Munster A34 Comet Mk 1-brief snap-fest

[43rdRecceReg]

I'm so grateful I got the opportunity to get within the personal space of this British Beauty with my cameraphone. Although this tank should have entered the war sooner, it still proved itself a match for the gas-guzzling bully boys on the battlefield. It had good armour, speed, and manoeuvrability (a legacy of it's elongated Cromwell basis), together with a low silhouette in the landscape. Above all, though, it had the much-feared (by Panzer units) 17-Pounder gun fitted. CLICK on a pic to enLARGE it..
Here's a potted, or perhaps canned history : http://tank-photographs.s3-website-eu-w ... rmany.html

Comet profile

Comet revealing its Cromwell DNA in the lower chassis design

Comet front armour plate and two shackles

A34 Comet. Driver's viewing porthole

Comet. Mounting for 7.92mm Besa MG

Shielded headlamp on Comet A34

Comet mudguard support brackets

Mantlet and periscope details-Comet A34

Comet l.h. storage bin

Turret profile and r.h. storage bin.Comet A34

As a footnote, if I ever finish my backlog of unfinished projects (six in all), I'd love to build the Ludwig version of the Comet, having already built his Cromwell offering. The Comet represented a major step forward in British
tank design, and paved the way for the Centurion and the MBT. It's already a mature and impressive design, and I'd love to see it whizzing around my garden...more than any other tank, in fact..well, almost
A 1:6 Pz IV would trump the rest... That's er..'trump' in the non-presidential sense. Incidentally, I've no idea why this tank was dubbed 'Ben Hur'. It's in the markings of a Scottish unit, and should have been called 'Oor Wullie'
'Desperate Dan', or 'Highlander'...

[43rdRecceReg]

Comet right side and massive toothpick

Comet's pert rear- with sprung towbar

Comet back view with regimental insignia

Comet driver's hatch

Comet -glimpse of interior through Driver's hatch

Detail- Comet external mantlet mounting

It's interesting to note the use of the external mantlet trunnion on the Comet. The internal mounting on the Cromwell (as with some other British tanks) limited its range of movement, but also made it easier for incoming rounds to penetrate the crew compartment.

Front armour plate details

Comet- frontal area

[jarndice]

I believe It was the difficulty mounting the 17pdr in the Cromwell's turret that gave birth to the Comet,
Which presumably explains the outboard Trunnion's on the Comet.

[Max-U52]

You're a lucky man, Roy, and very cool to share that luck in the form of these excellent photos.

1/6 scale. Have you not yet jumped in with anything at all? Wayne just got his feet wet with a fully RCed Kettenkrad and an SAS jeep that's about to be RCed. The Panzer IV is an excellent choice, especially if it's Armortek. I prefer the Panzer III, though, for no particular reason, I just like it better, especially the Ausf M, with (at last) some decent firepower. Not like an 88, but way better than the first variants, eh?

I also have great fun searching for deals on 1/6 scale figures and accessories. I scored that bicycle kit for about $25 (just under 20 quid at current rate) and that was an excellent build that I really had fun with.



Are you familiar with Lorenzo Jalbert's youtube stuff? He made one of these bicycles RC with a little trailer behind it and the driver's legs pedal and his head turns with the handlebars. Very cool. He's like an RC God in 1/6 scale. He did a rowboat, and the guys are actually rowing the boat. And he made a Barbie push a baby carriage around by RC. He also did the MB 540K and I just happen to have one of those so guess who I'm copyin' off of!

Would a 1/6 scale Comet get ya excited?

[43rdRecceReg]

I believe It was the difficulty mounting the 17pdr in the Cromwell's turret that gave birth to the Comet,
Which presumably explains the outboard Trunnion's on the Comet.

Yes, Shaun, the turret ring needed to support a 17-Pounder friendly turret was too large for the Cromwell chassis, and so they lengthened the Cromwell IV by a foot or so, and widened it slightly to create the Comet version.
Ironically, after the war, the Mk V11 Cromwell chassis was chosen as the platform to support the QF20-Pounder gun, with a revised turret.

Charioteer/ Cromwell V11 with QF 20-Pounder gun

[43rdRecceReg]

You're a lucky man, Roy, and very cool to share that luck in the form of these excellent photos.

1/6 scale. Have you not yet jumped in with anything at all? Wayne just got his feet wet with a fully RCed Kettenkrad and an SAS jeep that's about to be RCed. The Panzer IV is an excellent choice, especially if it's Armortek. I prefer the Panzer III, though, for no particular reason, I just like it better, especially the Ausf M, with (at last) some decent firepower. Not like an 88, but way better than the first variants, eh?

I also have great fun searching for deals on 1/6 scale figures and accessories. I scored that bicycle kit for about $25 (just under 20 quid at current rate) and that was an excellent build that I really had fun with.



Are you familiar with Lorenzo Jalbert's youtube stuff? He made one of these bicycles RC with a little trailer behind it and the driver's legs pedal and his head turns with the handlebars. Very cool. He's like an RC God in 1/6 scale. He did a rowboat, and the guys are actually rowing the boat. And he made a Barbie push a baby carriage around by RC. He also did the MB 540K and I just happen to have one of those so guess who I'm copyin' off of!

Would a 1/6 scale Comet get ya excited?

Yep, a 1/6 Comet would get these aged peepers a-poppin', Gary That said, I was smitten by the Armortek Pz IV I linked to in an earlier thread. It truly was a work of art- and nothing else comes close in tank-fantasy terms for me.

phpBB [video]

I harvested many more shots at the Munster (minus Hermann!) PanzerMuseum, and will post them in due course. I also enjoyed some good Jägerschnitzels, and Luneburger locality beers when I was there
Good to see you're still expanding into the 1/6 scale world. That's one form of diversity I'm actually keen on.
But here's a 1/1 orphaned and wrecked Comet in need of some TLC (and WD-40!).

[Max-U52]

Very cool video. Do you know if they plan to restore that Comet?

I haven't had a decent Jägerschnitzel in decades. I never met a schnitzel I didn't like, but the Jager holds a special spot with my taste-buds. Something about the mushroom gravy really makes it special, ya know?

Have you seen the T-35 that Wayne is printing in 1/6 scale? I have a feeling that if that's successful he may try a comet. Our little home printers can't produce the quality of Armortek, but I think they might suffice, given that there's really no other option.

Here's a little pipe dream to think about - You and I, on the battlefield, you with a PIV and me with a PIII, both in 1/6. Geography and that big puddle make it pretty unlikely, but stranger things have happened and it is a nice little daydream, don't ya think?

[43rdRecceReg]

Sounds like a PIPEdream, Gary But this ageing ex-hippy is also hoping to populate the world with some tasteful (swan)songs, as well as tracked technology, 'ere I shuffle off this mortal coil. I've already managed one live (Pro) Studio album this year with old friends, and hope to make more before the old fingers can't bend strings anymore, and the vocal cords go up an aged creaky octave.
Dividing time between Tanks and Taylor guitars is getting tricky..
Should you ever get to visit the Highlands, I'm sure I could manage to make a passable Jägerschnitzel. But then there's always the infamous Haggis.....

[43rdRecceReg]

Since you've raised the 1/6 fantasy topic again, andbecause I've just been to Munster recently, here's a video of a 1/6 tiger exploding at Munster, much to the crushing disappointment of its controller, and the unbridled amusement of the onlookers.

phpBB [video]

At the same time, the hapless owner's fate was discussed here back in 2014, with the late lamented General making a contribution...
viewtopic.php?f=150&t=13589&hilit=munst ... r&start=20

[Ad Lav]

Great pics!!