Volume 13, Issue 6 AMMS Brisbane News · SS Rottenfuhrer 4-5 ... This figure is wearing the later...

made to this kit as well,

albeit in 1/35 scale.

The notable exception is

the radio rack and instru-

ment panel, which needed

quite a bit of additional

work.

I would highly recommend

this kit to anybody who

can afford it, but take

heed—there is a LOT of

pre-painting required, and

it is not a quick build, re-

quiring a lot of dry fitting.

Having said that, there are

a lot of parts which literally

snap into place, and glue

only reinforces the con-

nection.

Have fun, but take your

time. Now, how about a

Panther (or, heaven for-

bid, a Bergepanther?)

There are times when I

think that the moulding

technologies used by

model manufacturers

have reached their limits,

and then something

comes along to prove me

wrong (again!)

In this instance, it is the kit

which has graced my

model bench for the last

three weeks or so, i.e. the

Takom King Tiger with

interior. This particular kit

is number 2073, and rep-

resents a tank with the

production turret (aka the

Henschel turret) and no

zimmerit.

To date, I have found very

little to complain about

except for one thing. That

is that the tolerances are

so minute (non-existent)

that if a part is slightly out

of position, it affects the

next, which affects the

next and so on.

In order to justify the cost

of the kit ($89.99 at Hobby

One), I downloaded for

reference purposes the

full set of the “Superking

articles by David Parker,

which cost me the total of

£22, rather than £65 (the

wrong side of $120) which

I would have had to pay

for the book.

These have proved inval-

uable, and either David

was a consultant for this

series kit (I know he was

for the Meng KT, but not

sure about Takom), or the

designers and developers

of the kit had the book

beside them as they

worked.

Virtually every correction

David made to the 1/16

Trumpeter KT has been

Editorial (aka Rob’s Rantings)

3 June 2017

Volume 13, Issue 6

AMMS Brisbane News

Inside this issue:

From the Cupola 2-3

SS Rottenfuhrer 4-5

AAAM List 6-7

The Long Binh Fire Department

8

PX 2017 Report 9-10

Good One 11

Odds & Sods 12

Right—the KT under

construction. I don’t par-

ticularly like the fixed

ammunition racks. The

radio rack and instru-

ment panel are still under

construction, and the

girtsacks which should

be hanging from the

cross brace are still be-

ing painted.

The red primer is simply

Oxide Red from a Tami-

ya rattle can.

AMMS Brisbane News Volume 13, Issue 6

Whilst writing my last articles about my childhood, teenage and young adult plastic foraging and purchasing expe-

riences, I fondly recalled the impact upon me that the internet had. There is no doubt that everyone also has a

story to tell about their initial internet experiences and how this technology has transformed our hobby.

I was fortunate enough to meet some of our long term members before we kicked off AMMS Brisbane – Craig

Stratton, Ross Allen and Michael Walsh. I had been keen to get back full-swing into modelling and so was investi-

gating the benefits of becoming a member of a model club, and in doing so we became friends. This was around

1997 if memory serves me correctly.

As it was my re-immersion into modelling it was also around the time when I started to purchase a monthly maga-

zine titled Military in Scale. And like so many other modellers I used to drool over all the ads of the various hobby

and book shops around the world and the amazing products that they were advertising. Places like Barbarossa

Books and Hannants and Sheriffs in the UK, and Chris Evans Books in the States just to name a few. Books, kits,

accessories – many that I had not even heard of let alone seen.

And through other magazines that Craig, Ross and Michael subscribed to I saw more ads, of hobby shops here in

Australia. A couple that I used for mail orders for many years was Snowy Mountain Models in Altona and Hylands

Book Shop in Melbourne.

It was the dawning of a new age for me – stuff that I couldn’t buy in any shops near me and purchasing via mail

order and paying by money orders. It was quite a luxury in this day and age for me so it didn’t occur terribly often.

I recall making my first international purchase – “Panzerkampfwagen Maus” by Thomas L. Jentz, Darlington Pro-

ductions, 1997, purchased via International Money Order from Barbarossa Books in the UK. It seemed to take

forever and for a time I thought that I had done my money but it arrived safely and I was very impressed and quite

chuffed by the whole experience.

So began an era where I was making international and national purchases via money order and credit card over

the telephone and more or less didn’t even have to leave home. It still didn’t make sense to not make the majority

of my purchases at local hobby shops when the opportunity arose and little did I know that my days of frequenting

hobby shops was slowly coming to an end.

And then one day it happened – I was catching a wave once a month with my mates – no not at the beach but at

Springwood in Craig’s study! My hobby and everyone else’s hobby changed forever – internet surfing! Craig pur-

chased a computer for home and connected to the World Wide Web. Craig, Ross, Michael and I were catching up

at Craig’s place one Saturday every month. This was a great opportunity for me to visit the “purple bear” regularly

and make online purchases over the internet!

Ah those were the days. Remember dial-up connections – all very exciting at the time but bloody annoying think-

ing back! We would all make online purchases with Craig’s generous assistance (credit card) and then pay for

and collect our precious booty the following month. wanted, but he just accepted it and indulged our access to

this amazing technology.


And I can assure you that all we wanted to do every month for a time was jump on and use his internet! For me

this was just incredible and an awesome experience and obviously very memorable.

But not only was the online shopping awesome but the access to images of period photos and museum examples

of military vehicles, and information – suddenly the world became a much smaller place and virtually everything

became accessible in your own home, or in Craig’s home as it turned out!

It would still be a few more years yet before I purchased a computer and joined the internet age. Stay tuned for

more reminiscing next month……..

Until next time, take care, stay safe, and happy modelling to all!

Kindest regards,

From the Cupola (Cont’d from Page 2)

Below—What? A Tiger 1 in Queensland? No, your eyes do not deceive you. It’s actually a replica, used for some of

the static scenes in the movie “Fury” and can be seen at the Australian Armour & Artillery Museum in Cairns.

These notes are from the reference for the AMMS modelling competition.

This is an Alpine figure and I have utilised the supplied head with the steel helmet. The rank is SS- Rottenführer,

which translates as section leader and is the approximate equivalent of obergefreiter or senior lance corporal.

This figure is wearing the later version of the Waffen SS anorak, in Italian camouflage pattern, this was only seen

in the final winter of the war. This anorak was also issued in shades of field grey and mouse grey. The earlier

version as seen, for example, at the retaking of Kharkov in March ’43 was only a half button front. Feedback

from the troops in the field was that the anorak could get too hot, therefore it was amended to a full button front.

Large stockpiles of the Italian camouflage cloth were confiscated by the Liebstandarte Division when they were

stationed in Italy after the Italian armistice in 1943. This material was used for a variety of garments and also

zeltbahn, the issued shelter quarter.

The trousers are the reversible winter trousers in autumn oak leaf pattern and the boots are felt lined leather. His

equipment consists of leather webbing, pouches for the MP 44 and bayonet.

The ground work is plaster painted in earth tones, the ground cover is finely ground foam, commercial grass

tufts, herbs for the leaves and Tamiya snow, and the shrub is sea moss and more foam painted in appropriate

colours

The figure was painted with artist oils and Vallejo and Jo Sonja acrylics. Continued on Page 5

1/35th SS Rottenfuhrer (thanks Jamie)

Volume 13, Issue 6 AMMS Brisbane News

1/35th SS Rottenfuhrer (Cont’d from Page 4)


After visiting AAAM in April, I thought members may appreciate a list of the vehicles and artillery pieces on display:

Australian Armour & Artillery Museum Cairns


SdKfz 2 Kettenkrad Gun Tractor

British Ordnance ML 4.2 inch Mortar

British Charioteer Tank Destroyer

US Mark V 3 inch Landing Gun

Breech Loading 6 inch Medium How-

itzer

German 21cm Morser 16

French Canon de 155 C Modele 1917

Schneider

German 7.7cm FK16 Field Gun

British Breech Loading 6 inch Howitzer

French Schneider-Canet 75mm Field

Gun M1904

German 7.58cm Minenwerfer (Light

Mortar)

