Looking to add more firepower across the entire spectrum of military conflicts, Hobby Master announced four more warbirds to its growing list of scale combat aircraft, all due out at varying intervals throughout 2022. By clicking on each line art image, you can then determine its price and estimated arrival date.
At long last, we’ve finally received word that Panzerkampf’s M1070 heavy equipment transporter is en route to us and should be in stock by month’s end. Thus far, only the tri-color version is reported to be in stock with our distributor, so we are presuming the desert version should roll in some time in March.
More importantly, our wholesale cost isn’t quite as high as originally anticipated, so we were able to reduce its selling price from $149.99 to $129.99, a healthy decrease considering the rising prices of some of the other items we’ve been holding out hope for over the last year. As I alluded to in a previous blog post, anyone that pre-ordered the set at $89.99 can still expect to pay this amount without seeing any upwards price adjustment on their invoice. The same will hold true for the desert sand version since we can only logically conclude that it should carry the same wholesale cost.
In a related announcement, we have now received and shipped out all of the first series of Panzerkampf M1A2 tanks with the TUSK I survivability kit. We have a handful of pieces left over for general sale and plan to re-order those SKUs that are currently listed as being back ordered. While all three SKUs come in the popular desert sand scheme and the M1070 expected comes in a tri-color camouflage scheme, the two products can still be displayed as a set should you wish to do so. Its not unheard of in the military world to combine two items in dissimilar schemes if time doesn’t permit their uniformity in appearance. Otherwise, we strongly suggest pre-ordering the desert scheme heavy equipment transporter, which will likely be snapped up in a hurry when they do arrive in early 2022.
Update: Our distributor informs us that the desert heavy equipment transporter wasn’t completed and ready for shipment at the same time as the tri-color version, so it will likely show up in the summer. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but these types of things do occur on occasion despite the best efforts to prevent them.
Let’s face it. Some of us like to purchase a pre-assembled replica straight out of the box while others prefer to make ’em. Personally, I gave up on modelling in my teens when I realized I didn’t have the expertise, tools or time to build what was clearly being advertised. Nearly fifty years later, poor eye sight, lack of patience and other demands on my time means I’d prefer to ogle the finished product by tearing open the shrink wrap rather than trying to cobble one together.
Fortunately, Waltersons, the new caretakers of the Forces of Valor brand, sees things from both sides of the ledger, offering their customers both finished products as well as build ups, all designed to cater to a wider audience than their predecessors ever envisaged. In fact, earlier today, the manufacturer finally posted images of their first ever 1:32 scale tank: an early production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E heavy tank. The pictures clearly show how much metal content is included in the kit, as well as the detail that goes into each and every tank they make, be they finished vehicles or model kits. Presently, no price has been announced for their first kit nor has a definitive release date been provided.
There appears to be some progress from the Panzerkampf camp, with several diecast military vehicles either headed our way or finally appearing on the radar screen. Frankly, with two different North American distributors its oftentimes difficult to ascertain which company will carry which item, since there is oftentimes overlap in some areas and none in others. Late yesterday, we learned that several of the earliest M1A2 Abrams tanks are finally headed our way, after first being announced well over a year ago. Not all of the Abrams tanks are expected – just a few equipped with the TUSK 1 survivability kit. We presume the balance of the series will be released later this spring, although its not clear who will be stocking them, when they are expected or at what wholesale price.
Also in this shipment is a British A39 Tortoise heavy tank as well as a lone example of the US M42 Duster self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. Again, its not clear when or if the other versions of the Duster will be released so we suggest anyone that pre-ordered any of these vehicles choose this version since we cannot guarantee that the others will show up. We’ve ordered extra pieces of this version, so anyone that wants to make the switch to “How Heavy is Dead?” from “Iron Coffin” or II Field Force should be covered. Due to low consumer demand, we would also strongly suggest anyone that pre-ordered the ROC version make the switch to the US vehicle expected.
We’ve also learned that Panzerkampf’s pair of M1070 heavy equipment transporters, originally slated for a 2021 release and available in both Europe and Asia, will finally arrive in the US some time in March. Here again we have no way of knowing presently if these items are being offered on an allocation basis due to strong demand, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that we will be able to fill all of the orders we have received to date without having to make any harsh decisions. There’s a good chance the manufacturer may revisit this item at a later date should they feel demand warrants a second batch of vehicles.
In other news, Panzerkampf’s trio of MH-53 helicopters are expected to make an encore performance this spring, perhaps arriving with the M1070 heavy equipment transporters in March. No further information has been disseminated on the release date of their many different aircraft, WWII-era aircraft carrier or some of their other projects hinted at online. The manufacturer has unveiled rough sketches, CAD drawings and, in some instances, first shots of several upcoming helicopters such as the UH-60 Black Hawk while offering scant information concerning their Hind heavy attack helicopter.
Finally, we’ve seen a dramatic rise in the cost of their most recently released vehicles, including the M1 Abrams as well as the M42 Duster. Their new retail price is set at $49.99. If you placed a pre-order at the $39.99 price point, then we will still honor this price when we begin to process these orders in late February.
The Russo-Ukrainian War is an ongoing and protracted conflict that started in February 2014, primarily involving Russia and pro-Russian forces on one hand, and Ukraine on the other. The war has centered on the status of Crimea and parts of the Donbas, which are largely internationally recognized as part of Ukraine.
Following the Euromaidan protests and the subsequent removal of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on February 22nd and amidst pro-Russianunrest in Ukraine, Russian soldiers without insignias took control of strategic positions and infrastructure within the Ukrainian territory of Crimea. On March 1st, 2014, the Federation Council of the Russian Federation unanimously adopted a resolution to petition Russian President Vladimir Putin to use military force in Ukraine. The resolution was adopted several days later, after the start of the Russian military operation on the “Returning of Crimea”. Russia then annexed Crimea after a widely criticized local referendum which was organized by Russia after the capturing of the Crimean parliament whose outcome was for the Autonomous Repulbic of Crimea to join the Russian Federation. In April, demonstrations by pro-Russian groups in the Donbas area of Ukraine escalated into a war between the Ukrainian government and the Russian-backed separatist forces of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republic. In August, Russian military vehicles crossed the border in several locations of Donetsk Oblast. The incursion by the Russian military was seen as responsible for the defeat of Ukrainian forces in early September.
In November 2014, the Ukrainian military reported intensive movement of troops and equipments from Russia into the separatist-controlled parts of the eastern Ukraine. The Associated Press reported 40 unmarked military vehicles on the move in rebel-controlled areas. The Organziation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission observed convoys of heavy weapons and tanks in DPR-controlled territory without insignia. OSCE monitors further stated they observed vehicles transporting ammunition and soldiers’ dead bodies crossing the Russian-Ukrainian border under the guise of humanitarian aid convoys. As of early August 2015, OSCE observed over 21 such vehicles marked with the Russian military code for soldiers killed in action. According to The Moscow Times, Russia has tried to intimidate and silence human rights workers discussing Russian soldiers’ deaths in the conflict. OSCE has time and again reported that its observers were denied access to the areas controlled by “combined Russian-separatist forces”.
The majority of members of the international community and organizations such as Amnesty International have condemned Russia for its actions in post-revolutionary Ukraine, accusing it of breaking international law and violating Ukrainian sovereignty. Many countries implemented economic sanctions against Russia, Russian individuals or companies.
In October 2015, The Washington Post reported that Russia has redeployed some of its elite units from Ukraine to Syria to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In December 2015, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin admitted that Russian military intelligence officers were operating in Ukraine, insisting though that they were not the same as regular troops. As of February 2019, 7% of Ukraine’s territory is classified by the Ukrainian government as temporarily occupied territories.
As of February 6th, 2022, Russia has surrounded Ukraine militarily, and its force presence and posture continue to raise concerns that Russia will invade its neighbor and ignite a new conflict in Europe.
Russia now has over 130,000 troops, as well as a significant amount of weaponry and other hardware, in positions around Ukraine. Though Russia has denied having plans to attack, many in the West remain skeptical. Russia has troops in Belarus, western Russia, and Crimea.
