Have just finished reading 'Tiger Ace - The Life Story of Michael Wittman' by Gary L. Simpson. It has inspired me to do a rendition of Wittman's Tiger c.1944. Not having done much..well any German armor before, I need some advice on what's the best kit to use as well as advice on decals, detail sets and crew figures available.
Thanks

Here's wat you'll need,

first have a look at :
http://hobbylove.co.kr/tamiya/tamiyatank/35_tank/tiger1_1/02.html

I think, but i'm not sure, that you will need a late tiger (ref : 35146 or 89562)

and for michael wittman :
you can take verliden's (ref : 770 )
but it seems to be not very accurate

Tamiya released a late Tiger I (Steel wheels) with four crewmembers not so long ago! I think Tamiya looked a Wittman's crew when they modelled these figures...
It even has the markings for the Tiger "007" which was the vehicle Wittman was killed in on 8th of August 1944.

The kit is Tamiya No. 35146 Tiger I Sd.kfz. 181 Late version
The crew is ITEM 89562*3500

Hope this helps a little!

Bjoern

It may be discontinued right now but tamiya also had a Whitman tiger with the tank and crew together, if i remember correctly.

I think you can see http://www.achtungpanzer.com There are a lot of information about tanks and aces.
I think italeri or tamya are a good point to start your model,but you have to work hard


my site about scale models and dioramas
http://www.tankfive.net

Hey there,

The info provided above is pretty good... get the Tamiya Steel Wheel Tiger I.

If you want to model the crew, I'd actually recommend the "Panzer Aces" set by DML. This set includes a figure of Wittman and his gunner Woll.

You might also want to get the following to really dress up your model -
Friulmodel Tracks (The kit tracks are pretty a ok... but you just gotta love Friuli's).

Cavalier Zimmerit (Or Tamiya Putty zimmerit your choice ) ALL Steel Wheel Tigers had Zimmerit.

Eduard or Armo - Tiger I Barrel - both very nice, probably the best ones available today.
Aber - Photoetch details for Late Tiger I (A nice set that includes tons of details).

Tons of other After Market stuff is available.

References you might look for -
Villers-Bocage - Through the Lens (awesome photos of the battle and tons of info)

Jentz and Doyle - have a three volume series on the entire Tiger I & IIproduction history (actually any book on the tiger by these two is nice)

Let me know if there are other things that you want to know about.
Tim

Thanks for the info.
There was a photo in the book taken on the Eastern Front on Wittman and his crew posing in front of their Tiger. The barrel had a number of kill markings on it. Was this something he continued to use in Normandy or was it purely an Eastern Front thing.
If Zimmerit was applied to the vehicle would it be easier to use PE stencils for the turret numbers or would decals be sufficient?

The White Wash Tiger with the "88" kill marks was strictly on his Eastern Front Tiger.

The kill rings were actually not that common on Tigers in the Western Front.

The idea of using stencils on the zimmerit is a very good one. Just remember to get the airbrush to spray a very thin coat, this will avoid any problems with the paint going around the stencil. Decals can be used, just be sure that you a nice supply of decal setting solution available. So that the decals with conform to the zimmerit.

Later,
Tim

As far as I remember... The kill-marks on Wittmann's Tiger (Eastern front 1943), was painted just before a propaganda photosession - And he didn't use these markings later in the war!
I have seen the photos of Wittmann, his Tiger and his crew somewhere on the Internet, they are quite good! Try to find them - If you don't have them already! (By the way, the Tiger I with this marking, in these photos are not the steel wheel type!)

Bjoern

I got this kit at home and indeed is a stunner. Its almost worth it for the crew thats included, although I think the 89562*3500 is the entire set together with crew .... not just the crew on their own! There is a good review of the kit on Missing links, with a list of everything you might need to add to it ...... if you so wish ... with some liks to references.
Link to missing-lynx review of this kit

I can only agree - The kit with the figures is great!

I had the fortune to follow the "trail" of Wittman some years ago. I visited Villers-Bocage where he destroyed a lot of British armour, and Gaumesnil (Not sure about the spelling!) on the road between Caen and Falaise where Wittman was killed, and La Cambe the German cemetery where Wittman and his crew is buried. It was quite a interesting tour!

By the way, the author Ken Tout wrote a great book, I think it is called "TANK. He was a tanker on the British side when Wittman was killed!

Bjoern

Just to add to tankshack's reply the DML tiger crew set is called "Tiger Aces" # 6028

Hope to see it soon

Russ

i also visited the graves of wittman and his crew in le cambe on my recent trip to normandy
quite an experience to see the resting place of someone so famous,
id love to hear more of your trip clausen

I'll have to put my two cents in here. Having built the DML Tiger Aces kit, The Tamiya Commander and his crew set and the Tri-star Panzer crew 1944...my choice would be the Tri-star set. It is more to scale...the Tamiya and DML kits are a bit bulky for my tastes. The facial expressions on the Tri-star kit figures are great. the kit represents Wittmann and his crew even if they don't come right out and say it. There is another Tamiya kit...a limited edition that has Otto Carius and his crew. I've been looking for this one for a long time.I did find it once but I'm not payng $50.00 US for just an extra sprue of figures. As far as the Tank kit...Tamiya Late Tiger is the only way to go. Later Jeff

Once again, thanks to all those who replied.
I ended up getting Tamiya's Tiger 1E Late (no. 35146) as well as DML's Panzer Aces set.
Have also ordered Eduard's barrel as well as their PE detail set, front/side fenders and exhaust shrouds.
Couldn't really justify forking out AUS$60 for the Fruil track set when the kit tracks are quite decent.
Now all I need is references. Any suggestions?

I have to agree with Captain Bodeen. The DML "Tiger Aces" figures are a bit overscale and won't fit right around the hatches unless you modify & do a lot of "amputations". I bought it for the Academy Early Tiger I (w/ interior) that i made but later discovered that the figures didn't fit. Before deciding on modification, I came across Tri-Star's and guess what, they were more scale accurate and fitted just right. I'm going to reserve DML's figures for the DML Jagdpanther i'm planning to do next.

If you want to build the Type of tiger tank that Micheal Wittman was killed in You would have to build a Late type Tiger tank.

For a good refrence material about Micheal Wittman and his tiger tank go to Http://www.achtungpanzer.com

Hi Vihuri, glad to hear of your interest in building Wittmans late Tiger I. However as far as an accurate account on Michael Wittmanns' bio, Gary L Simpsons book is the one book that is regarded by Wittman historians & researchers to be totally filled with inaccurasies and not enough research done at all by Simpson. If you really want to read the MOST ACCURATE of books on Michael Wittmann it would be Michael Wittmann & The Tiger Commanders of the LAH, by Patrick Agte ...... and that's if you can find this book because it's out of print, and if found, it usually requires payment of a very hefty price by a private owner. I wish you all the best with your model.

- ralph