onsdag 13. juni 2012

M10 Tank Destroyer Platoon (UBX31)

M10 Tank Destroyer Platoon (UBX31)
includes four M10 Tank Destroyers (with optional Duckbills & Top Armour upgrades) with crew and plastic parts sprue, two Tank Stowage sprues, one Decal sheet & eight Rare-earth magnets.

The M10 3” GMC (gun motor carriage) tank destroyer was developed to handle medium and heavy German tanks. It was the first destroyer to incorporate a turret, which housed the 3” anti-tank gun, the best in the US arsenal at the time.

Check out the M10 Tank Destroyer Platoon in the online store here...

Blood, Guts, & Glory
It’s September 1944 and the Allies have stormed across France all along the front lines from Belgium to the French region of the Lorraine. Blood, Guts, & Glory covers the tanks battles in the Lorraine between September 1944 and January 1945.

Learn more about Blood, Guts, & Glory here...

The M10 soldiered on from the North African campaign to the end of the war. During that time crews made some field modifications to improve some of the vehicle’s major weaknesses, such as the open fighting compartment and the thin frontal armour, with overhead protection and improvised armour using sandbags.

The M10s typically served infantry divisions, offering their guns to blast German pillboxes when not otherwise engaged with enemy tanks.

Designed by Evan Allen
Painted by Shelby Taylor

The M10 Tank Destroyer in Flames Of War

			Armour
Name	Mobility	Front	Side	Top	Equipment and Notes
Weapon	Range	ROF	Anti-tank	Firepower
M10 3in GMC	Standard Tank	4	2	0	.50 cal AA MG.
M7 3in gun (late)	32"/80cm	2	13	3+	Slow traverse.

Slow Traverse
Most tanks were either fitted with power traverse or had turrets that were light enough to be quickly swung by hand. Some designs suffered from heavy turrets lacking power traverse.

Tanks with slow traverse add +1 to the score required to hit when shooting any turret-mounted weapon except an AA MG at targets that are entirely behind a line drawn across the front of the tank’s turret before they rotate their turret to face the target.

The Turret Options

The M10 Tank Destroyer Platoon Stalk Their Prey

The Contents of the M10 Tank Destroyer Platoon Box Set

Contact the customer service team at customerservice@battlefront.co.nz if you have any issues with any of the components.

Description of Components

a. 4x Plastic Sherman sprue.
b. 4x Resin M10 turrets.
c. 4x Resin M10 hulls.
d. 4x Crew figure variant A.
e. 4x Crew figure variant B.
f. 4x Crew figure variant C.

g. 4x 3in gun barrels.
h. 8x Rare earth magents.
i. 4x Duck-bill turret counterweight.
j. 4x Standard turret counterweight.
k. 4x Improvised roof armour.

The Plastic Sherman Sprue
The parts of the plastic Sherman sprue that are used when assembling the M10 tank destroyer are highlighted in green.

Right: The highlighted parts of the plastic Sherman sprue used in the construction of the M10 tank destroyer.

The M10 Stowage

Learn how to use the M10 Stowage Sprues here...	Learn how to paint the M10 Stowage Sprues here...

Battlefront TV
Basic Decal Guide
Blake demonstrates the basics of applying decals.

Below: The decal sheet shown at 150%.

Assembling The M10 Tank Destroyer

Step 1. Begin assemble by attaching the tracks to the hull of the M10.

Note: Each track has a number of lugs on the back that correspond with the recesses in the hull to aid in the correct alignment of the tracks.

Below: The correct alignment for the left-hand side track.	Below: The correct alignment for the right-hand side track.

Below: The left-hand side track attached to the M10 hull.	Below: The right-hand side track attached to the M10 hull.

Evan has created a recess for a rare earth magnet in the hull of the M10. Read Chris' guide to Rare Earth Magnets here for more tips and tricks...
Below: The magnet recess complete with magnet.	Below: Simply glue a rare earth magent to the bottom of the turret and you have a safe and secure way of attaching the turret to the hull.

