The description below is taken from ICM’s product website.

Hot, delicious food on the front line plays a far more crucial role for soldiers than civilians in peacetime. Regular meals during wartime not only maintain combat readiness but also have great moral significance. World War II's standard US field kitchen could serve 150–180 people. These kitchens were part of a company’s structure but often combined into larger battalion kitchens. They were typically located away from direct combat lines, deeper in the rear, which eased the supply of provisions. Food preparation relied on M-1937 field stoves, which ran on liquid fuel. These versatile stoves allowed for frying, baking, or stewing various dishes—even pies. Cooks strived to provide soldiers with hot meals at least twice daily. While most food was hearty and calorie-rich, American soldiers occasionally enjoyed treats like roast turkey when possible.

This is a good introduction book to the world of dioramas by author Mat Irvine. His English roots are evident throughout this amazing book, and it is great to see his perspective across multiple genres of modelling, and not just fixated on one sub-genre. While some want dioramas for a specific style, this book does a great job of covering dioramas from basic to movie sets and museum displays. I also appreciate the author’s Dedication page to Andrew Yanchus before the table of contents. Andy worked for Aurora, a “colorist” for Marvel Comics, and as an advisor for the newly formed Atlantis Model Company. He was a friend of author Mat Irvine for almost 50 years and was a “highly knowledgeable historian on all matters to do with model-making, and I still often think, when tackling a particular problem: ‘Ah, Andy would have known.’” It is in this vein that the book is written.

Mat Irvine’s introduction starts with,

I continue to be amazed at the capacity of this Ukrainian stalwart company to release new and interesting kits monthly it seems without skipping a beat despite the involvement in a long tedious war. The field kitchen in the kit is identical to the one released in ICM’s recent AHN ‘Gulaschkanone’ kit. Unlike that kit though we get a crew of 4 cooks that would rival anything Gordon Ramsey could cook up.

If you want to do a diorama it usually requires the purchase of a lot of items. Well, ICM has a solution for you with this boxing. It includes everything you will need except for figures and airplanes. Let’s see what is in the box.

Included in a sturdy carboard box with a cover with a nice photo of the contents. Instructions are included in an eight-page booklet. The last two pages are painting instructions. They are printed on high quality paper with full color painting instructions/decal placement. Two sheets of decals are included, one for the bombs and one for the guard shack. They look and work perfectly. There are NINE sprues of light grey plastic that is flash free. The grey is a little soft. That is a good/bad thing. Good when gluing but a bit of a challenge when cleaning up small and thin pieces. More on that later.

Here’s a new figure set from ICM, this time featuring the British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and his staff. According to the box top, the four figures represent Field Marshal Mongomery, a Lieutenant General, a Major and a radio operator or soldier.

Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery was one of the most prominent and successful British commanders of World War II. In December 1943, Montgomery was appointed as the commander of the 21st Army Group and the overall commander of Allied ground forces in Europe, also participating in the planning of Operation Overlord. In the autumn of 1944, he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal. A controversial figure for many reasons, he was nevertheless one of the greatest of Allied Generals during the War, guiding the largely conscript Allied armies to victory while conscious of the need for as small a casualty rate as possible.