US intelligence previously suggested Russia had plans to launch a military offensive against Ukraine in “early 2022” with a force of 175,000. Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week that Russia had enough troops and equipment in place now to launch an attack with “little warning.”
Ukraine is bracing for a Russian invasion as regular civilians train for war, and NATO is hardening its positions in Eastern Europe to deter Russia from pushing past Ukraine, should it decide to attack.
JC Wings’ recently released Ukrainian Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29MU1 ‘Fulcrum-C’ Fighter clad in a digitized winter camouflage scheme is now in stock and available for immediate shipment.
We recognize that a great many of you are frustrated that they cannot obtain the latest Forces of Valor products here in North America when said products may be available in other parts of the world for months on end. Frankly, we’re just as frustrated, perhaps even more. We’ve heard, on more than one occasion, how a shipment was expected to arrive by such-and-such date, only to learn that the shipment has been delayed for one reason or another and rescheduled to arrive at a later date. Part of this is simply due to COVID and the effects it has had on the global supply chain. Manufacturers have been decimated by sick outs and, in turn, have had to deal with rising costs, and naturally enough, had to endure delays in getting raw materials to their facility so that they could be hammered into finished goods.
That said, we have also been confronted with a number of other issues that have nothing to do with the pandemic and never seem to work themselves out in either a convincing or acceptable manner. Some things we are unable to discuss because it roils egos and generally upsets the delicate equilibrium that exists between the manufacturer, distributor and retailer, who all play a part in getting the product through the supply channel and into the waiting arms of the collector. The last time we commented in a public manner, the manufacturer took us to task on Facebook, essentially attempting to wash their hands of the problem by blaming another entity on a distant shore. We took it in stride, even though on a point by point basis, we were absolutely correct and others silently agreed.
Which leads me to our latest Forces of Valor update, or the lack thereof. We were told to expect the latest shipment in late January and then early February. That delivery date has now morphed into late February and could even slide into early March. We’re not sure why we are continually being told one thing one minute then something entirely different the next. It leaves us scratching our heads wondering who to believe and where to place our trust. Granted these are private companies that aren’t obligated to explain away all of the delays and therefore have no shareholders to answer to, quarterly reports to file or stock prices to follow if they were a public company. Still, it continually leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I’m sure it has an equally unpalatable effect on others as well. The good news, if we can point to a silver lining in this gun metal grey cloud looming overhead, is that a pair of 1:48 scale Cobra helicopters are supposed to be included in this shipment, when it was originally pegged for March or even April. Of course, this news too could change but this is the latest information we are being offered in lieu of missing another target date. Its a bright spot to be sure and hopefully points to other fruitful announcements in the not-too-distant future.
So, to sum up, please be patient as we continually await the arrival of this oft-delayed shipment. We certainly have learned the meaning of patience. At the end of the day, the manufacturer makes a truly remarkable product that collectors have learned to covet and proudly display for all the world to see. They just have to wait an eternity to receive it, something we wish would finally be addressed to everyone’s satisfaction so that we and others could say you could put credence in what is being said from everyone in the supply chain. Remember, one step forwards…
There were never very many Tiger tanks, less than 1,400 total. They were huge (German crews scornfully called them “furniture vans”), high maintenance, a gas-guzzler even by tank standards, and were more often out of commission due to mechanical failure than damage in combat. And, after its North African debut in a battle near Robaa, Tunisia, a Feb. 5th, 1943, New York Times article stated the Tiger “failed to impress military observers here.” According to those observers “a few well-placed shots even from a light anti-tank rifle” could immobilize it. That article for home consumption literally papered over the truth. Allied troops were scared to death of the Tiger.
