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DRA
6390 British 8th Army Infantry, El Alamein 1942
1/35 set of 4 figures
The Commonwealth victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein in late
1942 is one of the best know offensives of the Second World War and
saw the Eight Army force Rommel's German and Italian troops out of Egypt.
The North African campaign is popular with many modelers, and this new
release provides a much wanted set of British Commonwealth troops in
the North African (tropical) Khaki Drill uniform which had shorts and
long sox (stockings).
CONTENTS
This
set contains four advancing figures. A standing lieutenant is blowing
a whistle in his left hand and holding a service pistol in his right.
He carries binoculars around his neck and a map case hung from his shoulder.
The other standing figure is an advancing rifleman carrying a Lee Enfield
rifle and wearing a full kit including a regulation back pack with ammunition
pouches attached to the chest straps. The Bren gunner also carries a
backpack with ammunition pouches and is posed kneeling ready to advance.
The last figure is also knelling, is armed with a Thompson submachine
gun has a flare pistol in a holster. In the box art he is shown as an
NCO, and reminds me of a photo of a similarly armed NCO at El Alamein.
All men wear desert style shorts with long sox, puttees and lace-up
ankle boots. They have all rolled up their sleeves as is common in photos
of the battle and wear British helmets without any cloth covering.
The figures are designed in the traditional format of having six or
seven main body parts and sculptured to a high standard as seen in the
accuracy of the uniforms, which are in keeping with war-time photos
from the campaign and have realistic seams, creases and folds. The men's
faces are suitably expressive and the helmet straps are cast onto the
heads. The men's exposed limbs have finely sculptured detail for the
muscles, knees and elbows. Both the new figure sprue and the smaller
common weapons sprue are free of flash and have the normal seams to
remove. The set includes two spare rifles and a Sten gun.
The box art shows the men advancing past destroyed armor in the desert.
Many of Montgomery's infantry who fought the German 15th and 21st Panzer
Divisions on 26 and 27 October, and 2 November were from the Commonwealth
countries of Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa and these
figures could be used for not only soldiers from Great Britain, but
also from other Commonwealth countries.
RECOMMENDATION
Dragon's
new set of British 8th Army Infantry at El Alamein 1942 is an impressive
and finely sculptured release. I am sure that the many modelers who
have been looking forward to new figures of British infantry in North
Africa will be pleased with this release. Definitely recommended.
-
Neville Lord
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