Normandy Marder in 1/35

[IanC]

Hello everyone. The lockdown has given me time to finish some older AFV models I've had in the cupboard for a few years, bumped in favour of my more usual 1/72 aircraft. But having watched a few inspirational YouTube videos I decided to have a go at them again.

 

This is the original Tamiya Marder III with rubber band tracks, which came out 15 years or so ago. Until a week ago it was in factory fresh Dark Yellow. It now represents the same new vehicle after being allocated to the famous and well-equipped  'Unknown Unit' and given some green and brown camouflage paint ready for the Normandy Front.

 

It's had a very subtle pin wash, which hardly shows, and a few scuffs, but I'm not sure what to do next. Once committed, the vehicle would have probably lasted only weeks before being shot up or abandoned, so a thick layer of dust and a few boot marks and scrapes is all that's required. I may have a go, but thought I'd put a few photos up before I ruin it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best wishes

 

Ian

 

 

[NinjabreadMan]

Ian, 

 

I think it looks excellent, I wish I could get mine to look half as good! The camo looks just right and the tracks have come out really well (I would never know they were the rubber bands). 

 

My only very small point would be that the spare track on the front would not be painted (as the dunkelgelb was factory applied) although it might be oversprayed once it arrived at "Unknown Unit."  

[fatfingers]

Lovely job and great figure. Looks like a Tamiya promo shot!

 

Regards 

 

Steve 

[Phil1960]

Very nice camo. Great control of the air flow👍

Ciao Filippo

[IanC]

3 hours ago, NinjabreadMan said:

Ian, 

 

I think it looks excellent, I wish I could get mine to look half as good! The camo looks just right and the tracks have come out really well (I would never know they were the rubber bands). 

 

My only very small point would be that the spare track on the front would not be painted (as the dunkelgelb was factory applied) although it might be oversprayed once it arrived at "Unknown Unit."  

 

Thanks. Good point about the spare track. I do actually remember seeing this discussed (on Missing-Lynx, maybe?) and there is evidence that spare track links were sometimes fitted before factory spraying, other times - perhaps more usually - they were fitted after. In hindsight though, I wish I'd painted it in a different colour as you suggest.

 

Thanks again! 

Edited April 29, 2020 by IanC

[NinjabreadMan]

1 hour ago, IanC said:

 

Thanks. Good point about the spare track. I do actually remember seeing this discussed (on Missing-Lynx, maybe?) and there is evidence that spare track links were sometimes fitted before factory spraying, other times - perhaps more usually - they were fitted after. In hindsight though, I wish I'd painted it in a different colour as you suggest.

 

Thanks again! 

 No problem, and as I said a pretty trivial point.

 

I often find a lot of our (modellers/historians) discussions forget that these things were made in factories that had been pretty consistently bombed, by staff that were at best overworked and underfed (often much worse) to a ridiculous turnaround time per vehicle. The niceties of precision and quality of workmanship were just that. 

 

"Paint them yellow and stick them on the next train to the front, spare track and all!!"

[Carius]

Beautiful camo and job

[Jaykay]

This is a lovely, crisp and neat job. Fantastic

jk