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| Subject: | Tiger I Techmod Decal series |  |
| Date: | Nov 6, 2002 |
| From: | Chris | |
Techmod Decals PzKpfw VI “Tiger” series 35001, 35005, 35006
These three separate sheets come with multi-page instructions. The water
slide decals are clearly printed on typically thin, closely cropped
backing. As is usual with Techmod decals, the thin backing requires
great care in application. Each sheet also includes interior stencils
and instrument dials for one Tiger.
As a general rule, the decals are too finely done: the stroke width
tends to be marginally to obviously too thin, most of the decals are far
too regular for hand painted numbers, and some small details have been
overlooked. The instructions are clear for the most part, but all images
are of pristine Tigers, the instructions go beyond the available
documentation and do not make clear Techmod’s assumptions about some
markings, and all camouflage schemes are far too definite. All the
Wehrmacht 50? series heavy tank battalions are listed as SS units on all
three sheets, perhaps a translation problem.
If the modeler is new to the game, lacks reference materials, prefers
his vehicles to look just out of the factory, and is not concerned with
accuracy, these sheets each contain a few usable decals. This series is
a waste for the experienced modeler except for the stenciling and
instrument dials. This is a shame. A lot of effort obviously went into
researching the markings, but the art design is only generically based
on the available photos, and for many units, clearer and more detailed
photos are available.
The following is a breakdown of the sheets and a few obvious points
about most of the subjects. I do not mean to be exhaustive, but these
comments will give a modeler some idea of what to look for - and why I
find these sheets so disappointing.
I used Tiger I on the Western Front, Tiger I on the Eastern Front (T1 on
WF/EF), Tiger in Combat I, and Tiger in Combat II (TiC I/II) as source
materials. The sheets list additional resources that are not so
generally available or that don’t really have photos of the Tigers.
Since this is so long and deals mostly with research and interpretation,
I have submitted it to the ww2 research discussion group rather than as
a review. I have omitted the units designations and locales to save
typing and space. If you are interested, that info is easy enough to get
from the sources.
35005 (Early Production Model) $7.60 (greatmodels.com)
1. “312” T1 on EF, page 27, shows a small section of the front only. The
sheet is missing the chassis # 250256 in small black numbers on the
upper right lower hull plate (note that all of my comments are from the
pov of the tank commander). Decal 5, the unit insignia, is not
illustrated; it goes on the upper hull plate to the right of the MG.
There was a shovel on the front top plate.
2. “334” T1 on EF, pages 46 & 47, tank of Hptm. Scherf. There should be
a full row of track links across the hull front, and a tow cable from
the left front tow ring back over the hull top. On the right side, the
second mud skirt from the front and the second outside road wheel were
missing. On the right hull side were three square “C” brackets that
could turn in or out to hold a beam. The hull cross goes farther forward
against the middle bracket, which is right above the seam between the
two middle mud skirts. There seem to be very faintly sprayed camouflage
stripes on the hull sides, 88 barrel, gun mantle, and cupola that are
not illustrated. The turret number decals are printed much more
regularly than those carried by other tanks in the same unit. The turret
number is only partially visible in one of the photos. The turret
crosses should be moved down almost to the weld line and forward until
centered under the vision slit.
3. “1311” T1 on EF, page 100. There should be no top plate on the
exhausts. The photo shows only the rear, so all else is conjectural.
4. “311” T1 on EF, page 26 shows the front and left side. Decal 15, the
unit insignia, is omitted in the instructions; it goes inside the
c-shaped green camouflage to the right of the hull MG. This Tiger had
muzzle covers on both the 88 and the hull MG, and a shovel on the top
front plate.
5. “111” T1 on WF, page 8. This should be an initial production Tiger.
The color is one of the darker Afrika Korps colors. The hull crosses
should be taller than wide, a particularity of this unit.
6. “112” T1 on WF, pages 5&9. Color and national markings as above. This
Tiger had a sighting vane or rod on the left front edge of the turret
roof and a rolled tarp on the left rear side on top of the track cables.
