MiniArt US Weapons & Equipment for Tank Crews & Infantry (35334) 1:35

[Mike]

US Weapons & Equipment for Tank Crews & Infantry (35334)

1:35 MiniArt via Creative Models Ltd

 

 

Every soldier has to carry a selection of gear to defend himself, dig a place to hide from bombardment, and keep some food and supplies in case he’s where there’s no canteen or chuck wagon.  Tankers need different, more compact equipment and headwear, the latter in order to protect them from banging their heads in the cramped interior of their tanks, or getting hung up on the lip of their helmets.  During WWII the American tankers had close-fitting helmets and usually carried Grease Guns or pistols for self-defence when caught outside their nice comfy tank.

 

This set includes equipment for the tankers, but also a bunch of other items that your average GI would have carried in WWII.  It arrives in a shrink-wrapped figure-sized box, and inside are nine sprues of various sizes containing a lot of parts, as follows:

 

6 x Tanker helmets with separate side & rear panels

10 x M3 Grease Guns with separate stocks

6 x Goggles

10 x 3-pack Grease Gun ammo pouch

4 x 5-pack Thompson ammo pouch

2 x 4 +1-pack pouch Grease Gun & pistol ammo

5 x 1911 Pistols in holsters

1 x 1911 Pistol

1 x M1927 Revolver

2 x Thompsons with foregrip

2 x Thompsons

2 x Thompson stick mags

2 x Thompson short stick mags

2 x Thompson drum mags

2 x Thompson drum mag pouches

5 x Bayonets (sheathed)

2 x Bayonets

2 x Bayonet sheaths

4 x M1 Steel Helmets

2 x M1 Steel Helmets with fabric cover

2 x M1 Steel Helmets with mesh cover

5 x Mk.II Grenades

5 x Canteens (fabric covered)

2 x Canteens

5 x Canvas Day Bags

1 x Map case

1 x Binoculars

1 x Binocular case

1 x Camera

1 x Pistol Holster with large pistol inside

1 x M1903 Pistol

1 x M1903 Pistol Holster

5 x Entrenching tools

2 x Entrenching tools without handles

2 x Entrenching tool handles

2 x M1919 Browning .30cal machine guns with hollow muzzles

1 x Tripod Erected

1 x Tripod Stowed

3 x .30cal ammo cans

1 x .30cal ammo belt

 

 

 

 

Most of the parts are ready to go after cutting off the sprues, but some like the .30cal Brownings need their tripods making up and lids adding to the ammo cans.  Likewise, the bags are two-part affairs, and the tanker helmets are made from four parts, side flaps and rear for detail, plus optional goggles.

 

 

The painting guide has a key underneath with a swatch of colour plus codes for Vallejo, Mr. Color, AK RealColor, Mission Models, AMMO, Tamiya and by colour name, so there should be plenty of clues for you to find something suitable from your paint collection.

 

 

Conclusion

A useful set of weapons for any WWII US vehicle, diorama or similar.  Tons of weapons, magazines, pouches and other items to decorate and detail your vehicles and vignettes, each of them a work of plastic art with fine raised and engraved details.

 

Highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of