Small Scale Military Headquarters

Was in a model shop in central London (Modelzone) this evening, which had just received a stock of the first releases in the FOV 1/72 range. (See separate post).

The shop had also received a number of FOV 1/32 in new paint schemes. They were
1) A T-34 in winter whitewash with red slogans on the turret. It had two crew members I think last year's model only had one.
2) A M-60 in green camouflage.
3) A Matilda in overall sand.
4) A 9th Pz Div Kubelwagen in Normandy camouflage
5) A Schwimwagen belonging to 101 SS Heavy Tank battalion, also in Normandy. This was operated by the reece section of the bn and examples can be seen in photos taken in Villers Bocage during the ell know engagement by Wittmann.

The shop had also got the new 1/32 individual soldier models. All of US soldiers either in the Gulf or NW Europe 1944-45. I can't say I was particularly impressed. Better than the figure in FOV's plastic sets but not as good as other models on the market.

Of these above I liked the T-34. I passed on last year's version but I think I might get this one. I like models in winter camouflage!

I bought the US101st set today and I think the 1/32 figures are actually pretty good. You have to bear in mind the price of them. For die cast figures they are very cheap.

Obviously they are not in the King and Country class but to my eye they compare favourably with several William Britain sets i have.

The scenic bases are an interesting addition and help create some unusual poses that would be very difficult to balance on a plain base. Ok so they are all action poses but that is in keeping with the action nature of the range.

I give them the thumbs up.

Two thumbs up!!!!!!

I saw the Matilda recently and it finally does justice to this machine. The orginal paint scheme was just awful but this new S2 variant looks subdued and is historically appropriate to my eye.

OnWu wrote:I saw the Matilda recently and it finally does justice to this machine. The orginal paint scheme was just awful but this new S2 variant looks subdued and is historically appropriate to my eye.

The S2 (or is it S3, now) desert tan version looks good, but the S1 version was just as historically accurate:





Photo taken at the Imperial War Museum, London, by tmanthegreat