April Dispatches Are Up (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Phantom Warrior
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forlornhoper
Specialist
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Nasirkasmani, if you like the figure still buy it,just dont use Oppeln Bronikowski to id the figure,use it as a highly decorated SS tank officer for your collection. The production figure may have the correct insignia minus the cuffband to match the style of salute of a Heer General major.I myself will be buying this piece ,to place in a corner of an Ardennes diorama,offering his surrender to an American MP . cheers ken
damian
1st Lieutenant
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Personally I am going to buy about 50 of them and relist them once they retire at retail plus 30 %.
Pretty clever of me don't you think.
jbonzo1
Sergeant First Class
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This came as a pleasant surprise. I was expecting a higher price. Glad I was wrong this time.
Phantom Warrior
Major
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I sense manufacturers are trying very hard to stay below the $300 for an AFV, even a very detailed one with several figures.
Terry
nasirkasmani
Sergeant Major
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no worries there, anyway the figure really didn't fit with what i had in mind.
if i want it later down the road, i can just get from damian via ebay ; )
Last edited:
Beaufighter
Sergeant Major
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Cheers Ken:
I was not sure if you are placing the Major Hermann Von Oppeln - Bronikowski figure in your Ardennes display because he would look great in the diorama but if not here is some history for those interested as he never made it out West for the Ardennes with the 20th Panzer Division. Hope this helps you or Nasirkasmani out or at least you find some of the history interesting!
"At the beginning of 1944, along with the entirety of forces on the Eastern front, the 20th Panzer Division spent a hard winter of defensive fighting in the Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Bobrusik areas. In May of that year, it was rushed to the southern sector of the front to participate in operations inside the area around Cholm. Having suffered heavy losses during the Soviet's Operation Bagration, the division was sent to Romania for refitting in August, 1944. In October, the division was sent to East Prussia, and then Hungary the following December. It then made a fighting withdrawal through Breslau, Schweinitz and Neisse in Silesia (Poland)."
Area of operations (20th Panzer Division)
Germany (Nov 1940 - June 1941)
Eastern front, central sector (June 1941 - May 1944)
Eastern front, southern sector (May 1944 - Aug 1944)
Romania (Aug 1944 - Oct 1944)
East Prussia (Oct 1944 - Jan 1945)
Hungary (Jan 1945 - Feb 1945)
Poland & eastern Germany (Feb 1945 - May 1945)
Hang Tough,
Marc
WSS154 shows OPPELN BRONIKOWSKI in an SS tankers uniform,he was not in the SS he was a GENERALMAJOR in the HEER PANZERWAFFE,attached photo confirms ,ken
Arn't those SS deatheads insignias on his lapels??
Those are the Army, jawless, deaths head insignia. The SS skull had a lower jaw with a set of teeth, grinning. The SS did use the army skull early in their developement, but this was generally only pre-war. The two different skulls are pretty reliable indicators for the SS and army. The army never wore the SS grinning skull. -- Al
Also, on the cap are the army eagle (straight edges on the wing ends) and the army cocade in national colors. The SS cap would have the grinning skull in place of the cockade and the eagles wing tips come to a point, sloping from top and bottom to meet in the middle. -- Al
It sure does. Weren't there Deaths Head Hussars during the Napoleonic wars? -- Al
jazzeum
Four Star General
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It goes back to Frederick the Great when a Hussar regiment was formed by a Colonel Van Reusch. It's recent history is less than illustrous, with use of the death head by the Freikorps in the 20s in Germany and by the SS during WW II.
forlornhoper
Specialist
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Marc ,many thanks for the info,just to clarify ,i will be using WSS154 as a generic SS panzer officer in my Ardennes dio, thanks for the interest tho , ken
forlornhoper
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On the eastern front the Russian Authorities offered a bounty to kill SS troops and the bounty would be paid on prodution of the Totenkopf ,but unfortunately for the Panzerwaffe personnel the ordinary Russian did not differentiate between the two types of Totenkopf and many of the panzerwaffe were killed outright for the bounty. Ken
Rob
Four Star General
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Harsh I know Ken,but its hard to feel pity for the Totenkopf as they participated in some terrible war crimes,just desserts I say.
Rob
Just a comment on the amount of debate about aprils dispatches and cost. The dispatches are a little lower in number this month but, last month there was some good releases for D-day and arnhem buffs. For me as a collector and small dealer the fewer releases at the moment the better as collectors can achieve their desired ranges without fear of disco. On this point I am also glad that we are seeing an end to speedy disco's as this also helps collectors and, should stop some of the really overpricing of items on the secondary market.
On price this will always be a contentious issue and more so it seems in the UK than elsewhere. I have had a number of people speak about the cost of the Tiger and, also why another Tiger and, you know I just have no answer other than we are not dealing with toys and, if you cannot afford this piece then compromise and use other cheaper acceptable makers pieces. I for one think the comment about K&C being their own worst enemy has a ring of truth and, as leaders in the industry could respond more robustly, which I thought they had with a few recent AFV's in at least price. It is a lot of money and, I can appreciate the fear of collectors and the disapointment but, ask your dealer for layaway and, what they can do to help you get the items you want. Its all about compromise and its much better to keep people happy than not.
Look at the dispatches as a reprieve to allow the collectors to catch up with collections. I agree with others on here that we should all just enjoy what we have and not worry to much about the stuff we miss its all about fun and, remembering that its not in the bigger picture all that important.
On price this will always be a contentious issue and more so it seems in the UK than elsewhere. I have had a number of people speak about the cost of the Tiger and, also why another Tiger and, you know I just have no answer other than we are not dealing with toys and, if you cannot afford this piece then compromise and use other cheaper acceptable makers pieces. I for one think the comment about K&C being their own worst enemy has a ring of truth and, as leaders in the industry could respond more robustly, which I thought they had with a few recent AFV's in at least price. It is a lot of money and, I can appreciate the fear of collectors and the disapointment but, ask your dealer for layaway and, what they can do to help you get the items you want. Its all about compromise and its much better to keep people happy than not.
Look at the dispatches as a reprieve to allow the collectors to catch up with collections. I agree with others on here that we should all just enjoy what we have and not worry to much about the stuff we miss its all about fun and, remembering that its not in the bigger picture all that important.
Rob
Four Star General
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Excellent post Darryn.Can I add one thing.The Arnhem and D Day sets were only previewed at last months Westcoaster,but are part of this months dispatches,so in fact Aprils Dispatch is pretty darn big!.
Cheers
Rob