German crew for Sd.Kfz.9 in mixed summer dress

Kit # WFM72009

Wee Friends has started to re-release CMSC's metal figures. This used to be set DF28 and is now in Wee Friends' catalogue as WFM72009.

We can be very happy that Friendship Models chose to resurrect this line as these are wonderfully sculpted items (by Tony Boustead). As with almost all metal figures, a seam line is present, but this is very minor and should be easy to remove with a hobby knife. No other casting defects were found. Detail is abundant and facial expressions among the best I have seen in this scale. About the scale: they are labeled as 1/76, but their anatomy leads me to believe they would be perfectly suited for 1/72.

You get five sitting figures, alll with separate heads:
- two with a regular early war tunic (with pleated pockets) and separate arms
- one with an early war tunic, completely unbuttoned, shorts and a separate arm
- one in shirt with rolled-up sleeves, shorts and a separate arm.
- one in a shirt, long trousers and separate arms.

You also get six rifles, which will at least give you one spare.

While labeled as an Sd.Kfz.9 crew, these figures can actually be used in any setting with a warmer climate, while some can even be used more widely. Only one figure has a flattened lower back, which means that (without some resculpting) it's the only one that actually needs to be placed in a seat or on a bench.

The set comes packed in several plastic bags. In the pictures I've grouped the items like arms, bodies and heads together per bag, as I suppose these are meant to belong together, although I guess you can easily swap arms and heads.
About the arms: they come with long and short sleeves, so you have to take care to create a matching pair; one is holding a map, another a canteen and one what seems to be a cigar.
About the heads: you get four distinct heads with a peaked cap, two of which have goggles attached. They length of the peak reminds me of the Afrika Korps, but sanding them back a little will make for an ordinary peaked cap. One is bare-headed.

Sample kindly provided by Ian Hanratty of Wee Friends.

Article Last Updated: 13 March 2010