7. “222” This Tiger looks familiar, but I can’t find a photo. T1 on EF,
page 38, has a photo of a Tiger from this unit that shows only the
front, confirming the unit insignia. That Tiger did not have the Bosch
lights, though the mounts were in place. Other unit Tigers used PzKpfw
III Kisten instead of production Tiger boxes.
8. “S02” TiC II, pages 186&87, 192&95. This Tiger had heavy battle
damage on the left side and turret. Also on the left, the second mud
skirt from the front was missing and the third was folded back over the
last one. The turret numbers on the Kiste were spread out slightly, more
than on the turret sides. The hull crosses look to me like they should
have a very thin black outline. Note that there was no top plate to the
exhausts. There was a pipe section at the left of the back hull plate,
stuck under the hoses to the Feifel filters and going to below the
exhaust armor. The 88 had a muzzle cover. If normal film was used, the
camouflage colors should be reversed, brown photographing darker than
green, and the scheme much more diffuse and less distinct. These two
considerations apply to all of the camouflage schemes in this series.
9. “S24” This Tiger also had heavy battle damage. Again, the hull
crosses look to me to have had a thin black outline, but these crosses
did indeed have different proportions than #8.
10. “131” T1 on WF, pages 46&7, TiC I, page 245. The hull crosses of
this Tiger definitely had a black outline or the original color was
Panzergrau and the crosses were masked off when it was repainted and an
outline of Pg left. The pike illustrated on the right side should be a
spare aerial container that went all the way to the rear of the hull.
There was a rectangular hand hold in front of the driver’s viewport. The
unit rhomboid is too long and too thin. This Tiger was captured and
tested when the photos were made; at that time it had no exhaust
shields.
35006 (Mid Production Model) $7.65
1. “3” T1 on WF, page 63 (in faded color), TiC I, page 384&85. All
Tigers of this unit carried only the company number, so there is no way
to tell which photo served as the basis for the decals. The stroke width
on the company number is too thin. The camouflage is probably the
illustrator’s imagination; it was green and brown stripes over a
Dunklegelb base in the color photo. This Tiger is from PzKompanie 313
(Funklenk) and probably had an extra aerial on the right of the turret
in front of the view slit.
2. “301” TiC I, pages 68&69. The three front mud skirts on the left side
were missing. The turret number on the Kiste should have a wider 1 (not
just the stroke, the whole number) than on the turret sides. An earlier
photo shows a much heavier white overspray, but the numbers stand out
because there is no white overspray around or behind them. The 88 had a
muzzle cover.
3. “A” T1 on EF, page 82 shows only the right side and some of the rear.
This Tiger had a star aerial on the hull and a rod aerial on the turret
rear. The 88 had a muzzle cover. The camouflage was heavily oversprayed
- less Dunklegelb showed. The A is perhaps too splayed at its base
(another decal set gives the A without an outline, but the outline looks
correct to me). There is one A missing, as the Kiste carried it also.
The unit insignia is conjectural unless Techmod has more photos.
4. “331” T1 on WF, pages 90&104, TiC, pages 274&75. This was the Tiger
of SS-Junker Erwin Asbach and later Ustuf. Thomas Amselgruber. The
numbers were hand-painted, so the decals are much too uniform. There was
a rod aerial on the left rear hull and a gun travel lock on the rear
deck. The camouflage colors are probably reversed and there should be a
heavier overspray with a less definite pattern.
5. “131” T1 on WF, page 94. This was the Tiger of Ustuf. Walter Hahn.
The instructions show the numbers with a camouflage green fill, but the
sheet is printed too dark for my eyes. It is, nevertheless, a dull
green. The middle track link on the left turret side was missing. There
was a rod aerial on the left rear of the hull.
6. “11” T1 on EF, page 78, a Tiger of the 2. Kom., 3/4 right rear photo.
There is a rod aerial on the back left that is straight for about half a
meter, then is bent out to the right and goes up at an angle for about a
meter, then is bent again to finish straight up. The right front road
wheel was removed to prevent ice buildup - presumably the left would
also have been. The unit insignia was carried.
7. “301” T1 on EF, page 13, TiC I, page 68&69 (3/4 right rear and at a
different time 3/4 left front with a Famo A-bar tow hookup). This Tiger
had Zimmerrit and a rod aerial, and the front road wheels were not
removed in the winter photo. The hull crosses, decals #11 , go a bit
more to the front and possibly had a black center.
