African Tiger

[agentg]

A lot has happened since I last posted. I got promoted and now work nights, 9pm to 7am four days a week. It's been an adventure but I do get time to build.


This is the Tamiya kit which from the box most closely resembles a Tiger from sPzAbt 504. The Bovington Tiger was from that battalion so that's what I will be building here.

















All the cables I made from copper wire twisted in a cordless drill. Fittings are Eduard PE. White styrene is scratchbuilt pieces seen on references of #131.


I will be using my Tamiya paint mixes for this.


G

 

[lupanzer]

Very nice detais here , G ... ....did you make the cables yourself?

Luiz.

 

[agentg]

Yessir I did!

I scored some scrap wire from my office and now have a 20 year supply, all I have to do is twist it.

G

 

[moon puppy]

Really sharp work, like it! Congrats on the promotion and bench time! :drinks

 

[ij001]

Showing my ignorance here, but is this going to be one of the early 'Tunisia' tigers that may or may not have been in the overall 'pea green' ??

Ian

 

[Skinny_Mike]

Great looking build here!

 

[agentg]

Showing my ignorance here, but is this going to be one of the early 'Tunisia' tigers that may or may not have been in the overall 'pea green' ??

Ian

SPzAbt 504 was the second battalion of Tigers to deploy in North Africa. It is well documented that this specific vehicle was factory painted RAL 8000 with a RAL 7008 overspray. Said overpainting was most likely done in theatre, the pattern at the crews discretion due to the terrain.

#131 got shipped to Tunisia between March 12-April 16 1943, it was disabled and captured April 2l, 1943. So perhaps a maximum of 5 weeks operationally in theatre for this particular tank.

http://www.tiger-tank.com/secure/journal.htm

Pea Green tigers is another conundrum of the African Campaign. I personally believe there were none as such. Examination of old photos clearly reveal a darker color but not "Panzer Gray" on any of the Tigers. sPzAbt 501 went first and the Pz III's assigned to that battalion are clearly RAL 8000 overall. Why should the Tigers be painted any differently?

Now when you get there and have to overpaint the tanks with RAL 7008 anyway, and you see how much more temperate Tunisia is than Libya, well guess what? You have predominately green tanks, that's what. just my thoughts anyway.

G

 

[moon puppy]

Good stuff, love that old school website, great info there.

 

[Brokeneagle]

B) Great looking build - can't wait for the paint.

Ian.

 

[Tojo72]

All of those extras look great