The next little set of models for my Afrika Korps fit very much in the support role. A platoon of Sd Kfz 10/4 – halftrack mounted light Anti-Aircraft flak guns. This kit is actually the “Late War” version, as I was unable to get hold of the Mid War version, sold in both DAK and “Grey” boxes with identical contents for some reason. There’s a slight difference to both the gun model, the gun shield and the seating arrangement in these earlier versions, but I’m not about to get too fussed over a difference that small, and anyone who wants to get upset and count the rivets is welcome to count how many fingers I’m holding up. 🙂
Painting was again pretty straightforward – For these, I just followed my established methods of painting DAK armour, and then eventually when I got to the crew, painted them in the same manner of my Flak88 crew – basically in their Luftwaffe Uniforms. I marked the command model by adding in an extra model with binoculars to the passenger seat of one of the halftracks to represent an Unteroffizer or other NCO.
I did however run into a particularly painful issue – the vehicles are resin with metal tracks and wheels, the crew are metal, but the guns are plastic – this means that the guns end up looking like the one in the image above, unless you do what I did in the image above – and that’s to magnetise the bloody things so they stay down! My initial plan was to use metal ball bearings in the guns and magnets in the chassis – the theory that the bearings would add weight while also being attracted to the magnets.
That did not work, unfortunately, and the bearings supposedly sent by the seller from eBay took more than a month to never actually arrive, despite them supposedly being in located in Sydney (a couple of days for the post, at most). So then I ordered another set from another place here in Melb, only to find that they didn’t work, and then to remember that I had some really bloody small rare earth magnets ….somewhere.
In the end they worked out, I guess. Now I need to decide on whether or not to also build the ground mounts that these guns can also slot onto (and paint the crew!) – they can be used in a DAK list as Fallschirmjaeger allies, so… maybe?
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Great work mate, as with all your Afika Corp stuff, the details you add really make them pop. pain on those magnets, but good you had a solution in the end.
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Cheers Dave – thank you! – and all done now! 🙂
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They look great mate, but yeah, very frustrating issue to fix – well done on sticking it out! 😕
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Thanks Alex! It was bloody annoying to have them sitting on the desk to the side for a month, but at least they were fairly low-stress to do and (eventually) finish off.
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Those are really nice! 🙂 Excellent paint job as always! You’ll no doubt be horrified to know that I have no idea what the differences are between the mid- and late-war versions of this vehicle are!
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Haha the thing is with you, John – and it’s the really important thing – I know that you wouldn’t be a dick about it, even if you pointed out the differences! 🙂
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🙂 🙂
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Really cool little models! I’ve always liked half-tracks, especially with big guns on them!
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Thanks – and yeah, I’ve always had a soft spot for them as well! 🙂
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Lovely work on some pretty detailed models mate.
Cheers Roger.
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Cheers Roger – Thank you!
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Fantastic models. Do the ground mounts too I say.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Thanks Pete – the only thing giving me pause is the prospect of painting 4 infantry crew per and then not being able to use them without the guns – so then not being able to use the half tracks at the same time…
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The vehicles came out very nicely and I like the subtle touches of wear and weathering on the chassis as well.
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Thanks mate! I’m not sure entirely but I nay possibly be at the end of the vehicles for my DAK now, at least the ones I have access to for the tine being due to availability. Time to finish the infantry and artillery shortly….
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Nice! I very much like the look of these. Models that mix materials like that are usually a massive faff in my experience, well done for sticking it out.
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Thanks mate. It wouldn’t have been an issue of not for the naff design choice that results in the models when built as designed literally falling apart! 😳
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If only everything was as straightforward as plastic backpack on a metal marine…. 😂
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