German 15cm sFH 13

German 10.5cm LeFH KP16 Howitzer

Russian 37mm Automatic Air Defence

Gun M1939 (61-K)

British Bofors 40mm Anti-Aircraft Gun

British QF 3.7-inch Heavy Anti-Aircraft

Gun

Russian 76.2mm Air Defence Gun

M31(r)

German Portable Machine Gun Pill

Box

German 8.8cm Flak 18/36/37 Anti-

Aircraft Gun

German 3.7cm Flak 36 Anti-Aircraft

Gun

German Flak 30 Anti-Aircraft Gun

German 2cm Flakvierling 38 Anti-

Aircraft Gun

Polish 20mm Polsten Quad Mount Anti

-Aircraft Gun

Japanese Type 94 75mm Mountain Gun

Japanese Type 94 37mm Anti-Tank Gun

Japanese Type 92 70mm Battalion Gun

Japanese Type 31 75mm Mountain Gun

Japanese Type 91 105 Light Howitzer

US T17 Staghound Armoured Car

US T17E2 Staghound Armoured Car Anti-

Aircraft Variant

US M3 Scout Car

US M3 Half-Track Armoured Personnel

Carrier

Canadian Lynx Scout Car

Australian Dingo Armoured Scout Car

US M8 Greyhound Armoured Car

M3 Grant Tank Conversion

Australian LP-$ Armoured Car

German Pak 40 Anti-Tank Gun

German 7.5cm Pak 97/38 Anti-Tank Gun

German Pak 38 Anti-Tank Gun

German 3.7cm Pak 36 Anti-Tank Gun

German 80cm Railway Gun Shell Case

German Tiger 1 Tank (Replica)

German Early Production Tiger 1 Tank

Turret Roof

Engine – Kharkiv Model V-2-34 Diesel

Engine

Russian 57mm Anti-Aircraft Gun AZP S-60

US M45 Quad Mount (M55 Machine Gun

Trailer Mount)

Australian Ford 2 Pounder Anti-Tank Por-

tee

British Bar Mine Layer

Russian S-75 Dvina (SAM)

Engine Continental R-670

British Churchill Flail Mine Clearing

Tank “Toad” FV3902

Russian 2S7 Pion Self Propelled Gun

Russian 122mm Howitzer M1938 (M-

30)

Russian Light Artillery Tractor (AT-L 49)

German Panzerkampfwagen (Panzer)

38(T)

German SdKfz 251/1 Ausf D Half-Track

Armoured Personnel Carrier

German SdKfz 250/3 Ausf B Half-Track

(Command Variant)

German Jagdpanzer 38

German 12cm Granatwerfer 42

Russian 152mm Howitzer-Gun M1937

(ML-20)

US M115 203mm Howitzer

US M1 155mm “Long Tom” Field Artil-

lery Gun

Australian Local Pattern 2 (LP2) Carrier

Russian 45mm Anti-Tank Gun M1937

Russian 76mm Regimental Gun M1927

US 37mm M3 Anti-Tank Gun

British Ordnance 2 Pounder Anti-Tank

Gun

British 6 Pounder Anti-Tank Gun

British Ordnance QF 17 Anti-Tank Gun-

British 25-Pounder Field Gun/Howitzer

British Quad Gun Tractor & Limber

US LVT4 (Landing Vehicle Tracked)

German Pak 38 Anti-Tank Gun (yes,

another one)

Continued on Page 7

Australian Armour & Artillery Museum Cairns (Cont’d from Page 6)


British QF 3.7 inch Mountain Howitzer

British Ordnance ML 4.2 inch Mortar

(Towed)

US M101A1 (M2A2) 105mm Howitzer

Australian ordnance 25-Pounder (Short)

German 10.5cm leFH 16 Howitzer

German 10.5cm leFH 18 Howitzer

Russian 152mm Howitzer-Gun M1938 (M-

10)

