Thought I’d share a few wips from one of my “pet” projects. And for a change its not commission stuff - its for my own Project '46 wargaming stash. Anyway thought I’d start with a few of the new 1/72nd Cromwell Xperimental releases …
First up is the T28/T95 GMC Assault tank. Technically an SPG rather than a Tank it was an attempt to provide a vehicle cabable of Bunker busting through the Siegfried line. In the event the line fell before the tank was completed and it was never required.
For those interested it weighed in at a massive 95tons and so proved that the allies were equally capable of producing impractical designs. The surviving prototype vehicle was “re-discovered” in a field in 1974 and is now on display at the Patton Cavalry and Armour Museum in Kentucky.
The next is from a series of Heavy Tank designs, T29/T30/T32/T34 which were hurriedly rushed onto the drawing board as it was thought that the Pershings wouldnt be capable of coping with the heavier German designs if the war dragged on. Based on a stretched and uparmoured M26 chassis mounting a new 105mm gun, the combat weights would have been around the 70ton range.
Ok while not experimental I thought I’d chuck this in anyway as its still pretty rare - the Krupp 12.8 cm PaK 44. Called for after problems dealing with Russian armour during 1943, the first prototypes were delivered for testing during late '44. Weighing in at 11tons however it wasnt a practical field mount and only 50 were produced, mounted on a mix of ex French and Soviet chassis.
And a true X-Tank this time as it existed only as a design brief. Originally part of the Geschutzwagen-Grille series the version shown here is based on a drawing for a Sturmpanzer using the same chassis and weapon as the Grille30 and originally proposed in 1943 by Krupp. The weapon is a Skoda 305mm GrW L/16 mortar while the chassis is the modifed TigerII/Panther hybrid. As proposed it would have weighed in at a crazy 120tons, interestingly the Sturmtiger was designed and produced after this proposal …
Always neat to see the “what if” type of designs…definitely some crazy things going on with both sides in terms of considering various scenarios and eventualities. Nice little collection you’ve got going there!
That’s the $64000 question Manny. Cromwell, while producing EXCELLENT kits, is a very small operation and the owner, Gordon Brown, has had to handle family affairs. As such, their output seems to far lag behind demand. Ordering direct from them seems to be the only half-way reliable means to get the kits. I don’t think any stores handle their wares due to the production issues.
But that being said, I can vouch for them 100% that the kits are suh-WEET! I built up their Churchill Mk IV, their 8.8cm Flak 41 and have yet to finish their 12.8cm Krupp Pak 44 (all in 1/35 scale).
Although its not something I normally do this time I checked my stash of ref pics during assembly to make sure eveything got in the right place … :blink:
And a couple of minor issues. The elevation balance rams are too short, by about 2.5mm. If glued in place as is, the weapon will sit quite nose down. Its an issue because the shield rests on the top face of them. The shield should really be a little further forward, on the real thing when the gun is level the shield should be above the rams and not parallel, the gap has about a 10o difference to it. I think to make things easy and for a bit of extra strength they decided to use the rams for support.
Anyway I cut off the ram end connectors and added some pins of the right length. The detail isnt correct but it does the job and gives the weapon the right “sit” … no other issues at all with assembly on the PaK.
And did the OD base on the Americans. I dont do a lot of US stuff and so I must admit US OD is a bit of a mystery to me. It looks like so nondesript and can vary hugely in shade as it weathers. After much review of my “net” model pic collection and looking up some online discussions I decided on a shade I wanted to represent.
So I always prime with enamel, in this case ModelMaster OD. This is a bit grey and light for the top colour I had in mind but its really only for coverage so its not critical. I do all my top coats with Acrylics so this is a mix of Vallejo OD and GW Catachen Green. I intend to add a slightly brownish hue to it during the blending process.
And I guess I should make a brief mention of assembly on these guys too although this is probably more of a PLOG (painting log) than anything else.
The T28 needed a little care. The right hand outer track unit was a little lonnger than the main hull. Without seeing another kit its hard to tell whether its differential shrinkage or the master at fault. Anyway I had to even the difference out with a little overhang both front and back. The mountings used to bolt the two sections together then didn’t line up either so I cut them and re-joined them. I replaced the legs on the cupola with brass rod for a bit of added strength, all else was fine.
The T29 only had a few minor breakages. Some of the very finely cast lifting rings and a few track duck-bills were shipping casualties. I replaced the track extenders and will do the lifting rings later. I also leave off most of the fiddly bits until the base colours are laid in. Because I brush it saves on breakages while handling …
Just a side note regarding the 12.8cm Krupp Pak 44. You mentioned that some fifty were mounted on other chasses, ex-French and Russian.
Ian Hogg states as much but the fact is the Krupp and Rheinmetall Pak 44s only had prototypes completed. None were constructed for actual deployment. Indeed, the barrels were mostly diverted to be used with the french and russian chasses – but these fell under the Kanone 81 project nomenclature.
Here’s a pic of my Azimut kit of the 12.8cm K 81
I know this is a nitpick but wanted to add this to the discussion. I have the Krupp Pak 44 in 1/35 and it’s a beauty – no issues with the recoil springs’ length though.
Thns Roy - and hey, not a nitpick, good info!!! I must admit when I was digging around looking for pictures the couple of refs I found were a bit fuzzy - to me anyway [:D] I actually thought the K8 series were the ones used for the AFV mount in the Jagdtiger.
As an aside I’m kinda hoping Gordon will also scale down the Rheinmetall version from their 1/35 kit …
No, you’re correct about the K81 series using the same mountings as in the Jagdtiger (in my build up, I used a Jagtiger aftermarket barrel). In the write up about the unused Pak 44 barrels, it does say that they were diverted to the K81 series – however, I’ve only seen the K81 pics with the Jagdtiger-type gun assemblies – none from the exotic Pak 44 series.
And my entry in the “mine is bigger than yours” competition [:D]
The PaK44 and Krokodil with the base coat on. Primed with Tamiya TS-3 “Rattlecan” Dark yellow and base coated with Humbrol 83 enamel.
And decided to try a Luftwaffe style two tone splinter camo on the Bar. Oh forgot to mention no assembly issues with this one - might be because it came pretty much as one big piece!! I coudlnt resist making things difficult though and drilled through the hull and pinned the main armament so it could elevate …
Finally the US heavies with the pre-shade on … I use thinned GW Black to shade the panels and edges. This then gets drybrushed back until its almost completely blended and that becomes the base for all the weathering
I wish someone would do that Krokodile in 1/35-I LOVE the look of that tank destroyer!
Ahhhh hadn’t intended to post that - it slipped in [:D] might as well add it in too. And so yeah, yet another vehicle on the bench at the moment - its getting crowded on there.
Anyway its a version of the E-100 17cm KwK44 Jadgpanzer “Krokodil”. Another of the design brief proposals for the E100 chassis. I wouldnt even like to guess the combat weight on this one and of course the gun length probably means it isnt for street fighting … Again no issues with assembly, its all supplied in one impressive piece of resin. The lights mounted on the front right glacis plate were broken off in the bag during shipping but thats no biggy, prevented me from breaking them off during painting anyway.
BTW theres a couple of manufacturers that make model versions commonly without the hull extending down over the tracks. Kora make a conversion set in 1/72nd, Ken Overby does a full resin model in 72nd as do Finecast and finally Gasoline does a 1/48th resin kit.
Brent, great work going on here, the subject choice is killer. I know from your other posts that the finishes are going to be super. Keep posting the progress on these little gems, and thanks for sharing. I must admit I got lost in the link on the Krokodil, its just a fantastic vehicle.
Thnx Terry, yeah that Krokodil is an awesome looking vehicle. My plan is for a unit of three … probably as crazy and as impractal as the real vehicle. Anyway I hope to get another Cromwell one and one of the Kora conversions for some variety.
Shading blended back by drybrushing, then lightened …
Also the Bar with its base colour and then shading added. Did the gun barrel in blue grey to represnt the laquer finish used on replacement barrels. Painted red-oxide under the sponsons and on some of the wheels to represent the use of primered parts to speed up production and also for a “faux” camo effect … thats my story anyway!
cromwell has a lot of verry good kits, i’ve got 8 of them myself.
if you come across them at a convention or something … buy what you can. his website is now out the air for almost 6 moths now. they also do some stuff in 1/35 but i forgot wich, sorry.
your builds lookin verry good, like your painting aswell.
Progress on the Bar, my attempt at the Luftwaffe style splinter camo. Firstly drybrushed back the shading, then layed in the camo by hand. Wasnt too sure about it as I was doing it but I think it ended up ok.
And admit I was a little stumpted at how to paint the Krokodil. Sometimes too much blank canvas is a bad thing. Eventually came up with a plan - decided to “Winterise” it. Actually it was my brothers idea - a good one though despite all that [:D]
Early days yet but I’m hoping that it ends up a bit like these guys when finished …
Pin wash outlining done then lightly drybrushed to soften. On the winter finish the drybrush is kept to a minimum so as not to belach out the “streaky whitewash” effect.
And another diversion - oh no ! [:O] Actually its not so much a diversion as a timely rescue of an old and stalled project, my Hummel SPW. Its been languishing in the drawer for almost 2 years now as I couldnt decide what camo to put on it. I get a block sometimes, esp where I’ve put in a bit of work and then get afraid to splash paint on and stuff it up. Anyway I think it’ll make a great partner for the Krokodil and will probably finish a few vehicles in a matching witer scheme.
Also a little bit of crew selection happening … crews Figs are going to be a mixture from various AB sets and one lone Milicast US tank driver (in the T28) cause I liked the flying style helmet he was wearing …
