U.S. Tank Crew (Winter Dress)
Modeling the U.S. Army in WWII

Warriors Scale Models
35036

Okay, maybe it's because we're all macho guys, or because in our modeling we all portray macho guys, but what's with the bare hands here? Doesn't anyone listen to their mother and put their gloves or mittens on before going outside in the winter to play? You've got to wonder if these boys are really that keen on resting their bare hands on frozen steel. Brrrr!

Aside from that glaring inconsistency (to a Minnesotan, at least), this is a super set of four hatch dwellers. They all wear the winter combat trousers, either over or under their winter jackets. The driver has on a soft wool winter helmet under his steel pot. The figure in the center rear of the box photo is adapted from the "U.S. Tanker (Taking a Coffee Break)" figure: new arms, but same torso and head. He could probably use a hot mug of joe to warm up his numb hands….

The sculptor is not identified for this set, but his work is top notch. Assembly is straightforward, but you might want to test fit the figures as you glue their arms on so they rest properly on the cold surfaces of the tank. The figures slip into their hatches like…fingers in a glove.

I'll be using this fine crew to outfit DML's Battle of the Bulge Sherman. Perhaps I can get my wife to knit some little mittens for them…or wait for real gloves made out of Dragon's Generation Five Elastic Plastic. True, those will be German gloves for "Willy Schnitzel's Tiger Crew, La Gleize, 1944" but I'm sure they will be 3-in-1: full gloves, gloves with half-fingers, and gloves with no fingers. Just have to paint them OD instead of mousy grey. Maybe have to reverse the stitching…check the thread count and loops per inch…or pick up a set of spare hands from Verlinden, which offers a pair of paws in fine warm gloves.

-tss-

 

Modeling the U.S. Army in WWII © 2002—2007 Timothy S. Streeter