Although Dragon are steadily building their 2nd Generation figure line with releases such as the German 1st Cavalry Division recently released, they continue with their program of 'ordinary' figure releases, with this set of four figures entitled 'Sturmgeschutz Crew reloading', timed perfectly for the soon to be released StuG III.
the set
The set consist of four figures, all posed as if they are in the act of reloading a StuG. The contents of the kit are fairly simple, in that you get one sprue of light grey styrene. The instructions consist of a colour diagram of the assembled figures on the rear of the box, detailing which parts go where, but also serving as a painting guide.
The first figure is, in my opinion, the most useful in that it can be used in many different situations. It's pose is neutral, hands on hips, and he's wearing a crew sweater with the choice of two heads, one wearing a sidecap, the other a field cap.
The other three figures are pose actually doing something, but all three are also offered with a choice of either the field cap or side cap. one figure is bending over, having just picked up a shell, another stands straight, again holding a shell, the last one gesticulating to the other two. All three wear a panzer tunic.
The quality of the figures is what we've come to expect from Dragon. Remember these are not 2nd generation figures. There are heavy mould seams which will need removing, and the heads will need to be replaced to be convincing. On the figure I assembled, some sandind around the arm joints will be needed, and a little filler in between the torso and legs. There are also 12 shells of three different types included on the same sprue as the figures, these are for the Kwk 34/L24, the KwK 34/L40 and the Kwk 39/L40.
in conclusion
Another nice set of figures from Dragon that will no doubt find their way into many a diorama. Yes, they'll need replacement heads, but nearly every injection moulded figure does, and as Dragon's own publicity says, they're perfect for their soon to be released StuG III. Recommended
SUMMARY
Dragon continue to release 'Ordinary' or first generation figure sets alongside their 2nd generation figure sets. This set's release is in anticipation of their forthcoming StuG III being released, and is fairly neutral in pose, although the figure wearing a sweater will be extremely useful.
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Looks like a decent set.
I am curious. It says Russia 1941.
Not being a expert in uniforms I was wondering if these would translate to later war use or even western front wear?
If anyone could point me to help with this I'd appreciate it.
Michael
"We Will Never Forget !"
Thanks Vinnie,
I think I have found a figure to go with my Wespe, the one in the pullover is just the part and will save lots of money over the AM figure that you often see.
John
Hi Michael,
Sometimes the title is just a title and it is often written before the full
contents of a figure set is developed. In this case, it was a number of years between inception and fruition. In that time Dragon had accepted my suggestion of making some kits a bit multi-pose if possible.
In the case of these StuG crew, the only difference between 1940 and 1945 might have been the field cap and collar insignia. And even then, these could have remained the same. Thus, only the type of ammunition would vary between early and late periods. And of course, painted black,
they easily become Panzer crewmen.
I had made a suggestion that perhaps more text could be added to better describe the content of each kit but so far it hasn't worked out. Perhaps soon?
Cheers,
Ron Volstad
Yes, that would be great!
Ron, where do you have a good all-in-one reference book when doing uniform paintings?
Thanks for the reply and keep up the great work!
Michael
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