Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Sd. Kfz. 186 Jagdpanzer VI Jagdtiger Heavy Tank Destroyer with Henschel Suspension – schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Germany, 1945 [Bonus Maybach V-12 HL 230 P30 Engine]
Behind-the-scenes, we’ve had some frank discussions with the powers-that-be at Waltersons, the new caretakers of the Forces of Valor line. While the Company is doing its utmost to maintain the highest levels of quality to ensure satisfaction and value at every level, they’ve also stepped up the rate at which they are bringing new product to market, with several 1:32 scale military vehicles due out before the 2020 Chinese New Year. In other news, they will begin including numbered limited edition collector cards with each new item beginning with their upcoming Jagdpanther tank destroyers. Also being included will be a warranty card, thereby making it easier for collectors to obtain replacement parts should the need arise.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Sd. Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer with Zimmerit “302”, schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654, Normandy, 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL230 P30 Engine]
In other news, we’ve signed off on our first Forces of Valor print advertisement, which is scheduled to run in the February issue of World War II magazine and be picked up in the March issue of Military History magazine. While the format will likely remain the same throughout the year, the ad’s contents will be updated periodically as new products begin to filter into the marketplace and other older vehicles are slowly phased out. These ads will likely be bolstered by other complementary advertisements designed to showcase several of their other product categories, particularly their aircraft, helicopters and, dare I say, the Extreme Metal series, of which so many people have been asking about over the years.
That’s it for now, but keep an eye out on our blog and web site for the latest information as it pertains to the Forces of Valor series.
Forces of Valor’s 1:700 scale People’s Liberation Army Navy Surface Force Liaoning Class Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier – Liaoning (CV-16), Hong Kong Visit, 2017
With National Day of the People’s Republic of China 2019 serving as a back drop, Waltersons took the opportunity today to formally introduce their 1:700 scale replica of the PLAAN Liaoning (CV-16) to the public. First announced more than two years ago, the manufacturer decided to delay its release so that they could update their original plans for the aircraft carrier. Much like their 1:32 scale vehicle series, the Liaoning will come in two flavors: the first (FOV861010A) represents the warship’s configuration as it sailed into Hong Kong harbor in 2017. A second portrayal (FOV861010B) shows the ship as it embarked upon its maiden ocean-going voyage in 2016.
According to the manufacturer, the model encompasses some 240 plastic and alloy parts as compared with 150 used in the construction of their model of the USS Enterprise. Furthermore, 80 pad printed decals have been used throughout, covering everything from identification tags to deck markings. Interestingly, the ship comes with a clear removable display arm attached to the bow and aft of the warship which can then be affixed with a 1:700 scale aircraft. A vertical display stand can be used to show a helicopter as it lifts off or lands. Best of all, a slew of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft also come with the warship, all meticulously researched based upon the latest declassified data and photographs available to the public.
As is customary with the Waltersons line of Forces of Valor warships, the Liaoning can be displayed in two manners. Collectors can sit the warship atop a pair of golden pillars that are attached to a simulated wooden display plinth finished with an etched metallic name plate. Conversely, collectors can detach the ship from its base and display the ship within a blue ocean-inspired shell, giving it a more realistic appearance.
Look for the first version of the Liaoning to make its maiden voyage into the retailer network this holiday season.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German 88mm Flak 36/37 Anti-Aircraft Gun with FLaK Rohr 18 Gun Barrel and Sd. 202 Towing Vehicle – Deutsches Afrika Korps, El Alamein, North Africa, 1942 [Comes with Seven Crewmen and Rommel]
There are a number of distinctions between Unimax, the former makers of the Forces of Valor line and Waltersons, its new caretakers. While both companies cared about quality, consistency and dedication to their craft, its becoming increasingly clear that Waltersons wants to demonstrate its depth of knowledge and keen interest in the subject matter by offering a range of product that will truly sit well with today’s collector. Take, for instance, their 88mm FLaK gun, which first came out earlier this year and will now be reintroduced in just a few short months. The first model reflected a gun used by the Deutsches Afrika Korps at the Battle of El Alamein in late 1942. As such, it comes with the original 8.8cm FLaK Rohr 18 gun barrel, as well other gear designed for the first batch of 88s.
For the uninformed, the Flak 18’s carriage allowed it to fire in an emergency when still on its wheels and without its outriggers, but with a very limited traverse and elevation. For normal emplacement, one single-axle bogie was detached from the front outrigger and one from the rear, side outriggers were then hinged from the vertical position to the ground; the total time to set up was estimated at two and a half minutes. Both modes of operation made the gun much more suitable for fast-moving operations, the basic concept of the Blitzkrieg. The weight of the gun meant that only large vehicles could move it, the Sd. Kfz. 7 half-track becoming a common prime mover.
Targeting indicators were attached from the central controller to each of the four guns of a battery, allowing for coordinated fire. Indeed, with the automatic loading system, the gun layers’ job was to keep the gun barrel trained on the target area based on the signals from the controller. The loaders would keep the weapon fed with live ammunition which would fire immediately upon insertion — all while the gun layer aimed the weapon according to the data.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German 88mm Flak 36 Anti-Aircraft Gun with FLaK Rohr 36 Gun Barrel and Sd. 202 Towing Vehicle – Unidentified Unit, Stalingrad, 1942
Rather than repaint the gun, as Unimax chose to do, to portray an 88mm gun employed at the Battle of Stalingrad, Waltersons decided to go one step further and instead model the improved 8.8cm FLaK Rohr 36 gun barrel, which had a two-piece barrel for easier replacement of worn liners. Flak 36s were often fitted with an armored shield that provided limited protection for the gunners. These shields could be retro-fitted on older Flak 18s as well.
There’s a better than average chance that the third gun in the series, the FLaK 37, will also be modeled at some point in time, thereby covering all three different versions, and hopefully appeasing collectors and historians alike. Will the average layperson be able to distinguish one gun from another? Apart from the paint schemes probably not, but Waltersons thought it important enough to avoid making some of the same mistakes the former owners of the series tended to make when addressing the evolution of the gun and its employment throughout the war in differing theaters of operation.
While they’ve been slow to get product to market and have had to make several changes to their production schedule that has led to further release delays, Forces of Valor has been making major strides of late both updating their web site and showing imagery for several upcoming 1:32 scale German weapons due out before the year’s end. Here’s what you can expect to nestle under the Christmas tree this holiday season:
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German 88mm Flak 36/37 Anti-Aircraft Gun with Trailer – Unidentified Unit, Stalingrad, 1942
Originally developed as an anti-aircraft gun, the 8.8cm FLugzeugAbwehrKanone (“Flak”) was first employed in the anti-tank gun role in 1936, when the German Condor Legion was testing out its equipment during the Spanish Civil War. Amazingly, German war planners had designed the gun as an AA weapon with a heavy cruciform platform and central fire control operation, not as a multi-purpose anti-tank gun with proper anti-tank sights. Nevertheless, its capability was seen and quietly noted by commanders operating in the field. While the gun was occassionally used in the anti-tank gun role during the Polish and French campaigns, it wasn’t until the Afrika Korps joined battle in Cyrenaica with the British Eighth Army that the “88” really showed its prowess as a tank killer. Here the tactical situation was such that it was possible to deploy the guns in their anti-aircraft role in positions that would allow them to be re-trained as anti-tank guns. Moreover their range and penetrating power enabled their crews to dispose of British tanks long before the enemy was close enough to engage the guns with their own two- or six-pounder guns.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Mid Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank with Zimmerit – 3/schwere Panzer Abteilung 501, Orsha, Russia, June 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL 230 TRM P45 Engine]
The German Waffenamt issued an order to design the VK4501(H) (as the PzKpfw VI Ausf. E was then known) in May 1941, just one month prior to the commencement of Operation Barbarossa. Interestingly, Henschel und Sohn of Kassel was charged with building the heavily armored chassis while Krupp, by far the largest munitionwerks in Germany, was given the task of developing the turret. The PzKpfw VI Ausfuhrung E (type E) was one of the first German tanks to feature a torsion bar with eight interleaved wheels, which was designed to support the weight of the mammoth 57-ton tank. The Ausf. E mounted a huge 8.8cm KwK36 L/56 cannon and featured two MG34 machine guns for close support against enemy infantry. By war’s end, 1,354 vehicles had been produced, some rolling off the Wegmann assembly line.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Sd. Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer – “332”, schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654, Normandy, 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL230 P30 Engine]
In the fall of 1942, the German Waffenamt issued an order to develop a heavy assault gun to combat the growing menace posed by Russian armored forces all along the eastern front. What resulted was the Sd. Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther tank destroyer, arguably the best long-range tank destroyer of the war. The Jagdpanther mounted a powerful 8.8cm Pak L/71 cannon within a fixed turret, which was situated atop a standard Panther V chassis. Although production of the tank was begun at MIAG in January 1944, it took another ten months before the larger NMH plant could expand the production run in time for the “Wacht am Rhein” counteroffensive. By war’s end only 392 vehicles had entered service with the Wehrmacht, but these had a telling effect on the prosecution of the war.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Sd. Kfz. 186 Jagdpanzer VI Jagdtiger Heavy Tank Destroyer with Henschel Suspension – schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, Germany, 1945 [Bonus Maybach V-12 HL 230 P30 Engine]
