Zvezda 1/72 20mm Flak38 AA Gun - Part 3

Gun Crew Conversion
It's part of my slightly OCD-like propensity that I could not simply put up with the slight variation in size between the heads of my various Finnish AA crewmen, even when they were part of a completely different gun crew!

The Zvezda 1/72 figures, while beautifully sculpted (in my opinion), are a little on the larger side of the scale figure spectrum. Certainly, they are a smidgen larger than the usual Airfix/Revell/Ceasar plastic 1/72 figures that I have been using. So, as with my Bofors crew, I ended up feeling that I had to do a bit of corrective surgery.

Flak 38 crew, front row, left and middle figures.

In fact, one of the figures - the standing loader - ended up with his legs chopped off so I could reduce his height a little bit as well. But, the upshot of all this anality is that all my various AA crewmen look like they are in the same scale now...So, I feel better. :)

It's onto the priming now, but I will leave off painting until I assemble the last crew figures for my AA units - the Landsverk (SP AA gun) crewmen.

A feeling of trepidation ceased me at this point, as I suddenly realised that I will have to go through all this converting of figures again when I come to assemble my field artillery units. Oh, dear!

Zvezda 1/72 20mm Flak38 AA Gun - Part 2

I feel a little mean just posting this meagre piece up, but it does emphasise just how quick it is to build this kit...

Ta-da! And it was done. The little Zvezda Flak 38 went together in minutes, and there weren't any issues. Well, unless you count my inability to handle tiny parts without breaking them that is!

If I have any criticism (and this is sort of similar to my niggle about their Bofors model) it is that you cannot elevate or depress the gun, it's in a fixed position. Other than that though, a nice little kit with a reasonable amount of detail.

One thing, though, in future I may start priming intricate little kits like this on the sprue before I put them together. Priming the model now it's together will be a little challenging, with all its nooks and crannies.

Flak 38 in Transportation Mode
As with my Bofors AA gun, under the Rapid Fire war game rules, I should really make a version of this model to represent the gun in its transportation mode (towed configuration). As mentioned in the first part of this project journal, the Zvezda kit does not come with the wheeled carriage to represent it 'mobile', so I had to source this. Luckily, I already had this model as part of a separate purchase I had made...

The above photo shows the Altaya Flak 38 that came with their Steyr 1500 light truck, a happy coincidence (I bought the Steyr for use as a command vehicle). The model is a wee bit rough round the edges but should clean up well enough for my use.

One noticeable difference between the Altaya and my Zvezda Flak 38 is the inclusion of a gunners shield just in front of the reflector sight. This may be a because the Altaya model is based on a later variant of the AA gun, in any case, it's easy enough to remove.

Next: Modelling the crew and priming the guns.

Zvezda 1/72 20mm Flak38 AA Gun

Moving along quickly (for me), I'm now beginning the next kit for my Finnish anti-aircraft contingent. The Finns had a number of German 2cm Flugabwehrkanone (Flak) 38 light anti-aircraft guns, which they designated the '20 ItK/38 BSW'. The Rapid Fire war game rules specify that my Finnish HQ Company should be equipped with one of these guns, so I looked around for a suitable model.

Finnish 20 ItK/38 in action. Photo taken in Karvala September of 1941.
(SA-kuva photo archive, photo number 53274). 

Luckily for me, Zvezda do a lovely little simplified Flak 38 model (with crew) specially designed to suit wargaming purposes. And a very nice bonus was that this little kit only cost me £2.50 plus postage!

Now, unlike my Bofors AA gun kit, the Zvezda Flak 38 comes with a crew I can use unmodified. The figures included - in German infantry uniform - would pass very well for Finns once an appropriate paint job was applied. Phew, less work.

What's in the (little) box?
There are only two small sprues to this kit, with just 19 parts to this kit (including the two multipart figures)!

Aside from the plastic parts, there is also the usual paper instructions (a small two sided A5 sheet) and Zvezda's 'Art of Tactic' wargame card (which looks a bit complicated compared to 'Bolt Action', but I've not played AoT).

Like the Bofors kit I'm already working on, this Zvezda kit is made from a slightly softer plastic than the usual plastic injection kits.

Mobile Configuration Version?
Because I am building this model using war game rules as a guide, I have to include a second version of this unit in its mobile mode. Part of the real Flak 38's strengths was its manoeuvrability, with a special two-wheeled carriage designed to carry the gun to its position at which point the gun could be removed from its trolly and deployed on the ground.

A German Flak 38 in its mobile configuration (from which it could still be used).
Seine-et-Oise, France, August 1944. Source: Wikipedia

Now, the Zvezda kit does not come with the wheeled carriage, but, purely by chance, I had already solved this problem as I have a mobile Flak 38 which I got as part of a die-cast vehicle set...

My Deagostini Steyr 1500A/01 truck & 20mm Flak 38 combo. An eBay cheapy!

So, I just have to repaint the Deagostini model to match my Zvezda kit and Bob's your Uncle, static and mobile versions of the Flak 38. Albeit a little chunkier than the finely moulded Zvezda version.

Painting the Finnish Flak 38
For once, there isn't my usual puzzling over what the exact paint scheme of a piece of Finnish equipment was. I had already been informed in a post on the Axis History Forum that the Finn's guns were repainted in their Moss Green, but I also found a very nice colour photo of the gun over on the Jaegar Platoon site confirming that this was the case.

Hooray!

This looks like it should be a very quick project with no hassle at all. :)