In Box Review of ICM 1/35th Scale
Battle of Kursk, 1943
3rd SS Panzergrenadier Div. “Totenkopf” Figures
Great Battles of WWII
Kit no,. 35151
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 199x
Out of production
Kit no,. 35151
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 199x
Out of production
THE KIT:
ICM is based in the Ukraine.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped end-opening type box. 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 a group of 7 SS Panzergrenadiers all standing in a grassy field with a Pz.Kpfw. IV and two knocked-out Soviet T-34 tanks in the background. The Pz.Kpfw. is overall Panzer-gray. The T-34s are both medium gray and the nearest one has a white slogan on the side of its turret.
Reading left to right, the 1st Grenadier is an officer. He wears a field-gray uniform with a billed officer’s hat and jopher trousers bloused into black jack boots. He has a pair of binoculars strung around his neck and is holding a map in his hands. He is speaking to the 2nd Grenadier.
The 2nd Grenadier is talking to the officer. He is pointing with his left arm over the officer’s left shoulder. He is bare-headed and wears a field-gray uniform with the trousers bloused into black jack boots. He also has a pair of binoculars strung around his neck and has a pistol holster on his belt and its ammo case, shoulder straps, a MP40 slung over his right arm.
The 3rd Grenadier is standing at a distance behind the 2nd Grenadier and in front of the Soviet T-34. He is talking to the 4th Grenadier to his left. He wears a field-gray uniform and low shoes. He is bare headed. Not much of him is visible. He is blocked by the 3nd Grenadier.
The 4th Grenadier is talking to the 3rd one. He too is bare headed and wears a field-gray uniform and low shoes. He is armed with a Mauser 98K carbine slung over his left arm and is carrying an anti-personnel mine in his right hand. He wears shoulder straps, has ammo pouches on his belt with a steel helmet.
The 5th Grenadier to the right is talking to the 3rd and 4th ones. He too is bare headed and wears the same dress. He is armed with a MG32 machine gun slung over his right arm with an ammo case for it and a steel helmet on his belt.
The 6th Grenadier to the right again is bare headed and wears the same clothing as previous Grenadiers. He is holding a shovel over his right shoulder. He is armed with a Mauser 98K carbine slung on his back. Has shoulder straps. His helmet on his belt with ammo cases. His pants are bloused into black jack boots.
The 7th Grenadier further back from the others and the last man shown. Wears the same uniform as the rest of the men. His pants are bloused into black jack boots. He is wearing his helmet. He has an ammo case on top of his left shoulder and is armed with a Mauser 98K carbine slung over his right shoulder. He has ammo cases on his belt for it.
Although 7 figures are shown on the box art, there are actually 8 in the kit.
The 8th figure wears the same uniform as the rest of the men. His pants are bloused into black jack boots. He too is bare headed and a helmet is not seen on him in the illustration of him on the box bottom. He is armed with a MP40 and has ammo cases for it on his belt.
One side panel of the box gives a short history of these Grenadiers:
The Battle of Kursk was one of the most violent and bloody battles on the Soviet-German front of WWII. The Panzergrenadier detachments formed the main force of The German Army at that period.
ICM is based in the Ukraine.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped end-opening type box. 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 a group of 7 SS Panzergrenadiers all standing in a grassy field with a Pz.Kpfw. IV and two knocked-out Soviet T-34 tanks in the background. The Pz.Kpfw. is overall Panzer-gray. The T-34s are both medium gray and the nearest one has a white slogan on the side of its turret.
Reading left to right, the 1st Grenadier is an officer. He wears a field-gray uniform with a billed officer’s hat and jopher trousers bloused into black jack boots. He has a pair of binoculars strung around his neck and is holding a map in his hands. He is speaking to the 2nd Grenadier.
The 2nd Grenadier is talking to the officer. He is pointing with his left arm over the officer’s left shoulder. He is bare-headed and wears a field-gray uniform with the trousers bloused into black jack boots. He also has a pair of binoculars strung around his neck and has a pistol holster on his belt and its ammo case, shoulder straps, a MP40 slung over his right arm.
The 3rd Grenadier is standing at a distance behind the 2nd Grenadier and in front of the Soviet T-34. He is talking to the 4th Grenadier to his left. He wears a field-gray uniform and low shoes. He is bare headed. Not much of him is visible. He is blocked by the 3nd Grenadier.
The 4th Grenadier is talking to the 3rd one. He too is bare headed and wears a field-gray uniform and low shoes. He is armed with a Mauser 98K carbine slung over his left arm and is carrying an anti-personnel mine in his right hand. He wears shoulder straps, has ammo pouches on his belt with a steel helmet.
