Apologies for the somewhat washed out nature of the photos, still learning the ropes of my new camera!
Cheers
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Balaton Panther G late
ColinEdm
Associate Editor
Joined: October 15, 2013
KitMaker: 1,355 posts
Armorama: 1,229 posts
Posted: Friday, December 12, 2014 - 10:07 AM UTC
Thought I'd share some pics of my DML Panther G late, Balaton 1945 that I just completed for the WWII Panther Tanks campaign. The build is strictly OOB, painted with a mixture of Testors and Tamiya acrylics, weathered with oils, acrylic washes and pigments. Comments and constructive criticism welcome! I do plan on putting it in a diorama with some figures, hence the open hatches.
Apologies for the somewhat washed out nature of the photos, still learning the ropes of my new camera!
Cheers
Apologies for the somewhat washed out nature of the photos, still learning the ropes of my new camera!
Cheers
retiredyank
Joined: June 29, 2009
KitMaker: 11,610 posts
Armorama: 7,843 posts
Posted: Friday, December 12, 2014 - 01:50 PM UTC
Well done.
Tiger_213
Joined: August 10, 2012
KitMaker: 1,510 posts
Armorama: 1,443 posts
Posted: Friday, December 12, 2014 - 02:21 PM UTC
I like it. 
The streaked rust looks like it could be toned done a bit more but it may just stand out more in the photos.
The gouge in the front plate looks well done.
The streaked rust looks like it could be toned done a bit more but it may just stand out more in the photos.
The gouge in the front plate looks well done.
sinsling
Joined: January 16, 2007
KitMaker: 86 posts
Armorama: 85 posts
Posted: Friday, December 12, 2014 - 02:59 PM UTC
Hi Colin,
Beautiful build and painthjob of a beautiful AFV!
Just a note, since you stated Balaton and since its a late Panther... Beginning Sep '44, round about when zimmeritt was dropped, Panthers began to be factory painted, using stencils. These varied from time period to time period and manufacturer to manufacturer (DB, MNH, MAN etc) and is a study in itself. Your Panther looks typical for the mid '44 time period.
If you really can't be bothered with all that kind of stuff, then no worries, and by any reckoning you've done a very nice job!
Keep on panthering!
Beautiful build and painthjob of a beautiful AFV!
Just a note, since you stated Balaton and since its a late Panther... Beginning Sep '44, round about when zimmeritt was dropped, Panthers began to be factory painted, using stencils. These varied from time period to time period and manufacturer to manufacturer (DB, MNH, MAN etc) and is a study in itself. Your Panther looks typical for the mid '44 time period.
If you really can't be bothered with all that kind of stuff, then no worries, and by any reckoning you've done a very nice job!
Keep on panthering!
KevPak
Joined: June 04, 2014
KitMaker: 137 posts
Armorama: 128 posts
Posted: Friday, December 12, 2014 - 07:04 PM UTC
It is possible that a Panther built in early to mid 1944 could have survived, against the odds, to fight in the Balaton offensive and thus may have had this type of camo pattern. What is unquestionably incorrect, however, is the unit insignia shown on the rear plate. It is of the 101st sch. SS Panzer Abt. (at the time of the Balaton offensive would have been redesignated the 501st) which consisted exclusively of Tiger tanks - initially the Tiger I (until Sept. 1944) and thereafter with Tiger IIs. So a Panther tank would not have displayed this insignia. A minor historical inaccuracy but otherwise a great build.
ColinEdm
Associate EditorJoined: October 15, 2013
KitMaker: 1,355 posts
Armorama: 1,229 posts
Posted: Friday, December 12, 2014 - 09:33 PM UTC
Thank you all!
@ Christopher: The rust does seem to stand out a bit more in the pics, easy enough for me to go back and tone them down a bit as they are oils.
@ sinsling: The camo is roughly based on this one captured by the Russians during the Balaton offensive, simplified accordingly for my lower level airbrush skills:
@kevin: Thanks for pointing that out, admittedly I was following Dragons instructions for an "unknown unit", I should have researched a bit more deeply!
Looking at that picture again I think I'll have to go back and adjust the position of the hull hatches as well....
Cheers
@ Christopher: The rust does seem to stand out a bit more in the pics, easy enough for me to go back and tone them down a bit as they are oils.
@ sinsling: The camo is roughly based on this one captured by the Russians during the Balaton offensive, simplified accordingly for my lower level airbrush skills:
@kevin: Thanks for pointing that out, admittedly I was following Dragons instructions for an "unknown unit", I should have researched a bit more deeply!
Looking at that picture again I think I'll have to go back and adjust the position of the hull hatches as well....
