Masterbox Ltd have just sent us images of a work in progress set which is sure to be a popular with Allied modelers - British Infantry in action North Africa, 1941-43.



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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Al McNeilly must be wetting himself, LOL!

To paraphrase Billy Crystal, "They look FABULOUS, Dahling!"

You Allied modelers can stop bellyaching about German kit sets.

Very nice. Somewhat reminiscent of the old Tamiya "Desert Rats" and Airfix 8th Army Multi-pose kits but I suppose there are only so many ways one can represent an infantry charge

Bill: I think we both know there'll be some Allied modellers compaining that it's not a Far East kit, or requesting the same but for the BEF or Normandy

RR

I would love the'll just add some Free French heads in the box.

The same uniforms would be correct.

See, Bill? Told ya!

What about these from Hornet?

You're right, Rudi. Next they'll want something specific to the Dieppe Raid....

Excellent! I'll definitely invest in a couple of boxes of these when they're released. Odd that they've given them Lee Enfield IV's though as they should have SMLE III's. Good job I've got a pile of the latter with fixed bayonets .
Would be nice to see MB releasing more British or even Aussie infantry in dynamic poses. Can't believe all the sarcy comments from you Kraut builders . Just kidding

- the more generic type are my preference Bill, but I am sure these will be welcome by many. Some more British troops not drinking tea, more good thoughts from MB.

OK Observations:

The infantrymen with rifles should be carrying the SMLE and the long No 1 bayonet fixed.



not the No 4 rifle.

The period of time of time 1941 - 1943 gives a lot of options and the order of dress would be dependent on the season.

The Officer however, is very likely to be wearing a helmet, particularly in an attack. The Chap with the .45 Thompson would have normal webbing/ammo pouches etc.

For attaching troops they are bent suitably low, although if you have ever tried to cover ground quickly bent that low it is exhausting so I am assuming these chaps are pretty much on top of the enemy, the use of a pistol would indicate that.

I doubt if you could fire a SMLE on the run like that with any accuracy but perhaps Pat could say, so I think the pose of that figure needs thinking about.

If they are close enough for pistol shot then the Bren gunner would be firing from waist height as would the chap with the Thompson.

I'm not 100% sure what the thinking is on this set. It is a little close to the DML 8th Army set and the mix of carrying and firing their weapons a little off I think.

These are 3 'posed' pictures of troops attacking for reference only:







but they give a good idea of how troops carry their weapons if you running across open ground.

These chaps to me look much closer, therefore there weapons should all be at the ready, and the chap firing the rifle would either shoot from the hip or pause to actually hit what he was aming at. The Bren gunner would most certainly be firing his weapon.

If on the other hand they are some way away then the rifles would be at the port and the Officer most likely waving them forward with is pistol in the air.

The time period would also allow for long trousers and alternative heads, perhaps a set of Australian ones?

There are the makings of another useful set of troops here but at what point in the battle they are actually at needs more clarity.

These are just my initial thoughts, but it is certainly grand that more 8th Army may be coming along.

Al

Very useful post Al, as I said in the news story this is a work in progress so hopefully based on the replies here all the critiques posted, -such as the incorrect rifles, will be rectified. So if anyone has more info for Masterbox beyond asking for addtitional headsets please post it.

I have fired the SMLE Alan, though never at the run and I imagine it's not to be recommended as there is an almighty kick off it unless it's tucked well in to your shoulder. As for the Bren, while it is possible to carry it like that it's back heavy and unweildy over a distance so I would swap it with the guy holding the rifle across his body.

I don't know, but I hope this could be the first of a series along the lines of the USMC VJapanese and German V Russian sets with perhaps a set of DAK in Defence and a combination set of 8th Army V DAK or maybe they're meant to combine with the Italian set announced last month.

Here's a pic from the old Arms and Armour Press Key Uniform Guide showing typical uniform and equipment in the line.



I think it will be important for Masterbox to have the correct rifle and bayonet and not to leave out the waterbottle as they did in their “Scotland The Brave!” set.

You can't please everyone all of the time, only some, some of the time.

