1:35 T1 “Rhino device” for US tanks pattern 3

PANZER ART 1:35 hedgerow cutter, pattern 3

An accessory for modelers of military vehicles in 1:35 scale from the PANZER ART brand. The set contains the so-called Rhino device, that is, an assembly of sharp prongs mounted on the nose of American tanks, in the third of the versions the manufacturer offers. The vehicle model is not included in the package. The part is fixed to a finished model at the front and markedly changes its silhouette. On a diorama it moreover gives away at once where and when the scene takes place.

The real subject

After the Normandy landings, Allied tanks ran into the bocage, that is, a landscape divided up by high earth banks with dense growth. A tank that tried to drive over a bank exposed its unprotected belly. The solution arose in the field itself: sharp prongs were welded up out of German anti-tank obstacles, fixed to the nose and made it possible to break through a bank. The improvisation caught on and was fitted to hundreds of vehicles.

Use

• wash the part before gluing and let it dry completely
• try the fit dry first, the prongs have to point straight forward
• glue with cyanoacrylate and once it has dried, strengthen the joint from the inside
• give the part a primer before painting, otherwise the paint may not hold
• add abrasion and traces of earth and grass to the prongs, that is exactly what brings the part to life
• suggest the welds with a thin roll of putty, it was field work

The set is intended for modelers who build scenes from Normandy. The model, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.