1/35 DIORAMA: DAK FLAK ABTEILUNG 606

During the early phase of the DAK's Desert Campaign, the 606th FLAK Abteilung was part of the 5th Light Division. The Kfz10 with Flak38 were small halftracks vehicles, which in the conditions of the desert war proved to be of great value, thanks to their mobility and firepower. This kit is from Italeri on 1/35 Scale and Flak 38 is from Tamiya and was painted with Tamiya and Modelmaster acrylics. The figure is Alpine.

With the help of a pair of binoculars, a member of Flak's garrison scans the desert vastness, looking for enemy moves. The Kfz 10/4 has a 20mm cannon, model FLAK 38, which was widely used, not only for air defense, but was also used to land targets. In the Desert Campaign, a FLAK Battalion usually consisted of two heavy batteries, each with 4 FLAKs 88mm and a lightweight battery, with 20mm and 37mm cannons.

DRAGON: HUMMEL

The kit is from Dragon and the figures are from Miniart. Scale 1/35.

TAMIYA: STUMMEL

This scene, I used one Tamiya Stummel of 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Götz von Berlichingen", seen in the Caretan area to support troops of 6th Fallschirmjager Regiment, Normandy, 1944.

ITALERI: U.S ARMY TRAILERS

RED CROSS WATER TANK TRAILER

This US Army trailer is a tank-type drinking water supply with a 250-gallon tank capacity (about 950 liters). The kit is from Italeri, scale 1/35. For the model to look more interesting, I added the red cross decals (BisonDecals) and the hose that comes in the kit, was replaced by a tap, from the Tamiya jerrycans set.

U.S CARGO M-101 TRAILER

These American trailers will do just fine to complement the scene of a diorama. But we have to put a very varied load of accessories, such as ration boxes, backpacks ... to get a more attractive look. The Italeri kit is easy to assemble and has been painted with Modelmaster acrylics and finished as usual ....

BECKER'S IMPROVISED ARTILLERY IN NORMANDY

One of the most characteristic symbols of the initial fighting phase in Normandy was a variety of bizarre armored vehicles, based on French vehicles captured at the Battle of France in 1940.

These vehicles were a conception of the very creative mind of Alfred Becker, an artillery officer who served in the German artillery in France in 1940.

Because of industrial contacts from his family, Becker managed to gather many captured vehicles and shipped them for transport to Germany, where at the Alkett factory in Berlin-Spandau many of them were rebuilt as self-propelled artillery. Becker's innovations improved the mobility of artillery used primarily in the 21st Panzer Division.

TRUMPETER GERMAN H38 IN NORMANDY

The 21st Panzer Division in Normandy had numerous and varied observation vehicles in its artillery regiments, most of them conversions based on French armored vehicles captured in 1940. This is an Artillerie Panzerbeobachtung 38 (H), modified from the Hotchkiss tank. This kit is from Trumpeter on the 1/35 scale.

TRUMPETER GESCHUTZWAGEN 39(H)

Fire support for the 21st Panzer Division in Normandy was provided by the Geschutzwagen 39 (H). This was a 105mm howitzer over the small chassis of the Hotchkiss tank. This is a good Trumpeter kit, but I think Bronco's is so much better. Scale 1/35. I used Tamiya acrylic paints in the camouflage scheme.

TRUMPETER PANZERJAGER 39(H)

In this version of Selbfahlafette fur 7.5cm PAK 40, was based on the French tank Hotchkiss. Although the chassis used was that of a stale tank, the modification of this powerful German cannon gave more mobility to the weapon, rather than being towed, the common way of transporting this anti-car cannon. The kit is from Trumpeter on the 1/35 scale.

KETTENKRAD and FIELD GUN 76mm

SOVIET KOMSOMOLETS TRACTOR

RUSSIAN LIMBER

SOVIET GAZ-AAA TRUCK

WAFFEN PANZER RIDERS - HOLLAND 1944

U.S MOTORCYCLE

SOVIET GAZ-67B JEEP

RSO/PAK40

SOVIET MOTORCYCLE M-72

SOVIET 45mm GUN in STALINGRAD

SOVIET SU-76M

This kit is the SU-76M from Miniart. The vehicle was painted in a 4BO base coat. Follow the result:

The tactical sign, indicate a Soviet unit in Konigsberg, 1945.

SOVIET 120mm MORTAR W/ TRAILER

The most efficient mortar of the Russian arsenal, in the era of WW2.

The 2-wheeled trailer was simple in design but very efficient, providing high mobility and speed in putting the piece in the firing position. The efficiency of the trailer also facilitated that the gun could be quickly towed or pushed by the men of the garrison into a new firing position.

The kit is from Zvezda and comes with the oldest model of wheels, but can also be fitted with the wheels model 1942 (GAZ-AA truck wheels). This mortar model has a conventional manufacturing with parts consisting of pipe, circular baseplate and bipod. The Transport Trailer is based on a model that existed in the 1930s in the French Army, made of steel tubes.

The mortar is set for entry into the firing position. What the crew of the gun performs is similar to the process of the lever: Lowering the front of the trailer, remove the bipod and the mortar tube, then two trim members, holding in the carrying handle, lift the front Of the trailer, allowing the heavy base plate to be placed on the ground with minimal effort.

Once the base plate is fixed to the ground, the mortar assembly is quick: The mortar tube is attached to the base plate and to the bipod. It is in the bipod where the mechanisms of elevation and direction of the weapon remain. The aiming apparatus is not fixed in the mortar. It is stored inside the metal coffers, located between the wheels of the trailer, where we saw the cleaning rod of the mortar tube. In the other boxes, or metal coffers, they were used to store the tools, oils, cloths and other utensils necessary for the maintenance of the mortar, and in the case of Russian things, he had to arrange a space to store a bottle of Vodka, "maintenance "of the Russian gunners !!!!

The piece ready for firing. Zvezda has another mortar kit on the market (ZV3583), but the trailer is in the German model. The kit is interesting because the kit box comes with 2 trailers to mount.

SOVIET TRUCK w/ HOWITZER

I combined a Gaz-AA truck towing a 122mm howitzer. It is featured in any diorama, since the set measures close to 32cm in length. Both models are from Zvezda on the 1/35 scale. But if you want to use the Miniart truck and the Trumpeter cannon, the result will look even better.