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Tank Gallery 3
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DID YOU KNOW
From 1939 - 1945 over 3.4 million tons of bombs were dropped on Germany alone.
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Russians at the Oder River
by
By Peter Symonds of Nottingham UK
T34/85 in Green Drab with Tank Commander sporting a PPsh 41
Machine Pistol.
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DID YOU KNOW
When Allied Armies reached the Rhine, the first thing they did was Pee in it. This was pretty universal from the lowest private to Winston Churchill (Who made a big show of it) and General Patton who had himself photographed in the act.
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Pz.III with Tank Riders
by
By Lou Peterbridge Cornwall UK
Very nicely finished Pz.III in European Tri Colour Camo featuring three tank riders and metal tracks.
The Asiatam crew figures look right at home.
Note Above; Open and closed side escape hatches
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''Kharkov Winter Tiger''
By
Ernie Oliver of Welling, Kent
Please note this tank model has a very unique rusty dawb finish paintwork job done on it and includes battle damage and metal tracks also Crew Commander and some BFM Berlin stowage.
'Excellent'
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DID YOU KNOW
When asked his name again Master Sgt, P Hitler of the 101 US Military Police Battalion based at Fort Dix, New Gersey, Replied -'' Sure that's my name let the other guy change his''
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''Panther Night Hunter''
fitted with a 1.16 scale Infrared kit made by Battlefrontmodels.
The German Panther ordnance inventory designation of SD.kfz 171. was a direct responce to the Soviet T.34 first encountered on June 23 1941, The newer T34 outclassed the resent Pz. IV and Pz.III. At the insistance of General Heinz Gudarian a team of specialists were depatched to the western front to assess the T-34
Amongst the key features of the Soviet tank considered was the use of sloping armour, which gave much improved shot deflection this sloped armour increased the effective armour thickness against penitration, the wider track offered improved mobility over soft ground and snow. Also the 76.2 mm main gun, which had good armour penitration and fired the effective high explosive round. Daimler Benz (DB)and Machinenfrabrik-Augsburg-Nurenberg AG (MAN) were given the task of designing a 30 to 35 ton tank, Designated desigh code VK3002, by April 1942 (apparently it had to be shown to Hitler on his birthday April 20th)
The two proposals were delivered in April 1942 the daimler Benz was a direct homage to the T-34. It resembled the T34 hull and Turret form, Daimler Benz offered both Leaf Spring Suspension and Torsion -bar suspension variants, whereas the T34 origionally used coil springs, The Daimler Benz's Turret was smaller that the turret of the MAN design. Unlike the T-34 both varaints had a three man turret crew, Commander, gunner and Loader. But as the planned gun was much longer and heavier that the T-34's mounting it in the Daimler-Benz's turret was difficult.
Plans to reduce the turret crew to two mento stem this problem were eventually dropped.
The MAN design embodied more conventional German thinking, it was higher and wider with a substancial turret placed centrally on the hull, and a petrol engine and torsion bar suspension. The MAN design was accepted in May 1942 in spite of Hitlers preference for the DB design. One of the principal reasons for this was that the MAN design used an existing turret designed by Rheinmetall=Borsig while the DB designed tank would require a brand new turret to be designed and produced, substancially delaying the commencement of production.
The MAN design also had better fording ability, easier gun servicing and higher mobility due to better suspension, wider tracks and larger fuel tanks.
A mild steel prototype was produced by September 1942 and after testing at Kummersdorf was officially accepted. This model was placed into immediate production. The start of production was delayed mainly because there were too few specialised maching tools needed for the complex machining of the hull.
Finished tanks were producedin December and suffed from reliability problems as a result of this haste. The demand for this tankwas so high that the manufacturing was soon expanded to betond MAN to include Daimler-Benz, Machinefrabrik Niedersachsen- Hannover (MNH) and Henschell 7 Sohn in Kassel
The initial production target at MAN was 250 units per month, this eas increased to 600 per month in January 1943. Despited determined efforts this figure was never achieved due to massive allied bombing, manufacturing bottlenecks, steel production and many others.
Prodution in 1943 averaged 143 units only per month, 1944 figures averaged 315 per month and 3777 units having being built that year, peaking with 380 in July and ending in about March 1945 at 2304 tanks,but the same month a record number of 692 tanks were reported lost or destroyed in combat.
Complete IR sets include Drivers, Gunners and Machine Gunners IR pods
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''A Battle Torn Tamiya King Tiger''
Sent in by Peter Symonds of Nottingham UK
This is a nicely finished Tiger II by Peter featuring mud and guts finish along with heavily armed Tank Riders parked up doing some R&R in a French Town Square.
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DID YOU KNOW
From 1939 to 1945 over 3.4 million tons of bombs were dropped on Germany alone.
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Why not visit Peters Excellent Website at
www.precision-panzer.moonfruit.com
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Click on Images to Expand Images
Click on Images to Expand Images
''Long Range Desert Group''
Chevy 30 cwt. Truck 'R' Patrol 'LRDG'
Libyan Desert Early 1942
Built by Peter Symonds of Nottingham UK
The Long Range Desert Group (LRDC) was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War.
The commander of the German Afrika Corps, Field Marshall Erwin Rommel admitted that the LRDG ''caused us more damage than any other British unit of similar strength''
It can be argued that the LRDG was the first modern special forces unit. The LRDG was formed to specifically to carry out deep penetration, covert reconnassaince patrols and intelligence missions from behind Italian lines, although they sometimes engaged in combat operations.
Because the LRDG were experts in desert navigation they were assigned to guide other units, including the Special Air Service and secret agents accross the desert.
Formed in 1940 to patrol western Egyptand warn off an inevitable Italian attack the unit initially recruited mainly from the 2nd New Zealand division as the Army wanted were energetic, innovative, self reliant also physically and mentally tough, and able to live and fight in seclusion in the Libyan desert.
'Over half of the 2nd New Zealand div. volunteered'
Later the 3 New Zealand patrols (T, W and R atrols) were joined by British volunteers, the Y patrol came from the Nottinghan Yoemanry under command under Capt. P J D McGraithwith additional men from the Northumberland Fusiliers and the Argle and Sutherland Highlanders, whilst the G patrol recruited from the Brigade of Guards.
The LRGd favoured the Chevrolet 30 ctw truck for its patrols, although only 2 wheel drive it used less than half the fuel of a similar Ford 4x4 truck making it ideal for long range patrol work.Armament was highly diverse with various anti tank rifles, light and heavy machine guns and also 20mm cannon.
Weapons on this model are a typical mix of Vickers medium machine guns, Lewis MG and Boys anti tank rifle, and British SMLE Mk 4EY granade launcheralso Mk 3 Lee Enfields, Itallian 1933a Beretta & German MP40 personnel weapons.
Paint schemes were often specific to the mission and the vehicles painted to suit the local terrain which could vary from dark red rock, to pale yellow and even black sand.
Peters model is rather unusual stone and azure scheme to help the vehicle blend into the haze between sand and sky during the day eplained Peter.
This model is heavily scratch built static model using a highway 6 Chevy RAF Fire Tender as a base, this model depicts 2SAS troopers back troopers back back from there first successful raid of the War, an attack on three Lybian Air fields destroying 60 Luftwaffe aircraft for no losses.
Although the SAS operataed independantly later in the War in 1941 & 42 they needed the expertise of the LRDG to transport them to there targets in the desert.
A very well done project Peter. BFM Staff
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