In Box Review of Dragon 1/35th Scale
German Cossack Cavalry
Kit no. 6065
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1997
Available at 6 locations overseas on the web.
I paid $8.50 for my kit back in the 90’s.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1997
Available at 6 locations overseas on the web.
I paid $8.50 for my kit back in the 90’s.
HISTORY:
In the initial phase of Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, Cossack émigrés were initially barred from political activity or travelling into the occupied Eastern territories. Hitler had no intention of entertaining the political aspirations of the Cossacks, or any minority group, in the USSR.
As a result, collaboration between Cossacks and the Wehrmacht began in ad hoc manner through localized agreements between German field commanders and Cossack defectors from the Red Army. Hitler did not officially sanction the recruitment of Cossacks and lift the restrictions imposed on émigrés until the second year of the Nazi-Soviet conflict.
During their brief occupation of the North Caucasus region, the Germans actively recruited Cossacks into detachments and local self-defense militias. The Germans even experimented with a self-governing district of Cossack communities in the Kuban region. When the Wehrmacht withdrew from the North Caucasus region in early 1943, tens of thousands of Cossacks retreated with them, either out of conviction or to avoid Soviet reprisals.
In 1943, the Germans formed the 1st Cossack Cavalry Division, under the command of General Helmuth von Pannwitz. While its ranks mostly comprised deserters from the Red Army, many of its officers and NCOs were Cossack émigrés who had received training at one of the cadet schools established by the White Army in Yugoslavia.
The division was deployed to occupied Croatia to fight Tito's Partisans. There, its performance was generally effective, although at times brutal. In late 1944, the 1st Cossack Cavalry Division was admitted into the Waffen-SS, and enlarged into the XV SS Cossack Cavalry Corps.
In late 1943, the Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories and Wehrmacht headquarters issued a joint proclamation promising the Cossacks independence once their homelands were “liberated” from the Red Army. The Germans followed this up by establishing the Cossack Central Administration, under the leadership of the former Don Cossack ataman, Pyotr Krasnov.
Although it had many attributes of a government-in-exile, the Cossack Central Administration lacked any control over foreign policy or the deployment of Cossack troops in the Wehrmacht. In early 1945, Krasnov and his staff joined a group of 20,000–25,000 Cossack refugees and irregulars known as “Cossachi Stan”.
This group, then led by Timofey Domanov, had fled the North Caucasus alongside the Germans in 1943, and was moved between Kamianets-Podilskyi in Ukraine, Navahrudak in Belarus, and Tolmezzo, Italy.In early May 1945, in the closing days of WWII, both Domanov's “Cosacchi Stan” and Pannwitz XV SS Cossack Cavalry Corps retreated into Austria, where they surrendered to the British.
Many Cossack accounts collected in the two volume work The Great Betrayal by Vyacheslav Naumenko allege that British officers had given them, or their leaders, a guarantee that they would not be forcibly repatriated to the Soviet Union, but there is no hard evidence that such a promise was made.
At the end of the month, and in early June 1945, the majority of Cossacks from both groups were transferred to Red Army and SMERSH custody at the Soviet demarcation line in Judenburg, Austria. This episode is known as the Betrayal of the Cossacks, and resulted in sentences of hard labour or execution for the majority of the repatriated Cossacks.
In the initial phase of Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, Cossack émigrés were initially barred from political activity or travelling into the occupied Eastern territories. Hitler had no intention of entertaining the political aspirations of the Cossacks, or any minority group, in the USSR.
As a result, collaboration between Cossacks and the Wehrmacht began in ad hoc manner through localized agreements between German field commanders and Cossack defectors from the Red Army. Hitler did not officially sanction the recruitment of Cossacks and lift the restrictions imposed on émigrés until the second year of the Nazi-Soviet conflict.
During their brief occupation of the North Caucasus region, the Germans actively recruited Cossacks into detachments and local self-defense militias. The Germans even experimented with a self-governing district of Cossack communities in the Kuban region. When the Wehrmacht withdrew from the North Caucasus region in early 1943, tens of thousands of Cossacks retreated with them, either out of conviction or to avoid Soviet reprisals.
In 1943, the Germans formed the 1st Cossack Cavalry Division, under the command of General Helmuth von Pannwitz. While its ranks mostly comprised deserters from the Red Army, many of its officers and NCOs were Cossack émigrés who had received training at one of the cadet schools established by the White Army in Yugoslavia.
The division was deployed to occupied Croatia to fight Tito's Partisans. There, its performance was generally effective, although at times brutal. In late 1944, the 1st Cossack Cavalry Division was admitted into the Waffen-SS, and enlarged into the XV SS Cossack Cavalry Corps.
In late 1943, the Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories and Wehrmacht headquarters issued a joint proclamation promising the Cossacks independence once their homelands were “liberated” from the Red Army. The Germans followed this up by establishing the Cossack Central Administration, under the leadership of the former Don Cossack ataman, Pyotr Krasnov.
Although it had many attributes of a government-in-exile, the Cossack Central Administration lacked any control over foreign policy or the deployment of Cossack troops in the Wehrmacht. In early 1945, Krasnov and his staff joined a group of 20,000–25,000 Cossack refugees and irregulars known as “Cossachi Stan”.
This group, then led by Timofey Domanov, had fled the North Caucasus alongside the Germans in 1943, and was moved between Kamianets-Podilskyi in Ukraine, Navahrudak in Belarus, and Tolmezzo, Italy.In early May 1945, in the closing days of WWII, both Domanov's “Cosacchi Stan” and Pannwitz XV SS Cossack Cavalry Corps retreated into Austria, where they surrendered to the British.
