Dragon Armor, Easy Armor and Forces of Valor are usually the brands I buy for my
1:72 scale tanks collection. It is not that they are my favourite brands but they are easily found and affordable here in Singapore.
Another brand that I like is
Hobby Master (HM). I love their details and weathering painting techniques. They also cover a huge variety of tanks.
Not as heavy as compared to the Forces of Valor tanks, that equates to lower metal content but their sculpting and painting are much better.
However, in places where I found them, they are pretty steep in price.
In my recent trip to
Taipei, I found a shop that was selling HM's tanks and for a very reasonable price.
So what does a good toy collector do....grab them!
I will be reviewing the WW2 United States Tanks.
US Willys Jeep 7th Armored Div.,
814th Tank Destroyer Bttn.,Recon. Company No.22,
Jan 1945 Belgium
The US Willys Jeep was manufactured from 1941 to 1945. These small four-wheel drive utility vehicles are considered the iconic World War II Jeep, and inspired many similar light utility vehicles.
Wanting to replace their outdated light vehicles the U.S. Military received three tenders. Bantam Car Company was the initial winner but couldn’t meet demand so the job went to Willys-Overland Motors. Willys was to take the best design features of the three submitted tenders and build a standardized vehicle. Eventually in order to meet an even greater demand the Ford Motors Company was asked to build a similar vehicle. During World War II there was a total of 647,870 Jeeps produced by the three companies; Willys-Overland produced 362,841 of them.
In 1:72 scale, this jeep comes in pretty small but is still able to pack in the details. I love this piece as the details and painting are very good.
The windshield can pivot up and down plus the wheels are made of rubber and can roll.
US M8 Light Armored Car
82nd Armored Recon. Battalion,
2nd Armored Div., 1944
The American M8 was equipped with a 37mm gun and 6X6 wheel drive and was the
main recon vehicle used by the US military during WWII.
The only positive thing the crews had to say about the vehicle was it was reliable and fast on roads. It performed poorly off road, was very lightly armored with only sheet metal for a floor. It had an open top with no periscopes and exposed the crew to weather and enemy fire.
Another armor vehicle with great details and painting.
I also like the fact that the wheels are made of rubber and can roll.
US M10 Tank Destroyer "Duckbill"
France, 1944 "Corsair II"Originally developed as part of a mobile tank destroyer force in 1941.
The M10 tank destroyer, formally 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage, M10 was a United States tank destroyer of World War II based on the chassis of the M4 Sherman tank.
The 'duckbill' version of the M10 was the configuration put into production later in the M10's development. The 'duckbill' was actually a more effective turret counter-weight to offset the weight of the M7 76mm main gun. The extended 'duckbill' also provided a better 50 cal machine gun mount.
Seriously what's not to like about a tank destroyer!
I like the fact that you get to see the inside of the tank from the top. The details are amazing.
I particulately like the weathering effect on this M10
M5A1 US Light TankE Tank Company, 83rd Recon Battalion3rd Armoured Division "Victory"The M5A1 was the major variant of the M3 Stuart, formally Light Tank M3.
It an American light tank of World War II and supplied to British and Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. into the war—and used thereafter by U.S. and Allied forces until the end of the war.
This is a very cute tank.
I like the overall design of this tank and Hobby Master has done well to capture it in this die cast model.
LVT(A)- 1
Saipan, 1944 "Blue Beach 1"The LVT (Landing Vehicle Tracked) was a class of amphibious vehicles designed for the U.S during WWII. The original idea was for a cargo carrier from ship to shore. It wasn’t long before it evolved into a troop carrier and a fire support vehicle.
The LVT(A)-1 was given a turret almost identical to that of the M3 Stuart Light Tank along with other fire-power.
This is one very well made model.
The details are great and the nice blue wash is eye catching.
I am really pleased with this tank.
LVT-2 AMTRAC Unkown Unit,
Saipan (Mariana Islands), June 1944A vast improvement over the LVT-1 came with the arrival of the LVT-2 commonly known as the “Water Buffalo” and also as just the “Buffalo”. The new machine was provided with better armor, a newer Continental engine and the same transmission found in M3A1Stuart tanks all riding on a new suspension.
This made it possible for the LVT-2 to carry 6,500 pounds, 2,000 pounds more than the LVT-1. The one flaw with the LVT-2 was the bilge powers were powered by gasoline so when the gasoline ran out the LVT-2 usually foundered.
One of the many battles the LVT-2 was used in was the Battle of Saipan that lasted from June 15, 1944 – July 9, 1944. On June 15th over 300 LVTs landed 8,000 Marines and by the end of hostilities the Americans had landed 71,000 personnel.
Just like the LVT(A)- 1, this is a great model.
I especially like the great details you can see in the hull of the tank.
Plus the machine guns look sweet!
