German Infantry, 1939–1944
ESCI 1:35 Scale Figure Review
The ESCI 1:35 scale German Soldiers are taller and more robust than comparable figures from Airfix or Tamiya. The figures are depicted wearing the field-grey Feldbluse M36 tunic and stone-grey Hosen M36 trousers tucked into shortened Knobelbecher jackboots, along with a waistbelt featuring either Patronentaschen M.1911 cartridge pouches or Patronentaschen MP 40 magazine pouches, Y-straps, and the M35 steel helmet. The small arms in this set are far too large, which significantly detracts from the otherwise good overall impression of the figures.
Contents
14 Figures in 7 Poses – 54 mm equal 189 cm Height
- Officer with Pistole 08 (Walther), Binoculars, and Map Case (2)
- NCO with MP 40, throwing Stick Grenade 24 (2)
- NCO with MP 40, standing, firing (2)
- NCO with MP 40, firing from the Hip (2)
- Reichswehr Sniper with Gewehr 98 and Scope (2)
- Reichswehr Rifleman with Gewehr 98, standing, firing (2)
- Panzerknacker with 8.8 cm RPzB 54 “Panzerschreck”, kneeling (2)
Evaluation
Good choice of subject; the soldiers are depicted wearing the »Heeres Dienstanzug Modell 1936«, which remained in use – with minor modifications – until 1944. However, they appear to represent German infantry from the 1939 campaign in Poland and the 1940 campaign in France, as none are wearing the M1937 lace-up boots with canvas gaiters, nor the M43 trousers. Consequently, the RPzB 54 “Panzerschreck”, introduced in the spring of 1944, is out of place here; a soldier carrying a “geballte Ladung” (bundled explosive charge) or a “Panzerbüchse 38” (anti-tank rifle) would have been more appropriate for this set. The seven poses featured here are identical to those found in 1:72 scale German Soldiers (ESCI P-201).
With the exception of the squad leader in a standing firing position, these ESCI figures fail to convey a convincing sense of physical tension appropriate for combat. No one is crouching. The “Panzerschreck” operator looks as though he were on a training ground; it is hard to imagine him having managed to close to within 200 meters of a Sherman or T-34 tank and its supporting infantry. The riflemen do not lean into their shots, nor are they aiming at all; instead, they are simply looking across their rifles toward a presumed enemy position.
The standard weapon for the German infantryman was the “Karabiner 98 kurz” (K98k), introduced in 1935 – a weapon that is entirely absent here. The sniper (depicted here in a converted configuration, sans telescopic sight) and the standing rifleman are instead equipped with the obsolete “Gewehr 98” from the First World War, while the remaining soldiers carry MP 38 or MP 40 submachine guns that were primarily issued to Zugführer platoon commanders and Gruppenführer section leaders. The standard kit for the MP 38/40 included two magazine pouches, each holding three magazines, worn on the left and right sides of the waistbelt. One of the three soldiers armed with a submachine gun has both pouches, while the other two carry only the left-hand one; furthermore, all three are missing the small pocket for the magazine charger that should be attached to the left-hand pouch. Unfortunately, the small arms are scaled far too large — a flaw that is virtually impossible to correct. The “Raketenpanzerbüchse 54” required a two-man crew; the loader is missing.
The soldiers are carrying a rolled Zeltbahn M31 shelter half attached to the back of their Y-straps, and above that a far too small and completely unrecognizable Kochgeschirr M31 mess tin. There is a Brotbeutel M31 bread bag behind the right hip with the Feldflasche M31 water bottle attached to it; the Gas Mask Canister on the left. Two soldiers carry their Feldspaten entrenching tool on the left, one on the right, everyone else is without entrenching tool.
ESCI‘s 1:35 scale German Infantry – primarily NCOs and subaltern officers – is somewhat compatible with Airfix 1:32 scale German Infantry. Anyone wishing to recruit sections and platoons using these ESCI figures will need to source additional infantrymen equipped with the Karabiner 98k from other figure ranges.