DML 6363 IV G for third Kharkov
- Raoul Kunz
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DML 6363 IV G for third Kharkov
All right, next attempt of doing something... after the horrible fail... eeer "stall"... of the Flakpanzer I, I went ahead and dug up something I've done before (with Winterketten at that time, many moons ago): A Panzer IV Ausf. G for Third Kharkov... of course DML offers only decals for Hausser's II SS Panzerkorps... you know... the idiots who ignored von Manstein's explicit orders and engaged in exceedingly coslty street fighting in Kharkov itself...
Anyhow luckily and against pop-culturally filtered "common knowledge" about the Third Battle of Kharkov (actually only name so by von Manstein himself in "Lost Victories", initially it was just "The Donets Campaign", also "The Donbas and Kharkov operations" in soviet parlance) not only 4th Panzerarmee's II SS Panzerkorps was involved in the fighting but also XLVIIIth Panzerkorps with GD(!), 6th and the famed 11th (!) PDs as well as First Panzerarmee with another SS PD (the 5th) as well as 17th (reduced to six tanks and ten anti-tank guns at the end of operations) and 23rd PDs, not to speak of the whopping 9 IDs involved in the fighting as the backup behind the mailed fist of the armour divisions.
So it will be a GD vehicle... because they are always interesting and ever so slightly differently marked and equipped, because, you know, Guards formations (GD was a direct descendant of the Prussian Guards Regiment and if you keep a keen eye you can see the Wachbattalion of the Bundeswehr with it's black-letter cuff titles as a spiritual successor) .
Here's a late F2, not a G (though of course there is no true line but a continuum at this point, but this one has a Notek light instead of two Boschs) but roughly the same time period (this one is from late Blue of course, as fas as I know there was no true difference in the markings besides of course a white wash) with some of the idiosyncrasies that GD tanks have =>
And here's a GD tank for Third Kharkov, but this is too small to see really anything... =>
So here we go, the IV G is pretty much the high water mark of smart kits, so... the build itself was insanely fast, essentially flowing together =>
120 minutes...=>
The turret here took another 90min.
GD weirdo stuff - a lot of GD vehicles actually had infantry MG34s mounted in the radio man's ball mount... honestly don't know why . (both barrels are RB items) - need to cut the burr on the MG bar. Blessed be the effects of optical supersizing .
So this is the build so far.
It's currently good, if unchallenging, fun .
Best regards
Raoul G. Kunz
~fiat iustitia aut pereat mundus~
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- Vincent Power
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Re: DML 6363 IV G for third Kharkov
Nice choice Raoul. You've made quick progress and it's good to see you having fun with it.
Vincent
Vincent
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- Shawn Ramsey
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Re: DML 6363 IV G for third Kharkov
Following with interest Raoul. You don't see many dragon builds that move this quick. Looks good.
Shawn
Shawn
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- Steve Hutchinson
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Re: DML 6363 IV G for third Kharkov
Nice one Raoul
This is one of my top 5 retirement projects.
I have the IV F.2, which has all the bits for the G and have been collecting buildings and figures for this
I have MiniArt buildings for both sides of the street and nearly all the figures for the tank riders and crew.
How are you going to set yours or is it a get back to the bench build?
Quick and looks good Raoul, should be time for paint soon, but for the dratted tracks LOL
Magic tracks?
I am sure this is making you feel much more comfortable back at your bench
Enjoy the speed build
Best regards
Steve H
Heads are on to the 2nd coat of paint and the brush is feeling more at home in my hand that anytime in the the past 3 years
This is one of my top 5 retirement projects.
I have the IV F.2, which has all the bits for the G and have been collecting buildings and figures for this
I have MiniArt buildings for both sides of the street and nearly all the figures for the tank riders and crew.
How are you going to set yours or is it a get back to the bench build?
Quick and looks good Raoul, should be time for paint soon, but for the dratted tracks LOL
Magic tracks?
I am sure this is making you feel much more comfortable back at your bench
Enjoy the speed build
Best regards
Steve H
Heads are on to the 2nd coat of paint and the brush is feeling more at home in my hand that anytime in the the past 3 years
""I need to be creative, to feel ALIVE!""
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- Raoul Kunz
- Senior Site Contributor.....
