Cromwell Mk,IV

[Guest]

Yet another newbie to armour!

My dearest beloved chose me this kit from amongst all the others she could have chose as a crimbo present so perfect timing to fit into the Normandy group build.

Not sure how I am going to pose her yet but can guarantee if my latest GB (BoB) contribution is anything to go by I will probably be late finishing.

This will also be the first Tamiya kit and here come my first questions!

Reading the instructions, which are different to what I am use to, I see that the colour of the hull is indicated to be the following

XF-1:1 + XF-26:4 + XF-52:4

Am I correct in thinking this is 1 part of XF-1 mixed with 4 parts of the other two colours?

Also what colour should I paint the interior if I choose to have hatches open?

Any suggestions of some good resources to help with inspiration would also be welcome as although the web is a wonderful thing it can also be very overwhelming with such an choice of pictures so making it hard to choose.

Thanks

Rich

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[AlanG]

Reading the instructions, which are different to what I am use to, I see that the colour of the hull is indicated to be the following XF-1:1 + XF-26:4 + XF-52:4

Am I correct in thinking this is 1 part of XF-1 mixed with 4 parts of the other two colours?

You'd be correct in thinking that.

As for the interior. Doesn't the instructions tell you?

[Guest]

As far as I know, most British tanks were, like most nationalities, painted a very pale colour or white (WWII Germans were an Ivory) However, I have seen pictures of British tanks with very pale green being used but don't know if this was restoration or original. Only thing to watch is that the inside of open hatches would have been painted the outside colour so that they matched when laid flat open.

[Guest]

You'd be correct in thinking that.As for the interior. Doesn't the instructions tell you?

Thanks for the help both,

Looking at the instructions I cant see anywhere any indication of internal colour scheme. Its probably the fact very little will be seen once constructed I guess, which is probably why there is no internal detail also?

Just been looking on the net and found this interesting picture.

Thanks once again

Rich

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[Centurion3RTR]

Nice looking kit Richard, i'm still thinking on what to do lol. Going to keep an eye on this.

Have fun, John

PS. I think you've made my mind up, i've got the Tamiya Centaur C.S.MkIV thats going on the bench for the GB.

[AlanG]

Only thing to watch is that the inside of open hatches would have been painted the outside colour so that they matched when laid flat open.

Never even thought about that. Thanks for the info Graham. I was going to paint the inside of the hatches the same colour as the interior. But what you say makes sense now i think about it.

[tr1ckey66]

Hi Richard

That's a great kit you've got there - a superb Tamiya British classic. I built it some time ago with the markings for the Armoured Observation Post, 5th Royal Horse Artillery (7th Armoured Div). This is quite a well known tank and was one of the vehicles involved in the Micheal Wittman charge at Villers Bocage. I have photos of it in my gallery if you're interested. The only bits I added to this was a few bits of stowage and a tarp made from tissue paper + some photo etch bits. The tracks are Tamiya rubber band type and are certainly of good quality.

Personally I wouldn't paint the inside of the tank a light colour if you haven't built the interior, also I think if you keep the interior dark it has more scale shadow to it and isn't lit up. As Graham says the insides of the hatches will be bronze green as per the rest of the outside of the tank.

I do hope you enjoy this kit as i certainly did!

All the best with the GB

Paul

[Guest]

Don't know if you are interested in this but the Desert Rats only time in the UK, they were formed abroad and stayed there, was when they were brought back to camps in Thetford Forest to prepare and familiarise with the Cromwell in preparation for D Day Landings.

Due to te very hard work of one of the soldiers who joined them in the cold wet forests of Norfolk, one of the camps is now a memorial. There isn't a lot there anymore, just the bases of Nissan Huts and a Touring Caravan site on the site of the original tank park. Also hardstandings are there where the Engineers workshops were. Had it not been for the work of this man and volunteers helping him, the remains would have stayed hidden and anonymous in the forest.

At the entrance is a superb brick plinth with a Cromwell on top and now stands as a memorial to the Desert Rats. I am sure I have posted about this before but if anyone s touring round Norfolk this coming year, this site and the Muckleburgh Collection are a must see.

[Guest]

Hi RichardThat's a great kit you've got there - a superb Tamiya British classic. I built it some time ago with the markings for the Armoured Observation Post, 5th Royal Horse Artillery (7th Armoured Div). This is quite a well known tank and was one of the vehicles involved in the Micheal Wittman charge at Villers Bocage. I have photos of it in my gallery if you're interested. The only bits I added to this was a few bits of stowage and a tarp made from tissue paper + some photo etch bits. The tracks are Tamiya rubber band type and are certainly of good quality.

