This vignette features two GIs in cold weather dress examining a panzerfaust, standing on a resin base that has other assorted captured German equipment.

The soldier holding up the panzerfaust for examination is one of very, very few US figures in a white camo covering, in this case having the appearance of a white bed sheet draped over his wool melton coat, and another scrap of sheet or pillowcase over his helmet. This was quite typical in the early stages of the Ardennes fighting, before soldiers were issued white cam jackets. Because the hands of this figure are not molded onto the panzerfaust, one could have him holding a rifle or other long, narrow object. He wears his web gear over the white sheet, and has the M1923 cartridge belt (one of VP's 1/32 sized M1 Garands is included for this figure). He carries on his hip what appears to be the lightweight canvas gas mask bag issued after the Normandy landings (the gas mask was typically discarded and the bag used for extra ammo or personal belongings). This bag was typically a darker OD shade than the white color portrayed in the box art.

The second soldier has his leather-gloved hands on his hips as he looks at the anti-tank weapon. He wears a calf-length coat of indeterminate origin. I was unsuccessful in finding it as I searched through Windrow and Hawkins' The World War II GI: U.S. Army Uniforms 1941-45 in Color Photographs, which for my money is the best modeling reference for GI uniforms, gear and weapons. It's definitely not the double-breasted, brass-buttoned melton. This single-breasted coat may be a version of the enlisted man's resin- or rubber-coated raincoat, which is the grayish-green color depicted in the box art. But it has distinctive hip pockets with angled flaps that I wasn't able to see in photographs, but it does have a reinforced shoulder plaquet of these raincoats. This figure has web gear over his coat, and carries a holstered .45 and clip pouch. On his left hip is a M1938 canvas map case. Both figures wear the rubber overshoes with the prominent steel buckles.

Also included in the set is a pair of shovels, three canteens and a pair of .45 holsters with the small individual bullet pouches.

The molding is the typical crisp, bubble-free work of the VP studios. Faces are quite acceptable. Unfortunately, a thumb was broken from one of the hands of the camo'ed trooper, but I found it in the bag (a missing wing-nut for the food box was not found, however).

The base, measuring about 2"x3", is a spot of roadway with a cobblestone sidewalk corner and remnant of a building wall. Amid some rubble and dirt, VP has molded on a number of their German equipment pieces, including a knapsack, gas mask canister, bread bag, belt with ammo pouches, canteen, mess kit, a few grenades, map case, and large food box with a double loaf of bread and sausage on top. Some modelers may prefer to have these pieces molded into the base to save time gluing them on. Personally, I'd rather have them separate and be able to swap them with other items or not use them at all. I suspect that molding them on helps preserve sales of these items in VP's German equipment sets. There is a separate Kar rifle and extra panzerfaust that you can use in the manner of the box art or as you wish.

I'm sure that figure modelers enjoy the bases that have proliferated kits over the past few years, but for those of us who strictly use figures for dioramas or vignettes of our own creation, they're just superfluous and an added expense. I'll be passing along to my son the dozen or so I've set aside and he can use them to practice his painting skills.

Over all, this is a good kit. The poses haven't been done to death and the use of the white camo is unique. If you're not into figure bases, the relative value of the kit's two figures will be higher than what you'd otherwise pay.

-tss-