8. “112” T1 on WF, page 61, TiC I, page 387 (TiC is clearer), rear and
acute angle on right side. This Tiger was perhaps formerly assigned to
Kom. Meyer and retains its style of numbering. Only the rear and a bit
of the right side is in the photo. There is heavy exhaust staining or
overspray to the left and right of the exhaust shields, but the exhaust
shields and mud flaps look newly painted in Dunklegelb. There is some
camouflage on the exhaust covers, but nothing like the illustrations,
which show a lot of detail that must have come from other photos. The
armored access cover for the engine crank is missing.
9. “5” T1 on EF, page 78, TiC I, page 327, same photo shows 3/4 left
front, but little detail is clear due to branches, snow, and poor focus.
The 88 has a muzzle cover. The unit insignia should be decal 16a, not
16, but it isn’t visible. There is a tarp of some sort over the
commander’s cupola.
10. “313” TiC II, pages 269&71, 3/4 left rear and right side. The left
side camouflage streaks should be quite different and the colors on both
sides probably reversed. The turret number probably had a thin black
outline The 88 had a muzzle cover. There were no cables on either side
of the hull.
11. “333” TiC II, page 269, 3/4 right front. The camouflage colors are
probably reversed. There was no MG mount on the commander’s cupola. A
word on wheels: regulations said that wheels were to be painted in a
single color so that they would not catch the enemies’ eyes as they
rotated. This regulation was obviously disregarded on a wide scale, but
all the wheel camouflage on these three sheets is much too definite
where it existed at all. To my eyes Techmod has interpreted many mud and
grease stains as bold patches of camouflage.
12. “233” I have no photo of this Tiger.
35001 (Late Production Model) $8.50
All these Tigers had the normal radio aerial on the right rear.
1. “007” TiC II, page 290, T1 on WF, page 111. Wittmann’s last Tiger.
There was not much intact left when the photo was made, and T1 on WF
crops the photo too closely so that parts of what was left are missing.
This Tiger had no exhaust shields, and a piece of pipe, about 2 meters
long, was put on the right rear plate at a vertical diagonal jammed
between the right exhaust and the obloid conical access cover. This goes
up through where the jack should have been. Even the TiC II photo is
cropped such that the number could just as easily have been 107 instead
of 007 - maybe also due to a dent in the Kiste. It is pointless to
illustrate the “camouflage” on this burned out Tiger.
2. “205” TiC II, page 276, T1 on WF. page 97. Wittmann’s assigned Tiger.
These two photos together show the front and both sides of this Tiger.
There was an MG on the cupola mount, and a muzzle cover on the 88. On
the left engine cover was a low-walled box with a very light-colored top
(even allowing for the lighting conditions) or open topped with a piece
of cloth inside. The turret number on the left side had a bit more space
between the 2 and the 0 than between the 0 and the 5. The 0 looks to be
divided vertically into halves, either by a ridge of Zimmerrit or in its
painting. The front unit insignia was painted on a patch cleared of
Zimmerrit and probably painted all Dunklegelb or some gloss color; it
looks almost solid white in both photos. The camouflage was more heavily
oversprayed so that less Dunklegelb showed.
3. “112” TiC II, page 281, shows the hull rear and the turret left side.
The only Dunklegelb that shows is a few streaks on the 88 barrel. The
rear plate has rectangles cleared of Zimmerrit where Techmod puts decals
24 and 25, but the markings are not visible, nor is the turret number.
This is one of the Tigers abandoned in Villers-Bocage, at least the
caption says it is 112. The engine starter attachment was missing when
the photo was made, and there was no MG mount.
4. “211” TiC II, pages 343, 344, 347, 349, T1 on WF pages 117&18, show
most of this Tiger. The camouflage colors are probably reversed and much
denser on the hull and turret sides and less dense on the 88 barrel. The
front and back did have more Dunklegelb showing. Two buckets were
carried on the rear plate, one between the exhausts and another hooked
to the jack. The exhaust shields are much darker for their bottom third
than the top, not at all like the illustration, maybe solid green over
solid brown or a result of exhaust stain and heat baking the paint.
