Infantry and Armor
for 28mm WW II Combat

Part II - Vehicles

By Mike Reese

The first thing about vehicle models, and this includes such things as anti-tank guns, trucks, jeeps, and other equipment, is that there is a difference in scales. 25mm is 1/64 scale and 28mm is 1/60 scale. Check the toy section in a store in the metal die-cast vehicle area and you will find a lot of cars and trucks in 1/64 scale. 1/48 scale, on the other hand, is 36mm rather then 25mm or 28mm. However, to me the 1/48 scale vehicles “fit” the 25-28mm figures better then the 1/60-/64 scale models which look too small. [Ed. Note: Many people attribute this to the thickish bases many figures are mounted on; the bases make them taller when compared to their companion vehicles.]

For comparison I took some pictures of a 1/64 Berlin Or Bust Kubelwagon and two 1/48 scale Kubelwagons, one by Black Tree Design (ICON) and the other by Battle Honors. The Berlin Or Bust (West Wind) vehicle is noticeably smaller - see below.

You can mix figures together since there are variations in physical size. You can’t do that with the vehicles. This also affects weapons such as anti-tank guns as well. Another comparison picture is a Battle Honors Pak 40 with a Black Tree Design Pak 40. Both are 1/48 scale but different sizes. This can really be seen in the picture of the machineguns from Battle Honors, Black Tree Designs, Easy Eight Enterprises, and Solido. All the machineguns of the same type should be the same size, but aren’t. The Battle Honors .30 cal light machinegun is the same size as the M2 .50 cal heavy machinegun.

However, this isn’t necessarily “bad” since there appears to be some variation in scale in the vehicles as well. The variations just have to be kept in mind when you pick the models you purchase. For example, choose the larger LMG when putting a .30 cal on a 1/48-1/50 scale White half-track, and the smaller .30 cal machinegun on a 1/64 White half-track.

Easy Eight Enterprises

Two vehicles are available, both in 1/48 scale. Easy Eight makes the U.S. Army M-8 six-wheeled armored car and it’s companion the M-20 utility car. These are good vehicle models, easy to assemble, sturdy when assembled, and they paint up to look good. They are solid metal and heavy. They don’t have the fenders. Both come with AA light machineguns and the M-20 with M2 LCMG. Right now EEE has only these two vehicles.

Battle Honors

Battle Honors vehicle list is more extensive then any other company’s except the die-cast models. The Battle Honors’ vehicles are in 1/48 scale. The models are solid metal in about 4-5 parts or come with a resin hull with metal suspension and turret. For example, a Soviet KV-1 tank model has a hull, a turret, the left and right track/suspension pieces, the gun barrel/gun mantle, and hatches, and machineguns all in metal. The track is molded as a mixture of the track and suspension (and side skirts if the vehicle has them). These models are fairly well detailed but “rough”. For example, the Tiger, SG III/G, and Panzerjager IV/L70 all come with zimmerite on the vehicles which is nicely modeled, but the fit of the parts isn’t too good. Real solid and heavy, the castings aren’t completely flat. To be flat they would have to be machined. Some putty, pinning, plastic sheet, and a good paint job fixes the problem.

My Sherman had a damaged barrel and the KV-1 had some metal missing from the turret and hull. White glue and plastic fixed both. See the Panzerjager IV/L70 and SGIII/G pictures for two completed Battle Honors tanks. The Battle Honors’ U.S. Jeeps are excellent but the KW appears to be out of proportion with too much room in the back seat. On the other hand, it is perfect for a standing German with a LMG. You just have to add a mount and drill a hole in the bottom of the MG for a wire underneath. The scale is pretty good. The Pak 40 gun barrel is a bit under-sized in diameter on both the towed gun and on the Marder II SP anti-tank gun. The guns are complicated with a lot of pieces and somewhat delicate once assembled. However, these models are recommended, especially the Russian vehicles and guns which aren’t readily available in 1/48 in any other scale. $33 for a tank. $10 for a jeep with other vehicles in between.

This price is more then the Solido models but about the same as the West Wind 1/60 vehicles. It is reasonable considering the amount of metal in these vehicles. Battle Honors includes crews for the jeeps, KW, and vehicles to include riding soldiers for the back of the trucks and half-tracks. Once assembled they are nice looking vehicles and guns.

Berlin Or Bust

These models are in 1/64 scale. I purchased two jeeps and two KW, plus a SdKfz 251/1 half-track before setting the half-track down next to my 1/50 and 1/48 scale vehicles. Oops! 1/64 is much smaller then the 1/48-1/50 models. Be especially careful when purchasing infantry sets for 1/48-1/50 since the motorcycles, jeeps, etc. will be to the smaller scale even if the infantry is usable. West Wind does have nine armored fighting vehicles available, mostly Sherman derivatives, made with the cast plastic and metal parts. The jeeps and Kubelwagon (with crews) and half-track that I assembled were good models, with a lot of detail, easy to put together. Most vehicles are sold under the West Wind name, but the infantry, half-track, motorcycles, KW and jeeps are sold under the Berlin or Bust name. Recommended if you use 1/60-64 models.