- Posts: 1655
- Joined: 20 Jul 2014, 01:16
- Location: Karben, next to Frankfurt, HRE
Re: DML 6363 IV G for third Kharkov
That would be Hausser's forces in Kharkov itself during the Third Battle, right? I believe I've seen the picture before .
Anyhow, what you describe and have already procured sounds awesome!
Mine will be either "back to the bench" with nothing whatsoever or a "GD in the surroundings of Kharkov winter 42/43" thing which would mean the scenario roughly seen in the 2nd photo: mud, road, snow and very limited in scale, id est mud, road, snow(tm) within one measly meter distance from the vehicle... .
...after all, I'm all worked up to start the Baneblade...
Anyhow, here's progress!:
Chaos black =>
And here's already several steps later: a dark yellow base coat with very minimal shading only and grey spots, again very minimal shading, after all this all will be only very slightly visible under a coat of Winterweiß.
But gods is it good to work again with the AB, the last time feels like ages ago
...it's just a shoe ago...
Also working on a package of Easter stuff for everyone and a birth present for you but psst!
Best regards
Raoul G. Kunz
Anyhow, what you describe and have already procured sounds awesome!
Mine will be either "back to the bench" with nothing whatsoever or a "GD in the surroundings of Kharkov winter 42/43" thing which would mean the scenario roughly seen in the 2nd photo: mud, road, snow and very limited in scale, id est mud, road, snow(tm) within one measly meter distance from the vehicle... .
...after all, I'm all worked up to start the Baneblade...
Anyhow, here's progress!:
Chaos black =>
And here's already several steps later: a dark yellow base coat with very minimal shading only and grey spots, again very minimal shading, after all this all will be only very slightly visible under a coat of Winterweiß.
But gods is it good to work again with the AB, the last time feels like ages ago
...it's just a shoe ago...
Also working on a package of Easter stuff for everyone and a birth present for you but psst!
Best regards
Raoul G. Kunz
~fiat iustitia aut pereat mundus~
Completed Campaigns:
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- Shawn Ramsey
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Re: DML 6363 IV G for third Kharkov
Paint already Raoul. Woooooow, Slow down there.
Looks great, keep it coming.
Shawn
Looks great, keep it coming.
Shawn
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- Philipp Gross
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Re: DML 6363 IV G for third Kharkov
Yeah, slow down, you make me feel bad for having way more time and way less productivity
That being said, really nice work! Kharkov is an interesting battle, might do a Tiger of the 503rd from that time at some point
Philipp
That being said, really nice work! Kharkov is an interesting battle, might do a Tiger of the 503rd from that time at some point
Philipp
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- Bryan Krueger
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Re: DML 6363 IV G for third Kharkov
You're more productive in 3.5 hours than I am in a weekend.
Excellent progress.
Excellent progress.
- Raoul Kunz
- Senior Site Contributor.....
- Posts: 1655
- Joined: 20 Jul 2014, 01:16
- Location: Karben, next to Frankfurt, HRE
Re: DML 6363 IV G for third Kharkov
Thanks Shawn, Pille, Bryan!
But no worries - everything will slow down again for the week since I'm usually gone from 07:15 to... err... 19:15 (that's 7:15 post meridies for everyone who dislikes the 24 hour day ) and kicking the compressor into gear around nine when I've eaten and fed the cats is a sure way to get a kick in... aw nevermind, let it suffice to say it wouldn't be the best idea.
Last week I had two free days because of the usual hullabaloo of the insurance compatibility certification we do every year... not much for me to do there so I wasn't... well... there.
Progress will be on the weekend .
Best regards
Raoul G. Kunz
But no worries - everything will slow down again for the week since I'm usually gone from 07:15 to... err... 19:15 (that's 7:15 post meridies for everyone who dislikes the 24 hour day ) and kicking the compressor into gear around nine when I've eaten and fed the cats is a sure way to get a kick in... aw nevermind, let it suffice to say it wouldn't be the best idea.
Last week I had two free days because of the usual hullabaloo of the insurance compatibility certification we do every year... not much for me to do there so I wasn't... well... there.
Progress will be on the weekend .
Best regards
Raoul G. Kunz
~fiat iustitia aut pereat mundus~
Completed Campaigns:
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