Model Forum / General / Models / November 2008

Kit Review: AFV Club Churchill Series
    1/35 scale Kit No. AF35153, Churchill Mk. III British Infantry Tank;
465 parts (392 in olive drab styrene, 29 etched brass, 22 metal
springs, 14 clear styrene, 6 black vinyl, 1 turned aluminum barrel, 1
length of black nylon string); estimated price about US$48
    1/35 scale Kit No. AF35156, Churchill British Infantry Tank Track
(Workable); 320 parts in dark brown plastic; estimated price about US
$16

Advantages: first new kit of this vehicle in 30 years; very
comprehensive breakdown of parts offers many options and a forecast of
other variants to follow

Disadvantages: very complex suspension will try modelers’ patience and
dexterity

Rating: Highly Recommended

Recommendation: For all Commonwealth and even Soviet armo(u)r fans

FIRST LOOK

    Considering that the British were the ones to invent the tank in 1916
and essentially became the leading developers in World War I, it was
unfortunate that their tank industry basically fell into the doldrums
during the 1920s and 1930s. As a result, they stuck to what turned out
to be failed concepts long after other countries abandoned them.

    By 1941 most of the other nations – Germany, the Soviet Union, and
the US - had gone to three basic tank types: light, medium and heavy,
with only the US not fielding a heavy tank in combat during the course
of the war. But the British stuck to three other types: light,
infantry, and cruiser. Infantry tanks were slow but heavily armed and
were designed to support infantry; cruiser tanks were fast, armed with
what appeared to be powerful antitank guns, and were designed to
combat other tanks. While those concepts quickly wilted in the fact of
the German Wehrmacht, the British kept on and it was only due to the
adoption of the US M3 and M4 series medium tanks they enjoyed a
functional medium class tank.

    The Churchill or A22 Infantry Tank Mark IV was one of the throwback
designs. A big, heavy and slow tank – it weighed between 43 and 45
short tons depending on model and on a good day and level road could
hit 15 mph – did have heavy armor protection but did not mount a all-
around useful gun until 1943 when it was fitted with a 75mm gun. It
was underpowered with a 350 HP “Twin Six” Bedford engine that could
only cover 90 miles on highway. Relatively roomy and comfortable
inside, it had a number of throwback designs such as the “wraparound”
tracks which, while supplied in the Mark III and later variants with
fenders and mud guards, were more often than not seen with missing
sections making entry and exit – and “tankoviy desant” troops for the
Soviets – virtually impossible when moving. While a number were
supplied to the Soviets via Lend-Lease, they did not like it as it was
a heavy tank (only 6-8 tons lighter than a KV-1) with too small a gun
(57mm 6-pdr) for Russian tastes. While they used them as heavy tanks,
they considered them nothing of the sort.

    Over 5,600 were built during the course of the war. Its chief
advantage was that while not suited to fast armored engagements it was
a useful platform for conversion, and the 79th Armoured Division took
numerous modifications and variants of the Churchill into Europe to
include the AVRE, AVRE with Small Box Girder Bridge, and the Crocodile
flamethrower.

    All that being said, the Churchill has always enjoyed popularity with
modelers as it is a big, ugly tank with lots of bits and items which
attract the eye. But until now other than resin kits only two kits
have been made – both using the Mark VII chassis which is quite
different from the earlier variants, and both essentially being the
same model. The first one was the Tamiya Churchill Crocodile with the
flame mixture trailer and a later straight Mark VII (created by
leaving out the trailer and adding a sprue of new figures) with
different markings. These were good kits in their day, but while easy
to build they had a lot of accuracy problems and also
oversimplification of assemblies.

    AFV Club has found a niche in the current “kit wars” and been the
first to fill it, now presenting this lovely kit of a Mark III – which
is a welded turret variant with fenders, mudguards, and a 6-pdr main
gun. The kit comes with a plethora of working details such as a fully
sprung suspension, etched brass and a turned aluminum gun barrel
(happily this one no longer comes with the gimmicky spring for
“recoil” action) and nicely detailed vinyl tracks.

