Hello friends. Can someone tell me if this Tiger 131 represented in the Tamiya instructions is the same as the Tiger 131 at the Bovington tank museum? The Tiger at the tank museum has different style numerals on the turret and also has a light olive camouflage. The one in the instructions does not. Thank you!
Yes, this is supposed to represent the same vehicle as found today at Bovington. The Tamiya instructions are simply wrong. Start here;
https://blog.tiger-tank.com/tiger-131/tiger-131-restoration-part-v-a-setback-and-a-repaint/
I’m sure we can sit here and pick apart the errors of the model as well, I’ll leave that for another day. [^o)]
There is plenty of info about this vehicle available online, as well as war-period photos.
I thought that the Bovington Tiger was from 504th Heavy Tank Battalion, and not 501st.
The linked site that Tojo provided is excellent.
From what I see on the instruction sheet pictured above, that is a 501 Tiger. The Bovington Tiger is indeed, as Stik pointed out, from the 504th. It would have the rounded exhaust guards (not angular with slits), only the one pistol port on the left hand side of the turret, and their numbering were smaller red digits - no white outline. There are a few other things …
regards,
Jack
Thank you everyone!
It is easy to model tiger 131. It was captured in April 1943 and has a camo pattern with RAL7008 and 8000 both chipset acurate paints can be found in Vallejo Model Air range and are accurate for Afrika Korps Armour for 1943.
the decals in the Tamiya kit are wrong, but research shows what the real 131 numbers look like and these can be got as AM decals and I do believe that AFT should provide the correct numbers availabe in their dry rub on set (they look like painted on numbers when applied) in this set:
http://www.archertransfers.com/AR35042R.html
You may be able to modify the Tamiya kit to represent Tiger 131, but I think that maybe you should look at RFM’s kit RM-5025 with Friul tracks
http://www.friulmodel.hu/en/atl-25-tiger-i-early-i29/
Aber’s metal barrel to replace the kit one should be fine.
http://www.aber.net.pl/detal,1475.html
You can alter parts to fit walkrounds of Tiger 131 and photos of it after capture. Tamiya Tigers are not really accurate but with time and alterations a reasonable job can be done!
Of course, making a model of what is one of the most famous Tiger I’s needs a personal visit to appreciate the size of the thing and a good close up inspection of this beast because people who view your build when finished automatically become a “Tiger Expert” and will start picking holes.
Somewhere, maybe in German archives or out there on the net will be photos of when this vehicle had just arrived in the desert with a brand new paint job etc. Germans were really good at propoganda.
Good luck with the build
Here is a pic of 131 so you can see the numbers and how they really looked.
http://tiger1.info/photo-page/000528http://tiger1.info/photo-page/000390
And some details regarding the unit and how it was set up.
http://tiger1.info/tank-page/A2H
BK
Thank you both for the help!
Brandon – looks like that’s the one right there!
Your welcome,David’s site is great.
I just hope it looks like a Tiger when I’m done with it Tojo!
All the Tigers from sPzAbt 501 were RAL 8000 with RAL 7008 camo patterns. Due to the haste in the battalion being deployed, some equipment was not fitted right away. You will see RAL 8020 on turret stowage boxes, track tool boxes and some Feifel air cleaners. Tank 142 had Dark Gray Feifels and a RAL 8020 tool box. The turret numbers were tall white outlined digits with no color infill. Later, when the tanks were absorbed by the 10th Pz Div, the numbers were filled in with red. 1st Company of the 501st became 7th Company of 10 Pz Div. and 2nd Company became 8th Company of 10 Pz Div. One tank went from 2nd Co., of the 501st to the 8th Co of the 10th Pz Div., then back to the 7th Co of the 10th Pz Div. It was captured and eventually shipped to the US.
All of sPzAbt 504’s tanks were RAL 8000 with RAL 7008 camo. They were completely outfitted before deployment so no color variations exist unless repairs were repainted. Their turret numbers were smaller and all red. The Bovington Tiger is an example.
These two period photos are probably the best showing the Bovington Tiger, taken after capture. Granted, not the best for making out the turret number 131, but they are there.
regards,
Jack
sPzAbt 501 tanks had a stalking tiger on the front armor plate by the driver’s view slit as a unit insignia. sPzAbt 504 had a white panzer rhomboid on the forward end of the upper hull side plates as a unit insignia.
So technically Stik, the tiger in my instructions should have a stalking tiger emblem?
Not always. I can’t find an image of 131, but this is 112.
The Tamiya decals are not wrong, they just don’t depict or claim to depict the Bovvy Tiger.
I can’t say yes or no on that. Some 501st Tigers had the emblem, some did not. A superb website, Tiger im focus, which is now members only but used to be general access, has photos of most of the known Tigers in Africa. And the detail differences between them. I used it as reference for my Tiger build back in ‘13. But since I’m not a member I can’t access it to say if 501st’s 131 had the insignia. It may have, it may not have had it.
Here is the Bovington Tiger shortly after capture. The 504th insignia plainly visible on the side plate
Star Decals has you covered, Tiger 131 bottom right corner of their sheet:
http://star-decals.net/35-939.html
Converting the Tamiya kit would involve the following:
omit pistol port right ear of turret
add escape hatch turret rear
move headlights to top of hull (though could probably leave them off altogether)
curved exhaust shields
different style of mud flaps (both front and rear)
If you want to model the Bovington Tiger and stick with the Tamiya brand name, you would be better off with kit no.35216 - though it is missing a decal for the cross located on the hull rear. Also refer to TigerInfo site for some minor corrections.
regards,
Jack