I just bought Tamiya's King Tiger and it is a beauty. I have a question though regarding whether it should have a zimmerit application or not. I want to make tank number 204 of the 501st heavy tank battalion as it appeared during the Battle of the Bulge. Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Nic

I have the book Patton and the Battle of the Bulge and there are picites of Tiger II's in it, and of the 4 pictures none have Zimmerit. My impression is that most of the tanks depoloyed to the western front did not have Zimmerit as the threat of suicidal mines was seem as less.. May be wrong, but I don;t think you should Zimmerit.

Comando,

Here's something to read about it. Hope it can help you.



http://www.missing-lynx.com/reviews/german/tam35252.htm

http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/tigers-02.htm

Thanks for the help. I probably won't use zimmerit (what a shame, I was looking so forward to it).
From information on your second link, Eagle, it doesn't seem as though sPzAbt 501 even took part in the Ardennes offensive, but Tamiya says it did. Three of the four King Tigers in the kit are supposed to be from this battalion. I'll have to do more research.

Nic

Well, that didn't take too long. On another site, www.panzer-vi.fsnet.co.uk/units.html, it said that sPzAbt 501 did indeed fight in the Ardennes, so I think I will do the tank I mentioned before without zimmerit.

Nic