It is a German Volkssturm kit that fought in Berlin at the end of World War II. Is it a figure with a sad feeling? Is it a figure of a system that drifted a little saddening?
Recently the situation on the Korean Peninsula has become quite tense, so I checked how much North Korea’s military power is. It seems around 30th in the world rankings. Really? It looks stronger… The military force of Japan was ranked 10th in a survey in 2015. Is this true? I feel a little lower. We have recently made many aircraft carriers, and maybe we can count on them.
A soldier wearing a long coat has a rifle in his hand.
It is a soldier wearing a regular uniform. It’s an StG 44 (Sturmgewehr 44) assault gun in his hand. This weapon stands for that time is at the end of WWII. Sturmgewehr 44 dramatically improved the infantry firepower. This assault rifle is said to be the prototype of a modern assault rifle, such as an AK-47. Since the technology of the German Army was advancing, various technologies went to the East and West, such as rockets and jet engines, after the war. Jetfighter aircraft after WWII had many parts similar to the US and Soviet Air Force. Because this resin head looks like a pretty elderly soldier’s face, I added the atmosphere of the Volkssturm.
(14-Apr-2017)
Soldiers who are crouching and preparing to head to enemy tanks. He is a serious look with Panzer Faust. This time I replaced all four figures with resin heads. This is easier to paint and finish better than the injection head.
He carries a rifle on his back.
He is an officer wearing a long coat and has an MP-40 submachine gun in his hand.
The last Sunday, I went to see the theater after a long absence. Although the war was about to occur in the peninsula, I did not feel like going out much, but I was glad to see it with an exciting program. It was “The Fortress” by Kobo Abe, maybe he is a famous Japanese writer.
Since all four figures have been assembled, it fills the gap with light-curing putty. As infantry has a lot of equipment, the original parts in this kit do not quite fit the body, so it is difficult to cut and reshape various parts.
(17-Apr-2017)
I made a small firearm strap with masking tape, working thin copper wire to make the strap metal cramp. I managed to attach them, but I wonder if it’s too small to paint.
The rifle strap from the shoulder to the chest was added, and a soldier was equipped with a Panzerfaust. The rest strap is molded on the uniform, so it’s OK.
It is undercoated with an aqueous paint. There seems to be a part that is not dry yet. It can be painted evenly with matte paint.
Only one soldier is wearing a camouflage smock. I painted a camouflage pattern using sky and khaki green dots on the flat earth. I suppose I could draw it quite well this time.
(19-Apr-2017)
A kit of the German Volkssturm was completed. Volkssturm was a soldier who was newly inducted into the Army in September 1944 by expanding the frame from 16 to 60 to compensate for the shortage of soldiers. Morale is low due to a lack of training and poor equipment. That can’t be helped because it was a unit organized urgently just before the defeat. It was too helpless to counter the Soviet troops that kept the overwhelming advantage by number and morale. Was the position as a militia of the final measure to defend the motherland?
A kit is a product number of Dragon 6020, a very initial kit. However, since the figures are old, they are not the wrong kit, so if you like the motif, there is no problem with any product. It was better to change the face to a resin head because it has better facial expressions.
In the kit introduction, it is written that the mold of the equipment is good, but it is not such a thing. I think that the mold will not sharpen unless it is processed with a design knife.
Hand-drawn of sleeve insignia is challenging to express even in such a simple form.
I used the unused decals of the other kit for the armband concerning the box art.
A soldier who faces downwards must be taken a picture from the bottom to see the face well. I like to paint a soldier wearing a coat.
I wonder the Volkssturm Infantry with such good equipment was not so many. This soldier is blessed.
I think that the spare ammunition pouch was painted well.
This Panzerfaust was deployed to Volkssturm soldiers in large quantities. That would mean that the threat of the Soviet tanks was extraordinary. I am worried that they could compete with such a weapon against T-34s or Stalin tanks’ strong enemy.
Well, even if I say too much detail, it does not raise the percentage of completion…. It is difficult for the added rifle strap to look naturally continuous with the plastic mold. However, I think this expression has a sense of urgency and is very good. He is aiming at the Soviet tank from behind the destroyed concrete walls.
I tried to arrange it with AA batteries for reference of size image. It has a luxurious feeling when arranging it on the decoration stand.
(20-Apr-2017)
