Summary

ICM continues their run of “dioramas in a box,” this time by kitting the kits as one; the He‑111H-3 WWII German Bomber (Kit 48261). Luftwaffe airfield equipment (Kit 48409), and German Luftwaffe ground personnel (1939-1945) (Kit 48229).

Background

The He-111 was initially designed as a fast airliner. But the secret Luftwaffe wanted an aircraft that could also be converted to a bomber with minimal adaptation. The first He-111 flew in February 1935. The first incarnations of the He-111 looked nothing like what became an infamous bomber of the Blitz. The He-111A through 111F all had a normal nose and cockpit configuration. Not until the introduction in 1938 of the He-111P did the full glass nose appear.

Frenchman Sylvain Hautier founded Syhart Decals (SY (Sylvain) HA (Hautier) , ART (design)) in 2006 with the aim of recreating in model form the special aircraft paint schemes that have been developed to celebrate anniversaries, participate in Tiger Meets, and for last flights. He also issues decals for regular schemes for lesser-known and unusual air forces for kits that offer limited decal options.

An example is the 1/72 Rafale C, with the kit issued by Revell offering limited choices. Sylvain’s answer has been to release a number of decal sheets for various air forces.

The U.S. Army’s Tactical and Technical Trends (Vol. I, No. 11: July 1943) quoted Red Army sources,

The Germans make extensive use of self-propelled guns as assault artillery. Their most important mission is to destroy the opposition’s antitank and heavy infantry weapons… Assault batteries, which are assigned a limited number of targets, have the mission of supporting the attacks of the infantry, and of destroying the opposition’s heavy infantry weapons and strong points disclosed during the attack. In supporting tank attacks, the self-propelled artillery assumes some of the normal tasks of heavier tanks, including the destruction of antitank guns.

While the German Army was largely a horse-drawn army, the Germans focused, and relied on, armored vehicles for speed, mobility and shock.

Mike Guardia is an internationally recognized author and military historian. A veteran of the United States Army, he served six years on active duty as an Armor Officer. He is the author of the widely acclaimed HAL MOORE: A SOLDIER ONCE...AND ALWAYS, the first-ever biography chronicling the life of LTG Harold G. Moore, whose battlefield leadership was popularized by the film WE WERE SOLDIERS, starring Mel Gibson. He has twice been nominated for the Army Historical Foundation's Distinguished Book Award and was named Author of the Year in 2021 by the Military Writers Society of America. As a speaker, he hosts the lecture series HAL MOORE: LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP, which is available for presentation at schools, businesses, and civic organizations worldwide. In 2022, he appeared in Season 1 of the History Channel series, I WAS THERE, as a featured historian in the episodes on the Johnstown Flood of 1889; the Chernobyl Disaster; the Battle of Stalingrad; and the Oklahoma City Bombing.

It’s really unique to open these up and see the dark blue and white background to the decal sheet. It sets the individual decals off and honestly, I think it makes the numbers easier to read. When you look at the individual decals, what caught my eye right off the bat was how well the placards look. The lettering and lines have a bright silver metallic look to them that I don’t see in other decals. Printing on the smaller warning decals is crisp and readable at what looks like size 2 font. The registration on all the colors on my sheet looks perfect, no issues. The decals overall are very, very thin. You can hardly feel them on the sheet. When applying them be careful not to let them curl over on themselves. Apply right off the sheet to the aircraft, if possible. Another thing that stands out is how bold the red and the blue are. They really have good solid colors on the decal. The back page of the instructions has actual photographic references for locating the gear markings.