Product Spotlight

Product Spotlight: Corgi’s B-17G “Snake Hips”

Corgi’s 1:72 scale USAAF Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Heavy Bomber – 42-31713 (UX-T) “Snake Hips”, 327th Bombardment Squadron, 92nd Bombardment Group, Podington, England, August 24th, 1944

Corgi’s 1:72 scale B-17s are undoubtedly one of their most popular models, flying off the shelves, year-after-year, and into the homes of aviation aficionados world over. Therefore it came as no surprise late last year when the manufacturer decided to announce yet another Flying Fortress, no doubt capitalizing on the success of some of their most recent four-engine heavy bombers.

B-17G Flying Fortress 42-31713 “Snake Hips” arrived at the USAAF’s 92nd Bombardment Group base at Podington in February 1944 and quickly benefited from a name and nose artwork that her crew hoped would bring them luck in the air battles to come. The aircraft saw extensive action over the next few months and brought her crew through relatively unscathed, until undertaking a mission to the heavily defended synthetic oil plant at Leuna on August 24th, 1944.

On the run in to the target, “Snake Hips” took a direct 88mm flak hit in the bomb bay and whilst the explosion did not detonate the bombs, it did blow a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage and start a hydraulic fire which threatened to engulf the bomber. The aircraft dropped out of formation and headed for home, but on attempting to jettison the bombs, several ‘hung’ and members of the crew were forced to deactivate them, in the midst of all this airborne chaos.

With two engines out and the pilot heading for the relief landing airfield at Woodbridge, he ordered his crew to parachute to safety, knowing he could not leave his station and fearing the landing may result in their injury. Fortunately, he managed to land the bomber without further incident and “Snake Hips” became one of the most heavily damaged B-17s to make it back to the UK during the Second World War.

As US heavy bombers began their strategic bombing campaign against German targets in occupied Europe towards the end of 1942, they were hoping that the heavier calibre of guns used on their aircraft would prove decisive against the threat of Luftwaffe fighter attack, particularly when their bombers were arranged in defensive boxes, bringing the firepower of hundreds of guns to bear.

Assembling hundreds of bombers above the English countryside in all weathers as they rose from their respective bases, would prove to be a huge challenge and collisions were relatively commonplace. Once formed up and heading for their targets, accurate navigation was essential if they were to remain in formation and avoid the murderous flak fields, until they were actually on the run in to the target, all the time knowing that the Luftwaffe were ready to pounce, often in large numbers.

During the early months of the campaign, the bombers would have to run the gauntlet of German defenses alone, as Allied fighters lacked the range to escort the bombers all the way to their targets and losses were crippling. Once longer range Lightning, Thunderbolts and Mustangs entered service, the bombers had their protection and as a result both bombing accuracy increased and Luftwaffe fighters began to fall to the guns of their ‘little friends’.

Snake Hips is currently en route to us and expected to arrive towards the end of March.

Share This:

Calibre Wings: In Defense of the Shah

Calibre Wings’ 1:72 scale Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – “3-6079”, 82nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Esfahan/Shahid Beheshti International Airport, Iran

When someone mentions the ubiquitous Grumman F-14 Tomcat, images of the feature film Top Gun spring to mind, along with Tom Cruise, his character, and the so-called “need for speed”. And yet, with all of the hoopla that surrounded the plane, the competition, and its impact on US Naval recruiting back in the latter half of the eighties, there was one other nation that managed to nab several dozen of the plane at the height of the Cold War. And that country, believe it or not, would be Iran.

Calibre Wings, never one to shy away from a subject or livery, has decided to replicate one of these warbirds as part of their latest wave of F-14 models. Due out in early 2021, the Iranian F-14 comes in a scintillating, multi-colored desert camouflage scheme and represents one of the aircraft used with great effect against its neighbor Iraq, in their long running Iran-Iraq War of the eighties. We’ve listed this model on our website are are now taking pre-orders, looking to take delivery in either January or February.

