Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale =9139-=9145 Series Kit No.
6735; 135 parts in grey styrene plus two paper maps; pre-order price US $11.95 from Dragon USA OnlineAdvantages: early war German winter uniforms; nicely done detailing
Disadvantages: four single figures with little commonality
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for early war Germans in Russia fans
On 2 October 1941 the Germans launched what they felt would be the quick end to the operations in Russia =96 the capture of Moscow and elimination of the Red Army as a threat. While it started out well, it ran afoul of the infamous Russian winter and by the time it petered out on 5 December the Germans had only been able to get within 30 kilometers of Moscow before being repulsed with heavy casualties.
This new set from DML provides four single figures in one box with the early (and what most Germans considered unprepared) winter uniforms of the time. They consist of: an SS general officer in short leather coat with mapcase and soft cap; a single soldier in a heavy sheepskin overcoat with felt and rubber boots on guard duty; an SS soldier with balaclava and camouflaged smock top over an overcoat with leather boots; and an infantryman with MP40 and overcoat on alert.
Each figure consists of a =93base=94 (head, torso, arms and legs) with an additional collar and two to four parts for the skirt to his coat if worn. Poses are static for all but the infantryman.
As is now pretty much the norm DML includes the standard 60 piece sprue of generic German kit and the 30 piece generic German weapons sprue with the set. This one also comes with two paper maps for the SS general officer.
Artwork is by Zgonnik and the directions are the usual =93stick here and paint=94 variety. I still feel these do not do DML figures justice but so far no basic changes unless the artwork is by Ron Volstad.
Overall this should prove popular with modelers wanting a =93scale=94 figure for a single model or more variety in an early war winter diorama.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell