Infantry and Armor
for 28mm WW II Combat

Part III - 1/48 and 1/50 Kits/Die Cast Models

By Mike Reese

1/48 KITS

Scale. Once again there is the question of scale. A 1/48 model should be larger then a 1/50 scale model. But they don’t appear to be. The Solido 1/50 Sherman turret is slightly larger then the Battle Honors 1/48 Sherman turret. The same for the Battle Honors 1/48 Mark IV/H which is slightly smaller then the Bandai 1/48 Mark IV/H. However, the size differences are small and the vehicles can be used together. I have extra Solido Sherman turrets which fit well on the Battle Honors Sherman hulls. Better, in fact, then the turret that comes with the Battle Honors tank.

Other vehicles in 1/48 are available in plastic model kits and metal pre-painted assembled vehicle models. Monogram, Bandai, Frog, Academy, and Fuman all make or made plastic kits in 1/48. The Bandai and Fuman kits are best and easiest to find. They are the same kits Bandai made in Japan and Fuman in China. They include full interiors but can be assembled without the interiors, which is recommended. 1/48 scale vehicles go pretty well with the 1/50 models and both look good with the 25-28mm figures. It looks better with the figures in that a half-track or tank looks big enough to hold the figures, whereas the 1/60 or 1/64 vehicles look too small. However, the Berlin Or Bust figures, made for 1/64 vehicles, do look a bit small in a 1/43 jeep.

The other plastic 1/48 kits are also good with the Academy kit being the worst. The model I have, a King Tiger, is excellent except it is a motorized kit with an electric motor included. This means that the sprocket and idler wheels are incorrect, and the track is laughable. A rubber strip that is too narrow and flimsy even for the Tiger’s transport track. Aside from the toy track it looks very good. You can use a set of plastic 1/35 Soviet track to replace the rubber track depending on the tank. A T55 track can go on as is, whereas a T72 track needs the end connectors removed. I used 1/35 resin Churchill tank track on my first Royal Tiger. Remember that you don’t have to do the track where the skirts cover them. All of the 1/48 plastic models are recommended if you go into that scale of vehicles.

The Monogram Panther shown comes with the zimmerite molded into the plastic. It was also labeled a Panther G on the box, but is instead a late production Panther A.

The Academy King Tiger or Tiger II painted as Vehicle 301above is from the 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion in Normandy. This model has resin 1/35 scale Churchill tank tracks replacing the narrow rubber tracks that came with the kit.

1/50 DIE-CAST

There is a wide range of these vehicles. Almost all are Solido vehicles (WWII) which are metal, and plastic, with metal tracks and plastic accessories (machineguns and antenna). Verem are often the same model but camouflage painted or with a plastic or metal accessory added. For example, Solido makes a M3 half-track with M2 .50 cal heavy machinegun whereas Verem uses the same half-track and machinegun with a plastic pulpit to make a M3A1 half-track. Both are exactly the same except for the pulpit. Soft skins, the jeeps and trucks, are often in 1/43 scale which makes them oversized, but not noticeably so. Some soft skins, such as the Star Chinese made German Opel truck are in 1/50 scale, the same as the tanks.

Solido 1/43 AND 1/50

Models include the M4A3 (75), M3 half-track with cover, M3 half-track with 105mm howitzer, SdKfz 251/7 Pioneer half-track, SdKfz 251/20 IR Searchlight half-track, Mark IV/F1, Mark IV/G, Panther G, and Tiger I E (late), Jagdpanther, Grant, Lee, jeep and trailer, 2.5 ton truck with fuel load, ¾ ton truck with water trailer, SU-100, R-35 and modern vehicles. An M-20 armored car with trailer has just come out and they now have varied loads for the 2.5 ton truck. These models come with a basic paint job which means German vehicles are normally in panzer gray or yellow base color and not in a camouflage scheme. Some come with painted rather then bare metal (muddied is the term used) tracks, but most have the metal tracks. Almost all of the U.S. equipment has French markings, from the 2nd French Armored Division or French Indonesia. This is due to the fact the models were manufactured in France.

