Hello,

A while ago I started with this kit.


The build went fast, no real problem, althought I know that some thing weren't rigtht, but I had no plans to buy aftermarketsets this time.

After the build I started the paint job. I used Tamiya colors, first a layer with XF1, which is then mixed with XF51, then XF51 pure on the top and lighter shades made with a bit XF59 in the base color.
The British tanks at the end of WWII were painted folowing the SCC 15 Olive Drab paint scheme and after a long search I found this colors matching well this scheme.


The Churchill is ready for weathering after a code of semi gloss, decals, and semi gloss again. I let it dry for a period and in the meantime I started to build the british figures on the tank. The figures are from Hobby Fan, 3 tanks figures and 4 other figures (not all are on the picture)


I wanted to build a scene showing the capture of Bremen on the 24/25 April 1945. I used pictures from a magazine '40-'45 Toen & Nu 135 (Then and Now) as inspiration:


A this moment I have reached this point in the process.
The base.


The base almost finished.


Both parts in detail.



The Churchill on the base.




I have to do a lot of things, first weathering the Churchill, painting and weathering the figures. I just build two extra figures for standing on the street. Pictures will follow.

Sorry for my English, hopefully you understand the most
Thanks, Joh

very nice base and very nice model! cant wait to see it in the next stage- let alone finished!

Hi Joh,


very nice Churchill you have there

The tonal variation is very well done and it looks work without being overweathered

A small observation if I may though. There is a problem with the periscopes over the driver and co-driver/loader. They should be thinner at the very bottom

I can see whats happend, because I've had this issue with the kit myself, it looks like you've put the clear parts in from the underside, and pushed them through too far, perhaps because (like I did) you left adding the other parts till later?

The best thing to do might be to remove the upper parts, sand down the clear part till its flush, then reattach the upper parts

Sorry

Chris

Thanks for the comments.

Chris, I hadn't a good reference and build it the way AFV told in there plan, and I have almost finished the Churchill, so if I would change the periscopes I will destroy my work, so I will take this fault and finish it. Next time I will publice my work a bit earlier so I can avoid this kind of mistakes.

Grtz

It looks great anyway Joh and I can't wait to see how you finish it

Not your mistake though, I think its a fault in the kit instructions, and as modellers we rely on the instructions to be clear

All the best

Chris

Great AVRE! What's the base? Scratch or a kit? It looks very convincing. Looking forward to the final result.

Cheers!
Stefan

Hello,

The base is almost scratch, just the wall is from Verlinden.

A new update. I have weathered the Churchill, so it looks like a tank that has followed a heavy road to the point on the base. The weather is sunny, so a lot of dust is on the street caused by heavy bombing of the city.
It all plays in Bremen on the 25th of April 1945, when this Churchill from the 82nd reached the centre of Bremen as part of the 156th Brigade, The dio shows the Churchill waiting for orders to move again, taking a pauze.

What is happening during the pauze is shown on the base, but first the Churchill.






The integration with the base will follow soon, first painting and finishing the figures.

Grtz

Lovely work so far, I look forward to seeing the figures + base

Hi
I wished we had spoken before. My father was in 82 assault squadron as a AVRE driver. He was blown up at Bremovorden laying the last SBG of the war, he stayed in till 1952.
There is some interesting pictures of 82 assault squadron after the shedlt crossing when they got new tanks and were building fascines for the Rhine crossing.
My only criticism which I did point out to AFV is the bolted on suspension units was just for D Day Only.
Remember if doing a tank from 82 squadron they were named with the letter L and most were based on lochs. My dads was lifeguard 2F
Ossie

Neil, tanks! You will see more in the near future.

Michael, I was suprised to read your story, you never think about people who have been there, because it's in te past and ofcourse we looking for good reference, there always a difference between a story and a story from a person who has been there. Nice that you want to share this.

With the L you mean the name of the tank? Like Loch Ness? I had decided not to put a name on the Churchill because I could not find out which name and tank arrived in the inner town of Bremen. The Then & Now magazine tells a lot but on the pictures is difficult to see what's on the tank.

Joh

Hey, Joh...
Beautiful beast...
following this beauty...

regards

hi
yes the tank names all started with L and most were of NAMES OF lochs.

I Saw a picture of my fathers tank the same day he got hit on 6th may 1945 at Bremovadern Laying a sbg over the canal. they laid it ok , then went back up to it to move it bu nautraling against it to turn it when they got hit by a panzer frust .
in the picture it had the SBG frame on and has tank tracks all around the turret which looked like a tiger track with churchill hanging from it.
sorry when my father passed away it was lost no idea where it is , i have hiw 82 book etc but lost his war pictures.
ossie

Hi Osssie,

Nice work on the AVRE, looks good. There seems to be a little OD on the drivers hatch head pad.

It does look to build in to a terrific model.

Al

Thanks for your information Ossie, it's interesting to read.
Alan, Ossie isn't building the tank

In the meantime I finished almost the figures. Just a bit to do, but I decided first to test the figures on the tank and street on the base.
I made the pictures from my workbench:




It's not finished, I have to do some little thing like weapens and so. But the most is done.

Grtz

Michael, I can't decide if your father was lucky or unlucky - getting hit so close to the end of the war, but managing to survive

Joh - I like the sharing of souveniers, nice touch.

hi
love the build , well done, i will as said be buidling mine post war but i will post it as i go on through the build.
ossie

Good luck Ossie, I will be interested to follow your build.

This build is almost finished, just a few details and the pictures will follow soon.

Grtz

I have finished this project. Off course there is always something to find that's not ok, but I decided that this was enough so I made the last pictures and put the project on the shelf.

This are the pictures, have fun!








One black and white picture


Grtz!

your model looks amazing! great weathering & painting

Hey Joh,
Absolutely stunning work on your tank and the figures.
The BW pic almost looks real.
Cheers

jjumbo

Thanks! I'm also happy with the result.

Be proud!!!

Wonderful job !!!

Hi Joh,

Great work. Both the kit and figs look excellent and a nice simple scene to show them off. Excelent stuff.

Al

Thanks for the comments!