introduction

Bison Decals is a company that brings out decals for your AFV models. The fun thing is that they don`t bring you regular decals that you often get offered with the kit. Bison Decals is designing their decals from Actual pictures and therefore the result is that you will have the decals at hand to make a fully historically accurate vehicle.

For this particular set Bison used several good WW2 Reference sources. to design the panzer 1 Decals provided in this set. Reference books such as Squadron/Signal "Panzer Colors" from Bruce Culver and "Leichte Panzers in Action" By Feist Also Concord and Schiffer "Panzer 1" were used as reference for the historically accurate decals.

The Set

The decals come in a sealed transparent bag and when opened it will give you a sheet of Silk Screen printed decals a little over 14,5 Cm wide and approximately 7 Cm high. with decals for 12 Vehicles from different theatres. Also in the bag are 2 Instructions sheets. The first and biggest instructionsheet is the size of an A4 and is folded twice. The outside shows the front with an Image of the Kleine PanzerBefehlsWagen 1 B, Company logo, Some user instructions, The various theatres, The panzer types, the Item # and of course the Internet Address. The backside shows a legend with the decals with numbers on it which correspondent to the drawings on the inside of the instruction sheet and the second instruction sheet. The inside of the Big Instruction sheet shows the line drawings for 6 Vehicles complete with paintcolors, unit information and the location for the decals. The smaller instruction sheet is the size of an A5 and is also folded. The linedrawings are on the outside here. This instruction sheet is also showing the line drawings of 6 vehicles.

The Decals

As mentioned above the sheet provides you with the decals for 12 different Panzer 1 models. In the order as they appear on the decal sheet these are:
- Pz.Kpfw 1 A - Reichswehr. Pre War Exercise and with the 3 tone early war camouflage
- Pz.Kpfw 1 A - 3rd Armoured Battalion, Nanking China Sino japanese War late 1930`s
- Pz.Kpfw 1 A - Pz.Abt. zbV 40. Norway
- Pz.Kpfw 1 A - Security Unit Czechoslovakia 1945
With both the Master Box Ltd. and the Tristar Panzer 1A`s these decals will enable you to make a couple of very interesting 1 A variants. The Panzer 1 A from the Sino-Japanese wars is a very good example. The Chinese governemtn ordered 15 Panzer 1 A`s in late 1936. The Panzer 1A from the Security Unit is also a very rare one as there were not that many Panzer 1`s driving around at 1945. Let alone Panzer 1A`s
The list goes on with:
- Kleine PanzerbefehlsWagen 1 B (with the low Cupola) Pz.Reg 5. 21 Pz.Div, Libya 1941
A very good kit for these decals is the Kleiner PanzerbefehslWagen from DML Kit# 6018 and the Kleiner PanzerBefehlswagen 1B 3 in 1 kit from the same manufacturer Kit# 6222
More information about this vehicle can be found on the following links
Sd.Kfz. 265 Kleine Panzerbefehlswagen Inboxreview on Armorama
First Look: 3-in-1 Sd.Kfz.265 Panzerbefehlswagen 1 on Armorama
And the very good built feature of the 3 in 1 kit by Vinnie Branigan
Building the Panzer 1 on Armorama
Next on the list is:
- Pz.Kpfw 1 F (VK1801) 2. Polizei Pz.Komp, Eastern Front 1943/44
- Pz.Kpfw 1 F (VK1801) 2. Pz.Reg. 1, 1. Pz.Div. Russia 1943
Alan provides you with the Panzer 1 F (VK1801) Kit# AL007on which these decals are needed.
The last 5 are:
- PzKpfw 1 B 5. Leichte Div. DAK, Tobruk Libya 1941
- PzKpfw 1 B 5. Pz.Div. Poland September 1939
- PzKpfw 1 B 5. Leichte Div. DAK, Tripoli Libya 1941
- PzKpfw 1 B Unknown Unit Poland September 1939
- PzKpfw 1 B Another Unknown Unit Poland September 1939
For the above kits I would suggest taking the DML panzer 1B`s. For the Poland versions the Standard Panzer 1 B kit# 6186 and for the DAK Panzer 1B`s you`ll need the DML Panzer 1B with tropical fittings which is Kit# 6207

Conclusions

Well it seems that Bison Decals has done their Homework very well. I have checked my own reference and I actually could not spot any mistake. All the decals are completely historically accurate and good in size too. Compared a couple of decals with some panzer 1`s I have. Also the additonal information you get in the instructions sheets is very usefull as that is exactly the colors that belong to the decal and the theatre it was performing in. Together with the notions that some decals need to be on a Rhomboid plate and some markings were smeared with mud and that sort of things you will end up with a very good looking and original vehicle. which I think is a very good thing. Also the fact that the sheet is providing you with some unique subjects such as the Chinese Panzer 1A and the Panzer 1A from the Security unit in Chechoslovakia in 1945 are just interesting builts. Next to that the quality and the detail of the reproduced decals are of a very high standard and will look very good when added.
In my opinion this is a must have for the Panzer 1 Builder and Enthousiast and of course everybody interested. Bison Decals has a real Winner here.