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Milicast model with AB crew.

Looking good as always

Love the chipping effects on the vehicle and helmets. And once again you've done a lovely job with the crew.

There were only 10 of these vehicles, and HG had all of them (Goring looked after his boys). I've not seen any photos of them in Tunisia - only in Germany in 1942, prior to the division's transfer to North Africa (which are, I think, taken from a recruitment film). But presumably they took the SdKfz 215/17s to Africa with them.

There were actually 12 built.

10 gun armed versions, and two command vehicles with the same bodywork that could have a gun mounted on if needed.

Well its debatable if it was Tunisia or Sicily, recent research points to Tunisia.

The picture on which mine is based;





The photo comes from a roll of film that also contains pictures from Tunisia, though thats not conclusive proof.

This picture suggest to me that atleast one was in Sicily;

interesting photos - I haven't seen those before. I don't have any books on HG, but if the vehicle in the 3rd photo is (as it seems to be) in Sicily, that suggests to me that the others must be as well, as virtually no heavy equipment made it out of Tunisia. You'd also expect the 'clean' version pictured in Sicily to precede the camouflaged version. On the other hand. the top 2 photos you've posted look like Tunisia to me, and one can never be too definitive about theses things. Anyway, I really like the model!

The explanation under second photo does not talk about Tunisia, though it does not mention Sicilia either. It is just a general info on vehicle background and camo.

Tailgunner wrote:iOn the other hand. the top 2 photos you've posted look like Tunisia to me, and one can never be too definitive about theses things.

Too right... So Im gonna use mine for Tunisia and Sicily! I wonder if the bottom pic, as you say preceed the others, and it was taken as HG moved to port to ship to Tunisia. I have a few HG books on the way, including the unit diaries so it should be easy to confirm as only the one battery had these vehicles. If they went, they would have taken them with them.

I just did it cos the vehicle is a rather interesting one. I did it as Im considering a move into gaming Tunisia and Sicily so figured it would look pretty if nothing else!

Big P wrote:Too right... So Im gonna use mine for Tunisia and Sicily! I wonder if the bottom pic, as you say preceed the others, and it was taken as HG moved to port to ship to Tunisia. I have a few HG books on the way, including the unit diaries so it should be easy to confirm as only the one battery had these vehicles. If they went, they would have taken them with them.

I just did it cos the vehicle is a rather interesting one. I did it as Im considering a move into gaming Tunisia and Sicily so figured it would look pretty if nothing else!

Fair enough! Maybe you're right about the bottom photo. It reminded me of the photos of new HG equipment (Panzer IVs and Marders) heading into southern Italy in mid-1943.

The Tunisian campaign has always interested me, and the few models I've acquired so far for getting into FoW have been for this theatre. It seems perfectly acceptable to use stuff modelled for Tunisia in Sicily - there were changes in camo etc, but nothing that should bother anyone. You probably have it already, but there is a terrific Restayn book on 10th Panzer Division with a lot of coverage of Tunisia.

I dont have that Restayn book... Would you have the ISBN handy?

ISBN 0-921991-76-2 'The 10, Panzer Division In action in the East, West and North Africa, 1939-43':

http://www.ipmslondon.ca/old%20site/ipmslondon.tripod.com/armourreviews/id26.html

While we're on the subject, do you have 'Herman Goring Panzer Division in Sicily, Campaign Series'? It's this one:

http://www.dragonusaonline.com/item_detail.aspx?ItemCode=FPB63132

I've been looking at this and a couple of others in the series, but don't know how good they are.

(Had to edit that about 4 times to get the links to work!)

Thanks for that dude!

The campaign series are pretty good, though I dont have that one.

Finally confirmed it...

Nine of these vehicles went to Tunisia with the 18. Batterie/Flak Regiment 'HG' in early 1943.

Interesting - so 3 vehicles got left behind? As I mentioned before, they are unlikely to have made it out of Tunisia, so the photo you posted above of one vehicle in Sicily must be one of the 3 that didn't go there?

Possibly but from what I can gather, the two command versions didnt go to Tunisia and one gun vehicle was lost in an accident.

That leaves nine, and from what I can gather from looking at other pics, the photos in the Italian town seem to be from before deployment on the way to the port.

Certainly none made it out of Tunisia. The only combat use of the vehicle, and the last.

Guess Im doing Tunisia now then!

How do you "seal" your pigments - turps or matte medium?

ancientsociety wrote:How do you "seal" your pigments - turps or matte medium?

I apply pigment fixer, then layer the pigment onto it and then brush off the excess. You have to use a fixer or they just wear off fairly quickly with handling.

Once done I give it a spray of matt varnish.