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Post by quincannon on Dec 30, 2019 20:39:32 GMT
Since Ian and I often drift off subject on other threads and considering we are both interested in military modeling, I thought it appropriate to create a thread dedicated to the subject. This is not exclusively for us alone, as many who are interested in military history, generally have a like interest in models dealing with military subjects. I for instance have a great interest in the Guadalcanal Campaign, therefore the ships of the navies that participated United States, Australia, and Japan. The model helps me visualize what I am reading.
So to continue the discussion on Lee tanks in the 13th Armored Regiment, I must say having Sherman's, Lee's and Stuart's in the same regiment must have driven mechanics, and logisticians alike stark raving mad keeping the PLL up to date and the proper parts flowing to the user.
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Post by yanmacca on Dec 30, 2019 20:56:41 GMT
So to continue the discussion on Lee tanks in the 13th Armored Regiment, I must say having Sherman's, Lee's and Stuart's in the same regiment must have driven mechanics, and logisticians alike stark raving mad keeping the PLL up to date and the proper parts flowing to the user. Pretty much so Chuck, even after the Lee was made obsolete, the tank itself still found work as M31 and M32 armoured recovery vehicles. both based on M3 Lee tank. Nearly 670 of these vehicles saw service probably with armoured units. The US Army also had hundred M12 GMC too, which was also based on the Lee. So spare parts had to made available.
We also had a problem with keeping osolete vehicles running, just look at the Crusader and Valentine, we kept them going in some shape or other as artillery tractors, SP AT and SP AA gun platforms. We also kept the Grant on too, with the Grant CDL [about 335 converted].
Ian
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Post by quincannon on Dec 31, 2019 21:01:23 GMT
Slim used the Grant, and maybe a Lee or two in Burma until the end of the war, Obsolete or not it was better than anything the Japanese could use against them, much better,
Took advantage of one of those after Christmas sales and bought seven carriers and a destroyer, all at half price or better, with free shipping. Soyru, Zuikaku, Amago, Callahan, Yorktown(CV10), Hornet (CV8), Saratoga, and Hancock. I will be quite busy for some time with all these toys.
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Post by yanmacca on Jan 1, 2020 19:54:21 GMT
Hi Chuck, where the hell are these after Christmas sales? I have not seen one except for electrical or clothes, certainly no model kits.
Included in the box full of old unmade kits I found in the loft are nine Hasegawa kits. There is another kit manufactured by a French company called Heller which is a Somua tank. There are also four or five Airfix kits too, but I have noticed that they are all in different scales, the Hasegawa are in 1/72, but the Airfix are in 1/76.
I really hate the way companies make their kits in different scales, I mean the difference between 1/76 and 1/72 is small but really noticeable. But it doesn’t end there, I have a few Airfix StuG IIIs and if I place them next to my Matchbox Pz IIIs they are different in length, but seeing that both Matchbox and Airfix are 1/76 and the Pz III and StuG III are the same vehicle, they should match up perfectly.
Ian
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Post by quincannon on Jan 1, 2020 20:34:33 GMT
Freetime Hobbies in Georgia. They are moving locations this month, and are trying to reduce stock before they move, so they won't have to move as much I suppose. Plus January is the traditional month for inventory here in the States, so it is also a good business move to reduce inventory as much as possible.
It think Natchbox and Airfix make their armor in 1/76 to capitalize on the HO Scale railroad modeling there in the UK. I am told that model railroading is the most popular hobby in the UK, second only to gardening.
Heller is an odd man out as far as ships are concerned with 1/400. Only built a couple and I think they are of inferior quality, with very old technology.
Most of the Japanese and Chinese companies limit themselves to 1/350 and 1/700 for ships, although there are a few exceptions. Of all of them I believe Tamiya to be the best, and certainly the easiest to build. The Chinese would over-complicate a steel ball, giving you six parts where one part would do nicely. One note though, if the Japanese or Chinese ever advertise their kits as "easy build" be assured they are not,
I do understand though that MING makes the best armor, but all in larger scale. I have their Lexington (one of only four ships they have put out so far) in my almost done pile, and it is an excellent kit both in quality of material and model engineering. The other Chuck, the assistant manager at my local hobby shop tells me that he can't keep MING armor kits in stock. They are expensive though.
