In Box Review of ICM 1/35th Scale
Bergepanther With German Tank Crew
Kit no. 35342
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2006
Available on 3 places on Ebay for $34.91 up to $48.98.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2006
Available on 3 places on Ebay for $34.91 up to $48.98.
HISTORY:
An armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) is typically a powerful tank or armoured personnel carrier (APC) chassis modified for use during combat for towing or repair of battle-damaged, stuck, and/or inoperable armoured fighting vehicles, such as tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APCs). Most ARVs have motorized tracks, like a tank or bulldozer, enabling the ARV to operate on uneven ground.
The term "Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle" (ARRV) is also used. ARVs may have winches, jibs, cranes, and/or bulldozer blades to aid in tank recovery. Typically, any specialized lifting and recovery equipment replaces the turret and cannon found on a regular tank.
ARVs may in some cases have electric generators, blowtorches, chainsaws and fuel pumps to help with recovery operations, or spare parts, to facilitate field repairs. Some ARVs have a spade component to anchor the vehicle when it is towing or lifting. Since most ARVs are based on tank or APC chassis, they have an armored crew cockpit and engine, which means that ARVs can be operated in combat conditions.
Rarely, an ARV may be armed, such as some M32s, which have an 81 mm mortar for screening purposes, and the M88, which has a .50 cal heavy machine gun. One WWII Sherman-based ARV had a dummy gun installed where the turret would normally go.
Early ARVs in WWII were often repurposed tanks, with the turret and cannon removed and replaced with some type of winch. In the 2010s, ARVs are generally factory-built. Even so, ARVs often use a shared chassis that is used on an army's other fighting vehicles, as this facilitates repair and maintenance of the ARV (as parts from tanks using the same chassis can be used to repair the ARV).
Some ARVs are operated in tandem with armoured bulldozers. ARVs generally can only tow an equivalent-class vehicle or one that is lighter in weight. As such, an APC chassis-based ARV can only tow and recover an APC, but not a much heavier tank.
While most ARVs are made from or based on APC or tank chassis, more rarely, an ARV may be based on an artillery tractor chassis. Some ARVs have specialized equipment that enables them to operate on beaches or in shallow water.
The German army developed the Bergepanther as an ARV to recover damaged or broken down tanks. The turret was replaced with a box body and it carried a small jib crane and at the rear had a large spade. Tanks could be winched out of ditches and recovered.
An armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) is typically a powerful tank or armoured personnel carrier (APC) chassis modified for use during combat for towing or repair of battle-damaged, stuck, and/or inoperable armoured fighting vehicles, such as tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APCs). Most ARVs have motorized tracks, like a tank or bulldozer, enabling the ARV to operate on uneven ground.
The term "Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle" (ARRV) is also used. ARVs may have winches, jibs, cranes, and/or bulldozer blades to aid in tank recovery. Typically, any specialized lifting and recovery equipment replaces the turret and cannon found on a regular tank.
ARVs may in some cases have electric generators, blowtorches, chainsaws and fuel pumps to help with recovery operations, or spare parts, to facilitate field repairs. Some ARVs have a spade component to anchor the vehicle when it is towing or lifting. Since most ARVs are based on tank or APC chassis, they have an armored crew cockpit and engine, which means that ARVs can be operated in combat conditions.
Rarely, an ARV may be armed, such as some M32s, which have an 81 mm mortar for screening purposes, and the M88, which has a .50 cal heavy machine gun. One WWII Sherman-based ARV had a dummy gun installed where the turret would normally go.
Early ARVs in WWII were often repurposed tanks, with the turret and cannon removed and replaced with some type of winch. In the 2010s, ARVs are generally factory-built. Even so, ARVs often use a shared chassis that is used on an army's other fighting vehicles, as this facilitates repair and maintenance of the ARV (as parts from tanks using the same chassis can be used to repair the ARV).
Some ARVs are operated in tandem with armoured bulldozers. ARVs generally can only tow an equivalent-class vehicle or one that is lighter in weight. As such, an APC chassis-based ARV can only tow and recover an APC, but not a much heavier tank.
