15mm WW1 Mk.IV Heavy Tank - step by step

[Fitz]

I bought a Mk.IV tank from Peter Pig to accompany the WW1 British infantry I bought from them a while ago. In fact the infantry and the tank aren't right together, chronologically, as by the time tanks first appeared in 1916 the Brits were equipped with steel helmets, and this one — the Mark IV — didn't appear on the battlefield until 1917.

The model isn't too bad for the price (£6.50 plus postage) but it does have its flaws. Not the least of which is that the rails running along the top of the vehicle, to hold the unditching beam, are moulded as solid plates rather than as the posts and rails they actually were. No doubt this simplifies manufacture of the model, but I think it would be substantially improved if the rails were provided as separate white metal pieces.

I set to work on it with my Dremel(ish) drill to free it up, but the resulting resin structure is a little fragile.

Once the rails were cleared out, I ground down the resin under the vehicle a bit so that the tracks are hard against the table surface, and assembled the few parts that go to make up the model. These consist of the resin body, and white metal sponsons and unditching beam.

The sponsons suffered a bit from pitting, and needed some filing to get the affected surfaces flat again. All the rivet detail is impressed into the surfaces rather than standing proud, so it was a simple matter to replace it where I'd filed it away.

I gave the whole thing a base coat of khaki-green to begin with, and because I intended to paint it in the outlined disruptive camouflage pattern typical of late-war vehicles, I marked in the crazy-paving pattern in black.

I find it much easier to do the outlines first and then colour in the panels rather than the other way around.

Once all the camouflage had been applied, and the unditching beam and chains and what-not painted, it was just a matter of weathering the crap out of it. I don't go overboard with mud effects in this small scale, because they tend to drown any detail present, so instead there's just a lot of streaking and stuff like that.

I managed to bust a section of unditching rail while I was weathering, and the fragment flew off I know not where. I could fix it easily enough, but I probably won't bother.

And now it's done.

[Slayer]

very nice, love the cam

[fred]

The finished talk looks great.

Interesting that you black line first, I always do the coloured blobs first then outline them.

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

I like the build and the paint job.
However, I think that you are using the Solomon camouflage on a MKIV tank.

As far as my books and internet research shows, the Solomon schemes were used on MkI and MkII tanks only and camouflage was abandoned in late 1916.  The MkIV was first deployed in June 1917.  From the end of 1916, all tanks were painted mud brown until about the start of 1918 when they changed to olive green.  After the spring assault in 1918 by the Germans, where the Germans deployed about 50 captured British tanks, the British added White / Red / White recognition stripes from late spring 1918.

The Germans did use disruptive patterns with sand, brown and green on MkIV Beutepanzer and also A7V tanks in 1918.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_heavy_tanks_of_World_War_I#
http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww1/gb/tank_MkIV.php

[fred]

The finished talk looks great.

tank - obviously.


I think I agree with Mick about the camo and versions of tanks - but it looks so nice.

Mick is the olive green from 1918 right? I thought green was post war. If so this would be annoying as I have done my Mk IVs in brown with white/red/white stripes.

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

I am not exactly sure of the official dates, but the pictures in the tank encyclopedia link actually show green tanks from July 1917 and red & white stripes from May 1918.

Edit - this thread on TMP gives green colour for British tanks from autumn 1917 and April 1918 for introduction of stripes.
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=81508

[armchairgeneral]

I am afraid I have to agree with Mick & Fred. Mark IVs were painted brown for their use to the end of the war with white and red strips being added latterly. The thinking was they got so covered in mud there wasn't much point in a fancy camouflage scheme.

Shame though as it looks really good.

[Fitz]

I didn't know that the Mk.IV wasn't camouflaged, but to tell the honest truth I don't really care that much because I like the look of the camo better 

Thanks for the info though; I'll know better if and when I do another.

[Calimero]

I didn't know that the Mk.IV wasn't camouflaged, but to tell the honest truth I don't really care that much because I like the look of the camo better 

Your toys, your rules...
BTW, They do look great!

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

Dear Fitz

I think the tank looks very good with camo.  

If you put a big cross on it, it would be a perfectly historically correct Beutepanzer. 

I have painted my WW1 armies based on 1918 but I will happily use some of them for 1914 to 1917 scenarios. 

Mick