Alpine Miniatures have releases two twin sets in 35th
scale this month. Just now available is this set featuring both an SS soldier
and the figure representing the controversial figure of Joachim
"Jochen" Peiper. Peiper - an SS commander during WWII was tried and
convicted for being in command of troops who participated in the “Malmédy
Massacre”. Well we will cut past these other considerations and show you the
figures painted up in today’s preview…
Alpine Miniatures August
2015 New releases
This twin set of figures are both in 35th scale
and both come with two head choices. Sculpted by Taesung Harmms and painted up
in this instance by Toshihiro Sano. We thought we would give you a look at
these soldiers just on their release… A little first about the prime subject of
this set. Joachim Peiper.
Joachim "Jochen" Peiper was born in 1915 and lived
until 1976. From early beginnings as a hard man and early member of the SS
organization he rose to the height of SS Lt. Colonel (SS-Standartenführer) in
the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, and at one time was
adjutant to the leader of the SS Heinrich Himmler from April 1938 to August
1941. Peiper was best known for leading the section of “Kampfgrüppe Peiper”
which spearheaded the assault in the Ardennes in 1944 - commonly known as “The
Battle of the Bulge”
By the end of his military career in 1945, Peiper was the
youngest regimental colonel in the Waffen-SS, holding the rank of
SS-Standartenführer. An intelligent man and well read – Peiper had many friends
in the Nazi party but was never himself a member. Although he doubted the
success of the Ardennes plan he led one of the vanguard units in the attack.
During the Attack in the Ardennes one of Peiper’s units
murdered some 84 POWs who had surrendered to one of his battle group. Although
Peiper himself was not present at the time of the killings no and no one has
come forward to say that Peiper ordered the massacre he was at the infamous
cross-roads prior to the incident and was hunted by the allies as the man in
command of the unit after the war. He was eventually convicted of the Malmédy
massacre, but his death sentence was commuted to a life sentence. Years later
after release Peiper retired to France. He was killed in 1976 when his home was
bombarded by communist party members who set his house on fire with Molotov
cocktails. It will never be known if he did command the actions of the massacre
– and because of the contradictions of his character he has become an enigma
with WWII historians and modellers.
Joachim Peiper
in Kharkov
#35199
1/35th scale
Sculpture by Taesung
Harmms
Boxart by Toshihiro
Sano
This figure bears quite a good likeness to our subject. He
has two choices of headgear – either the M43 cloth brimmed hat or the “Schirmmütze”
officers' cap which here is suitably battered and rumpled. Officers – the old
Hares or long serving soldiers wore their caps with pride and often made them
look “worn in” by taking out the wire in the brim of the cap. Giving it a
folded and squashed look which served as a bonus in working inside cramped
armoured vehicles – this was a common trait of the officer corps in the SS and
Wehrmacht.
Peiper varies a map in his left hand with his right in the
warm pocket of his padded overalls. These are suitably pinched at the waist
where they are gathered by his two pronged officer’s belt and loose at the feet
over his short boots.
SS Panzer Crew Winter
35200
1/35th scale
The pictures show the
figure with 2 different heads.
Sculpture by Taesung
Harmms / Boxart by Toshihiro Sano
This Panzerman of the SS is seen in pretty typical late war
winter gear. A reversible parker over thick padded winter pants keep him warm
while these are gathered at the boot it makes me think there was either elastic
or some tucking in with galoshes going on there. He has his binoculars at the
ready – looking at something in the distance and you can see with Toshihiro
Sano’s painting his warm woollen gloves. Again the thick officer’s two pronged
belt holds his clothing in at the waist – this creates more depth and wrinkled
texture to the torso.
Again we get the choice of two heads with this figure – on with
the M43 peaked cap and the other with the side worn forage cap. This sported
the death’s head of the SS tankers and German national symbol on it. I like the
lifelike effect the painting and the sculpting by Taesung Harmms has achieved
here.
Joachim Peiper Kharkov
Set
#35201
1/35th scale
Sculpture by Taesung
Harmms
Boxart by Toshihiro
Sano
This set of two figures is sold as a single or as a pair. The fact they are both looking at something in the distance and Peiper with the map makes them complement each other quite well as this set.
Alpine have also released some French 1/35th
scale tankers which we will look at as well – Till then check out Alpine
Miniatures site for more info on their stuff..