There was one very good reason for that fear: they didn’t have a weapon powerful enough to stop it. The reasons for that boiled down to differences in tank doctrine and philosophy based on tradition, prejudice, and circumstance. Despite a World War I flirtation with (other countries’) tanks, in practical terms the US Army was a latecomer to tank warfare, not fielding a mechanized armor corps until 1940, and was prejudicially influenced by horse cavalry advocates led by Chief of Cavalry Maj. Gen. John K. Herr (whose office was not disbanded until 1942). As such, though Army armor advocates studied writings by armored warfare philosopher Gen. Heinz Guderian and others as well as the Wehrmacht’s blitzkrieg battlefield successes, American armor advocates took away only that part of German tank doctrine that suited them: mass, speed, and maneuver. Accordingly, the American role of tanks was not to fight other tanks, but to smash through enemy lines and raise hell in their rear, the traditional role of cavalry.
Overlooked or ignored was the other side of the coin of German blitzkrieg tank doctrine expressed in Guderian’s 1937 book Achtung Panzer!, “The tank’s most dangerous enemy is another tank [emphasis added]. If we are unable to defeat the enemy armor the breakthrough has as good as failed. . . .” The Tiger was the ultimate expression of that tank versus tank doctrine.
To Guderian’s disgust, the Tigers first saw action in the siege of Leningrad. In his book Panzer Leader, Guderian wrote, “[Hitler] ordered that the Tigers be committed in a quite secondary operation, in a limited attack carried out in [swampy, forested] terrain that was utterly unsuitable. . . . The results were not only heavy, unnecessary casualties, but also the loss of secrecy and of the element of surprise for future operations.”
The heavy tank battalion s.Pz.-Abt. 501(Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501) began arriving in Tunis in late November 1942. Kampfgruppe Lueder (named after its leader Maj. Hans-Georg Lueder), initially three Tigers and four Panzer IIIs, later three more Tigers, went into action on Dec. 1, 1942, participating in the Battle of Tebourba. When the battle ended in a German victory on Dec. 5, Allied troops under British Lt. Gen. Kenneth Anderson had lost 55 tanks, hundreds of vehicles, and more than 1,000 troops captured, with the Tigers knocking out most of the Allied tanks.
Soon the sight of even one Tiger entering battle caused the blood in Allied troops to run cold. The Tiger’s high-velocity 88 mm main gun could outshoot anything they had, and armor piercing shells bounced off the Tiger’s thick armor – even from ranges as close as 50 meters. In an attack against Allied positions in the Medjerda river valley of northwest Tunisia not long after, s.Pz.-Abt. 501 reported that “fleeing enemy columns and tanks were observed as soon as the Tigers appeared.”
Over time, the fearsome and intimidating reputation of the Tiger grew to mythic proportions. Maj. Christopher W. Wilbeck noted in his study of German heavy tank battalions that whenever a German tank appeared, regardless of type, “Among the Allied armies, units continually reported that Tiger tanks were in their sector or that they had destroyed Tiger tanks.”
Though destroying a Tiger was high-risk bordering on suicide early in the war, disabling one was not. The Allies’ most successful anti-Tiger tactic in Tunisia was a retrograde maneuver, laying anti-tank mines guarded by antitank guns. When a Tiger was immobilized by a mine, antitank guns could take it under fire, or artillery fire was called in. Later in France, tactical air – fighter-bombers using rockets and bombs – proved the most effective countermeasure. In March 1943, s.Pz.-Abt. 501 was succeeded by s.Pz.-Abt. 504. During the two months it operated in Tunisia before the surrender of all Axis troops in Tunisia, s.Pz.-Abt. 504 destroyed more than 150 enemy tanks and had a kill ratio of 18.8 enemy tanks for every Tiger lost. (courtesy Defensemedianetwork.com)
“Alwin”, Forces of Valor’s second 1:32 scale Tiger I heavy tank looks to churn up the North African desert some time in April.
