So good, but so disappointing

[Thomas W]

A Russian company has recently put out a resin figure in 120mm, depicting a flamethrower operator. The sculpting and detail are great, but it's hopelessly inaccurate.

Edited December 8, 2011 by Thomas W

[Thomas W]

The man is depicted as being a Saxon, but his shoulder straps are painted as Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 23, a West Prussian unit. He also wears the brassard of the Assault Company of the 23rd Reserve Division, along with the death's-head sleeve badge of the Garde-Reserve-Pionier-Regiment. The assault company didn't have its own flamethrower operators; the man is also wearing a black wound badge, even though the kit says it depicts a soldier during the battle of the Somme in 1916.

Edited December 8, 2011 by Thomas W

[Thomas W]

Finally, his flamethrower is a mishmash of the Kleif M.1916--which had the oil-pressurization tube on the left side--and the Kleif M.1917, which had the tube on the right side. The flamethrower in this model has oil-pressurization tubes on both sides, and the operator is using it by himself, which wasn't done. The Kleif were always operated by a three-man squad.

Also, the operator is holding the oil-release valve of the lance open, which means he's fired all his oil, but the detonator cap is still present on the end of the igniter. If all the oil had been fired, the detonator would have been ejected and the end of the igniter would be open, like a cardboard tube.

Such a great model, but inaccurate on almost every level. It probably only matters to me, but this is the equivalent of the scene in the The Alamo where one of the Mexican soldiers is wearing Keds high-top sneakers.

Edited December 8, 2011 by Thomas W

[Thomas W]

The sculptor captured almost every detail of uniform and equipment accurately, but he put them all together in a way that is simply never happened in the real world. What a shame.