The Model
Captured vehicles are an interesting subject for modellers. Firstly, their non-standard paintwork makes them eye-catching and distinctive on the shelf. Secondly, they sometimes require modifications to the original model to reflect the field modifications made by their new users. And thirdly, they are unique vehicles that often have an interesting history behind them. The Panther tank nicknamed ‘Cuckoo’ is one such vehicle.
It was an early production Panther Ausf. G, found by tankers of the 4th Battalion Coldstream Guards during the fighting for the village of Overloon in 1944. Previously belonging to Panzer-Brigade 107, it was parked in a barn, abandoned there due to a breakdown. The vehicle was restored to working order using parts from other destroyed machines, then incorporated into the battalion command and given the name ‘Cuckoo’. The tank was completely repainted, marked with large white stars, its own name and a diamond symbol indicating its affiliation with the staff company, and a type A antenna for a type 19 radio was mounted on the turret.
The tank remained in service until February 1945. It was abandoned by the crew due to a fuel pump failure that could not be repaired due to a lack of spare parts.
When I started this project, the best model available in 1:72 scale was Revell. This meant that if I built the model straight out of the box, I would end up with a toy.
Therefore, the first step was shopping.
The Accessories
I gathered probably all possible accessories for this project. The good news was that PART offers photo-etched parts designed specifically for the Revell model. And so, almost every element except for the main body of the tank and the wheels did not come from the original set.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos of the accessories before use, so I am providing links to the ScaleMates website.
First, I had to take care of the Zimmerit. So far, I haven't dared to try making it by hand. For this model, I used PART Zimmerit sheets.
Next, I bought a standard set of various photo-etched metal parts for Panther Ausf. G.
Although the Cuckoo did not have side skirts, I still had to install the mountings for them. Again, I used the PART kit.
The next item on the list was the commander's cupola. The part included in the Revell kit would have been suitable, had it not been for the fact that it had 6 vision ports instead of 7... I used an excellent replacement from OKB Grigorov, whose strong advantage is that it is made of transparent resin imitating the glass of the vision ports.
Next, I turned my attention to the running gear. The Revell tracks were definitely too thick for the scale and a bit clumsy. I chose another PART set as a replacement.
I was tempted to use replacement wheels, e.g. something from OKB Grigorov's range. However, the Revell wheels were quite fine, and I'm not such a fanatic as to count rivets (mostly). In the end, I bought wheel rings from PART, as this was the only detail missing from the plastic parts.
As standard, I also equipped myself with replacement barrels from Aber: for the main gun and the hull machine gun.
Another essential item on the list was tow cables from Eureka XXL.
And a little more British equipment from Black Dog.
And last but not least: decals. I used the set included with the book Captured Panzers published by Kagero.
Well, that's about it.
The Construction
The Hull
I started with a minor mishap and installed the ‘late’ fan housing above the engine compartment. That’s where the staines of glue and putty on the top plate come from.
Nevertheless, the assembly of the main body of the vehicle went smoothly. The most attention was paid to properly gluing the Zimmerit tiles. CA adhesive rarely forgives inaccurate fitting of elements before gluing.
‘Golden, yet modest’ is the only quote that comes to my mind when I look at these photographs.
I carefully recreated the exact positioning of the tow cable, including the loop on the side.
I filled the gaps between the individual elements of the Zimmerit coating with putty, into which I pressed a suitable pattern using a small screwdriver.
I glued the tool rack on the left side of the hull a little too far back. Because of this, the lower part of the rack did not fit into the hole provided for this purpose in the side skirt mountings. I did not correct this because I was afraid of damaging the parts.
Perhaps few people will notice it, but I know it's there.
Air intake covers in place.
While I was at it, I also glued inspection covers underneath the hull. Why not?
Finally, I added the missing embossing to the rear bins. In accordance with the original photographs, there are two different patterns.
The Suspension
The photo-etched track set also included parts for detailing the drive wheels. To make them fit, it was necessary to cut off some plastic and sand it down with sandpaper. This allowed the teeth of the sprockets with glued-on plates to fit into the new tracks.
These tracks look very innocent, but it took hours to put them together.
A single track run consists of only four folds, which did not even need to be glued together. However, then a strip folded in half and glued together had to be attached to each track link. There are 86 links on each track.
And so the whole evening passed.
The Turret
After covering the surface of the turret with Zimmerit coating, it was time to install the correct commander's cupola.
The opening in the turret had to be enlarged to fit the new element, but this did not cause any major difficulties. The bigger challenge was not to lose the microscopic photo-etched parts. Fortunately, OKB Grigorov sells these cupolas in sets of four. Once I had come to terms with the fact that I would not find the parts that had fallen on the floor, I was able to borrow them from the other three pieces.
Then it was time for the remaining details. As usual, all the handles were made from pieces of wire.
The small cover above the gun mantlet is probably fitted incorrectly. This is because the gun mantlet itself is probably not correctly positioned in the Revell design.
At least, that is how I interpret it.
The Painting
I started painting by washing the entire model with soap and water. Next, I covered it with metal primer, followed by black acrylic primer from Vallejo.
Since the ‘Cuckoo’ was originally covered with German camouflage, I started by painting the base with dark yellow with brown and olive spots. Only then did I apply a layer of British SCC 15. My idea was to allow the original camouflage to show through in some recesses and hard-to-reach places.
Ultimately, I did not achieve this effect, and the German dark yellow is only visible from underneath and from the inside of the wheels. In other words, everywhere where no one looks.
But painting the winter camouflage was really fun. I used diluted white paint in two shades, a small brush, and original photographs as a model, and the result was great.
I painted the tracks with basically one base colour, only slightly touching the edges with a metallic paint. Firstly, I was afraid of damaging the delicate slats, and secondly, I only had a few hours left to pack and leave for the modelling competition, where ‘Cuckoo’ was to be my first exhibition model.
Oh, and I forgot to attach the British antenna socket to the turret.
The Finished Model
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