Tristar

1/35 WWII Russian Tank Crew

Kit Number 35012

Reviewed By Howie Belkin, #16

MSRP: $17.00

Injection molded, five full figures including one female, two ¾ figures and two spare heads.

Created and sculpted by world renowned sculptor Yoshitaka Hirano.

Distributed by MRC.

This set has two trees of medium gray injection molded parts, providing six Russian WWII tank crew and one standing female.  Since she caught your attention, she’s one of the full figured figures, the only one in standard shirt and trousers with “pilotka” sidecap striking a casual pose.  Tristar’s not the first model company to include a woman, since Uncle Joe sent everyone to fight for him.  Even though armed, she’s not posed as a crewmember (each figure is issued either of two styles Russian Tokarev TT leather or synthetic leather holstered pistols).  One crewman’s arms are folded in front of him, but if those arms went to the seated fellow (driver?), he could be posed dancing that famous Russian jig you’re familiar with but don’t know the name of.  A couple of figures’ expressions do express love, not war.  The other figures are clothed in coveralls called out in your choice of dark grey or khaki, or black leather jackets and trousers. Following DML’s lead, each padded helmeted figures’ helmet center is molded on their head and come with separate earphone pocketed ear flaps that add 3D realism (to be painted black, red-brown or khaki).  One bare (not bald) headed comrade holds his helmet in his hand.  The two extra heads wear sidecaps.  All but two full figures wear full knee boots; those two either have shoes or their boots aren’t bloused.  The two cut-off figures are each meant to be in an open hatch.  One leather clad tanker has his gloves in one hand and a barely discernable cigarette between his fingers in the other hand.

The box top illustration is a helpful guide but a few of the faces looked too similar at first look.  In fact, the illustration is not dead on – it varies a little from the actual figures who are not clones but rather very different personalities.  They are shown painted and assembled in color photographs on the rear of the box with colors called out in Humbrol, Mr. Color/Aqueous Hobby Color and Tamiya lines.  A shoulder-board is illustrated which would be seen on her khakis, but not the others whose coveralls or jackets cover theirs.  Steve Zaloga’s THE T-34 TANK Osprey Vanguard book number 14 said that Red Army tank crew uniforms varied throughout the war, but most wore a dark brown leather helmet and “…a one piece overall of either black or dark blue” over their service dress khakis early in the war.  The overalls were more often “…khaki drab during the period 1942-45, but old black ones occasionally appear… the padded helmet went from leather to black canvas…” and an occasional odd shade of blue.  Tristars’ wear the shirt as remodeled in 1943 with stand collar, and ranking “…moved to the traditional shoulder-boards… khaki cloth piped red and with red ranking and brass branch badge” hidden under the coveralls*.

Things that separate more expensive resin from less expensive plastic figures include how crisply molded the details are, how realistic poses and expressions are, and price!  Tristar falls in the middle – better than the average plastic Joe and gives the more expensive resin alternatives a run for your money (figuratively speaking).  The way the open coverall collars lift from the shirts, the skin and clothing wrinkles, the bulged or flattened pocket all add up.  Some people aren’t happy if they don’t hear a critical word, so I’ll mention if you want for effect, you can add a holster crossbelt and chin strap and/or radio wire hanging down from the helmets (Cookie Sewell reminded me that the Red Army went to TPU sets soon after war started, and at least the driver and commander were hooked up).  The set would be outstanding if it included an opened holster and separate pistol, and perhaps other personal gear or armament, especially a dismounted DT machine gun and ammo drums.  If you can ante up the extra couple of dollars, then I highly recommend Tristar’s Russians.  At better hobbyshops or Model Rectifier Corporation, 80 Newfield Ave. Edison, NJ 08837 phone: 732 225 2100 www.modelrectifier.com.  Thanks to Bob Lewen at MRC for the review sample.  Maybe a set of winterized Russian tankers will follow?

*regarding Russian tankers’ rank and insignia:

Zaloga also stated that early “…NCOs and officers often wore their collar patches of rank and branch on the collars of the overall, and/or visible in its open neck on the fall collar of the shirt…”

Cookie Sewell told me that medals were worn on blouses and by late 1942 Russians wore rank on their shirts/blouses shoulder-boards as follows.  But “…coveralls were just that, nothing worn on the outside of them other than perhaps a pistol belt.”

Plain -- ryadavoy (private)

One red stripe - yefretor (private first class)

Two red stripes -- maladshiy serzhant (junior sergeant)

Three red stripes -- serzhant (sergeant)

One broad red stripe -- starshiy serzhant (senior sergeant)

Red T Stripe -- starshina (sergeant major)

Officers had either two or three gold horizontal stripes.

Two stripes:

one star - junior lieutenant

two stars -- lieutenant

three stars -- senior lieutenant

four stars -- captain

Three stripes:

one star -- major

two stars -- lieutenant colonel

three stars -- colonel.

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