Toadman's Place

New book announcement: Patton Tanks by Michael Green

2012-01-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

Author Michael Green has just announced his latest book due out in September, 2012. Patton Tanks from Pen and Sword Books "Images of War" series is over 175 page in length and contains more than 210 photos of various Patton tanks in action with at least 30 in color. No price has been set yet, but it'll probably be in the same range as their other "Images of War" books.

Thanks to Michael Green for the cover image.

Bronco Models 1/35 M24 Chaffee: what's inside the box

2011-12-29T07:45:00.000-08:00

Today, I received my copy of Bronco Models US Light Tank M-24 Chaffee (Early Prod.) w/crew (NW Europe 1944-45), kit #CB35069. Before I proceed, disclaimer time: while I did not assist Bronco with the M24 kit, I am currently providing them with information for several future releases. Now, back to the show!

Inside the box are 15 parts sprues, 1 lower hull tub, 14 strips of track links, a pair of 1 piece idler wheels,

a pair of sprocket drums, a M2 .50caliber MG receiver, a plastic spring for the 75mm gun mount, 1 PE fret, string for a tow cable and a decal sheet. Also included is a large, 26 page instruction manual.

The one piece lower hull tub is quite nicely detailed. All access covers appear to be present. Each torsion bar housing has a casting number molded onto it.

The upper hull is well detailed. The fenders are not too thick while teeth are molded into the turret ring. A driver's foul weather hood is included as well.

The lower front and rear plates are separate pieces. Sharing that sprue are the stowage bins that will be used on the future British version of the M24. Also included are torsion bar covers to be used on the inside of the hull.

The turret sprue features lots of nice looking parts. The turret itself is molded in two halves. The mantlet has a cast texture with casting numbers on it. One quick nitpick on the mantlet is that the snaps for the cover over the co-axial machine gun are positioned incorrectly. Take a look at your references, such a my M24 Photo Detail CD, for the correct positioning. It's a 5 minute fix.

Other turret parts include a 1 piece 75mm M6 barrel. It is the earlier collared type which was initially used on the B-25H Mitchell. Some interior details for the turret are also included such as the radio, seats, breech & main gun fire controls.

The next two pics show additional turret interior parts.

Suspension parts include final drive housings and torsion bars. Two extra sets of drive sprockets are also included.

The individual track links look pretty good as well. You get 14 strips, each strip has 12 links.

The idler wheels are cast as 1 piece and have well done lightening/mud relief openings. The drive sprocket hubs are also cast as 1 piece.

Shown above with the idlers and hubs are the M2 .50 caliber machine gun receiver and spring for the main gun mount.

Machine gun ammunition boxes and crew supplies are also included.

The PE fret and clear sprue for the vision devices.

Bronco has partnered with DML and they have provided one of their U.S. tank crew figure sets.

3 decal choices are included: Co. D, 36th Tk Bn, 8th Arm Div, Germany March '45; 81st Recce Sq, 1st Arm Div, Italy March '45; and 37th Arm Bn, 4th Arm Div, NW Europe March '45. I haven't looked at any references to check the accuracy of the markings.

Looking closely at the turret, there does appear to be an issue with the turret roof. This was originally brought up on Armorama on 16DEC2011. Bronco has lined up the roof plate weld with where the armor begins to slope downwards. On the real deal, there is a flat piece of armor between the weld and where the armor is bent downwards. I'm not sure how this will impact the dimensions of the rest of the turret. I will be measuring a couple of M24 turrets during the next 2 weeks and will post the results of my findings. I have been in contact with Bronco and sent them photos of this error. They will attempt to correct it for future kits.

In all honesty, I would never have seen this error had it not been pointed out. I think most modellers will be the same way.

Overall, at least in the box, I think Bronco did a bang up job on the kit. The turret roof issue may cause some grief for some modellers but I think most will be satisfied with the kit. I know I am.

Thanks to Rubin at Bronco Models for the sample kit.

Happy holidays everyone!

2011-12-24T17:37:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy and prosperous holiday season! Thank you for checking out my blog and website, Toadman's Tank Pictures on a regular basis. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep adding new content to satisfy your armor reference needs during the upcoming year.

Take care everyone!!

Book review: The Face of Courage

2011-12-23T09:35:00.000-08:00

The Face of Courage, written by Florian Berger. This 600 page book was originally published in 2007 by J.J. Fedorowicz and is now published in paperback by Stackpole Books. The Face of Courage chronicles the exploits of 98 German soldiers who won both the Knight's Cross and Close-Combat in Gold. Unlike the British Victoria Cross, Soviet "Hero of the Soviet Union" or American Congressional Medal of Honor, the Knight's Cross was awarded for numerous acts of bravery in battle. The Close Combat Clasp had 3 levels: bronze for 15 days of close combat; silver for 25 days of close combat; and gold for 50 or more days of close combat. To be awarded both the Knight's Cross and Close Combat Clasp in Gold meant you were someone very special.

In his writing, the author takes each of the 98 documented winners of both awards and describes them with a brief biography starting with when and where they were born along with the early military service. He then goes on to describe the various actions the individuals took part in along with the various decorations they were awarded. Photos are abundant in the book with wartime photos of the individuals provided in their respective sections. Post war photos, if available, are also provided. The finishes with a chapter covering disputed or unconfirmed winners of both awards.

Overall, I feel the author does a good job with the subject. It was fascinating to read of the exploits of these soldiers in action. Many of these individuals were wounded numerous times. Needless to say, many did not survive the war.

A highly recommended read.

Thanks to Chris Evans at Stackpole Books for the review sample.

New Squadron Walk Around: M26 Dragon Wagon by David Doyle

2011-12-10T21:56:00.000-08:00

I received my copy of David Doyle's latest walk around today, M26 Dragon Wagon, #67025/#27025. It follows the normal Squadron Walk Around format. This volume contains 80 pages of mostly color photos. Contents includes the M26 Tractor,M26A1 Tractor, M15/M15A1Tank-Recovery Semi-Trailer (b&w wartime photos), and M15A2 Tank-Recovery Semi-Trailer. As with several more recent volumes, no color plates are included. The book is available in both soft and hard cover formats.

I will not be reviewing this book as quite a few of my M26 and M15A2 photos are in it. However, if you've bought David's stuff in the past, you won't be disappointed. If you have the Tamiya or Academy Dragon Wagon kits, this book will be a useful reference for you.

Thanks to David Doyle for sending me a copy of the book.

Bronco Models M24 Chaffee test shots

2011-12-08T07:02:00.000-08:00

Bronco Models just sent in a few test shots of their new 1/35 M24 Chaffee for you all to see. Here they are:

Looks like a pretty good rendition of an early production M24 as it does not have the front or rear brackets for the flotation units. The kit should be released either later this month or sometime in January 2012. Thanks to Rubin at Bronco Models for the pictures.

