Hobby 37
H3727

When I hear of new Sherman crews on the market, I usually have mixed emotions: will it be yet another set of partial figures poking out of open hatches, or looking at maps and smoking cigs, or loading yet another round of ammo? Or, has someone created something truly unique, like guys switching track links, swabbing out a barrel, or washing up after a long day?

When I saw a photo of Hobby 37's "Sherman Tank Crew," I was both disappointed and intrigued. Yes, they are another quartet of hatch dwellers. But they are a cold weather bunch, with some interesting uniform choices and nicely detailed sculpting that sets them apart from other Sherman figures.

Mr. Unusual is the driver, seen from the top of the chest on up. Over the left breast of his second pattern winter combat trousers is a pleated pocket. This is certainly not standard issue, but appears to be a pocket taken from a wool shirt and sewn onto the overall-like trousers. I figure this guy got tired of mashing his cigarettes up when stowed in his hip pocket, and did is own practical fashion alteration. Heck, why not? But what is really curious is that he's wearing an M1 helmet—with wide netting and some sort of rolled object strapped onto it—over a soft winter combat helmet. Another pack of smokes? A rag to wipe his goggles? Hmmmm....

The radio jockey leaning out his portal has a thinly molded empty tin cup in his hand. The box art shows him with a cig (which you provide) dangling from his lips, and a scarf wrapped over his winter combat trousers. A pistol hangs from his belt.

Up in the turret, we've got one full figure, again with the soft winter headgear. He has the winter combat jacket over his one-piece herringbone twill coveralls, topped off with binoculars. He's sitting up on the hatch rim, and you'll want to account for the hatch halves when you glue his arms in place (you'll probably need four hands to accomplish this).

The final crew member is leaning forward, an optional cigarette in hand, similarly attired in the combat jacket with coveralls, but with an un-netted steel pot over his winter helmet. There is some play in positioning his arms, so you can steepen or lessen his lean on the turret roof.

The figures are nicely sculpted, not quite as sharply defined as the best Warriors figures but certainly as good as the top Dragon soldiers. There are no casting plugs to remove, but there are some mold seams to tend to. I did have some missing fingers on a couple hands, and there are a few air bubbles at or just below the surface. Faces are distinctive, and the figures are perfect for grunging up to present a tough, hard-bitten lot.

Hobby 37's tank crew debut is not perfect, but it shows imagination and skill that indicates some excellent work could be coming out of Madrid that will excite GI fans and tip this company into the big leagues.

Product sample kindly provided by Antonio Santander Villena at Hobby 37.

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