ASAD-BABIL "LION OF BABYLON" IRAQI ARMY FEB 1991

[HERMAN BIX]

G'day folks, fancy seeing me here eh !!

This one is an on behalf project for a new member Mr Mithras.
I am quite flattered that I am trusted to carry out the task of delivering someones vision from half the world away & solely on what Ive done in here.
After some discussion and an ideas session, we agreed on a look for his model and he set about gathering hardware.
Today a box from Toucan arrived with a sparkling new T72 ERA version in it, complete with metal tracks, drive and idlers, and suspension arms.
We are checking the specifics to see if it should have had metal roadwheels on it, but that aside, this is the look hes after.............

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php? ... embed_post

There are several pages of images and modelers completed 1/35th builds to pic from and this one seems to have the right look.
Importantly, Mr Mithras likes this version so thats what hes going to get, or as close as I can to it at least.

Now to straighten out any opinions or suchlike on this as a commission, I asked for and received a set of metal tracks for my Merkava build as toll for the work Im going to do & that was my choice of level of satisfaction................I build these for fun, regardless of the dynamics, and my Wife loves that Im busy not annoying her on someone elses ticket !! Its an interest for me, and the subject is engaging, plus I am humbled by the trust of Mr Mithras to believe in me to pull it off.
Safe to say she was quite relieved when the note to pick up a parcel at the post office was NOT mine

Alrighty, that out of the way, I am waiting for the battery to charge so I can test run it, then its into the guts to verify the gearboxes are metal, then hook in
Once its run up I will begin the picture posts

[Meter rat]

This is going to be awesome. A T72, with which to fight his partners Challenger. I wholeheartedly approve of Mr M’s choice.

[HERMAN BIX]

This is going to be awesome. A T72, with which to fight his partners Challenger. I wholeheartedly approve of Mr M’s choice.

Cheers Mr Rat, I thought so too. As they will be both V7 and compatible for the H/L "battle" system they can make good use of their respective models once they get them.
Im not sure how I can pull off the slogans on the skirts yet, but I will mull that over.
Tell ya what, Im not looking forward to all the hole filling required to cover for the ERA mounting points again as it seems to be impossible now to get one without it.

[HERMAN BIX]

Out of the box, trimmed to run straight, BB switched off, track recoil set to 1 out of 4, rotation speed up to max, drive speed up to max, braking set to min...............
Smoker works a treat, just hope the barrel smoker shows up soon.

IMG_3089.jpeg (2.47 MiB) Viewed 225271 times

IMG_3090.jpeg (2.38 MiB) Viewed 225271 times

IMG_3091.jpeg (1.86 MiB) Viewed 225271 times

[HERMAN BIX]

some further reference material.

https://aw.my.games/en/news/general/des ... asad-babil

A gaming site it may be, but the period pictures are just what I need to set the mood !

[HERMAN BIX]

A fine 35th scale version

https://rtvmodeler.com/MyProjects/T72M1 ... 72m1-4.htm

[HERMAN BIX]

I just keep finding ideas.
Love the rear accoutrements on this one. The red fuel drum and 125mm ammo crate in place of the missing one.

https://picryl.com/media/american-servi ... ?zoom=true

[HERMAN BIX]

https://forums.kitmaker.net/t/iraqi-des ... ries/14316

[Meter rat]

I have a comfortable chair sorted and a couple of barrels of beer, in in for this build.

[Mithras]

I'm most grateful, Master Bix, that you offered a partnership and that we were able to strike a deal! I look forward with baited breath.

I first became aware of the vehicle studying for an early grad school paper. Later, I had the opportunity to examine one of them, though it had recently been repainted (or something had been done to it.... it was around 2003, or so, so it's entirely possible it was being studied for some not entirely public purpose), so I wasn't allowed to touch, though I was able to get a good look. I think those extra additions: the red fuel drum, the improvised stowage, are some of the most interesting signs that a tank has been "lived in" for better or worse. I try to include those sorts of flourishes when I paint miniatures and models, and I like to think I've got pretty decent at that, along with the weathering aspect.

One of the interesting aspects that not many know is that, according to immediate post war tests by Allied personnel, up to 65% of Iraqi armor was completely useless. It was filled with coal dust or paint, or it was simply incapable of doing any serious harm to another armored vehicle (the alleged 'invulnerability' of Allied tanks aside.) I recall reading an account from the gunner in a T-62 who later moved to Europe. He described the horror his crew experienced when, having lined up a shot on a hostile target (I can't remember what it was... armored vehicle), the shot landed perfectly only to explode in a shower of brightly colored paint. Graft and corruption in action. It's amazing he survived.

Weirdly enough, some might be interested to know that the -same- kind of problem occurred with the Chinese fleet in 1894, and the Spanish Fleet in 1898. Paint, coal dust, concrete, even wood...