Grant Mk.l
2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars

My first experience with a MiniArt. Overall, it is a great kit, and I didn't find the need for many aftermarket parts (except stowage). My only complaint would be regarding the tracks. While they look nice once assembled, there was quite a bit of cleanup required, which didn't quite suit my preferences. It took almost as long to build the tracks as it did to complete the rest of the kit. I still prefer Panda tracks when it comes to Shermans/Grants. Aside from that, everything about this kit is top-notch.

The reference photo I used for this project depicts a tank that belonged to the 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars, attached to the 22nd Armoured Brigade as a senior regiment. The photo, though staged, was taken sometime around the Gazala Battle in the early summer of 1942. What's particularly interesting about this tank is its unique camouflage scheme. During this time, disruptive camouflage patterns were designed at the unit level, resulting in a variety of schemes that made it easier for the enemy to identify units and count tanks. This specific scheme was exclusive to the 22nd Armoured Brigade. The base color is Light Stone, while the dark disruptive paint was locally sourced and described as "mucky brown."

The only addition to the otherwise OOB project is stowage, which is the combination of scratch-built (Miliput), Panzer Art, CMK, and Value Gear. The model was first painted with Gunze Olive Drab and after Chipping Fluid was applied it was painted with MRP Light Stone base paint. I wanted olive drab to seethrough in places and to be worn off in places, because the wear was quite present, especially on first deliveries. Disruptive camo and details are brush-painted mostly with Vallejo Model Color. I wanted to hand-paint the disruptive camo because I think it would look a bit more realistic that way. After all, that was how it was painted originally. First-time brush painting camo and it was a lot of fun.