20mm Ivan for Winter War (updated 18.5.)

[Helen]

Your project is coming along nicely. My own was abandoned ages ago due to XYZ.

Great work and will keeping watching for further updates.

Cheers,

Helen

[Verderer]

Thanks Helen, I will endevour to persevere... I am returning back to modelling after a long pause. I dunno why I had modelling burnout, too many projects or too big projects, or maybe my real life was taking its toll? Anywhoo, I am determined to see this to the end. This time its personal...

Good thing my miniature acquisition syndrome didn't take a hit while I was burned out on painting, now I have minis and kits to last till my twilight years.

[Verderer]

Managed to do some work on the gun breeches and mantlets. After I get these sorted, I only need to do the hatches and other small details, and the turrets are done. Can then move on to the hulls.


A very rudimentary gun breech and mantlet construction, plus the other breeches in various stages of completion. I merely want to give the impression of interior detail, more isn't really necessary imho?


Not much is visible from the main hatch, just the loading tray dingus (?) and the breech.


And the mantlet side of things. The barrel will be cut to size later. Now rince and repeat 6 times...

[Verderer]

Managed to complete the turrets:







It was only afterwards that I realised having made a mistake with the top hatches - apparently there should not be any lift handles on them? The picture of a model I used as reference had them, and of course it seems to be the only picture that has those handles in the whole wide world. Just my luck, should always recheck ones refs, and never trust in modelling pictures? Lesson learned, I guess. I guess I will just cut them off, even if they were a bit troublesome to do?

[Galland]

Some great modeling here on display, I really enjoy reading this thread its very nice!

[Verderer]

Sorry about no updates recently, I've been too busy with work and had a nasty influenza which didn't really inspire me to work on this project. But I will have some progress pics once the batteries are charged...

In the meantime, I thought I'd let you know I bought some Tumbling Dice Russian infantry, and they're kinda nice. But theyre not without their faults. The ones with shlems have ok faces, but the ones with helmets are rather curious looking bunch, the helmet seems far too big and the faces too tiny. They look more like the soldiers from the Planet of the Apes! I will take a few shots so you can see what I am talking about. Also, weapon details are pretty weak, but I don't think that will stick out once they're painted. On the plus side, the range is very extensive with loads of options and variants. Cavalry, and artillery crews etc. Nice!

Another thing, after reading some books about the fight for Summa, I think I need more heavy tanks. When the account names T-28 as 'medium' tanks, you know you need something bigger!

If only some plastic kit manufacturer would pick this one up...

So now I mapping the possible sources for T-35 tanks. It is somewhat elusive beast, it seems? Here are the manufacturers I know of:

-Red Star 1/76 version in resin, not sure if the company is still operating, or if the model is available? Price?
-Modelkrak 1/72 version in resin, price around 30 euros, loads of small and fiddly pieces.
-Skytrex/Hincliffe 1/76 version in metal, not available, but being retooled and for sale in a few (?) months. Price?
-Ostmodels 1/76 (?) Several versions in resin, price around 36 euros. Availability varies, as the maker is not full time in the business atm.
-Patvork magazine series tank in 1/72, as cuprum announced in another thread, trouble is this was some time ago, and the tank is pretty hard to get in the ebay etc, and price is somewhat higher, starting from around 14 USD up.

Anyone know any other source, or perchance does anyone have any T35s they don't need, and would like to sell or trade?

[cuprum]

Hey.
 I bought a number of models partvork from a private collection. There is a T-35 and T-28. But they are only 2 pieces.

http://siberia-miniatures.ru/index.php?cPath=41_38_94_129_136&osCsid=cb5c8e8c97a39cd87d03a68df5fe6bf7

Т-35

http://siberia-miniatures.ru/product_info.php?cPath=41_38_94_129_136&products_id=333&osCsid=cb5c8e8c97a39cd87d03a68df5fe6bf7

Т-28

http://siberia-miniatures.ru/product_info.php?cPath=41_38_94_129_136&products_id=440&osCsid=cb5c8e8c97a39cd87d03a68df5fe6bf7

[Verderer]

Is that your shop cuprum? Looks nice. I would need 4 to 5 tanks really. And for the t-28 I already have the SHQ ones which are in 1/76. Thanks for the offer though, I will keep it in mind. I might get some of these, if I can't contact the person who owns the Red Star models range for example.

[cuprum]

Yes, this is my shop. I did do some of the figures and models of 28 mm - for sale and has created this shop. Then it appearedand other products.

By the way, the T-35 tank was quite rare in the Red Army. And already outdated by 1939. As far as I know - in the battle against Finland, he was not used. About 50 tanks took part in the fighting in 1941, but only 11 were lost in combat. The rest of the crew were thrown - because of breakdowns and the lack of fuel.

Therefore, in the army of the game can not be much, I think.

[Verderer]

Well, that would certainly make things much easier for me. T-35 seems very hard to find, or very expensive. Thanks for the info.

I don't actually have a source that would definitely confirm it being used in the Karelia Isthmus, but there are some accounts of line soldiers referring to bigger tanks than T-28. So what could it be? And one picture of general Ohlund's Winter War memoirs where a tank is referred to as t-35, when it actually clearly looks like a T-100? But then the T-100 was extremely rare and experimental, more so than the T35, right? I got one T-100 waiting to be built, by the way.

[cuprum]

That's a good article about the Finnish and Soviet tanks in the Winter War. Article in Russian - Use the Google translator.

http://otvaga2004.narod.ru/photo/winterwar/wwar4.htm

Tanks larger than the T-28? This could only be experimental heavy tanks - KV, SMK, T-100.
But it's only three of the tank. SMC, T-100 and KV heavy tank company were under the command of Captain Kolotushkin. December 10, 1939 a company came to the front and was given a 90th Tank Battalion 20th Heavy Tank Brigade. Participated in the battles. T-100 was damaged in the explosion of a mine. Was sent to the factory for repair.

http://milday.ru/ussr/ussr-army/ussr-tank/88-tanki-smk-i-t-100.html

SMC



T-100




Experimental Tank KV

[Verderer]

Great stuff, cuprum! Thank you, I will read the article this weekend. KVs would be handy, I think have some KV-1's stashed someplace? These would be some sort of prototype version of KV, or at least very early versions? I had no idea they were used in the Winter War. So much the better! At least they are very easy to find in various forms.

[cuprum]

Glad to help.

The main difference from the prototype KV series of tanks - a gun. Not a lot of conversion of submitted photos - and you get a tank for his army. But how will the poor Finns to fight it? They do not have 88-mm anti-aircraft guns 

[TadPortly]

Is there such a thing as tank envy? Because I think I have it...

[Verderer]

Sorry, a bit of barrage in photos to update my progress. Starting with some wrecks:













As you can see, with these Frontline resin kits there's very little I can do about the hull. So I simply broke down the track units (very fragile kind of resin, so some of the wheel took some damage), glued the individual wheels, and then applied some photoetched tracks. I cheated a little with the tracks by leaving the underside without, snow will cover them anyways, so I will save some tracks. Need to finish them with some twisted fenders etc. to make them look even more chaotic.