Kursk Painting Log #2

Faster, faster, must paint faster

Progress shown in blue italics:

German Tank Force
12 Panzer IV H - Base coated in dark yellow, tracks painted, wheels painted, detail painted, decaled, black washed, ready for highlights, crew and matte spray.
4 Tiger E- Base coated in dark yellow, tracks painted, ready for green camo and detail work.
3 SdKfz 7/2 AA quads - Assembled, primed, magnets on gun

German Grenadier and Support force
Armored PanzerGrenadier Platoon - 80% painted and based
Armored PanzerPioneer Platoon - 80% painted and based
6 Stug III G - Assembled, base coated in dark yellow, tracks painted, wheels painted, ready for camo & detail work ,
3 Wespe - Partially assembled, base coated dark yellow, tracks painted, wheels painted, working on support vehicles and crew

Stukas - Completed
FW190s - Completed

First Soviet Armored force
10 T-34 obr1941 - Completed
4 su76 - Base coated green, detail painted, weathered, working on crew and decals

Stormaviks - Base coated green

Faster, faster, must paint faster

Kursk Painting Issues

Harold... Kursk... Must paint faster, must paint faster...

One of the things I am frustrated over is trying to be accurate (within reason) when I paint a unit.

In the spring/summer of 1943 the Germans issued some new directives about camouflaging their armored vehicles. Kursk takes place right in the middle of this (July 1943). One would come to the logical conclusion that all the tanks would be painted in the new three color camouflage? I will avoid the diatribe on how things don't work out like that and move on.

Tigers
Working with black and white pictures can present a problem. I have seen some nice pictures of Das Reich Tigers with two color camouflage. The base appears to be dark yellow, but the contrasting patches are darker, so olive green or red brown? I have read a couple descriptions of the Kursk area being very green during the battle, so a dark yellow base with green patches would seem to be the order of the day. I went to look online and find two images of the same Tiger tank from Das Reich, S33, one shows the contrasting patches in green, the other in brown. Argh! I have seen lots of prints of Kursk, some have the grass brown, others green. In fact the cover of the FoW supplement (Hitler's Fire Brigade?) has two Panthers advancing at Kursk through a sea of green grass (they are identified as Das Reich Panthers, which were NOT at Kursk) so what the hell, I get to pick...green it is!



The Tigers were assigned to the 8th company, SS-Panzer regiment 2. Normally this would yield company numbers of 800, 801, 810 etc. This was true in the run up to Kursk. Just prior Das Reich switched to using the letter 'S' (schwere or heavy) in place of the company number. So 800 becomes S00; 810 becomes S10 and so on. Trouble is this numbering was done in white outline numbers, no decals exist that I can find that will work for this. I loathe the idea of trying this by hand so I am not sure what to do here.

Panzer IV's
I have also noticed that most of Das Reich's Panzer IV's hull schürzen are missing, while they carry it on the turrets. I haven't been able to discover why, but I have two ideas.

* When the tanks were shipped, the turret schürzen were installed and the hull mounting brackets and hull plates had to be installed in the field. So first idea, is perhaps time did not permit installation of the hull skirts.
* Second thought, the initial model of the hull skirts had a very poor mounting system. The skirts were easily damaged or torn off. So maybe they weren't installed or removed because of this?


In any case I am modeling my Pz IV's without side skirts, but with the turret skirts. I have seen a few pictures of Das Reich Pz IV's carrying turret skirts with zimmerit on them. I sanded the zimmerit off most of the turret skirts and left it on some for variety.

I also don't see any real evidence of more than a dark yellow base on the Pz IV's so I have left them dark yellow. Company markings also seem to be missing, the only marking showing on the turret skirts is the national Balkan cross.


To further complicate things, it appears that Leibstandarte and Totenkopf had photographers embedded with them during the battle, while Das Reich, did not. Or perhaps his photos didn't survive.


Tim, frustrated they call him...

Kursk Painting Log

Harold... Kursk... Gateway 2010...

Ok so here we are (progress shown in blue italics):

German Tank Force
12 Panzer IV H - Base coated in dark yellow, tracks painted, wheels painted ready for detail work
4 Tiger E- Base coated in dark yellow, tracks painted
3 SdKfz 7/2 AA quads - Assembled, primed, magnets on gun

German Grenadier and Support force
Armored PanzerGrenadier Platoon - 80% painted and based
Armored PanzerPioneer Platoon - 80% painted and based
6 Stug III G - Assembled, base coated in dark yellow, tracks painted, wheels painted ready for detail work ,
3 Wespe - Partially assembled (tracks on)

Stukas - Completed
FW190s - I may have kits of these guys somewhere

First Soviet Armored force
10 T-34 obr1941 - Completed
4 su76 - Base coated green, detail painted, weathered, ready for crew and decals

Stormaviks - Base coated green

Kursk

So my friend Harold is running a Kursk Flames of War game at Gateway 2009 and I have to get painting. He is modeling the thrust by the II. SS-Panzer Korps towards Prokhorovka. The II. SS-Panzer Korps consisted of the 1st (Leibstandarte), 2nd (Das Reich) and 3rd (Totenkopf) SS-Panzer Grenadier divisions. His scenario focuses on the center thrust by Leibstandarte towards the town of Prokhorovka. My SS were already starting out as Das Reich, but I don't think anyone will notice or care.

