1:72 German Paratroopers in tropical uniform (WWII)

Paratroopers in the sand

German parachute units entered history with the landing on Crete, and from that moment the command committed them as elite infantry wherever something was breaking. In the Mediterranean they were given dress adapted to the heat for it: a jump smock of light sand-colored cloth, a tropical blouse with large shoulder straps, linen trousers and high canvas boots instead of leather ones. The helmet kept its characteristic brimless shape, thanks to which this figure is recognizable even on a figure a few centimeters tall.

Figures on the sprue

Small figures usually arrive attached to the sprue by thin gates, through which the molten material flowed into the mold. The point of attachment tends to be under the sole, on the back or at the edge of the base, that is where the mark gets in the way least.

How to separate a figure

Tearing a figure off the sprue with a bare hand means breaking off a piece of the foot. The right procedure has two steps: first the gate is cut with side cutters, leaving a margin of roughly one millimeter, and only then is the remainder leveled with a blade run flat along the surface. Cutting right at the body is the most common cause of damaged soles. If a dimple is left after the gate, it is filled with a drop of thick putty and sanded down once it has dried. The castings are cut off only just before building, as they are better protected on the sprue.

It is also worth keeping the leftover sprue. Pieces of the molding system serve as material for rods, pins or small props for a scene, and thin sections can be drawn out over a flame into a filament suitable for antennas and ropes.