front of bunkers and the like. There is a 1/2 track Blitz Truck and Semi-tracked- Sd.kfz. 5 and 7 too. And to finish it up here, an Sd.kfz.8 37mm flack mount. and a Track-mounted Flak 88 Gun.
“NEW” My German WWII Armored Cars:
“NEW” The 1/35th scale, German WWII Panzer Collection:
German Tanks are a large part of the collection, but as you’ll see there are plenty more, Holy Cow, this is going to be a big section, I may have to go with one picture each! For starters, the 38(t) and modifications to the series in German Hands, Panzer I, II, and IIs, and some variants. and a captured T34, now under German management. Then there are several variants of the StuG IIIs. There is a B, a tarp-covered C, then a rare C upgraded with the long-barreled 7.5cm gun in use in 1945. Then the long-barreled variants an F, a G, and two late mode Gs with the Shukopf Manlet, and one with concrete plaque armor. There is a 10.5cm, StuG. and the last one is a late war 10.5cm StuG. with a bunch of concrete on it.
And starting the Panzer Mk. IVs, an early version, blown up! Fixing up the broken-up ones here as we go, this is some old stuff here. Then a run through the rest of the Panzer IV D, E, F(1), F2, various G(s), a H, a J, and some StuG IVs, and the Flak-Panzer variants.
“NEW” German Self-Propelled Guns, on captured French Chassis:
“NEW” The Heavy Panzers in the 1/35th scale model collection:
I am not sure how this will all end up, but here are the Panzer Mark V, Panther D, A, and several G variants, and the 2 different Jagd-Panthers. Then a heap of Early, Mid, and Late Production Tigers (Pz. Kfw. VI, Ausf. E), the last being a Jagdpanzer VI. Then we have the Tiger II (Pz. Kfw. VI, Ausf. B) aka Konigstiger, or Royal Tiger, and King Tiger, followed by a (Porsche Suspension) Jagdtiger, and another with the Henschel Production. They were called “Hunting Tigers” by some soldiers. And we’re ending with the Mous Experimental Tank.
Ya know, having put these on the site now, finally, I’ve realized, I have made one of most of all the different “Major” versions of the main vehicles used in WWII! but honestly, I’m not bragging, I’m just saying, I have to keep adding something that’s missing, or even making a version I have, but used in a different place and time…and that’s leading to some interesting challenges.
This is my German ”Vengeance Weapon”, the V-2 Rocket:
It was a simple build, but an important point is that Germany had used the first ICBM, and it looks right to me but fits nowhere.
German Military Figures in 1/35th Scale:
Heer Cavalry, a kitchen/wagon, and Cossak Heer Volunteers.
“NEW” Italian Armor of WWII:
“NEW” The Japanese Had Armored Vehicles as well, Here will be mine from the collection:
While the Japanese in WWII were far less mechanized than those fighting forces in Europe and the Mediterranean, they did take over a rather large part of the Globe none less, starting in China, where there just was very little opposition, parts were scarce, and many did not last very long. In China they had to cover long distances and did not do that well, breaking down more often than getting knocked down by the enemy. And on the many islands, they could use and only had smaller-” Shippable” Vehicles, trucks, armored cars, and light tanks for the most part.
With the Salt Water, Salty Air, few spare parts, little oil, and fuel, they had a pretty hard time of it against the M2 and M3 Tanks but then came the M4 Sherman Tanks largely outclassed them, better vehicles, and in mass, with often very trained troops in them. However-Island was no breeze for the Allied Forces by any means and was a most brutal part of the War. I have some key tanks like the Type-89, Ha-Go light tank, and Chi-Ha Early and Late versions of the Medium Tanks. Now I notice many of the models in my picture shoots here, often have a machine-gun barrel broken off, Antenne or Arial (Receive only) broken off and missing, or something else missing, and as so-I have been fixing many as I go, that is new barrels or antennas, but then if need be cone a darkening wash, or black wash to show the details in the moldings, and a flat “seal Coat” and back into the model case….never to be seen again.
“NEW” IDF, Middle East Armor in 1/35th Scale:
M51, M48 (not my best), Mekava is quite old too, a Modified M113 equally old model, and an Iriqi Modification, they’re worth showing:
“NEW” I Have universal and interchangeable Diorama backgrounds :
First off, the A6M Zero Fighter, of a Pacific Japanese Air Base. And a pile of German Fuel Drums.