While most ARVs are made from or based on APC or tank chassis, more rarely, an ARV may be based on an artillery tractor chassis. Some ARVs have specialized equipment that enables them to operate on beaches or in shallow water.
The German army developed the Bergepanther as an ARV to recover damaged or broken down tanks. The turret was replaced with a box body and it carried a small jib crane and at the rear had a large spade. Tanks could be winched out of ditches and recovered.
THE KIT:
ICM is an old prolific model company based in the Ukraine. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Bergepanther parked on a snow covered field next to a forest. This looks strange because the figures are all dressed in clothes that are not winter type.
The Bergepanther is overall earth-yellow, with just the German cross on its sides.
There are 4 crew members around it.
Reading left to right, the first man is an officer. He is standing and looking at his wrist-watch. He wears a black Panzer uniform and a grey billed officer’s hat. His trousers are bloused over his shoes.
The next man to the right is kneeling on one knee and talking to the third man to the right. He wears a field-grey uniform with a black side cap. His pants also are bloused over his shoes.
The third man is standing and bent at the waist talking to the second kneeling man. He wears a black Panzer uniform and a black cloth billed field cap.
The fourth and last man on the right is kneeling on both knees and wiping his forehead with a cloth. He wears a light-grey shirt with the sleeves rolled up and field-grey pants bloused over his shoes.
One side panel of the box has a short history of the Bergepanther, which the kit is as a Ausf. D of the Panther tank.
The box contains a unassembled plastic model kit that builds up to be 205mm in length (8”). The kit holds 384 parts for assembly of the tank and 28 parts for assembly of the 4 figures. Cement and paints are not included. Instruction sheet with drawings and decal sheet are included.
The kit is for modelers age 10 years and older, but not suitable for children under 3, because the kit may contain small and sharp parts.
Kit is distributed by Italeri and their street address in Italy and their web address is provided.
ICM is an old prolific model company based in the Ukraine. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Bergepanther parked on a snow covered field next to a forest. This looks strange because the figures are all dressed in clothes that are not winter type.
The Bergepanther is overall earth-yellow, with just the German cross on its sides.
There are 4 crew members around it.
Reading left to right, the first man is an officer. He is standing and looking at his wrist-watch. He wears a black Panzer uniform and a grey billed officer’s hat. His trousers are bloused over his shoes.
The next man to the right is kneeling on one knee and talking to the third man to the right. He wears a field-grey uniform with a black side cap. His pants also are bloused over his shoes.
The third man is standing and bent at the waist talking to the second kneeling man. He wears a black Panzer uniform and a black cloth billed field cap.
The fourth and last man on the right is kneeling on both knees and wiping his forehead with a cloth. He wears a light-grey shirt with the sleeves rolled up and field-grey pants bloused over his shoes.
One side panel of the box has a short history of the Bergepanther, which the kit is as a Ausf. D of the Panther tank.
The box contains a unassembled plastic model kit that builds up to be 205mm in length (8”). The kit holds 384 parts for assembly of the tank and 28 parts for assembly of the 4 figures. Cement and paints are not included. Instruction sheet with drawings and decal sheet are included.
The kit is for modelers age 10 years and older, but not suitable for children under 3, because the kit may contain small and sharp parts.
Kit is distributed by Italeri and their street address in Italy and their web address is provided.
The other side panel has a color illustration of each one of the 4 crew figures.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 4 tan parts trees, a loose tan hull tub and hull roof part, 2 jet black trees, one medium-grey tree and a tiny decal sheet in a large sealed clear cello bag.
The main instructions consists of a staple-bound booklet of 8 pages in 8” x 10 ¾” page format.
Page 1 is the parts trees illustrations with international assembly symbol explanations at the bottom in Ukranian and English.
Page 2 through to page 7 gives what I count as 16 assembly steps. However, the steps are wildly numbered all over the place on up to step 24, which is way not true. Bad move ICM!
