The Slovak Fast Brigade at Lipovec 1941 in 20mm for Rapid Fire! - Part 3: first trucks and artillery (105mm WZ 35)

 

While at the IWM I noticed the similarities between the Soviet 122mm M38 howitzer on the second floor and the hard to find Slovak gun 105mm WZ 35 from which  two models are necessary for the Lipovec scenario. The last one clearly influenced the design of the Soviet gun as the WZ 35 was one of the most modern guns in the world in that category in the 30s and influenced plenty of designs even up to the Cold War period. So two Zvezda copies of the 122mm M38 were hurriedly ordered from AliExpress as they became the basis for the Slovak guns. 

Most of the parts of the WZ 35 gun barrel came from the Zvezda copy but the longer tube was taken from pieces of sprue. The gun tube of the WZ 35 was particularly thick and it looks like a much larger calibre. The split trails are Russian 152mm Irregular Miniatures parts from the storage boxes and the wheels are Airfix from the Scammel model. I tried to get closer as much as possible to the real thing and thus a lot of small parts from different plastics were added a bit everywhere. 

If a gun can be elegant, this one is for sure. 

Broom bristles were added as the measuring rods and the ground anchors. 

The final result is quite nice with the addition of crew which helps to obscure the small faults and attracts attention :)  

This other picture helped to make the details on the right side of the gun. In fact, even if this gun was not very common, the Germans took plenty of pictures of that you can find them in the web, particularly the ones that went to the Atlantic Wall. 

This picture was taken before adding the last detail to the inner part of the shield and cutting the shield a bit more on all four sides. 

Far from perfect but looks the part. 

The crew came from Hat US WW1 bodies with Japanese and Marine heads. For the Slovaks you need M1 type of helmets but as flat as possible at the base. 

Some ammunition boxes added and all was set. 

Two FtF Praga RV trucks were added and they will go to the infantry or smaller artillery tows as the Wz 35 was towed by the larger Skoda 6ST6-L that I have no idea were to get. 

Next: depends on the mail, but more Slovaks or a return to AWI.