Many Cossack accounts collected in the two volume work The Great Betrayal by Vyacheslav Naumenko allege that British officers had given them, or their leaders, a guarantee that they would not be forcibly repatriated to the Soviet Union, but there is no hard evidence that such a promise was made.
At the end of the month, and in early June 1945, the majority of Cossacks from both groups were transferred to Red Army and SMERSH custody at the Soviet demarcation line in Judenburg, Austria. This episode is known as the Betrayal of the Cossacks, and resulted in sentences of hard labour or execution for the majority of the repatriated Cossacks.
THE KIT:
Dragon (sometimes DML) is an old prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped end-opening type box.The box is blousy, being 3” too long.
I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts or the decal sheet will find their way past one of the end-flaps of the box to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The cover art shows 2 German Cossacks on horseback in a grassy field. In the background there are houses and a church.
The horse on the left is jet-black, with a light-grey saddle blanket and a tan canvas pouch slung on the side. The Cossack riding it wears a light tan jumper, black trousers, blouse into black jack boots, a black fur cap. He has a black belt, with ammo pouches on it. He has a rifle slung on his back and is holding a bared sword in his right hand. There is a rolled tan tarp behind the saddle.
The other Cossack, on the right, is on an all brown horse. He wears an all-black uniform, with his trousers also blouses into black jack boots. He too wears a black fur cap and he also holds a bared sword in his right hand. He has a full beard.
One corner of the box art says the kit has photo-etched parts included, over 4 color illustrations of unit badges.
One side-panel of the box says the kit contains 2 figures and 2 horses. Paint and cement are not included, in 6 languages, including English, that are each labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language. This is followed by the copyright for the kit of 1997, over Dragon’s street address in Hong Kong, China and the kit was made there.
Dragon (sometimes DML) is an old prolific model company based in Hong Kong, China. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped end-opening type box.The box is blousy, being 3” too long.
I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts or the decal sheet will find their way past one of the end-flaps of the box to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The cover art shows 2 German Cossacks on horseback in a grassy field. In the background there are houses and a church.
The horse on the left is jet-black, with a light-grey saddle blanket and a tan canvas pouch slung on the side. The Cossack riding it wears a light tan jumper, black trousers, blouse into black jack boots, a black fur cap. He has a black belt, with ammo pouches on it. He has a rifle slung on his back and is holding a bared sword in his right hand. There is a rolled tan tarp behind the saddle.
The other Cossack, on the right, is on an all brown horse. He wears an all-black uniform, with his trousers also blouses into black jack boots. He too wears a black fur cap and he also holds a bared sword in his right hand. He has a full beard.
One corner of the box art says the kit has photo-etched parts included, over 4 color illustrations of unit badges.
One side-panel of the box says the kit contains 2 figures and 2 horses. Paint and cement are not included, in 6 languages, including English, that are each labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language. This is followed by the copyright for the kit of 1997, over Dragon’s street address in Hong Kong, China and the kit was made there.
The other side panel of the box shows 2 color box arts of other 1/35th scale figure kits that Dragon manufactures: Kit no. 6061, German Feldgemdarmerie and Kit no. 5063, Deutsche Afrika Korps.
These are followed by: Kit not suitable for children under 3 years of age because of small parts. Importer of Dragon kits for Europe is Italeri in Italy and their street address is provided. For modelers aged 10 and over. In multiple languages, including English.
These are followed by: Kit not suitable for children under 3 years of age because of small parts. Importer of Dragon kits for Europe is Italeri in Italy and their street address is provided. For modelers aged 10 and over. In multiple languages, including English.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit holds 3 medium-grey parts trees and a steel PE fret, in 3 sealed clear cello bags. The PE fret has a stiff card in the bag with it to prevent bending. However, while the model clearly needs either a strip of lead foil or .005" sheet styrene for reins and strapping, this does not come with the kit.
Trees are not alphabetized. The do, however, have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
The largest medium-grey tree holds the parts of the horses: left and right sides, ears, tails and saddles (14 parts)
This kit holds 3 medium-grey parts trees and a steel PE fret, in 3 sealed clear cello bags. The PE fret has a stiff card in the bag with it to prevent bending. However, while the model clearly needs either a strip of lead foil or .005" sheet styrene for reins and strapping, this does not come with the kit.
Trees are not alphabetized. The do, however, have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
The largest medium-grey tree holds the parts of the horses: left and right sides, ears, tails and saddles (14 parts)
The medium-sized medium-grey tree holds: the figures (divided into separate heads, torso, arms and legs), fur collar, fur caps, coat sections, rolled canvas tarp, large pouches, rifle and ammo pouches (23 parts)
The smallest medium-grey tree holds: 2 swords and their scabbards and a bayonet in scabbard (5 parts)
The steel PE fret holds the foot stirrups (8 parts)
The steel PE fret holds the foot stirrups (8 parts)
There are no decals in the kit.
The bottom of the box serves as both the assembly instructions and a color guide.
There are color illustrations of each of the back and front of the men and their horses.
Below them is 6 line drawings of: the Shashka (sword) and its sheaf, the Kubanka (fur hats) and Cherkeska (overcoat –fornt and rear views).
All illustrations are done by Dragon’s resident artist Ronald Volstad.
The bottom of the box serves as both the assembly instructions and a color guide.
There are color illustrations of each of the back and front of the men and their horses.
Below them is 6 line drawings of: the Shashka (sword) and its sheaf, the Kubanka (fur hats) and Cherkeska (overcoat –fornt and rear views).
All illustrations are done by Dragon’s resident artist Ronald Volstad.
Detail is excellent. Highly recommended.