The small manufacturer Vision Models has announced a new 1/35th scale kit of the Russian WWII RF-8 GAZ-98 Aerosled with two crew members. This smaller aerosled looks like an interesting winter subject. Vision Models does not seem to have a website, and has only released a few other kits.
Diagram of 75-mm and .50 caliber ammunition storage in the 75-mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M8 from TM 9-732B: 75-mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M8, War Department Technical Manual, January 1944.
Original Caption: Sowjetunion.- Feldflugplatz im Schnee. Wartung/Reparatur eines Flugzeugs Junkers Ju 87 auf Schneekufen; KBK Lw 4, Russia, 22 December 1941, Photographer: W. Wanderer. File is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany license. Attribution: Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-392-1334-04 / Wanderer, W. / CC-BY-SA.
From The Ordnance Soldier’s Guide, 3rd Edition, Ordnance Replacement Training Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground:
Hasty Field Fortifications
INDIVIDUAL PRONE SHELTER OR SLIT TRENCH: Whenever our troops halt anywhere near the Jap or Nazi troops, they begin at once to give themselves and their weapons individual protection. If it’s a short halt, they use the natural protection of the ground — bumps, ditches, shell holes, depressions of any kind. But if it’s a longer halt (but less than six hours, in an assembly area before an attack), then each man digs himself an individual prone shelter. This takes only a few minutes. Such a shelter gives a soldier two advantages — a chance to rest and reasonable protection from bomb, mortar, and shell fragments and small-arms fire. But this kind of a foxhole won’t protect you against a tank attack
Individual Prone Shelter of Slit Trench
The website Army Book of Memories tells the story of the 143rd AAA Gun Battalion during WWII from training through the fighting in the Ardennes Offensive and on to V-E Day. The website also includes photographs and a copy of the rare 143rd AAA’s unit history booklet which was published in 1945 after the end of the war.
A report on the activities of antiaircraft gun battalions in the antitank role during the Battle of the Bulge reproduced from “Antiaircraft Artillery Notes,” HQ ETO, No. 15, January 1945:
Subject: Employment of AAA in Anti-tank Role
Source: AA Section, Headquarters Twelfth Army GroupDuring the recent German Ardennes offensive the 110th and 143rd AAA Gun Battalions, and Battery D, 639th AAA AW Battalion, were placed in anti-tank support of the 30th Infantry Division, in the Malmedy-Stavelot-Stoumont sector. The Division has submitted a report of the activities of these units, and made recommendations for future employment of AAA in an anti-tank role, (See ETOUSA AAA Notes No. 14 for a detailed account of the activities of the 143rd AAA Gun Bn during this action.)
Report of 30th Infantry Division
a. The above listed units were attached to the Division at 210030A December 1944. Prior to daylight of the 21st, liaison was established with the Division by the 11th AAA Group, and by each of the attached units. Upon the arrival of these representatives they were given maps of the area and were fully informed of the tactical situation. A map reconnaissance was made, and officers from the supporting tank destroyer battalion accompanied the antiaircraft officers on their ground reconnaissance, and assisted in the actual placing of their guns in firing positions.
New 1/35th German figure set has been announced by Dragon Models.
1/35 Panzergrenadier Arnhem 1944 – 4 Figures Set (DRA 6648)
Latest 1/35th figure set from Dragon depicts four German Waffen SS soldiers fighting in the Battle of Arnhem. Sculpted by the well-known Japanese sculptor Hirano Yoshitaka. Two bandaged, wounded tankers sculpted as a pair. Also included are two panzergrenadiers from one of the Waffen SS units in the Arnhem battle.
EagleCals has announced a new decal set for Luftwaffe Bf 109 G-6s.
EC#132 Bf 109 G-6
Featuring “Yellow 1” 9./JG 52 piloted by Erich Hartmann, “White 12” II./JG 51 piloted by Hans Langer, “White 7” II./JG 51 piloted by Elias Kühlein
U.S. Air Force photographs of B-17 Flying Fortress “Thunderbird” and a B-52 Stratofortress participating in a Heritage Flight at the Defenders of Liberty Airshow at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The wallpaper images are sized to 1024×1024 pixels and 1024×768 pixels for the iPad and other computer desktop backgrounds.
 1024 x 768  1024 x 1024 Wallpaper |
B-17 and B-52 Fortresses B-17G Flying Fortress and B-52H Stratofortress representing over seventy years of U.S. Air Force Fortresses. Photograph by U.S. Air Force, Master Sgt. Michael A. Kaplan. |
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Bomber Heritage Flight B-17G “Thunderbird” Flying Fortress and a B-52H Stratofortress from the 2nd Bomb Wing in 2006. Photograph by U.S. Air Force, Master Sgt. Michael A. Kaplan. |
New book release from Oliver Publishing.
Battleline I: Workhorse—The Panzer III in North Africa
by Claude Gillono
Over 50 black-and-white photographs and 5 pages of full color illustrations. Part of the Firefly Collection.
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