The photo is of a Solido 1/50 German SdKfz 251/7B in early German panzer gray scheme right out of the box. It comes with a decal sheet and two plastic MG-34 shown in the picture. The light bridges that make it an engineer vehicle are plastic. Used in the engineer platoons of the tank battalions, it took two to hold a squad so the armored engineer platoon had seven SdKfz 251s and one Maultier half-track truck. (1xSdKfz 251/1 or SdKfz 251/10 Platoon HQ vehicle, three squads each of 2 each SdKfz 251/7, and the Maultier which carried engineering supplies). The bridges can be removed and the holes in the armor filled in to make the vehicle an infantry carrier SdKfz 251/1. The tracks are metal, and yes, they do move. I “weather” them, although the “Muddy” line of Solido vehicles come with weathered tracks.

The Solido M4A3 (75) Sherman tank out of the box. I have received them in U.S. olive drab and in what I think is a British bronze green. I remove the decals with a knife or if I want to keep them, apply Micro-Sol decal setting solution. They usually have French markings for the same tank in all of the boxes. They come with a set of 3 radio aerials and sometimes a Browning M2 heavy machinegun. The mount in the roof is for a radio aerial.

A Solido Russian SU-100 in winter camouflage. This model is also straight out of the box and perhaps the best painted model they have. I plan on converting it so I can use it as a SU-122, SU-85, or SU-100 by changing the barrels.

I usually repaint the Solido and Verem models and convert them from one model to another, either by adding or removing components or weapons or using conversion kits, such as those made by Gaso-line. The models all unscrew from the bottom using two screws, and then you can remove parts or additional screws to further disassemble the model. The SdKfz 251/1 half-track, for example, is made up of three major metal pieces, two plastic machineguns, and a plastic steering wheel. The suspension is also individual plastic tires with metal axles, with a spring providing the tension, and a plastic insert holding down the axles. Oh, yes. Don’t take the SU-100 apart. It is very hard to reassemble. These pictures show models made from the basic Solido models.

Gaso-Line is a French company that makes kits in metal and resin to modify the Solido/Verem 1/50 die cast military vehicles, or the Fuman 1/48 armor kits. They also make stand alone weapons and vehicles in resin and metal. Some of these are very expensive, some are not. I have no idea why the differences in prices. Same with the Solido and Verem kits. Why do T34/76 and T34/85 cost two to three times more then the Sherman and Tiger die cast models? I don’t really know, although in some cases it is because a Solido or Verem model has been modified with a Gaso-Line or Tarmac (another resin kit manufacturer) modification kit. This is done one on one, by hand, and then the model is painted, decals added, and boxed. This hands on technique would make the price high.

Two 1/43 scale Solido U.S. 2.5 ton trucks. One has a soft cab and the other a hard cab. The load is made up of 5-gallon jerrycans. QUARTER-KIT now sells a variety of truck loads for this truck. The load pops out to allow the truck to be used as an infantry carrier or tractor.

A Solido M4A3 Sherman with new decals and weathered like in Picture 69. This is the 105mm howitzer version of the Sherman. Be careful, one die cast model site thinks this is a 75mm armed Sherman and the 75mm gun armed Sherman is a 76mm gun armed Sherman, and is advertising and selling them as such.

A Solido German Tiger I tank in 1/50 scale. This model and most for sale come in a plain German panzer gray. This is fine for 1942 Leningrad, but needs to be repainted if deployed elsewhere. I did this one as a 102nd SS Panzer Corps Tiger I in Normandy in 1944.

VEREM 1/43 AND 1/50

These include the above, in different paint schemes, plus the following models: M4A3 Sherman (105mm), M-10 GMC, M-7 Priest, M3A1 half-track and a variety of trucks. The more rare vehicles available include the SG IV, Panzerjager IV/L70 (v), Panzerjager IV/L48, Grizzly Bear SP 150mm Infantry Gun, M-36 GMC, T-34/85, T-34/76, SU-122 and a wide variety of the Panther and Tiger I in different color schemes.

There are other sources as well, for some of the Gaso-Line kits and camouflaged Solido and Verem models. They tend to be very expensive, as they are specially assembled and painted Gaso-Line kits. So are the rarer Solido/Verem vehicles like the Panzerjager IV, T34 tanks and SU-122. Prices for the standard Solido or Verem boxed, assembled, normally painted vehicles vary from $13 to $26. For the rare vehicles and the “Panther G in Normandy Paint Scheme” models the price is $75 up. Some of the models are in between. Solido and Verem are not the only die-cast manufacturers available. STAR models, made in China for example, makes a Kubelwagon, Schwimmenwagon, and Opel truck in three different paint schemes (Africa Corps, early German panzer gray, and yellow-green-brown camouflaged). Russian 1/43 and 1/48 metal die-cast models are also becoming available, although these are usually expensive.

