December 17, 2011
Mini-dio for the King Tiger
I thought to make a little diorama for the King Tiger, with some kind of street fighting in Berlin. I bought Zvezda reconnaissance team and a set with ruins from Italieri; both are great stuff.
December 12, 2011
November 23, 2011
Painting started
I've airbrushed the dunkelgelb in two sessions. The tracks are primed with Vallejo Model Air black. I'm so happy there is no rubber on those road-wheels :-) The most difficult part follows: hard-edged camo scheme, by brush.
November 06, 2011
October 21, 2011
King Tiger, Revell 1/72 - Berlin 1945
As I've mentioned in my previous posts, I would've liked to make Karl-Heinz Turk's King Tiger who fought in Berlin in the final days of the war. I picked up Revell kit and Part photo-etched set and... so far, so good.
October 13, 2011
October 08, 2011
October 04, 2011
SU-122 work in progress
My first time using an airbrush. And I like it!
Chassis, tracks and road-wheels were painted separately, then pigments from Vallejo and some oil paints applied. More weathering still to come.
I spent the last couple of days studying the hair-spray technique. That is next in line...
September 14, 2011
August 18, 2011
The Tigers of sSS-Pz.Abt.503 in Berlin
Browsing the net these days, I came across the fascinating story of the six King Tigers from sSS-Pz.Abt.503 who heroically fought the Russians in Berlin in the final days of the war. The name of the commanders: Hauptscharführer Körner, Unterscharführer Diers, Unterscharführer Turk, Oberscharführer Stolze, Untersturmführer Schäfer and Obersturmführer Lippert. All Köningstigers were lost during the break through attempts. Yes, they defended the final hours of a murderous political system, but their military actions were outstanding.
On the 30th April, Untersharfuhrer Georg Diers and his crew of tank 314, were ordered to take up a defensive position at the Reichstag buildings. This was one of only two remaining King Tigers belonging to Heavy SS Tank Battalion 503 in Berlin. By that evening they had knocked out about 30 T34s, and the following day led a successful counterattack against the Kroll Opera House directly opposite the Reichstag. Their efforts though, merely postponed the inevitable and by the end of the day the order was given to abandon the position and prepare to break out of Berlin. Tiger 314 ended the war with 39 victories. The crew survived the war.
Georg Diers at the very end of the confrontation:
"At this point we were confused and sad, as we had knocked out at least 39 enemy tanks with this Tiger II, and that was only the tanks which had caught fire, who knows whether it was more or not. With this last command, I told the General about my orders from Goebbels, whereupon he informed me of that what General Krebs had arranged, and we were forced to destroy our beloved tank."
Total confirmed score (26.4. – 2.5.1945):
- Köningstiger #314 under command of Uscha. Diers knocked out one JS-2 + thirtythree T-34/85s.
- Köningstiger under command of Hscha. Körner knocked out one JS-2 + two ISU-122s + one T-34/85.
- Köningstiger under command of Ustuf. Schäfer knocked out one JS-2 + five T-34/85s.
- Köningstiger under command of Uscha. Semik knocked out one T-34/85 and under command of Oscha. Stolze five T-34/85s.
- Köningstiger #101 under command of Uscha. Turk knocked out three T-34/85s.
I would've liked to depict Diers' Tiger no 314 but, unfortunately, there's just a couple of pictures with the destroyed tank. Therefore I decided to make Turk's tank, no 101. This is the most famous photo, with the abandoned Tiger near Potsdamer Bahnhof. I will use Revell kit, with Part PE and Mig Production decals. But only after I finish the SU-122 in 1/48, as I don't like working on two models at the same time.
On the 30th April, Untersharfuhrer Georg Diers and his crew of tank 314, were ordered to take up a defensive position at the Reichstag buildings. This was one of only two remaining King Tigers belonging to Heavy SS Tank Battalion 503 in Berlin. By that evening they had knocked out about 30 T34s, and the following day led a successful counterattack against the Kroll Opera House directly opposite the Reichstag. Their efforts though, merely postponed the inevitable and by the end of the day the order was given to abandon the position and prepare to break out of Berlin. Tiger 314 ended the war with 39 victories. The crew survived the war.
Georg Diers at the very end of the confrontation:
"At this point we were confused and sad, as we had knocked out at least 39 enemy tanks with this Tiger II, and that was only the tanks which had caught fire, who knows whether it was more or not. With this last command, I told the General about my orders from Goebbels, whereupon he informed me of that what General Krebs had arranged, and we were forced to destroy our beloved tank."
Total confirmed score (26.4. – 2.5.1945):
- Köningstiger #314 under command of Uscha. Diers knocked out one JS-2 + thirtythree T-34/85s.
- Köningstiger under command of Hscha. Körner knocked out one JS-2 + two ISU-122s + one T-34/85.
- Köningstiger under command of Ustuf. Schäfer knocked out one JS-2 + five T-34/85s.
- Köningstiger under command of Uscha. Semik knocked out one T-34/85 and under command of Oscha. Stolze five T-34/85s.
- Köningstiger #101 under command of Uscha. Turk knocked out three T-34/85s.
I would've liked to depict Diers' Tiger no 314 but, unfortunately, there's just a couple of pictures with the destroyed tank. Therefore I decided to make Turk's tank, no 101. This is the most famous photo, with the abandoned Tiger near Potsdamer Bahnhof. I will use Revell kit, with Part PE and Mig Production decals. But only after I finish the SU-122 in 1/48, as I don't like working on two models at the same time.
July 27, 2011
SU-122 from Tamiya
Well, Dragos... why not? :-)
And, as you already know, I have a soft spot for winter camo.
And, as you already know, I have a soft spot for winter camo.
July 24, 2011
July 15, 2011
July 02, 2011
T-34/76 - construction done
There was a controversy concerning the cylindrical fuel drums, as this model (early 1943) was most likely equipped with two box-type fuel cells in the rear. However, it seems there were a few batches upgraded later in '43 with this type of fuel drums.
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