David And Goliath, Disabled Tiger Tank 1 With Zimmerit for

Hi All,

Back to my favorite subject...armour for my next dio D-Day +3.

I've never attempted zimmerit using Tamiya putty so this is my first try. Pretty messy. I used hack saw blades for the serated detail common on Tigers in the Normandy campaign.

I intend to put this Tiger in a diorama being disabled by a bazooka fired by a paratrooper. His lucky shot has thrown off the track stopping the Tiger in its tracks hence the title "David and Goliath"

If anybody knows the story...in ancient times, no army could stand up to Goliath, a giant of a man until a boy stopped him with a stone from his sling shot.

Here I've skipped the assembly part and have gone straight to the application of the zimmerit on the turret.



Spare tracks have been added here.




Let me explain the toothpicks. When I first assembled the kit, I mistakenly over retracted the suspension on one side of the tank and glued it. Realised the mistake and decided to simulate it sitting on rubble at a tilt angle resulting with all the weight concentrated on one side of the tank.



The toothpicks helped give the tracks an uneven ride over the rubble. I glued the track to simulate it left behind when the wheels have rolled over them being severed just before the drive sprocket.



Did the same on the other side....





Next will be the side skirts and the engine screens. Please note that tanks for my dioramas normally are built stock standard with the bare minimum...what can't be seen is left off...so no interior lah.

Q and C are welcome.

Richard.

Ah. Richard's back with a new project (hey it rhymes!)

The zim looks good.

This will be interesting to follow.

Rhymes doesn't it...thanks Pooh...I'll know the result of the zimmerit is successful after the first coat of paint.

Anyways...this is what I've done so far.

Added the mesh and mud guards. Also the cables and what not as these Abteilung's were being re-fitted while resting at the time od D-Day.



Notice the damage to the fender from the bazooka hit. It probably didn't penetrate but damaged the tracks.





This guy got a new loaders hatch with no zimmerit.



The tilt is very apparent here.



Close up of the attachment plugs for the mudguards...the tracks are all stuck up.











Have to wait for another long holiday to continue with the rest of the build...in the meantime enjoy.

Q and C welcome.

Richard.

wow..looking good master of dio....

cant wait to see the tiger got bazzokaed..........

RTFOE.... Nice done but if I may add...

Since your tiger had been Bazooked...Why not having the tank turret "off aligned" abit and all panel should be "force" open.... with some "burned effect" at all opening.

The Bazooka is a "Shape Charge" producing "Hot Liquidized Metal Needle" that can cause "Fire" when contact with combustible material

just my 2 kupang

Regards
Mej®

Hi Major,

Thanks...no doubt the bazooka fires a shaped charge, its reputation for stopping a Tiger was never legendary as it was still being developed. The 9mm round could only penetrate between 60mm to 100mm of armour in perfect ideal conditions.

This lucky round probably hit the transmission missing amunition and fuel, fouling it up and of course the poor radio operator...that's why his hatch isn't open. The other hatches will be open because the occupants want to make a speedy exit...eventually surrendering to the paratrooper with the bazooka and his overjoyed buddies. (Incidently this Tiger has made the biggest mistake of not having support infantry...so confident were these tank crews who thought nobody could challenge the Tiger)

Normally I don't reveal the whole scenario until the last stage as in Dio making there will be many adjustments to the layout. But visually this is quite clear. It's been in my head for quite a while.

My challenge is to get the angles, atmosphere and proportions right. Also the right amount of rubble and the correct architecture of the Norman town and streets.

Your comments are well taken...I haven't the courage yet to display a fully knocked out tank with all compartments open showing the interior...it'll take a lifetime for me.

Sil, the bazooka is like a mosquito bite that carries a bigger bite called denggi.

Richard.

...imo the radio operator would be okay..nothing but some splitting headache as the round had hit the track...enough to put it out of comission, as you had put holes on the side fenders and nothing on the front, it means the charge had moved upwards . the tracks has taken most of the impact and nothing serious is gonna happen to the side hull..probably some fire...thats all.



the zimmerit are okay...but the fenders are not okay...they looked unnatural, hope you dont mind that i say this and they have to be rebuild if you really want this tiger to turn up good.
one way of doing this is to thin out the fenders from the reverse side, or rebuild from thin plastic cards. thin enough for you to bend them without using heat. same with the battle damage, yours looks too neat but if your fenders are thin enough you only need to cut a crossing section then push it in or outwards using a small screwdriver...one thing you must remember is sharpenel hits are never round, they come in all shape and sizes but never round...unless its a hit from a 30 or 50 cal round.

keep it up bro...good work, just take your time ya..and dont rush, model kits are expensive nowdays

Thanks for the comments Ari.

Was thinking of replacing the fenders with metal sheet. Now it looks like it's made from rubber.

Will definitely take my time as usual and savour every moment of the build...although I got these two tigers and two Panthers for free (competition days...if only the Famo came out earlier)

Richard.

Richard

Maybe this comment is kinda like 'too many cooks spoil the broth' ,but i think the tracks shouldnt be in the way that you had depicted.

Once the track breaks, the sprocket would continue to bring the tracks forward and the tank would slew towards the broken track side. So,instead of collecting the tracks at the rear of the tank,i think the tracks should be at the front.



sllim

I think Richard made the track break topside between the sprocket and idler. If the tank was going forward, the sprocket would have pulled what's left of the top front to fall under the tank and without traction the back ones will just 'bump' along the road wheels until eventually dropping off at the back. If it was reversing, the track might get all fouled up in the road wheels.

Not sure about the slew though. Maybe the track teeth would keep it going straight as long as the wheels don't leave the track?

I Think what Richard did is correct but the track should not have come out that long although if there is a momentum becoz the track that break is just a few cm from the traction wheel. Nothing pile in front but the leading broken track should lead down or "bunching" a few track on the most forward road wheel.

just my 2 kupang...

MejŪ

Rich,
from all the comments on the tracks, time to pick up a set of Fruilmodels tracks from HHQ! Flew in 2 weeks ago!

Hmm maybe we could start testing track break theories using Loo's 1/16 Tiger.

waaaaaaaaa...didnt know HHQ stock Fruil now...

ya la rich...just use the fruils tracks and u will never come back to plastic tracks again...huhuhuh

the tracks are okay as you build it brader...so no worries