Hobby Master is one of those companies that seems to enjoy soldiering on despite facing many of the same vexing issues that have plagued other model makers over the past year or so. Case in point. October 2022. While other manufacturers haven’t begun to look that far out yet, Hobby Master already has its ducks in a row with a bevy of new introductions ready to grace the harvest table. Of particular note are a pair of Dauntless dive-bombers commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, as well as a 1:72 scale reproduction of an Avenger torpedo plane. Here now what you can expect to lay out along side the pumpkin pie and apple cider later this year:
To borrow the title of a famous Otis Redding song, we should soon be receiving word on when the long-awaited Forces of Valor shipment has cleared customs and made its way to our distributor in Georgia. Right now, we anticipate delivery some time in the beginning of February, unless, of course, something else stands in its way, tsunamis notwithstanding. As all of you know by now, 2021 was an anxiety-filled year as far as getting in new product is concerned and we wouldn’t be surprised if the first half of 2022 is confronted by the very same issues.
Since we have a great many pre-orders in the system, particularly for the first Tiger I and newest Sherman tank, we will start to process each order based upon when it was sent in. So, if you submitted your order to us in, say, July of 2021, then you will get preferential treatment over someone that submitted their order to us more recently. Hey, fair’s fair and it simply doesn’t matter to us the size of your order, how you decided to pay us, or how many times you plan to contact us to ask about you order. Which, naturally enough, leads me to my next point. Communication.
Once we know for sure when our FOV order is on its way to us, we will temporarily ignore any and all messages, emails, phone calls, etc., asking when such-and-such order is expected to go out. Frankly, everything we need to discuss regarding the receipt of new product is posted on our web site along side each item’s description. Each time we’re asked to color outside the lines by fielding a phone call, answering a message or responding to an email means it takes us away from the business of actually processing and shipping out orders. Sorry to be so blunt, but if you’ve waited this long to find out about your order then a few more days won’t matter all that much in the final analysis. If you disagree, then we’ll simply cancel your order, refund your payment if the order was pre-paid, then move on to those customers that are willing to abide by our rules and not cause us any trouble while we do our utmost to get everything out the door as expeditiously as possible. Its a stressful process in its own right and adding additional anxiety by reaching out to us repeatedly doesn’t help anyone concerned, especially those customers more than willing to play ball with us.
While I could go on and on ad infinitum, we’d like to end this discourse on a positive note. We welcome and value your business. Soon, you will embrace your bouncing baby tank in all its glory. Have your nursery, er, display case ready, a box cutter in hand, and know that we’ve done our utmost to get you your prized possession in the quickest possible manner. Thank you and enjoy.
There’s strange and then there’s strange. In late December, Precision Model Art, better known as PMA, posted several new items to their web site, that included, among other things, an awesome looking M40 self propelled gun presumably due out later this year. Then, last week, they abruptly pulled the plug on their own web site, leaving in its wake a Word Press page written in what I assume is Mandarin. I don’t understand what it says although it appears like a Contact Us page. Moreover, I naturally assumed that the manufacturer was having trouble loading their web site, perhaps falling victim to a hack attack that has periodically plagued other manufacturers. After talking with our US distributor, however, we learned that this is supposedly the new normal for PMA and that from here on out they do not plan on posting any new product to their own web site, claiming its a “low priority” for them.
Now color me wacky but two weeks ago we ushered in 2022 perhaps without a bang but with a whimper, hopefully putting the effects of the pandemic behind us. The point is that in this day and age, placing a “low priority” on updating your own web site is simply inexcusable. As a manufacturer, it is your job to inform both your customers as well as your distribution network about the comings and goings on in your own back yard so that everyone can look forward to the fruits of your labors. To leave everyone in the dark, particularly when others are gleefully posting on social media, their web site and elsewhere is akin to burying your head in the sand, asking others to talk up the line when you yourself are reluctant to do so. I’m not clear if this turning a “blind eye” marketing strategy makes much sense in this newfangled digital world where the running of a web site isn’t all that much trouble given other complexities attached with running a business. Heck, I’ve been doing so for going on 22 years, building out our product portfolio so that it now encompasses over 6,000 SKUs. Trust me, its not that difficult once you have it down to a logical system. So, when a manufacturer with barely a couple of dozen products says they can’t be troubled with keeping their own web site up-to-date, I simply shake my head and say “is it worth the trouble of stocking their line?” Right now, the only answer I can come up with is, it isn’t, sad as that sounds…
