1:72 Russian tank destroyers crew

Tank destroyer crew in 1:72

The figures depict the crew of self-propelled tank destroyers, that is of vehicles with a gun in a fixed superstructure and no rotating turret. The crews of these machines had a different rhythm of work from tankers: aiming was done by turning the whole vehicle, which was reflected in their training and in the way the men moved around the vehicle. In the name their nationality is given as Russian. The small 1:72 scale means at the same time that a whole vehicle fits into one cabinet along with its surroundings.

Who the crew were

A tank destroyer was worked by several men divided between driving, aiming, loading and communication. In a scene it therefore reads believably when some of the figures stay by the vehicle and some stand a little way off. The name does not give a particular type of vehicle or a period, though, so you decide the assignment according to the machine you are building. The empty space around a self-propelled gun tends to be the greatest weakness of a finished group, and a few figures fill it more effectively than terrain accessories.

Tips on the uniform

Crew overalls tended to be darker and greasy from service, which can be expressed with a dark base and only a slight lightening of the raised areas. Set the helmets and caps apart in shade, otherwise they will merge with the face in a small scale. Dusting on the boots and the hems of the trousers ties the figures to the vehicle and to the base, so the whole does not read as two separate things.

Recommended for

• Builders of self-propelled guns in 1:72
• Makers of Eastern Front dioramas
• Modelers who want to fill the space around a vehicle
• Collectors of crews for hardware

Prepare the paints after a real subject of your own.