Panzer Aces No.27

In January 1943, A Tiger I was captured by the Soviet army on the Leningrad front, and was subsequently used on a number of tests. The results were quite revealing: The only existing guns that could harm it were the 85 mm anti aerial gun piece and the 122 mm A-19. A new and powerful enough gun was developed under the leadership of Genera F.F. Petrov. The 85mm D-5S-85 that was assigned to the self propelled SU-122 wich used the T-34 frame was the result of this effort. The tests lead to the following conclusions: This vehicle wasn't equipped with a telescopic sight for direct fire, and this made it inadequate for the gun. A ball joint was designed for the weapon which allowed for a 20 degree turn to each side and a +20 degree elevation plus a -3 degree lowering equipped with a brand new telescopic sight (TSh-15). The weapon was now housed on a redesigned casemate placed on an old SU-122. Engineers Makonin, Gorlick and Troyanov lead the team that carried out the works. The final prototype was presented to a state commission on the summer of 1943.

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Panzer Aces No.26

I decided to build this vignette after reading the Squadron Signal Publications book titled SS Armour (ref 6014). One of the photos showed several German officers chatting in front of a "LSSAH" Panther while a large group of expectant civilians watch the scene around them, as if admiring a new race car. I made a personal interpretation of the scene, preferring to make the civilians stand in the background in a slightly higher position, watching the scene from a vantage point. The vignette takes place on a 13x13 cm square chipboard with sealed edges. The basic base elements are a brick panel and a wall made by Mig Productions and also an Evergreen plastic panel sidewalk. Both the side walls and the terrace floor were made with a 1,5 mm Evergreen panels. I placed a photo etch railing on the upper wall, the handrail had to be thickened with a specially shaped Evergreen rod. I placed an Aneste streetlamp and bench that was scratch built using rectangular section plastic rods as the only urban furniture.

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Panzer Aces No.24

I know mine is not the first case and won't be the last. It is the typical result of an initially modest project that began to grow like a snowball going downhill. It all started with a proposal to write an article in Panzer Aces /Armor Model magazine about a 1/72 scale UM ammunition carrier 38(t) kit.When I had the kit in my hands, I thought it was too small. It would end up being a meagre article. I immediately thought of adding more elements. I immediately thought of another vehicle. I would make a tank to have the munitions transport feed it. If not an incredibly original idea, at east it would help to add ''substance'' to the scene. I was a so attracted by an hydraulic construction I had come across on the Internet. The only thing that was stopping me from reproducing it was the massive size it was going to be in 1/35 scale. Building it in 1/72 scale would be a much more viable project, and I would have a second element to decorate the scene. And I kept on thinking. I have the bad habit of visiting mode shops frequently, where I usually end up watching many incredible kits and buying many of them.

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Panzer Aces No.01

This battalion was formed with a complement of forty-five heavy tanks. Tiger I E's. Crew training began in Sennelager and was completed in Mailly le Camp. France. At the end of October, the unit was entrained by rail convoy to Lemberg. On reaching Lemberg, the men were then driven to Fatowez. three hundred kilometers from Lemberg. The unit first faced their opponents in November 1943. It was embroiled in some really ferocious battles which continued right up until the end of the year, near Zitomir. By the beginning of 1944. the unit took part in operations to protect the bridge over the river Bug at Sasslaw (February) and near Sawniza (March) both of which were of significant importance. In April 1944. the battalion moved to Kolomyja. to undertake the training of Hungarian crews and become part of the reserve. In June, the battalion was sent once more to the Front. During the battle for Kielce in September 1944. the loss of crews became exceptional and the unit retired to Sennelager to be re-equipped with the new Tiger II or Tiger Ausf-B tanks.

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