The Great Crusade (take two)

[06/24]

Some years ago, I started a project to model some vehicles from the fighting in France in 1944, but like many projects time and a change of interests overtook it, and it was abandoned.

 

However, the nagging urge to model the period remains. This time, I’ve moved up a bit in scale, and down a bit in detail, with the intention of using some of the vehicles manufactured for war gamers. This enables me to indulge my bodging style of “detailing “, or at least, adding fiddly bits.

 

First up, an Italeri M10:

 

M10 Tank Destroyer by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

M10 Tank Destroyer by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

M10 Tank Destroyer by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

These are intended as robust quick build kits, and without my bodging would easily go together in an hour or less.

[06/24]

Hacking about began with the forward hatches, supplied as little bathtubs (presumably to aide fitting figures?), at least the hatches themselves were separate.

 

Out with the chisel blade and off they come:

 

M10 Tank Destroyer by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

Opening the tubs means we need something inside, so a rudimentary drivers seat, transmission and forward bulkhead were fabricated - the seats are the bottoms of the kit tubs, recycled. The transmission is completely the wrong shape but will be barely visible, it’s a chunk of cut up toothbrush!

 

M10 Tank Destroyer by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

[06/24]

This next shot gives a idea of how little will be visible, especially as the assistant drivers hatch will be closed.

 

M10 Tank Destroyer by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

Having dealt with the pointy end, some details for the gun tub were next - plastic tube to represent the ammunition stowage (I know in reality these are made up of two separate tubes with a central divider, but again, very little will be visible, as the final shot shows:

 

M10 Tank Destroyer by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

M10 Tank Destroyer by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

[06/24]

Although the kit allows for open hatches, they would end up at an odd angle. Pictures seem to shoe the most common open position as parallel to the hull front, so that’s what I did, slicing the kit “hinge” in half to better represent the real thing.

 

M10 Tank Destroyer by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

Finally for today, the turret dry fitted

 

M10 Tank Destroyer by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

[Vaastav]

Looks like it's coming along well. What colours do you plan to do it in

[06/24]

I don’t have a specific vehicle in mind yet, but will try and find a suitable prototype to follow, it has wedge not duck Bill counterweights so that will be one determining factor. OD overall for colour, although I’m aware there was a general move to black disruptive patterns as the campaign wore on. 

[06/24]

M10 by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

 

M10 by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

 

I'll need to do something about those sink marks on the turret

[echen]

10 minutes ago, 06/24 said:

I'll need to do something about those sink marks on the turret

It's annoying finding stuff that needs correction after you've done loads of good work, posted a pic and then you see it. I keep doing it myself.....................

[06/24]

Yes, the camera is a harsh critic. However, in this case the turret hasn’t received any attention yet, I just zapped it with some paint while I was doing the hull, so I’ve not really lost anything.

[06/24]

M10 by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

Starting to add the smaller details. Replaced the lift rings on the hull rear with fuse wire, as the plastic ones were impossible to clean up. They’re not quite the right shape but close enough. The radio aerial won’t be staying, but I’ve lost my supply of black nylon brush fibres (flexible and strong enough to stay vertical) so it’ll stay for now, and then I’ll cut it off and drill out once I find a suitably coloured dust pan and brush set!

[06/24]

So the M10 is more or less finished the build phase, decals, 50cal and dirt still to add (and a better radio aerial)

 

M10 TD by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

M10 TD by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

M10 TD by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

M10 TD by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

[Pig of the Week]

Looks great.. What scale are these? ( apologies if you mentioned it somewhere! )

[06/24]

1/56 or 28mm - it’s only on the post tags so not surprising if anyone missed it

[06/24]

There are some obvious simplifications (as one might expect for a wargames kit) but it’s not a bad model all the same. I’ve added a couple of tyre weights to give it a sense of mass, and will add dirt and stowage at some point. The odd patch on one of the counterweights is just some paint that hadn’t quite dried when I took the pictures.

[06/24]

Started a target too

 

Warlord Games / Italeri 1/56 Tiger Ausf.E by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

[Pig of the Week]

Hmmm....think I'd rather be in the Tiger tbh !

[06/24]

Hmm, maybe, until it ran out of fuel, or broke down, or the skies cleared...

 

 

[06/24]

Although I was reading something the other day which suggested that the air power effect was exaggerated, they didn’t hit much (compared to towed a/t, bazookas and tanks & tank destroyers) but had a disproportionate demoralising effect, which in and of itself was enough to hamper the panzerwaffe.

[06/24]

A victorious M10 passes a disabled Tiger I

 

Untitled by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

 

[Pig of the Week]

I was thinking more in terms of tank v tank !...but of course the Germans were hampered by all those other elements too.. I'd say the air superiority issue was the main thing still. The sudden success of the Ardennes counter offensive was only really viable due to awful weather = no flying !

Those models are looking excellent already.. 👍

[06/24]

While I wait for a chance to sort out more paint for the Tiger, I’ve made a start on my next model, the Rubicon Kubelwagen as a captured vehicle repurposes by its new “owners”, rather in the fashion of the Monuments Men movie. A Jeep trailer and a converted Jeep crewman add character (hopefully - he will get a head in time too!)

 

Kubelwagen with Jeep trailer by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

[06/24]

Before anyone points out that most Kubelwagens weren’t set up to tow, I’m assuming an enterprising maintenance park welded a standard US tow hitch onto the rear. Unlikely, but hopefully not impossible. In the film the Kubelwagen tows, but I presume that’s a reproduction vehicle.

 

https://olivercubbage.weebly.com/monuments-men.html

 

[Pig of the Week]

No doubt you could gash something on the back....though tbh I'd think the kubel is just thin pressed steel with no real chassis, it is basically a VW after all !   ( the engine would be at the back too) .. You'd imagine the Germans would have given it some kind of tow hitch,  as they seemed to tow stuff with their vehicles quite a bit, maybe the rear engine malarkey made that awkward.

[06/24]

Progress...

 

Rubicon Models Kubelwagen and Jeep - work in progress by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

Rubicon Models Kubelwagen and Jeep - work in progress by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

Rubicon Models Kubelwagen and Jeep - work in progress by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

Rubicon Models Kubelwagen and Jeep - work in progress by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

 

Rubicon Models Kubelwagen and Jeep - work in progress by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr

 

Rubicon Models Kubelwagen and Jeep - work in progress by Jon Gwinnett, on Flickr
 

[Pig of the Week]

Considering the small scale of these the detail is very nice.... I like your heavy duty tow bar too, that's the chunky kind of thing I'd make in real life, probably from scaff tube !  ( hope they can still get to the engine tho ! )