Please put me down for Testors/Italeri 1/35 Maultier.  I bought this Maultier kit in 1980 so I think it's time to build it.  I also have a Tamiya Flak 38 to mount on the bed along with the Eduard pe set I got not too long ago on Ebay.

Thanks plasticjunkie. I'm not aware of any maultiers in Africa. I thought they were specifically built for the Russia? Hopefully someone can back me up or correct me.

That is my understanding of the Mautier as well. It was specificly made for the poor road condtions of the Eastern Front.

Interesting. The instruction sheet says it was used in North Africa and has markings for the 160th Panzer Grenadier Reg. of the 5th Panzer Army in Tunisia, May 1943, but then we know how reliable kit manufacturers can be with often times misleading information. I did some checking around and came up with nothing on North African use so I stand corrected.

No problem. That would have been a cool conversion. Maybe an opel blitz with the flak gun?

The Mauliter was introduced in 1943 so it is possible that they were used in the latter stages of the campaign. I haven't been able to find any pics or references to it except this. Someone asked this question on a forum and was told they did serve there, but no evidence was posted and it is from 11 years ago.

www.network54.com/.../Opel+Maultier+in+North+Africa

My searches came up empty as well.  

I've also stumbled upon the link Bish provided.  The same poster (from that particular site) provides, on a separate thread,  two negative numbers from IWM that are suppose to be proof, but he did not provide any web links.  The numbers are NA 1889 and NA 1890, but I'm not sure if this warrants further searching, as the NA range of photos include both North Africa and Italy.

regards,

Jack

Ok then, the Maultier is out and the 1/35  AFV Sdkfz 263 Schwere Panzerfunkwagen is in.

Question for the resident experts-would this Sherman fit the criteria?

It's Dragon 6579

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10103220b/30/1

Thanks

Yes, US 1st Armored Division had those in Tunisia... along with M3 Mediums and M4A1 Mediums

Yay Bob. Glad to have you bud.

Eric-I'm not ready to sign up yet....getting close, but not quite yet.....

.......ok, sign me up but I'm not sure what I'll be building.

Tigerman if it's not to much trouble I would like to replace one of my builds with a British M3 in 1/35 by Tamiya and I'll also keep the Panzerfunkwagen. It just seems I should build for both sides so if you would, please remove the Panzer III.

Thanks, Jibber

No problem Jibber, I can do that.

Thanks, Monty did all right but he could have used some help in the beginning. As so I.

Guys:  I seem to be gravitating towards this paint scheme:

I looks tan but I think it could/may be the pink version...

In addition to this photo I found some pictures from a modeling magazine of a similar tank called "crickade". The modeler describes the pink paint ratios,etc.

What I like about the above photo is the simple, single color, pink scheme and since I don't have the decals I can paint the simple markings instead. I don't have the skirts, fender box or turret bin either...but I think I can "alter" the build to have those missing due to battle damage, etc. I may even do some minor scratch work...if I HAVE too.

OK...so here are my questions:

1. Is that idea WAY too far out of the "plausible" range. I think it was stikpusher who said that these early tanks were pretty much obliterated and the damaged tank I want to depict may be TOO fictional...BUT...if there were some survivors I'd love to simulate a battle-worn pink tank!

2. Can anybody give me some info/ history/ reason for the "pink" paint scheme?

3. Was there a "pink" version without the skirts, fender box, turret bin?...

Thanks!

I would like to join if thats ok. Not really sure what I would build yet, but maybe a Pz.IV? How long do we have to decide?

SMJ, the Desert Pink was in use with the 8th Army around the time of El Alamein. It was chosen as the best color to match the reddish sand in that area of Egypt. It is not an actual pink color, per se, but rather a shade of tan that has a pinkish hue to it similar to the color seen on US B-24s & B-25s in  North Africa, or RAF Tornadoes and Jaguars in Operation Desert Storm. There would not be a pink M4A1 scheme without the modifications, as it was a British scheme and the tanks used had the British modifications.

Yes, there were some survivors of the early US M4A1s in North Africa. Two US armored divisions landed there with the in late 1942. 1st and 2nd. 1st Armored got a very bloody nose so to speak in their initial learning encounters with the Germand between November 1942 and February 1943, losing a LOT of their initial equipment in the process. By March, inefficient old tactics and poor leaders had been replaced by ones hard learned in combat. 2nd armored division on the other hand saw little action after the initial Torch landings and did not lose so much of thier original equipment. Much of that stuff would go on to Sicily. All that aside, a US M4A1 should be in OD. By early 1943 many nwere sporting locally applied mud in camo to tone down the OD and help it better blend with local terrain. Although in Spring 1943, Tunisia can get rather green and the OD camo will work well enough, especially when toned down by dust. I posted those photos of the KOd early Shermans just to show that they were there, and that was the fate of many (but not all).

stikpusher:  You are a wealth of knowledge, thanks. 