Share This:

Product Spotlight: The 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade

Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale Russian T-14 Armata Main Battle Tank – Moscow Victory Day Parade

The 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade was a parade that took place in Red Square in Moscow on May 9th, 2015, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the capitulation of Nazi Germany in 1945. The annual parade marks the Allied victory in the Second World War at the Eastern Front, on the same day as the signing of the German act of capitulation to the Allies in Berlin, at midnight of May 9th, 1945 (Russian time). President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin delivered his twelfth holiday address to the nation on this day, right after the parade inspection that was presided by Minister of Defense General of the Army Sergey Shoygu.

Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale Russian T-15 Armata Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle

Being a landmark jubilee parade honoring the 70th anniversary of the Allied victory in the European continent, the 2015 parade was the largest and most lavish held in Russian history. Col. Gen. Oleg Salyukov, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces, was the 2015 commander. In addition to troops of the Russian Federation, 1,300 troops from 10 foreign countries were also on parade, including contingents from China, India, Serbia, and Mongolia, all four countries making their first appearance at a Russian Victory Day parade.

Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale Russian (Object 693) Kurganets-25 Armored Personnel Carrier – Moscow Victory Day Parade

Following the official parade, over 500,000 Russians and foreign attendees marched through central Moscow in commemoration of those who perished and those who survived World War II. The Moscow leg of this parade, which is an annual Victory Day tradition called the March of the Immortal Regiment and observed in numerous other Russian cities and in several other countries, was led by President Putin whose father served during the war. It is estimated that up to 12 million Russians participated nationwide in the 2015 March of the Immortal Regiment.

Several new weapons systems were shown for the first time at the 2015 Victory Day Parade, among them the T-14 Amata main battle tank, T-15 Armata Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the Kurgenats-25 Infantry Fighting Vehicles. Panzerkampf has faithfully recreated each of these vehicles and has plans to reproduce more. Stay tuned.

Modelcollect’s 1:72 scale Russian BMP-3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle – 2017 Moscow Victory Parade

Share This:

Product Spotlight: “The Black Devil”

Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale German Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 “Gustav” Fighter – Erich “Bubi” Hartmann, 4./Jagdgeschwader 52, Hungary, 1944

Erich Alfred “Bubi” Hartmann, nicknamed “Bubi” by his allies and “The Black Devil” by his enemies, was a German fighter pilot and is still the highest scoring fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare. He claimed 352 aerial victories (of which 345 were won against the Soviet Air Force, and 260 of which were fighters) in 1,404 combat missions and engaging in aerial combat 825 times while serving with the Luftwaffe in World War II. During the course of his career, Hartmann was forced to crash land his damaged fighter 14 times. This was due to damage received from parts of enemy aircraft he had just shot down, or mechanical failure. Hartmann claimed never to have been shot down or forced to land due to fire from enemy aircraft.

Hartmann, a pre-war glider pilot, joined the Luftwaffe in 1940 and completed his fighter pilot training in 1942. He was posted to Jagdgeschwader 52 on the Eastern front and was fortunate to be placed under the supervision of some of the Luftwaffe’s most experienced fighter pilots. Under their guidance Hartmann steadily developed his tactics which would earn him the coveted Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds on August 25th, 1944, for claiming 301 aerial victories.

He scored his 352nd and last aerial victory on May 8th, 1945. He, and the remainder of Jagdgeschwader 52, surrendered to United States Army forces and were turned over to the Red Army. In an attempt to pressure him into service with the Soviet friendly East German Volksarmee, he was convicted of false/unjustifiable War Crimes, a conviction posthumously voided by a Russian court as a malicious prosecution. Hartmann was sentenced to 25 years of hard labor, and spent 10 years in various Soviet prison camps and gulags until he was released in 1955.

In 1956, Hartmann joined the newly established West German Luftwaffe and became the first Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 71 “Richthofen”. Hartmann resigned early from the Bundeswehr in 1970, largely due to his opposition to the F-104 Starfighter deployment in the Bundesluftwaffe and the resulting clashes with his superiors over this issue. Erich Hartmann died in 1993.

Share This:

Product Spotlight: Still Silent Sentinels

Forces of Valor’s 1:72 scale US Army Boeing-Vertol MH-47G Chinook Heavy Lift Helicopter – 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment “Night Stalkers”, 2014

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), abbreviated as 160th SOAR (A), is a special operations force of the United States Army that provides helicopter aviation support for general purpose forces and special operations forces. Its missions have included attack, assault, and reconnaissance, and these missions are usually conducted at night, at high speeds, low altitudes, and on short notice.

Nicknamed the “Night Stalkers” and called Task Force Brown within the JSOC, the 160th SOAR(A) is headquartered at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

On January 15th, 2014, a MH-60M Black Hawk of the 160th performed a hard landing at Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia. One soldier, CPT Clayton Carpenter of NY (posthumously promoted to MAJ), was killed with another two injured. On July 4th, 2014, during Operation Inherent Resolve, the Night Stalkers inserted Delta Force operators into Syria to rescue James Foley and other US hostages. One American was wounded, no hostages were found, but a substantial number of terrorists were killed. CENTCOM mistakenly posted a video on the internet of a flight of four MH-60Ms of the 160th SOAR conducting a mid-air refueling over Iraq in October 2014, the video was hastily taken down. On November 26th, 2014, MH-60s flown by the “Night Stalkers” took part in the first raid in the 2014 hostage rescue operation in Yemen.

The “Night Stalkers” continue to be deployed to Afghanistan as part of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission after Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan ended in late 2014 and was replaced with Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. Throughout that night of December 5th, 2015, a group of Rangers engaged in a firefight with enemy troops near the Afghan-Pakistan border; after about 5 a.m. their commander called for an extraction after they learned of a larger enemy group approaching. A helicopter from the 160th SOAR arrived and began receiving heavy fire from the enemy, with an AH-64 Apache helicopter from the 1st Battalion 101st Aviation Regiment escorting the helicopter, put their Apache directly between the U.S. troops, the helicopter and the enemy forces to draw the fire. As a result, the extraction was a success.

Forces of Valor’s rendition of a MH-47G as it was operated by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment “Night Stalker” lifts off this autumn. Update: We’ve had quite a few inquiries as to the exact color being applied to the exterior of this particular helicopter. According to the manufacturer, the specific color being used is called Helo-drab. Essentially, it is a very dark olive drab color that, when viewed under daylight conditions, appears grey. Under nighttime conditions, however, the same color looks like a very deep green and is intended to help camouflage the aircraft while in flight. Moreover, a sandy weathering effect was applied to the lower fuselage of the MH-47G to give it a more weather beaten look. Lastly, a rear-mounted M60 machine gun was affixed to the ramp that is intended to provide the crew with suppressive fire capability against ground targets.

Share This:

Product Spotlight: In Defense of the Reich

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Sd. Kfz. 186 Jagdpanzer VI Jagdtiger Heavy Tank Destroyer with Porsche Suspension – “314”, 3.Kompanie, schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, Germany, March 1945 [Bonus Maybach V-12 HL 230 P30 Engine]

Formed on April 1st, 1943, after first being designated the 197th Sturmgeschutz Battalion, schwere Panzerjager-Abteilung 653 (653rd Heavy Panzerjager Battalion) was a specially created tank destroyer unit of the Wehrmacht designed to take on some of the larger and more destructive allied armor being fielded by both the western and eastern Allied powers. It was originally equipped with the Ferdinand and later the more capable Jagdtiger tank destroyer, perhaps the most powerful anti-tank gun of the Second World War. Elements of the battalion served on the Eastern, Western, and Italian fronts between 1943 and 1945, thereby making it one of the most traveled, and dare we say, deadliest units in the German army.

After bitter fighting in the east, the 3rd Company of schwere Panzerjager-Abteilung 653, returned west to rejoin the 1st Company, which had withdrawn to Vienna with only four operational Elefants. In September, both companies were issued with newly-fielded Jagdtiger heavy tank destroyers. The Jagdtiger was the heaviest armored fighting vehicle produced during the war, mounting a 128 mm main gun inside a 72-tonne chassis. However, it was severely underpowered, having been equipped with an engine (Maybach HL230) originally designed for the 57-tonne Tiger I and which had already been found significantly inadequate even for that vehicle. It was only produced in very small numbers – around 80 were ever built – and the few manufactured would only be issued to two units, the 653rd and the 512th Heavy Panzerjager Battalion.

