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Normandy Surprise: July 1944

The US Sherman kit was a real no-brainer: the Tasca M4A1 (late) with hedgerow cutter. I added the Bronco workable tracks instead of the kit "rubber band" tracks, and some Legend stowage. The kit figure was pretty bad, so I improved him with some Hornet hands and head.

The US figures were from three sets: DML's "US Army Tank Riders 1944-45," "US Armored Infantry," and "Allied Force ETO 1944". Scratch-built slings and some from the kits Gen 2 PE frets helped, along with a few Hornet hands.

The Panther A (late) is a Dragon kit. It's a super build, but I couldn't resist adding the following:

1. Voyager photo etch set
2. Griffon Model storage tube for gun cleaning rod
3. JBModels.eu brass radio antenna
4. JBModels.eu turned aluminum barrel & brass muzzle brake
5. Archer Fine Transfers German crosses & numerals
6. Friulmodelismo white metal tracks
7. Multiple MIG washes, oils & pigments, along with commercial oil paints
8. Cavalier Zimmerit applied
9. Additional Zimmerit supplemented with Milliput putty & Zimmerit tool
10. A pair of Verlinden cooling fans (mostly invisible, but dictated by those infernal IPMS rules).

The figures are taken from the following Dragon sets:

1. "Hohenstaufen Division Normandy 1944"
2. "Verfügungstruppe" (wrong time period, but adapted with late war weapons)
3. "Panzer Crew LAH Division Russia 1944"
4. "Kampfgruppe Von Luch Normandy 1944"
5. "Eastern Ambush 1944" (wrong theater, but again, adapted for Normandy 1944).

Various Hornet hands and heads supplemented those on the kits that were inferior. The shoulder boards and cap markings are from Archer Fine Transfers. The SS camouflage is in three variants, and is from Shinsengumi decals. While some texture is lost, I can't imagine painting this sort of detail.