The Kits

You get three 1/72 scale kits and a 54 mm figure in one box here. The kits are an 8-ton halftrack, (SdKfz 7) an 88 mm FLAK 18, and a Panzer IV ausf F2. The figure is Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. There are individual instructions for the vehicles, and the painting and assembly instructions for Rommel are included with the 88 mm FLAK.

I built the kits and figure individually and will go through the process of construction and finishing one at a time.

88 mm Gun, FLAK 18

The Hasegawa 88 mm gun can be displayed either on the travel wheels or deployed for action. Since this came with the halftrack, I decided to build it in “road mode”. The wheel assemblies can be removed, and the side stabilizers can be deployed if desired, as these parts are not glued but can be reset for an “action” display.

If you are looking to add a figure to your F-5 Freedom Fighter, you may want to investigate the latest offering from the Aires Aerobonus line. The figure is posed in his ejection seat with his hands resting on the throttle and stick. With a little care in removing the parts from the pour plug, and some painting, this figure is an easy addition for most modelers to place in their aircraft.

The packaging for this figure is simple with a clear plastic bag containing the ejection seat and majority of the body of the pilot (the arms and head are separate) as well as a folded sheet of paper that provides drawings of the assembled figure as well as painting recommendations. The build was quick and easy, as the arms and head are set into position without issue.

Introduction

In Tidal Wave from Leyte Gulf to Tokyo Bay, Thomas McKelvey Cleaver offers a deep analysis of the political and strategic situation in the last months of the Pacific War, interwoven with engaging accounts of kamikaze raids and aerial combat. He explains how the last months of the Pacific campaign constantly challenged the crews of the US Navy ships, whose pilots conducted continual bombing missions and aerial skirmishes, how the success or failure of the ship’s gunners spelled life or death for their vessels, and how the commanders had to protect their ships from the worst ravages of the Pacific Typhoons.