Dragon
continue
to release kits of subjects many find interesting (many will say ohh no more
Germans) – this month they will release a new kit of Mountain troopers from the
conflict in Crete - Operation Mercury…
Dragon
ITEM NUMBER:6742
SCALE:1:35
RELEASE DATE: April 2013
Box Size: 6.4" x 10.2" x 1.5"
Operation Mercury, the Battle of Crete, was joined on
20 May 1941 when German airborne troops parachuted onto the Mediterranean
island. The bloody battle lasted eleven days, it resulted in the German capture
of the Allied-controlled island. Crete had offered valuable harbors for the
Royal Navy and airfields for RAF bombers, so its loss was keenly felt. What is
perhaps not so well known is that German Gebirgsjager (mountain troops) played
a significant part in the operation alongside their airborne brethren. The 5th
Gebirgs-Division had a force of 15,000 men in three infantry regiments (85th,
100th and 141st) and an artillery regiment (95th), and it was inserted by air
and sea as a follow-up force. This task was made easier by the capture of
Maleme airfield on the second day of the battle. The Gebirgsjager were ideal
for the task as they had light weapons, were easily moved by air, and could
handle the mountainous terrain of Crete.
Dragon’s latest 1/35 scale figure set features four
Gebirgsjager soldiers from the Battle of Crete. The plastic German soldiers are
sharply moulded and their uniforms and personal equipment are accurately
depicted. To suit them for summer combat in the Mediterranean, they are all
wearing cotton shorts instead of their usual battledress. These shorts give the
soldiers a unique appearance. On their heads are distinctive caps with the
edelweiss emblem, while their feet are shod in typical mountain boots. They
carry a complement of light weapons such as Kar98k rifles and an MP40
submachine gun. The poses of these Gebirgsjager are lifelike, with two taking a
brief rest from combat, while another two prepare to move further over the
rough terrain. These versatile German figures from Dragon are ideal for a Crete
scene, or even for some other warm-weather battle elsewhere.