G'day everyone, well i just got back from my local hobby shop...and i have to admit im an impulsive buyer, i forget all about my planned nam dios and this gallipoli dio i thought would be fun (oh by the way i finished both my rmg dios, i decided not to go along with my 1:35 spw and ss troops dio) ANYWAY, i bought a pack of Airfix's 1:72 ww2 Australian Infantry, now last time i bought a pack of airfix figs i was disgusted, but these, these are excellent, they are very well cast, no little scrap bits still attatched, they are very very good, so, i want to build a dio of the aus infantry in ww2, im thinking either the phillipines or new guniea, but i want to have a tank in it, thats were i got stuck, i know they used the stuarts but i cant find any in 1:72 scale, and i want to know if anyone knows of any other tanks that were used by us in ww2, in either the phillipines or new guinea? was the Matilda? cheers guys, let me know soon, i wanna get started!!! :-) cheers
P.S. No pics of Rmg dios, or any other ones as of yet, but they will be coming very very soon, finally i will get o show you all my work!!! (yes i know i said that ages ago but its true this time)

does anyone know who makes 1:72 ww2 japanese infantry, airfix mustnt make them anymore because they arent listed on their site!

Also, does anyone know how to make palms in 1:72, and little ferns, etc. to make realistic looking 1:72 jungle, cheers

LWF,
I think the Aussies used lee grants in burma and airfix does make japanese

Cheers Andy , You Kiwis used them to i believe, im going to set it in Papua New Guinea, maybe make a few dios as the set came with 50 figs, gonna do one of Milne Bay, the Kokoda Trail, and just a made up scene with a matilda being acompainied through the jungle with some anzacs, the milne bay on matilda one will have some japs, and the kokoda will have the fuzzy wuzzys carrying a digger on a stretcher, what do you think

Those ideas sonud fine to me ,Please post some pics once you start.

I will try my best, but i dont have a scanner, i think i said it in another post but i am going to borrow my uncles digital camera for a while so i can take all the pics of my dios i have completed, and of my models, if anyone can still tell me how to make 1:72 palm trees please say
I just finished 8 of the anzacs, they look great! does anyone know where abouts in new guinea the aussies used the matildas and lee/grants, and does anyone know who makes a 1:72 RAAF version of the kittyhawk?
Oh by the way, whats the product number for the Airfix ww2 japanese infantry, are you sure they still make them?

Thinking about it now I think the Japanese may be out of production.

Just checked Great Models, they say its out of production Anyone know of any other good 1:72 ww2 japanese infantry sets then? I still would like anyones tips on making palm trees in 1/72 scale! cheers

Matilda mk2 tanks were used in New Guinea and also of interest were 3 shermans and 3 Churchills crewed by British personell were sent to conduct jungle trails in New Guinea as well

You could try the australian e-bay under "toy soldiers" someone there usually has packets of airfix soldiers for sale although I'm not sure whether the Japanese have been on yet. Don't go for the Dragon 1/35 stuff they wanted $30.00 starting bids!!!!!

In the model making - air category there is usually a fair bit of 1/72 stuff mainly airfix or heller. I know airfix used to have a tomahawk - so there may be one there.

As for the palm trees there are a couple of different ways to make palm trees somewhere here (Armorama). A search around should find them - they will be 1/35 sut the principles should be the same - just halve the sizes.

Did the Lee/Grant actually see service outside Australia? I seem to recall when I was at the Military museum outside Mareeba Qld that the information said they were assessed in Oz and used for training but didn't get overseas.

Brian

Thanks Guys, Faust helped me out by showing me the article, so im all set now, as for e-bay, i know people say its perfectly trustworthy, but i dont trust it, ill just search around, infact im pretty sure the toy shop down the road has the jap infantry (they have a pretty good selection of models!) As for the lee grants, im not sure, but i recall seing a pic on a website somewhere once, of the lee grant sitting next to an airfield with a kittyhawk taking off in the background, but i may have been mistakened thanks again guys

ESCI also put out a nice set of jap infantry so you may want to try to find a set of those,and also wanted to let you know that airfix also has rereleased their jungle outpost kit,wooden structure on poles and i think theirs a few figures with that and a donkey if i remember right. HTH

Grizzly

As for trees and plants in 1/72 i have used heavy paper like craft paper,cut out the shapes and snipped the leaves to make cuts like some tropical plants have on their large leaves,and palm trees i have taken dowel and wrapped masking tape because of its rough surface,put some glue on the dowel as you go to permanently fix it too the dowel.
If your wanting more of a rougher surface on the trunk i use white out(typing correctional fluid) brush this on a little at a time till you have what you want. I use heavy paper for the leaves of the tree as well glueing wire down the middle of the leaf to glue it in predrilled holes in the tree trunk. HTH

Cheers guys, thanks again, does Esci still make the jap infantry, anyone got a web page or some pics of them that i could see?