A prelude to Kursk

La batalla de Kursk, se dio a raíz de la ofensiva alemana "Operacion Zitadelle" en la región Rusa del mismo nombre, contra la Unión Soviética durante el verano de 1943. Esta batalla, años después, sigue considerándose el mayor y más violento choque de blindados de la história.

 He querido representar una pequeña parte de aquella historia y paradójica-mente no he utilizado ningún carro de combate. La acción se desarrolla en alguna carretera rusa alrededor de Kursk, poco antes del inicio de la operación Ciudadela durante el verano de 1943. Un soldado de caballería bromea con unos soldados de una unidad de reconocimiento de la división Grossdeutschland acerca de su pinchazo, preludio de lo que sera el pinchazo alemán en la ofensiva del este e inicio inexorable del final de la segunda guerra mundial.

The Battle of Kursk, are the clashes that follow the German offensive "Operation Zitadelle" in the Russian region of the same name, against the Soviet Union during the summer of 1943. This battle, years later, still considered the largest and most violent armoured clash of the history.

  I wanted to represent a small part of that history and paradoxically I have not used any tank. The action takes place in a Russian road near Kursk, shortly before the start of the Citadel operation during the summer of 1943. A trooper jokes with soldiers of a recognition unit of the Grossdeutschland division about his flat tie, a prelude to what will be the German offensive prick, and the inexorable beginning of the World War II end.

Salut!
Jose

Kubelwagen in Kursk, 1943

Este vehiculo estaria situado en Rusia, concretamente en el area de Kursk, a principios del verano de 1943, durante los preparativos de la operacion Ciudadela. El Kubel pertenece a una compañia motorizada de reconocimiento de la famosa división Grossdeutschland.
Lo integraré en el próximo diorama. 

This vehicle is situated at Kursk area in Russia at the beginning of the summer of 1943 during the preparations for the operation citadel. The kubel belongs to a reconnaisance motorized company of the Großdeutschland division.
It will be integrated in the next diorama.

Espero que os guste!

I hope you like it!

Salut,

Jose

Kubelwagen WIP

This is the current status of the kubelwagen which I'm doing for the next diorama.

The Kubel is situated at Kursk area in russia at the beginning of the summer of 1943. This year the new vehicles began to be painted in dark yellow from factory. The new colour was distributed to the troops in the front who repainted the old dark grey vehicles. In most cases the new colour arrived in small amounts and the result is the uneven paint layer. It was common for the german troops in the east front.

I want to represent a vehicle with an extensive sprayed pattern of dark yellow over the dark gray.

A schwimmwagen in Russia. This is the model which I've taken as reference to paint the Kubelwagen.

 

My idea for the next step is to apply an irregular layer of Tamiya dark yellow over all the vehicle. I'm planning to reproduce the rubbed painting in the corners (See the schwimmwagen photo) and exposed parts with the air spray method.

After a Tamiya layer of grey surface primer, I've applied a dark gray mixed with flat white base. I used for this base the Tamiya colors XF63 and XF2.
I've painted the position marks, the tactical symbol of the Reconnaissance motorized company and the Grossdeutschland divisional symbol with flat white.


I've done some small chipping in the whole vehicle, specially in the most exposed areas. I've painted more than the usual because the most part of the vehicle will be overpainted in yellow and I want to conserve this effect. Anyway, this vehicle could be a veteran kubel with a russian winter behind it. For the chipping I've used a mixture of browns and black from Vallejo model color aplied with a sponge. I've highlighted some of the chipping points with a very light gray.

I've painted the wooden slats of the floor with Citadel brown tones. 

Grossdeutschland divisional symbol painted by hand

Reconnaissance motorized company symbol painted by hand

I will post more advances soon!

Salut,

Jose