Kit Review: Miniart 1/35 scale Kit No. 35135; Close Combat: U.S. Tank Crew;= 62 parts in grey styrene; retail price US$23.00
Advantages: related actions and uniforms enable use of these figures in eit= her group or single applications
Disadvantages: poses may seem a bit artificial
Rating: Highly Rated
Recommendation: for all WWII and Korean War US armor fans
Most US tanker figures released until now represent crews in the vehicles = in relatively static poses or more studious activities such as using the ra= dio. This new set from Miniarm provides five US tankers outside of their ve= hicle in various combat poses. Three are using M3 =93grease guns=94 , one h= as a .45 pistol drawn, and the fifth man is operating the commander=92s M2H= B machine gun from the engine deck of a tank.=20
Each figure consists of six basic parts (head, torso, arms and legs) with = a four-part tanker=92s helmet and goggles where appropriate. Four are weari= ng the HBT combat uniform and one the woolen trousers; three have tanker=92= s jackets.=20
Four of the figures appear based on a series of color photos from =93Life= =94 magazine during the war where they are =93defending=94 their tank from = the enemy; while the artist (Karashchuk) has shown one looking like Telly S= avalas from =93Battle of the Bulge=94 the originals were mostly posing with= grim faces and weapons. The fifth figure is based on a famous photo of the= 8th Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Division, with the man hanging on the hand= les of the machine gun on the engine deck of a Sherman while blasting away = at German soldiers. All of the poses are dynamic and can be used for an =93= action=94 diorama.
As the figures of the four men with small arms are related, they can be us= ed for a diorama or vignette, and with some work all five could be used. Th= ey may also be used separately but as they are well suited to =93work=94 wi= th each other I think that is the best option.=20
Overall this is a nice idea and an option not previously available in styr= ene.
Thanks to MRC for the review sample.=20
Cookie Sewell