Towards the end of World War 2 some of the most vicious tank battles were being fought on the Eastern Front as Russian forces pushed their way into the back door of the Third Reich. Although not on the scale of the Kursk campaign earlier in the war, these slugfests involved some of the heaviest, most sophisticated armored units the world had seen up to that point, and most engagements were hammered out between the opposing forces with no quarter given or taken. The atrocities that these two countries had inflicted on each other during the previous five years ensured that.

My father was a professor of history, and he wrote a number of books relying on primary sources. Igor Nebolsin’s book on the subject of these brutal encounters likewise draws on a plethora of first-hand information, from battle reports to statistical data from both sides, to first-hand reminiscences of combatants. Ultimately, this becomes a virtual day-to-day study of this period in history.

I had heard that ICM vehicle kits were a bit of trouble and that care was needed in building them. I can honestly say though that they did pretty well with this kit, which went together smoothly with very little fuss. It makes an interesting looking addition to my WWI model collection.

The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company (FWD) was one of the first American companies to develop and produce all-wheel drive vehicles. The U.S. Army ordered 15,000 FWD Model B three ton trucks, known as Truck, 3 Ton, Model 1917, during WWI with over 14,000 delivered. Additional orders came from the United Kingdom and Russia.

What’s Inside the Box

The kit comes as the standard ICM kit does - with a colorful box top that slides off of an enclosed brown cardboard box. Parts were packaged well and details were crisp with no flash to speak of.

Background

‘The new German tanks were the headache of ordinary Sherman tanks. The mass production of the M26 Pershing was still some time away. The M4A3E2, a special Sherman variant nicknamed “Jumbo” was thus born. It received much thicker chassis and turret armor on the basis of M4A3. It could withstand the shot of large caliber German tank guns and anti-tank guns. Later, it was refitted the 76mm main gun and had better anti-armor capability. In the end of December 1944, a “Jumbo” tank of the 4th Armored Division under the command of Patton led a unit of U.S. soldiers to break the German Siege of Bastogne and joined forces with the 101st Airborne Division. This operation reversed the situation of the Battle of the Bulge.

Background (Wikipedia)

The Husky VMMD (vehicle-mounted mine detection) family of vehicles are blast-survivable, mission-configurable, wheeled platforms employed by specialized route clearance teams operating in high-explosive threat areas. The Mk. III is the modern single-occupant Husky model. The platform is integrated with pulse induction metal detector panels and overpass tires that enable operators to regulate tire air pressure in order to reduce the risk of detonating. As with all Husky platforms, the Mk. III has been engineered in a unique modular, frangible configuration. In the event of a mine or improvised explosive device detonation, vehicle components break apart in a predictable fashion, reducing damage to the platform and occupants, as well as facilitating fast in-field repairs.

The M109A7 is the latest version of the Army’s long serving 155mm self-propelled howitzer. First debuted in the 1960s to replace the M44. This newest version of the M109 sets out to upgrade many of the systems that allow a faster fire rate even with the increase in armor. There are also a number of parts that this vehicle now shares with the Bradley fighting vehicle allowing for cost savings in production and supply logistics. This new kit from Panda Hobby is the first kit of the newest member of the M109 family in 1/35 scale.