1:35 Italian oil drums - WWII

Italian fuel drums

Italian barrels differ in shape and in their pressed rings from German and British containers, so they give a scene the national character that is often forgotten in scenery. The resin castings have crisp edges to the lids and a legible surface on which both rust and the remains of lettering stand out.

Fuel was a weapon in the desert

In the war in the Mediterranean theater, supply decided matters just as much as armor and guns. The Italian formations fought at the end of a long sea route along which fuel was carried across a sea threatened by submarines and aircraft, and a shortage of gasoline more than once stopped an advance before the enemy did. Empty and full drums therefore stood by every column, by a refueling point and by a parked-up vehicle. They also served as an improvised table, a seat or a hastily built barricade.

Suggestions for painting

Start with a metallic shade, spray the base color over it and use the salt or hairspray method to reveal the places where the finish has come away. Build the rust up in several tones from orange to dark brown, never in a single shade. Suggest spilled fuel with gloss varnish in narrow runs below the cap.

Where to put the drums

• at a field fuel dump and at a refueling point
• on the bed of a truck or on the fender of an armored vehicle
• into the ruins of a depot as scattered scenery
• for modelers who enjoy practicing wear techniques

Paints and weathering products are not supplied with the package.