German Soldiers
ESCI 1:72 Scale Figure Review
The German Soldiers, released by ESCI in 1982, are a hodgepodge of non-commissioned officers, assault engineers, Panzerknacker, signallers, machine gunners, Panzergrenadiers, and riflemen of the Reichswehr before 1935. The non-commissioned officer with Tellermine 35 (steel) pictured above appears to be a Panzerknacker; were he an engineer NCO he would supervise the laying of mines, but not lend a hand himself. The submachine guns in this set are far too long, namely over 1 m, or 72 cm with the shoulder stock folded.
Contents
50 Figures in 15 Poses – 24 mm equal 180 cm Height
- Officer with Flare Pistol 34 (Walther), advancing (2)
- NCO with MP 40, firing from the Hip (2)
- NCO with MP 40, standing, firing (5)
- NCO with MP 40, throwing Stick Grenade 24 (5)
- NCO with MP 40, carrying Tellermine 35 (3)
- Signalman with Tornisterfunkgerät radio Torn.Fu.d2 (2)
- Machine Gunner No. 1 with MG 34 on wooden crate (2)
- Machine Gunner No. 1 with MG 42, prone, firing (4)
- Mortar Team – Kurzer 8-cm-Granatwerfer 42
- Team Leader – missing
- No. 1 Mortar Leader – missing
- No. 2 Loader with 8-cm-Grenade at Stummelwerfer (2)
- No. 3–6 Munitionsschützen – missing
- Tank Close Assault Team
- Panzerknacker with 8.8 cm RPzB 54 “Panzerschreck”, kneeling (3)
- Assault Engineer with Flammenwerfer 35 (2)
- Reichswehr Sniper with Rifle 98 and Scope (5)
- Reichswehr Rifleman with Gewehr 98, standing, firing (5)
- Reichswehr Rifleman with Gewehr 98, kneeling, firing (4)
- Reichswehr Rifleman with Gewehr 98, Stealth Patrol (4)
Evaluation
ESCI‘s German soldiers may be intended to complement other figure sets in this scale. Because of their obsolete Rifle 98 armament, the few riflemen can only be used as Reichswehr soldiers; the remaining posers are specialists from various branches of the armed forces and sub-units which did not serve together at all. The soldiers' assault pack is incomplete, and the way it is carried varies from soldier to soldier, depending on what suits the sculptor best.
The signaller with knapsack radio Torn.Fu.d2 may be part of a Forward Artillery Observer team. However, the second signaller with accessory backpack and the FAO himself are missing here. The officer next to him is armed with an enormous pistol, 32 cm long, which is probably the Leuchtpistole 34 Walther flare pistol (cal. 26.6 mm). However, even this large-caliber pistol was only 24.5 cm long.
The machine gunner above is very reminiscent of the Panzergrenadier in ESCI‘s Sd.Kfz. 251/1 armoured personnel carrier. This perhaps explains the impossible mounting of his machine gun with a fictitious bipod on a rickety wooden box. The MG 42 itself is 17.4 cm longer than the original. This failed pose can be fixed by placing the MG 42 on the shoulder of a kneeling comrade. The spare bipod can then be attached to the 8 cm mortar whose bipod is missing.
The heavy mortar team is incomplete; the team leader, mortar leader and ammunition numbers are missing. Instead, ESCI offers only the loader (No. 2) attached to the short 8 cm Mortar 42. The heavy mortar is without a bipod. Heavy mortars formed the 4th heavy mortar platoon of the 4th, 8th and 12th (MG) Company of the Wehrmacht infantry regiment.
The prone machine gunner isn‘t aiming at all, he‘s just looking at the ground, because his steel helmet has slipped into his face. The bipod is missing from the MG 34 and the weapon is 14.3 cm longer than the original.
The RPzB 54 “Panzerschreck” is 27 cm shorter than the original. A very obvious error which is quite difficult to fix. And, there is no loader for the anti-tank rocket launcher.
The four riflemen are armed with the obsolete Rifle 98, they are only suitable as Reichswehr soldiers until the introduction of the Carbine 98k in 1935.
ESCI‘s German Soldiers figure set provides a number of interesting specialist that may have been missing from previously released figure sets in this scale, but there are also a lot of useless poses among them. Weapons being obviously too big or too small is a notorious problem with ESCI figure sets.