1:72 German staff tent type 5

German staff tent type 5 Campingzelt der Jäger in 1:72 scale (Metallic Details)

This is not a model of equipment but a diorama accessory. It is a resin casting of a small German tent of the Second World War period, designated by the manufacturer as the Campingzelt der Jäger, in 1:72 scale. The part measures roughly 26x25x24 mm and the casting needs no assembly. It is supplied unpainted, and paints are not included in the package. It is the smallest tent in the whole range, and it suits places where a scene should look lived in but there is no room for a large structure.

The real subject

Small tents of this type served as shelter for one man or two, that is a place to sleep for a gun crew, a sentry post or makeshift cover beside a parked vehicle. The construction was minimal: canvas tensioned over short poles, guyed with a few lines and pegged down, the whole thing packing into a rucksack. It was precisely because they asked so little that they turned up practically everywhere soldiers spent a night away from fixed quarters. For a modeler they are therefore a universal element: unlike the large staff tents they do not tie a scene to one particular kind of position and can be used in a wide range of compositions.

Building and painting tips

Wash the casting in lukewarm soapy water because of the mold release agent. Cut the casting block off with a saw or a fine cutter and level the underside with sanding paper; wear respiratory protection while sanding resin. It is glued to the base with cyanoacrylate glue. On a part this small, paint sparingly: a thin coat of primer, the base shade of the canvas, a light dry brush along the ridges of the folds and a thin wash into the depths. A heavy coat of paint would fill the fine relief and the tent would lose its crispness. Finish by dusting the hem at ground level with pigments and adding static grass around it.

Who the set is for

• builders of dioramas and small vignettes in 1:72 scale
• modelers who want to add a lived-in detail to a scene
• anyone after a ready element of the setting with no assembly
• modelers used to working with tiny resin parts

The accessory is supplied unpainted. Paints, glue and other accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.