In Box Review of Shanghai Dragon 1/35th Scale
German Gebirgsjager w/Donkey
Kit no. 6078
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1997
I paid $9.98 for this kit back then.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1997
I paid $9.98 for this kit back then.
HISTORY:
Gebirgsjäger (German pronunciation: [ɡəˈbɪʁksˌjɛːɡɐ]) are the light infantry part of the alpine or mountain troops (Gebirgstruppe) of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The word Jäger (meaning "hunter" or "huntsman") is a characteristic term used for light infantry in German speaking countries.
The mountain infantry of Austria have their roots in the three Landesschützen regiments of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The mountain infantry of modern Germany carry on certain traditions of the German Alpenkorps (Alpine corps) of World War I. Both countries' mountain infantry share the Edelweiss insignia, established in 1907 as a symbol of the Austro-Hungarian Landesschützen regiments by Emperor Franz Joseph I.
These troops wore the edelweiss on the uniform collar. When the Alpenkorps served alongside the Landesschützen on Austria's southern frontier against Italian forces from May 1915, the Landesschützen honored the men of the Alpenkorps by awarding them their own insignia: the edelweiss.
During World War II the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS raised a number of mountain infantry units, identified by the edelweiss insignia worn on their sleeves and caps. These divisions were lightly equipped, with much of the transport provided by mules. They were equipped with fewer automatic weapons than regular infantry, however the MG 34 or MG 42 machine gunners were provided with more ammunition than their regular infantry counterparts. Special equipment was made for them including the G33/40 Mauser rifle based on the VZ.33 rifle.
Mountain infantry participated in many campaigns, including Operations Weserübung, Silver Fox, Platinum Fox, Arctic Fox and Northern Lights. They also served in the Caucasus, the invasion of Crete, the Balkans, the Gothic Line, and the battles in the Vosges region of France.
Gebirgsjäger (German pronunciation: [ɡəˈbɪʁksˌjɛːɡɐ]) are the light infantry part of the alpine or mountain troops (Gebirgstruppe) of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The word Jäger (meaning "hunter" or "huntsman") is a characteristic term used for light infantry in German speaking countries.
The mountain infantry of Austria have their roots in the three Landesschützen regiments of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The mountain infantry of modern Germany carry on certain traditions of the German Alpenkorps (Alpine corps) of World War I. Both countries' mountain infantry share the Edelweiss insignia, established in 1907 as a symbol of the Austro-Hungarian Landesschützen regiments by Emperor Franz Joseph I.
These troops wore the edelweiss on the uniform collar. When the Alpenkorps served alongside the Landesschützen on Austria's southern frontier against Italian forces from May 1915, the Landesschützen honored the men of the Alpenkorps by awarding them their own insignia: the edelweiss.
During World War II the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS raised a number of mountain infantry units, identified by the edelweiss insignia worn on their sleeves and caps. These divisions were lightly equipped, with much of the transport provided by mules. They were equipped with fewer automatic weapons than regular infantry, however the MG 34 or MG 42 machine gunners were provided with more ammunition than their regular infantry counterparts. Special equipment was made for them including the G33/40 Mauser rifle based on the VZ.33 rifle.
Mountain infantry participated in many campaigns, including Operations Weserübung, Silver Fox, Platinum Fox, Arctic Fox and Northern Lights. They also served in the Caucasus, the invasion of Crete, the Balkans, the Gothic Line, and the battles in the Vosges region of France.
THE KIT:
Dragon (sometimes called DML) is based in Hong Kong, China. This kit was made at their plant in Shanghai though.
The kit comes 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 color illustration of 5 Gebirgsjager troops and a donkey walking up a hill past some rocks. They all wear field-grey uniforms, with cloth billed caps. Their trousers are bloused into gators over low black shoes.
The trees are not alphabetized. However, each figure is.
Reading left to right:
The 1st man (letter A) is armed with a 98K rifle and has a large canvas pack on his back and other field gear on his belt.
Next is the donkey.(letter E). It is brown with a white belly and legs. It is carrying a large metal container on its back.
The 2nd man to the right (also letter E) is holding the reins of the donkey and leading it. His blouse is reversible to white. He has ammo pouches on his belt.
