War is characterized by long periods of boredom punctuated by frenetic bursts of activity. Eating is obviously one way of passing the hours of inactivity – even if army food isn’t that stimulating – and this is what the latest 1/35 scale figure set from Dragon depicts. The box contains three German Wehrmacht anti-tank crewmen eating their supper. This is such a typical scene on any battlefield, but so few kit manufacturers have represented it. Nevertheless, Dragon has captured a mealtime to perfection with this set subtitled ‘Chow Time!’ The three crewmen aren’t the only content of the box, for there is also a nicely detailed PaK 35/36 3.7cm anti-tank gun included as well. This cannon emanates from a previous Dragon release, but the accompanying soldiers certainly bring it to life. 

The three soldiers are sculpted in greatcoats and caps, suggesting an autumn or winter scene somewhere on the front lines. Two crewmen are digging into the contents of their mess tins, while another is attempting to open a can with his bayonet. The set’s accessories such as a loaf of bread and canned food will prove valuable for all manner of diorama scenes. This domestic-looking set fills a gap in the range of plastic figures currently available on the market.

A nice touch with the anti-tank gun is that you can build it one of three ways. One is as the standard 37mm gun, another is with the inclusion of the Stielgranate 41 rounds and a third is as the 45mm PaK 184.

May 2014