|
7268,
T-34/76 Mod. 1942 German Army. 1/72nd-scale styrene/multimedia kit containing
139 styrene parts, one etched brass fret, one length of braided metal
wire, two DS-100 track lengths, four decal marking schemes and six pages
of instructions in six steps.
As the fortunes of war see-sawed during the first years of fighting
on the Ostfront, Germany captured substantial numbers of Soviet weapons,
including the vaunted T-34/76 medium tank in its various permutations.
This kit is a Model 1942 that has many extra parts that will allow the
modeler to build a German modification that saw the commander's cupola
from the Pz.Kpfw.III/IV fitted to the turret roof.
The hull is a single pan with all suspension components molded in place.
There are four different styles of road-wheels supplied, including:
- Eight dished wheels with rubber rims.
- Eight perforated/webbed all-steel wheels.
- Four perforated/partially-webbed wheels with rubber rims.
- Two perforated/fully-webbed wheels with rubber rims.
The variety in road-wheel types will allow the modeler to accurately
portray the particular configuration of many different types of T-34s,
which makes this kit THE one to get if the Model 1942 is the type that
"floats your boat". Each dual road-wheel is slide-molded as
a single part, which will allow for ease of assembly. However, there
had to be a compromise, so none of the perforations in any of the road-wheels
goes completely through the part. Depth can be simulated with paint,
but most modelers will probably drill through what is there; it will
be sort of time consuming and certainly boring, but that's what we have,
love it or leave it! The drive and idler wheels are molded the same
way. The tracks are presented as one length for each side and are molded
in DS-100 soft styrene. They can be assembled with styrene cement.
The superstructure consists of a main molding to which separate rear
and glacis plates are attached. The rear plate features crisp hatch
detail and separate exhaust pipes (with pre-opened ends) and armored
cowls. The glacis is of the later style with shielded machine gun mount
and separate driver's hatch lid with two periscopes. Both it and the
lower rear plate mount the so-called "hammerhead" tow shackles.
There are optional grab handles for "Desant" infantry as well
as optional fuel boxes for the rear plate.
Aside from various fittings normally seen on the fenders and superstructure
of Soviet-manned T-34s, such as spare tracks, un-ditching logs, rolled
tarps, 67mm ammo crates and tool boxes, there are a number of features
seen only on vehicles modified for use by the Germans. These include
a Notek black-out driving head-lamp, various sizes of stowage lockers,
vehicle jack and tools. Some German-manned variations had Schurzen attached
to the fenders; one style is given as a single etched brass part for
each side of the tank. Beware since the instructions show the new German
tools as "not for use", while showing the standard Soviet
issue tools as being used in step one. Of course, use the German tools
if the vehicle you are modeling used them, otherwise use the Soviet
tools. Several other things of note are: tow cables made from wound
metal wire and styrene ends; engine deck and superstructure side grills
are molded on, but can be replaced with supplied etched brass items;
the main engine deck cooling grille is an optional solid styrene part,
or an opened up part with etched brass screening and frame-work, which
also has the internal flaps and deck part as separate etched brass parts.
There are etched brass parts to detail the standard tool boxes, as a
base for the Notel lamp, and to make the small keeper brackets seen
behind the tow shackles. These features, again, make this THE kit to
get if you like this variation.
The turret has a number of options, some of which are called out in
the instructions as "not for use". The modeler can leave the
roof plate as the standard 1942 style with two circular hatch lids (which
are separate) or he can build the type with the German commander's cupola
from the Pz.Kpfw.III/IV, which was seen on some captured T-34s. It has
nice internal vision block detail and the ring has split hatch lids
molded closed, while separate parts allow for it to be depicted opened.
There is some detail for the turret's interior including a basic gun
breech as well as a periscope; note that this item, part B-10 is shown
in the instructions as being attached under a lift ring, part B-4. It
should, of course, fit beneath part B-8, the periscope head. The main
gun tube, breech and the mantlet are manufactured using a slide-mold,
which allows for maximum detail as well as the proper openings where
needed. The gun can elevate and has an etched brass rain guard part
to cover its top section.
The upper turret shell is produced using a slide mold and therefore
has view slits and pistol ports molded in place. It represents a Zavod
183 Spring 1942 production type. The lower shell part has the ribs typically
seen on these castings; the modeler is cautioned to remember that the
upper and lower turret parts came from the factory as a single part.
The seam is a mold seam, not a weld seam. Some casting texture can be
added if the modeler desires, using the method of his choice; the same
goes for the outer mantlet.
Overall, molding is very fine, with little in the way of ejector pin
marks to clean; there were no sink marks on my sample. The instructions
are of the drawn style; I have mentioned some glitches, so the modeler
needs to proceed with caution. There is a handy chart in step six that
shows which road-wheel/turret/features combination is to be used for
a particular set of markings. The painting guide is in full color and
is keyed to Testors and Gunze colors. The excellent water-slide decals
are by Cartograf and are designed to depict three T-34s in German service.
They include:
" "Red/white 1023", SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Das
Reich", in Dunkelgelb base with Rotbraun and Olivgrun stripes and
blotches.
" "White II", unknown unit, in Dunkelgelb base with Olivgrun
stripes and blotches.
" "White 742", 6.Panzer-Division, in Dunkelgelb base
with fine Rotbraun and Olivgrun stripes.
" Overall Soviet dark green, 4BO.
References indicate that the schemes for which I found photographs are
substantially correct. "1023" needs a black swastika on the
starboard side turret roof hatch on a white disk background, as well
as a German antenna and mount in the normal place for the T-34. "742"
is OK as is, while I have found no reference for "II". The
vehicle in dark green 4BO is a no-brainer, since there are no markings
applied to it! If I was to model "742" or "II",
I'd place a very large Balkenkreuz on the turret roof, since many other
Beutepanzer T-34s carried one in that position.
As I said, if you like T-34s this is the one to get. Get some extra
kits and you will have loads of parts to detail and customize a number
of T-34s, not simply captured German ones.
Highly recommended.
-
Frank De Sisto
|
