While much is made of Russia’s latest main battle tank, the T-14 Armata, and its radical departure from previous Soviet/Russian tank designs, the West has not been idle, recognizing the need to upgrade their own fleet of main battle tanks if they are to a win a conventional war. Several years ago, work began in earnest to develop a new series of main battle tanks that could cope with and defeat many of the latest technological advances that have been made on the battlefield as well as identify threats that will likely come into play over the ensuing decades.
In the case of the United States, the venerable M1 Abrams tank will certainly undergo a series of radical upgrades that have been designed to meet these new threats — building upon a family of vehicles that have soldiered on for well over four decades. The M1 Abrams X, as it is currently named, is the fruit of these labors, created to meet these challenges with a package of upgrades that are aimed at enhancing the mobility, survivability and lethality of the Abrams. Germany has taken a different approach, their military abandoning its highly successful series of Leopard tanks — vehicles that have served them well for over thirty years in favor of a brand new armored fighting vehicle. In its place, they are resurrecting a name that struck fear in the hearts of soldiers some 80 years ago, while incorporating the latest technological improvements arising from years of painstaking development. Meet the KF51 Panther.
While surfing the web, I recently came across a post where someone asked about the best way to clean off a model. Personally, I don’t have all that many models on display in my home or office for fear of bumping into them and watching them fall to the floor as a pile of junk. What few I do have on display I semi-regularly wipe off with a clean rag or give them the once over with a keyboard air duster, which, as it turns out, aren’t ideal ways of keeping them in the best of shape.
So, I decided to see what the pros on YouTube suggest doing and share their insight after facing much the same problem. A shout out to Model Car Muse for his advice and hope it helps keep everyone’s collection in tip top condition,
Forces of Valor’s 1:64 scale US M4A3E8(76)W Sherman Medium Tank – “Thunderbolt VII”, 37th Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Division, Germany, 194
When they acquired Greenlight Collectibles earlier this year, Waltersons also inherited a new range of armored fighting vehicles in the form of their 1:64 scale “Battalion 64” sub brand. With so many different ranges already in their vast product portfolio, however, it wasn’t clear what they planned on doing with this new brand and how it fit within their overall lineup. When taken in conjunction with their own extensive line of 1:72 scale vehicles, a line originally produced by Unimax and dormant for several years running, it wasn’t certain if this new range had a place in their strategy going forward. Well, we now have an answer.
Eight WWII-era vehicles — complete with updated images and various cosmetic and physical improvements — were recently posted to their new and improved Chinese-based Forces of Valor web site, although pricing was omitted along with release dates. All are based upon US made vehicles, from jeeps to ambulances, tanks to half-tracks. If they are looking for the brand to succeed, we are assuming the manufacturer will eventually create an adversarial range composed of Axis vehicles, and possibly other vehicles to further flesh out the brand.
At this point, we do not know what the new packaging will look like. The original series, developed for several big box retailers, featured J-hook packaging so that it could be displayed alongside other peggable merchandise. However, its not clear if Waltersons will attempt to re-invent the brand by introducing standard-sized boxed packaging that is more in line with their other proprietary ranges.
Interestingly, no word as yet concerning their own range of 1:72 scale combat vehicles, and information concerning their other brands and lines were scanty at best.
“Ship unmaneuverable. We shall fight to the last shell. Long live the Führer.“
Vice-Admiral Günther Lütjens, onboard battleship Bismarck
Forces of Valor’s 1:700 scale German Kriegsmarine Bismarck Class Battleship – DKM Bismarck, Operation Rheinubung, Battle of the Denmark Strait, May 1941 [Waterline Version]
The heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen sailed at about 21:00 on 18 May 1941 from Gotenhafen (Gdynia, Poland), followed at 2:00 a.m., May 19th, by Bismarck. Both ships proceeded under escort, separately and rendezvoused off Cape Arkona on Rügen Island in the western Baltic, where the destroyers Z23 and Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt joined them. They then proceeded through the Danish Islands into the Kattegat. Entering the Kattegat on May 20th Bismarck and Prinz Eugen sailed north toward the Skagerrak, the strait between Jutland and Southern Norway, where they were sighted by the Swedish aircraft-carrying cruiser Gotland on around 1:00 p.m. Gotland forwarded the sighting in a routine report. Earlier, around noon, a flight of Swedish aircraft also detected the German vessels and likewise reported their sighting.
