espins1, I agree with you! I just rec’d my Panzer IV H&J set and its awesome! Markings for 17 different vehicles AND paint schemes! I just hope the decals work well on zimmerit!
Well…I started into the Hornisse kit a little more yesterday. I have to say that I’ve already made more mistakes on this kit than I did with my last two kits combined. I’m embarressed to admit that I had the glacis plate 180 degrees out of phase. I didn’t realize it until I was reading through the PE set instructions. A little Ajax spray and I was able to pull the glacis off and turn it around. But not without some minor damage to the lower hull and the glacis.
Let’s also add on the fact that this is my first build where I am using a PE. I’m using the Eduard set for the Hornisse. It almost became my last attempt at using PE as well. I fumbled the right front fender pretty good and got frustrated in the process. Fortunately, the left front fender went a little better. With my spirits up I installed a couple more pieces successfully. I won’t go into the other couple of dumbell mistakes I made.
Scott - Make sure you have the Perth Modeling review by Terry Ashley with you when you start your kit - he has a list of 6 - 7 mistakes that are in the instructions. Most are pretty minor but there are a couple of important ones that would definitely foul up a novice like me.
Larry
Thanks for the heads up Larry. I must admit I’m a bit intimidated by the Nashorn kit. I’ve never done an open topped vehicle before, and I’m relatively new to PE. Regardless, it should be a good learning experience. I’m going to try to wrap up a couple of builds before I start mine as I want to be able to devote 100% my time to building my Nashorn, since this is going to be a pretty intense build. [:O]
I’ll check out that review you mentioned. I like to read reviews and builds of kits before I start them, so I can learn from others mistakes… heh heh heh Speaking of which, sorry to hear about your troubles, it happens to the best of us my friend.
As I think I said before, if you don’t have an etchmate, get one, because you’re dead without it. Knife/pliers combinations just don’t work, and while improvised holders are alright (mine was sandwiching the part between 2 razor blades and putting it in a clipboard to bend) you are going to end up with destroyed PE parts without a “fancy” bending tool. Ask me how I know…
Not necessarily. I’m using a machinist ruler to hold the part down and a straight blade (# 21?) to bend my etched parts. I’m also using my drill index quite a lot to curve the ones that needs to be. A pair of twezzers with flat edge, (the one my Fiancee would use) works great to hold the smaller parts, then I use the ruler to bend it. Works great for me.
Is that dragon or eduard PE though? They make their PE from overly thin brass/steel, which makes it easy to bend but not really accurate. If you ever try Aber or voyager, you’ll encounter much thicker sheets that are impossible to bend without an etchmate. I do use pliers and blades for small stuff like tool clasps but fenders and such work much better with an etchmate.
By now, everyone is probably thinking I’m a salesman from Mission Models…
Ah ha! I knew it! [;)] [:D]
Hey guys, I just received 2 books that I ordered from Amazon. Both of these are excellent!
Germany’s Panther Tank The Quest for Combat Supremacy by Thomas L. Jentz
Anything and everything you’d ever want to know about the Panther, all of it’s variants, configurations, production statistics etc. I highly recommend this as THE Panther reference book. One of the things I really like about this book is that the auther has spent decades doing the research and has only used original source material so as to prevent perpetrating the myths and mis-information that keep spewing around the internet and other publications.
Tigers in Combat I by Wolfgang Schneider
This is an excellent book on Tigers and their units. Very good reference as it has a time log for each and every unit that used the Tiger, documents their engagements, kills and losses by date and everthing. This might prove invaluable for those of us building a Tiger I or Tiger II. There is also a 2nd bood that covers the Waffen SS and the named units such as Grossdeutschland. If I had been paying attention I would have order both… oh well, going to go order Tigers in Combat II right now.
OK I’v started on my Jagdpanther inbetween doing research on Hermann Bix but the only problem is I cant find a picture anywhere of his Jagd[%-)]
I’v found loads out about his war career in the 4th Panzer Div where he was platoon leader and scored 75+ kill’s which got him his Knight’s Cross in March of 45,I’v even found pic’s of the man and his family(I’ll put a file together and pass it onto anyone who’s interested when I’v finished)but like I said non of the vehicles he served in.
Can anyone help me out please?
Here’s my progress so far with the build…
This is the Dragon kit and I’v got to say it’s a great kit to build…all I’v really got left to do is build up the indy track and solder and fit the Armourscale barrel then it’s ready for paint.
Looking sharp Glyn! [:)] I will have to add one of those great beast to my stash.
Looks very nice so far Glyn, I can’t wait to see it with some paint. [8D]
Also, I’m digging through my reference books hoping to find a picture of Bix’s JagdPanther, or at the very least one from the 4th Panzer which should give you a decent frame of reference. It will give me something to do while my wife has another chick flick on upstairs (any movie with Diane Keaton in it is always a dreadful chick flick [xx(])
Hiya all! Received my two books yesterday and been reading like mad trying to research Leutnant von Rosen’s history and Tiger IIs in general. The books are
The Combat History of schwere Panzer-Abteilung 503 by J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing
The “King Tiger” Vol. II by Wolfgang Schneider
Lots of good information here. The first book is a must if you are interested in sPzAbt 503, the second if you want more info on King Tiger units and operations. Unfortunately there isn’t much information on von Rosen’s Tiger II. It seems he was in command of a Tiger I during his exploits outside of Caen in July of 44. His Tiger and those of 3 Kompanie duked it out with a bunch of British Shermans (75mm) and Fireflys. His Tiger #311 was damaged by British shelling soon afterwards and later rendered inoperative by Allied carpet bombing. This same carpet bombing totally wiped out nearly all of 3 Kompanie’s Tigers and they were pulled back from the front lines to be refitted with new Tiger IIs. Von Rosen was issued a Tiger II, but there is no indication if it was a Porsche or Henschel turret (the company received 10 Ps and 2 Hs). His new Tiger was also # 311 but it was destroyed during railroad transport by a fighter/bomber attack soon afterwards and there is no indication if it was even used in combat. Later he was issued another Tiger II (H) and the unit was sent to Hungary. No indicaton of what # this Tiger was.
So now I have a question. I really want to build a Tiger II for this group build (as we already have some Tigers, Jagdtigers, Panthers, and Jagdpanthers). It seems that the only sure bet for von Rosen would be Tiger II #311, even though there isn’t any evidence that it was used in combat or what turret it had. Would I be going against the spirit of this GB if I built a Porsche Tiger II #311 in honor of Leutnant von Rosen?
Whatever I build though, these books are fascinating reading! I’d luv to share any of this info.
I have read on two other websites that 311 was a porsche turret. That’s what the dragon kit instructions say too, not that that has any great weight to it…
Good afternoon all,
I’ve been meaning to sit down this week and reply to some your posts and give you an update of my own project as well. However, this is the first opportunity I’ve had.
Where to begin?? [%-)] At the beginning, of course!! [:D]
Glyn - [tup][tup]. Can’t wait to see the finished product! I’ll chk and see if I can’t find something on Bix’s Jadgpanther.
bufflehead - Let me chk thru my copy of Tigers at the Front by Thomas L. Jentz. It’s got a lot of the Porsche Tiger II pics; some during the Normandy campaign.
Hermesminiatures - I’ve had my eye on an Etchmate for a while now. I’ll seriously consider getting one now.
espins - Thanks for suggesting Wolfgang Scnieder’s books. Tigers in Combat II and Tiger I on the Western Front by Jean Restayn will be here next week. Please add the old stand-bys: Panzer Colors I (Camo), II (Army unit markings), & III (Waffen SS unit markings) by Squadron/Signal to the Reference List. I’m not sure if they are still in print or not, but if you ran across a copy @ the hobby shop… SS Armor, Pictorial History of the Armored Formations by Squadron/Signal is still available. Also please add the following to Karl Mobius’ entry on the Ace’s List: SS-Hauptsturmführer Rolf “Karl” Möbius - Company Commander, 1st Company, 101st (Heavy) SS Panzer Battalion (schwere SS Pz.Abt. 101).
[2c] Decals - Someone mentioned aftermarket decals. I’d like to suggest Archer Fine Transfers. These are Dry Transfer decals and can be used as Wet transfer with the proper preparation. I’ve used them as Dry transfer only and can’t speak about the Wet transfer process. I’ve used the Generic Stencil Lettering (white) and some of the flags (US 48 star,Russian,British) and found them to be of the best quality and very easy to work with. What I like the most is they unconditionally guarantee their stuff. If I [censored] it up, I can get new ones - chk out the FAQ page.
I got my aluminum barrel and Fruilmodel tracks earlier this week and will must likely start the track assembly first - I want to dig deeper and see if I can’t find a photo of Mobius’ Tiger. So far I’ve found pics of the 1st Company, 3rd Platoon leader’s Mid Prod. and a late model Tiger I from the 1st company, but can’t see a turret number. Not too great a loss - I’m going to build a Mid Production model - I hope! [;)]. Additionally, this will give me time to clear the Matilda II, M60A1 Blazer, M60A2, Char B1 bis, and M26 Dragon Wagon w/ Wirbelwind off the bench [8-].
I’ve got Monday and Tuesday off and then it’s back to the grindstone. I’ll make the most of my time and hope to reply to the RFI’s (Request for Information) before Wednesday. Time to get to bench! [party].
-thePostman
ok 1st the serious part
comet won’t it be alot harder to paint the inner areaof the chassis and the wheels that way?
2nd the not serious or half serious part
how about a m-47 patton tank as in the battle of the bulge the command tank of the character played by Robert Shaw
Espins, can you check in your new Panther book to see if any German Panzer Acres used any early Panther Gs in the 3rd Pz Rgt, 12 Pz Div “Hitlerjugend” in the Ardennes 1944, or the Pz Abt 1, Pz Rgt 1, 1 Pz Div “LAH” in Normandy 1944? As a last resort, maybe you can check on Panthe “I14” from the Pz Rgt 27 19 Pz Div in Warsaw 1944. These are the versions of the Panther offered in Dragon’s 1/72 scale kit with molded on Zimm. If I can’t find any Aces that were in these units that used this Panther then I’ll have to bow out of this one. I’m coming up dry with every internet search. I keep getting the same old sites and none of them give me any info. I’d love to do this, but it’s getting harder and harder to find anything.
Back to the shovel to keep digging…
well duke to help you out a lil I know someone here was talking about a gentleman thats always on the history chanel(hope someone else can remeber his name) he was an ace in the “Hitlerjugend” and in normandy they were using G’s. Hitlerjugend.
there is a site that gives some names of tankes from HJ and some of them are NC winners they dont give #s of tanks but it will help track down aces
Hi Duke,
I did some preliminary digging and found some charts with Panther counts for the 12th SS and when they received additional replacements. I need to do some further digging to found out if the first batch was Ausf. A or Ausf. G. The replacements they received for the Ardennes campaign were most likely early Ausf. G. I’m doing some “honey do’s” at the moment, but when I get a chance I’ll dig a little deeper, and also get the info on LAH and 10th Pz. Div.
Ah yes, I have the 3 Panzer Colors books, good stuff. There are a few errors in them, but for the most part they are a good reference. They are out of print, but can still be found on e-bay. I think I picked up my set about 2 years ago for around $45 if I remember correctly. I’ll add them to the reference list as soon as I get a chance. [:)]
I have a History Channel episode recorded on my DVR where he was interviewed. I’ll pull it up in a bit and get you his name. I know his name but can’t think of it at the moment… [:O]