I picked up this set at a LHS a few weeks ago. I thought it was a very intruiging subject, and have been enjoyed Zvezda figre sets in the past.
So today I sat down at my work desk and knocked out building them. I gotta say these figures were a pleasant suprise. The fit was great, detail was nicely molded, and even the heads/faces look pretty good. On par with Dragons stuff of a few years ago. Anyways teh set comes with three sets of dogs and handlers. I know there was some controversy with folks on here when this set was announced. But when one thinks about war as a whole, it is cruel,not just to animals, but to all.
All three sets of dogs and handlers
Walking handler with dog
Crouching handler, commanding alerting dog
Prone handler giving cover to advancing dog
All dogs are currently seperate from their handlers, but I will likely be attaching one if not both of the leashed dogs to their handlers.
Interesting this offends some people, it was a terrible conflict for all.
People often are more humane to animals than each other, look at modern medicine prolonging life when really the person wants and needs final peace with their creator.
Well to put the loyalty of man’s best friend in context I would fight to the death for my mutt, I know he would do the same.
In Vietnam dogs were used for many missions that required scent identification. They scouted ahead on trails for traps and ambushes, saving lives for their sacrifices. Also in harbors they sniffed out sappers who used bamboo snorkels to infiltrate the perimeter. The worst chapter was leaving these canine ‘heros’ behind when the US forces left country.
The Soviet Union was facing complete destruction and annihilation, these desperate times called for sacrifice without regard to individual life. Every and any means to retaliate was needed in the context of the situation. The canine anti-tank weapons were not used after WWII yet training for these units continued into the late 70’s.
All that being said I am looking forward to your figures. Plan on placing the canine units in a diorama? Post WIP’s of your progress.
Looks like another really well-crafted figure set from Zvezda. Sure it will be disturbing to many to learn about starving dogs that are trained to look for food under tanks as they blow themselves to smithereens, but it’s hardly the worst thing war has offered . Maybe the worst part of it is it wasn’t a terribly effective effort–though they did take out a few panzers that way. Even with that kind of history, I see this this kit as a tribute to a little-known part of the struggle, mighty interesting , and the figures look just great.
I recently recieved these kits from Zvezda, and am blown-away by the quality
If you approve figures from Zvezda then I will have to give then a go! Always wanted to build a Stalingrad diorama with snipers, looks like the first kit you pictured would work perfectly! Thanks for your expert opinion on their figures.[Y]
Thanks for the credit–they really are great styrene figures–some of the best along with Master box–these two companies I’d say make the best sculpted, moulded and thoughtout interesting styrene figures going. That said, they do of course require tons of cleanup of attachment points mainly and joint seems as you assemble them, like any plastic figures.
That sniper set looks really good on the sprue–It’s a tribute to Enemy at The Gates ( I’m sure you’ve seen it–if not you MUST!) No one in the box is a dead ringer, but close enough–some memerable things from the movie are included like the entire manaquin/sniper/scarecrow, the monoperiscope, a good-looking female soldier, and great looking sniper rifles.
The Soviet Machinegun crew set is very cool too and includes 4 men posed just like the boxart-with complete equipment kits–and not indicated on the box-BONUS- there are 2 DSHK MG’s in the box – one is as pictured on the heavy portable tripod…the other on the wheeled ‘Sokolov mount’ like we typically see the Maximgun on. They include a clear part and decal for the AA sight.
~Suppresion Fire~ I remember the scene and have plenty of that film memorized but I can’t say I remember what MG was in that scene—Wikipiedia does list North Vietnam among users of DSHKM a slightly more modern version of the DSHK and they show a picture on that Sokolov mount
I don’t know about you but usually when I see these machineguns they’re mounted atop tanks & APC’s
~**Manny~**ROFL~~never get out of charactor…
…sorry…now back to our regularly scheduled thread…
The scene showed three Vietcong soldiers using the heavy machine gun on a anti-aircraft mount similar to the box art on the Zvezda kit you pictured. They fired in short bursts, possibly 3 rounds at a time and managed to down a Huey before being taken out by another firing rockets.
Looking forward to seeing your tank busting dawgs painted up! [Y]
I’ve been really impressed by most of the stuff coming out of Eastern Europe recently. I’m going to have to pick up these sets. Frankly I’ve been a little burnt out by Germans, Germans, and more Germans in the figure category and I’m quite happy to see more Soviets and UK/Commonwealth subjects.
Though with the dogs I’d be tempted to do a small diorama with a political officer holding up a diagram of a Panzer IV with the words ‘GOOD TARGET’ and a T34 with the caption ‘BAD TARGET’ for the dogs to look at…
Frankly I’ve been a little burnt out by Germans, Germans, and more Germans in the figure category and I’m quite happy to see more Soviets and UK/Commonwealth subjects.
[dto:]
Well said buddy, it can be difficult to find ANY decent figure kits that are not WWII Germans. Hopefully the AM resin manufactures will step up to the challenge as well.
I have started the shift to commonwealth subjects recently. Harder yet is finding research material on Canadian forces and units. Predicting this trend I picked up a AM decal set for 4 Canadian 1/24 scale Mosquitoes! Yes that only means the Airfix kit will be purchased eventually. Now I need some decals for Shermans in Canadian units. [^o)]
Same here. I like the occasional set of Germans that is off the beaten track, say the recent Gebirgsjager Defenders from Dragon, but otherwise I give most of them a pass these days. I have plenty already. I did pick up a neat new set from Masterbox- Scotland the Brave, three standard Commonwealth figures in action poses, and one upright marching piper in a kilt and bonnet. Very nice! Now if we can get some more PTO and CBI figures from both sides.[Y]
Suppresion fire, if you need decals for a Canadian Sherman, look up Ultracasts decals. They have small sheets for various Canadian units
Suppresion fire, if you need decals for a Canadian Sherman, look up Ultracasts decals. They have small sheets for various Canadian units
Tanks for the link! Once another reference book arrives I will order directly from Ultracast. I never realized they had that many products or a site with direct order capability. Guess its a must in this day and age!
I just browsed the site and was really impressed by the quality of work they are producing.
There is a detail missing from the canine anti-tank dogs, there should be a stick about 1’ long sticking up from the explosive pack they are wearing. The idea was it triggered the explosion when it bent over from the dog running under the vehicle. I recall the Zvezda kit is missing this as well from the pictures posted. I have a reference book with a photograph of this if need be.
Boomer that diorama is beautiful. I love how the dog is just trotting allong and al the Germans are in various states of reaction. Which one is Manny? [;)]
SF, the Zvezda dogs do indeed have the tilt stick on top. Look closely at each dog on this pic here. I thought they might be too thick when I saw them at first. I figured it would be more like the tilt rod on the AT mines I once trained upon. But after reading up on these dogs, the little stick looks right.
I do want to do a diorama, but since these handlers are in the padded winter uniforms with the felt boots, a winter scene like somewhere near the German advance finally being halted in the snows outside Moscow in late 1941 is what I have in mind.
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