I recently got on a role converting Wargames Factory plastic Germans into crew for my German self propelled gun (SPG) collection. I have always hated opened top self propelled guns with ghost crew look. I want my models to look alive and full of action, I want my SPGs to look less like a tonka truck and more like the WW2 pictures and and documentaries I grew up with. I am also as addicted to modeling and painting as I am to playing, so this kind of stuff is up my alley.
The first thing I did was building eight crew men, two for each SPG. You could use more but most of these vehicles, which are 1/48 kits, only had enough room for two comfortably. If your playing in 1/56 it will probably be tighter. This I why I would recommend the Wargames Factory Germans over the Warlord ones for similar projects. Wargames factory plastics are true scale and slimmer, so they will fit better. I posed each crewman and matched it to their perspective SPG to make sure they fit first. Some figures needed reposing of arms and hands to make them fit. To give each SPG even more character I made the crew have a variety of poses so no two crewmen looked the same.
For my Marder III M I tried to pose the figures so it looked like one figure was loading the breach or adjusting the gun while the other was getting ready to give the command to fire. I also attempted to added some netting with gauze pads but...um...not sure how I like it yet.
For my Grille I posed the figures to look like they were working together to load or adjust the gun.
For my SdKfz 233 I posed one figure to look like he was working the gun while the other surveys the area for targets.
On my Wespe I added a figure that is suppose to be getting out a new shell while the other waits for him to load the weapon.
Adding something as simple as crewmen to your SPGs will take your collection to the next level and is easy to do with all the great plastic options out these days. Crew bring a model alive and give it more character. I guarantee your going to love your vehicles if you add crew.
Have you made, bought, or added crew to vehicles in your collection? Share with us on the forum.
