Mantis_WWII German_Officers

	Although Mantis is a relative new player on the 1/72 figures market, they have set, right from the start, their standards very high. They have acquired a name for offering beautiful and very detailed figures, comparable to the quality of their offerings in the bigger scales. This "WW II German Officers (Late War)" set is no different. This effect is augmented in a very clever way by the quality of the painted examples on the box art, which could easily be mistaken for 1/35. In fact, after comparing the 1/72 figures I bought and the painted ones, I have a strong suspicion that those on the box art are indeed 1/35! The painted details are just too sharp for braille! Just take a look at the camo pattern, the quality of the painted faces... Imagine someone painting those detailed SS collar labels and all the other insignia in braille?? Could it be that the masters were made in 1/35 and then scaled down for production??
		Aside from this personal thought, the resin figures you get are still very nice. They are cast in one piece, just remove the pouring block and you are ready to paint. The casts themselves are flawless, detail is sharp everywhere, no flash to remove and only a couple air bubbles to fill. These 1/72 figures are 24,5 cm (or almost an inch) long, so they represent a person measuring 1,76m in real life.
		What do you get? Three German officers in a casual "discussion pose" and luckily no one is pointing at some distance target.
	Figure 1 : The first figure has the typical short black "SS Panzer" jacket (with round lapels and strait front), combined with camouflage trousers. This kind of outfit was quite universal in the German army at the end of the war and, if you ignore the small differences with the regular army Panzer jacket, he could also be finished as a Wehrmacht tank guy. This means you'll have to remove the cast cuff title on the left arm.
	Figure 2 : Our second figure wears the U-boat leather outfit, used by panzer crews of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend. There is however something wrong with his body proportions. His is a bit taller than the other guys (which is fine), but both his hands are too big. You could explain that his wears a thick, warm glove on his right hand, but the fingers of his left hand (the one holding the binoculars) are definitely too long. Additionally, his shoulders are quite square, which gives the impression that his neck and head are too small...
	Figure 3: The third guy wears the reversible two piece camouflage suit used by all combat units and, although he is painted on the box art as a tank member, with the correct Waffenfarbe he can easily represent an infantry officer. The "SS Totenkopf" insignia on his cap is engraved in resin, so the sculptor intended this guy as being a member of the Waffen SS. However, by simply removing this skull and painting the Wehrmacht insignia instead, he can be used to represent a guy from the regular army.
Recommended. Review sample purchased by the author.

		www.onthewaymodels.com	WW II German Officers Late War
Kit : #72002		Preview by Marc Mercier

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Article Last Updated: 13 August 2013