Once re-equipped, the battalion was again split up, with the 1st Company assigned to the 15th Army on the northern flank of the German Ardennes Offensive and the 3rd assigned to 17.SS Panzergrenadier Division Gotz von Berlichingen to the south, where it would fight in Operation Nordwind in January. By February, the two companies had reunited at Landau in the Palatinate, and by the end of the month, they were reinforced to a strength of 41 Jagdtigers. In April, it fell back to Austria, from where it was to receive new vehicles from the Nibelungenwerk Factory, and finally reached its conclusion in the war under the command of Army Group Ostmark near Linz.

Look for Forces of Valor’s latest Jagdtiger to defend the last vestiges of the Third Reich in early September.

Share This:

Product Spotlight: A Richtofen in Name Only

Corgi’s 1:48 scale German Fokker Dr.1 Triplane Fighter – Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, Jasta 11, Cappy Aerodrome, France, April 21st, 1918

As he prepared for his first combat patrol, novice fighter pilot Wolfram von Richthofen was keen to impress his famous cousin, the famed ‘Red Baron’ and the flight leader for the mission. Although suffering from fatigue and combat stress, Manfred von Richthofen was the consummate professional and the safety of his fellow airmen was of paramount importance to him.

As the Fokker DR.1 fighters of Jasta 11 climbed away from Cappy aerodrome on April 21st, 1918, Wolfram had been given strict instructions to stay out of trouble should the formation encounter the enemy, staying on the periphery of the action and experiencing what the melee of a dogfight looked like.

As his comrades later engaged in combat with the Sopwith Camels of RAF No.209 Squadron, Wolfram did as instructed, but found himself under attack by one of the Camels, which had also been loitering on the edge of the fighting, an aircraft which was flown by the similarly inexperienced Wilfred ‘Wop’ May.

Taking immediate evasive action, the Camel sped past his triplane, with the incident attracting the attention of his famous cousin – Manfred von Richthofen pursued the Camel which seemed destined to become his 81st victim. Wolfram von Richthofen would survive the encounter to become a fighter ace in his own right, however, this meeting of two novice pilots over the trenches of the Western Front would ultimately claim the life of the world’s most famous airman.

Having just led an attack against two British RE8 reconnaissance aircraft above the Somme battlefield, Manfred von Richthofen re-joined the rest of Jasta 11’s Fokker triplane fighters, in time to lead a further attack against a formation of Sopwith Camels from No.209 Squadron RAF. Displaying all his legendary flying skills, the Red Baron attacked the enemy aircraft, whilst at the same time keeping an eye on his cousin Wolfram, a novice pilot who had been instructed not to engage in combat.

On seeing that one of the Camels had attacked Wolfram’s triplane, he broke away from the dogfight and went to his aid, quickly positioning himself on the tail of the Sopwith fighter. Clearly flown by an inexperienced pilot, the Camel was the mount of young Canadian airman Wilfred ‘Wop’ May, who realizing his error, dived at high speed for the ground and the safety of Allied lines.

Flying perilously close to the ground and narrowly missing the church steeple at Vaux-sur-Somme, May knew that if he pulled up, he would fall to the guns of the ace pilot behind him, but as the high ground of Morlancourt Ridge approached, he had no option.

Miraculously, his aircraft was not peppered with bullets and the Triplane giving chase was seen to rear up and make a forced landing in a nearby field – although he didn’t know it at the time, May was being hunted by Manfred von Richthofen and whilst he had managed to escape with his life, the famous Red Baron had not been so fortunate and lay dead in the cockpit of his red Fokker Triplane.

Corgi’s replica of this famous triplane is now in stock and ready for immediate shipment.

Share This:

Product Spotlight: TUSK

Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale US M1A2 SEP Abrams Main Battle Tank with TUSK II Survivability Kit

Several years ago, in a bid to further protect their M1 Abrams tanks against RPGs, mines, IEDs and the latest generation of anti-tank missiles being fielded by the Russian Army, the US Army began to up-armor their fleet of tanks with the TUSK survivability kit. TUSK, which stands for Tank Urban Survival Kit, improves protection, firepower, and Situation Awareness of the tanks. The TUSK includes such components as add-on explosive reactive armor and a slat armor, which provides protection against RPG rounds, 32 dischargers for 66-mm defensive grenades, which loaded with a combination of smoke and anti-personnel grenades, a transparent shielding around vehicle commander’s 12.7-mm machine gun that allow vehicle commander to be protected from enemy fire.

The TUSK also has a thermal weapon sight for a shielded loader’s 7.62-mm machine gun that allows him to locate targets and fire from his machine gun at night, additional remotely controlled 12.7-mm machine gun over the main gun that is fitted with a spotlight. In addition, the TUSK includes a 7.62-mm coaxial machine gun, a 360-degree camera for a vehicle commander that improves SA, new safety sear and rear vision camera for a driver, and an infantry phone that allows the nearby infantry to communicate with the tank commander and coordinate their actions in combat.

Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale US M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank with TUSK I Survivability Kit

The TUSK includes additional protection at the loader’s gun station on the turret and the commander’s gun station, reactive armor to protect the tank’s side from attack by rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and slat armor to protect the tank’s rear from the same weapon, and the tank/infantry telephone to allow infantry and armor soldiers to work together in combat.

All the upgrades use off-the-shelf technology, and the goal is for the entire TUSK to be applied by units in the field, without requiring a return to a depot for modification. The reactive armor, for example, is a product similar to what’s on the Bradley (Armored Fighting Vehicle). It’s explosive armor that protects the vehicle. Another example would be the slat armor designed to protect the tank’s rear from RPG attack. It is similar in design and concept to the slat armor used on the Stryker armored vehicles for the same purpose.

The first TUSK component to reach the field was the Loader’s Armored Gun Shield, which provides protection to the loader when the soldier is firing the 7.62mm machine gun on the Abrams’ turret.

Panzerkamp’s 1:72 scale US M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank with TUSK I Survivability Kit

The Abrams Reactive Armor Tile system is a component of the Tank Urban Survival Kit that was mounted on Abrams tanks during deployments to the Middle East. It consists of a set of two types of reactive armor tiles. Maneuvering the Abrams on the European continent requires different armor configurations. Using the ARAT and not the TUSK will allow the tanks the maneuverability and operability they will need in more verdant areas. ARAT retains the cross-country abilities of the tank because it is not completely loaded down with extra armor. This has the added benefit of being more capable against things like heat rounds and things like explosive ordinance that get fired at the tank.

Looking to demonstrate the effectiveness of this upgraded armor, Panzerkampf plans to release three different 1:72 scale M1 Abrams tanks equipped with the TUSK I and II surviavibility kits. One model represents an M1A2 SEP Abrams equipped with the TUSK II kit. A second showcases a M1A2 Abrams with the TUSK I kit while a third looks at the older M1A1 series of Abrams tanks being fitted with the TUSK I kit. Look for these and other vehicles this fall.

Share This:

Product Spotlight: Wild Weasels

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Republic F-105G Thunderchief Wild Weasel Aircraft – 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron “Wild Weasel”, Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, 1972

Though it had been flying the Republic F-105 Thunderchief since February 1964, it took a further eight years of training and base changes before the 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron’s traded in its illustrious fighter-bomber for the more robust two-seat variant known as the F-105G Wild Weasel.

In April 1972, the squadron established Detachment 1 at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, and flew combat Wild Weasel missions. The detachment was discontinued in September, but crews and planes of the squadron continued to fly missions until late January 1973. The squadron was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with “V” Device and the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm for this period. A plane from the 561st was the last F-105 shot down in the Vietnam War. It was hit by a surface-to-air-missile on November 16th, 1972; the crew was rescued. One of the surviving aircraft from the squadron is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force with the 561st Squadron’s markings.

