I need some help here people. I just picked up the Tamiya Wespe and German Assault Troops in Wimter Gear. The Wespe crew comes in winter gear but I can find no reference of them in any winter battles. The markings with the kit are all for spring/summer battles.
Any help here would be most appreciated.
Thanks
be patient, but if you draw a blank here, try over on missing lynx:
http://www.missing-lynx.com/index.htm
look in the discussion forums, then axis.
regards,
Nicholas
Well, according to Ian Baxter’s “German Armored Warfare of W.W.2 the unpublished photos” there were 683 Wespes built between '42 and’44 almost all served on the Eastern front.The book shows only summer photos but they must have been there in the winter. Still searching for photos on web.
Welcome to the forums.
The Panzer Grey and Green camo’d vehicle denoted as “Spring” 1942 in the Tamiya instructions is actually just before the full thaw and based on this pic
As you can see there is still snow in the background, however this picture shows an early vehicle in gray colouring. The base vehicle colour of dunkelgelb was in use before the camo uniform was issued, and it would be unlikely that the crew would have a gray vehicle when issued with the suits.
The camo suit was reversable, with one side being white the other either splinter pattern or water pattern camoflage. Painting them in a camo pattern would allow you to model a vehicle in early spring or late autumn, giving you more variety of deployment.
Here is another pic of a later used Wespe, unit unknown:
The Wespe was used on all fronts, not just the Russian Front, some of the early varients even seing action in North Africa. It was in common use with both Wermacht and SS Panzer Artillery units.
Hey ,I’m just quoting the book ,it said almost all.
Not knocking you Stug. A lot of books have info not quite right, and I’m sorry to say that, that particular book is not that accurate - especially the “unpublished photographs” claim. Many pics in that book are more commonly seen than the stars in the night sky.
As to the wespe, I have pictures of them in Italy, The Balkans, Normandy, NW europe, etc.
If you want more help on specific units, I suggest you post a thread “A Question for Peridexion”. I know he has access to several Order of Battle listings.
ive got a list of who used the Wesp but its too long to type out
did you know that the markings stay on there all year round,