An Assortment of T26s

Given a model represents a reinforced company in Rommel I have felt no need to invest in conformity with my collection (and to tell the truth I am still in rebellion for all the years I was locked into the Tin Soldier Hellenistic range for my ancients - and still am in some, not all bad, ways).  So here we have four models, from three different manufacturers.  It helps that the T26 (to quote from Wikipedia):

"was produced in greater numbers than any other tank of the period, with more than 11,000 units manufactured. During the 1930s, the USSR developed 53 variants of the T-26, including flame-throwing tanks, combat engineer vehicles, remotely controlled tanks, self-propelled guns, artillery tractors, and armoured carriers. Twenty-three of these were series-produced, others were experimental models.

Two Zvedza kits - a treat as always.

A T26N artillery observation vehicle from Quality Castings. 

Assembling the radio antennae was a bugger.

Battlefront model which I wanted so I could have the crew figure on display.

Comparing the Battlefront and Zvedza models, 

with flash and without.

One, Two, Three, Four Cruiser Tanks

These chaps have been at the almost finished stage for a while, after their acquisition noted in this post back in April 2017.  I hit a major hurdle in the choice of yellow and in the end went with Vallejo Dark Sand over Desert Yellow (the colour I had initially settled on painting them).  The downside is that my partner now thinks they are unpainted!  But that is just maybe a combination of her eyesight and that my other recent completions have been the Byzantines which are very colourful in comparison. 

 One Crusader Mark II Command Tank

 Two Crusader Close Support Tanks with 3-inch Howitzers

 Three Cruiser Mk IV A13 tanks (1940 vintage)

Four Crusader Mark II Tanks in skirts

The other reason it has taken me so long to complete these is I haven't been able to decide on unit markings.  At this stage they are left blank and are therefore rather generic.  Perhaps with further more research I might settle on some designations.  As my 15mm allied army started out as Australians for Crete (really Western Desert) I haven't got a good sense of what I should do for the armour (and other gear I have now collected).  I'm also yet to varnish these models.

Armoured Reinforcements - Some Assembly Required

Via Old Glory UK, after the success at completing my three Crusader tanks I splashed out and got a heap more.

The goodies.

Specifically:

Three - Item #2020 Cruiser Mk IV A13 (1940)

Two - Item #2026 Crusader Close Support Tank With 3-inch Howitzer

Five - Item #2027 Crusader*Mark II Tank with Skirts

The Battlefront 25pdrs were sourced locally from Tactics and just appear as a recent purchase and in the hope that I will get on and assemble them and get them into action.

There's nothing like all metal tanks.

Some assembly was required, and while fiddly, it was surprisingly easy...

As can be seen as I now have them all ready for painting.

Crusader Is

Finally finished

These are Quality Castings' Crusader I Tank With MG Turret & Skirts.  They are finished in a very simple early desert war paint scheme of Vallejo's Desert Yellow VJ 70977 over a base of Tamiya Flat Brown with a light drybrush of Vallejo Iraqi Sand VJ 70819.

I decided against any unit markings on the basis I could always add them later, but also recognising it would be fiddly and I'd had enough of that with the assembly.

The rear stowage rack was a bit ill-defined and so I attempted to paint it as a rack containing what could be cans or canvas.  The only other spot of colour is the exhaust pipes.

The question is, do I need more?