Eric Christianson
Reviews By Author
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Legends of Warfare Panzerkampfwagen IV - The Backbone of Germany’s WWII Tank ForcesPublished:
DavidDoyleBooks.com (Schiffer Publishing) out of Memphis TN, is back again with another Legends of Warfare (Ground) book entitled Panzerkampfwagen IV – The Backbone of Germany’s WWII Tank Forces, by popular author David Doyle. Anyone familiar with armor modeling literature and research will recognize this authoritative combination, and like usual, this latest release won’t disappoint. Looking across my personal bookshelf of maybe 200 titles, I can spot several of Mr. Doyle’s books, including Panzer II, 251 Halftrack Visual History and Tiger I In Action, and, of course, my beaten-to-death copy of German Military Vehicles, among others. If you’ve been building armor models for any length of time, you’re probably familiar with his work as well… more |
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Marder I 7.5cm Pak.40/1 auf Gw.Lr.s.(f) Sd.Kfz.135Published:
SummaryPanda Hobby, a relatively new manufacturer based in China, has recently released a very interesting addition to the German self-propelled Marder family in 1/35th scale; the Sd.Kfz. 135 Marder I. The diminutive French chassis sports individual-link track, a single–piece barrel, and a nicely-detailed ammunition rack to help kick-start the interior. BackgroundThe Marder or “Marten” was the name given to a variety of German World War II tank destroyers which used existing, high-use or outdated chassis coupled with proven and lethal anti-tank guns. Due to the weight and space constraints of the smaller chassis, the Marder series were not fully armored and were not considered proper Panzerjäger that could exchange fire with enemy tanks. Thin upper armor… more |
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Sd.Kfz. 142 Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. C/DPublished:
Dragon Models offers a complete lineup of the Sd.Kfz.142 Sturmgeschütz family tree in 1/35 scale. The subject of this review is the Sd.Kfz. 142 III Ausf, C/D, an upgraded offering from their ‘Smart Kit’ series. The ‘Sd.Kfz.’ in the name, short for ‘Sonderkraftfahrzeug’, identifies the vehicle as a ‘special purpose vehicle’, and the Sturmgeschütz (StuG) was Germany's most produced armored fighting vehicle during World War II. The StuG was built on the chassis of the proven Panzer III tank, replacing the turret with a fixed superstructure mounting a more powerful gun. Initially intended as a mobile, armored light gun for direct-fire support for infantry, the StuG III was continually modified, and widely employed as an assault gun as well as a tank destroyer. The… more |
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15cm s.IG.33/2 (Sf) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t) HetzerPublished:
Dragon has recently released five new kits, none of which have been available in plastic before, at least not in the released versions. Instead, modelers would have had to scratch build them or buy expensive resin conversion sets. This review covers one of the kits; the 15cm s.IG.33/2 (Sf) auf Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer. This Czechoslovakian 38(t)-based vehicle looks unusual, sporting the large-caliber, 150mm field howitzer used on a variety of other (mostly larger) German AFV’s. Just imagine the recoil from that gun when fired from the diminutive Hetzer! Intended as a replacement for the Grille, only 30 were built, from December 1944. Operational history is scarce, but based on the few images available it was apparently used in combat on the Eastern front. This is… more |
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Volllkettenaufklarer 38 w7.5cm Kanona 51 L24Published:
Dragon has recently released five new kits, none of which have been available in plastic before, at least not in the released versions. Instead, modelers would have had to scratch build them or buy expensive resin conversion sets. This review covers one of the kits; the Volllkettenaufklarer (reconnaissance) 38 w7.5cm Kanona 51 L24 Hetzer. This Czechoslovakian 38(t)-based vehicle looks unusual, sporting the short-barreled, 75mm infantry support gun used on a variety of other (mostly larger) German AFV’s. Just imagine the recoil from that gun when fired from the diminutive Hetzer! Intended as a fully tracked reconnaissance vehicle based on the Bergepanzer 38, several prototypes were tested, including a single vehicle mounting a 7.5 cm K51 L/24 gun. Needless to say,… more |
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PanzerFunkwagen Sd.Kfz. 233 8 Rad 7.5cmPublished:
AFV Club has released an updated version of their original (excellent) eight-wheeled Sd.Kfz. 232 – this time representing an open-topped, -233 version armed with the 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24 main gun. While this kit has been out for some time, the specific vehicle type has remained under-represented in the industry. There is quite a lot of interior provided; including two driver’s compartments (one for each set of four wheels, fore and aft) and every hatch and view port on the vehicle can be modeled in the open or closed position. Still, with the large main weapon and the streamlined super-structure, precious little is visible on the completed model. Flipping the hull over uncovers an abundance of detail offered in the gear, axles and other odds and ends underneath and around… more |
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MIM-104B Patriot Surface To Air Missile PAC-1Published:
The Black Label collection from Dragon Models offers an interesting range of novel model kits. Their latest offering, a 1/35th scale MIM-104B Patriot Surface To Air Missile (PAC-1), is not the only kitted offering of this venerable anti-missile, missile system on the market; it is not even the first version of the kit produced. But, with its relatively low parts count and absence of photo etch, it is a kit clearly aimed at modelers with a focus on buildability. Dragon includes not only the complete launcher and four posable missile pods, but also the U.S. Army HEMTT prime mover – quite an undertaking in one box. The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system is used by the United States Army and several allied nations. It is manufactured by Raytheon and replaces the… more |
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French RucksackPublished:
Plus Model out of Czechoslovakia continues to add to its list of quality aftermarket and modeling supply products; this time with a package of French infantry rucksack items – perfect for a diorama, or even amongst a pile of detritus found in the back of an armored vehicle. ContentsThe package contains a variety of items, but what they are specifically is not called out, including:
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German Panzer II - A Visual History of the German Army’s World War II Light TankPublished:
DavidDoyleBooks.com (Ampersand Publishing) out of Memphis TN, is back again with another Military Vehicle book entitled German Panzer II – A Visual History of the German Army’s World War II Light Tank, by popular author David Doyle. Anyone familiar with armor modeling literature and research will recognize this authoritative combination, and this latest release won’t disappoint. Looking across my personal bookshelf of maybe 200 titles, I can spot several of Mr. Doyle’s books, including 251 Halftrack Visual History and Tiger I In Action, and, of course, my beaten-to-death copy of German Military Vehicles, among others. If you’ve been building armor models for any length of time, you’re probably familiar with his work as well. … more |
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Flakpanzer T-34(r)Published:
Dragon has once again cobbled together parts from several of their kits to produce a scale representation of an unusual vehicle used by the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front. This time around it is the Flakpanzer T-34(r), a combination of the Soviet T-34 tank hull, and the four-barreled German 2cm Flakvierling 38. To complete the conversion, the kit includes a selection of extra parts, such as the turret, to produce an accurate replica of this fascinating late-war vehicle. An array of photo-etched parts and Magic track links are also included to enhance the detail. BackgroundWith its 76mm gun and well-sloped armor, Germany’s armed forces were shocked when they were confronted by the Russian T-34 tank’s superior qualities. Due to desperate shortages in their own… more |