StuG im Schlamm #2

Another evening spent on this creature.

Added stowage comprising: oil drum, cast box, jerry can and two pieces of wine cork covered with a "greenstuff/Milliput" tarp.  The drum was drilled and pinned into the chassis to act as an anchor for the other bits.

I didn't like the over thick hatch cover, so made one from a disc of styrene sheet.  MG guard was reshaped and trimmed.

Spare track links and gun/mantlet had been taken from a PSC sprue.  The end of the barrel drilled and joins filled with liquid Squadron putty.

Various details to be added tonight. Plus the figure sculpting...  I may well fabricate some schürzen from plastic sheet.

I am fairly happy considering the mediocre nature of the Battlefront model.  Apologies for poor photos, a dingy room coupled with a Nexus phone camera doesn't equal good pictures!

StuG im Schlamm!

Presently, I am on holiday in North Wales.  As it rains a good deal and I have three children to mind at night - I took along some modelling supplies as a diversion.

The current project is Bolt Action 15mm and I decided on a 1:100 StuG.  Having found some (long forgotten) Battlefront resins when I moved last week, I chose one of these as the Beastie to work on.

Only after a long hiatus and viewed next to PSCs plastic versions, have I realised just how horrible the model is.  Hardly a straight line and so many inaccuracies - ho hum.

I have made a scenic base from Milliput surrounding a steel "repair plate".  The plate is in there to make the thing usable with magnetic storage - an obsession of mine.  Added to the base is a dead Ivan (Peter Pig?), a goodly amount of texture and (intentionally messy) tank tracks.  The sides have been sanded to make the construct more "base-like"!

I am trying to decide on the mantlet.  The topfblende may be too late for this spring '44 baby but it is my preferred option at the moment.  Time will tell.

Commander is going to be in a privately "acquired" hooded jacket.  The base figure is an old beret wearing bod I found - he may be from Skytrex.

More to do tonight, now off to a castle or three. :-) 

Defensive fighting 1943

Another fairly interesting movie. Unusually the footage doesn't appear overly staged and the less than glamourous nature of positional warfare is shown.

Sturmgeschütz and infantry cooperation is again in evidence. As the most common of of all German AFVs the StuG III was the vehicle most likely to be encountered by the average "Frontschwein"

This newsreel has the "feel" I wish to capture in miniature for Kampfgruppe von Hächtel - there is even a box-body truck in evidence!

StuG action - Early 1943

Poor sound quality but some interesting shots in this short movie.  Of note is the vehicle stowage - modellers remember you need to clutter your afvs!  Also the "winterkette" on the StuGs.  How accurate the date is I am unsure but the equipment (and abandoned mid-production T34/76) look correct for early 1943.  The houses suggest Central or Northern theatres.

If this doesn't inspire you to get Ostfront skirmishing, nothing will!