1/16 Gebirgsjager, Tunisia, 1943

[Peter Day]

This is a depiction of a Gebirgsjager NCO in Tunisia, 1943, based on the Tamiya DAK Wehrmacht tank crewman:



A nice kit, but lacking a bit sculpturally, so I decided to see if I could improve it with parts from elsewhere. My inspiration was this illustration of a Gebirgsjager in Italy:



I had intended to depict him in Italy, but I forgot to remove the cuff title, and I only had an 'Afrika' decal (can't paint the things). I did a bit of research and found that there was a Gebirgsjager regiment, the 756th, in Tunisia, all killed or captured, so that it is unlikely that anyone would have survived to serve in Italy. North Africa it had to be then.

The legs are from a Vaerlinden figure, the head by Dog Tag, and the equipment is a mixture of Tamiya and Dragon. All the straps were made from paper.

 

[Martin64]

Hi Peter,
if I got it right the cuff title says "Afrika". That was not a cuff title indicating the attachment to the Afrikakorps but a distinction you could earn for a period of service with the Afrikakorps, being wounded there or suffered a tropical disease. So your soldier could be on service in Italy but has seen service in Northern Afrika before.
Cheers, Martin

 

[Peter Day]

Thanks Martin, that will do nicely.

 

[MoboSchreuder]

Wonderful figure and well painted

Mobo

 

[Henk]

Nice conversion Peter, a pity that you had to loose the desert boots, they are something different that sets a figure apart. But I know what you mean, Tamiya sculpts tend to be a bit soft and generic. And fit can be a bit iffy too..
Good choice of colours, and not forgotten the Edelweiss

 

[Peter Day]

Mobo - Very many thanks.

Henk - Glad you like him - there's an Edelweiss on the side of the cap as well (both decals). The desert boots look good on the sprue, but attempting to paint them reveals confused detail and soft areas that have always resisted my efforts. Hence, in part, my decision to convert the figure.

 

[Warren SMITH]

Another amazing conversion.. excellent work..

 

[TOMTAN]

Excellent work！Peter.

 

[VisjeMar]

Nice work again

 

[misfit151]

Another great conversion for the collection....... Mike

 

[Peter Day]

Many thanks chaps. Glad you approve.

(Covid test negative by the way).

 

[Henk]

Many thanks chaps. Glad you approve.

(Covid test negative by the way).

That's good news.

 

[Stephen Hutchinson]

Morning Peter

You do "cook up" a lovely figure and this is another beauty.

Tamiya always are a great base to start from too.

I do like the DAK uniform palette as it gives you plenty of freedom, with the bleaching African sun.

Hope everyone is getting over the Autumn cold?

And its not the C word!

Enjoy your next victim

Regards

Steve H

 

[Peter Day]

Hi Steve

Yes, the effect of the sun on DAK uniforms makes for a whole world of possibilities - this chap is fairly new to the scene. Pleased that you approve of this effort.

Not Covid then, just a b****y awful Autumn virus - not fun combined with the onset of colder weather. Time to distract myself with some figure painting......

 

[Nap]

Hi Peter

Bit late on this so apologies ....another good result especially the variation in uniform colours works well

Thanks for sharing

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[Andrew Belsey]

Great conversion Peter! Much improved on the kit!
Andy

 

[Peter Day]

Nap - Very many thanks.

Andy - Thank you that man.

 

[gendegaia]

Great work

Enviado desde mi SM-G950F mediante Tapatalk

 

[Chris Oldfield]

Another outright winner, Peter - I love the rich brown shade you use for your leather items; what's your mix if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Peter Day]

Orlando - Thank you, and greetings from the other end of the world.

Chris. Thanks also. The leather is based on Vallejo Saddle Brown.