This is the fourth build in the serie"Forgotten allies".
The Italian contribution is repesented by a captured T-34 mod.1942.It belongs to the Italian 8th Army that fought on the southern part of the eastern front. Sometime during 1942 the Germans decided that the tanks captured by its allies sholud be turned over to them for further use.This order was not always followed, and in the fall of 1942 ca 10-12 captured soviet tanks and armored car were listed as active within the Italian 8th army - one T-34 was even in use in an artillery regiment!
Since I wanted to stress a general drawback of using captured tanks - they always risked catching friendly fire - and the relatively weak AA capabilities that haunted the armies that fought alongside Germany, I added some details: the generous use of air recognition markings, the national flag and the addition of some extra AA defense in the form of the 8mm Breda 38 MG.
The kit is from Tamiya, built OOB. The figure is a converted German tanker from Verlinden with a new head.
The fifth build in this serie - a Slovakian Pz II, Ausf. C - will problably have to wait, since I got some other builds in the pipeline.
Enjoy!
/Bultenibo aka Tony
