Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Interwar => Topic started by: Armstrong on January 30, 2023, 01:21:23 PM
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Hanni Freikorps-Tank: Mark iV 1919 in Berlin (28mm)
Hello all. I have started to work on a new subject area and decided to set up some vehicles and figures from the time of the German Revolution of 1918/1919 (and following years).
To start with I have taken a Mark IV from Skytrex and modified it slightly to represent a British Mark IV used during the suppression of the January Uprisings in Berlin.
Whether the tank itself was involved in actual combat action is not known. However, there are several photographs showing the vehicle driving through the streets of Berlin or positioned on public squares (probably for deterrence purposes).
(https://s20.directupload.net/images/230127/6urzxlbz.jpg) (https://www.directupload.net)
In addition, the model served me as a testbed for several new techniques and materials:
a) test of a new brush for applying paint splashes (looks like airbrush).
b) color test for a three-tone paint job
c) use of 3D-printed MGs
d) test of decals from different manufacturers
e) test of aging with oil paints
f) test of self-made stencils for tactical signs (skulls)
(https://s20.directupload.net/images/230127/kzhyu9fr.jpg) (https://www.directupload.net)
General information about the model:
I usually write reviews on resin models covering the WWI range as well as subsequent years (uploaded in the German Sweetwater-Forum). So maybe I will upload here a more detailed article about the model and what you need to keep in mind to assemble it properly in the near future.
But in advance this much:
In itself, the tank is cleanly cast and nicely designed. However, the casemates are a nightmare: the inserts do not fit well into the side walls of the model and without putty you end up with very large gaps (you can still see them on the top of the booms on my model). Also, the turrets are all too small/low. You really need putty here or use plastic sheet to adjust the height like I did. Otherwise it looks like the towers are floating in the air or have underarm wide gaps at the top and bottom (in comparison to the scale).
More on this maybe later, as I said.
Historical background:
I wanted to depict the tank named “Hanni” as it was still in its original 1918 Imperial Army paint scheme.
This of course includes the three-tone paint scheme, the iron crosses, and the tactical mark of the red four in red ring, which identifies the tank as the 4th vehicle of the 12th “Beutepanzer” department.
Whether the name "Hanni" was already worn at the time or was added later is not known.
The skull with the crossed bones and the "Kokampf" sign that identifies the vehicle as car 153 of Department 01 were added only in Freikorps service*.
*It is not completely settled whether Kokampf should be considered a government force or a Freikrops unit. In the literature available to me there are different statements on this.
(https://s20.directupload.net/images/230127/bsymgd4t.jpg) (https://www.directupload.net)
Now to my model:
The only change to the kit was replacing the Hotchkiss 1914 machine guns with Lewis MGs. These are 3D prints that I purchased from Shapeways.
I also omitted the digging beam, as it was not included with the original tank either.
To keep the model from looking too bare, I put a rusted tow chain and a blanket/tarp in the storage box on the roof.
The painting was done exclusively with brushes. Only the primer was done with black spray paint.
For the decals I used a mixture of different manufacturers and the skulls are painted on by brush.
(https://s20.directupload.net/images/230127/whoizuk4.jpg) (https://www.directupload.net)
Differences to the original:
The iron crosses are unfortunately a bit too small and should be about 2 mm larger.
The right casemate should be equipped with a 08/15 MG. (I left a Lewis MG there, because first of all I had no German MG left from that time and secondly, I prefer a uniform armament).
All German booty tanks of type Mark IV got a retrofitted flap on the roof of the driver's dome. Here I was too lazy to create it. ^^° But since there is not any shot of the roof section of that tank that I know of anyway, I can still argue that there was no hatch. :-P
Conclusion:
For my taste, the tank turned out a bit too dark. Next time I will lighten the gray more. Otherwise, the final result is acceptable.
(https://s20.directupload.net/images/230127/9oe5fwml.jpg) (https://www.directupload.net)
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Great work! 👍
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"acceptable"! Pish Posh! It looks bloody great!
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"acceptable"! Pish Posh! It looks bloody great!
Plus 1 to that. :-*
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Nothing to beat yourself up about, this is great work. I think that the stowage was effective and that the skull and crossbones stencil worked well on the model.
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Strong start - I look forward to seeing how your Freikorps period project progresses.
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Love the paint job really stunning. Certainly looks the part. I love the dark brooding ambiance of the piece, makes the Freikorp skull all the more foreboding.
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Excellent paint job.
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That's a beauty! Well done!
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Thank you at all for the kind words!
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Nice work bringing an actual vehicle to the gaming table.
I have a small force of ‘troops’ to play a Spartacist Uprising game just not sure how to recreate the heavy urban terrain in a cost effective manner…
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That's very nice indeed. I especially like the way you've handled the tracks.
To tell the truth, with the severe Armistice conditions in force, I'm a bit surprised that the Germans were allowed to keep any of their tanks at all, especially beutepanzer.
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Thats a really nice painted tank !
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That's very nice indeed. I especially like the way you've handled the tracks.
To tell the truth, with the severe Armistice conditions in force, I'm a bit surprised that the Germans were allowed to keep any of their tanks at all, especially beutepanzer.
Thank you.
I have attached to the right track some more earth, to let it look like the tank had passed the side of a road.
In addition I accented the raised areas with metallic color to make it look like they were scraped over stone roads.
(In Germany there is right-hand traffic.)
Regarding your comment:
The Germans were not permitted to do so at all. But in Germany, there was chaos and revolution. Most of the tanks were left at the front in France.