On May 21st, the Admiralty was alerted by sources in the Swedish government that two large German warships had been seen in the Kattegat. The ships entered the North Sea and took a brief refuge in a Grimstadfjord near Bergen, Norway on May 21st where Prinz Eugen was topped off with fuel, making a break for the Atlantic shipping lanes on May 22nd. By this time, Hood and Prince of Wales, with escorting destroyers, were en route to the Denmark Strait, where two cruisers, Norfolk and Suffolk were already patrolling. The cruisers Manchester and Birmingham had been sent to guard the waters south-east of Iceland.
Forces of Valor’s 1:700 scale German Kriegsmarine Bismarck Class Battleship – DKM Bismarck, Operation Rheinubung, Battle of the Denmark Strait, May 1941 [Full Hull Version]
Once the departure of the German ships was discovered, AdmiralSir John Tovey, the Commander-in-Chief of the British Home Fleet, sailed with King George V, Victorious and their escorts to support those already at sea. Repulse joined soon afterwards.
On the evening of May 23rd, Suffolk sighted Bismarck and Prinz Eugen in the Denmark Strait, close to the Greenland coast. Suffolk immediately sought cover in a fog bank and alerted The Admiralty. Bismarck opened fire on Norfolk at a range of six miles but Norfolk escaped into fog. Norfolk and Suffolk, outgunned, shadowed the German ships using radar. No hits were scored but the concussion of the main guns firing at Norfolk had knocked out Bismarck’s radar causing Lütjens to re-position Prinz Eugen ahead of Bismarck. After the German ships were sighted, British naval groups were redirected to either intercept Lütjens’ force or to cover a troop convoy.
Hood and Prince of Wales made contact with the German force early on the morning of May 24th, and the action started at 5:52 a.m., with the combatants about 25,000 yards (23,000 m) apart. Gunners onboard Hood initially mistook Prinz Eugen that was now in the lead for Bismarck and opened fire on her, Capt Leach commanding HMS Prince of wales realizing V/Adm Holland’s error engaged Bismarck from the outset. Both German ships were firing at Hood. Hood suffered an early hit from Prinz Eugen which started a rapidly spreading fire amidships.
Then, at about 6 a.m., one or more of Hood’s magazines exploded, probably as the result of a direct hit by a 38 cm (15 in) shell from Bismarck. The massive explosion broke the great battlecruiser’s back, and she sank within minutes. All but three of her 1,418-man crew died, including Vice Admiral Lancelot Holland, commanding officer of the squadron.
Prince of Wales continued the action, but suffered multiple hits with 38 cm (15 in) and 20.3 cm (8 in) shells, and experienced repeated mechanical failures with her main armament. Her commanding officer, Captain Leach, was wounded when one of Bismarck’s shells struck Prince of Wales’ bridge. Leach broke off the action, and the British battleship retreated under cover of a smokescreen.
Bismarck had been hit three times but Admiral Lütjens overruled Bismarck‘s Captain Ernst Lindemann who wanted to pursue the damaged Prince of Wales and finish her off. All of the hits on Bismarck had been inflicted by Prince of Wales‘ 14-inch (356 mm) guns. One of the hits had penetrated the German battleship’s hull near the bow, rupturing some of her fuel tanks, causing her to leak oil continuously and at a serious rate. This was to be a critical factor as the pursuit continued, forcing Bismarck to make for Brest instead of escaping into the great expanse of the Atlantic. The resulting oil slick also helped the British cruisers to shadow her.
Norfolk and Suffolk and the damaged Prince of Wales continued to shadow the Germans, reporting their position to draw British forces to the scene. In response, it was decided that the undamaged Prinz Eugen would detach to continue raiding, while Bismarck drew off the pursuit. In conjunction with this, Admiral Dönitz committed the U-boat arm to support Bismarck with all available U-boats in the Atlantic. He organised two patrol lines to trap the Home Fleet should Bismarck lead her pursuers to them. One line of 7 boats was arrayed in mid-Atlantic while another, of 8 boats, was stationed west of the Bay of Biscay. At 6:40 p.m. on 24 May, Bismarck turned on her pursuers and briefly opened fire to cover the escape of Prinz Eugen. The German cruiser slipped away undamaged.
