Scratch-Building Vehicles For A War Game

A surprising thing about most "kit" manufacturers is that they often make a single model. There is not enough variation for a war game force.

To have an armoured force for a warg-ame table, I embarked on a campaign to build an Italian army with an armoured force. For reference material, I used "Bellona Prints - #10", "Armour in Profile - #14", M13/40 - the designer of the plan is unknown. I chose the 75/18 and 75/34. They are self- propelled guns that were used as tank destroyers by the Germans as well as the Italians. The chassis of Carro Armato M13/40 were used for S/P guns. Consequently, this would establish a wargame force with armour that could deal effectively with heavy gun tanks of any opponent.

Donning my khakis, grabbing my hammer, tongs and other essential materials, I STARTED TO BUILD THE VEHICLE. In mass, I used balsa blocks for the hull frame. (1 [111. #11 The gun (fighting) compartment was built up from 1/16" balsa sheet. [111. #21 A small lead weight was glued in the center - this added weight making the vehicle sit solidly on the tracks. The hatches were cut from the 1/16" sheet, and I shaped the fender also from the 1/16" sheet. The wheel bogies, tracks, exhaust mufflers and return rollers are from an AIRFIX STALIN III KIT. The 75/34 gun is from MINITANKS #M-109 155 s/p gun.

The entire vehicle should be sanded and two coats of sanding sealer applied and sanded between each coat. Then paint.

The basic colors of Italian tanks are as depiected in Illustration #3.
Europe 1939 to 1942: Red rust with green vertical stripes.
Africa 1940 to 1941: Sand white with brown or green patches to break up the outline.

I used an auto red primer for my basic color and Testors #1164 O.D. Green for the verticle stripes. A white disc for air identification appears over engine compartment. Company platoon I D is on both sides of fighting compartment.

A Breda 38 Machine gun may be placed on right forward corner of the commander hatch.

There are two drawings, figure 1 is a 30mm and figure 2 is a 20mm scale. I built two 75/34 and two 75/18. The gun of the former is a 75mm gun, 34 calibres long.

More AFV Series

AFV Series No. 1: Italian Armored Vehicles
AFV Series No. 2: British Comet Cruiser Mk 1 Tank
AFV Series No. 3: Soviet KV 1 Heavy Tank
AFV Series No. 4: US M-10 Tank Destroyer
AFV Series No. 5: US M5 Stuart Light Tank