Tamiya 35038 - 1:35 German Machine Gun Troops Infantry

Plastic model figures: German Machine Gun Troops in 1:35 scale

Tamiya 35038 is a seven-figure set devoted to the weapon around which the tactics of the entire German infantry squad were built — the machine gun. The box contains three two-man teams plus a commander scanning the battlefield through binoculars.

Each team is shown in a different combat situation: one crews a machine gun mounted on the Lafette tripod, another fires from a bipod in the prone position, and the third delivers hasty fire with the barrel resting on a comrade's shoulder — an improvised solution used when fire had to be opened immediately. The set includes both the MG34 and the MG42, as well as tripods, ammunition belts and spare barrel containers. The tooling dates from 1974.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues with the parts for seven figures: three two-man teams and a commander with binoculars
• MG34 and MG42 machine guns
• Lafette tripods
• Ammunition belts
• Spare barrel containers
• Configurations: machine gun on a tripod, machine gun on a bipod in the prone position, hasty fire with the barrel supported on a shoulder
• Decals for helmets
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Kit specifications:

• Scale: 1:35
• Catalogue number: 35038
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Series: Military Miniature Series
• Number of figures: 7
• Tooling: 1974
• Skill level: beginner

Note: The kit does not include cement, paints or modelling tools. The figures are supplied for self-assembly and painting.

Assembly and painting:

Assembling the figures is straightforward, but the equipment calls for a little more care: the Lafette tripods, ammunition belts and barrel containers consist of small parts where precision tweezers come in handy. It is worth painting the weapons and equipment separately before attaching them to the figures — once a position is assembled, access to many details is limited.

Figure painting is a skill in its own right, but scenes like this show results quickly. The base is the grey-green cloth of the field uniform (feldgrau) and the colour of the small arms, which can be brought to life by lightly dry-brushing the metal edges. A wash helps emphasise the folds of the uniform. Helmet decals are best applied over a gloss-coated surface, which reduces the risk of silvering. The instructions provide Tamiya paint codes.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling side cutters for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Precision modelling tweezers for the small equipment parts
• Brushes in various sizes, including fine ones for faces and details
• Modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• A wash to emphasise uniform folds and weapon details
• Gloss varnish for the decals and matt varnish for the final finish
• Optional: pigments for dust and mud effects

About the soldiers – German machine gun teams:

In a German infantry squad it was the machine gun, not the rifleman's rifle, that provided the firepower. The crew consisted of a gunner with the weapon and an ammunition bearer who carried the belts and spare barrels in metal containers — with a rate of fire approaching a thousand rounds per minute the barrel heated up so quickly that changing it mid-fight was routine rather than a malfunction.

The MG34 of 1934 was the world's first general-purpose machine gun: on a bipod it served as the squad weapon, and mounted on the Lafette tripod it became a heavy machine gun able to engage at long range, including from defilade. Its successor, the MG42 of 1942, was simpler and cheaper to manufacture, and its exceptionally high rate of fire gave it the distinctive ripping sound by which Allied soldiers recognised it instantly.

In practice both designs served side by side until the end of the war, and the MG42 became one of the most influential machine guns in history — its derivatives remain in service to this day.

Historical background:

• Formation: German machine gun teams, Second World War
• Weapons and equipment represented in the kit: MG34, MG42, Lafette tripods, ammunition belts, spare barrel containers, binoculars
• MG34 — general-purpose machine gun, 7.92 mm calibre, rate of fire approx. 800–900 rounds per minute
• MG42 — 7.92 mm calibre, rate of fire approx. 1,200 rounds per minute, simpler and cheaper to produce than the MG34
• The Lafette tripod allowed the weapon to be used as a heavy machine gun, including for indirect fire
• Crew: a gunner and an ammunition bearer carrying belts and spare barrels

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese model company founded in 1946 by Yoshio Tamiya in Shizuoka, regarded as the centre of the Japanese model industry. The business began in the timber trade, moved on to wooden models in the late 1940s and released its first plastic model kit in 1960. In 1968 it launched the 1:35 Military Miniature Series, to which this figure set also belongs. The brand is known for precise injection moulds and excellent parts fit, which makes its kits a popular choice for beginners and experienced modellers alike. Tamiya figures are valued for their natural poses and clearly rendered uniforms, weapons and equipment. Besides plastic kits the company offers a full range of modelling accessories: paints, cements, tools and brushes. Today Tamiya is present in dozens of countries and remains one of the most recognisable brands in the hobby.