Renault R35 in german service!

[This article was updated March 16]

Renault R35. Crew: Driver and Commander. Commander is both gunner and loader.

When reading that I was going to need four R35 tanks in a Normandy scenario I thought “No way – that’s never gonna happen!”. I was thinking that I could use Panzer III’s instead, but the differences between a Panzer III and a R35 was too big. There wasn’t any way around it – I had to buy, build and paint that crap. And the fact that they was quit expensive, didn’t make me feel better. I could have got 6 Dragon Jagdtigers for the same price – but as I didn’t know what to do with that many Jagdtigers I just bought those stupid mini tanks.

This are my first product from the polish company RPM. I didn’t have very high expectations that they would be of high quality – but this would be proved wrong. Actually there’s only three things I can complain about: the plastic is a little bit too soft, the tracks aren’t detailed on the surface pointing outwards and the turret dosn’t have any fitting to make it stay on the tank as most models have. But the plastic that is a little bit soft, as I said, is instead very easy to work with so if you just take care this isn’t a very big problem. I can’t remember building a model where the pieces fits together as good as on this model (here Italeri could really learn something). The model is richly detailed and quit fun to build.

I have built the first one now, and will build the rest at the same time now when I know which steps I can skip. But first I have to fix my problems with not having any details on the tracks and the turret that can’t be fixed to the tank. Funny but right now I think this stupid little tank is very cool – I can’t wait to paint them and to see the faces of the guys that gonna have to play german in this scenario! :)

Here is some pictures:

You could easily put 25 of those tanks into one box when they are built.

It is a mystery why they made the tracks like this…

I let my new and lovely Dremel fix the problem for me. It didn’t take many minutes to do.

Putting some Tamiya Texture Paint onto the tracks will hopefully make them look nice and muddy, while I hide the details that isn’t there.

This is how the turret looks like, I guess that the meaning is to glue it onto the tank… I will try to fix this.

This is not a very big tank, haha… The AB figure looks like a giant next to it.

This is compared to a Sdkfz. 251… crazy!

[Update] All four are built now – next will be to “dunkelgelb” them.

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[Update – 2010-03-16]

It have been I while since I have posted anything concerning my modelbuilding projects, to be honest I have been a little bit tired of all building and had the need to be together with my girlfriend, watch some soccer on the telly and use some time on another interest of mine – photography.
On this little project with my R35’s all I have done has been to start painting them (first a dunkelgelb cote sprayed on to the models and then using the dipping technique on them, but instead of literally “dipping” them I did add the stain with a brush).
Before that I tried to make some research on how this tanks, used by germans in Normandy, was painted and which style they used for the turret numbers. I was lucky to find a webpage where a guy that have made some really detailed research on the subject, wrote about exactly the same tanks that I am building for this scenario, tanks from the Panzer Ersatz und Ausbildungs Abteilung 100. So by reading his reseach on the matter I now know that my 4 tanks shall all be painted in typical german dunkelgelb. The turret numbers shall be white with black outline, and the numbers shall be 522, 523 and 532. The last tank, probably a command tank will not have any turret numbers but instead have a inverted Balkenkreuz, a white cross with black outlines – quit special. The tank with the number 532 are going to have an ordinary Balkenkreuz on the hull. If you are interested in this tanks that fought in the La Fiere battle you have to read this articles:

First article (by Niels Henkemans)
Second article
Third article

Another thing I have been doing on this tanks have been to fix the problem with the turrets that didn’t have any way to be fixed to the hull and still be able to rotate, which aren’t very smart when using them for wargaming. I made a quit time consuming fix for this which can be seen on the image below:

Fixing the turret for Wargaming…

But Luis, a fellow wargamer wrote a comment and later sendt me an email expaining and showing how he did solve the same problem. I think that Luis way to fix it is by far the best. He simply glued a washer in the hull (the word “washer” confused me, hehe, didn’t know that it is a flat metal ring) and a piece of magnet sheet in the turret. Thank you very much for this tip Luis! :-)

Next step will be to paint details on the tanks, make the mud look more realistic and then add the decals that I had to order from Archers Fine Transfers.

Panzer III in Sicily (2)

This two Panzers I finished today. I’m quit satisfied with result, especially as they are the cheep fast assembly one’s from Italeri.

They are painted using two different techniques to achieve the weathering effect. On the Panzer III Ausf. J I used the Hairspray technique and on the PzBeobWg III i just used a thin brush to paint chips on to the vehicle. Both models has been washed with Army Painter’s Quickshade, and after that got a drybrush.

The PzBeobWg conversion was quit easy to do, using some plastic and Milliput. The antenna I’m not very happy with, I will try to make a new one later…

Read more about the painting and conversion of this tanks here!

Panzer III Ausf. J

PzBeobWg III

Panzer III’s in Sicily (1)

I will need some Panzer III’s in my Sicily campaign. A couple with 50mm gun, one with the short barreled 7.5 cm gun and a PzBeobWg III.
I bought two boxes of Italeri’s splendid “fast assembly 2in1 box” models, the only negative thing I can say about them is that the tracks aren’t very detailed, but I guess that this can’t be different when using that few parts on a model. Two of the tanks was not converted, the third that will be converted into the PzBebWg, and the last I will convert to a Flammpanzer (to my Normandy project). Beside the fast assembly tanks I bought one more Panzer III from Italeri (the Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. M/N). This is a great model because it comes with both the short barrel and the long one, but also a Flammethrower barrel which I will need to my Flammpanzer!

On two of the Panzers I have done some experimenting – I used both the hairspray technique and the dipping methode (but with a brush). This is how it looks right now, still need to give them some drybrushing, and cover the ugly tracks with dust or something… I’m happy with the result, but have been through too many steps to get this far… so I don’t think I will use the hairspray technique too often in the future. The dip on vehicles seems to be a succes so that I for sure will do again.

Panzer III with 50mm gun

PzBeobWg III with dummy gun
I didn’t need to do that much converting to make a PzBeobWg III. Carve some holes, sand a little bit and use some Milliput. The dummy barrel I made out of one of the spare barrels that came in the box. The antenna I will make out of a guitar string.

The two lower pieces are the converted one’s, this plus adding a little piece in the back (the cylindric looking piece in back of the tank, that can be seen on the two pictures above this) where the antenna is going to be, is what I had to change to make the conversion.

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[Update] I had to deal with the tracks that isn’t very detailed. I used an old trick that most of you probably already know – super glue and baking soda, it gives a nice sand/dusty look and is supposed to cover up the details that isn’t there…

This post will be updated as soon as the vehicles is done.

Combat Engineers in Sicily

While my Normandy terrain project is on stand by, until me and my girlfriend moves into our new apartment (my girlfriend won’t let me use the kitchen anymore) I have thrown myself over a new project: Skirmish Elite: Combat Jump Sicily! I will skip the first missions where US fight Italians, and focus on the last 5 missions – US against Germans.

This M6 Dodge WC52 is one of the models I need to build. It belongs to a US Combat Engineer Team. The model is converted from Italeri’s M6 Anti Tank. The team will carry Bangalore torpedos, demolition charges and a mine detector.

A little warning to those of you that want to build this model! The wheel suspension is too high which make the truck look like a monster-truck. I fixed this by not using the models suspension at all – a conversion that is not easy, but with some patience it can be fixed.

Figures are Milicast and AB Figures. Stowages from Goffy and SHQ.

The Bangalore box is made out of balsa, this still need some sanding. The wire in the hand of one of the soldiers will be the mine detector. I will give the truck some drybrush and then chip it – and of course paint the wheels and all the stowage. The figures still need to be cleaned and get some milliput in the gaps where arms and heads have been glued to the body. Figures are Milicast. Stowages from Goffy and SHQ.

This is the figures when unseated. The guy to the left will be converted so that he carries Bangalores instead of his weapon. They are all AB Figures.

The bangalore guy got his hands full… easy task to replace the rifle with some iron wire.

After I had put Milliput into holes and gaps on the figures I had lots of Milliput left. So I made the bag laying on the box back in the truck. It is supposed to look like the bag that the Mine detector guy carries along with him with some apperature in it. It is ages since I tried to create something in Milliput – it is more fun than I remember.

The mine detector guys has his equipment ready. I know that the detector could be folded, but I think this way is more eye catching. Later on I shift the wire in the mine detector to a thinner wire – a guitar string actually.

Here’s the truck ready to go!!!

M8 Greyhounds in Normandy

Here are some M8’s that I enjoyed building. They are from Italeri – a very nice model I must say. The decals was by far the biggest task when making these models! The stars in the front was a living nightmare, I couldn’t get them to stick on the surface as it was not flat – I have tried this before without problems, but this one’s just wouldn’t work, so I ended up drying the transfers and sticking them to the vehicle with a matt coat, which made it a little bit easier.

A vehicle registration that should sit on the side of the vehicles was all to big so I skipped them. And the yellow markings also needed a little extra work as you only get numbers for one vehicle (C-30), but this was quit easy to fix with some cutting and painting.

A fellow member, on one the forums I visit, pointed out that the US M8’s didn’t have the muzzle flash suppressor, they are now cut off, but that happened after this pictures was taken.

As said before, the models are from Italeri. The figures are Milicast, stowage are from Goffy Models and SHQ.

The front wheel skirts was removed on this vehicle to make a little difference between the them. I choosed to do this on vehicle number 32 as this number was the hardest one to make (without the skirts I only have to make numbers on one of the sides…)