The 3rd man (letter D) in the foreground to the right, is armed with a sub machine-gun on a bipod. He also has a large canvas sack on his back.
The 4th man (letter B) in the background behind the 3rd man. Is armed with a 98K with a scope and is aiming it up the hill. He has full field equipment on his belt.
The 5th man (letter C) is carrying a 98K in his right hand. He too has a large canvas sack on his back.
One side panel of the box says: Contains parts for 5 figures and a donkey. Paint and cement are not included. In Japanese, English, German, Spanish, French and Chinese. Each language is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language. Followed by Dragon’s postal address in Shanghai and their phone number. The copyright date for the kit is 1997 and the kit was made in China.
Dragon (sometimes called DML) is based in Hong Kong, China. This kit was made at their plant in Shanghai though.
The kit comes 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 color illustration of 5 Gebirgsjager troops and a donkey walking up a hill past some rocks. They all wear field-grey uniforms, with cloth billed caps. Their trousers are bloused into gators over low black shoes.
The trees are not alphabetized. However, each figure is.
Reading left to right:
The 1st man (letter A) is armed with a 98K rifle and has a large canvas pack on his back and other field gear on his belt.
Next is the donkey.(letter E). It is brown with a white belly and legs. It is carrying a large metal container on its back.
The 2nd man to the right (also letter E) is holding the reins of the donkey and leading it. His blouse is reversible to white. He has ammo pouches on his belt.
The 3rd man (letter D) in the foreground to the right, is armed with a sub machine-gun on a bipod. He also has a large canvas sack on his back.
The 4th man (letter B) in the background behind the 3rd man. Is armed with a 98K with a scope and is aiming it up the hill. He has full field equipment on his belt.
The 5th man (letter C) is carrying a 98K in his right hand. He too has a large canvas sack on his back.
One side panel of the box says: Contains parts for 5 figures and a donkey. Paint and cement are not included. In Japanese, English, German, Spanish, French and Chinese. Each language is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language. Followed by Dragon’s postal address in Shanghai and their phone number. The copyright date for the kit is 1997 and the kit was made in China.
The other side panel of the box shows 2 color box arts of other figure kits that Dragon makes: Kit no. 6003, German Combat Unit (Normandy 1944) and a kit of an armored self-propelled railroad car. No Kit no. or name for it is shown. Bad move Shanghai Dragon ! These are followed by: Not suitable for children under 3 because of small parts. For modelers age 10 and older. In multiple languages, including English.
The bottom of the box serves as the assembly and painting instructions. Each figure and the donkey’s front and rear is shown in color. Gunze Sangyo brand paint numbers are called out, but not what those colors are. This means searching the web to get the names of the colors. Which is an extra chore that modelers really don’t need to do, if Dragon would only say what the colors are.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds 4 light-grey trees of parts in 3 sealed clear cello bags.
Trees are not alphabetized. As already said. Each figure and the donkey are..
The largest light-grey tree holds the parts of 4 of the figures (divided into separate heads, torsos, arms and legs), 4 canvas sacks, 2 bayonets its scabbards, 4 cloth field caps with bills, 2 picks, 3 large canvas back-packs, 8 canteens, a pistol in holster, 7 ammo pouches (56 parts)
The kit holds 4 light-grey trees of parts in 3 sealed clear cello bags.
Trees are not alphabetized. As already said. Each figure and the donkey are..
The largest light-grey tree holds the parts of 4 of the figures (divided into separate heads, torsos, arms and legs), 4 canvas sacks, 2 bayonets its scabbards, 4 cloth field caps with bills, 2 picks, 3 large canvas back-packs, 8 canteens, a pistol in holster, 7 ammo pouches (56 parts)
The medium-sized light-grey tree holds: the halves of the donkey, its tail and ears and the man leading it. He is divided into separate full head, full body, arms, shoes, cap, ammo pouches and metal containers (22 parts)
The larger-sized small light-grey tree holds: two MP40 sub machine-guns, a large sub machine-gun, a 98K carbine, a bipod, wire shoulder stocks for the MP40s, a pistol and 4 round ammo cans (14 parts)
The smallest-sized light-grey tree holds: 3 more 98Ks, an open and folded bipod, a large sub machine-gun and ammo belt (7 parts)
Nice detail.
Recommended.
Recommended.