1/72 Fun with Panthers
Dated: June 27, 2010.
Hi there
Finally got around to sending some snaps of the Panthers I've painted up. I really enjoyed having fun with these models, and decided to do something a bit different with some of them.
The first one is just painted up for wargaming, with a suitable commander figure added in from somewhere else.
The second model was inspired by some photos I've seen of a Panther captured by the Russians. For some reason only the turret had been repainted in green (shortage of paint perhaps?) and it was liberally festooned with stars and slogans for identification, so I've done my own take on that. Uncommon, I'm sure, but it's nice to have something a bit different. Apparently the Russians had official orders to destroy any captured Panthers and Tigers but rather prized the Panther, and awarded them to platoon commanders who performed particularly well. Tigers were not used. Sometimes machine-guns were replaced with the Russian DShK 12.7mm weapon so I bunged one on just because I had it spare. The commander is the only Russian tank commander I have, from an old Fujimi kit - until somebody produces some Russian tank crews!
The third set of pictures is pure fantasy. There is a true story about Japan buying a single Tiger during WW2. They were unable to transport it so it spent the rest of the war fighting on the Eastern Front but officially owned by Imperial Japan. For fun I decided to sell one of my Panther models to Japan and let them paint it up in a mad jungle pattern. The AA machine gun is a Nambu type 99, again because I had one. Commander from Fujimi again, from the Chi Ha kit. Ideal for those "what-if" wargames!
Hope you like!
Paul Vearncombe
(UK)
Many thanks to Mr. Vearncombe.