If I understand correct, I would need to have British markings to have the pink scheme...and what I depicted is "plausible... but...bottom line,  "a US M4A1 should be in OD."  I think I'll hold-off on the pink scheme until I can get the El Alamein Dragon Kit (maybe I'll get it for Christmas) 

I like the MUD camo idea and I found this on the net, notice the inset picture...it's the one you posted earlier:

For a US Sherman, SMJ, Desert Pink is not plausible- British 8th Army only. Mud camo, very common by spring 1943 in US units. T hat color phot that I posted earlier is just dust. Very typical of AFVs in that environment. Here are a few B&W photos to illustrate... 

OOPS, wait... found this color phot of a recvoery vehicle to illistrate mud over OD in Tunisia... and with yellow stars of that campaign to boot...

but notice the nice green Tunisian countryside in the spring... with flowers and all...

not an M4A1 DV, but an early production replacement in North Africa

stikpusher:  Those are awesome pic's!,  They remind me of some of the German winter camo applications.   

I found this "Major Jim" scheme on the net last week.  I downloaded it but It didn't strike me as anything "special".  The photo & depiction you posted is much different and BETTER!  I don't know why the one I found is such a poor version:

stikpusher

 

Interesting - I have the Tasca / Asuka kit of Major Jim. Wasn't sure it fit the time limits here or not. Still in with the Crusader though.

Another question for Stik and the other experts-is this Dragon kit a Mk. II or a Mk. III?

It's Dragon kit 6447...currently residing in my stash.....

Stik, I've never seen the Major Jim in those hues before. That black and white photo is unbelievable.

Bob: that kit is a Sherman Mk. II

Bob, Dragon 6447 is a M4A1 AKA Sherman II. It is perfect for this GB

Jibber, that photo looks like when the mud was freshly applied. I have seen a couple other photos of that tank where it looks more like the profile that you posted- dusty and the mud patches wearing away.

SMJ, You could do a "generic" initial production M4A1 from that unit. The guidelines that I suggest in that case would be to use yellow stars and unit markings, as well as the mud camo, like on that M32 ARV in the color photo. And have the vehicle name start with the company letter.

stikpusher

SMJ, use yellow stars and unit markings, as well as the mud camo, like on that M32 ARV in the color photo.

stikpusher:  Decals are included in the kit for the yellow stars and unit markings:  I found a nice build on the net, I assume these are the markings you are reffering to:

stikpusher

SMJ, have the vehicle name start with the company letter.

OK, I will try to explain here- 1st Armored Division went into North Africa with the Yellow Star and turret stripe at the beginning of the Torch campaign. (I am not as well read up on 2nd Armored there due to their seeing less action). But, instead of using bumper codes to differentiate sub units, 1st AD used a series of geometric shapes. That angled bar with the circle next to it identifies what battalion and company to which that tank is assigned.I would have to check my reference library about platoon and vehicle designators, and for specific unit assignment symbols. The "i" symbol in white on "Major Jim' is another example of this- the bar is oriented up/down AKA "north/south" and instead of a circle, there is a square directly over the bar.

Now vehicle names have often (but not always) followed a rule of starting with the name of the company to which the vehicle is assigned. I.E. "C" company could be names like "Cathouse" "Conqueror" "Corkscrew" etc. Now that is not always the case, as "Major Jim" atttests. IIRC, "MJ" was one of the battalion command vehicles named after the commander. Another one in the same unit that has been photographed was "Henry III". "Henry" and "Henry II" had been knocked out and lost in action earlier in the campaign.

A side note on the Yellow Stars. Yellow was chosen by the Armored Force as the distinctive ID markings to stand out from teh rest of the Army. But during the North Africa campaign there were complaints, especially from the Army Air Force, that dust obscured the markings too easily. Even though tankers had learned that the stars made good aiming points for the enemy and had begain covering them with mud or painting them out, the change over to more prominent white stars was ordered.

Nothing on my reference shelf that could help in regards with the geometric style markings, but found this sample spread from a book review:

... and the review:

http://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/under-gun-2-first-blood-us-1st-armored-division-tunisia

I have read that the 2nd Armored Div. did send out one of their regiments to bolster the forces in Tunisia after the losses suffered at Kasserine.

regards,

Jack

Thats great stuff jack. That covers the two Tank Regiments in 1st AD, 1st & 13th. I think the references that I have cover other sub units such as the Armored Infantry and Armored Artillery.