torpedochief

Check this out!

Three part post so the pictures work.

torpedochief

Part 2

torpedochief

Part 3

Don Chulo

Wow!

Great pic’s. Do you have the history behind them?


Where they toys, prototypes?

pattoncommander

Back then, they didn't have the plastic models we have now. I recall in 1959, I saw a "kit" Tiger E downtown Frankfurt a/M. It was all wood and believe it was close to 1;15/16 scale. It was big and required some sanding/filing. Like wartime models, don't believe the
detailing and accuracy was all that good, but they were toys for kids.

Big thing then, and still for sale, was paper models. I assembled the battleship Scharnhorst and it took me forever. With those paper models, it was crucial that you cut exactly on the line with no deviation.

torpedochief

Hey Don,

All I have is that it was in the Ukraine and late 1943. A few things I noted on the model.

Just like we do, these guys modeled the mud guards in a damaged way.

The drive sprockets, and idlers are made from thread spools.

I think the road wheels are also spools that were sliced.

If you look closely you can see what appears to be adjustable idlers.

The caption on the photo of the finished model stated the model was finished in actual vehicle paint.

Note the operational hatches!

Check out their tools. Same ones we would use today.

I think these guys are part of a maintenance unit.

I also think the guy with the glasses, built models like this on commission from other soldiers.

The finished model is either 1:20 or more like 1:16.

Pretty cool build!

Buckeye36

My Feedback: (3)

Very cool!
Where did you find these pics?

Rex Ross

Amazing!............ It's hard (for me) to believe what kinds of models could be produced "in olden times", when all of the stuff we have now didn't exist. Those photos really are fascinating. In olden times, the best I could do was a raft made of popsicle sticks that I floated in rain puddles. Golly, I still us popsicle stcks and toothpicks and will be using Legos pretty soon......
Thanks for posting that.

pattoncommander

Don't forget the neat tank one could build with the Erector Set....could even put that little motor inside if you had an extension cord.
Or is that before your time

Tanque

These same photos, and a few more were published on pages 8 and 9 in Culver and Feist's "Tiger and SturmTiger in Detail"
ca. 1994.


Jerry

Wozwasnt

It's easy to think of them just as soldiers but one them could've easily been a master carpenter before the war or even a toy maker.

Rex Ross

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow! You had an Erector set? What was it like to be a rich kid? I only had hand-me-down Lincoln Logs.

"It's never too late to have a happy childhood".......... those are the words I live by now.

maintcoder

The closest I got to having an Erector set was getting TinkerToys.

Rex Ross

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Good Gosh...........I forgot about those!!!! I'm not sure I can handle all of the flashbacks I'm having about those. I gotta Google Tinker Toys and see if they are still available. I did see Lincoln Logs on the Web, I'm not sure about Erector sets. Memories are fun, but I hope I don't go so far back about youthful memories that I need to wear diapers again.

karel47

yes could be treu, i know a guy wich modelling ferraricars into the wood on 1/8 they are as much detailed as the pocher kits in diecast metal with plastic parts. those men have very good skills so its not that uncommon that they building models of they own tanks in spare time

pattoncommander

Wow, that was around 1946-47 and from what I recall, not a very large set....they came in different sizes. My dad caught hell from mom in 1948 for spending $20 on a Lionel Crane car for my train set Back then, $20 was a week's grocery bill. I had a 4-6-2 Lionel, an American Flyer, believe 4-6-4 and a Marx train set. Yeah, we all had Lincoln Logs and they made nice train tunnels and buildings we didn't have. My dad was a master Tinsmith with a great reputation, so although we weren't in the rich catagory, Dad had a new Packard every other year and I did get some nice stuff. Of course, as dad's son, I helped in the shop.

Lincoln Logs are still available but the Erector sets have gone mod, from what I see, and nothing like the old original stuff. The stuff on the market now, we could only have dreamed about back then. Hi Tech was only Space Cadets and Buck Rogers. That's before we all started watching Annette on Mickey mouse Club.