Page 8 is the marking and painting guide for the Bergepanther. It shows two 3-views.
The first one is the box art scheme in flat tan with no markings. It was a Bergepanther , S. Pz. Jager Abtl 653, Kursk, summer 1943.
The second one is in a base of flat tan with narrow green vertical stripe pattern and no markings shown. It was with Panzer Regiment “Hermann Goring”, East Prussia, Autumn 1944.
Below these is a suggested paint color listing of Model Master brand hobby paints and a CAUTION to not use cement or paint near an open flame and when you do use them to be in a well ventilated room, in Ukranianand English.
ICM’s street address in Kyiv, Ukraine, there telephone and Fax number and web address are provided in the two languages.
A second loose instruction sheet is the same size as the main instructions. It is printed on both sides and is the painting and assembly instructions for the four figures.
The face side has one illustration of each of the 4 figures, calling out the colors to use on them.
The reverse side has an illustration of the medium-grey part tree that the figures are on, over a suggested listing of Model Master brand hobby paints and a repeat of the Cautions on the main instructions and a repeat of ICM’s addresses etc,
The parts trees are alphabetized all but the tree of figures.
There are 2 identical tan letter A parts trees. They hold: road wheels, idler wheels, drive sprockets, engine air intake grills, tow cables, bogies, exhaust pipes etc. (61 parts each) The tow cable is shaded out as being excess.
This kit contains 4 tan parts trees, a loose tan hull tub and hull roof part, 2 jet black trees, one medium-grey tree and a tiny decal sheet in a large sealed clear cello bag.
The main instructions consists of a staple-bound booklet of 8 pages in 8” x 10 ¾” page format.
Page 1 is the parts trees illustrations with international assembly symbol explanations at the bottom in Ukranian and English.
Page 2 through to page 7 gives what I count as 16 assembly steps. However, the steps are wildly numbered all over the place on up to step 24, which is way not true. Bad move ICM!
Page 8 is the marking and painting guide for the Bergepanther. It shows two 3-views.
The first one is the box art scheme in flat tan with no markings. It was a Bergepanther , S. Pz. Jager Abtl 653, Kursk, summer 1943.
The second one is in a base of flat tan with narrow green vertical stripe pattern and no markings shown. It was with Panzer Regiment “Hermann Goring”, East Prussia, Autumn 1944.
Below these is a suggested paint color listing of Model Master brand hobby paints and a CAUTION to not use cement or paint near an open flame and when you do use them to be in a well ventilated room, in Ukranianand English.
ICM’s street address in Kyiv, Ukraine, there telephone and Fax number and web address are provided in the two languages.
A second loose instruction sheet is the same size as the main instructions. It is printed on both sides and is the painting and assembly instructions for the four figures.
The face side has one illustration of each of the 4 figures, calling out the colors to use on them.
The reverse side has an illustration of the medium-grey part tree that the figures are on, over a suggested listing of Model Master brand hobby paints and a repeat of the Cautions on the main instructions and a repeat of ICM’s addresses etc,
The parts trees are alphabetized all but the tree of figures.
There are 2 identical tan letter A parts trees. They hold: road wheels, idler wheels, drive sprockets, engine air intake grills, tow cables, bogies, exhaust pipes etc. (61 parts each) The tow cable is shaded out as being excess.
Tan letter B tree holds: fenders, final transfer covers, hull rear wall, jack, antenna, upper nose roof, tools etc. (67 parts) 10 parts are shaded out as being excess.
There are 4 identical jet-black letter C parts trees. They hold the individual track links. (54 parts each)
Tan letter D tree holds the parts of the winch hoist and a machine gun and its mount. (32 parts)
Next is the one piece hull tub.
The hull top.
The un-alphabetized medium-grey tree holds the 4 crew figures. They are divided up into separate heads, torsos, arms, legs and hats. There is also a pistol holster on the tree. (28 parts)
The tiny decal sheet completes the kits contents. It just holds 3 small German crosses.
There are no clear parts or chain for on the hoist included, nor any internal details. Externally, it is well detailed.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.