A Verem M-7 Priest. The only painting I did on this model was the M2 machinegun and the tracks, and then the weathering. The camouflage was painted on and the stars were also on the model in the box.

A Verem M-10 Gun Motor Carriage or Tank Destroyer (next page) This comes as a model of a French M-10 GMC in use in Indo-china after WWII. It has a plastic “wooden” cover over the open turret which I removed. Repainted, new decals, and weathered. This model can also be used as the basis for the British 17 pdr Achilles GMC by just changing the barrel.

Verem M3A1 half-track (next page). This is a simple conversion of 73. You just add two Battle Honors .30 cal LMG to it. It is now the half-track for the light machinegun section in a U.S. Armored Infantry Platoon. This is the Browning weapon. It is mounted on the half-track and then removed and used on a bipod with a stock or on the tripod when the infantry dismounts.

You can also modify these vehicles. The M3A1 above is a basic M3A1 by Verem with two Battle Honors’ .30 cal LMG added to make a U.S. armored infantry platoon’s light machinegun squad. You can also make barrels for the vehicles to convert them to a different version using plastic or metal tubes available at a local hobby store or craft shop.

Some companies, like Corgi, make 1/50 models that are all modern. This company makes Vietnam helicopters and vehicles - M48A3, M113 ACAV, etc. Fairly reasonably priced and very well painted. The hobby sites listed in this article also carry 1/48 aircraft. I have also picked up some WWII Corgi toy Mark IV/H tanks in 1/50 scale off eBay. These are toys but with some work should make usable models. I soaked them for a week in undiluted PINE SOL and then brushed them with an old tooth brush. The PINE SOL removed 95% of the paint. then removed The turret with the “prongs” removed (for the clock-work stuff also taken out).

SOURCES FOR THE 1/48 AND 1/50 MODELS

EBay Just search using eBay or use http://www.ebay.com/ This web site that is a bidding site. Read the rules on the site. Search under Bandai 1/48 or Solido Tanks. There is a fair amount of these models on this site which you can obtain, sometimes for reasonable prices. Note if one of the models is listed with one of the companies/sites below. You can often go to that site and get it cheaper then on eBay. Softskins are in 1/43 so try searching for 1/43 Military as well. If the price of the model including postage is greater then what you can purchase it for, e.g. $33 from Battle Honors, then only bid higher if you “really have to have it”.

CR GRACE: http://crgrace.com. This site in New Jersey is excellent. I get the models in three days with an email message to me when they are shipped. The models are always well packed and there has been only one shortage in one order which was made up with the next order. Prices, including postage, are also very reasonable averaging, including postage, under $20.00 per vehicle. Selection is excellent and service good. Military models only and he doesn’t ship overseas. Highly recommended.

THE MOTOR POOL: http://www.themotorpool.bigstep.com/ catalog.html. This site has a wider range of models then CR Grace but not as wide as Quarter Kit below. Service has also been very quick - 4 days shipping - and the models were very well packed. This site includes Solido, Verem, and the other sites mentioned above selling the Solido and Verem models with an upgraded paint job (and at 3x the price of the basic model). There are also models available from special Solido and Verem issues, such as their Museum range. I haven’t ordered much from here because the price is higher.

QUARTER-KIT: http://www.quarter-kit.com/shr/. This is a French site. It has the Solido and Verem models. It also has a range of figures and kits. Kits I have purchased are 76mm Turrets for M4 Sherman (76), Whirlwind turret for the German quad 20mm tank anti-aircraft gun, a quad 50 cal HMG for the M16 anti-aircraft U.S. half-track, a ground mounted 20mm Flak 38 (4-man German crew is also available), and skirts for the German Panzer IV/H. This company also offers more kits, and a wide variety of other accessories including decals. However, although the U.S. vehicle decals are good, the German decals suffer from being made for models rather then gaming, and do not have enough numbers or insignia to do more than one tank out of a platoon. This is a problem with most armored vehicle model decals. They are only for one or two vehicles in a unit. Prices are even cheaper then CR Grace, but the postage by air somewhat off-sets the lower price. It comes out about even. Shipping took about seven days. I was able to purchase Bandai kits direct from here. Squadron Shop in Texas also carries the Gaso-Line models. You can also use a less expensive shipping method then by air. Highly recommended.