On July 1st, 1973, the 561st moved to George Air Force Base and joined the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing. At George, the squadron mission was primarily the training of Wild Weasel crews. The squadron continued to fly the F-105G until 1980, when it began transitioning into the McDonnell F-4G Phantom II advanced Wild Weasel, completing the transition the following year. In August 1990, the Wild Weasels deployed to Sheikh Isa Air Base, Bahrain and during Operation Desert Storm flew over 2,400 sorties logging more than 8,000 combat hours. After the war, the squadron was inactivated on June 30th, 1992.


The squadron was activated at Nellis Air Force Base as part of the 57th Operations Group on 1 February 1993. the 561st soon deployed to Incirlik Air Base in support of Operation Provide Comfort and returned to Southwest Asia at Dhahran Air Base in Saudi Arabia, supporting Operation Southern Watch and Operation Vigilant Warrior. The 561st was also employed as an “Aggressor” squadron during RED FLAG exercises. In 1994, the 561st became the largest fighter squadron in the United States Air Force. It maintained a continuous deployment to the Middle East until inactivating in October 1996.

Look for Hobby Master’s first rendition of the F-105G Wild Weasel to grace collector’s shelves some time in October.

Share This:

Product Spotlight: Crouching Tiger

PMA’s 1:72 scale German Mid Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger Ausf. E Heavy Tank – ‘111’, schwere Panzerabteilung 501, Orsha, Russia, 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL 230 TRM P45 Engine]

For the men of schwere Panzerabteilung 501, 1944 rapidly devolved into an exhausting year. Originally commanded by Major Erich Lowe, the unit had been reformed in late 1942 from remnants of the old battalion, including several wounded tank crewmen who had been evacuated to Europe for recuperation before the unit’s demise in Tunisia. Rebuilt and re-staffed, by November 12th it comprised some 45 Tiger I tanks (three companies of 14 tanks, plus three tanks for battalion command).

Between December 5th-12th, the battalion was transferred to the Vitebsk region in what is modern-day Belarus. On December 20th, the 501st attacked an enemy tank formation near Losovka, inflicting 21 enemy tanks destroyed and some 28 guns put out of action, all for the loss of two of its own tanks and all three company commanders wounded. Because infantry support was unable to follow up its success, the 501st was forced to withdraw. Three days later, Major Lowe, the battalion commander, went missing after he was forced to change tanks when his own was knocked out. Over the next five days, the battalion destroyed 81 enemy tanks. By the end of December, however, 16 Tigers were operational out of 39 available, two having fallen into Soviet hands.


Major von Legat took command in January 1944 and the battalion carried out missions in the Orsha region. On January 13th, a Tiger was destroyed by an artillery shell plunging through its turret roof. On February 13th, failed attacks led to the loss of a further nine Tigers. By March 1st, only 17 Tigers were available for action out of 29 that fell in for duty due to a lack of spare parts.


On March 12th, the battalion joined the 256.Infanterie division in a counterattack north of Nipinzy; by the next day, the enemy forces were surrounded and destroyed. By April 1st, spare parts had been delivered and 27 tanks were again operational.


In June, nine tanks were transferred to schwere Panzerabteilung 509, leaving 20 operational. On June 23rd, Operation Bagration was launched by the Red Army. Fighting at Orsha resulted in the battalion having to be dispersed, leading to several days of independent tank battles, some against IS-2s. Under the weight of a withdrawing Tiger, the Orsha bridge collapsed, and several others ran out of fuel. The rest retreated towards the Berezina River, where only six could be ferried across, the rest being blown up by their crews on July 1st.


By July 2nd-4th, ad-hoc defenses of dispersed Tigers fell back towards the Minsk area: despite the arrival of five replacement vehicles, which boosted operational forces to seven, two were lost, and another broke down. The next day, several Tigers ran out of fuel while withdrawing near Maladzyechna; another bogged down, and all three immobilized Tigers were blown up. Operational tank strength dropped to zero and the year was only half over.


PMA’s tribute to the men and machines of schwere Panzerabteilung 501 rolls in this April, provided the bridges can hold them and the Red Army falls back to lick their wounds.

Share This: