German Para w/Panzerschreck
1/35th Figure Set No. 35020
Images courtesy Alpine Miniature with figures scupltered by Taesung Harmms
and painted by Jaume Ortiz Forns
It’s been a while since the last releases for Alpine Miniatures but the wait has certainly been worth it with these new German Paratrooper figures which follow the previous format of two separate figures and a third set combining the two.
Set #35020 is a German Paratrooper with an early Panzerschreck (RP43) in the firing position and consists of seven pieces cast cleanly in a light grey resin which only requires the usual casting blocks to be removed and some minor casting seams from the insides of the legs, but watch here as there are also trouser seams so don’t mistake these when cleaning them up.
The single piece Panzerschreck is a superb casting with very fine details
such as the firing handles, rear wire guard and even the wiring from the
trigger to the rear as well as the distinctive engraved channel down the
length of the body and the delicate front sights. There is some fine resin
film and small casting blocks to be removed and care should be taken when
removing these especially from inside the rear wire guard and around the
firing handles as it is easy to mistake part of the handle for casting blocks
especially the lower section of the handle.
The figures two hands are also included with the Panzerschreck to ensure
a realistic grip and these fit into the ends of the two arms but more on
that later and the only thing needed to finish off a superb weapon is the
addition of the leather sling which can be added from any suitable material
such as
thin lead sheet of tape?
The figure has the full body as a single casting with separate arms and now familiar two alternate heads plus a water bottle and the Panzerschreck as mentioned with the uniform details being very crisp and well defined such as the collars, pockets, ammo pouches and two grenades around the waist and fabric seams on the trousers and arms as well as realistic fabric folds and the stance is quite natural for firing the weapon standing.
The alternate heads have a Para helmet with and without cam netting but when firing these early Panzerschrecks the gunner needed to wear a gas mask or protective clothing to guard against the rocket plume and a head with gas mask could have been a nice alternative.
The fit of the parts was as usual superb and if you glue the arms to match
the fabric folds on the arms and shoulders fitting the two hands attached
to the Panzerschreck was spot on, this is often a problem with figures where
both hands are on a weapon as any misalignment of the arms means they don’t
match up but so long as you take care aligning the arm/shoulder join this
was one of the best fitting figures in this regard I’ve assembled.
No glue was needed as the wrists fit into indentions at the end of the arms
so it is easy to add and remove the weapon which will be a big help during
painting.
I also added wire pins to the necks to allow easy swapping of the heads,
which is really a personal thing and no reflection of the head fit which
is spot on.
This is another excellently cast and detailed figure with a superbly detailed
Panzerschreck which could see some buy the figure just for the weapon. The
only minor quibble being the lack of gas masked head but you could always
add the later gun shield to make a RP54 Panzerschreck to over come this.
That aside the figure looks superb with the natural pose and will look good
when painted in the distinctive Wehrmacht splinter pattern cam as the box art
figure shows and can be used in conjunction with set #35021 to form a Panzerschreck
Anti-Tank team.
Page created 30 April 2005