Early in 1943, orders were given to design a heavy, self-propelled anti-tank gun, which would mate a 12.8cm gun with a Tiger II chassis. On October 20th, 1943 a wooden mock-up of the enormous vehicle was shown to the OKH planners who authorized that a prototype be finished by April 1944. Two Jagdtigers were built with the Porsche-designed longitudinal torsion-bar suspension. During field testing, this arrangement proved entirely unsatisfactory, which further delayed production of the tank destroyer. The initial series was set at 150 vehicles, but an order issued in October 1944 stipulated that when these had been completed, production capacity was to be switched over to the Panther. This mandate was reversed in January 1945, and assembly of the Jagdtiger was to be resumed as fast as possible. By March 1945, only 77 examples were produced, all assigned to either Panzerjagerabteilung 653 or schwere Panzerabteilung 512.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Sd. Kfz. 184 Elefant Heavy Tank Destroyer with Zimmerit – schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, Italy, 1944 [Bonus Two 300 PS Maybach HL 120 TRM Engines]
The Elefant (Elephant) stemmed from the Porsche design for the PzKpfw VI Tiger. Henschel was awarded the contract for the new tank, but it was decided to use the Porsche design as a tank destroyer. Hitler demanded that the new vehicle be ready for the 1943 offensive on the Russian front, so development was rather hurried. As a result, many broke down to their first action at the Battle of Kursk, and the lack of proper armor and ponderous mobility made them easy targets for Soviet gunners in the battle. In addition, the lack of machine guns meant that there was no defense against Soviet troops disabling them with explosive charges in close-quarter combat. The survivors were withdrawn to Italy, where unreliability and lack of spares ensured their continued ineffectiveness.
Admittedly, all are based upon previous releases, however, that’s where the comparison ends. Each vehicle features more metal content, better painting and weathering and even a removable engine designed to better portray the horsepower necessary to get these vehicles moving.
True to their word, Waltersons, the current owner of the Forces of Valor brand, will be offering a slew of M4 Sherman variants in the coming year. Three new 1:32 scale Shermans were announced today, one featuring an HVSS suspension and the other two sporting the older VVSS suspension. It appears as if Creighton Abrams’ “Thunderbolt” will be modeled although its not clear which one of his mounts will actually see the light of day. A bunch more variants were revealed on Wednesday morning, covering just about every conceivable Sherman tank to see battle during the Second World War.
Thus far, only black-and-white photos have been posted to their web site, so it could be some time before we get to see the finished products in the flesh with firm release dates set in stone. For further information, hop on over to the Forces of Valor web site.
As an aside, its refreshing to see a manufacturer take on a subject with such zeal and fortitude to warrant producing so many variants of the Sherman within a relatively short time span. Its not clear, however, if the manufacturer plans to create two different versions of each model, thereby portraying each vehicle type under differing lighting conditions and weathering effects. If they do, it represents a huge inventory build for distributors and retailers alike, who will certainly be hard-pressed to keep all of the SKUs in stock at all times. While we certainly applaud their effort to depict every known Sherman tank that saw action during the War, it might make more sense to spread out their release over the course of several years instead of potentially flooding the market with so many variations in a narrow period of time.
In the wake of several recent Facebook posts, Forces of Valor has made significant strides updating their web site with relevant information that is designed to keep everyone informed about their progress to date. While some upcoming releases are still showing historical photos instead of product imagery, and not every section of the web site has been worked on in a consistent manner, its comforting to see that the Company is finally spending the requisite time to provide meaningful and pertinent information to both its customers and retail network alike. For more information on the Forces of Valor web site, click on the following link.
Forces of Valor’s 1:700 scale People’s Liberation Army Navy Surface Force Liaoning Class Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier – Liaoning (CV-16), Hong Kong Visit, 2017
True-to-form, Waltersons posted another update to their Facebook account discussing their upcoming 2019 release schedule and how they plan to address the market place. If you’re good at reading between the lines then that means you’re likely in for a rude awakening come the next twelve months, as more and more iterations of several fan favorites hit the street. In fact, you’ll likely need a score card to tell the “players” apart as more and more new introductions get added to the production schedule and the list of variations grows longer every day.
As it stands now, virtually every new item scheduled to come out will come in at least two flavors: a heavily weathered version and one sporting a more subdued look. Case in point, the upcoming PLAN Liaoning aircraft carrier. We were under the impression that one version was due out later this year, portraying the ship when it visited Hong Kong in 2017. Apparently, a second example is in the works as well, this time around sporting subtle weathering effects that include take off and landing scarring as it undertook sea trials in the South China Sea a year prior. A third version could also be in the offing, this time around featuring a reconfigured rear flight deck that is intended to make more room for the stowage of aircraft.
