IPMS/USA Reviews

ICM has recently started a trend of boxing several different kits under a single title, a useful way of boosting sales of certain items in their inventory.  One such boxing is the "Wehrmacht 3-Axle Trucks" set, which includes three different heavy truck kits of various vintages.  Personally, I like this trend, as it provides the modeler with a host of material to work with at a relatively low price.  Perhaps the only downside to the marketing for this specific set is the cover art, which is perhaps the dullest model box top I've ever seen. 

As stated before, the three kits were originally released separately at various times, and to a certain degree the age of the original kit impacts its buildability, as the later kits are certainly easier to assemble than the earlier, although all of these are fairly intensive builds and will sometimes tax the skills of the average modeler.  All three feature extended cargo bay extender slats, canvas cabin hoods and excellent engine details.

The T-34 is known to just about anyone with knowledge of WWII battles and the Eastern Front in particular. While it had some teething issues, it was an unpleasant surprise to the Germans who came against it and the KV series of tanks. It quickly became apparent that the typical early Panzers were outmatched and outgunned. This led to development of the Tiger and the Panther, which derived much of its design from experiences with the T-34. This new book from Greenhill Books gives an excellent account of the design, development, and battlefield performance of this workhorse of the Red Army. After a foreword called Stalin's Saviour by Anthony Tucker-Jones, we delve right in.

What's Inside

This is an excellent decal sheet, and it is nice for this to be on the market!  Decals are provided for 28 panzer divisions. Between one and five decals are provided for each division. The decals for the divisions with three, four, or five decals are differentiated by the years which they were used. 

The color register is excellent, and the images are sharp and clear. The decals are thin and will conform to curved and uneven surfaces nicely, yet they are not so thin that they will tear when wet. They release form the backing paper easily and require minimal wet time. 

I would first like to give a HUGE shoutout to Mr. Gary Demory, Tamiya America Customer Service Supervisor without whose help this review may not have been able to be completed. During work on this project, I had a "the dog ate my homework" moment when a series of parts was suddenly missing from my workbench, and the guilty party kept saying, "I didn't do it." What to do? In spite of Tamiya's California office being closed due to the pandemic, Gary went to great lengths to assist me in getting the parts I needed. Thanks for all of your help and outstanding service, Gary!

First Impression

The Marder I was a WWII German tank destroyer with a 75mm PaK-40 anti-tank gun. Most of the Marders were actually constructed on the base of a French artillery tractor (Trachteur Blinde 37L), which Germany had acquired more than 300 of after the fall of France in 1940.

Introduction

This book covers the search for and the development of all types of ambulances, medic jeeps, medical trucks, and litter carriers used by the US Army during World War II. The book details many modifications made in-theater to vehicles, and other missions for medical vehicles including use by the American Red Cross and American Field Service.

US Army Ambulances & Medical Vehicles in World War II is part of Casemate's Illustrated Special Series that uses hundreds of B&W photographs, color illustrations, and diagrams to provide a wealth of information for the historian, modeler, or researcher.

Author Didier is passionate about military history, in particular American vehicles of World War II. He has accumulated an impressive collection of technical documents and photographs on the subject, which he has shared through his writing, both books and magazines, over the last two decades.

The book is divided into 16 chapters describing medical vehicle types and missions during World War II: