Right about now DML will be unveiling a couple of new kits at Shizuoka.

The Brummbar is the mid-production one based on the APG vehicle and has been in the works for 6-7 months now.






Something for the Allied modellers



And something for the figure crowd.



Tom

I can feel my wallet quivering already! A mid Brumbar on a H-J chassis, and more of big Ron's artwork to boot. I guess there must be a new PzIV J in the works too. And at long last a direct vision M4A1 in styrene? Wow! "Tanks" for the Intel update Tom. Outta here, Mike sends . . .

I must say, from the photo here that these figures are the best ever by DML. I mean...they look incredible natural and all the folds and creses and baggy enough pants (been a weakness of DML) like the best resin figs.

Roland. 

These are what I am excited about. They look real good even if they are not Gen-2. Hope to see more Italian troops in the future.

Roy

...been to the allied site with this information? Isn't that a felony?

Roland.

Dragon is notorious for showing CAD drawings of the figures versus real photos. The illustrations on the box of many of their sets does NOT match what you get in the box, which is a disappointment.

I don't think this is a CAD drawing. Rather, it must be a large scale "master" figure from which the mold for the 1/35 figure is prepared. Look at shadows "on" the figures. These shadows are casted by lighting the real "master" figures from above.

nt

I like the sound of the Panzer IV AusfJ, I kinda figured they would do it....they have done most of the Panzer IV versions, so the J was just a matter of time. I like the Sermie too....shouldn't be too hard to convert back to a US one I hope.

And an early Sherman to boot! Troops look really fine in the art as well as the tank. Hope the 6 spoke wheels stay with the art though.
Rick

Ok, somebody had to get in there first.

Joke fellas.

I really don't find this too amusing!

The Italian Military has always been a force too be reckoned with.
You can ask Haile Selassie if the Italians put forth a valiant effort to conquer Ethiopia! Oh! That’s right he fled to Palestine then on too England.

What about the Italian influence in the movie Animal House (Toga Party) ?
Oh yeah, that was Greek influenced (McMaster University)and the brain child of Ivan Reitman, well I am trying to get somewhere with this!

OK! John, I give up, you win!

On a serious note!
The Italians have always been great soldiers! The Folgore, San Marco Regiment and Bersaglieri are among the finest of them.

If you do any reading on the Italians in North Africa, especially on the Second Battle of El Alamein you will find out that the Italians in fact were pretty fierce combatants. One of my favorites soldiers is Tenente Cesar Milani a paratroop officer.

Have a great day
Mrosko


Camouflage, all I see is Camouflage. Yeah BABY! Ya gotta dig them there colors !
Baron-von Mrosko

Points well taken Chris. No worries. I was just joking and here in England there is a stereotype (whether it's true or not) of the Italians that I just messed with. I meant no real offence.

Rick,

This is a photo of a real Sherman. Where do you see six spoke wheels?

Regards,

Tom

Sorry Tom! Must have had the wife's decaf in my cup. Vision problem maybe,math no.
Thanks for posting.
Rick

Doesn't mention it on the box but surely it's a given now?

But they're also going up against Tristar with an early version, according to Military Modelling's site.

David

John,

I think that most modellers still like the individual expression that can be achieved by doing their own Zimmerit and I'm sure that a Zimmerit version will be along sometime in the near future.

Regards,

Tom

""John,

I think that most modellers still like the individual expression that can be achieved by doing their own Zimmerit and I'm sure that a Zimmerit version will be along sometime in the near future.""

I can understand that totally but as somebody who finds doing zimmerit a bloody nightmare (especially on the hard to get to places) I think I'll have to wait until the zimmerit version comes out.

It's my belief though that all vehicles that had zimmerit (like late Tiger Is, late Panther As, late Pz IV Hs etc etc) should all come with a zimmerit as standard in kits, particularly in this day and age, either as DML is doing now with their new zim molded kits or as an 'option' with Atak or Cavalier esq zim sheets that you don't have to use if you don't want to.

After you buy this one. Bad planning (for modellers) but probably a way to milk the molds (and our wallet) for Dragon. You would think that any suitable tank with zimmerit would just come with it by now.

Hi Guys-
If you look at the bow of the Brummbaer you'll see zimmerit. Whether or not that proves the kit will have zimmerit on it I cannot say.
The Italian figures are great news! I hope this means more are coming, I'd like to see some Russian front Italian figures.
Cheers-
Geoff Steer

All the 1/35 kit wit zimmerit add has this logo in the boxart, so I think that we must wait a second edition with it added (as with the jadgpanther, when?)

Well I remmember now that last years they announced a Brückenpanzer IV, and a the rest of the US halftracks, where are they? (but this was in Nuremberg, the last anouncements in Shinozouka had been relased yet)

Yeah the box shows zimmerit on the painting (like their old Tiger I late type kit). But the parts inside don't/won't have zimmerit, which is a bummer.

I just pee'd right down my leg!!! I've prayed to the gods of styrene til my knees bled, sacrificed a virgin - well, she said she was one! - and gave away my first born male child to get these. Was it worth it? Hell to the yeah! Thanks Dragon.

Oh yeah, the other stuff is cool too.

Cordially,

Dennis

And your need for Italian 'troops' is what? Ok, I see, you wanna do a diorama showing the Italians running away from the Limey's. Haven't seen that before so it's a new and original approach. ;O)

Regards/Roland

I really don't find this too amusing!

The Italian Military has always been a force too be reckoned with.
You can ask Haile Selassie if the Italians put forth a valiant effort to conquer Ethiopia! Oh! That’s right he fled to Palestine then on too England.

What about the Italian influence in the movie Animal House (Toga Party) ?
Oh yeah, that was Greek influenced (McMaster University)and the brain child of Ivan Reitman, well I am trying to get somewhere with this!