Your 1/76 and 1/72 issues are exactly the reason I like these Team Yankee, Flames of War products in 1/100 (15mm). They are all the same scale, and look quite nice when displayed together. I also found that they are much easier to build and finish when you paint the parts before assembly, then touch up the paint if necessary after they are assembled.
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Post by yanmacca on Jan 1, 2020 20:46:46 GMT
I think that my hands are tied on the scale point of view, as it seems like I shot myself in the foot by buying over a 1000 infantry figures in 1/72 scale. I remember painting a 1/72 a Revell German Infantry section and placing them next to a 1/76 Matchbox SD.KFZ 250/1 APC and saying to myself that no way could even half of those figutes would fit in that. Its the same with airfix tanks, place a Ravell 1/72 US Infantry squad next to a Airfix 1/76 Sherman and it looks stupid.
Trouble was I notice that years ago that the ammount of choice you got in 1/76, was nowhere near the choice you had in 1/72, that is how I managed to add Polish and Romanian figures to my collection. I my idea was to try and paint up a Infantry company from every major player in WW2, and I gave it a good go to, I havent checked for years but I am close, mainly because the WW2 Hungarians look like late WW1 Germans and a few other countries dressed similar to the French, complete with the adrian helmet, just had to change the uniform colour.
Ian
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Post by quincannon on Jan 2, 2020 5:37:31 GMT
Oddly enough Ian, what you describe is the very reason people model, that being to produce something as close to real life as possible. If you ever get to the point where you are satisfied with your own work, it is time to give it up, and take up knitting. The objective will always be just out of reach. That's why we keep on trying. On a lighter note, there is not one in ten that would notice the difference between 1/76 and 1/72. You would. I would, but the rest of the world would never notice. Don't be your own worst enemy by being over-critical of what you produce. Enjoy what you do. That's why you do it, to enjoy
I gave up on trying to make ships depict a moment in time. I tried for a long time, and filled trash cans with my failures. Then I decided to just do them my way, that being to replicate the instructional models of WWII in a different scale. So now I do them all in one color, a standard gray that is the average of what all navies used, something very close to Admiralty 507B, For carriers if they have a wooden deck that gets painted in a deck tan. The stack caps and perhaps a few other highlights are added in black, then in the case it goes. The idea with the prototype instructional models was to portray the recognition/recognizable features of the ship, and not get deep into this shade or that. I am happier, and so is the trash man
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Post by yanmacca on Jan 2, 2020 11:36:55 GMT
Morning Chuck, it really surprised me how out of touch I was with the painting techniques used by todays modeller as these were not around when I was wargaming. Just watch this short film as it is only 10 minutes long, but in Spanish, but it doesn’t matter.
This is the plastic soldier company kit which I got this Christmas and it is in 1/72, the kit allows you to build three out of the five versions of the Sd.Kfz 231, any one of the five can be built from this box, so he has chosen the three he wants to build.
Watch how he paints these vehicles into Afrika Korps colours. He starts with painting the basic model with panzer grey and then re-sprays them with desert sand, then rubs off the sand to so patches of grey which is what the vehicles would look like after weathering in the desert. His attention to detail on such a small scale vehicle is amazing.
Ian
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Post by yanmacca on Jan 2, 2020 11:49:39 GMT
Back to the scale issue, imagine if I put as much effort into making my kits as that Spanish geezer did with his and then mix the scales up. That to me would be a waste of time as placing both scales of tanks and figures on the table top, would really look stupid. I wish that plastic soldier company did as many 1/72 as their 15mm scale, which is much larger and contains a lot of soft skin vehicles, which is what I like, as every army has these types of vehicles at every level.
My next purchase is the Mk III kit which gives you three early versions of the Pz Mk III before it got up gunned and up armoured in 1942. Contrary to what some say, none of the panzer IIIs used in the invasion of France in 1940, had 50mm guns, they were all 37mm and none of the panzer IIIs which arrived in the desert in 1941 had the 37mm gun, all had 50mm L/42. I am going to make either the ausf G, H or J, with the 50mm L/42, which is what made up the bulk of Rommel’s battle tanks circa 1941-43.
