WW1 Mr and Mrs Tanks

[Robert1968]

Hi chaps


Recently I purchased very cheap tanks mk4 WW1 tanks ( Emhar ) very simple kits to practice my tank painting skills. Patrick's given me some great advice on oils etc


Now the kits look simple enough but I'm after a little help on correct colours.


Reference tells me they were originally painted blue grey and left to dirty up in the field. This is a dilemma as the only pic ref I can find are dark green or olive drab or even khaki mk4s ( Bovington tank museum ) So some help here would be helpful


Also from pic ref I noticed some male tanks carried bridging logs for trenches but the bundles of branches in a roll were they carried on the females backs or males?


Think because I'm going to use these tanks as practice for paint/weathering I would also like to make them into a possible dio


I say practice as I want to finish my Churchill 1/35 and once that's done I'll get the Ardennes finished off


This is all going on while I'm doing my 1/32 Martlet


Robert






H

 

[dubster72]

I'd keep it simple & go with dark green as a base - you can add some lighter green in the centre of panels.


I'm no expert on WW1 stuff, but I think both types carried the fascines to aid crossing trenches.


Looking forward to seeing these ones Robert

 

[Robert1968]

Update ( both tanks built ) bathe Emhar WW1 tanks go together well and a fair amount of detail for 1/72 but the tracks are pigs as they have to be cyanacrilic onto model as they don't have guides or wheels to lock into


primed both ( val black )


The barrels for the male tank drilled out as they were blanked. primer shows up lots of lovely rivet derail I'm going to have to rust up ( woohooo) it's all practice though as I'm not used to painting tanks yet


Found some of my wife's old thin chains she gave me for modelling so they go on later.


I started making a bundle of branches ( scratch built)to go on the female tank ( trench fillers so the tank can cross from what I understand


pics

 

[Robert1968]

Update A/b both tanks model air No 250 Vallejo then then panelled with 252 light green very thin. Painted tracks model air 863 gunmetal and also the Lewis guns ( thinned gown and applied with brush


Pics to show progress


I'll tackle the exhaust later and then I'll give a Matt coat before decalling and then the weathering/ washes/ oils begins




"

 

[dubster72]

Looking good Rob! Don't forget the old theme tune


# Mr & Mrs, be nice to each other ... #


:P

 

[Dave Jay]

Doing a grand job on these. As you've probably already gathered the only difference between a male and female MkIV was the weapons mounted, I think the male carried former naval guns and the female had machine guns covering the A arcs. They had identical chassis and engines. Their top speed was no more than 6 mph, the troops used to move forward with the tank tucked in behind the back of the tank.


I would have imagined that both tanks would have carried fascines irrespective of gender!


As an aside they were known initially as landships hence the naval armament and we're registered to the admiralty.


Also at Bovington, the area around the museum and in particular the area to the left of the museum approach road, just after turning of yhe main road which now is open grazing for the RAC and RTR horses, used to be choc a block with surplus WW1 tanks, some of these tanks were used to block roads and field gates etc around the camp during WW2.


Enough of my ramblings for now!

 

[Robert1968]

Thanks guys


I'm making both types of fascines a bundle of branches in a roll for the female and a block of wood for the Male ( thin chain will be represented from old necklace ( spares drawer) should be in scale to models


Robert

 

[Deleted member 4539]

Coming along well.

 

[Robert1968]

Doing a grand job on these. As you've probably already gathered the only difference between a male and female MkIV was the weapons mounted, I think the male carried former naval guns and the female had machine guns covering the A arcs. They had identical chassis and engines. Their top speed was no more than 6 mph, the troops used to move forward with the tank tucked in behind the back of the tank.
I would have imagined that both tanks would have carried fascines irrespective of gender!


As an aside they were known initially as landships hence the naval armament and we're registered to the admiralty.


Also at Bovington, the area around the museum and in particular the area to the left of the museum approach road, just after turning of yhe main road which now is open grazing for the RAC and RTR horses, used to be choc a block with surplus WW1 tanks, some of these tanks were used to block roads and field gates etc around the camp during WW2.


Enough of my ramblings for now!

Don't know if this is of any interest but as you have quite rightly said they were originally called land ships" well I've been doing a bit more research and it turns out that the mk4 and even earlier mks were painted shipbuilders grey/ blue like the dreadnoughts etc and were only painted the Kharki or light green in the field. Majority were left natural from the factory and sent overseas before entering warfare. The tank that is on display at Bovington was copied and made for the film " Warhorse".

 

[Dave Jay]

Research is great,one of the things I love about modelling, it does however cause chain reactions,sometimes I could have twelve plus tabs open on the interweb just for doing a bit of research!


You mentioning the dreadnought grey reminds me of a tank they have on display at Bovington, it was called 'little willie', that was painted grey and apparently it was built in secret in a factory somewhere and the bulk of the armour was made by boilersmiths who were told by their foremen that they were building a water tank so that it had to be of best construction, the water tank once finished was moved to another workshop where it was married up to a chassis, the first caterpillar type chassis ever built (so I was told)............hence Little Willie was probably the first 'tank' built!


I remember seeing bovvies MKIV actually do a lap of the back then running track, shortly after that they displayed their Tiger..........quite a sight and a very memorable day!

 

[Robert1968]

I remember seeing bovvies MKIV actually do a lap of the back then running track, shortly after that they displayed their Tiger..........quite a sight and a very memorable day!


From what I have read and ref the Bovington Mk4 that does the display circuit is the copy that they built from the original Mk4 that is in the museum. ( this was the one they used for filming Warhorse. The tiger is the only original working Tiger in the world??


Robert

 

[takeslousyphotos]

I'm watching Robert.

 

[grumpa]

Eye on...........

 

[flyjoe180]

Nice work so far Robert. The wooden bundles are well done.

 

[Robert1968]

Update

The tanks are waiting on some Humbrol clear ( ordered from Scale Model Shop ( got a few varnishes but not what I need )


Anyway I've made a wee start on the little base I'm doing for them. Idea is I will use model clay sheet over the foam base which will have a part of a trench in there with I hope a few 1/72 German figs ( yet to source)


Pics


Comments welcome

 

[dubster72]

Wouldn't polystyrene be better to use than foam Rob? I can't but think that'll be too squishy when you come to add the clay

 

[Robert1968]

Well I was thinking this ( spot on noticing ) but can I find any polystyrene in my house ( bloody wife throws everything not nailed down in the bin!!


What I plan to do is maybe put a bit of stiff card in the gaps to give it a bit of strength before putting the clay sheet over then sculpting into hill trench etc.


I may try this but if not I'll get some polystyrene from somewhere and try again.


Robert

 

[Robert1968]

2x polystyrene blocks ordered off eBay 40x 33x 5.5cm (.99p each ) free postage so hopefully this will get the small base plate done for the modelling clay to go on top as Patrick said the sponge is just too squidgy for any weight to be put on ( thanks Patrick )

 

[dubster72]

2x polystyrene blocks ordered off eBay 40x 33x 5.5cm (.99p each ) free postage so hopefully this will get the small base plate done for the modelling clay to go on top as Patrick said the sponge is just too squidgy for any weight to be put on ( thanks Patrick )

No worries mate! When you're out & about, keep your eyes peeled for polystyrene packaging. Then hide it from the missus!

 

[Robert1968]

What a rip off eBay are and the sellers!!!!!


Ordered 2 pieces of polystyrene at .99p each and they'were no bigger than A4 sheets but they wanted £6 for postage.,,,............... I don't think so


Got myself the same order elsewhere free postage


I like to get a bargain but £2 to pay and £6 post don't sound right!!!!


Robert