In fact, by 1919 Germany had only a handful of tanks left. Among them were a few Mark IVs (the exact number is not clear), a Mark A Whippet (there are some rumors about 2 Whippets), one last A7V main battle tank, and two converted A7V radio tanks that were not completed by the end of the war.
The creation of a new tank department named "Kokampf" was probably not done on government orders and later the scrapping of the tanks was delayed as long as possible.
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Very nice work on the tank, it looks the goods.
For what it's worth, the tanks in question were utilised during the fighting around the German Revolution and its aftermath, so Nov 1918- March 1919. The Treaty of Versailles wasn't concluded until June 1919 and the Inter-Allied Commission of Control that policed the disarmament of Germany didn't come in to being until January 1920.
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Super job. Well done :-*
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Hi again,
not a tank but an armored car is the next entry in my "done list".
It is the Garford-Putilov from Empress Miniature.
I have set it up as one of at least two Garford-Putilovs that were active during the January uprising 1919 in Berlin.
There are pictures that show two of these armored cars in the streets of the German capital.
If the cars took place in any action is not known.
I have kept my version of the vehicle mostly "clean", since the original cars on the pictures are looking quite tidy and well kept.
The color of the basecoat is not clear. There is the idea of a khaki color. But equally possible are shades of green or gray. It can be assumed that the armored cars were painted after they were taken over by the Freikorp (or even before), since no residues of Russian tactical signs or name markings can be seen.
I have opted for a greenish-olive sheme, that I have brighten by oil colors. The tactical markings are decals from "Black Lion Decals".
Sadly the scull and bones are too small and should measure at least 1,7 times their actual size. But I was not in the mood to order a new rescaled set.
I was also not able to replace the Maxim MGs with German 08/15 MGs, since there is sadly not producer for this weapons on the market. :-[
I have added a missing gun barrel to the model and the turret is magnetized.
But unfortunately the hull is warped and you can't really rotate the gun in all directions without getting a significantly sloped turret.
I have added a detailed review of the model here:
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=139971.msg1782677#msg1782677 (https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=139971.msg1782677#msg1782677)
Otherwise I will just set up some pictures here of the assambled and painted vehicle:
(https://s20.directupload.net/images/230318/rad5zdbe.jpg) (https://www.directupload.net)
(https://s20.directupload.net/images/230318/aas745qo.jpg) (https://www.directupload.net)
(https://s20.directupload.net/images/230318/9zab9bgz.jpg) (https://www.directupload.net)
(https://s20.directupload.net/images/230318/vh9ur8jt.jpg) (https://www.directupload.net)
(https://s20.directupload.net/images/230318/xqcto9zb.jpg) (https://www.directupload.net)
(https://s20.directupload.net/images/230318/b563t5po.jpg) (https://www.directupload.net)
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Very nice!
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Very nice!
Thank you very much.
There is more to come.
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Another lovely addition.
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Issues with the kit aside, you did a cracking job on it!
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Beautiful looking model - I now want to go and dig out my long-abandoned Berlin 1920 project.
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Love those early armoured car designs, yours looks good!
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Superb paint job :-*
The Putilov-Garford saw action during WW1 and afterwards for the Germans
http://landships.info/landships/car_articles.html#
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Beautiful vehicles! I just recently finished up the same Empress Miniatures Garford-Putilov over here https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=141205.30 (https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=141205.30)
It certainly is kinda a wonky kit. I ended up drilling a hole in both the hull and the turret and pegging it in place to enable it to turn, and I sanded the turrets bottom a bit to get it to sit nicer. The kit does have a bit of a warp, but over all I've always been mostly pleased with EM's vehicles. Mostly. I'd love to see them updated with a built in ability to rotate their turrets but, alas, one can dream.
I will though be completely lifting the idea of adding a barrel, as you've done. Thanks for the inspiration! Keep up the good work!
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I was also not able to replace the Maxim MGs with German 08/15 MGs, since there is sadly not producer for this weapons on the market. :-[
This is not exactly true:
(https://rataku.com/images/2023/07/04/DSCN9923.jpg)
http://siberia-miniatures.ru/product_info.php?cPath=41_39_98_99&products_id=1186
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This is not exactly true:
(https://rataku.com/images/2023/07/04/DSCN9923.jpg)
http://siberia-miniatures.ru/product_info.php?cPath=41_39_98_99&products_id=1186
Unfortunately, this is not the 08/15 MG that was used on these vehicles.
The model shown has a " dish" on the muzzle that MGs mounted on the vehicles did not have.
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If you ever end up buying the Wargames Atlantic WW1 Germans there is a surfeit of MG 08/15s.
Cuprum has reminded me that i should buy some of his Schwarzlose machine guns but not sure how practical that is in the current environment.
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There are no special problems with the purchase of my products. Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to send parcels to Australia, New Zealand, Poland and Finland. Parcels go to other countries without any complications, except perhaps a little longer than usual (on average, about a month). In any case, after ordering before paying, I will contact you and we will discuss all the details.
You can pay for the purchase to the PayPal account of my British colleague (in British pounds).
By the way, the other day I received new figurines from the Ares company (this is an association of manufacturers Beloe Delo, OZ and STP, as well as replenishment of their previous assortment.
I have not yet posted new items on my site - but I will do it in the near future.
http://siberia-miniatures.ru/index.php?manufacturers_id=58
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It will be a problem as I am in Australia. Might need to wait until I am back in Brazil next year.
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Alas, then you really have to wait.