1:35 Německé protitankové miny

German anti-tank mines in 1:35 scale

Plate mines were the most widespread German weapon against both tracked and wheeled vehicles. The round sheet metal body with its charge of explosive was buried shallowly under the surface of a road and set off by the pressure of a wheel or a track. Engineers laid them in regular rows in front of defensive positions, but just as often they carried them loose on truck beds, in crates, or stacked them in heaps by the roadside until it was their turn to be buried.

Box contents

The set holds eight mines and a sheet of decals. The decals carry the lettering and markings that were printed on the bodies of the mines at the factory, so once applied and dry even a small cylinder looks convincing. The castings are separated from the sprue gates with a cutter; always level the bearing surface on abrasive paper laid on glass, otherwise the mine will rock on the ground.

Where to place them in a scene

The strongest result does not come from a minefield but from the moment before it: a row being set out, an open crate, a pair of mines leaning against a stump and an engineer with a shovel. Spray the bodies in dark field gray or sand color according to the battlefield, bring out the edges in a lighter shade and only then apply the decals to a smooth glossy surface. Matte varnish follows, a thin oil inlay into the grooves of the lid and finally dust of the same color as the surrounding terrain. A buried mine should have only a hint of its outline above the surface and soil pushed aside around it. A piece lying loose, by contrast, takes sharper transitions and a light highlight on the top surface of the lid, which the rain washes most.