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Author Topic: Mark IV Freikorps Tank: Hanni 1919 in Berlin (28mm) Updated: Garford-Putilov  (Read 6589 times)

Offline Armstrong

  • Student
  • Posts: 18
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).



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)



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.



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.



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.


« Last Edit: March 19, 2023, 12:02:39 AM by Armstrong »

Offline Grumpy Gnome

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Re: Mark IV Freikorps Tank: Hanni 1919 in Berlin (28mm)
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2023, 01:31:20 PM »
Great work! 👍
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Offline FramFramson

  • Elder God
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  • But maybe everything that dies, someday comes back
Re: Mark IV Freikorps Tank: Hanni 1919 in Berlin (28mm)
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2023, 07:13:02 PM »
"acceptable"! Pish Posh! It looks bloody great!


I joined my gun with pirate swords, and sailed the seas of cyberspace.

Offline has.been

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 8202
Re: Mark IV Freikorps Tank: Hanni 1919 in Berlin (28mm)
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2023, 07:23:13 PM »
Quote
"acceptable"! Pish Posh! It looks bloody great!

Plus 1 to that.  :-*

Offline marianas_gamer

  • Scatterbrained Genius
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  • Our Man on Guam Watchman in the East
Re: Mark IV Freikorps Tank: Hanni 1919 in Berlin (28mm)
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2023, 07:45:03 PM »
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.
Got to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight.

Offline Metternich

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2551
Re: Mark IV Freikorps Tank: Hanni 1919 in Berlin (28mm)
« Reply #5 on: January 30, 2023, 09:59:39 PM »
Strong start - I look forward to seeing how your Freikorps period project progresses.

Offline Golgotha

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2176
    • BMC Miniatures - All things wargame related.
Re: Mark IV Freikorps Tank: Hanni 1919 in Berlin (28mm)
« Reply #6 on: January 30, 2023, 10:07:01 PM »
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.

Offline flatpack

  • Mastermind
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  • Hiding in the shed
Re: Mark IV Freikorps Tank: Hanni 1919 in Berlin (28mm)
« Reply #7 on: January 30, 2023, 11:05:58 PM »
Excellent paint job.
Flatpack

Offline joekano

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1200
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Re: Mark IV Freikorps Tank: Hanni 1919 in Berlin (28mm)
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2023, 06:13:31 PM »
That's a beauty! Well done!
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the war room." -President Merkin Muffley
http://majorthomasfoolery.blogspot.com/

Offline Armstrong

  • Student
  • Posts: 18
Re: Mark IV Freikorps Tank: Hanni 1919 in Berlin (28mm)
« Reply #9 on: February 01, 2023, 10:53:04 AM »
Thank you at all for the kind words!

Offline Captain Darling

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Re: Mark IV Freikorps Tank: Hanni 1919 in Berlin (28mm)
« Reply #10 on: February 01, 2023, 11:47:24 AM »
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…
"There's nothing cushy about life in the Women's Auxiliary Balloon Corps!"

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Offline Fitz

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Re: Mark IV Freikorps Tank: Hanni 1919 in Berlin (28mm)
« Reply #11 on: February 01, 2023, 06:34:21 PM »
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.

Offline Driscoles

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Re: Mark IV Freikorps Tank: Hanni 1919 in Berlin (28mm)
« Reply #12 on: February 01, 2023, 06:47:06 PM »
Thats a really nice painted tank !
, ,

Offline Armstrong

  • Student
  • Posts: 18
Re: Mark IV Freikorps Tank: Hanni 1919 in Berlin (28mm)
« Reply #13 on: February 02, 2023, 12:52:51 AM »
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.

Offline carlos marighela

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Re: Mark IV Freikorps Tank: Hanni 1919 in Berlin (28mm)
« Reply #14 on: February 02, 2023, 08:37:26 AM »
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.
Em dezembro de '81
Botou os ingleses na roda
3 a 0 no Liverpool
Ficou marcado na história
E no Rio não tem outro igual
Só o Flamengo é campeão mundial
E agora seu povo
Pede o mundo de novo

 

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