Step 2. Next, attach the M7 3in gun barrel to the recess on the front of the turret.	Step 3. Inside the turret there are three round platforms to place the crew figures. On these three platforms arrange one figure of each crew variant (A, B, & C) inside the turret.

Turret Options
Due to the size and weight of the M7 3in gun that armed the M10, the rear of the turret required a counterweight. The two triangular counterweights attached to the turret provided the 1600kg necessary to balance the turret. Later production runs of the M10 were provided with a Duck-bill counterweight and an increase in size of the fighting compartment. Due to its open turret design, the M10 was vulnerable to small arms fire when called upon to provide infantry support. To remedy this problem, an improvised armoured roof was created to help keep the crew safe from incoming fire.
Below: The standard counterweight.	Below: The Duck-bill counterweight.	Below: The Duck-bill counterweight and improvised armoured roof.

Step 4. Then attach the .50cal AA MG to the rear of the turret using the recess in provided in the counterweight.		Step 5. With the .50cal AA Mg in place, the M10 tank destroyer is ready for painting.

mandag 4. juni 2012

DFS-230 Glider Decal Sheet (GSO201)

DFS-230 Glider Decal Sheet (GSO201)
includes one decal sheet sufficient for four DFS-230 Gliders.
Right: The glider decal sheet (shown at 100%).
Check out the DFS-230 Glider Decal Sheet in the online store here...

The Men of the Luftlandsturmkompane Make a Successful Landing

DFS-230 Glider (GSO200)

DFS-230 Glider (GSO200) and Decal Sheet (GSO201)

DFS-230 Glider Sprue (GSO200)
includes one DFS-230 Glider Sprue with metal Fallschirmjäger HMG gunner.

Each sprue contains the following parts:

1x Left wing.
1x Right wing.
1x Horizontal tail section.
2x Wing struts.
1x Gilder body.

Also contains one metal Fallschirmjäger HMG gunner as seen in the painted example below:

Check out the DFS-230 Glider Sprue in the online store here...

Battlefront TV
Assembling the Assault Glider
Blake demonstrates how to put together the DFS-230 Assault Gliders.Visit the Battlefront TV channel on YouTube here...

Sherman Duckbill Tracks (USO190)

Sherman Duckbill Tracks (USO190)
incldues one pair of Sherman Duckbill tracks.

The Sherman tank’s high ground pressure, restricted its ability to cross boggy ground unless fitted with duck bill-shaped extensions to the tracks. The downside was that the tank had to keep its speed down to avoid breaking them off.

Check out the Sherman Duckbill Tracks in the online store here...

M4 Sherman Tank Special Rules from Blood, Guts & Glory
At the start of the game a player may elect to fit all of their Sherman tanks (of all variants) with Duckbills. This gives them Wide Tracks (see page 61 of the rulebook), but makes their mobility rating Slow Tank. M4A3E2 Jumbo and M4A3E8 Easy Eight tanks cannot be fitted with Duckbills and ignore the Duckbills special rule.
Below: M4A3 (late) with Duckbills sits next to a M4A3 (late) with conventional Sherman tracks.

Blood, Guts, & Glory It’s September 1944 and the Allies have stormed across France all along the front lines from Belgium to the French region of the Lorraine. Blood, Guts, & Glory covers the tanks battles in the Lorraine between September 1944 and January 1945. Learn more about Blood, Guts, & Glory here...
Below: A M4A3 (late) with regular tracks; a M4A3 (late) with Duckbill tracks & a M4A3E2 Jumbo showing a painted set of Duckbill tracks.

Panther G Platoon (GBX66)

Panther G Platoon (GBX66)
includes five Panther G (Late) tanks, two Stowage sprues, two Tank Commander sprues, five Plastic Panther parts sprues, five Plastic Panther track sprues, one Decal sheet & ten Rare-earth magnets.

The Panther G is the latest model of the famed Panther tank. When the Germans revamped the old Panther A, they gave it a thicker, but more vertical, one-piece hull side to mate up with the superstructure of the Jagdpanther, and eliminated the driver’s direct vision slot.

Check out the Panther G Platoon in the online store here...

The result is slightly stronger armour, but more importantly, it is easier to manufacture.