US M1A1 (M114) 155mm Howitzer

British BL 5.5inch Medium Gun

Czech Howitzer Model vz 14/19

Australian Navy Bofors 40/60 Mk VII Anti-

Aircraft Gun

Czech OT810 Armoured Personnel Carrier

German Sturmgeschutz III Assault Gun

(Replica)

Russian T-70 Light Tank

Russian T-60 Light Tank

Australian Matilda No.3 Mk1 Dozer Tank

Australian 2Pdr Tank Attack Carrier

Australian Cruiser Mk1 Tank

Australian Cruiser IV Tank

British Matilda Mk II Infantry Tank

British Valentine Infantry Tank

US M3 Stuart Light Tank Mk III

US M3 Stuart Tank (Early Model)

US M3 Grant Medium Tank

US M3 Lee Medium Tank (Late Production)

Canadian RAM Kangaroo (Armoured Per-

sonnel Carrier)

Australian “Yeramba” Self Propelled Gun

British Churchill Infantry Tank Mk VII

Russian T-34/85 Medium Tank

Russian Su-100 Tank Destroyer

German Kanonenjagdpanzer (Tank

Destroyer)

British Churchill 6.5inch AVRE

US M4A1 Sherman Medium Tank

US M110 Self Propelled Howitzer

Russian 2S1 Self Propelled Gun

(coming)

US M41 Walker Bulldog Light Tank

(coming)

German Leopard 1A5 Main Battle Tank

British Chieftan Main Battle Tank

Russian T72 Main Battle Tank

Engine – Leyland L-60

US M113A1 Armoured Personnel Carri-

er

US M577A1 Armoured Command Vehi-

cle

US M114A1 Command and Reconnais-

sance Vehicle

FV432 Armoured Personnel Carrier

French Panhard AML-245 Light Ar-

moured Car Model 60 Variant

British Fox Armoured Reconnaissance

Vehicle

British Saladin Armoured Car

Saracen Armoured Personnel Carrier

Czechoslovakia M53/59 Praga

Russian BTR-152 Armoured Personnel

Carrier

Russian BTR-60 Armoured Personnel

Carrier (Command Variant)

British FV433 Abbot SPG

Australian M113A1 Fire Support Vehicle

(Saladin Turret)

German Beobachtungspanzer 22-2

US M-42 105mm Self-Propelled How-

itzer

Russian T-54/55 Medium Tank

British Centurion Main Battle Tank

US M47 Patton Medium Tank

Daimler Ferret Scout Car Mk II

Italian Oto Melara Mod 56 (L5 Pack

Howitzer)

FV434 Armoured Repair Vehicle

British Sabre Reconnaissance Vehicle

The Long Binh Fire Department (thanks Al Kelly)


Whilst perusing magazines recently in my late father’s extensive collection I came across an article in the Septem-ber 1969 edition of ‘The Hurricane’ on the Long Binh Fire Department. ‘The Hurricane’ was a publication of the US Army’s II Field Force Vietnam and the Americans had a huge base at Long Binh, located in Bien Hoa province between Vung Tau and Nui Dat. Much of the equipment operated by the Long Binh fire department was scrounged and adapted for fire-fighting, and so this unique M113 came into being. The large hole in the left side might give us a clue as to why the previ-ous owners were prepared to part with it. The former APC was fitted with a turret and 8.23m boom and kitted out with a US Navy P-250 firefighting pump, and tanks to hold 190l of Jet-X foam, 415l of protein and 3400l of water. The Jet-X foam expands at a ratio of 500:1 and was delivered onto the fire through the large box at the head of the boom. An interesting subject for an unusual model conversion perhaps. The accompanying photographs were scanned from the magazine and if anyone would like the original it’ll be available at the meeting on a first come-first served basis. A couple more photos can be found here: http://www.firetrucks-atwar.com/v.html

http://www.firetrucks-atwar.com/v.html

http://www.firetrucks-atwar.com/v.html

PX 2017 Report (thanks Graham McNamara)


Unlike the biblical inundation of last year, perfect weather greeted those who gathered to inflict pain on their wallets

for PX17, held at Albany Creek State School. With the doors open, we were all keen to find that elusive kit or bar-

gain. Once again, I blew my disciplined budget within 10 minutes, but a bargain is a bargain. Over 50 seller’s tables

were booked, with a good spread of kits, books, decal sets and accessories. Most of the fun was catching up with

friends and seeing what they scored.

