An first appetizer DAK in North Africa 1942

[sansovino]

Hi,
I will try to be again more active in the forum after a long break. First I was so frustrated with different photo-hosting-services, with Photobucket and others which caused the disappearance of most of my photos in the forum. Than Corona came with many restrictions, economical survival and some dark moods. I have painted in this period some figures, but I didn´t find enough energy and time to post them here.

Now I will share with you my projects, at first my first figures and models for North Africa 1942 – especially for Alan Buckingham too and his incredible thirst for deserts. The first models are from Plastic Soldier Company, quite simple, but effective with some new applications like windows, decals and some details. The figures are mostly from the wonderful australian company AB Miniatures.

All aren´t already finished. It´s missing already the sanding, some washs and details. And I am totally open for all kind of hints and critics ... so I am looking for a better sanding material. I have used mostly Vallejo colours and washs, but theirs sand wash was totally disappointing.

[atalante]

Good all that! Long live the sequel!

[C M Dodson]

These vehicles really do seem to be straight out of history as they look so good.

I hope you will display them in a North Africa setting to enhance them even more.

Best wishes,

Chris

[MABO]

I have painted exactly these PSC Sets over Christmas, but for the Normandie Invasion 1944. I like the models as well and your painting is also fine. I am very interested in the North Afrcan Theater of War, so I will follow this as well.

[PhilC]

Not my period, but excellent job! And nice to see you back in this forum - please keep on sending your pictures! I never used Photobucket, all my pictures are uploaded in blogger. No problem so far, but since nothing is eternal, I have several backups on several hard drives, just in case.

[Beano Boy]

The i d numbers that were painted on top of the trucks cab were highly important in that sand sea theatre of war. German and Italian aircraft far out-numbered the Allies over the Med, and North Africa,and would bomb trucks not having those numbers clearly displayed. However this is just a little information of those dire frightful times of real grit. And this is a hobby for all to paint and enjoy in their own style of painting and presentation. So i can confirm i like your choice of colour displayed. Ok?

i use Imgur, for free posting without hood winking limited numbered strings!
Very good to see you posting again. BB

[Minuteman]

These look great, weathered and a bit battered after all those miles driving across the desert. And I agree, AB figures are very good indeed and look just right alongside these DAK vehicles. Fine work!

[JurgenH]

Hello sansovino.
They looks great. you hav e made agood paintjob. I used abload.de for Upload the pictures. It is free and in german langue.
Greeting Jürgen

[sansovino]

Dear Mabo, I am very curious. Did you present already your Normandy figures and models?

[sansovino]

Many thanks for your replies and hints ...

Beano can you give me a literature tip or an internet link, where I can receive more informations on these ID bird-eye numbers? I knew only that they used the Swastika flag on the top for better friend-enemy-identification.

Here are the next two vehicles ...

The Opel Blitz tank-vehicle from Fujimi is a wonderful precise and well done set - one of a broad range of interesting Opel Blitz variations. The Roden Opel Blitz with the open motor-space was the contrast, very difficult to build, with bad construction informations and weak connections.







I have recognized via the photos that the tank vehicle is too rusty. I have already reduced the rust. And the next photos won´t have so much traces of former fights. So these first DAK vehicles will been my old veterans.
And I am searching still a better sanding material or method. Who can help me in this matter.

[MABO]

Dear Mabo, I am very curious. Did you present already your Normandy figures and models?

The new ones not yet, but here you can see some older stuff from me:



viewtopic.php?f=2&t=21963&p=240233&hilit=Plastic+Soldier+Company#p240233

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=21043&hilit=Summercamp

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=21890&p=239494&hilit=Plastic+Soldier+Company#p239494

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=21908&p=239654&hilit=Plastic+Soldier+Company#p239654

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=21928&p=239840&hilit=Plastic+Soldier+Company#p239840

[sansovino]

Dear Mabo,

thanks a lot for your wonderful links and vehicles. They are really great and I am so impressed, that I will have patience and expectations to see your new Normandy vehicles in a further future.

But I am curious now, how you achieved a certain metal glance to some of your tanks? And which sand wash or method did you used for the sand effect on your DAK vehicles? I am still searching how to achieve a good sand-effect.

Here are some more new vehicles for my DAK project – not already finished and still in work ...
I opened/cut out some windows of the wonderful Fujimi-ambulance ... and added a self-built canister-shelf under the left Opel Blitz.

[MABO]

Thanks for your nice words.

To avoid hijacking your post I have posted the pictures separately to see here:
http://bennosfiguresforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=26188&p=289526#p289526

As for the colouring, I paint almost everything with Vallejo colours. But for the vehicles I also got some AK interactive paints.

I orientate myself on e.g. these specifications that I found in various sources. The specifications are Vallejo colours, but I as already mentioned I also try out AK:

February 1941: - Initially vehicles sent to Africa, arrived painted dark grey (Dunkelgrau). Units immediately sought out ways to cover or break up this color. Mud, local stores of paint or paint borrowed from the Italians/Luftwaffe are among some of the solutions crewmen found to camouflage their vehicles.

Color Vallejo
RAL 7021 Dunkelgrau 995

Mud, etc
Any tan or brown paint

March 1941: - Vehicles in Africa were to be painted yellow-brown (Gelbbraun RAL 8000) and grey-green (Graugrün RAL 7008) using two-thirds to one-third ratio.

Color Vallejo
RAL 8000 Gelbbraun (Grünbraun) 879
RAL 7008 Graugrün 866

March 1942: - Yellow-brown and sand paint (Gelbbraun RAL 8020 & Sandgrau RAL 7027) were made available to be used once current stocks of Gelbbraun and Graugrün ran out. The colors were to be applied using two-thirds to one-third ratio (yellow-brown to sand) with feathered edges.

Color Vallejo
RAL 8020 Gelbbraun 847
RAL 7027 Sandgrau 819

Afterwards I use e.g. Games Wash Sepia Shade to emphasise the details. And then this wash for the sand and dust effect.



I used these pigments as well...



...for example here:


But it's always the case that I start a new attempt when I build something. I haven't found the perfect way yet, but that's part of the fun...

[sansovino]

Mabo,

you are wonderful helpful. Your informations will help me certainly, although I will create in the next step some vehicles in more yellow colours. It seems on some old photos and footage in colour that the DAK used still more different colours, probably of italian or british origin – like you mentioned it in your text. The DAK had to use, what they found in reason of their material shortages.
And a special thank for your hint to AK pigments, which I have ordered now and will try soon.

[MABO]

I found several sources, which said more or less the same. After the arrival in Africa with dark grey AFVs the vast amounts of desert dust and sand that immediately settled on all the vehicles significantly reduced the contrast between dark grey and the desert floor in a short time. Because of the generaly lack of supplies, the German crews used more often only a mixture of sand, fuel and even grease, so that one has somekind of a mud camo. This might be much more common than we think today. But of course I am no expert!

[Peter]

Real nice project! And I like those vehicles!

[sansovino]

Many thanks for your replies and hints ...

Here are some new DAK vehicles - all aren´t totally finished:

2 Steyr troop transporters from PSC - with PSC- and Hät-figures which were partly transformed with other heads
1 Praga truck from First to fight as a confiscated vehicle - wonderful model!
1 Academy fuel truck
2 Kübelwagen from Hasegawa + Academy
1 ambulance from Fujimi

All vehicles have received windows - most of them hadn´t plastic windows.
Some details like rearview mirrors, horns etc. will been added later - to avoid to break them during storage.

This project give me much fun ...

[MABO]

Fun is most important.

[sansovino]

Some more photos from the project in making. Detailing and sanding is still missing ...

Hope you will enjoy it. Feel free to add comments and helpful hints ...

[k.b.]

Scintillating display of a Heavy German Armoured Division. Could certainly kick the shit out of my French/Russian Cavalry, that’s for sure!
Truly beautiful work sansovino. Keep ‘em coming.