The Japanese were among many nations during WWII to try and develop an amphibious tank. The Ka-Mi was the results of their efforts. My Japanese armor references are somewhat lacking, but the internet tells me that there were 184 of these floating tanks build during the war. Dragon has issued this great little kit in their 1/35 ’39-’45 series. Kit #6678 of the Imperial Japanese Navy Type 2 (Ka-Mi) Amphibious Tank Combat Version.

“Combat Version” means this kit does NOT come with the distinctive floats/pontoons that give the tank its unique look. Don’t let that put you off, as the kit itself is of exceptional quality, molded in the standard grey. The kit includes a great level of detail on all the parts, and comes with DS track, a small PE set, and a small sprue of clear parts. (Dragon has announced a release of the “full” kit with the pontoons which should be on store shelves soon.)

History and Performance

The 15cm sIG33 infantry gun was first installed on converted Pz.Kpfw. I chassis and used in the early campaigns of May-June 1940. This combination resulted in a high profile vehicle that offered little protection to the crew. Afterwards, plans were developed to mount this weapon on a more suitable chassis. A prototype was mounted on a Pz.Kpfw. II chassis, but it was quickly realized that more room was required for the gun and crew. The chassis was widened and lengthened. Only twelve vehicles were built, and all were eventually shipped to Africa. All were destroyed in combat on that front.

Kit Review:

Instructions – The instructions are in the typical fold-out Dragon standard. There are 21 steps to the build, with a sprue layout identifying what parts are not to be used. There are painting and marking guides for seven vehicles.

History and Performance

The GAZ-69A was a four-wheel drive light truck designed and built for the Russian military in the late 1940’s. Supposedly, the design was based on the American Jeep provided to the Russians during the war as part of the Lend Lease program. The four-door GAZ-69A was a field car for officers or up to eight troops. The car weighed in at 1,525 kg, with a carrying capacity of 500 kg. The car was powered by a 55 bhp, 2.12 liter diesel engine. The car was exported to several nations in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

The M41 Walker Bulldog was a light tank developed after World War II, going into service in 1955. While the US never took it into battle, a few of the countries it was exported to did, notably South Vietnam, where it was the main tank until they got M-48s.

This softcover book covers the subject in many full color detail photos and several drawings. If you are modeling one of these and want to know what the final drive adapter drain plug or the turret ammo storage area looks like, there are a picture or two included.

This book is ideal for all you super-detailers out there, and pretty much every square inch of the vehicle is covered. The pictures are all of several preserved/restored examples, so are pretty much in very clean condition.

History and Performance

The Grizzly armored personnel carrier is part of the Canadian Armored Vehicle General Purpose (AVGP) family. Also included in this family are the Coyote and the Cougar. Originally purchased by the Canadian military in the 1970s, the Grizzly is no longer in front line service. The surviving vehicles have been converted to support vehicles and some were sold to other countries.

Instructions

The instructions are in a twelve-page book form that include 15 construction steps. Each step involves exploded views with parts numbers for placement. The plans are supplemented by a two-sided painting and markings guide. The first is an IFOR vehicle marked in green and black, while the second is an all-white UN vehicle. Paint reference colors are shown for Mr. Hobby, Vallejo, Model Master, Tamiya and Humbrol. The Tamiya colors are noted incorrectly for the IFOR vehicle: each should be moved up one cell on the paint chart.