Kit Review: ICM 1/35 scale Kit No. 35612; Soviet Staff Personnel 1943-1945; 36 parts in tan styrene; retail price US$13.99
Advantages: provides more higher ranking late war Soviet officer options; offer of a forthcoming GAZ-M1 or other staff vehicles will provide a nice backdrop for these figures
Disadvantages: no major items noted
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all Soviet WWII fans
ICM has filled it a lot of niches with its 1/48 and 1/35 scale figures, and this set is no exception. The set provides two Soviet general officers, an aide and a driver as a set which can be used to offset a staff vehicle or giving orders to tankers in a diorama.
Each figure consists of seven parts – head, torso, coat skirt, arms and legs (one has his arms folded together for only six). The senior officers are provided with two piece caps (headband/bill and top) for better definition and the “soft” look of the WWII officers’ caps. The driver – “shofer” in Russian - has a “pilotka” side cap.
Molding is excellent and the ranks are quite discernable – the senior man is a lieutenant-general (two stars) with a major-general (one star) talking to him and a major (one star) as his aide. The driver is a sergeant (three stripes). The major-general has three awards of the Order of the Red Banner and the lieutenant-general has two awards of the Gold Star Medal of a Hero of the Soviet Union; all four are wearing “Guards” badges on their right breast.
The major-general is holding an open Soviet officer’s map case and is pointing with a pencil; his senior has his hands behind his back, and the aide is searching for a document in his map case. The driver leans nonchalantly against a staff car (which in the box art looks more like a captured German sedan than a Russian one).
Assembly and painting directions are in black and white, but the box art is suitable for a guide and color directions are provided for Testors Model Master colors.
Overall this is a nicely done set and will look good next to any command vehicle of the period – a jeep, GAZ-67B, GAZ-M1, captured German staff car, White M3A1 Scout Car, or even a tank.
Cookie Sewell
Disadvantages: no major items noted
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all Soviet WWII fans
ICM has filled it a lot of niches with its 1/48 and 1/35 scale figures, and this set is no exception. The set provides two Soviet general officers, an aide and a driver as a set which can be used to offset a staff vehicle or giving orders to tankers in a diorama.
Each figure consists of seven parts – head, torso, coat skirt, arms and legs (one has his arms folded together for only six). The senior officers are provided with two piece caps (headband/bill and top) for better definition and the “soft” look of the WWII officers’ caps. The driver – “shofer” in Russian - has a “pilotka” side cap.
Molding is excellent and the ranks are quite discernable – the senior man is a lieutenant-general (two stars) with a major-general (one star) talking to him and a major (one star) as his aide. The driver is a sergeant (three stripes). The major-general has three awards of the Order of the Red Banner and the lieutenant-general has two awards of the Gold Star Medal of a Hero of the Soviet Union; all four are wearing “Guards” badges on their right breast.
The major-general is holding an open Soviet officer’s map case and is pointing with a pencil; his senior has his hands behind his back, and the aide is searching for a document in his map case. The driver leans nonchalantly against a staff car (which in the box art looks more like a captured German sedan than a Russian one).
Assembly and painting directions are in black and white, but the box art is suitable for a guide and color directions are provided for Testors Model Master colors.
Overall this is a nicely done set and will look good next to any command vehicle of the period – a jeep, GAZ-67B, GAZ-M1, captured German staff car, White M3A1 Scout Car, or even a tank.
Cookie Sewell