# Model Tanks.



## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

It's been a heck of a long time since I built a model tank but it seems the hobby is still thriving and that there are some very skilled modellers out there.

http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~TANK-GUY/Gallery.html

Some nice Challenger 2s in the gallery.


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## Regal325 (Aug 5, 2005)

Nice pics and lots of talent behind those...

Looking through the site, have to wonder why the Swiss would need a tanK? they have skulked behind "neutrality" and have prospered from other countries efforts to maintain the peace in Europe. The most dangerous thing their military seem to do is put on fancy dress and guard the Pope.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Regal325 said:


> Nice pics and lots of talent behind those...
> 
> Looking through the site, have to wonder why the Swiss would need a tanK? they have skulked behind "neutrality" and have prospered from other countries efforts to maintain the peace in Europe. The most dangerous thing their military seem to do is put on fancy dress and guard the Pope.


At least they chose a good 'un.









They also had a bicycle corps at one time.


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

The Tiger tank was awesome

One of my favouritwe films was Jack Plance in Attack

He had a rather disagreeable engagement with a tank. Bloody superb film though


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## Roger (May 17, 2003)

If anyone is interested in the "hands on" experiences of guys who served in German tanks in WW2, I recommend any of the books by Sven Hassel.

All damn fine reads.

Interestingly, they seemed to live in perpetual fear of the Soviet T34

Roger


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## Russ (Feb 7, 2006)

Roger said:


> Interestingly, they seemed to live in perpetual fear of the Soviet T34
> 
> Roger


Yup, they had good cause to. Better mobility, more reliable and less prone to freezing were significant advantages in that environment. That along with factories in the east that bilged out thousands and an endless supply of men (and women) to crew them.


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## limey (Aug 24, 2006)

Roger said:


> I recommend any of the books by Sven Hassel.
> 
> Roger


I read most of these around the time I left high school, thought they were excellent.

I looked them up recently with the intent of buying the full set and found a lot of debate about Sven Hassell and whether he is who he says he is, etc. His books are still good, tho.


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## murph (Aug 14, 2006)

I've never read any of those books but I have read a few books on the subject including one yeomanry tank commander's memoirs and a book about wittman, which was interesting but left a bit of a bad taste in the mouth.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

I read loads of the Sven Hassel books when I was at school (and my English teacher wasn't looking







) Not exactly great literary works, but good stories nevertheless.

Around about the same time I was a South London Warlord







No, it's not a dodgy Peckham street gang, it's a wargaming club. 1/300th scale WWII microtanks was my game. I've still got them all somewhere










Since then, I've discovered the wonderful computer game that is Blitzkrieg. No more messing around with tables covered in green cloth, model buildings, painting figures and vehicles, tape measures, 20-sided dice and complicated rules









Here are some screenshots (1024x768) from the first version of the game if you want to look:

Picture 1

French Somua S-35's ambush a column of German Panzer III's with the aid of a British Lysander reconnaissance plane.

Picture 2

American B-25 Mitchells bomb German entrenched postions to assist British forces advancing from the East.

Picture 3

A German Focke-Wulf FW-189 reconnaissance plane pays the price for straying too close to an allied base protected by British Bofors 40mm and American M2 90mm anti-aircraft batteries.

Picture 4

German paratroopers are dropped behind enemy lines by a Junkers Ju-52 transport plane.

Picture 5

Having captured the nearby railway station, German forces dig-in and repel a French counter-attack with the help of Junkers Ju-87 "Stuka" dive-bombers.

Picture 6

German infantry and a Sturmgeschutz III self-propelled-gun come under artillery fire as they advance into the town past the burnt out hulk of a British Crusader VI tank.

Picture 7

Before he can report word of the German advance, the British Lysander reconnaissance plane is blasted out of the sky by FlaK18 anti-aircraft guns.

Picture 8

After a fierce battle the German forces secure the town and capture British equipment including a 2pdr. anti-tank gun and two Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft batteries.

Picture 9

German Junkers Ju-87 "Stukas" freely bomb and strafe British positions which lack anti-aircraft cover.

Picture 10

A Russian Petlyakov Pe-2 ground-attack plane harries German Panzers, PaK38 anti-tank gun and mortar positions whilst T-34 tanks attempt to rush across the bridge.

Picture 11

The Germans have overrun Russian positions from the rear with Panzer IV tanks but have suffered heavy infantry losses. A Heinkel He-111 drops reinforcements.

Picture 12

The Germans have secured the railway station to allow new equipment to be delivered. A contingent of paratroops is dropped-in to assist with the defence and allow tank crews to be safely delpoyed.

Picture 13

German infantry look on helplessly as a building occupied by their comrades is repeatedly bombed and strafed by American P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bombers.

Picture 14

A Messerchmitt Bf-109 dispenses with American B-24 Liberator bombers but is itself shot down in the process.


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Is Hassel the guy who's books have his name with two styalised S's as in SS on the cover?

Never read them!

Rich I just don't know what to say mate! Looks fantastic but how do you find the time?


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## limey (Aug 24, 2006)

pg tips said:


> Is Hassel the guy who's books have his name with two styalised S's as in SS on the cover?


Paul, dead right.

Rich, I had to laff at # 5, the "French counter-attack", reminds me of the Italian war-surplus jokes, 'rifles only dropped once', etc.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Or the one about an incident which changes the security alert status of various countries... USA increases their alert status from "Defcon 4" to "3", UK changes from "Medium" to "High" and the French change from "Run" to "Hide"


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## murph (Aug 14, 2006)

rhaythorne, did you ever try the computer game combat mission? I would have thought that would be more to a wargamers taste being a little more realistic re tactics and weapon capabilities? Granted the graphics are pretty dated now. What about Steel Beasts, the first version was ok iirc but I've never tried the second because of the price?


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

The only other game I recall trying was Panzer General which is a turn-based game. Blitzkrieg is "real time". Actually, it's pretty realistic in terms of the modelling of the various armoured vehicles etc. and seems to closely follow the printed wargames rules I used to use years ago (the most popular in use at the time were those published by the Wargames Research Group (WRG) though I tried several others). Each vehicle has accurate levels of armour protection at front, sides and rear and the guns also have realistic levels of penetration so, for example, a German 88mm L71 in a King Tiger or Flak36 is a lot more powerful than the 88mm L56 in a normal Tiger tank. If you're playing the Brits, better look after those 17pdrs. because that's about the only effective weapon against the German heavy tanks!

I've also got Frontline Command but never got around to trying it! I'll look out for Combat Mission though and give it a go. Thanks for the tip


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