A Gaso-Line U.S. Quad .50 cal LCMG AA gun and mount next to another Gaso-Line kit, this one the Flak 38 20mm German AA gun. Both of these are somewhat difficult to build as they are metal and resin, and delicate..

You can use the Quad .50 above to convert one of your Solido M3 half-tracks to the U.S. M16 AA Half-track and you use the Flak 38 model and a scratch-built base with a Solido SdKfz 251/7 converted to a 251/1 armored personnel carrier to make a SdKfz 251/17 German half-track. This half-track was used as a platoon leader half-track in late 1944 and 1945. There were also three in the weapons platoon and one in the Company HQ for a total of seven in the Company. You have to pop off the machinegun shield on the front of the half-track as the 20mm cannon needs it removed from its field of fire.

This is a Gaso-Line German Whirlwind AA Tank conversion. Solido provided the Mark IV/F1 hull and Gaso-Line the turret and ammunition boxes. The gunner in there from a Bandai kit.

Gaso-Line kits are very nicely molded with crisp detail. Some of the resin parts are very fine or small and easy to break. The directions are not very good unless you read French, but if you carefully cut the parts free and dry fit them, you can figure it out. There are also some drawings in the directions giving you an idea of where the parts go. Don’t throw anything away because some of the parts on the resin trees are small and you may miss them when you first look at the kit.

ON SITE DIECAST: http://www.onsitediecast.com/ This site in the USA also has a large selection of models and some kits. It has a broad range of the higher priced better finished Verem and Solido models, including some unusual models such as the Soviet T34/76, German Grizzly Bear SP 150mm Infantry Gun, and the U.S. 90mm gunned M-36 GMC. However, although mostly well painted, and coming fully assembled these models are in the $60-99 dollar range. Some items are unavailable. I received kits from Quarter-Kit that Die Cast has in its catalogue, but not in stock. Recommended if money isn’t an object. Solido and Verem kits from here are more expensive then at the CR Grace or Quarter Kit sites. I haven’t ordered from this site yet.

AUCTIONWORKS: http://www.auctionworks.com/store/ default.asp?sfid=1553. This site is just what it says it is, an auction site. There are models available on this site, to include Solido and Verem, and the museum items as well as Bandai and other 1/48 kits. Prices when I looked were higher then CR Grace but are not necessarily so. I picked up my first 2.5 ton U.S. trucks here and the price was in the same range as CR Grace. Not as big a selection as eBay or CR Grace or Quarter Kit, or several of the other sites.

Solido and Verem models come assembled and painted. The “Verem” historical models are expensive. This is because these die-cast vehicles are sold as collector’s items, not models for gamer’s use. This is an interesting market. Most of the collector’s vehicles have incorrect paint schemes and decals. Some were never built – like the Panther twin 37mm Flak gun. Some are just repainted like the T34 models with German markings, or the Normandy Tiger and the Battle of the Bulge Tiger. Some were never used as painted, such as the German Panther tank and Hunting Panther in the German Africa Corps paint scheme. Neither vehicle was ever used in North Africa by the Africa Corps. Both of the Bulge vehicles have the wrong markings and color schemes. I repaint and touch up most of the die-cast models I have purchased. The metal tracks especially. Some, like the banged up gray Verem SdKfz 232 armored car I purchased off eBay, needed a new paint job. A batch of Shermans came in with British bronze green instead of the normal OD so they had to be sprayed in OD to match my other tanks. On the other hand, some models just need the tracks done, decals added, and weathering to make them look good.

The 1/48 and 1/50 kits and die cast models are close enough in scale and detail that they can be used together. I use 1/48 machineguns on the 1/50 vehicles, 1/50 Sherman turrets on the 1/48 Battle Honors Shermans, and mix the 1/43 jeeps in with the 1/48 jeeps.

All of the infantry figures described are fairly compatible. The vehicle models and kits less so. Pay attention to the scales when purchasing the models. If you really don’t pay attention, then you will have the problem shown above of a 1/50 SdKfz 251/1B and 1/100 SdKfz 251/1D.

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

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

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