DML 1/35 Winter Grenadiers, Wiking Division Eastern Front 1943-1945 - Gen2 Kit First Look

By Cookie Sewell

First Look

DML's Gen2 figures are becoming the industry standard, and if nothing else have forced other companies to play catch-up. This isn't a bad thing, as now even Eastern European injection molded figure sets are getting to be very good and the day of the Tamiya "dwarf zombie" is pretty much a thing of the past.

This set provides four German panzergrenadiers in full winter kit with parkas and leather boots with all of the "kit" that comes as standard with Gen2 sets. Each figure follows the normal Gen2 pattern – 18 parts each (head (2), collar (1), torso (2), arms (2), hands (2), legs (2), boots (2), coat skirts (4) and in this case a hood (1).) A complete fifth head and two extra hands are also included for flexibility.

The figures comprise a two-man MG42 team in the prone position and two men running with Kar 98K rifles; one may be replaced by an MP44 or Gewehr 43 if desired and one extra hand is provided for that option. The machine gunner may have his head down sighting or up and cocking the gun, hence the extra head and hand for him as well.

As usual, the Euro-PC push means that the full designation – 5th SS Panzer Divison "Das Wiking – is sanitized, nor are there any SS collar tabs or flashes; at least with these uniforms they probably wouldn't show anyway.

Overall this is a nice set, eagerly awaited by more than a few modelers, and again provided with a nice set of painting instructions and cover art by Ron Volstad.

Thanks to DML for the review sample.

Sprue Breakdown:

• A 43 Two figures
• B 41 Two figures
• WA 18 (2 x Kar 98)
• WB 18 (1 x Gewehr 41, MP-44, 2 x MP-40)
• WC 29 (machine guns)
• GA 64 (mess kits, canteens, entrenching tools, bayonets)
• GB 56 (magazine pouches, holsters, bread bags)
• GC 14 (grenades)
• MA 17 Etched brass