OK! Roland, I give up, you win! LOL!

On a serious note!
The Italians have always been great soldiers! The Folgore, San Marco Regiment and Bersaglieri are among the finest of them.

If you do any reading on the Italians in North Africa, especially on the Second Battle of El Alamein you will find out that the Italians in fact were pretty fierce combatants. One of my favorites soldiers is Tenente Cesar Milani a paratroop officer.

Have a great day
Mrosko


Camouflage, all I see is Camouflage. Yeah BABY! Ya gotta dig them there colors !
Baron-von Mrosko

...I admit that Animal House is a classic and Bersaglieri troops was the elite ones that Italy had. No shadow of individual Italian soldiers. And you might be right about the 2nd battle of El Almein thought it's always easier to be a member of supporting Axis CO and comrades. I might be on the edge with my rambling 'joking' style of writing. ;O) Ok, lest get serious:

For short:

The Italians, eager to share in Hitler's continuing military sucess, had invaded Egypt from their colony of Libya in Sept 1940, outnumbering the meagre British forces by five to one. During the first major engagements, which began when British Co Gen. Wavell, launched his originally limited 'compass' offensive in Dec, the Italians were dealt a severe blow to their strenght and morale, loosing vast numbers of prisoners. After battle of Sidi Barrani, when the Italian retreating forces were cut off at Buq Buq, their losses stood at 38,000 compared to 624 British Commonwealth troops.

Further:

The Italians were pursued into Libya where a major force of some 45,000 was besieged at the fortress of Bardia by Australians, surrending in Jan 1941. The It. Co Berganzoli fled to Tobruk and left his men to their fate. After some fight at Tobruk this General Berganzoli once again fled, leaving some 27,000 men of the garrrison to surrender. The smaller Commonwealth force (although near exhaustion) pursued the Italians relentlessly until Feb 7 when the Italians surrendered at Beda Fomm. Mussolini had lost over 130,000 men and 380 tanks in just 2 months.

Conclusion: with friends like that you don't need an enemy. 

Take care/Roland

 

 

Roland

With reference to your post, I would like to draw your attention to the minor fact that the Italian forces who were captured/surrendered at Fort Nbiewa only did so after their artillery guns had all been destroyed (along with their crews, I might add)by British Matilda infantry tanks and their CO colonel Maletti had been killed whilst fighting. I don't know of many nations forces who would take on tanks with rifles, do you?

If you were to look at some of the war diaries of British armoured and Anti-tank regiments involved in the fighting in Libya, especially Beda Fomm and the road block at Sidi Saleh you will find that the surrender again only took place after all the Italian armour had been destroyed by British tanks and A/tk artillery.

Try looking beyond the propoganda, you might find the truth.

Dus Adele

..they ran TOWARDS us to surrender, not away from us!

God bless them, though. The Italians I'm sure are a fierce bunch when riled, but the fact is that they had no great antipathy towards the British or Americans. Good job too!

Dave

n/t

...my comments at , for moment (22) "Fake Leibstandarte..." and, (12) "another new DML...". the comment 'alone in the human desert...' is of course not seriously meant. Com back later with a comment.

TIA/Roland

where are the real Italians? The ones surrendering?

We have already Germans so why not Italians : )

Joke apart we still have inprinted those masses of surrendering soldiers but some put a hell of a fight. The X Mas are well known for what they have done, and in Malta during Operazione 2 they attacked the Grand Harbour knowing that they will surely not making it back and still they tried the mission ... many suicided to complete the mission and other died after being attacked by teh Maltese gunners and Hurricanes. Only few survived and ended prisoners and was the only time that X Mas naval actions were stopped.

Ivan

If  I just go from memory of distant reading you have maybe the picture of Italian soldiers surrendering and only a few good It. Generals. But I think the Greece forces utterly refused to surrender to the Italians but only to the Germans.

And there is a much more nasty picture of fascist Italian officers/soldiers kicking/beating and killing Jugoslav prisoners. Not sure if it was POWs, partisans or civilians in retaliation. They were very hated and contempted by Jugoslav civil community being coward underhand and bullies having overhand. The It. fascists were no nice people, not the cheerful pasta eating good natured Italian paisante.

Into axis troops. The Hungarians was no bad guys or...? About partisan fighting in the region of Army Group Center area July 1943 in the jurisdiction of 221st's Security Division there was a Hungarian led op called "Csobo". The German order was to determine the "reliability" of villages by making quota level requisitions BUT all villages were to be spared. The order read: "The division requests that the Hungarian troops refrain from any evacuation, destruction of villages, or reprisal action in the course of the operations. ...general burning of villages and measures directed against the population are strictly forbidden by ordeer of army group commander"

The Hungarians ignored this instruction, slaughtered 900 people during the op itself, and then complained about the 221st's excessive leniency to Army Group Center! 

Maybe the Russians rememered  this and other actions when rolling in the pusta plains 1944?

Regards/Roland     

Hi Roland

I think you misjudged my post. I am not justifying any axis fighter, I think this bad things happen in all wars andd from all nations, we have seen these things happen till recently! Man does not change. Apart that my country took the brunt from the Fascist and Nazis by taking more bombs then UK in few months!

Personally I still feel that the Italians have a stamp of cowardice on them which I thing was not that true, seeing that in WW1 they fought galantry and during WW2 some units were as brave as their allies and also their foe, as it happen in Malta and they had a share of respect ... it shows that the nation was not prepared for war and many did not want it so they prefered not to put a fight and go back to normal life!

But after all these I think we should stop here and the bravest till know remain Dragon and why not also Italeri to give us obscure Italian subjects in styrene!

Ciao

Ivan