This book covers the complete history of the 3^rd SS Panzer Regiment – part of the Totenkopt Division. The subject is approached from the men’s stories, profiles, battles and weapons used.

The “first person” accounts are the highlight of this book. It is written in such a way that it draws you in and you are there experiencing what they did. I must admit I enjoyed this so much and learnt a lot about the feeling, day to day routines as well as the battles. The soldier’s profiles are another great way to help you understand who these people were.

The regiment was formed in late 1942 in France but was transferred to the Eastern front and was involved in many major campaigns and battles in this part of the war. The chapters are broken down well and each covers major events and periods in the regiment’s history.

The illustrations, photos and documents are impressive and significantly added to understanding the whole period in history for these men.

In 2019 ICM introduced their newly tooled A-26/B-26 collection. The B-26B-50 kit and the A-26B-15 kit have now been joined by the A-26C-15 released in 2020. The A26B-15 Invader, kit # 48282, and the B-26B-50 Invader, kit # 48281, are available, but my “A-26/B-26” experience is limited only to the A-26C-15, and at every turn, this kit was extremely impressive.

Packaging

The box is a very sturdy cardboard box. The box “lid” flips up when a tab is freed from a holding slot. The parts within are safe and secure in a large baggie. The clear parts are contained in a separate baggie which prevents any contact with other parts runners, keeping the “glass” in pristine condition, and there is a lot of glass because the A-26C-15 is the “glass-nose” variant. The box art is an exceptional example of aviation art and particularly useful during the construction phases of the project as well.

It wasn’t so long ago that 1/32nd aircraft modelers were pretty hard pressed to find pilot or ground crew figures for dioramas they wished to make. ICM has rather single-handedly addressed this issue, and has been busy churning out wonderful sets to complement your 1/32nd scale aircraft collection. One of the latest of these is their WWII British Ground Personnel set.

This simple set consists of three ground crew figures, who seem to be specifically tailored to their excellent Gloster Gladiator aircraft kits. One is ostensibly removing the tail locks and testing the rudder, another is working on the engine and a third is preparing to prep the propeller. All three are useful additions to a good diorama, although obviously not all at once.