Tamiya 35196 - 1:35 German Front-Line Infantry

Plastic figure kit: German Front-Line Infantry in 1:35 scale

Tamiya 35196 depicts five German infantrymen of the late Second World War — their weapons and uniforms immediately mark them out as a different army from that of 1941. One soldier prepares to fire a Panzerfaust, two more shoot with MP44 assault rifles, a gunner fires an MG42 from the hip and the fifth is about to throw a grenade.

The figures wear camouflage smocks and 1944 pattern uniforms typical of panzer division infantry in the closing stages of the war. The poses are dynamic and combat-oriented, making the set a natural cast for a diorama of the Ardennes, the Eastern Front or Germany in 1945. The tooling dates from 1995.

What is in the box:

• Plastic parts for five figures
• Panzerfaust
• Two MP44 assault rifles
• MG42 machine gun
• Grenade
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Kit specifications:

• Scale: 1:35
• Product number: 35196
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Series: Military Miniature Series
• Number of figures: 5
• Tooling: 1995
• Skill level: beginner

Please note: This kit does not include glue, paints or modelling tools. The figures are supplied for self-assembly and painting.

Assembly and painting:

Assembly is simple, and the low parts count and very good fit make this a suitable first encounter with figures. Careful removal of the gate marks and mould seam lines before painting pays off. The weapons are easiest to paint separately, before they are fitted into the figures hands.

The camouflage smocks are the most interesting painting challenge here — the German late-war patterns used patches of green, brown and beige over a lighter base. The 1944 pattern uniforms are painted in field grey (for example Tamiya XF-65 Field Grey). A fine brush and a layered approach, working from the lightest base to the darkest patches, gives the best result, finished with a wash in the folds. The instructions give Tamiya paint codes.

Tools you will need:

• Sprue cutters
• Modelling knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up gate marks
• Plastic cement (for example Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Brushes in various sizes, including fine ones for faces and camouflage patterns
• Modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• A wash to bring out uniform folds and facial features
• Optional: pigments for dust and mud effects

About the soldiers – German late-war infantry:

The German infantry of 1944–1945 carried weapons that soldiers of the early war years could only have dreamed of, while fighting amid a collapsing front. The MP44 assault rifle, later known as the StG 44, was the first mass-produced weapon of its class: firing an intermediate cartridge, it combined rifle accuracy at medium range with the firepower of a submachine gun and set the direction of small arms development for decades.

The Panzerfaust was a single-use anti-tank launcher with a range of a few dozen metres, cheap and so simple that almost any soldier could use it. Its shaped-charge warhead could penetrate Allied and Soviet tank armour, which in urban and defensive fighting turned a lone infantryman into a genuine threat to an armoured vehicle.

Camouflage smocks, at first reserved for special units, were issued increasingly widely to the infantry in the last part of the war, particularly in panzer and panzergrenadier divisions. The mixture of 1944 pattern uniforms, camouflage smocks and varied weapons seen in this set reflects the appearance of German front-line units in the final months of the war.

Historical background:

• Formation: infantry of German panzer divisions, 1944–1945
• Weapons: MP44 (StG 44) assault rifle, MG42, Panzerfaust, grenades
• MP44: the first mass-produced assault rifle firing an intermediate cartridge
• Panzerfaust: single-use anti-tank launcher with a shaped-charge warhead
• Uniforms: camouflage smocks and 1944 pattern field uniforms

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese model company founded in 1946 by Yoshio Tamiya in Shizuoka, a city regarded as the centre of the Japanese model industry. The business initially traded in timber and produced wooden models from the late 1940s, releasing its first plastic model kit in 1960. In 1968 it launched the 1:35 Military Miniature Series, which grew to hundreds of items and established the standard scale for military modelling. The brand is known for precise injection moulds and very good parts fit, which is why its kits are chosen by beginners and experienced modellers alike. Tamiya figures are valued for their natural poses and clearly rendered uniforms and equipment. Besides plastic kits, the company offers a full range of modelling accessories: paints, cements, tools and brushes. Tamiya is present in dozens of countries today and remains one of the most recognisable brands in the hobby.