There was a large ~55 gal. drum upright on the engine deck on the right
at the angle between the Kiste and the turret, later put on its side
behind the Kiste. The Bosch light mounting was in place, but the light
itself was missing. The Siegesrune was covered by foliage on the front
and rear. The turret numbers are positioned correctly, but with too thin
strokes.
5. “300” TiC I, page 304, T1 on EF, pages 72&73, show the left side to
the rear of the turret and a right front 3/4 view of Lt. Roeder’s Tiger.
The MG mount was at about 5 o’clock at the cupola rear with no MG in
place. There were logs lashed in place on both hull sides that were as
long as the hull. The Bosch light mount was in place, but the light was
missing. The 88 barrel is much darker than the overall Dunklegelb base
coat.
6. “301” I have no photo of this Tiger.
7. “312” T1 on EF, page 72, shows a left 3/4 view of most of this Tiger.
The MG mount is not visible but could be in the 5 o’clock position. The
Bosch light mount is in place, but the light is missing. The area behind
the tank’s number, which Techmod give as bright yellow, could as well be
fresh Dunklegelb. The small portion of the 88 visible is dark, as #5
above, but here the camouflage is possible, though it looks dark enough
to be brown rather than green (the trees in the background of #5 have no
leaves, and both the crews act like it is {still} cold, so brown is as
applicable as green).
8. “221” TiC II, page 291, T1 on WF, pages 98 & 112, show the rear and
left side of Ustuf. Georg Hantusch’s Tiger. The engine starter
attachment was installed over the access hole below the exhausts. An MG
was carried on the cupola mount. The inside of the loader’s hatch was
either fresh Dunklegelb or more likely Elfenbein. The heavy tow cables
were attached to the tow loops on each side of the rear plate. Other
tanks in this unit did have the Bosch light mounted. After this Tiger
was knocked out, three track links remained on the left turret side. The
camouflage illustration is mostly imagination. Note that decal 6, the
Kiste number, has to be used in that location. Though as is usual in
Techmod’s sets, hand-painted numbers are much too regular, this one is
slightly different. The turret numbers should be slightly higher and
more broadly spaced.
9. “221” TiC II, page 351, T1 on WF, page 123, show a 3/4 left front
view after the Tiger of Hptstuf. Endemann had been knocked out and
“occupied” by some French civilians. No MG mount is visible. The
Siegesrune in the front had much broader strokes. The wheels were
possibly not camouflaged at all, certainly not camouflaged as
illustrated. The turret numbers on the left had broader strokes and the
tops of all three were tilted to the front.
10. “A12” TiC II, pages 60 & 71, T1 on EF, page 134, show the left rear
side, 3/4 left front, and turret rear. There was at least one fiber or
wicker ammo tube across the engine deck near the turret. The Bosch light
was mounted. The 3/4 view shows the mud skirts not fitted and transport
tracks in place. The left rear side view shows skirts and battle tracks,
and extensive damage to the lower right of the Kiste. The camouflage
stripes were not so broad, but closer together on the turret, and the
hull camouflage was much more diffuse with less Dunklegelb showing. The
style of the 2 is wrong, not square enough at the top. The inside of the
loader’s and ro’s hatches look like Elfenbein.
11. “913” TiC II, page 244, T1 on EF, page 123, show the right middle
and a 3/4 right front view of Ustuf. Wimmer’s Tiger. The Bosch light was
carried, but there is no MG mount. The hull MG cover was in place, but
the MG itself was not, so the cover was floppy. The deck in front of the
turret was not camouflaged, though the turret and hull sides were. The
turret number strokes are noticeably too thin, and the shape of the
right side 1 is incorrect.
12. “211” TiC I, page 261, T1 on WF, page 58, the same photo shows a 3/4
left rear view of Unteroffizier Kaiser’s Tiger with the turret turned so
that only its rear is visible. If the markings are supposed to be for
this tank, they have a major error. The Kiste numbers should all be the
same size with a thicker outline, and the 2 was definitely freehanded.
There does not appear to have been a cross on the left hull side.
CTew |
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