Thursday, January 31

New year and three new releases from Alpine Miniatures.

Well only two figure but three different ways to get them.. Just released on the Alpine Website are these two new SS Grenadiers in 35th scale – sold singly or as a pair we thought we would look a little closer at them in our preview…
 Alpine Miniatures January 2013 Figures

Sculpture by Taesung Harmms / Boxart by Man-Jin Kim

This soldier of the line has a choice – like all of Alpine’s figures – of two headgear choices – although both are the M-40 steel helmet, one has a camo cover on his complete with loops to attach local foliage. Both of the faces are the same.

As a personal weapon this soldier is the “soldier’s bride” - his Kar.98 and he wears several ammo pouches off his webbing and standard buckle belt. Also on his rear hip is his trusty entrenching tool. This is all worn over his three quarter length Waffen SS Windblusen or winter jacket. These fur-lined, field-grey, anoraks with integral hoods were widely used by SS men and this example looks great pinched under the soldier’s gear – especially the opened hood and the wrinkled padded sleeves.

Also of special note are the soldier’s winter Oak leaf pattern mittens, which he wore over his leather gloves here, reversible pants and marching boots.

Sculpture by Taesung Harmms / Boxart by Man-Jin Kim

This NCO is fairly unique in his dress sense – although he wears either the rumpled SS officer’s Schirmmütze cap or the M-40 steel helmet (your choice) he wears a short animal skin fur coat over his field grey jacket. The choice of this figure will inject some colour into your field grey and SS camo’ed figures.

The NCO (you cannot see his rank) carries an MP-40 sub-machine pistol and the requisite ammo pouches hanging off his webbing. He also carries some short field glasses hanging from around his neck with a cover attached to it.

What winter figure would be complete without his warm reversible pants and long boots? The NCO also sports a nice pair of leather gloves and a P-38(?) pistol holster on his rear left hip.

Sculpture by Taesung Harmms / Boxart by Man-Jin Kim

This combined set is also sold – the two figures are put together in the same box with a choice of two heads each as standard.  I like the fact that there are subtle differences in each of these figures. The belts, the uniforms and weapons, headgear and equipment – even the addition of the binoculars and the mittens are different and add something original to both soldiers. They are different but complement each other very well.

These soldiers are walking along with each other with the NCO obviously the leader of the pair. His companion is looking over his shoulder at something whilst going forward; they make a very natural and not posed set. This is often a complaint of figure collectors – that you cannot have a scene of twenty guys giving orders or pointing. These guys look like do-ers and not talkers!


Both of these figures are available now from Alpine Miniature’s distributors worldwide!