The 5th Grenadier to the right is talking to the 3rd and 4th ones. He too is bare headed and wears the same dress. He is armed with a MG32 machine gun slung over his right arm with an ammo case for it and a steel helmet on his belt.
The 6th Grenadier to the right again is bare headed and wears the same clothing as previous Grenadiers. He is holding a shovel over his right shoulder. He is armed with a Mauser 98K carbine slung on his back. Has shoulder straps. His helmet on his belt with ammo cases. His pants are bloused into black jack boots.
The 7th Grenadier further back from the others and the last man shown. Wears the same uniform as the rest of the men. His pants are bloused into black jack boots. He is wearing his helmet. He has an ammo case on top of his left shoulder and is armed with a Mauser 98K carbine slung over his right shoulder. He has ammo cases on his belt for it.
Although 7 figures are shown on the box art, there are actually 8 in the kit.
The 8th figure wears the same uniform as the rest of the men. His pants are bloused into black jack boots. He too is bare headed and a helmet is not seen on him in the illustration of him on the box bottom. He is armed with a MP40 and has ammo cases for it on his belt.
One side panel of the box gives a short history of these Grenadiers:
The Battle of Kursk was one of the most violent and bloody battles on the Soviet-German front of WWII. The Panzergrenadier detachments formed the main force of The German Army at that period.
The kit contains parts for 8 scale figures (officer and 7 privates and NCOs) to complete as members of 3rd SS Panzergrenadier Division “Totenkopf”.
Paint and cement are not included. Kit is not suitable for children under 36 months.Contains small detachable parts. Made in Ukraine.
This is said in English, German and Polish. Each language is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language.
The other side panel of the box repeats this again in French and Ukrainian, marked with flags for those countries. ICM is said to be located in the Ukraine.
Paint and cement are not included. Kit is not suitable for children under 36 months.Contains small detachable parts. Made in Ukraine.
This is said in English, German and Polish. Each language is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language.
The other side panel of the box repeats this again in French and Ukrainian, marked with flags for those countries. ICM is said to be located in the Ukraine.
The bottom of the box serves as the assembly and painting instructions. It shows a front view of each of the 8 figures (all described above).
The box contains 2 dark-green parts trees in a sealed clear cello bag and a single-sheet that is printed on both sides 7 ¼” x 10” format.
The face side has illustrations of the parts trees, over illustrations of field equipment on the back of a Grenadier. A rolled tarp, above an ammo case, above another rolled tarp, over a gas mask canister and a shovel and canteen on the belt.
To the right of it there are illustrations of uniform insignia for clothing, helmet and officer’s hat. No decal sheet is included in the kit, so these insignia will all have to be painted by hand.
A decal sheet for this would have been nice to have included in the kit.
The parts-trees are alphabetized.
Dark-green letter A tree holds: parts of 4 figures (divided into separate heads, torsos, arms and legs) also on the tree is 4 shovels, a pair of binoculars, a pistol holster, 2 canvas pouches, a MG 34 machine gun and its bipod, 3 gas mask canisters, 3 canteens, 3 mess kits and a potato masher type grenade (63 parts)
The face side has illustrations of the parts trees, over illustrations of field equipment on the back of a Grenadier. A rolled tarp, above an ammo case, above another rolled tarp, over a gas mask canister and a shovel and canteen on the belt.
To the right of it there are illustrations of uniform insignia for clothing, helmet and officer’s hat. No decal sheet is included in the kit, so these insignia will all have to be painted by hand.
A decal sheet for this would have been nice to have included in the kit.
The parts-trees are alphabetized.
Dark-green letter A tree holds: parts of 4 figures (divided into separate heads, torsos, arms and legs) also on the tree is 4 shovels, a pair of binoculars, a pistol holster, 2 canvas pouches, a MG 34 machine gun and its bipod, 3 gas mask canisters, 3 canteens, 3 mess kits and a potato masher type grenade (63 parts)
Dark-green letter B tree holds: parts of the other 4 figures (divided the same), 4 shovels in carrying pouches, 3 Mauser 98 Ks, 3 MP40s, 2 gas mask canisters, 2 mess kits, 4 canteens, a canvas pouch, an anti-personnel mine and ammo pouches (66 parts)
The other side of the sheet has a CAUTION in 4 language, including English, over a suggested paint color listing of Testor’s and Humbrol brands of hobby paints.
At the bottom is ICM’s address, telephone no. and web address provided.
Detail is okay, but not the greatest.
Recommended if you can find a kit anymore someplace.
At the bottom is ICM’s address, telephone no. and web address provided.
Detail is okay, but not the greatest.
Recommended if you can find a kit anymore someplace.