Tank Gallery 22 - Battlefrontmodels

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Tank Gallery 22

The following Photographs and information have been donated by Battlefrontmodels Customers over the years they range from basic to customised RC tanks and vehicles to heavily modified models. All images and data are copyright to the Members and BFM

' Jagdpanzer IV / L70 '

Sent in by
Peter Symonds of Nottingham UK

This model combines a Heng Long chassis, Asiatam metal gun barrel and Proline resin Citadel is based upon the vehicle used by the highest scoring Jagdpanzer IV ace SS-Oberscharfuhrer Roy from the 12th, SS Panzerjager Abteilung of the 12th, SS Panzer Div. Rudolf Roy had been awarded the Knights cross for taking on the whole polish armoured regiment in Normandy with just three early production models of the Jagdpanzer.
On the 17th. Dec. at the start of the Ardennes offensive Roy's luck ran out as he was shot as he looked out of the hatch by a US sniper near the village of Rocherath in Belgium.

SS Officer Rudolf Roy

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The STuG (or STuG types) was one of the most useful of all the armoured vehicles built by the Germans built in WW2 combining the reliable by using obsolescent Pz. II chassis with a simple casemate with a variety of Low and High velocity main guns plus machine guns for crew protection was a highly succesful assult gun and tank destroyer.

During the battle of Kursk it was noted that certain well deployed STuG units actually performed better than Pz. IV tanks and so Hitler ordered the developement of a purpose built tank destroyer mounting 75mm -L70 gun from the Panther on the chassis of the Pz. IV.

Due to production shortages the first Jagdpanther IV used the L/48 gun from the Pz. IV, but later production variants mounted the larger gun.

Despite some mobility problems due to the weight of the gun and armour dislocating the rubber tyres on the front four wheels, this was solved by fitting steel rimmed wheels, know as 'Gunderians Duck' as it was nicknamed proved a great success in the end.
It's 80mm sloping armour was extremely tough and it's huge gun could take out most allied tanks at long range. It was only 1,8 mtrs high (just over six feet) so easily hidden and its shape was the best WW2 vehicle with few flat surfaces and no shot traps.
Only in a close fight with turreted tanks was it at a disadvantage.

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DID YOU KNOW

The SS ran a Brothel names 'Little Kitty Salon' for foreign Diplomats and other V.I.P.s in Berlin but it was wire tapped.

20 Prostitutes underwent several weeks of intensive training and indoctrination by the SS.

They were specifically trained to glean information from there clients through seemingly innocuous conversations.

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' Panzerturns '

Sent in by
Peter Symonds of Nottingham UK

What would you do with all the left over tank turrets from your self propelled tank conversions?
A Customer of Peter Symonds suggested this:
Turn them into Panzerturns.
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This Panzerturn has has been built using a Pz.4 F2 Turret on an L43/75mm Gun and MG34 Machine Gub and is reoresentative of the thousands of similar bunkers made in WW2 by the Germans,

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With things going rapidly wrong for the German in 1943 omwards their strategy changed from the sweeping advances of Blitzkrieg to rapid defence.
On most every front the German Army started to dig in and they dug in deep. Fortifications stretched along the entire Atlantic Coast from Norway to the Spanish border and even the Seigfried line a mass of forts and gun implacements stretching over 600 kms south from the Dutch border.
These Panzerturns were even placed in the cities guarding crossroads and other key points.

With The quickest and simplest way was to build an armoured bunker with concrete steel reinforced rebar also a steel door at the rear for secure entry. Some of these Turns were quite large underground with facilities for ammunition storage, sleeping and cantina areas.

Even today these types of cheap fixed defences can still be seen and in use in Bulgaria, they still maintain buried bunkers with it's border with Turkey and Russia, also the Chinese use a similar mentality.

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' Refined Tiger Mk.1 '

Sent in by
Michael Dady of Nottingham UK

Hi Battlefrontmodels.

I thought that I would send some of my Tank builds to see if you would put them in the BFM archives, this heavily converted Tamiya Tiger 1. I have replaced the noisy poorly designed elevation unit for a quieter Heng Long version, but replacing the H/L version for the Tamiya one which operates as it should i.e. when the transmitter lever is pushed upward the barrel goes up and when the lever is pushed down the barrel as it should which was a relief.

I have also fitted a H/L smoke unit the good thing is it gets drowned out by the crisp Tamiya engine sound. I have also fitted independant headlights and rear convoy lights switch all are placed in the rear engine panel for easy access.

The main Gun flashes as it should and also the hull Machine Gun!
this is probably my best Tank to date also my last for a short while as I have many other projects to do.

Best Wishes to you and BFM and thanks for looking
Michael Dady.

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A very nicely detailed model Michael

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DID YOU KNOW

During WW2 hambergers in the USA were renamed 'Liberty Steaks' to avoid the German sounding name.

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' DAK Pz. IV f1. '

Sent in by
Peter Symonds of Nottingham UK.

2 nd. El Alamein Oct. 23rd. Nov. 25th. 1942

One of the most common of Tanks in the Western Desert was the Pz. IV F1 with the short barrelled 75 gun. The IV f1 was introduced with its balanced reliability, fire power and protectionto make it one of the best medium German tanks WW2.
Athough the 75 was designed as an infantry support it could fire a shaped charge shell that would penetrate the armour of most British tanks easily.