AIR DEFENCE GUN - 88mm FLAK 18 (1935)

This is the Fujimi 1:76 scale "German Anti-Tank Anti-Aircraft 88 m/m FLAK 18" model (kit #02) of the famous German gun. The 88mm gun first appeared in 1916, built by both Krupp and by Rheinmetall-Borsig. As the Treaty of Versailles forbid this type of gun production, manufacturing was moved to Bofors in Sweden Krupp continued working on improvements, and in 1933 rolled out a new high-velocity version which was immediately used by the fascists in the Spanish Civil War. Further improvements led to the 88mm Flak 36 which had interchangeable rifling tubes.

Wiki says: "Flak is a contraction of German word Flugzeugabwehrkanone meaning "aircraft-defense cannon", the original purpose of the eighty-eight. In English, "flak" became a generic term for ground anti-aircraft fire. In informal German use, the guns were universally known as the Acht-acht ("eight-eight")." 

An impressive weapon, it still took an average of 16000 shells for any particular Flak 88 to shoot down a USA daylight bomber. At night, the guns were aided by searchlights and sound detection, but the shell usage was far worse. It was a far better anti-tank weapon, and the only thing in the German arsenal which could stop the new Soviet main battle tanks until the Nazis caught up in tank design.

The overall colour is Tamiya acrylic XF-62 German Grey, with Tamiya acrylic X-10 Gun Metal for the technical end of the gun. Light rust was applied to the lower carriage using PanPastel 380.3 Red Oxide. My mistake was to install the large forward shield which had been invented for army use in land battle due to the immense height of the gun. In anti-aircraft mode the shield was not installed. I bought this kit used at Hobby House in Ottawa on Wednesday morning, 20 July, and finished it by nightfall that day. I have not finished a kit in a day since I was ten years old. It was great! Try it.

FRENCH 75mm ARTILLERY

Known as the "75" (Soixante-Quinze), this 75mm artillery piece holds the distinction of being the very first modern artillery gun and is credited with having the first hydro-pneumatic recoil mechanism. This meant it could be repeatedly fired at the same target without being re-sited. The official name is the "Matériel de 75mm Mle 1897", and several French arsenals produced the gun by the thousands starting in 1898, with over 21 000 being built by 1940. The 75 was used by at least 12 different armies during a 40 year period, and was the main US artillery piece during World War One. The gun was so famous as to be included in songs and artworks, and became part of French culture.
In the Great War the British Army artillery corps and air defence units used 29 of these French guns. In June 1940 the British bought another 895 of the guns, as well as a million rounds of ammunition, from the USA which had used 2000 of them in the Great War and still had a huge stockpile. Called the "Ordnance, QF, 75mm Mk 1" by Britain, the army would also use this field gun as an anti-aircraft weapon. 
The model is a 1/24 scale kit (#9692) from Life-Like Hobby Kits of the USA. I bought this early-1970s kit, still sealed in shrink wrap, at a military antiques show in Ottawa in late May for $10., and was delighted to find it a far larger item than expected at 23cm overall. The kit is rather good with some nice detail and little flash and almost no sink marks. The only drawback is the large raised circles for fitting the front seating and brake tubes.
The whole kit went together in two weeks. I used Tamiya and Model Master spray paint rattle cans (MM 2937 Gray Primer for the body; and TS-3 dark yellow for the wheels), and a gold ink pen for brass details. It was weathered using water-based black paint and grey powders. I added ropes and netting and poles, in addition to wooden seats and a rope pull cord for the firing mechanism. I also added metal pull rings at the end of each wheel axle.

Matériel de 75mm Mle 1897

Matériel de 75mm Mle 1897

Matériel de 75mm Mle 1897

Matériel de 75mm Mle 1897

Matériel de 75mm Mle 1897

Matériel de 75mm Mle 1897

Matériel de 75mm Mle 1897

A heavily modified Canadian artillery corps French 75 at the Canadian War Museum