Military Illustrated Modeller – August 2019

 Military Illustrated Modeller - August 2019

FULL-BUILD: COLD-WAR ARMOURÊ

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THE PEN IS MIGHTIER...

Having examined reference photos, I

came across images of T-10Ms which

had obviously become isolated from

their main units and been attacked

by furious Czechoslovakians; not with

petrol bombs or anti-tank weapons but

with chalk and paint. On the T-10Ms

the people of Prague had written “USSR

equals Nazis”, “1968 equals 1939 Aggressor”

and daubed on Swastikas and SS runes. Needless

to say, these sharp comparisons confused the

hapless Red Army infantry and tank crews who

had been told they were going to Czechoslovakia

to rescue their fraternal comrades from Western

reactionaries and the like.

Upon examination of the old photos I noticed

a few odd, extra equipment fittings added to

the turrets of not all but a number of the T-10Ms

including a rectangular stowage box and a grille-

screen fitted to the righthand side of the turret

on the left D-shaped lid with handle with circular

opening and cross inner fitting, along with a

snorkel tube fitted to the rear engine deck.

These fittings could only be for late-addition,

river-fording equipment, like those found on the

T-55, T-62 and T-72 series. The 'D' lid I worked

out was an alternative fitting for the commander's

hatch, which, unlike later T-72 hatches have a

snorkel tube portal. On these submersible T-10s

the rear engine inlets were probably covered over

with the small rear mesh removed and temporarily

plated-over. The rear snorkel tube had fabric tied

to each end as dust covers. I quickly set about

constructing these items, producing the stowage

box from the spare triangle-shaped box I removed

along side the missing righthand side mudguard as

referenced in one of 1968 photos. In addition to

the new fittings, I added tarps to the rear deck and

some broken wooden planks.

After careful study of a

reference photo from 'Operation

Danube', the author decided to

replicate the ripped- off front

mudguard fittings, left empty

from a collision of some sort

The T-10M tanks capable of

fording rivers had a simple,

straightforward snorkel

tube with tarp covers

which the author modelled

with putty and wire. Strips

of timber and a resin tarp

were also added

A rear three-quarter view of the

T-10 ready to rock 'n roll. The small

additions to the rear deck add a bit of

extra visual distraction to the fairly

streamlined composition of the model

The Meng turret and KPV 14.5mm

AA gun in particular are very finely

rendered. The AA gun clips into

position and can freely rotate