Book review: Viking Panzers

2011-12-05T22:49:00.000-08:00

Viking Panzers by Ewald Klapdor more or less covers the history of SS Panzer Regt 5 during World War II. Published in English by Stackpole Books, it was originally published in German in the early 1980's. The author was himself a member of the regiment and has written the history using various after action reports and recollections from regiment members including his own.

The book begins with the formation of the unit in the Spring of 1942 and follows it throughout its deployment on the Eastern Front through the end of the war. The provides insight into the many battles fought by the regiment and the hardships the troops suffered throughout the war. Unlike many books about SS units, no mention of any politics is made. The author provides good information about the make up of the individual units in the regiment including vehicle types and unit commanders where possible. At times, especially in the chapters covering the Kuban and Don regions, the book is hard to follow as the village names are an alphabet soup of letters. Reading through them could be quite tedious.

There are more than 35 maps and 30 photos included in the book. Some of the maps are very difficult to understand as the reproduction quality is poor. This further compounded the difficulty in following some of the village names as mentioned above.

In general, I found it to be an enjoyable book as it covers one of the lesser well known armored units of the SS. I recommend this for all armor enthusiasts and those interested in the Eastern Front in particular.

Thanks to Chris Evans at Stackpole Books for the review sample.

Dr. Manasherob strikes again: Centurion Tanks of the IDF Shot Vol. 1

2011-11-28T22:41:00.000-08:00

Dr. Robert Manasherob is back with his latest book, Centurion Tanks of the IDF, Shot Vol. 1. I do not have my copy yet but his website, SabIngaMartin describes it this way:

80 pages, 22 in full color

250+ black & white and color pics

Many unique & previously unpublished pics

1/35 line drawings

and much more

The price is $35.00 and can be ordered directly from Dr. Manasherob.

Quick disclaimer, Dr. Manasherob is a personal friend of mine so I will not be reviewing any of his books, just making announcements about them.

More new kits from Bronco: 1/35 Buffalo and 1/48 Staghound Mk. I

2011-11-08T21:22:00.000-08:00

Bronco Models just keeps going with more announcements! Today, modern armor modellers can be please with the announcement of this:

The Buffalo MPCV has been and continues to be used extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq and will be a welcome addition to the ever increasing range of kits covering vehicles used in these two conflicts. It's been reported that the Buffalo is due out in the first quarter of 2012.

Modellers of 1/48 get another Staghound in the form of:

This release will allow the modeler the opportunity build another Staghound version. If you don't want to use the rockets on the Stag, you can always put them on a Sherman. No release date on the Stag yet but since they have a couple out already, I can't imagine it'll be too long in coming.

Of the two releases, I'll probably get the Stag as I currently prefer 1/48 vehicles. However, the Buffalo does look pretty awesome and would be an interesting build. But, knowing the way I build (or don't), I'll be better off with the smaller kit.

New Squadron Walk Around: FT-17/M1917 WW I Tanks Walk Around

2011-10-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

David Doyle is back with a new book. FT-17/M1917 WW I Tanks Walk Around is loaded with photos of various surviving FT's and M1917's from around the world. If you have any of the RPM or Mirage kits, this book will be beneficial. However, it does not have photos of any of the signal type FT's. Then again, I don't know if there are any left in existence.

Available in paper back and hard cover, it can be purchased from Squadron and Amazon.

Thanks to David Doyle for my sample copy. And yes, I do have several photos in this book.

Revised Bronco Model M24 Chaffee (British version) artwork

2011-10-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

Bronco Model has revised the artwork for their M24 Chaffee (British version) that will be released sometime after the American one. Compare it to the initial artwork posted about 10 days ago:

The markings are completely different along with the addition of a spare road wheel on the glacis plate. Furthermore, the step on the right hand side final drive cover is missing along with the turret mounted .50 caliber M2.

That's all for now. I'll post more updates as I receive them.

Squadron M41 Walker Bulldog Walk Around by...ME!!

2011-10-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right! My first book has officially been released by Squadron. M41 Walker Bulldog Walk Around features photos of several different M41's on display in the U.S. It also includes many detail drawings and several color plates. This M41 book is the first of several Walk Arounds that I'm working on for Squadron. They are a logical extension of my photo detail CD line.

The book can be purchased directly from Squadron in the traditional soft cover format or in their new hard cover format. This is my first book, so I hope you guys like it!

A second M24 Chaffee from Bronco: British Army Version

2011-10-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hot on the heels of their initial M24 Chaffee, Bronco Model has announced a 2nd version of the M24, this one being a British Army version.

No other details have been released about the kit. Based on the artwork, some additions may/will include a Number 19 aerial base, a stowage box on the left fender, and a gunner's sight cage. Possible a figure or 2 as well. No release date has been set at this time.

With regards to the U.S. version, it is due out sometime in November.

New decal company: LM Decals!!

2011-10-13T22:45:00.000-07:00

Last week while scanning the various forums, I ran across a posting from the owner of a new decal company. LM Decals of Greece specializes in decals covering Greek AFV's and softskins. Their current online catalog lists 6 1/35 scale sheets and 4 1/72 scale sheets. Vehicles covered include M113's, Deuce and a Halves (both WW 2 and post-war), military Dodges, Jeeps and more. All sets are reasonably priced between 4.00 and 5.00 euros each and include plenty of marking options. Shipping is a flat rate of 5.00 euros to anywhere.

Of the sets in their catalog, I quickly locked onto the one covering M24 Chaffees and M47 Pattons, #LM35003. I quickly hit the PayPal button and paid my 10.00 euros/ $13.00 and ordered a set. The next morning, I had an email from the company letting me know the decals were on the way. Exactly 7 days after I ordered them, I received a notice from the post office that a piece of registered mail from Greece was waiting for me to pick it up. Damn quick service I must say!!

Set #LM35003 for the M24 and M47 provides 16 different decal options for 15 different vehicles. Included in these options are markings for a Turkish M47 that was used in the invasion of Cyprus. This M47 was captured by Greek Cypriots and used against its former owners. All of the decals on the sheet I purchased were in register. The colors look good. I haven't tried them out yet but they don't appear too thick. Instructions are not included with the set. Instead, a very well illustrated instruction set is available for download off of the LM Decals website. The instructions consist of reference photos along with a numbered decal guide so you know what decal goes where on what tank.

LM Decals is providing armor modellers with another alternative for marking/painting their kits. The price is right and the service is excellent! I wish them great luck in their endeavor.

Finally! A modern 1/35 M24 Chaffee kit!!

2011-10-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

Bronco Model has just recently released the artwork and CAD drawings for their upcoming 1/35 M24 Chaffee. For many years, modellers have been craving a new tooled M24 to replace the long in the tooth Italeri kit. If the CAD drawing from Bronco are any indicator, it looks like that craving will be answered.

What I find interesting about this release is that Bronco is including a set of Dragon U.S. tanker figures. Why is it interesting? Well for several years now, Dragon's little propaganda site has been openly hostile towards Bronco releases. Well, that matters little now as we'll soon have a new M24!!

I haven't bought any new kits for quite sometime as I have a decent stash and very little time to work on them. Therefore, I can't really justify the expenditure. However, when this kit comes out, I will make an exception as I too have been waiting for a new M24. It'll be fun to check it out compared to the 2 M24's that are here in the SF Bay area.

Thanks to Rubin at Bronco Model for the artwork files.

BTW, look for a sale on CD #19 Toadman's Light Tank M24 Chaffee Photo Detail CD sometime in the next couple of days!!

New SabIngaMartin book: Israeli Wild & Cruel Cats, Vol. I

2011-10-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

Israeli Wild & Cruel Cats: Puma, Vol.I, by Dr. Robert Manasherob

The latest from Dr. Robert Manasherob is Volume I of Israeli Wild & Cruel Cats: Puma. Released this past summer, its 80 pages are filled with photos, line drawings and color plates of the Puma. The Puma is a Centurion based heavy APC used by Israeli combat engineers.

To some, this maybe a familiar title as back in 2001, Dr. Manasherob wrote a similiar book, Israeli Wild & Cruel Cats Part I: Achzarit and Puma. The new book does include some photos from the first one but since it is long out of print with very few copies printed to begin with, the photos will be new to most readers.

Since Dr. Manasherob is a personal friend of mine, I will not comment on the quality or accuracy of the book. However, it is pretty damn good and many of the photos in the book have never been published before.

This book and others from Dr. Manasherob can be purchased directly from his website, SabIngaMartin Publications. Each book is $35.00 plus shipping.

Thank you to Dr. Manasherob for my sample copy.

Book review: "Panzers in the Sand" Vol. 2 1942-45

2011-08-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

Panzers in the Sand, Vol. Two 1942-45 by Bernd Hartmann

2011, Stackpole Books $32.95

Following up on his earlier Panzers in the Sand, Vol. One 1935-41, Bernd Hartmann continues the story of Panzer Regiment 5 in Panzers in the Sand, Vol. Two 1942-45. As with the first volume, this book was originally published in German in 2002 and has now been published in English by Stackpole Books. Within its 290 pages are more than 285 photographs, along with many charts and tables. The quality of the photos is very good. In following with the same format at Volume One, each chapter begins with text and a scattering of photos and charts where relevant. The end of each chapter is comprised of numerous photos that go with the chapter text.

The first two chapters discuss the regiment's role in the North Africa battles culiminating with the surrender of the Afrika Korps in May 1943. These two chapters alone take up half of the book. First hand accounts by former regiment members describe how the conditions were including food and equipment. They provide a nice addition to the author's text.

With the demise of Panzer Regiment 5 in North Africa, the next final three chapter cover it's reincarnation as Panzer Abeilung 5 and its battles on the Eastern and Western Fronts. More first hand accounts combined with the author's text make these chapters just as interesting and informative as the first two.

The book finishes with several appendices which cover regimental/abteilung commanders, Knight's Cross recipients, German Cross in Gold recipients, logistics, Panzer Ersatz Abteilung 5, personnel of the regiment reassigned to I./Panzer Lehr Regiment 130, uniform, and documents/decorations/awards. The appendices alone contain lots of valuable information and photos and are well worth the read.

I really enjoyed this book, probably a bit more so than Volume One which I thought was quite good in its own right. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in military history, especially the armored vehicle enthusiasts.

Thanks to Chris Evans at Stackpole Books for the review sample.

Book review: "Panzers in the Sand" Vol. 1 1935-41

2011-07-31T14:07:00.000-07:00

I'm now getting organized and on track again. Below will be the first of several book and kit review/previews that I'll be posting in the next 10-14 days. Enjoy!

Panzers in the Sand, Vol. One 1935-41 by Bernd Hartmann

2010, Stackpole Books $32.95 USD

Panzers in the Sand is a two volume series covering the history of Panzer Regiment 5 from its inception thru the end of World War II. Orginally published in German in 2002, an English language version of it has been published by Stackpole Books. This hardcover book is 298 pages long and includes over 360 photos plus numerous charts and maps. Some of the photos appear to be copies of copies but are of overall good quality. Each chapter begins with text and a scattering of photos and charts where relevant. The end of each chapter consists of numerous photos.

The book starts with establishment of the Panzertruppe including information about the training that took place in the Soviet Union during the late 1920's and early '30's. Chapter 2 describes the early days of Panzer Regiment 5 through August 1939. There are some good photos of PzKpfw I Ausf. A and early PzKpfw II in this chapter.

Chapter 3 covers the Polish Campaign while Chapter 4 covers the Campaign in the West. The information in these chapters matches what I have read in other books fact wise. There are excerpts from Thomas Jentz's Panzer Truppen that cover after action reports. Chapter 4 also has several photos of a PzKpfw II Ausf B(?) from several different angles that will allow modelers to build this tank with a good degree of accuracy.

Chapter 5 is a short one and covers the regiments work up prior to being deployed to North Africa. In Chapter 6, which is the final one of the book, the North African Campaign thru the end of 1941 is covered.

Overall, I found the book quite readable and entertaining. I thought it covered the development of the regiment and its early battles quite well. Details including sample training schedules are included in early chapters. Throughout each chapter are sidebars describing key personalities from the regiment including various commanders and award winners.

The English translation flowed well compared to some others that I've read in the past. I only found one photo caption that I could confirm was off. On page 163, a knocked out a 5cm KwK L/42 armed PzKpfw III Ausf G or H is noted as being knocked out during the Battle of France. More than likely it from the Balkans Campaign as there weren't any 5cm armed PzKpfw III's in the Battle of France.

In short, I enjoyed the book very much and I recommend it to those interested in the Panzer Truppe and in armor in general.

Volume Two of the series will be reviewed in a few days.

Thanks to Chris Evans at Stackpole Books for the review sample.

It's been awhile!

2011-07-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

It's been nearly 3 months since my last update. Time to get caught up. I have several book and kit reviews to post but they'll have to wait a bit longer as I am currently without a computer. Mine crapped out over the weekend. Luckily, it looks like I'll be able to recover all of files. As I just recently purchased a new camera, I'm not in any position to by a new computer. However, as luck would have it, I do have another pc that we'd bought used a few years ago and I'll be able to upgrade it on the cheap during the next couple of evenings.

I hope to be back in business by Friday. If that's the case, the first review should be up by Sunday evening.

Time for the MVCC's Spring edition of Camp Delta!

2011-04-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

Today, 17APR11, marks the start of the Military Vehicle Collectors of California's Spring meet "Camp Delta" at Tower Park in Lodi, CA! The April meet is billed as "the oldest and largest MV rally and vendor event in the Western U.S." The meet runs thru Sunday, 24APR11. There is no charge to visit. You'll see lots of trucks, jeeps and sometimes some light armor. The major event of this week's meet is the Military Dodge Showcase on Friday. A variety of military Dodge trucks and cars will be on display starting at around 0830hrs. For more information about the event, please visit the Camp Delta page of the MVCC's website.

Below are some photos of last April's meet.

I lost a good friend today...

2011-03-18T23:44:00.000-07:00

Smokey Hughes Oct 1994-Mar. 18, 2011

Today, I lost my good friend of nearly 17 years, Smokey. He was a damn good cat and one of the family.

When he found me in 1994, I wasn't really a cat person. I had dogs when I was a kid with the exception being a cat that my stepmom had when I was in junior and senior high school. Smokey was a stray who was born in the apartment complex where I was living. I had never seen him before the day he walked into my apartment. He had been sitting on the porch and walked in with me and my then girlfriend. He was about 10-12 weeks old at the time and very friendly. We tried to adopt him out but were unsuccessful. After a week of trying to have him adopted, I had grown attached to him and decided to keep him. I am eternally greatful that I made that decision.

While Smokey quickly adapted to life as a house cat, he still had his street smarts and scavenging ways. Several times, I'd come home from work and find him digging food out of the dumpster including chocolate chip cookies and cheese pizza. He used to hang out with a Calico mix in the complex and they used to chase squirrels all the time. One time, his buddy caught a bird. Within a couple of minutes, Smokey stole from him and took off running with the Calico in hot pursuit.

During the Summer of 1997, I was living solo in a studio apartment with Smokey. It wasn't the best place for him because he couldn't go outside. He took some of his frustration out by shreding open a case of bagels that I had left sitting on the kitchen counter. For you see, Smokey loved his carbohydrates! This case of bagels was from Costco. It contained around 6 packages of bagels. The packages in turn were shrinkwrapped in a cardboard box. While I was out shopping with a friend of mine(who is now my wife), Smokey jumped up on the counter and tore through the shrinkwrap. He then proceeded to tear open 2 or 3 of the bagel packages and ate pieces from about 6 different bagels. Even though I was furious, I couldn't help but laugh about it.

A couple of months later, I went away for an extended weekend to visit my parents. I left Smokey alone in the apartment as my friend and future wife was going to feed him and give him water while I was gone. While I was gone, my upstairs neighbors left some snicker doodle cookies in a plastic bag for me on my front door knob. Julie saw these and took them into my apartment for me when she came in to feed Smokey. Like the bagels, she left them on the counter. When she came back the next day, what did she find? Yep, you guessed it! A ripped open bag of snicker doodles with bites taken out of most of the cookies. Since he was also adept at opening kitchen cabinets, she ended up putting them in a sauce pan with a lid over them.

Smokey would continue this habit of trying to get to cookies, bread, etc. Anything like that couldn't be left out on the counter. Even last Summer, he was still at it when he tore open a package of saltine crackers. He even went after a bag of marshmellows. Crazy-ass cat!!

Everyone in the neighborhood knew Smokey. He'd always be out on the sidewalk in front of the house rolling around in the dirt or in the gutter when it was dry. When people would walk by, he'd always go an greet them. Like so many cats, he loved laying outside in the sun. He also loved to hunt and was responsible for many a dead mouse and gopher in our front yard during the past two Summers.

When not laying around outside or attempting to eat a bagel, he loved being with his human family. He was quick to jump on your lap and lay down if you were watching TV. Many times while I was at the computer, he would be in my lap sleeping. He loved being scratched, especially around his ears. If you stopped before he was said so, he would usually jam his wet nose into your face or under your chin to let you know that he wasn't finished with you.

We have 2 other cats in our family. Katrina was my wife's cat and is a Siamese-Persian mix. When Smokey was introduced to her in 1998, they couldn't stand each other. Smokey bullied her all the time, always picking fights. They eventually learned to tolerate each other but not without the occasional blow up. The fighting essentially ended in early 2008 when we adopted a 12 week old kitten.

Dolce was a little bit skittish when introduced to her new home. Katrina avoided very quickly and probably wondered what we were trying to do to her. On the other hand, Smokey took Dolce under his wing almost immediately. He played with her and groomed her. The grooming came as a big surprise to us as he was never around any kittens. As Dolce got older and bigger, they wrestled all the time. They also hung out together and took care of each other. I often think that the introduction of Dolce helped Smokey live longer as he was constantly active with her.

Last Summer, Smokey gave us a big scare when he was clipped by a car. Fortunately, he got away with only some stomach bruising, a few pinched rear toes, and missing fur from his tail and back. In order to clean him up, the vet had to give him a bit of a shave.

While he was laid up, Dolce played nursemaid to him by grooming him and keeping him company while he was restricted from going outside. Of the other 2 cats, Dolce will probably feel his passing the most as Katrina won't have anything to do with her.

2011 started off fine for Smokey. He was healthy and happy. The picture below was taken in the middle of January.

Smokey became lethargic a couple of days ago and wouldn't eat. Yesterday, he had an extremely violent seizure and went nearly comatose. By this morning, I could tell the end was near. At the urging of my wife, I left work early and spent the rest of the day with him, talking to him and trying to comfort him. This afternoon, I told my children and sister-in-law to say their goodbyes to him as he didn't have too much time left. Just as my wife came home from work, he had another seizure. She was able to say goodbye before he took his last breathes and he died in my arms at around 5:50pm.

May you rest in piece my friend. I'm going to miss you terribly. I love you and I will NEVER forget you!!

Japan's Earthquake

2011-03-13T22:55:00.000-07:00

As you all know, Japan was rocked by a huge earthquake followed by a devastating tsunami on Friday, 11MAR2011. My wife and I were horrified as we watched live on TV, the tsunami making landfall and sweeping away everything in its path. And in the few days since the disaster, things seem to be getting worse.

As model builders, many of our kits are designed and produced in Japan. Many of us have contacts in Japan that we've met through our mutual hobby and have at least become online friends as a result. Some of us may know people directly effected by the disaster, possibly with devastating consequences.

Sitting here, thousands of miles away, I wanted to do something to help. So, I ask that you consider making a donation to one of the many relief funds that have been set up. Prior to writing this, I did just that. I couldn't send a lot but I managed something. Considering what these folks are going through, I can afford to skip a few non-essentials this month.

The following links are to legitimate sites to make donations to for Japan earthquake and tsunami relief. Please help out!

The American Red Cross: Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief

The Salvation Army: Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief

These are just a couple of places and I know that there are many others. However, when making a donation, be sure to check carefully who you're giving to as sadly, not only do these disasters bring out the good in people, it also brings out many of the real scumbags in our world.

Thanks for reading this. Hopefully, we'll start hearing some better news from Japan real soon.

My furry photo assistant

2011-02-07T22:33:00.000-08:00

When I'm taking pictures at various museums, I get really involved in what I'm doing. You know, trying to get the real good detail shot or trying to worm my way into places that my 255 pound frame was never meant to get into. There are times when I get the feeling that I'm being watched, especially when I'm somewhere really quiet. Well, that was the case this past weekend and this time, I was being watched:

I'd like you to introduce you to my new photo assistant at the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation, "Adolph". Yes, that's this cat's name, for obvious reasons. If you ever make it to the MVTF, you'll probably see him as he's a fixture at the museum. He's very friendly and quite often, one of the stars of the tour.

During this photo visit, he decided to join me inside the Panther Ausf. A while I was taking pictures for some future projects. As you can see below, he made himself right at home.

Once I climbed back outside of the turret, he was quick to follow me as he doesn't like being cooped up inside the tanks. Can you blame him?

Now along with my foot prints, I'm going to have to clean his paw prints off of the tank during a maintenance day at the museum in a couple of weeks. At least he didn't leave a "present" inside the vehicle.

Israeli Half Tracks by Dr. Robert Manasherob

2011-02-06T23:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had the chance to hang out with a friend of mine, Dr. Robert Manasherob, author of several books on Israeli and Arab armor. He gave me a copy of his latest book, Israeli Half Tracks, volume 1. This book is available through his site, SabIngaMartin Publications.

The book is 80 pages in length and is loaded with photographs of M5 half-tracks and M14's converted into APCs as used by the Israelis during the 1948 war. There are 4 pages of color photos showing an improvised flame thrower unit that was used in some of the half-tracks along with 30 pages of color photos showing the major frame and suspension components of a half-track under going restoration. And finally, there are various 1/35 scale line drawings and 6 pages of color plates along with marking and painting information.

If you're into Israeli armor, this book is for you. As mentioned above, this book can be purchased directly from Dr. Manasherob at SabIngaMartin Publications for $35.00 plus shipping.

Now if we can only get one of the major model manufacturers to come out with a kit of one of these vehicles....

Finally! The Tasca Sherman Jumbo!

2011-01-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm finally getting caught up on things yet once again. I still haven't bought a new camera. That'll have to be sometime in February. In the meantime, I've used my wife's Sony Cybershot to shoot the following pics of the new Tasca 1/35 M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo.

Just a quick note: this is not a review of the kit nor do I intend on reviewing it. I provided Tasca with over 1600 photos of the M4A3E2 located at the MVTF along with measurements of certain components. As a thank you, they provided me with several Jumbo kits and have included my name at the bottom of the last page of the kit instructions.

When you open the box, you are greeted with 19 sprues of parts, a small PE fret, instructions, decals, some poly caps and a small felt pad. Many of the sprues are familiar to those who have purchased Tasca Shermans in the past. They'll further add to your spares box.

Three of this sprue are included. You get three different types of road wheels.

Duckbills are molded onto the T48 tracks.

Some close ups of the major E2 parts:

The turret lacks casting numbers. Each turret had an individual number cast onto each side of the turret. You'll need to add these when building your kit.

The extra glacis and side plates are add on panels.

The differential housing cover has been thickened compared to those on the M4A3(76)/M4A3E8 kits.

The profile of the thickened mantlet looks pretty good.

Overall, 493 olive drab colored plastic parts, 16 clear plastic parts, 14 PE parts and 24 poly caps are included. Three different types of road wheels and three main gun tubes are included. Lots of other extras such as periscopes, applique armor plates, British style fire extinguishers and other goodies are also included.

I'm very happy that a modern, injection moulded kit of the Jumbo has finally been released. It'll be interesting to see what Tasca has up their sleeve for the next round of Shermans.

My next post will feature new additions to the reference library.

Dead camera

2010-12-30T13:33:00.000-08:00

Well, today I was hoping to be able to post some pictures of the newest kit from Tasca, the M4A3E2 Jumbo. Instead, I get to tell you that my 6 1/2 year old Nikon D70 has gone to electronic heaven. Yep, the camera that I've used since mid-2004 has finally died. Last night, I powered it up to shoot pics of the Jumbo sprues but instead of taking pictures, I heard a "whirring" noise and had a green screen instead of an image display. This morning, it wouldn't even power up.

Upon visiting the camera store today, I was told that it really wasn't worth fixing. It'll probably be in the $350-$400 range to repair. Not really worth it considering a some of the newest ones that shoot at a much higher resolution are $650 or so. Of course, this couldn't come at a worse time as my car needs a bunch of work as well.

Oh well, what can you do? Things are tough all over and it could always be worse, much worse. Later tonight, I'll post pics of the Jumbo sprues, just much lower quality pics as I'll be using my daughter's old Samsung digi-cam. Oh and BTW, I have 3 Tasca Jumbos for sale, $50.00 each plus shipping. C-ya!!

Local PBS affiliate video of the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation

2010-12-12T23:35:00.000-08:00

Back in October of this year, the local PBS affiliate, KTEH, was at the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation filming a segment for a Veteran's Day special. Below is the video used in the show that was televised on 10NOV10:

Israeli Half-Tracks Vol. I is now available!

2010-12-05T10:11:00.000-08:00

Dr. Robert Manasherob of SabIngaMartin Publications has just informed me that his latest book, Israeli Half-Track Vol. I is now available.

This book and others can be purchased directly from Dr. Manasherob via the above website.

Sherman Jumbo being released by the lizard??

2010-12-03T22:58:00.000-08:00

A reliable source told me today that the lizard will be releasing their 1/35 Sherman Jumbo real soon. Basically, they're timing it to counter the release of the Tasca Jumbo. So, it looks like modellers will have an additional Jumbo to choose from later this month or early January.

Don't expect any comparative Sherman Jumbo reviews from me as I provided Tasca with Sherman Jumbo photos and will be receiving my kit directly from them. Plus, I do not plan on buying the lizard's Jumbo since I can't really justify purchasing anymore kits. As it is, SWMBO gives me enough grief about the stack of unfinished kits in the den and I don't need anymore of that!

Until next time....

Lion & Lioness of the Line Vol. 6: Early IDF Sherman Tanks

2010-12-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, I received my copy of the latest in the line of IDF Sherman books from Dr. Robert Manasherob. Lion & Lioness of the Line Volume 6: Early IDF Sherman Tanks covers the first Shermans that were acquired by the Israelis during and after the War of Independance in the late 1940's. As Dr. Manasherob and I are friends, I won't review the book but I can tell you what's in it.

The book is 80 pages in length with the first 43 pages featuring numerous period photos and some line drawings of the earliest Israeli Shermans. The balance of the book contains colors photos of a M4(105)VVSS on display at Latrun and color plates. The early Israeli Shermans were 47 degree hull M4(105)'s that were acquired from Italy. With the announcement of the new M4(105)VVSS from Dragon, modellers will now have a good base kit to model most if not all of the Shermans in this book.

Dr. Manasherob also let me know that he should have another book ready to go sometime this month. As soon as it's official, I'll post it here.

This book and all others from Dr. Manasherob can be purchased directly from him through the Sabingamartin Publications website.

Vulcan 1/35 Zundapp K800 Motorcycle in-box review

2010-11-25T00:56:00.000-08:00

As noted in a previous post, I received from Vulcan Scale Models a sample of their latest kit, the 1/35 Zundapp K800 Motorcycle, kit #56006. I have not had a chance to start building it but the following are my impressions of what you get inside the box.

The kit consists of 79 plastic parts on 3 sprues, 2 stainless steel PE frets for the wheel spokes, a 24 piece brass PE fret. Also included are 4 tiny springs for the the seats and a small decal sheet with markings for 2 different bikes. A 6 page instruction sheet rounds out the kit.