    But as they say, be careful what you wish for! The suspension is
among the most complex I have seen in some time, and from examining it
and seeing comments from others on line it looks to be a handful. Each
of the 12 bogie units on each side consists of a central tower, metal
spring, rocker arm, four-piece bogie carrier units, bogie separators/
dividers, and 12 twin wheel sets per side. The problems revolve trying
to get all 12 of the bogie towers (which place the springs under
compression in place in one sponson half and then cement the other
side of the sponson to it to “capture” them without launching tower
units into space (or worse, shag carpet). Each complete sponson
requires 96 parts – more than many kits consisted of 30 years ago.

    That being said, the only other real problem is that while every
major hatch opens up ther are few if any provisions to install an
interior. For example, the side hatches are neatly done and have inner
and outer parts to provide for the correct thickness. But the actual
vehicle (having photographed the one in the Cobbaton Combat
Collection, which was a “runner” at the time and being serviced with
hatches open) has a “tunnel” from the driver’s compartment to the
hatch; here there are just the inner bits of the sponson assembly. A
gun breech for the 6-pdr is included, but no other interior bits other
than the inner sides of the hatches and the periscopes.

    Regarding assembly, note that as other variants are planned (to cover
all but Mark VII and later variants with the “round” hatches) assembly
begins by drilling out openings in the sponsons to accommodate the
heavy bolts used in assembly. Note that while assembly of the sponsons
in Step 2 will leave a seam across the bottom of the sponsons, once
the rocker arms (parts D21/D22) and the bogie carrier units are in
place it is a moot point. In Step 4 take care when aligning the bogie
separators (parts D17-20) as they have to fit straight and at the same
time you have to “trap” the rocker arms between the two bogie carriers
(D1-2, D15-16). As the tower units are left loose, and as they have to
mate up with the rocker arms, it does make alignment in Steps 4 and 5
for installing the road wheels easier.

    Once past that, for the most part the rest of the kit is simple to
assemble. Note again that the etched brass parts are called out as
normal parts (G parts) with no flags for using ACC glue. The Besa
machine guns also have lovely little etched brass ventilated guards
(G15) that have to be fitted.

    In the steps from 19 and up, things get muddied up as the drawings
used are fussy and a number of things are either optional or require
preparatory work. Parts B12 and B13 are the inside fender walls for
the front, and it would be easier to install them before the tracks.
In Step 20, it shows two holes to be drilled out prior to installing
the rear mud guards (parts A12, A14). But in Step 21 it shows that you
only need to do that if you use the “Type 2" braces. Mesh fans will
probably be happy that while the air intake covers are solid (Parts
E12) if you use the covers (Parts E11) very little shows.

    In Step 22 note that what the directions are trying to convey is to
shave off the interior pints on parts A28-31, which are external
braces.

    Four different finishing options are given: “Kingforce”, El Alamein,
October 1942 (sand and dark green; Soviet Army, Winter 1942 (whitewash
over dark green, Guards Red 61 “Aleksandr Nevskiy”); 14th Canadian
Armour (Calgary) Regiment, UK 1942 (dark green, “White 13" with blue
trim and Canadian divisional flash); and 51st RTR, Tunisia February
1943 (dark green with “White 15" in a yellow ring). I have no idea how
accurate the markings are, and in the past AFV Club has made some
errors so cannot comment.

    The complementary single link tracks are nicely done, and if the
model is to be displayed with the fenders and mudguards removed or
missing is probably the best way to go. These are of the later pattern
track with open hinges and cleated bar. Each link consists of a base
section and a tongue-shaped “keeper” which is cemented to it. Assembly
requires trapping the bar at the back of the “keeper” of one link with
the base and “keeper” of the next link, and leaving one link open when
complete to fit the set to the model. There are two ejection pin marks
on each link, but they are shallow and sit where a few passes with a
sanding stick will eliminate them.

    Note that nowhere on the box does it state how many links are needed
but the documents I have list either 70 or 72, which leaves about 16
to 20 spares in the box for use as additional armor protection if
desired (use photos for this).

    The tracks are molded in a dark brown, which considering they tend to
have a high manganese level is close to correct so use that as a basis
for painting before weathering.

    Overall this is a really nice kit and a big upgrade to the previous
market of two identical variants. I personally am hoping for the AVRE
which served into the 1960s!

    Thanks to Hobby Fan and Miin Herng Tsueng for the review samples.

Cookie Sewell