Beginning with their upcoming Tiger I heavy tanks, FOV plans to incorporate diecast metal tracks on their tracked vehicles, which tend to lock up when rolled along an even or uneven surface
FOV also plans on reworking the turret for their 1:32 scale Tiger I tank so that it better reflects some of the changes the German Army incorporated into some of the latter models. Moreover, some vehicles will be slathered with Zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste while others will not, pretty much covering every conceivable variant that took to the battlefield from its onset in late 1942 to the closing stages of the war. In a related matter, the Company intends to add diecast tracks to its vehicles beginning with the Tiger I tank. They claim that the tracks will be produced in-house but its not clear if the inclusion of metal tracks will have an appreciable impact on the cost of each vehicle. Moreover, its not certain if the tracks will appear shiny like those that are included on the Minichamps tanks series or come muddied and weathered as if they had seen extensive service. If we had to guess, the weathered vehicles will feature muddied tracks while the less distressed vehicles will sport shinier tracks. On the downside, metal tracks have a habit of locking up while being rolled, something vinyl tracks neatly overcome even if they don’t look quite as realistic. So, it will be interesting to see how FOV addresses this issue if they hope to promote the series as having smoothly rolling metal tracks.
FOV hinted that a number of photos are forthcoming and that we could see some of the new toolings as early as later this year. If that’s the case, plan on making lots of room under the Christmas tree this holiday seasons, as the Company continues to prime the pump on the land, air and sea.
A T-34/85 medium tank shown under daylight conditions and with a fair amount of weathering
A couple of weeks ago, we alluded to the fact that beginning with their upcoming 1:32 scale T-34/85 medium tank, the Company was experimenting with offering two iterations of each vehicle: one painted in a slightly lighter shade to reflect its participation in a day battle, and a second portraying a vehicle that might have been withdrawn from battle under dusk or night time lighting conditions.
A second version of their upcoming T-34/85 medium tank that was likely withdrawn for rest and refitting following a day’s worth of action
Earlier today, the manufacturer demonstrated this technique by showing off dual versions of a T-34/85 Model 1944 medium tank, both of which fought at Berlin during the closing month of the war. Originally, we were under the impression that each vehicle would sport the same unit insignia and turret number, but apparently they have elected to release an entirely different vehicle meaning twice as many choices for the would-be collector.
Forces of Valor’s 1:700 scale People’s Liberation Army Navy Surface Force Liaoning Class Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier – Liaoning (CV-16), Hong Kong Visit, 2017
As part of the same announcement, the Company claims that they are working diligently on their corporate web site, which, among other things, finally shows a picture of their upcoming 1:700 scale Liaoning aircraft carrier. As the summer months wear on, we expect a slew of additional photos for all of the products expected in the latter half of this year, thus making good on their promise that they are working as swiftly as possible to fulfill their earlier promises.
On this auspicious day, upon which Allied forces stormed the beaches at Normandy, France, way back in 1944, Forces of Valor announced their intent to create a 1:32 scale version of the LCM-3 landing craft. Although images of the actual vehicle were not provided, the Company did show off several CAD drawings of the proposed project, and discussed their reasoning for building a scale model of the landing craft used to ferry troops and vehicles ashore to support an invasion. For further details regarding the announcement, stop by FOV’s Facebook page or click on the following link.
Since this project is still a long way’s off and no firther information was provided regarding its weight, dimensions or cost, please do not contact us asking if you can pre-order this item. We will open it up for pre-order further down road after certain specifics are addressed. Considering its size, this item will not be covered under our $9.95 flat rate shipping plan, so prospective customers on the West Coast may be in for a bit of a shock once we have all of the costs worked out.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German 88mm Flak 36/37 Anti-Aircraft Gun with Trailer – Deutsches Afrika Korps, El Alamein, North Africa, 1942 [Comes with Seven Crewmen and Rommel]
So, its finally in stock. The Forces of Valor 88mm FLaK gun that is. We’ve been talking it up for months on end, lamenting the fact that we’ve had to wait an eternity for it to arrive. But here it is. On the downside, we’re headed out of town this Friday and won’t return for action until Tuesday, June 4th. So, if you have this item on pre-order with us, please check in to see if we have all of your billing details on file, which will enable us to get this item in the mail and into your hands ahead of our road trip.
It’s a beautiful item, and fitting way to kick off the re-launch of the Forces of Valor 1:32 scale military vehicle series. Its also the first vehicle in their Afrika Korps series, a line that Unimax, the previous owners of the Forces of Valor, seemed to overlook when they had the series. Panzers vorwarts!