This year saw the launch of the Brisbane North Model Comp, to be run alongside the swap meet. This exceeded

expectations in terms of numbers, and the quality of kits entered. 98 entries across 6 categories with the winner

decided by people’s choice voting. This is a great concept as you could see all day, members of the public, espe-

cially those with little experience of modelling, getting down to have a good look at the models on the table, and

appreciate the skill and effort that went in to the builds. The armour category attracted 24 entries and was deserv-

edly won by Darryl Slight with his 1/72 dio “The last Gator in Falluja”.

The success of the initial comp has already put in motion plans to expand with more categories. Hopefully, they keep the people’s choice voting as it makes for a more fun comp. Of the 6 categories, I only picked 2 winners. Well done to Dan Taylor, and the rest of the IPMS Qld team for putting on a fantastic show.

Continued on Page 10

PX 2017 Report (Cont’d from Page 9)


Good One! (thanks Blackie)


AN ACTUAL CRAIG'S LIST PERSONALS AD

To the Guy Who Tried to Mug Me in DowntownSavannah night before last.

Date: 2017-01-17, 1:43 am. E.S.T.

I was the guy wearing the black Burberry jacket that you demanded that I hand over, shortly after you pulled the knife on me and my girlfriend, threatening our lives. You also asked for my girlfriend's purse and earrings. I can only hope that you somehow come across this rather important message. First, I'd like to apologize for your embarrassment; I didn't expect you to actually crap in your pants when I drew my pistol after you took my jacket.. The evening was not that cold, and I was wearing the jacket for a reason.. my girlfriend was happy that I just returned safely from my 2nd tour as a Combat Marine in Afghanistan .. She had just bought me that Kimber Custom Model 1911 .45 ACP pistol for my birthday, and we had picked up a shoulder holster for it that very evening. Obviously you agree that it is a very intimidating weapon when pointed at your head ... isn't it?!

I know it probably wasn't fun walking back to wherever you'd come from with crap in your pants. I'm sure it was even worse walking bare-footed since I made you leave your shoes, cell phone, and wallet with me. (That prevented you from calling or running to your buddies to come help mug us again). After I called your mother or "Momma" as you had her listed in your cell, I explained the entire episode of what you'd done. Then I went and filled up my gas tank as well as those of four other people in the gas station, -- on your credit card. The guy with the big motor home took 153 gallons and was extremely grateful!

I gave your shoes to a homeless guy outside Vinnie Van Go Go's, along with all the cash in your wallet. [That made his day!] I then threw your wallet into the big pink "pimp mobile" that was parked at the curb ..... after I broke the windshield and side window and keyed the entire driver's side of the car.

Earlier, I managed to get in two threatening phone calls to the DA's office and one to the FBI, while mentioning President Trump as my possible target. The FBI guy seemed really intense and we had a nice long chat (I guess while he traced your number etc.). ;In a way, per-haps I should apologize for not killing you ... but I feel this type of retribution is a far more appropriate punishment for your threatened crime. I wish you well as you try to sort through some of these rather immediate pressing issues, and can only hope that you have the opportunity to reflect upon, and perhaps reconsider, the career path you've chosen to pursue in life.. Remember, next time you might not be so lucky. Have a good day!

Thoughtfully yours,

Semper fi, Alex

Meets first Saturday of every month at

Loganlea Community Centre, Timms Street,

Loganlea, between 11:30am and 4:00pm

Contributions to the newsletter are always

welcome. Please email contributions to the

editor at [email protected]

A M M S B R I S B A N E

Another new Tamiya (Thanks PMMS)

AMMS Brisbane is on

the Web at

www.ammsbrisbane.co

.

Volume 13, Issue 6 AMMS Brisbane News · SS Rottenfuhrer 4-5 ... This figure is wearing the later...

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