At 10 p.m., Victorious was 120 miles (190 km) away and launched an air attack with nine Fairey Swordfishtorpedo bombers, which were guided in by Norfolk. In poor weather, and against heavy fire, they attacked and made a single torpedo hit under the bridge. However, up against strong belt armor and anti-torpedo bulges, it failed to cause substantial damage. The attacking aircraft were all safely recovered by Victorious, despite poor weather, darkness, aircrew inexperience and the failure of the carrier’s homing beacon.[7]
At 3 a.m. on May 25th, the British shadowers lost contact with Bismarck. At first, it was thought that she would return to the North Sea, and ships were directed accordingly. Then Lütjens, believing that he was still being shadowed by the British, broke radio silence by sending a long radio message to headquarters in Germany. This allowed the British to triangulate Bismarck’s approximate position and send aircraft to hunt for the German battleship. By the time that it was realized that Lütjens was heading for Brest, Bismarck had broken the naval cordon and gained a lead. By 11 p.m., Lütjens was well to the east of Tovey’s force and had managed to evade Rodney. Bismarck was short of fuel due to the damaging hit inflicted by Prince of Wales which had caused Lütjens to reduce speed to conserve fuel but Bismarck still had enough speed to outrun the heavy units of the Home Fleet and reach the safety of France. From the south, however, Somerville’s Force H with the carrier Ark Royal, the battlecruiser Renown, and the light cruiser HMS Sheffield were approaching to intercept.
The British ships were also beginning to run low on fuel, and the escape of Bismarck seemed more and more certain. However, at 10:30 a.m. on 26 May, a PBY Catalina flying-boat, based at Lough Erne, Northern Ireland, found Bismarck. She was 700 miles (1,100 km) from Brest and not within range of Luftwaffe air cover.
This contact was taken over by two Swordfish from Ark Royal. This carrier now launched an airstrike, but her aircrew were unaware of Sheffield’s proximity to Bismarck, mistook the British cruiser for the German battleship and therefore immediately attacked her. Their torpedoes had been fitted with influence detonators, and several of them exploded prematurely. Others missed their target, and the attacking aircraft then received a warning from Ark Royal that Sheffield was in the vicinity, whereupon the Swordfish finally recognized the cruiser and broke off the attack.
Ark Royal now launched, in almost impossibly bad weather conditions for air operations, and from a distance of less than 40 miles upwind of Bismarck, a second strike consisting of 15 Swordfish. These were carrying torpedoes equipped with the standard and reliable contact detonators. The attack resulted in two or three hits on the German ship, one of which inflicted critical damage on her steering. A jammed rudder now meant she could now only sail away from her intended destination of Brest. At midnight, Lütjens signalled his headquarters: “Ship unmaneuverable. We shall fight to the last shell. Long live the Führer.”
The battleships Rodney and King George V waited for daylight on May 27th before attacking. At 8:47 a.m., they opened fire, quickly hitting Bismarck. Her gunners achieved near misses on Rodney, but the British ships had silenced Bismarck’s main guns within half an hour. Despite close-range shelling by Rodney, a list to port, and widespread fires, Bismarck did not sink.
According to David Mearns and James Cameron’s underwater surveys in recent years the British main guns achieved only four hits on Bismarck‘s main armored belt, two through the upper armor belt on the starboard side from King George V and two on the port side from Rodney. These four hits occurred at about 10:00 a.m., at close range, causing heavy casualties among the sheltering crew.
Nearly out of fuel – and mindful of possible U-boat attacks – the British battleships left for home. The heavy cruiser Dorsetshire attacked with torpedoes and made three hits. Scuttling charges were soon set off by German sailors, and at 10:40 a.m., Bismarck capsized and sank. Dorsetshire and the destroyer Maori rescued 110 survivors. After an hour, rescue work was abruptly ended when there were reports of a U-boat presence. Another three survivors were picked up by U-74 and two by the German weather shipSachsenwald. Over 2,000 died, including Captain Lindemann and Admiral Lütjens.
To commemorate the actions of the battleship, DKM Bismarck, Waltersons is both relaunching its full hull version of the warship, while simultaneously releasing a waterline version. Both versions are expected to grace our shelves in late August.
While Waltersons has completed the physical portion of its move from Los Angeles to Indiana, they are apparently still working on setting up everything in their computer system, hence the delay in getting new product into the hands of everyone. Reading between the lines, if you will, they will likely get everything synced up sometime in August barring any additional hiccups or cause for concern. The product marked as en route in our Release Schedule is what we currently expect once the Company gets their act together and is ready — from an operational standpoint — to resume business. Any new items listed in the August Upcoming Releases section will likely arrive a couple of weeks later unless, of course, they run into additional issues. So, hang in there and rest assured everyone in the supply chain is doing their utmost to get product out the door in the most efficient manner possible.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale 1942 Production US Army GMC CCKW 353 6×6 2-1/2 Ton Truck – No Tarp
Update: We’ve learned that a second version of the soon-to-be-released US GMC 2-1/2-ton truck will be arriving some time in August along with the Company’s latest introductions. This new version will come with four figures but, to differentiate it from the first version, has no “tarp” strewn across the rear-mounted bows. As an aside, it would appear as if Walterson’s strategy to offer up two versions of each new introduction simultaneously (see their pair of Chaffees, Opel Blitz trucks amd Apache gunships as examples). A “split-run”, if you will, their goal is to get more product out-the-door, doing so, it would appear, at reduced production costs by releasing similarly conceived items in one batch.
We’ve been told that the shipment containing many of their newest items is on the water and should be arriving by the end of August. We have, however, moved said items into our September Releases section, erring on the side of caution based upon previous experience. The manufacturer is aware that the holiday shopping season is fast approaching and they are working feverishly to announce their next set of new releases so that everyone can weigh their options for their end-of-year purchases.
No longer content to offer up a handful of new items at a time, Dragon uploaded a collage of new products that are purportedly in the pipeline, demonstrating once and for all that they’re back in the pre-assembled game. Initially, we thought these were model kits languishing on the drawing board but after taking a closer look realized these were some of the newest pre-assembled replicas intended to grace everyone’s curio cabinets over the course of the next year or so. Of particular note is a Patrol Boat, River, or PBR, which was the United States Navy designation for a small rigid-hulledpatrol boat used in the Vietnam War from March 1966 until 1975, and used with great effect across the Mekong Delta in the southern region of South Vietnam. No scale was listed, so we’re assuming it’ll be headed downstream in 1:35 scale since Tamiya, their principal competitor, already makes a kit of the PBR in that size.
We’re not certain if this new branch will retain the Neo Dragon Armor moniker or be christened with a more naval sounding sub brand in line with what they are modeling. If they decide to bring back their Dragon Warbirds or Space ranges, the same can be said for these categories.
Getting back to their armor subjects, two Calliope rocket-launching tanks were shown, along with a vast array of modern era armored fighting vehicles too numerous to list here, many of which have seen action on the field of battle in the Russo-Ukrainian War. For now, we’ll hold off posting each new vehicle to our site since no pricing nor other pertinent information was alluded to in the image. Bear in mind that each vehicle type shown in the accompanying collage typically means that Dragon is developing two-four models, all in differing schemes, variants and other markings. That said, 2024 is looking like a strong year for armored fans, many of whom have been picking and choosing from amongst a handful of new releases for the last several years.
It would appear as if Dragon will once again be selling fully assembled 1:35 scale models. Unfortunately, pricing hasn’t been established, so we’re probably looking in the neighborhood of $200 a pop for a new vehicle, if pricing for their 1:72 scale vehicles can serve as the basis for conjecture
In another related development, it would appear as if Dragon will be starting up a new range of pre-assembled models, this time around in 1:35 scale. A few days ago, Dragon posted this image of a 1:35 scale model sitting alongside a 1:72 scale replica to their Facebook account. Initially, it wasn’t clear if the larger replica was simply a model kit used for size comparison purposes. However, Dragon typically uses a four-digit SKU code for their kit range and a five-digit code for its pre-assembled vehicles. If true, this would certainly come as welcome news, since its been some years since Dragon offered up their larger scale models in fully assembled form. While not exactly the same size as Forces of Valor’s slightly larger 1:32 scale vehicles, they are close enough to be used in dioramas and military-themed vignettes.
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Israeli Dassault-Breuget Mirage III Fighter – Yoram Agmom, 101 Squadron, Hatzor Air Base, Israel, July 1966
Like clockwork, Hobby Master announced its latest gaggle of warbirds, all of which are scheduled to fly-in between March and May of 2024. Its an eclectic lineup, with lots to choose from and all sorts of models depicted for the discriminating collector
Of note is their first ever Dassault Mirage III fighter, which is cloaked in Israeli markings and drawn from a 1966 engagement between Israeli pilot, Yoram Agmom, and several Syrian fighters. Agmom would go on to become the first Mirage III pilot to earn a kill in his delta-winged fighter. A number of re-hashed aircraft are also in the mix, as well as several proven favorites, such as their latest F-22 Raptor, F-35C Joint Strike Fighter, and everyone’s perennial hero, a Grumman F-14F Tomcat, this time bearing the markings of VF-31 “Tomcatters”. Enjoy!