Sprue "A" is essentially the same sprue included in Vulcan's earlier Zundapp K500 kit. However, the handlebars, part #34, were redesigned to better reflect to slight "W" shape of the real thing. The incorrect shape of the handlebars in the K500 kit was noted in the PMMS K500 review. When assembling the headlight, you can only add the blackout light cover as a clear lense piece is not included. The quality of the molding is pretty good. There is some lite flash on a few parts with few injector pin marks.

Sprue "C" is an entirely new sprue and features the engine parts. Photos of K800's that I found online show 7 vents on the engine block, while the kit part C1/C2 only have 6. These missing vents can be scribed into the parts without too much trouble. The cylinder head covers, parts C3/C4 have small sink marks in them. They'll need to be filled with the cooling fins rescribed afterwards.

Sprue "FA" is the figure sprue and is the same one included with the K500. Overall, the figure looks pretty good. However, his dust goggles are pretty flimsy and are molded in solid grey plastic. I'll be replacing mine with some clear plastic ones from the parts box.

The photo etch wheel spokes are a nice addition. Each one gets sandwiched between a 5 piece tire assembly. The brass PE fret contains some very small parts so care will be needed when removing them from the fret. The 4 springs that are mounted underneath each seat are quite tiny and will disappear into the jaws of the "Carpet Monster" if one is not careful handling them. The decal sheet has license plate, manufacturers and a speedometer. If you want to add tactical markings to your kit, you'll need to find another source for them.

The instruction sheet consists of 23 steps written on 6 pages. The assembly sequence appears to be logical and clearly written. Painting call outs are noted in each step. Recommended paints are Tamiya, Mr. Color and Life Color. No historical background about the motorcycle is included in the instructions.

Overall, it looks like Vulcan has done a nice job producing this kit. The inclusion of a couple of clear parts for the rider's goggles and the headlight would be nice. However, seeing how the corrected the handlebars compared to the previous K500 kit shows that Vulcan is willing to make changes to its product in order to make them accurate. I look forward to building this kit during the next couple of weeks and will post another build type review at that time.

Thanks again to Leo at Vulcan Scale Models for the review sample.

My online references included:

http://www.autogallery.org.ru/zunk800.htm

And Zundapp Fool: http://www.zundappfool.com/ Visit this site if you want to download owner's and parts manuals for this and other Zundapp bikes.

New 1/35 Zundapp K800 motorcycles from Vulcan!

2010-11-20T18:01:00.000-08:00

After a full overtime shift at work today, I came home to find the following waiting for me in my living room:

The brand new 1/35 Zundapp K800 kits from Vulcan! On first glance, they look very nice. The K800 kit consists of 3 sprues and some real nice PE spokes along with a decal sheet.

The K800 w/Steib Side Car Nr28 has 3 sprues along with the PE spokes and decals. I'll post a more detailed preview in the next couple of days along with a review in about 10-14 days. Now it's time to hit up some of the online Zundapp groups for some info.

Thanks to Leo at Vulcan Models for the review samples.

New Sherman M4A3E2 Jumbo from Tasca!!

2010-11-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

Finally, Tasca has announced the Sherman kit that many have been waiting for, a M4A3E2 Assault Tank aka "Sherman Jumbo"!! For years, modellers have been stuck with either reworking the old Tamiya kit or using one of several resin conversion sets. This new kit from Tasca will finally provide the modeller with what will undoubtably be an accurate kit for much less than the cost of the resin stuff.

I don't have any pics of the actual kit yet but as soon as I get some, I will post them. No release date has been listed but I bet it'll be ready for Christmas. The following link will take you to the Tasca page describing their new Jumbo: M4A3E2 Jumbo

The Military Vehicle Technology Foundation's M4A3E2 Assault Tank "Sherman Jumbo".

Local PBS affiliate filming at the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation

2010-10-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

Last week, the local PBS affiliate, KTEH, visited the MVTF to film a special show for Veteran's Day. For this show, the Panther and the M551 Sheridan were brought outside. The Sheridan was driven around with the show's host riding in it. While not driven, the Panther was displayed in the museum courtyard. Besides the Panther and Sheridan, the M4A1 Sherman and Kettenkrad were also featured in the filming. The episode is due to air in the San Francisco Bay Area on Wed, 10NOV10 @ 7pm. Here's a link to the show's blog: "This is US" MVTF episode

Below are some pics of the Panther and M551.

New additions to the library

2010-10-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

During the past 6-8 weeks, I've managed to obtain some new additions for my reference library, including 3 books from Osprey, a new Squadron Walk Around, the latest Allied-Axis and a large hard cover.

First up is Spanish Civil War Tanks is the latest New Vanguard title from Steven Zaloga. It provides a good background on armored vehicles and their operations during the Spanish Civil War. I think it's a good place to start for anyone interested in this conflict. I purchased this book at Amazon.

Maginot Line 1940 by Marc Romanych and Martin Rupp is #218 in the Osprey Campaign series. I found the book to be very interesting as it explained many details about the Maginot Line that I was unaware of including the types of armament used by the fortifications and the battles that took place around them. As a result of reading this book, I'm going to be looking for more English language publications about the Maginot Line. This book was purchased at my local hobby shop.

Although I am primarily an armor modeller with some aircraft work, I do have an interest in naval warfare. I bought Osprey's New Vanguard 145, British Submarines of World War I by Innes McCartney on a complete whim about 5 weeks ago. This book is my first experience reading anything about British submarine warfare, WW I or otherwise. I quite enjoyed the book and was completely amazed by how primative these boats were. I'm used to reading about WW II sub warfare and compared to the WW I boats, the later pig-boats were luxury liners! This is an enjoyable book so now I'll have to pick up more of the WW I stuff from Osprey.

Allied-Axis 25 is a quarterly photo journal published by Ampersand Publishing. The usual format features several photo essays on various pieces of World War II equipment. The photo essays consist of wartime and if available, preserved examples of the subject vehicle/equipment. Issue 25 is no different. Included are articles on the M19 40mm GMC, Panther Ausf. A, Ford Bomb Truck, GE 60" searchlight, SdKfz 222 armored car, and Ford Fordor Staff Car. David Doyle is the primary editor and writer of the articles in this issue. And just to keep things open here, I do have a personal stake in this one as I wrote the article on the Panther Ausf. A. My thanks to David for my sample of this issue.

The latest Walk Around from Squadron is Valentine Tank Walk Around by David Doyle. This 88 page book follows the latest Squadron Walk Around format. With the exception of half a dozen b&w wartime photos, all pictures are in color. Several line drawings and color plates are also included. About half of the photos are of a Mk III preserved in Virginia. The rest of the coverage includes a Mk VI in Canada and a Mk IX in the U.K. Also included are 5 photos of a DD tank preserved in the U.K. The timing of this book is perfect in light of the new Valentine kits that have just been released. Thanks again to David for my sample copy.

Last but not least, Patton's Third Army in World War II by Michael Green & James D. Brown is a real nice book for those interested in the 3rd Army and General Patton. This is a large, coffee table type book. It's 280+ pages are loaded with photos and maps, some commonly seen, some not. Scattered throughout the book are short bios on commanders who served under Patton and excerpts from some of Patton's writings. I've read through the first 50 pages or so and have not been disappointed. Thanks to Michael Green for providing me with my sample copy. Mike has been a friend of mine for several years so keep that in mind if you read anything I write about his books.

Getting caught up on things.

2010-09-23T22:35:00.000-07:00

Better late than never, here's the rest of my preview of the new Tasca M4A3E8.

The kit shares several sprues with the earlier M4A3(76). These can be seen in my preview of that kit. However, Tasca made some subtle changes to the upper hull as seen in the photos below:

Tasca gives you a real nice looking late model upper hull in their new E8. Along with the changes noted in the photos, the weld beads are of slightly different pattern compared to those in their earlier kit.

The turret is the later T23 type with the oval loader's hatch. A foundry logo is cast above the pistol port. The logo is not present on the earlier kit.

Other changes when compared to the earlier kit are shown in the photo below:

The suspension parts are shown below. I haven't done any test fitting yet so I won't make any comments about that.

Another new set of sprues include the fenders while the sprue with the lower hull includes the muzzle brake.

Based on the sprues alone, the kit looks like another winner from Tasca! I haven't started either kit yet as I need to practice a bit first. Time to pull an old Tamiya M3 Lee out for some painting practice.

Another Sherman from Tasca!

2010-09-07T23:22:00.000-07:00

Back in June, I received the then new 1/35 Tasca M4A3(76). Quite a very nice kit! Well, this past Friday, what was waiting for me when I got home from work? Well, it was this:

The newest Tasca Sherman, the M4A3E8 w/T66 tracks! Quite a pleasant surprise. Anyways, it was a very busy weekend so I didn't have much time to go over the kit. I'll have a preview of it posted here in the next day or so along with comparison photos of it and Tasca's earlier M4A3(76). Stay tuned....

New 1/48 Comet kit and 1/48 M12 155mm GMC kit

2010-08-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

1/48 armor modellers have a couple of new kits to look forward to. Tim Perry, who runs Fighting 48th has been showing off some of the masters for his new resin 1/48 A34 Comet. It looks pretty damn nice so far:

No price has been announced for it yet, but based on Tim's previous releases, it'll be well worth whatever he charges for it.

Another new kit, actually a conversion for the Tamiya M4 Shermans comes from Olivier Saint-lot who runs the Gaso.Line webstore. Olivier has been making 1/48 resin kits and conversions for a long time and his latest is a M12 155mm GMC conversion.

It too looks real nice. For those outside of Europe, the price is around 27euros plus shipping. Both of these kits are going on my Christmas and birthday lists.

Some things just don't work out as planned!

2010-08-12T17:54:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is Thursday, 12AUG10. This Saturday, I was planning on heading down to So.Cal to visit TankLand, which is a pretty cool military vehicle museum in South El Monte. I was planning on spending the day down there, taking pictures and just plain goofing off. Then, on Sunday, I was going to head to the General George S. Patton Museum in Chiriaco Springs, CA to do the same thing. Of course, things just aren't going to turn out that way.

Yesterday, my wife had to take her car into the shop. $850.00 later, it was set free. Needless to say, that took care of the Toadman's weekend. Luckily, I hadn't paid for anything in advance. Combined with work on my car in June and my cat getting hit by my daughter's car, it's been a rather expensive summer for me.

So, instead of going to So. Cal, I'll be back at the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation this weekend giving tours. Along with that, I'll finally be getting some more model work done along with a website update. I guess things will work out eventually. So.Cal can wait until October, unless of course something else goes wrong....

SabIngaMartin Publications strikes again!

2010-08-10T17:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like Dr. Robert Manasherob is on a roll! Announced last week is his latest in the Lion and Lioness of the Line series on Israeli Shermans. His newest one is Vol. 6, Early IDF Shermans

I think this makes 3 or 4 new titles for him this year! Like the rest, it should be a winner! I hope to have my copy in the next 10-14 days. Time to get out all of those Sherman kits that have been stashed away.

This title along with the rest of Dr. Manasherob's book are available through his website: SabIngaMartin Publications. When you order, tell him the "Toadman" sent you!

Across the street from my employer today...

2010-07-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

...was this:

This M1117 was being delivered to the local USAR MP unit. I'll be posting additional pics of it on my website during the next couple of days. I'm hoping to take even more pics of it during the next week or two.

Tasca 1/35 M4A3(76)W Sherman preview

2010-06-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I received in the mail the brand new Tasca 1/35 M4A3(76)W Sherman, kit #35-019. The following is a preview of what you'll receive if you purchase the kit.

Inside the box are 665 total parts including a small PE fret, a sprue of poly caps, and a small rectangle of felt for use in the bogie assembly.

The upper hull has casting numbers and foundry logo in the proper spot. There's fine casting texture on the cast parts of the upper hull. Both sponson floors have the fuel tank drain covers on them.

Bogie options include two different types of road wheels. Pop rivets for the road wheels are molded on the sprues and need to be carefully scraped off for use on the wheels.

The T23 turret is molded with a fine cast texture on it. The foundry number is located near the gunner's periscope.

Sprues from their earlier M4A4/Sherman V kits are included as they provide fuel filler caps and other parts common to all Shermans. The leftovers will help fill the spares box. Three different drive sprocket options are included.

Openings in the driver's, loader's, and bow gunner's hatches allow the fitting of periscope parts. Grouser box covers from the M4A1's are also included and will go into the spares box.

Parts for two different variants of the engine deck are included. The exhaust deflector is a six piece assembly that has a few sink marks in it.

Both the differential housing cover and mantlet are molded with a fine cast texture. Neither of them of foundry markings on them, so you'll need to add them using something like Archer Transfers surface details. Two 76mm barrels are also included, the smooth M1/M1A1 and M1A1C/M1A2 with muzzle brake thread protector. No muzzle brake or provision for one is included.

Two commander's cupola, one clear and one solid color are included along with clear and solid periscopes. Two water and two gas cans come with the kit.

The lower hull is a multi-piece assembly like Tasca's other Shermans.

A disassembled .50caliber M2 machine gun can be displayed stowed on the turret bustle or assembled and mounted on the pintle in front of the loader's hatch. A small PE fret for the light guards and periscope guards is included. The decals are printed by Cartograph of Italy and feature markings for 3 different vehicles.

Four sections make up the T48 tracks, two sections per side. The felt rectangle is supposed to be cut into small pieces for use inside the bogie housings.A 10 page instruction booklet is accompanied by a 2 page painting/decal guide.

That pretty much covers it. I'll probably start working on it later this week. I'll post pictures of my progress as I go. I plan on building it out of the box because if I attempt to detail it, I'll never finish it.