Ian
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Post by quincannon on Jan 2, 2020 16:49:19 GMT
There were a couple of very instructive videos that I reached with that link Ian. The other one I watched was some fellow painting a Tiger.
What I did note was in both cases they painted the models already assembled. They did the base coat with an air brush, and an air brush can make all the difference in how you go about the assembly process. I don't own one so I rely on spray cans for doing base color work. Works fine on ships, that I have previously assembled, because I don't even try to super detail them, making them more like the recognition models I am trying to duplicate in a different scale as I described above. Armor is another proposition entirely. Getting to the treads and road wheels after assembly really cannot be done properly if the model is assembled. Another thing I like about the 15mm's is that the fit is so tight, you can paint them disassembled, then assemble them without the assembly showing. Maybe a touch up here and there, but that's all.
I particularly like the methods the modelers used in both videos to weather the models. Also noticed that both used Vallejo paints, which are for my money the gold standard.
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Post by quincannon on Jan 2, 2020 19:47:21 GMT
I found a dealer in Michigan who carries Plastic Soldier Company Kits. They seem to offer a few more in 15mm than 1/72. Have you a preference between these two scales. I am at a crossroads here. The WWII stuff from Plastic Soldier looks great, and there is enough pre-built/painted armor to fill in the areas they do not have. On the other hand, my hobby shop carries a full line of 15mm (Team Yankee/Flames of War etc). I really don't know where to go in choosing between the two scales. You advice would be helpful. I must admit that I have the Armor bug, and may put ships aside for the time being.
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Post by yanmacca on Jan 2, 2020 20:54:36 GMT
I chose 1/72 because of the range of figures available in that scale, if you use Flames of war vehicles and add their range of figures too, then you should be fine Chuck. I wish I had an airbrush, I have not checked but they used to be so expensive years ago, so I stuck with my brushes. I know a Dutch guy who has a great site which deals with AFV kits, his name is Henk. I have had contact with him in the past so I may ask him if he knows what AFVs will go with PSC. I noticed that they don't do a sdkfz 222 or 221, which is vital if you want to compose a Panzerspah company. What is the deatail like on that 15mm stuff? You do find a lot of stuff is already molded to the hull, stuff like tools and spades etc. Some would rather prefer to add them, but I don't mind either.
Ian
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Post by quincannon on Jan 2, 2020 23:30:37 GMT
Well I followed your advice with 1/72 and ordered a Sherman/Firefly just a few moments ago from that place in Michigan. Part of the decision was based on the armor compatibility in the same scale as aircraft. Tell the truth I am sort of burnt out on ships, and look forward to going in a different direction. That Spanish guy really did a wonderful job in bringing that armored car to life.
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Post by yanmacca on Jan 3, 2020 0:34:32 GMT
It depends what your focus is on Chuck, as I have always liked building DAK vehicles, from around the 1941 period. My focus is to try and build a recce company based on the vehicles which served in Africa. The basis for this force would be to have one heavy platoon and two light platoons. I have done a lot of reserch for these types of units and how they split their platoons, as you will find that the eight wheeled cars were split up and used to add weight to the lighter four wheeled cars. They also had a couple of 75mm armed cars usually kept at the company HQ along with a eight wheeled radio vehicle, similar to what we see here;
That is my focus, to try and emulate that link, but to try and scale it down a little if I can.
What you could do is try and build two M4 platoons and add say a M3 light tank platoon along with a couple of M8 GMCs, plus a few HQ M4s. That is what is good about PSC, they give you three tanks per box, so that you can build a platoon must faster and cheaper.
Ian
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Post by quincannon on Jan 3, 2020 4:45:13 GMT
What you are referring to, is what our cavalry troops called scrambling, basically a cross attachment of scouts and tanks, for a specific, but temporary, purpose.
I am not interested at all in building units or gaming. I just want to build a collection of the various types of fighting vehicles throughout the 20th and into the 21st century. My plan with the Sherman/Firefly is to build one of each, and probably hold onto one un-built for future trade. Gaming is very big here in CS, so I am fairly certain I can arrange a swap. So I guess you could say that like ships the vehicle model is a representation of history that brings the written page alive. When I read that thus and so happened, I can look at the model and visualize what must have happened. Long way to go before I can really have a big enough collection to put that idea in practice
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