Neo Dragon Armor’s 1:72 scale German Late Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Michael Wittmann, “212”, schwere SS Panzerabteilung 101, Normandy, France, Summer 1944
We were patiently awaiting an image for the upcoming Tiger I tank commanded by famed ace, Michael Wittmann – a model that was announced two weeks ago, only to discover an additional pair of Tigers are in the offing as well as a couple of Jagdpanther tank destroyers. This makes three Tiger I tanks that were fielded by Wittmann during the fierce fighting for Normandy in the summer of 1944; a familiar pattern by Dragon when it comes to pumping out models based upon famous aces. No doubt, an Otto Carius Tiger I will eventually put in an appearance along with other panzer aces previously depicted in their standard Dragon Armor series.
Neo Dragon Armor’s 1:72 scale German Late Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Michael Wittmann, “222”, schwere SS Panzerabteilung 101, Normandy, France, Summer 1944
The two Jagdpanthers shown on the Dragon web site are equally appealing even though they do not represent vehicles commanded by known tank aces. Still, they fill in a conspicuous hole in the Neo Dragon Armor lineup, which will no doubt be bolstered by other versions of the Jagdpanther.
Neo Dragon Armor’s 1:72 scale German Late Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Michael Wittmann, “007”, schwere SS Panzerabteilung 101, Cintheaux, France, Summer 1944Neo Dragon Armor’s 1:72 scale German Early Production Sd. Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Ausf. G1 Tank Destroyer – Unidentified Unit, Summer Camouflage
While we’ve opened up the pre-order window for all of their latest models, we do not as yet have a firm release date for all of their latest introductions.
Neo Dragon Armor’s 1:72 scale German Early Production Sd. Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Ausf. G1 Tank Destroyer – Panzerkorps “Grossdeutschland”, Memel, Prussia, Germany, Winter 1944
Air Force 1’s 1:72 scale USAAF Northrop P-61A Black Widow Interceptor – “Midnight Belle,” 6th Night Fighter Squadron, Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, 1945
Lo and behold a new shipment of Air Force 1 aircraft has landed, flying in well below the radar to make an unexpected arrival. Several key models are amongst the passenger list, including this Northrop P-61A Black Widow dubbed Midnight Belle and a long lost B-25 Mitchell bomber that took part in the historic raid over Tokyo in early 1942. We don’t expect these models to last long so if you’re interested we strongly suggest you kick the tires and give them a once over before they head off for parts unknown.
Forces of Valor’s 1:700 scale German Kriegsmarine Bismarck Class Battleship – DKM Bismarck, Operation Rheinubung, Gotenhafen, Poland, May 1941 [Waterline Version]
Now that Waltersons has completed its move to its new Indiana warehouse as a result of the Greenlight Collectibles acquisition, we have been informed that our latest order is being prepared for shipment. Barring any unforeseen issues, we are likely looking to receive it the first week of August. This shipment is mostly composed of re-stocks, but it also contains the long out-of-stock 88mm FLaK gun and some of their newest warships.
Beyond that, it appears as if several new vehicles are slated to arrive later in August, fingers crossed. This follow-on shipment will contain the M24 Chaffee tanks, the GMC cargo truck and two Opel ambulances. Also expected are a pair of 1:72 scale Apache gunships.
Forces of Valor’s 1:700 scale US Navy Iowa Class Battleship – USS Missouri (BB-63), Measure 32, Design 22D Camouflage, Pacific Theatre of Operations, 1944 [Waterline Version]
Frankly, we’ve found that patience is a virtue with this manufacturer particularly since they have taken over their own distribution in an effort to get more product into the sales channel. Its not a knock per se because I can tell you first hand its not easy setting up a brand new warehouse and everything that goes with it. Still, communications could be better, both online and via email, particularly since the holiday season is right around the corner and customers will be seeking out their product as gift-giving ideas. A number of projects have been hinted at yet we see no signs of movement, either through pictures or product information, although we do know they are working diligently to move them along. We recognize that there are a great many fans of the line and wanted to ensure everyone that we are doing our best to pass along information as soon as it is generated. In the meantime, enjoy what you own and know that the manufacturer is burning the midnight oil to get even more product into the pipeline.
