A22 Churchill
Comments
James CTaking a break from French subjects, but sticking with a WW2 theme, I decided to make a start on this oldie from Tamiya.
It's a pretty basic build (under 6 hours) but despite its age still went together quite well.
It's definitely showing it's age now and doesn't have any of the finer detailing of the more recent tooling from AFV club, but still looks ok and I plan to have a crack at dressing it up a little more without going the aftermarket route (excludeing the metal barrel)
Robin (WhiteGlint)Count me in, mate 🙂
Is that cast armor texture a mix of putty and glue? Something I wanted to try for a while now but I am not sure when I will build a tank fitting for this next.
James CThanks mate, it's just Mr Surfacer 1000 applied with a small disposable nylon paint brush.
There were some vertical joins on the front of the turret that I wanted to remove, so the Mr Surfacer was perfect to use as a filler and restore the surrounding cast surface texture. I ended up going all over the vertical sides of the turret to keep the new texture uniform over what was already molded into the plastic. You can clean it up (including your brush) with Tamiya lacquer thinners.
Mr. Surfacer 1000 (Mr. Hobby SF284, No)
James CWelcome Rui 🙂
A little more progress made with the tracks dirtied up a bit and installed, then I got the hull permanently closed up. Will probably go over the tracks again during the weathering process as I'm not all that happy with the way they look at present. Also got the decals applied and sealed, ahead of making a start on the overall weathering.
James CAfter applying a dark brown panel wash and a coat of flat clear, I made a start on the weathering using oils and Tamiya weathering pastels. Still trying to sort out some additional stowage items without breaking into my more expensive resin pieces, so am very much just winging this one as I go.
James CThanks John and yes, despite its age, I've had no issues with it at all 🙂
I'd been messing around trying to create my own camouflage netting for the hull and turret. My first attempt was with some mutton cloth, but I found that the fabric was too thick and the weave pattern too tight for any use in 1/35 scale. My next attempt was with some medical gauze bandage, which was a lot better, but difficult to work with to get the results I wanted. In the end I decided to just purchase some ready made netting by Joefix studios, as it was pre-coloured, the right scale and most importantly; dirt cheap! ($10 for a sheet 55cm x 55cm)
With the netting sorted, I wanted to make some hessian strips to apply over the top.
For this I used some ordinary wet wipes left out in the sun to dry, then airbrushed them in assorted shades of green on both sides and set them aside again for the paint to dry. Then came the tedious task of cutting narrow strips of approx 15mm x 1mm, and applying them to the netting with ordinary (diluted) Elmers school glue.
Took a while but I'm quite happy with the result so far.
James CThanks Robin, I'm still playing around with this one and experimenting with a few things.
I'm currently having a go at making my own tarps for stowage.
Slavo HazuchaCool stuff - Mr Churchill caught in a net... 😄
The different metal finishes add a very nice touch - proper old ironwork on the turret... Good job - I kind of want and do not want to try this technique on something at the same time... 🙂 Almost a pity it´s 90% under the net now...
Looking forward to see more of the scratch ideas here!
James CHehe, thanks mate. It looks quite a bit different now 😉
I've been using this one as a bit of an experiment to try out different ideas on.
Not having a clear plan from the start has resulted in a lot of work on the initial weathering being mostly hidden now, along with the cast re-texturing that I did on the turret.
Have been working on it off and on over the last week, but have been side tracked with maintenance jobs outside while the weather has been reasonably good. I hope to finish it off soonish if I can resist the temptation to stop fluffing around with it! 😄
Will post some updates shortly 😉
James CI finally finished this one off earlier today.
Being an older kit, it was ideal to use as a test bed for new weathering and detailing ideas, without spending a ton of $$$ on aftermarket upgrades and accessories.
Some things worked out better than others, but overall I'm pretty happy with it.
Cheers for following 🙂
NeulingTop work in every aspect. Of course. And thanks for the interesting infos!
James CMany thanks Guy, Mathias, Michael, John, Roland and Neuling. Always appreciated guys. 🙂
In my haste to post the completed build, I forgot to add a couple short YouTube links.
Have now added several to the album description.
Robin (WhiteGlint)Great result, James! 👍
Love these hessian strips.
Cheers mate!
James CThanks. In hindsight I should have tried to cut the hessian strips a bit more narrow (to keep them in scale) and applied them to the turret only, rather than the upper hull as well. It is loosely based on period footage I saw of a Churchill serving in Italy during WW2. Still, it was good to experiment with new ideas and learned a lot from it. 👍
Slavo HazuchaCheers James! A rather lovely finish and definitely "something else" - must say the "Churchill with dreadlocks" definitely looks ready to let some music play! 👍
Still feel a bit sorry that the turret cast detail practically totally went under, but it was for a good purpose in this case I guess 🙂
Nice one, keep´em comming!
James CThanks mate 🙂
I admittedly got a little carried away with it towards the end with the exterior camouflage, but being an older cheaper kit, it was fit for purpose.
My intention is to revisit the subject again with one of the more recent AFV club kits, and maybe even one of the D-Day "AVRE" variants as well, as I still have a set of aftermarket tracks in the stash that I didn't use on this Tamiya kit. 😉
Album info
Background info:
The A22 Churchill was a British heavy infantry tank designed and developed during World War II.
The initial prototype model (A20) was designed by Harland and Wolff (whom were best known for their ship designs such as the ill fated RMS Titanic) and was manufactured by the Vauxhall motor company, with approx. 5,640 of the finalized A22 models being produced during the war.
There is some debate over the naming of the Churchill tank, with some suggesting that it was named after the 1st Duke of Marlborough (John Churchill, 1650 - 1722) whom was both a former soldier and later a prominent statesman in his day; while the other more popular belief is that it was named after the serving British Prime minister of the time; Sir Winston Churchill.
While both theories are possible, it is more likely just coincidental, and that the name Churchill was assigned to the A22 in keeping with the tradition of naming "cruiser" tank designs beginning with the letter C, such as the Crusader, Cromwell, Cavalier and Comet. This tradition was continued post World War 2, when the Infantry tank and cruiser tank specifications were combined to "Main Battle Tank" (MBT) with the Centurion, Conqueror, Chieftain, and Challenger etc.
The development of the Churchill tank began in 1939, with the initial aim of producing a tank that could provide direct support to infantry troops.
The prototype A20 and production model Mk.I and Mk.II's were initially equipped with a 2-pounder main gun. However, the British Army would later insist that the tank be equipped with a more powerful QF 6 pounder main gun, which was installed on the Mk.III and Mk.IV.
The later Mk.V would be armed with a 95mm Howitzer, while the Mk.VI and Mk.VII would be equipped with the even more potent QF 75mm.
The Churchill was designed with a low profile and thick armor offering excellent all around protection, while its wide tracks also made it ideal for traversing difficult terrain, including mud, snow, sand and steep inclines.
It was powered by a Bedford 12-cylinder, 4 stroke, water-cooled, horizontally opposed, L-head petrol engine, producing 350 hp (261 kW) at 2,200 rpm.
This gave the tank relatively low top speed of just 15 mph (24 km/h) with a maximum range of 130 miles (210 km) but was more than adequate for its intended role as close infantry support on the battlefield, unlike faster cotemporary British cruiser tank designs such as the Crusader and Cromwell.
The Churchill was a heavy tank, with a weight of up to 40.7 tons.
It measured 24 ft 5 in (7.44 m) long, 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) wide, with a height of 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)
Its five man crew consisted of commander, gunner, loader/radio operator, driver, co-driver/hull gunner.
In addition to its main gun, the Churchill was also armed with a coaxially mounted 7.92mm Besa machine gun in the turret and a second lower down in the forward hull.
The Churchill would go on to see extensive service during World War II, with the tank being used in a variety of roles. It was primarily used for close infantry support, with its heavy armor and powerful gun making it ideal for breaking through enemy lines. The tank was also used for specialized roles, including bridge laying, flame throwing, and mine clearing.
The Churchill first saw combat during the disastrous Dieppe Raid in France on 19th August 1942.
Codenamed "Jubilee", the raid was planned to temporarily take control of the French port of Dieppe using a strong force of approx. 6,000 troops with armored support provided by Churchill tanks put ashore via landing craft. However, German shore defenses opposing the landing would prove to be much stronger than anticipated, and few of the Churchills that were landed in support of the infantry would make it off the beach due to the loose shingles in which they quickly became stuck. 11 Churchill's did eventually manage to traverse the steep and slippery incline of the beach to breach the protective sea-walls, but were forced to retreat back to the beach to cover the infantry's withdrawal.
Several months later in October 1942 in North Africa, the Churchill would go on to prove itself in the Second Battle of El Alamein as a part of "Kingforce" supporting the British 7th Motor Brigade.
On 21 April 1943, during the start of the Battle of Longstop Hill, a Churchill tank of the 48th Royal Tank Regiment got the better of a German Tiger I heavy tank.
A 6 pounder shot from the Churchill lodged between the Tiger's turret and turret ring, jamming the turret causing the crew to bail out and abandon it.
The now disabled Tiger, was then subsequently captured by the British. Known as "Tiger 131", this was the first Tiger captured by the Western Allies, and was particularly useful for intelligence. "Tiger 131" has since been restored to full working condition and is now on display at The Tank Museum in Dorset, UK. and is the only working Tiger tank in the world.
The Churchill was also used extensively during the Italian Campaign as well as in Normandy (beginning with the D-Day landings on June 6th 1944) primarily in the role of infantry support and mine clearance where it played a critical role in breaking through German defenses. The tank's thick armor and powerful gun made it ideal for assaulting heavily fortified positions.
Churchills saw widespread action in Normandy during the Battle of Hill 112 and Operation Bluecoat, as well as subsequent operations in the Low Countries and into Germany, such as the fighting in the Reichswald during Operation Veritable. The Churchill was able to cross the muddy ground and force through the forests of the Reichswald. A contemporary report expressed the belief that no other tank could have managed the same conditions.
Other Churchills were supplied to Russia via lend-lease, and In 1942–1943, Churchills were used in the Battle of Stalingrad (47th and 48th heavy tank regiments).
In 1943, the Soviet 5th Guards Tank Army used Churchills in the Battle of Prokhorovka (15th and 36th heavy tank regiments) during the Battle of Kursk, and in the Fourth Battle of Kharkov. It was also used in other battles until 1944 with the 82nd regiment of heavy tanks.
The Churchills were also employed at the Finnish front, and they took part in the capture of Viipuri in 1944.
The Finnish forces reported to have destroyed "three heavy tanks of previously unknown type", which after the war were recognized as Churchill Mk.III tanks.
During the Korean War, the United Kingdom deployed 20 Churchill tanks from the C Company, 7th Royal Tank Regiment, and arrived on the Korean Peninsula in November 1950. Most of these tanks were Mk. VII (A42) "Crocodile" flame-throwing tanks, but despite this, and In action against the Chinese, they mostly fought as conventional gun tanks. The Churchill tank was briefly operated in Korea from 1950, until withdrawn in October of 1951.
All Churchills were finally retired from British Army service the following year in 1952.
The kit
Despite its age, this is still a pretty good kit and would be ideal for anyone new to building tanks or starting out with the hobby in general.
This particular boxing was released back in 1996 and replaces the towed trailer of the "Crocodile" flame-thrower variant that was originally released back in 1977 with a French farmer and hand cart instead. The original tracks that had to be heat-welded together have also been replaced with Tamiya's newer "glueable" type rubber tracks which makes a world of difference with assembly.
If your on a budget and don't already have a kit of the Churchill, then this one is a pretty good start, but if you don't mind forking out the extra $$$ you would be better off obtaining one of the newer AFV club kits instead which offer a larger range of variants (including D-Day "specials") and with much better detailing.
Youtube Video
Youtube Video
Youtube Video
Completed 26th March 2023