Black Tree Design

Right now they make jeeps, an early “Protz” personnel truck, a SdKfz 251/1C German half-track, motorcycle combinations, and Kubelwagon in 1/48 scale. Also made are German Pak 40 75L46 and Flak 36 88L56 guns and a Soviet 57L70 anti-tank gun with a German 37mm Pak 35/36 ATG soon to come out. These are good models. The KW are the exact same size as the Battle Honors externally, but with a better proportioned interior and more detail. I put the Berlin Or Bust seated figures and crew in these as well as the Battle Honors crews and they look pretty good. The half-track is very similar to the Battle Honors SdKfz 251/1. The photo below is of a partially assembled BTD motorcycle with side car and motorcycle. The side car holds a figure with a MG-34 light machinegun and the motorcycle carries the driver and a rider. The rider has a seat behind the driver. The motorcycle without the side car is the same as the one with the side car, however you get three of them with three drivers and one rider whereas the side car cycle comes with one motorcycle and the three man crew and MG-34.

The BTD Pak 40 anti-tank gun. This is the 75L46 gun. It elevates and traverses once assembled and assembles nicely. A sturdy model and to scale.

A BTD/ICON Kubelwagon with a BH Recon jeep. I made my four KW reconnaissance vehicles as well. Two have a MG-42 mount and the other two have a crew of four with automatic weapons and panzerfausts.

S&S Figures

This is a British company with a large listing of WWII 1/64 models, and a large and growing list of Modern 1/64 AFV. They have a lot of models which are outside of the normal ranges the other companies have – such as a German Grizzly Bear SP gun, German Pz 38t reconnaissance vehicle, German FlakPz 38t self-propelled AA gun, and French vehicles. Pictures on the site show good models.

Stalingrad Armor

This web site is taking a poll of what armor models and heavy weapons models the readership wants. They currently make models in 1/60 and 1/48 scale, with two released. I do not have the models to compare the scale with the armor I do have, but I do have a picture.

Thanks to the following local hobby shops for letting me shoot pictures in their store and dig into their selections of kits, vehicles, and figures while collecting information for this article:Riders Hobby Store, Hayes & Hall Road, Sterling Heights, MI; Old Guard, 15 1/2 Mile on Van Dyke Ave, Sterling Heights, MI; Glass City Games, 4125 Monroe Street, Toledo, Ohio.

OTHER SOURCES

The following is a list of other sites where these models, buildings, and other models in 1/43 – 1/50 are available. Sometimes you find a bargain here – such as Star Opel trucks for under $15.00 each. A short list of what is available in the 25mm-28mm WWII figure line and vehicles is provided with each listing.

http://www.hobbysurplus.com/AmatosToy&Hobbyhtref.htm Die cast models and model kits
http://corporate.auctionworks.com/store/default.asp?sfid=1553 Die cast models
http://www.blitzkrieghobby.com/frog.html 1/48 Frog armor model kits
http://www.deanshobbystop.com/ Picked up some 1/48 Bandai from here. Good service.
http://www.brookhursthobbies.com/ Die cast and model kits. Black Tree Designs, 1st Corps.
http://www.hobbybounties.com/ Frog 1/48 kits
http://www.hobbystores.com/ A general listing of hobby stores on the web.
http://www.regimentalcolours.com/minis/minis.htm West Wind/Berlin or Bust (Old Glory) and Battle Honors.
http://www.rlbps.com/ Black Tree Design (listed as ICON)
http://www.warweb.com/miniatures/dixon.html Battle Honors
http://www.squadron.com/ 1/48 kits including Tarmec and from France, and a lot of other stuff.
http://www.scalemodelindex.com/supplies-j.htm Another list of hobby shops on the web.
http://www.miniatureservicecenter.com/ Black Tree Designs and Battle Group 25mm.
http://www.themotorpool.bigstep.com/catalog.html 1/48 and 1/50 die cast. BIG selection. Higher prices.
http://www.wargamesworld.com/ Foundry miniatures.
http://www.greatmodels.com/ A large list of die cast and plastic models in all scales.
http://www.toy-mania.com/ Great selection of die cast models. Very high prices.
http://www.armybook.com/show.html?code=0205001 Limited selection of 1/43 Russian WW2 and modern softskins, but included models I haven’t seen elsewhere at these prices. Russian site. These folks are a bit slow, as they sometimes have to place an order to their distributors to complete yours, and I am still waiting for my first order. The mails can also be a bit slow in their neck of the woods so I am being patient.

The key is to comparison shop. However, if you find a 1/48 plastic kit at a reasonable price, I recommend you buy it. Otherwise, it may well be sold by the time you come back to the site. That does it. Get out there and spend, paint, and game. I recommend digging into the web sites above, and by all means make a visit to your local hobby store and ask about 1/48,1/50, and 25/28mm WW II models.

Color Photos (slow: 141K)

Infantry and Armor for 28mm WW II Combat Part I - Infantry

Infantry and Armor for 28mm WW II Combat Part III 1/48 and 1/50 Kits/Die Cast Models

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