SdKfz 10/5 Armoured Cab

This is the new DML SdKfz 10/5 with armoured cab. Let me say from the outset that this was not an easy build. The fit, especially of the cab area was poor, and the instructions were vague in places, which didn't help. That said, with a bit of patience, it worked out OK I think. The detail is excellent, in common with most of the newer DML kits. I marked it up as a Waffen SS vehicle with some licence plate numbers from the spares box. I did use the aircraft kill markings in the kit on the gun armour to add a bit of interest, The figures are DML with Hornet heads. It's placed on a Reality in Scale cobblestone street section, and the advertising kiosk is also by RiS. Both excellent items, as you would expect.

 

 

Tiger 1 - S Pz Abt 508, Italy 1944

Here is a DML Tiger 1 with moulded on zimmerit as a sPz Abt 508 vehicle in Italy. The Abt had an unusual method of numbering it's tanks - 1 kompanie vehicles just had a plain "1", 2 kompanie a "2" and so on. Makes life easier I suppose!

I replaced a few tool clamp handles and added wing nuts here and there, plus hollowed out cleaning rod ends but its pretty much OOTB. The driver is an old verlinden resin item, and the commander is by Alpine.

Pz Kpfw IV Ausf H - Russia January 1944

Here is the new DML Pz IV ausf H with moulded on Zimmerit. It's pretty much out of the box, with a few extra additions such as track-link frontal armour and stowage items etc. It was inspired by photos of a 7 PD machine (coded 546) in the Trojca book Pz IV Ausf G/H/J, but it's pretty generic, and the figures are WSS. The figures are a mixture - Cromwell Models, Hobby Fan and an unidentified tank commander figure that I had in the spares box. 

King Tiger "222"

Here is King Tiger 222 and crew in relaxed poses. The KT is by DML, with metal barrel and etched brass engine deck screens etc. I added / amended:

• Karaya tow cables
• Turret sighting vanes
• Bosch headlight conduit
• Etched brass tool clamp handles
• Periscope lenses using 35mm film
• Hollowed out barrel rods

The side skirts were also thinned out at the edges - they are perfectly acceptable versus photo-etch that way, and a lot less fiddly. Note that the left hand side front mudguard is positioned "back to front" -- see the photo of the real thing. The only thing wrong that I can hold my hand up to/know about is that Kurt Sowa still has his arm! I didn't have the heart to model the TC without it. The crew are by Tristar, DML and Miniart, with a few Hornet heads.

StuH 42 - Ostfront

This is another DML StuH 42 with moulded on zimm. This one features an Armorscale metal barrel and resin mantlet, home made concrete armour (Squadron Green Putty), soft brass tow cable with resin ends, a home made stowage cage and stowage, and Eduard schurzen. The kit doesn't include the schurzen mounting rails but luckily the older DML StuH 42 includes two sets so I was able to utilise those.