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Marsch zur Front - Belgien 1944

The Sdkfz 223 Reconnaissance Car:

The sdkfz 223 is an old Tamiya model that I had lying around the house. I scratch built a partial interior, which can be seen through the turret. I added a piece of thin copper wire running down to the hull from the frame antenna. I painted the vehicle with a 50/50 mix of Tamiya Dark Yellow and Dessert Yellow acrylic paint then applied the decals. The vehicle was then given a wash of burnt umber oil and paint thinner, and further thicker pinwashes on the crevices. Once the wash was dry, I dry brushed an oil paint mix of Yellow Ocher and Titanium White to the panels of the vehicle. This was my first attempt in using oils and I can't believe how wonderful the results were. The panels stood out beautifully, the oil doubling as a filter. I used an even lighter shade to dry brush and highlight bolts, corners and other raised points. I metalized the vehicle by very, very lightly dry brushing a gunmetal color made by mixing silver and black paints.

I used most of the stowage in the kit, except for the net. I made a new net using medical gauze, dipped in a khaki wash and brushed with Elmer's glue. Ropes are knitting twine left over from my mom's hobby. Lastly, I mixed mud and diluted Elmer's glue and applied the gunk to the underside of the car. When dry, I did another "first" kind of wash....dark gray mixed with rubbing alcohol as thinner. I applied several coats of washes of varying colors, dark gray, light gray and flat earth. If I recall correctly, I think I applied two times a wash of each color. When dry, I dry brushed the area with light earth tones. The tires are washed with buff and dry brushed with light gray. Weathering was finished with pastels and a few scratch marks made with a pencil.

The Sdkfz 7/2 anti Aircraft Halftrack

The Sdkfz 7/2 is also from Tamiya and it is a superb model. I started the model by placing diluted Elmer's glue on the seats and covering it with tissue paper. I replaced the kit's gearshift stick and pedals with wire and aluminum sheet. Once dry, I painted the interior according to the manual, except for my own touch on the instrument panel.

The cab was assembled with doors open and I proceeded to assemble the vehicle according to instructions. I added hooks and bolts for the screen frame using aluminum sheets from beer cans and thick wire. I also made a new front grille armor plate from the same material; the kit's supplied armored plate was just too thick. I also snipped out holes in the screen, depicting damage, using a small pair of scissors.

I painted the vehicle with the same color as the armored car. But I added a red-brown and olive-green camouflage scheme. After that, I applied the decals and metalized the vehicle. I did the oil washing and oil dry brushing technique I did with the armored car.

Once dry, I started with a whitewash technique that I discovered accidentally. I brushed on certain parts of the vehicle a relatively thick amount of Titainum white oil in a downward stroke using a chisel brush. When everything was finished, I took a 00 pointed brush and made lazy 'x's and slashes on the wet oil. After I let this dry for 48 hours, I sprayed a protective overcoat before putting in pinwashes on the bolts.

The tracks were painted black and dry brushed with chrome silver mixed with a little black. Once done, I ashed the tracks with an oil wash consisting of burnt sienna, burnt umber and a little orange. When this was dry, I brushed burnt sienna, burnt umber and orange pastel dust. The overall effect was nice but a bit overdone. I toned the rust a bit by brushing a little dark yellow pastel dust.

Once done, I did the same multiple wash with dark grey, light grey and flat earth on the lower hull and the wheels, carefully avoiding the tracks. I re-dry brushed lightly the high points on that area with white oil paint.

The Panzer IV H

The Panzer IV is from Academy. After assembling the main areas of the tank, I started out the detailing by adding aluminum sheet restraining straps for the stowed equipment. Using references, I made a spare track restrainer made of aluminum at the front end of the tank. Once done, scoured areas with the sharp tip of a hobby knife where zimmerit is to be applied.

The zimmerit coating using a material called Elmer's wood putty, thanks to Warthog's advice. It is available in many hardware stores. It's very easy to apply and can be thinned by water. I applied a thin layer at a time to a pre-determined section of the tank. When it dried to a leathery feel, I indicated the horizontal and vertical patterns using a left-over card stock from an internet card. I also replaced the kit's turret armored plates with metal sheet that came from baking pans.

I wanted to depict a grungy looking vehicle so I took out my RTX Rotary tool, thinned the fenders and bent them. I also bit them with my teeth (they're pretty sharp. I'm a vampire, you know). I didn't want to add the side armor skirts, as they would hide the fine detail of the hull. The mounting braces were thinned and bent. I painted the vehicle with the same color as the other two except that the camouflage is patter is just Dark Brown. I weathered the vehicle the way I did the Sdkfz 7/2 only that I didn't apply a white-wash. Heavier, darker washes and more dry brushing was needed were the zimmerit was applied.

I used the accessories supplied by the kit. Jerry cans were from Academy's Allied and German Supplies kit. I also added foliage, using bushy roots. I would have placed spare tracks on the lower, front glacis plate but I wanted my Panzer IV to be different.

Checking references, I placed the tracks on the turret front and the armored plates in front of the driver and the radio operator. References told me that Panzer crews used to do this for added protection.

All vehicles were sprayed with a protective flat overcoat.