Some scratch-built/modified model vehicles

I recently wrote a review of MINIATURE WARGAMES WITH BATTLEGAMES ISSUE 393 in which I stated that Richard Marsh's article about John Sandars' wargames was the 'stand out' article in that particular issue. I also wrote that 'it is because of him that I built quite a few dodgy-looking World War II-era vehicles based on various ROCO Minitanks and Airfix kits, none of which would stand too much scrutiny as to their accuracy nowadays.'

When I wrote that I thought that I no longer had any of the models that John Sandars' had inspired me to build ... but I was wrong. Whilst looking for something else, I came across three of those 'forgotten' models.

The two trucks started out as broken ROCO Minitank SdKfz 7 half-tracks. The front ends and the chassis of the models were kept, but the original rear bodies were replaced by scratch-built bodies made from Plasticard sheet and the side panels from the body of a couple of Airfix Matador kits. The wheels also came from the Airfix Matador kits as did the main part of the tilt on one of the lorries. The rest of the pieces came from my spares box or were made from Plasticard sheet. The finished models were supposed to resemble the sort of 3-tonne 6 x 6 or 6 x 4 trucks used by the Wehrmacht ... and I think that they past muster when seen on the tabletop.

The 15cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) began life as the chassis and tracks from a broken ROCO Pzkpfw III. The original wheels were carefully cut away from the tracks and replaced by the wheels from an Airfix StuG III that had been turned so that the backs rather than the fronts of the wheels were visible. The rest of the body – with the exception of the front glacis plate and driver's compartment – was scratch-built from Plasticard sheet, tubing, and girders or using pieces from my spares box. I was pleased with the result, which looks reasonably accurate from a distance.