From the Challenge: 1/56 Panzer I Ausf Bs from Bolt Action

 

Well, after playing Fredrick's excellent "Danzig Post Office" Bolt Action game a few weeks ago, early-WW2 fever has flared up again. Fortunately this coincided with a) a Warlord Games order pending from Frederick, and b) the "Tanksgiving" buy-two-get-one-free promotion. So I duly added three Pzkpfw I Ausf. B tanks to his order.

 

The models duly arrived and painted up very quickly indeed. They're 1/56 scale though - unlike most of the rest of my collection - so I boosted them a bit by putting them on bases. The models are pretty nice though - all resin except for the MG barrels and headlight, plus each one came with a metal commander half-figure.

I did them up in grey (Mechanicum Standard Grey/Dawnstone/Administratum Grey) with a Nuln Oil wash and light Celestra Grey drybrush on the panel edges. I did Corax White crosses as displayed in the Polish campaign, and small 3-digit tactical numbers using decals from the 15mm Team Yankee range (they fit).

Tracks were painted Steel Legion Drab, washed Nuln Oil, and drybrushed Leadbelcher. Some light weathering with Steel Legion Drab and the models were complete.

Here's the other two tanks in the Zug.

Here's one of the Panzer Is with an old Bandai 1/48 Pzkpfw II just to show scale. I think that the base really helps even them out.

 

I painted one of the spare commanders to go in the open hatch of the Panzer II. They're nice early-war tankers wearing the "schutzmutze" protective helmet and beret.

The Pzkpfw Is are a good addition to my early-war German forces and are a tank I've always thought looks cool. Glad to have gotten these on a deal, even if they ARE 1/56...