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DAK Tiger I

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Captain Blood:
Rubicon Tiger I for my burgeoning Western Desert wargaming collection.
I've built it as early production model, although I've cheated slightly by using the mid-production turret top - mainly because I wanted the MG34 and 'swing aside' commander's hatch.
I'll add a Perry panzer commander in due course.
I tried to get the colour to the kind of 'green sand' I saw from photographs of some of the early DAK Tigers.

Only one tiny criticism of an otherwise brilliant kit - the surface moulded-on details of cables, tools etc was indeed extremely fiddly to paint accurately... If Rubicon ever redo this kit, those surface moulded items could really do with a whisker more relief / definition.

I'm hosting these pics on Lead Adventure Forum, a German based forum, so for the pictures I've smudged out the tiny swastikas within the DAK insignia - showing Nazi symbols is still against the law in Germany, and even a miniscule infringement could land the forum owner in legal trouble...












A few close-ups...

ultravanillasmurf:
Excellent, a very careworn Tiger.

The stowage looks good, but would be concerned about the effect on temperature management of blocking the grills.

I agree about the cables etc, this was one of the first batch of kits to be released. I would prefer them to be separate, as it would make them easier to paint, plus photographs of the early Tigers do not always show them present.

Pinky:
This Tiger has a lot of personality.  Opinions are divided on whether the greenish colour was actually used, but it's come to be identified with Tigers in Tunisia.  It seems a bit of shame to have used the 'wrong' turret, but I can see why you like it.  Most (but not all) these early Tigers also had different muffler covers and fenders.   

Marcin:

--- Quote from: Pinky on January 04, 2017, 06:55:08 pm ---It seems a bit of shame to have used the 'wrong' turret
--- End quote ---
Yes, it is in may opinion also quite a shame. Early Tigers are slightly different than late. I could understand these changes on one from Eastern Front. It could happen, that some newer parts has been used to mantle older machine, but in Tunisia it has been the beginning of Tigers service (despite their unfortunate debut on Eastern front of course).

The other thing are markings.
AFAIC Tigers in Tunisia has been part of 501 pz.abt. (Independent panzer brigade) and later their remnants has been included in 504 pz.abt.
Afrika Korps has been part of African forces, but not all forces in Africa has been "Afrika Korps". The 501st was assigned to the 5th Panzer Army, so they hasn't been in Rommel's "Afrika Korps", but under command of Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen von Arnim (8 Dec 1942 - 9 Mar 1943).
So I'd advise you to reconsider changing Afrika Korps markings on this Tiger to 501 pz.abt beautiful stalking tiger:



(but to tell you the truth, I haven't seen it either on any Tunisian Tiger photograph I've seen - I'm not sure, when this logo has been established).

Captain Blood:
Thanks for the positive feedback  8)

I agree I have overdone the stowage - and you certainly wouldn't park kit on top of the engine vents where it would cook... But it's just creating an impression...

To explain - I sense enormous passion and expertise about accurate detail amongst the serious AFV modellers on this forum. So please don't be too horrified when I say that I'm not personally fussed about fine details. I just want to produce nice-looking wargames models that broadly look the part. It's a Tiger tank for use in North Africa. None of the people I play wargames with will be able to tell the exact difference in insignia or hatch type. So please do provide constructive criticism on the painting / modelling, which is very much appreciated and very useful to me as an AFV newbie. But please - if you can bear to - try to turn a blind eye to any minor idiosyncracies, which will usually be conscious choices on my part, not errors :)

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