PANTHER 111, 116TH WINDHUND Dv, HOUFFALIZE 1944

[BarryC]

Hi Herman,

The "Aluminum" exhaust shields turned out great, nice work!

Barry

[HERMAN BIX]

Hi Herman,

The "Aluminum" exhaust shields turned out great, nice work!

Barry

Thanks Mr C, they do look good on.
I plan to test fit the running gear and ensure the drive & idler wheels are in line, and that the tracks are the right length this weekend before I do any more detailing, just in case I need to rough handle the thing.
Then it will be pins & chains, last primer, panzer putty masking on all the missing zimmerit patches and base coat.
After its base coated I will assemble it to do the camo.
Which leads me to that question- what did 111 look like before it was blown into the history books ?
Manufactured in May 44, sent to Normandy, Coming from Normandy to the Ardennes changing units and finally being destroyed...............
Im thinking field applied over factory base, thin squiggly lines, but its almost impossible to tell from the post war pictures next to the river.
Anyone have a good reference to the 116th paint that could point me in a better direction?
I have pics and they show the unit in France at the time of the Cobra operation, and while the base looks very uniform, the camo looks rushed & messy.
I can only pick one shade & I expect its green, no redbrown ?
Reasonable to say that 111 would have looked the same as these machines before it was entrained & transferred to the build up for 'BOTB'.

Appreciate your collective thoughts, the paint is the deal breaker !!
Tank second in the foreground of the lower pic looks like a bunch of delinquent graffiti artists have got to it when it was sitting at the railway siding

[HERMAN BIX]

https://www.track-link.com/forums/site_blogs/41118/flat

A well researched link on Panthers if ever there was one.
Mine being a DB, and the evidence still remaining of the simple 3 stud mountings for the turret spare wheels, just reinforces that there is still room for variation from what was in essence a hard & fast manufacturers directive.
Ive had advice that the period pictures I posted showing the 116th in Normandy while accurate, dont show the shades of likely colour that would have been present.
The darker lines I assumed were Olivegrun are redbrown with the green being a lighter shade in pictures due to the German film formula.
They dont show up very well.
With that in mind, I will do the entire tank same as the turret on my Dozerpanther.

Even the debris guard that is clearly an add on on 111 was the result of either a supply issue or some other reluctance to fit the things by DB.
DB were the last of the big 3 manufacturers of Panthers to actually fit the guards over the mantlets.
The mounts were welded in place, but the guard never fitted. Later, other guards were supplied, but mounted in a different position that they would have been ex-factory for some reason.

Im flat out doing props for my girls dance concerts, so no tanking right now.
Assed over taking things outside to paint & split my big toe open & rolled my ankle something ferocious
The price to pay for happy family (hey, I've got a new T34 to look on that certainly helps with the pain )

[HERMAN BIX]

Probably a very well known picture, but I thought I would include it to clarify the chin mantlet being associated with a common 'G' from the A's & early G's.
Easy to see why the chin was added.
Shame for the crew in this Panther they didnt think of it earlier

[HERMAN BIX]

This is what I have in mind for 111 which is close to what my Dozer turret was like.

The rear plate is crowded with the Jerry cans and heat shields in place but it’s near enough.

Just noticed how much panzer-putty masking on the missing zimmerit I have ahead of me

[HERMAN BIX]

Ive been working on the chains & pins that seem to go on everything on a Panther
They are all on, & look really good.
I ran the lower chassis under it own power last night to test wheel alignment etc & it runs straight & true.
A comforting feeling

[Dr Phibes]

Really coming along beautifully Herman. I'm still following along and ever more inspired to get started on my own Panther project - so much work to do but some really great pointers in your build thread, as always.
I noted with interest the problem you referred to with little details, especially of the photo-etch kind and I can't agree more. I learnt this the hard way when detailing out my KT build with a load of P.E.
My problem was approaching an RC build as if it was going to be a static shelf queen (in truth some of mine end up life that anyway, he he). Consequently, I glued many parts that, at the least, needed to be soldered (where possible) and paid the price when bashing around the garden (sort of ). Oh well, we live and learn and all that
Looking forward eagerly to the next update

[HERMAN BIX]

Thanks Dr, it’s looking like a Panther outside the assembly line!
Still a little bit here & there to attach before the full base coat.
As long as it finishes close to what the real 111 might have looked like on the morning before it’s destruction I will be happy.
Handling and running these models can decide the level of detail and the construction of detail to a large degree.
Even the simple fact of multiple trips to the car and back to the venue increases the risk of dropping or breakage.
This one for me is a bit on the fragile side, but with respectful handing should hold up.

[c.rainford73]

Brilliant work Mr Bix you are the Zimm master

[HERMAN BIX]

Brilliant work Mr Bix you are the Zimm master

Thanks Mr Rainford..............I am happy to say that this is Atak's finest product !
While I have done a rough copy on the turret of my Pantherdozer, there was no chance I was having a crack at replicating this pattern in all its glory.
I've just done the camo on this, and what a quivering mess of nerves I was just before the first shot went on I can tell ya