So this is the status of everything as I start this project:

German Tank Force
12 Panzer IV H - Base coated in dark yellow
4 Tiger E- Base coated in dark yellow
3 SdKfz 7/2 AA quads - Still in packaging

German Grenadier and Support force
Armored PanzerGrenadier Platoon - 80% painted and based
Armored PanzerPioneer Platoon - 80% painted and based
6 Stug III G - Assembled
3 Wespe - Partially assembled (tracks on)

Stukas - Completed
FW190s - I may have kits of these guys somewhere

First Soviet Armored force
10 T-34 obr1941 - Completed
4 su76 - Base coated green

Stormaviks - Base coated green

Kursk

My friend Harold is running a big Kursk game at Gateway 2009 over Labor day at LAX. Unfortunately for me I volunteered my miniatures, which were mostly unpainted at the time. I mean no problem, right? I have months, right... uh... yeah...

In any case this is what I have to provide:

Order of Battle
German Tank Force
2 Panzer IV G or H HQ (Tim)
5 Panzer IV G or H (Tim)
5 Panzer IV G or H (Tim)
4 Tiger E (Tim)
3 SdKfz 7/2 AA quads (Tim)

German Grenadier and Support force
Armored PanzerGrenadier Platoon (Tim)
Armored PanzerPioneer Platoon (Tim)
3 Stug F or G (Tim)
3 Stug F or G (Tim)
3 Wespe (Tim)

Stukas (Tim)
FW190s (Tim)

First Soviet Armored force
1 T-34 obr1941
10 T-34 obr1941 (Tim)
10 T-34 obr1941
5 Churchils
4 su76 (Tim)

Second Soviet Armored force
1 T-34 obr1941
10 T-34 obr1941
10 T-34 obr1941
5 Churchils
10 T-70

Soviet Prepositioned Defensive force
Strelkovy hq
Strelkovy Companie with 3 platoons
2 Anti Tank Rifle companies with 12 rifles each
1 Tankdestruction company with 4 57mm
1 Tankdestruction company with 2 45mm
1 Tankdestruction company 4 76mm zis3
Katusha Artilery Battery (fullhouse with extra crew)

Stormaviks (Tim)
Aircobras

Anything with my name after it I have to come up with...

Now where is that can of spray dark yellow?

Follow. But...

Follow only if ye be men of valour, for the entrance to this cave is guarded by a creature so foul, so cruel that no man yet has fought with it and lived. Bones of full fifty men lie strewn about its lair. So, brave knights, if you do doubt your courage or your strength, come no further, for death awaits you all with nasty, big, pointy teeth.


Tim: There he is!
King Arthur: Where?
Tim: There!
King Arthur: What? Behind the rabbit?
Tim: It *is* the rabbit!
King Arthur: You silly sod!
Tim: What?
King Arthur: You got us all worked up!
Tim: Well, that's no ordinary rabbit.
King Arthur: Ohh.
Tim: That's the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on!
Sir Robin: You tit! I soiled my armor I was so scared!
Tim: Look, that rabbit's got a vicious streak a mile wide! It's a killer!
Sir Galahad: Get stuffed!
Tim: He'll do you up a treat, mate.
Sir Galahad: Oh, yeah?
Sir Robin: You manky Scots git!
Tim: I'm warning you!
Sir Robin: What's he do? Nibble your bum?
Tim: He's got huge, sharp... er... He can leap about. Look at the bones!
King Arthur: Go on, Bors. Chop his head off!
Sir Bors: Right! Silly little bleeder. One rabbit stew comin' right up!

[after Bors is killed by the killer rabbit]
Tim: I *warned* you, but did you listen to me? Oh, no, you *knew*, didn't you? Oh, it's just a harmless little *bunny*, isn't it?

Ok....Important Safety Tips!

• Always choose costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.

Got it...

• Think twice before using simulated knives, guns or swords. If such props must be used, be certain they do not appear authentic and are soft and flexible to prevent injury.

Hmmm don't like this one

• Teach children their home phone number and to how call 9-1-1 (or their local emergency number) if they have an emergency or become lost. Remind them that 9-1-1 can be dialed free from any phone.

Very Important, got it...

• Don't run with scissors

Ok, I get that one too...

• Don't try to take stairs two at a time going down a concrete and metal stairway at night when the power is likely to go out leaving you in total darkness and descending into a pit of inky blackness with god only knows what at the bottom as you accelerate at10 meters per second squared.

Sigh... would that this was something I can say "Let's not and say we did". I consider it a dress rehearsal for my audition as a crash test dummy. Entertaining as all this sounds, it is sadly not nearly so entertaining to experience. On the good side...nothing broken beyond my pride... on the down side... Stairway 1, Tim 0.

Right now... Vicodin is my friend




***Flashback Shot***

In my youth I went on a calm rampage against a certain type of cactus, after I kneeled on it and it left me some pointy reminders embedded in my knee. Many a cactus knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you! Or was it blasted by a shotgun? Either way I was able to exact my revenge against the offending cactus and its brethren that day. I think I will insult the stairwell prodigiously and call it a day.