The new model retains the very long-barrelled 7.5cm KwK42 gun of its predecessor, which a year after its introduction could still penetrate any tank in existence, penetrating 124mm (4.9”) of sloped armour at 500m.

The front armour of the Panther G matches its gun, being 80mm (3.15”) of well-sloped armour plate. This is more than enough to turn the shot of any gun less powerful than its own.

Designed by Evan Allen
Plastics designed by Will Jayne
Painted by Blake Coster

The Panther G in Flames Of War

			Armour
Name	Mobility	Front	Side	Top	Equipment and Notes
Weapon	Range	ROF	Anti-tank	Firepower
Panther G	Standard Tank	10	5	1	Co-ax MG, Hull MG, Wide tracks.
7.5cm KwK42 gun	32"/80cm	2	14	3+

Best Tank of the War?
The balance of an excellent gun, good armour, and good mobility makes the Panther tank one of the best of the war.

Firepower!
It’s long 7.5cm KwK42 gun (nearly twice as long as the American M4 Sherman tank’s gun) can penetrate
almost any tank in existence.

Mobility
Despite weighing as much as an Allied heavy tank, and having the front-armour to match, the Panther has the mobility of a medium tank.

Wide Tracks
Some excellent tank designs have successfully utilised wider tracks, allowing them to cross almost any terrain.

If a vehicle with Wide Tracks becomes Bogged Down while attempting to cross Rough Terrain, roll again. On a roll of 4+ the vehicle immediately frees itself and continues moving.

The Panther G Platoon on the Move

The New Plastic Panther Sprues

The Panther G Platoon on the Move

The Contents of the Panther G Platoon Box Set

Contact the customer service team at customerservice@battlefront.co.nz if you have any issues with any of the components.

Description of Components

a. 10x Rare-earth magnets.
b. 1x Panther decal sheet.
c. 5x Gun cleaning kit tubes.
d. 2x Tank Commander sprues.
e. 1x Stowage sprue #1.

f. 1x Stowage sprue #2.
g. 5x Panther G (late) resin turrets.
h. 5x Panther G (late) resin hulls.
i. 5x Plastic Panther tracks sprues.
j. 5x Pastic Panther parts sprues.

The Plastic Panther Sprues
The parts of the new plastic Panther sprues that are used when assembling the Panther G (late) are highlighted in green. The parts highlighted in red are optional and can be used to add some modelling variety.

Right: The highlighted parts of the new plastic Panther sprues used in the construction the Panther G (late).

Assembling The Panther G (late)

Step 1. Begin assembly by attaching the tracks to the hull of the Panther G. Note: Each track has an arrow the back that corresponds with the front of the track to aid in correct orientation. Make sure that sits flush with the hull.

Below: The left-hand side track attached to the hull.	Below: The right-hand side track attached to the hull.

Step 2. Next, attach the front mud guards. Note: Make sure that the mud guard with the headlight is on the right-hand side of the hull.	Step 3. Now add the hull MG to the front glacis plate of the Panther G.

Step 4. Next, attach the gun cleaning kit tube to the right-hand side of the hull.	Step 5. Time to move onto the turret; begin by attaching the 7.5cm main gun.

Step 6. Then its time to add the cupola.	Step 7. Complete the cupola assembly by adding the hatch.

Step 8. With the cupola in place, the Panther G is ready for painting.

Adding The Extras
Tank Commander

Step 1. To add a tank commander simply attach the cupola hatch in an open position as shown below.	Step 2. Next, add a tank commander to the open cupola.

Side Skirts and Spare Track LinksThe side skirts and track links are optional and can be added or left off to add some modelling variety to the platoon. As can the stowage sprues included in the box set.
Below: The spare track links attach to the rear of the hull.	Below: The side skirts attach to the side of the hull.

Rare-Earth Magnets Evan has created a recess for a rare-earth magnet in the hull of Panther G.

Step 1. The magnet recess complete with magnet. Read Chris' guide to Rare Earth Magnets here...	Step 2. Simply glue a rare earth magent to the bottom of the turret and you have a safe and secure way of attaching the turret to the hull.