Panzer Aces No.41

The JS-2 tank first saw combat in the spring of 1944. JS-2s were assigned to separate heavy tank regiments, which were used to reinforce the most important attack sectors during major offensive operations. Tactically, they were employed as breakthrough tanks. Their role was to support infantry during an assault, using their large guns to destroy bunkers, buildings, dug-in weapons, and other 'soft' targets. They were also capable of taking on any German AFV when the need arose. The JS-2 weighed pretty much the same as a German Panther, and was lighter than the German heavy tanks of the Tiger series. It was slightly lower than both. A major weakness was the two-piece ammunition employed, which slowed the rate of fire considerably. A second glitch was the extremely limited ammunition supply of only 28 rounds. This was the price paid by the small size of the original design.

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Panzer Aces No.40

A direct descendant of the famous T-34, this tank has the world record in terms of sheer amount of user countries around the world; being employed in well over 50 countries throughout the planet. This vehicle is still in front line use in many contemporary conflicts (Libya, Syria, etc.). The T-55 has been present in almost all armed conflicts of the second half of the 20th century (Arab-Israeli wars, Vietnam, Iran-Iraq, the Balkans...) The Enigma version of this vehicle and the star of this review, was one of the stars in the Gulf war. This particular version was only employed by commanding armoured vehicles. The T-55 Enigma is a very peculiar version of the T-54/55 family. The Enigma modification basically consists of some additional armouring on the front area of the turret and the sloping area in the front and the sides of the hull or frame, and some metallic extensions on the rear of the turret.

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Panzer Aces No.39

In order to include the immense 128mm Pak L76 I gun that Rheinmetall Borsig developed, the frame was widened and became more elongated including one more wheel. Both units were tested in the Russian Front in mid 1942 with some very interesting ballistics results; however shortcomings on its motorization led to the cancelling of this project in favor of the development of the Tiger I. The two "tank destroyers" were part of the 521 schwere Panzerjaeger Abteilung, one of these was destroyed in combat while the remaining "Sturer" was captured in January 1943 and is now exposed in the town of Kubinka. I think that this is a good kit, I m not going to get into measurement details, but I'm going to say that the details are good and that its pieces fit together perfectly. The piece arrangement has been carefully thought out and it allows you to assemble-paint-assemble quite comfortably, which is something quite important when dealing with open vehicles.

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Panzer Aces No.38

In order to cut down development and production costs, Ford decided to use frames, motors brakes, etc from the civil machines as much as possible. For the WOT3 30cwt. model the frame of the popular 7V model was used; relocating pedals, steering and adding a V8 85cv gas motor, military wheels and a wooden box for carrying loads. The new and Spartan cabin was developed and stamped by Briggs Motor Bodies, with the bare minimum production tooling, a simple piece designed for easy assembly and repair. The first series was called WOT3A, and series 3B, 3C, 3D and 3E followed. The design was being refined during the conflict. The result was a simple, cheap and trustworthy truck although it didn't have enough horsepower at times. This vehicle was used by the three Armies in innumerable variants and for innumerable purposes.

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Panzer Aces No.37

Tracks that are poorly finished can greatly reduce the appearance of a completed model. In fact it is the tracks that I often view first to quickly start forming an understanding of the overall authenticity and level of skill put into the finishing of a completed model. This rather short article is to demonstrate the various techniques that I have put together over the past years to quickly and accurately finish the tracks on an armor model. You will find most of these techniques to be quite simple, employ inexpensive products and are rather enjoyable to apply. It is important to note that earth tones can vary in different locations. This article will show both the mediums and techniques I use to effectively weather track. I strongly recommend that you study photos of the terrain in the theater where your replica is supposed to be in order to accurately mix the various colors for both the dry and wet terrain.

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