Cheers
sinsling
Joined: January 16, 2007
KitMaker: 86 posts
Armorama: 85 posts
Posted: Friday, December 12, 2014 - 11:19 PM UTC
Hi Kevin,
While l don't disagree that rebuilt and/or refittedPanthers did appear, the overall configuration seen here is simply too 'put together' to be a rebuild. It is however, very typical of a factory fresh c1945 Mar/Apr vehicle. From the simplified engine deck, welded hood, raised crew heating compartment, anti-shrapnel screens on the right hand vents, no zimmeritt (or remnants) anywhere, to the turret foliage loops & very late cupola with no mg ring. There is no mish mash of cobbled parts typical of rebuilds. The photo used as ref is definitely not a mid '44 vehicle.
Oh, Colin, l forgot to mention earlier that the driver's and RO's hatches don't stand up straight like how you've posed them. They lie flat. There are rubber dampers on both outer sides of the hull roof to protect them from damage as they're swung open.
Please take all this as constructive support for a great effort! Keep those Panthers coming!
While l don't disagree that rebuilt and/or refittedPanthers did appear, the overall configuration seen here is simply too 'put together' to be a rebuild. It is however, very typical of a factory fresh c1945 Mar/Apr vehicle. From the simplified engine deck, welded hood, raised crew heating compartment, anti-shrapnel screens on the right hand vents, no zimmeritt (or remnants) anywhere, to the turret foliage loops & very late cupola with no mg ring. There is no mish mash of cobbled parts typical of rebuilds. The photo used as ref is definitely not a mid '44 vehicle.
Oh, Colin, l forgot to mention earlier that the driver's and RO's hatches don't stand up straight like how you've posed them. They lie flat. There are rubber dampers on both outer sides of the hull roof to protect them from damage as they're swung open.
Please take all this as constructive support for a great effort! Keep those Panthers coming!
ColinEdm
Associate EditorJoined: October 15, 2013
KitMaker: 1,355 posts
Armorama: 1,229 posts
Posted: Friday, December 12, 2014 - 11:25 PM UTC
Thanks Sinsling, yes, I noticed the same thing when I was looking at the picture, going to have to go back and fix that! Constructive criticism is why I posted it here, I have learned so much from this forum in the past year after returning to the hobby!
CheersC[ ]
CheersC[ ]
Quoted Text
Hi Kevin,
While l don't disagree that rebuilt and/or refittedPanthers did appear, the overall configuration seen here is simply too 'put together' to be a rebuild. It is however, very typical of a factory fresh c1945 Mar/Apr vehicle. From the simplified engine deck, welded hood, raised crew heating compartment, anti-shrapnel screens on the right hand vents, no zimmeritt (or remnants) anywhere, to the turret foliage loops & very late cupola with no mg ring. There is no mish mash of cobbled parts typical of rebuilds. The photo used as ref is definitely not a mid '44 vehicle.
Oh, Colin, l forgot to mention earlier that the driver's and RO's hatches don't stand up straight like how you've posed them. They lie flat. There are rubber dampers on both outer sides of the hull roof to protect them from damage as they're swung open.
Please take all this as constructive support for a great effort! Keep those Panthers coming!
KevPak
Joined: June 04, 2014
KitMaker: 137 posts
Armorama: 128 posts
Posted: Saturday, December 13, 2014 - 12:05 AM UTC
Sinsling-
You're right - the Panther portrayed is a very late war version and should have one of the factory-applied standard patterns (hard-edged, not mottled). On the other hand, the photo provided by Colin does appear to show a fair amount of post-factory (modified in the field) paint application. Do you think it is just the whitewash that breaks up the underlying stenciled pattern? Or could some of the vehicles actually have had field-modified camo schemes (3-color) to better suit their environment?
You're right - the Panther portrayed is a very late war version and should have one of the factory-applied standard patterns (hard-edged, not mottled). On the other hand, the photo provided by Colin does appear to show a fair amount of post-factory (modified in the field) paint application. Do you think it is just the whitewash that breaks up the underlying stenciled pattern? Or could some of the vehicles actually have had field-modified camo schemes (3-color) to better suit their environment?
GeraldOwens
Joined: March 30, 2006
KitMaker: 3,736 posts
Armorama: 3,697 posts
Posted: Saturday, December 13, 2014 - 02:54 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Hi Kevin,
While l don't disagree that rebuilt and/or refittedPanthers did appear, the overall configuration seen here is simply too 'put together' to be a rebuild. It is however, very typical of a factory fresh c1945 Mar/Apr vehicle. From the simplified engine deck, welded hood, raised crew heating compartment, anti-shrapnel screens on the right hand vents, no zimmeritt (or remnants) anywhere, to the turret foliage loops & very late cupola with no mg ring.
Those slats on the right hand engine deck vents are not anti-shrapnel screens, they are sliding shutters used to keep the motor oil warm in cold weather. Anti-shrapnel screens were authorized during that period, but were cruder arrangements that stood well above the openings, and were fitted to all the vent openings except where they would interfere with turret rotation. Most units didn't get around to fitting them, given the chaotic war situation in 1945.
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