Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ?39-?45 Series Kit No. 674
2; Gebirgshjaeger Crete 1941; 122 parts in grey styrene; pre-order price US $16.95 via Dragon USA OnlineAdvantages: nice, new mountain troops with proper uniforms
Disadvantages: no major items noted
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for anyone covering specific operations by the Wehrmacht
Other than the 10th Mountain Division, the US Army never worried much abou t mountain warfare. This was not true in continental Europe, where every on e of the major countries had mountaineers trained for combat. The Italians had the Alpini, the French the Alpinists, and the Germans the Gebirgsjaeger n. These troops were trained in mountaineering and climbing as well as some use of skis for winter patrolling and raiding.
The Germans used them in the Balkans among other places as well as the inv asion of Crete in 1941. These troops as presented in this set wear the ligh tweight reed green jackets with sand colored shorts as their basic uniform. The kit presents four figures in two pairs: a major talking to a seated pr ivate, and an NCO and private preparing to move out on patrol.
All come in the normal six parts (head, torso, arms and legs) and use what would be termed DML ?Gen 1 ½? kit for their basic fittings. No etche d brass is included for slings and straps.
Some modelers were excited when this set came out as they felt they could easily be converted to Afrika Korps, but it should be noted they are correc tly molded wearing birgsteiflen or mountain boots. These have thicker soles and steel cleats reinforcing them ? they were after all designed to incr ease footing on ice and snow. However, the headgear is pretty generic and d oes not have the conspicuous ?Edelweiss? badge on the left side.
Overall these troops make a nice set of pairs for vignettes.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell