Scale: 1 / 35
The kit's background
The Tiger named "TIKI" is well known because it was used in an award ceremony in April 1943. General Kruger, making a speech to his assembled troops, stood upon this Tiger and it was photographed several times.
"TIKI" was one of the first nine Tigers issued to the "Das Reich" division of the Waffen SS. In early February 1943 they were deployed to Kharkiv. The Germans retreated from the city and then took it back a month later; "TIKI" was in these battles. At this time the tank was whitewashed and not yet named.
In the summer after the award ceremony, "TIKI" and the "Das Reich" division were in Operation Citadel (the Battle of Kursk). "TIKI" had been named and renumbered twice by then.
This kit builds "TIKI" in any of the four different markings that it carried. Changes made to this tank, such as the addition of spare tracks, are options in the kit. The mantlet at the front of "TIKI"'s turret had an unusual shape, and the stowage bin on the turret had a shape specific to the "Das Reich" division. Both are provided here.
This kit is very similar to Dragon's "Tiger 131" and almost identical to the special release Tiger 1 Early turret number S33.
My ongoing review and comments;
| Converting 6885 to Tiger "1312" / LAH | Colours for Dragon kit 6885 | Converting 6885 to Tiger "1" / 502 |
| Converting 6885 to Lt. Meyer's Tiger |