New products received

2010-06-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the mailman dropped off a package with 3 new books. The first one,

This is David Doyle's latest release from Squadron. M3A1 Scout Car Walk Around features some excellent photos of both early and late production Scout Cars. It'll be a useful reference for both the modeller and Scout Car owner. I contributed a couple of pictures for it.

The other two are releases from Ampersand Publishing:

The Churchill Tank is also authored by David Doyle. It covers the Churchill gun tanks and is part 1 of a series. It features wartime photos with some walkaround type shots of preserved vehicles. David also heavily contributed to the Allied-Axis issue.

Today's mail brought a nice box from Japan. In it was the brand new Tasca 1/35 M4A3(76)W Sherman.

It's a beauty of a kit. I haven't totally looked it over yet, but what I've seen looks real good. It should be fun to build.

A very rewarding experience

2010-05-04T01:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy month since I last posted. On April 17, I gave a couple of tours at the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation. One of those tours was special as it included a veteran of the WW II German Panzer Division Grossdeutschland. Fritz Thiel served as a Panther tank crew member and as part of the tour, he had the chance to climb into the Foundation's Panther Ausf. A. This was his first time in a Panther since 1945.

Also at the museum that day was one of our regulars, U.S. 4th Armored Division veteran Tom Sator. Tom served in the ETO as a Sherman crew member from December 1944 through May 1945. During the War, he had 2 Shermans shot out from under him but survived without any physical wounds.

Above, Tom speaks to the tour group about his wartime experiences.

Fritz and Tom had never met each other prior to their April 17 visit to the Foundation. The greeted each other like long lost friends. They talked at great length about their experiences and found out that they were both in the Battle of the Bulge at the same time. Witnessing this meeting of former adversaries who are now friends was one of the great things I've ever seen and I will never forget it.

New stuff for 1/48 armor modellers

2010-03-23T23:37:00.000-07:00

Steve Faxon of Faxon Conversions recently announced his latest product: 1/48 PantherTurm. This all resin kit will allow you to build one of the Panther turreted pillboxes seen in Italy and on the West Wall among other places. Below are some pics of the kit. When ordering, customers can choose one of three turrets to go with the box. Not shown in the photos is the turned metal gun barrel that will also be included. Price will be around $30.00 plus shipping. You can see other Faxon conversions by clicking on the following link: Faxon Conversions The kit should be available in about 10 days or so. All photos courtesy of Steve Faxon.

Holy crap! I still have a blog?!

2010-03-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been nearly 3 months since I last updated this thing. And another month and a half since I updated my main site. Well, I've been kinda busy with things. I've been selling a model collection for a friend of mine. Lots of kits, books and accessories. Here are the links to the sales pages:
Vehicles and aircraft
Figures
Accessories
and Book

I'm also trying to get my third manuscript done and have been giving tours at the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation. I'll try to get back on track with updates here and at Toadman's Tank Pictures real soon.

New book on Arab T-62's from SabIngaMartin Publications!

2009-12-31T12:09:00.000-08:00

My friend Dr. Robert Manasherob has just announced his latest book: "The T-62 in Arab Israeli Wars vol. 1". No other information has been released at this time. He can be contacted directly at sabingamartin@yahoo.com for more details on how to order it. Below are the front and back covers:

New stuff

2009-12-28T23:46:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has had a good holiday season! Here's a preview of what I'm working on right now:

I'll be posting a review of this kit later next week on my site with updates here as I make progress on some of the construction.

Later!

SdKfz 222 CD revisions

2009-12-09T00:39:00.000-08:00

Just to let you guys know that if you plan on ordering my SdKfz 222 Photo Detail CD during the next couple of days, shipping will be delayed until Sunday 13DEC or Monday 14DEC as I am adding some additional photos to it. I'll update my regular site with more info about it in a day or two. Thanks for your patience.

Been awhile

2009-12-06T20:56:00.001-08:00

Well, it's been awhile since my last post. I finished a walk around manuscript for Squadron last week and am awaiting for them to accept it. Wish me luck.

In other news, I see that there are multiple SdKfz 222 kits being released in 1/35 scale. The Tristar one should be available real soon in the U.S. while test shots of the Hobby Boss one were just posted on Track-Link: http://www.track-link.net/forum/news_industry/17733. Bronco is supposed to release one as well. Although I'm not purchasing much 1/35 scale stuff anymore, I am looking forward to these new releases. I will be sure to buy the Tristar one when it's available at my LHS. You can look for an in depth review of it on my site as I have access to a 1:1 scale 222: http://www.toadmanstankpictures.com/222.htm. More than likely, if finances permit, I'll get all three of them. So much for my 2010 modelling budget!

In the meantime, I still have some reviews that I owe to another site and one company. I'll try and complete them before the end of the year and you'll be able to find the links to them on my regular site.

Later!

Military Vehicle Technology Foundation T-shirts

2009-11-11T18:05:00.000-08:00

The Military Vehicle Technology Foundation will have t-shirts for sale shortly. They'll be around $20.00 each plus shipping and will be available in sizes M-2XL. Check back here or at the MVTF during the next few weeks to find out when they'll be available. It'll be a great way to help the MVTF out.

Thanks!

MVTF Shop move news

2009-11-11T17:57:00.000-08:00

As of Monday, 9 November, all of the vehicles have been moved out of the shop building and have been placed in the museum courtyard or nearby areas. Below are more photos from the move.
These photos are courtesy of the MVTF.

Here's a few more of the vehicles.

As mentioned before, this move wasn't cheap, so if you'd like to help them out, please visit their website, Military Vehicle Technology Foundation

Later!

Some MVTF news

2009-11-08T22:48:00.000-08:00

I visited the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation on Saturday. When I arrived, I was astounded by what I saw. The restoration shop is being moved to other buildings on the property!! Due to difficulties and disagreements with Mr. Littlefield's widow, the MVTF found it necessary to relocate the vehicles and equipment that were in the restoration shop. While this is a very costly endeavor at a time when finances are difficult, the MVTF feels that it will only benefit from this move in the long run as it will be able to control its own destiny in the future and continue its work of preserving Jacques' legacy.

Tours are not affected by the shop's move. Actually, at least for the next few weeks, visitors will be able to see some vehicles that are normally not seen as they had previously been in the shop. Some of them are pictured below:

The Abbot 105mm SP Gun in the trees is one of my favorite shots in the group.

As I mentioned earlier, the move is very expensive. The MVTF would really appreciate any donations to help offset the cost of this move. If you would like to help, please visit their website, MVTF and make a tax deductible donation to them. I'll post additional photos of the vehicles and others on my website Toadman's Tank Pictures later this week.

Cheers!!

New to this blogging thing

2009-11-06T00:08:00.000-08:00

I just thought I'd try this blogging thing out. It's not as if I don't have other things to do so don't expect real frequent updates.

I'm bummed out that my San Jose Sharks lost to the Red Wings last night but I'm not real surprised. However, I'll gladly take 5 out of 6 points on a 3 game road trip. We'll see how the Sharks to against the Pens this Saturday.

Go Sharks!