From the shed: IS 7 Heavy tank.

One of the silliest things a gamer can do is get stuck in an arms race… trying to get the biggest/ most powerful unit… it is even sillier when this is with yourself. Bearing that in mind I present my IS7: a Soviet prototype that should give the Germans with their dug in E100 pause for thought.

This beast of a tank, aka Object 260, was design in December 1945 and weighted in at 68 tonnes. Armed with a massive 130mm gun fed by an autoloaded it also carried 8 assorted machine guns (2 in the hull, 2 in the turret rear 3 co axially and 1 on an anti- aircraft mount). The behemoth had up to 300mm of armour and was proof against the german 128mm PAK (the main armament of the Jagdtiger and the planned armament of the E100) from the front.

Seven protypes were made but it was not, for many reasons, decided to put the type forward for full production. It remains the heaviest tank the Soviets/ Russia has ever made; a surviving example is in Kublinka museum. It was followed by the IS8 which eventually entered service as the T10 (the name being changed after Stalin’s death).

This 1/72nd kit is by Trumpter and was a pleasure to put together. I painted it with the usual acrylics. It should hake a decent opponent to all of the silly German experimental stuff I’ve got if I could only find somewhere big enough to take advantage of its main gun. It will probably be used as an objective in a skirmish game…. it may even face the Western Allies in a very early Cold War game… why not I guess?

Cheers,

 

Pete.

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NormandyTrip: Back to England and Bovington Tank Museum.

The overnight ferry from La Harve to Portsmouth was uneventful, I spent it either reading or watch films on my tablet, also it was the longest I’ve ever spent on a ship. As we arrived early on Friday morning I went on deck as the boat docked to see what was moored up in Portsmouth Harbour. The two historic ships HMS Victory and HMS Warrior were visible along with a fair few contemporary RN vessels including the new HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier.

HMS Warrior, undergoing some restortation.

 

HMS Victory.

 

HMS Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s biggest ever warship, I have to admit feeling a little underwhelmed by it.

 

A Type 45 Destroyer HMS Dragon.There were at least 4 Type 45s berthed when I was there.

After docking we drove a hour and a half westwards to visit Bovington Tank Museum, a place that has been on my must visit list for a long time. The number of vehicles on display is mind boggling. Divided up into different sections it takes you through the development of the tank then we went through the Trench Experience covering WW1 and from War Horse to Horse Power and much more including the Tiger exhibit bring together a Tiger and Elefant, two Tiger IIs and a Jagdtiger. I took so many photos I can’t upload them all but I’ll put up a representative sample. If anyone has anything in particular they want to see let me know and I’ll post it.

A view of the first hall we went in, Centurion front and centre.

 

WW1 Mk IV ‘female’ tank.

 

British Crusier tank from 1940.

A Panzer III painted up in Africa Korp colours.

 

A Sherman Firefly with Cromwell in the background.

 

Moving on to modern stuff we have a T72 with a Patton in the background.

 

A Saladin Armoured Car

 

British Challenger.

 

Another shot of the Firefly and Cromewll with the front ofa Chruchill peeking in.

In the WW1 section we have a MkII tank.

 

A Mk IV male with fascine.

Austin Armoured Car of the type used in Ireland during the Anglo-Irish war.

 

Tiger II with Porsche turret and Jagdtiger.

Tiger II with Henschel turret.

 

Elefant (all the way from the US) and Tiger 131.

 

Hetzer SPG in front of a Jagdpanther.

 

Protype of the Tortoise SPG- a British proposal to attack the Siegfried line.

 

A T34/76 in Finnish colours.

 

The ridiculous TOG II- a British failure from WW2, very cool all the same though.

 

British heavy metal.

 

The Sherman used in the recent Brad Pitt film ‘Fury’ still with its sfx weathering.

 

Not all of the vehicles that are in the Bovington Collection are on public display- this is a view of part of the storage shed.

Going round Bovington took all day; all that was left was a long drag on a journey North back to Yorkshire to end Dad and I’s holiday.

 

Cheers,

 

Pete.