Personally I wouldn't paint the inside of the tank a light colour if you haven't built the interior, also I think if you keep the interior dark it has more scale shadow to it and isn't lit up. As Graham says the insides of the hatches will be bronze green as per the rest of the outside of the tank.

I do hope you enjoy this kit as i certainly did!

All the best with the GB

Paul

Thanks for the tip about the inside, and think you have made my mind up! Have had a look at your gallery and amazed with your results! I can only prey mine will look anything like yours as this will be a challenging learning curve for me as the most models I have ever attempted are 1:72 aircraft since getting back into the hobby!

Graham - thanks for the info of the memorial, its quite a way from me but thanks to google maps i was able to view a couple of other pictures of the same one from around the other side.

Looking forward to making a start and thanks once again

Rich

[tr1ckey66]

Hi Richard

Having seen your aircraft work I'm under no doubts that this Cromwell will be a good looking model. Have you decided on a scheme yet? I can't remember which Tamiya schemes are appropriate for Normandy off the top of my head. I think there's an option for an 11th armoured HQ tank that would be right for the period?

Have fun

Paul

[Guest]

Hi RichardHaving seen your aircraft work I'm under no doubts that this Cromwell will be a good looking model. Have you decided on a scheme yet? I can't remember which Tamiya schemes are appropriate for Normandy off the top of my head. I think there's an option for an 11th armoured HQ tank that would be right for the period?

Have fun

Paul

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the encouragement and kind comments. As for the scheme I am not having much success when searching on google as most the pictures I find are of Cromwell's knocked out during battle and I'm not sure this is what I wish to portray this time round. I am thinking of just posing the model advancing forward as in the picture below (minus convoy), as this is the actual tank the decals are for of the 11th Armoured division.

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Not sure I will have them reading maps/battle orders though, if that's what they are?

Out of interest can I ask which figures are good ones to go for other than Tamiya? Also who would you recommend for additional components to add extra cargo etc?

Thanks once again

Rich

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[spanner570]

Rich, just do the tank to your aircraft building standard and it will be spot on.

Both Miniart and Master Box produce superb figure sets at a good price. Miniart in particular have a very nice British tankers set, but the figures are free standing and not in the tank. I have just had a look on ebay and there are quite a few on there now. Netmerchants has the same set too.

Why not ask John at the Scale Models shop if he can help?

If you fancy a go at separate track links Hobby Boss do a set for a Cromwell for under a fiver!

Good luck with the Cromwell.

Ron

[tr1ckey66]

Hi Richard

As far as figures go I agree with Ron MasterBox and Miniart are pretty good but if you can go to the expense of resin figures then Resicast or Ultracast do some superb tank crew (the crew in my rocket firing Firefly came from ultracast although I may have replaced heads I can't remember). As far as stowage is concerned again you're probably looking at resin pieces Resicast do 2 sets of stowage appropriate for British armour. Things on the tank might include stuff like 75mm ammo boxes, ammo boxes for the Besa MGs, various tarps, wooden and cardboard boxes, the biscuit tins used at the time and the camo nets sometimes seen attached to the sides and backs of turrets. Remember everything would have to be secured on to the tank with tarps and strappping. As an alternative to stowage have you thought about some human cargo?! Miniart or Masterbox (I always get the 2 mixed up but I think it's Miniart!) are bringing out some British tank riders in plastic. This is just after I bought a load of resin tank riders from Resicast - typical! (they are real quality though)

A word on the tracks - personally I found the Hobby Boss tracks to be no improvement over the rubber-band tracks supplied. I found the detail to be no better and the fit a bit poor, I could have done a bit more to make the fit good but saw no reason to do this with no visible improvement in detail. They are useful if you intend to show the track damaged or split though.

Hope this helps a little.

Paul

[spanner570]

Richard, Paul's post reminded me that there are a couple of resin British tank riders complete with a bit of stowage on e.bay right now...

Cheers,

Ron

[Guest]

Many thanks guys, I have had a look at the sites you have reccomended and certainly like what I see, especially the set that has not been launched yet of the tank riders....just my luck! Hopefully they will be released before the end of the GB, if not, and I choose these they can be added later.

Thanks

Rich