Des

Looks good Master Box has so many in the works kits. They need to stop teasing us and release some of them.
Tom

Great set with brilliant poses, who'd have though that we British actually fought the Germans! On a more serious note though, all would be wearing webbing, minimally cross straps, belt and mk2 ammo pouches and water bottle. The Thompson should be the 1928A1 version with the fore grip, (ala gangster style) with drum mag, although not universal at this point as the stick mag would be perfectly acceptable historically. I concur that the rifles should be Mk 1 no III with sword bayonet as the full scale production of its replacement the No4 did not start until 1942. The Officers cap is ok but in reality he also would be wearing a helmet so perhaps the option of both? It's my little little irk but if they do the waterbottle carrier can they do the fastening on top of the bottle please not on the front ala Canadian style?? As I said just a minor thing. Looking forward to this one!

I like the guy with the beard and the tommy gun. Great animation. Now can we get some Afrika Korps figures with beards!

I think you said most of it Alan,I hate to be critical of Masterbox as most of their releases are a breath of fresh air and certainly their vignette in a box idea has encouraged many newer modellers to express themselves.However they do need to do more research on some of their ideas,37 pattern webbing is'nt complicated yet even Dragon got it wrong any way enough of the complaints lets hope they take onboard whats been said.

Well apart from leaving out the bayonets and waterbottles they got it right in Scotland The Brave. Miniart left off the rear buckles on the web belt on some of the Armoured car crew but according to Al's sources crews sometimes cut the buckles off. DML apart from the odd shape of the universal pouches in some of their sets got it right except for their Commonwealth troops in Italy set.

As you say 37 pattern equipment isn't complicated and there are plenty of references. Here's a great site for anyone interested.

Inaccurate or not I'll be buying a set when they come out. I can certainly see a follow up set of German DAK troops, either defending or counter charging in the other direction.

Hi Pat,

Very useful site, thanks for the link.

Thinking about these chaps for a while I think what is a bit disappointing is that they look some what like the old Tamiya set and the newer DML set as was mentioned above. I don't mean necessarily in poses, these guys are more action type but it's the fact that the 8th army is alwasy portrayed in shorts and advancing

One of the most interesting things about the desert campaign is the wide variety of dress the troops wore and the wide variery of troops that made up the British 8th Army.









A browse around IWM or any of the history book would throw up a wide variety of possibilities and whilst I welcome this development I am still waiting for something a bit more ambitious if you know what I mean?

DML gave the first good mix of uniforms in their Italian set I've seen so far. Pop in a few colonial heads and all manner of possibilities open up. Thoughts for the future perhaps as these look quite far advanced.

MB already have some excellent fighting troops who look just a wee bit more dynamic than these chaps!

Al

Greetings!

I hate to be critical of Masterbox as they have been pushing the envelope both in terms of content and execution. However, I feel they have really missed the mark on this set. They have not captured the 'look' of an 8th Army soldier.

As mentioned above, there are many technical faults to the set which contribute to this. To those I'd like to add that the shorts and shirts are not full enough and the helmets do not sit right on the heads. The helmets also look a bit too small and the edges of the brim are too thick. And as mentioned the officer would be wearing a helmet too.

The other issue I have is that some of the poses are not convincing. The fellow firing his rifle while running in particular. A bayonet charge would be more convincing.

I only bring these issue up as this is a work in progress and there may be an opportunity to alter the set before production. I really like Masterbox and would like to see them continue to have great success. Accurate research and credible poses will help achieve this.

Cheers!

Tom

I would love to see them keep with the theme though and include a Vickers with crew.

Hi Guys,

I was over on the MB site and there are some new images of the set, with some changes to the original poses, which I think look pretty good.

http://www.mbltd.info/3580.htm

Al

The image everybody associates with the desert campain is the tommies advancing with fixed bayonets ( sword bayonets) as Corporal Jones oft commented they dont like it up them

Mk III Lee Enfield, Bayonets, waterbottles and entrenching tools plus the buckles on the belt look to be in the right place good enough for me

Hi Pat,

They look much better, not quite sure why the officer is wearing shoes, unless he still has putties to be added?


Al

Did you notice the Sahara set Alan ? Foreign legion, Aussie , Sengali Humphry Bogart thought the lines would have been buzzing