Beutepanzers and recoveryvehicles

Finally we have come to my beloved "beutepanzers"(translated 

from german: looted tanks).

These gems are 3d-printed and I like them a lot. First up is the 

heavy KV-1 with a replaced german gun (PAK 40) instead of 

the soviet standard. This model made after a rare photograph 

taken on the eastern fron during world war 2 and the history 

says it was a testmodel and never used en masse. The germans 

were skilled to reuse almost anything that they came across to 

help their army to become more mobile. Next are T-34/76 soviet 

medium tanks that has been upgraded with schuerzen (extra 

armour-plates) and a cuppola. The T-34-tanks in german service

were also fitted with a radio. To make the leading tank more 

visible on the gaming-table I also added a tank-commander.

Two soviet T-70 light tanks will be used as one soviet and the 

other as a german beutepanzer, both are fitted with a tank-

commander. On the eastern front a lot of tanks broke down 

and had to be recovered and I have bougth 2 very nice 

models that I have fitted with soviet tankdrivers to show 

that they are lend lease from the USA. The recovery vehicles 

are Sherman ARV and the second is a Grant ARV.

Last but not least the very nice german Berge-panther with 

a lots of extra details added.

All models will be very nice to paint. To be continued. :)

Damaged STUGs are salvaged

 One of my favourite 15mm-models in the german collection are the STUG´s and STUH´s.

I bought some of these new and some on second hand in various condition.

If you speak about the working horse of the german tank-force you must choose the

Panzerkampfwagen IV and also the STUG. Later in the war the STUG was upgraded with a

powerful cannon (PAK 40) extra protection (sideskirts etc).

Working on my pile of shame I also fix my finnish collection with 3d-printed models(STURMIS).

I like 3d-printed models but cannons and small details can be very fragile and I have bought

a small second-hand stash containing bits to 15mm-models made of tin.

I also added a tank-commander and I will also upgrade with camo-nets and ammo-boxes etc

to add that extra feeling and diversity to the models.

To be continued.

Soviet creative tank-projects

When it comes to gaming 15mm and especially Flames of war I really like the

diversity of models on the gaming-tables.

My collection of these small "gems" is ever growing and to collect is a big part

of my hobby so far. On my shelf I have German, Soviet, Finnish and Japanese

models in the 15mm-scale to play Flames or war or similar games.

During the pandemic I bought both the Soviet T-43 and SU-76i but the boxes

has been almost forgotten until today. The T-43´s are all from Battlefront but

the SU-76i are a mixture of 3D-print and Battlefront.

T-43 was built in 1942 and was intended to replace both T-34 and KV-1 as an up-

armoured medium tank but was never mass-produced when the T34/85 became

logical choice .

The SU-76i is originally a german tank with the gun/gun-turret removed and replaced

by a soviet superstructure and fitted with the 76,2mm soviet anti-tank gun.

About 300 Panzer III´s and STUG´s were a part of the loot when the germans surrendered

in Stalingrad and they were transported to soviet factories to become the SU-76i (the "i"

stands for inostrannaya and means foreign in russian).

Both models in my opinion had fragile gun-barrels so I decided to replace and scratch-

build them using leftovers from"bits-sprues".

I like both models and it will be fun to paint them in the near future.

3D-model on order

I got an personal order to make a 3d-model of a vision a time ago.

The vision was a building that could have been when built both a school and

a kindergarten under the same roof.

I got some drawings showing 2d-views and the outside measurements of the

vision of the build from the architect and the rest to make the 3d-model did I 

figure out myself on my free-time.

To not narrow the vision of the build I choose to make it in plain white.

The building and small roofs are printed using a 3d-filament and the spiral-

staircase is printed using a 3d-resin-printer.

Fixing missprints

When I 3d-printed vehicles I also got some misprints for free.

Instead of using them as wrecks I tried to save them and made some

renovation. It was mainly the wheels that got some kind of error and

I made new ones using bits-leftovers.

After some work I have revived:

3 models of Zis 5 (soviet tank truck)

2 models of Opel blitz 3,6-36 S/SSM (german cargo-truck on tracks)

3 models of T-26 (soviet ligt tank)

2 models of GMC 2,5 tonne cargotruck (US)

3 models of M3/A1 armoured scoutcar (US)

Hetzer, T-26, SU-122, and SU-76i

 One model that was missing in my collection to

play late WW2 was the legendary german tank

Hetzer. Along the STUG III, Ferdinand the Hetzer

was among the top 3-tanks that was a very feared

opponent on the battlefield.

One of these models will be modyfied with a 

open hatch and a tank-commander.

Next is a small but famous tank from the soviets,

T-26. This tank was first used against the finns

during the winter-war but reused when conquered.

I have 3d-printed 3 of each to be used by both sides.

The third model is the SU-122 that was very useful

on the battlefield as a bunkerbuster or close-support

to the infantry.

Last but not least is the SU-76i. This model is to

be used together with 2 other models as a complete

unit. The SU-76i is a modified german panzer III

with a superstructure and a russian gun used by

the soviets against their enemies.

Sad but true the cannon was very fragile and broken

during the delivery but no problem for me and I will

use a metal-thread into a drilled hole for replacement.

All model is printed by ADM/Madabout3d that I will

send a big thankyou for very good service.

 

88mm and US quad

 To get some more individual 15mm-models on 

the gaming-table I have printed som AA/Antitank-

artillery on wheels. When the enemy was near

the germans sometimes fired their 88mm-

cannons directly without unloading from the

transport-wheels. I think these models looks

really good and only backside is that they are

fragile and one has broken due to the postal

office-service when deliver...

Next up is how to solve my problem with my

two M3-halftracks with broken quads.

I have tested modifying the cad-file but it came

out wrong twice and the latest "failure" is that

the base is not scaled right to fit into the model

but the artillery is. I will cut of the wrong-base

and ugrade with a small plastic-pipe but I will

very careful doing this because resin-dust is not

healthy.

All models are printed by ADM/Mad about 3d and

the link is to be found at the bottom of this blog-page.