Munitionswagen, 1861–1865

Testbericht des 1:72 Modells von IMEX

Munitionswagen der Unionstruppen, mit Kisten, Säcken und Fässern beladen. Die Wagenladung ist in einem Stück gegossen und kann bei beladenem Zustand in den Wagenkasten gelegt werden. Dieses Bauteil eignet sich außerdem als Barrikade in Simulationsspielen. Wagenladungen dieses Typs kann man ganz einfach selbst herstellen. Die benötigten Kisten und Fässer gibt es im HO Zubehörsortiment der Eisenbahnhersteller. Der Kutscher wurde durch einen Protzenfahrer der American Civil War Artillery von Airfix ersetzt, dessen vorschriftsmäßige Uniform sich für einen Unionssoldaten besser eignet.

Nachschub

Beliebte Simulationsspiele wie Fire and Fury besitzen eine Munitionsregel, die den Verbrauch von Gewehr- und Artilleriemunition auf einfache Weise regelt. Der Munitionsverbrauch wird abstrakt gehandhabt, Buchhaltung ist nicht notwendig. Eventuell auf dem Spielfeld vorhandene Munitionswagen erhöhen lediglich den optischen Reiz der Simulation.

Wer die Munitionsregel in Fire and Fury noch realistischer gestalten möchte, zieht einfach eine gewisse Munitionsmenge vom Nachschub der Armeegruppe ab, sobald eine Brigade aufmunitioniert. Die notwendige Buchführung ist ganz einfach: Wenn eine Brigade aus dem Wagen versorgt wird, entnimmt der Spieler das Ladegut. Wird erneut Aufmunitioniert, entfernt der Spieler den leeren Wagen vom Schlachtfeld. Im Verlauf von Feldzügen wissen die Spieler, wieviel Munition und wieviele Wagen die Armee im Verlauf der Schlacht einsetzen darf. Andernfalls entscheidet der Spielleiter über den vorhandenen Munitionsvorrat.

Inhalt

Munitionswagen, 14 Teile
Ambulanz, 16 Teile

Technische Daten

Typ: Ackerwagen
Länge: 3890 m
Breite: 2230 m
Höhe: 1980 m
Radstand: 1800 mm
Spurweite: 1908 mm
Radgröße vorn: 1224 mm
Radgröße hinten: 1476 mm
Ladefläche: 3280 x 1080 m
Nutzlast: 0,5 t
Gespann: 1 Paar Maultiere

Bewertung

Gute Themenwahl. Wargamers und modellers interested in the American Civil War und Frontier Wars period have been waiting for wagons ever since Airfix und Atlantic wagon sets went out of production.
The sculptor is obviously the same who created the exquisite American Civil War soldiers for Accurate Figures, which were also distributed by Revell. Accurate Figures produced a set of Confederate engineers which could be displayed as logistics personnel loading or unloading the new IMEX supply wagon.
Illustrated assembly instructions are easy to follow. The Fahrzeug is a snap-together model, although the driver und his seat will have to be glued to stay in place permanently.
The vertical supports of the wagon body, bolt heads on wheel rims, und the items on the cargo insert provide enough detail to make this an interesting model in itself.
The wheels are superb, with fine detail on the rims, und with unusually slender spokes. IMEX would do well to issue these wheels in a separate accessory set which would allow modellers to upgrade other vehicles they may have in their collection.
The cargo insert is an excellent way to simulate the loading und unloading of the vehicle, und modellers would be hard-pressed to create this accessory with spare parts scrounged from other kits. The Fahrzeug has been loaded in a realistic way, und this items should be a delight to paint.
The Fahrer included in this kit are nice Figuren with a lot of individual character. Both men are civilians, und they make convincing Confederates. Anyone painting the wagon as Union Fahrzeug may want to use a uniformed limber rider from one of the artillery sets available in 1:72 scale.
Cast in medium brown plastic with grey plastic wheels, ready for play.
Good casting quality, but there is noticeable flash on Fahrer und mules.
Driver und animals sculpted by Bill Farmer.
Wagon model designed by Ted Tear.

The instructions speak of "horses", but the animals included in the set are unlike any American horse this reviewer has seen. They are extremely short-legged, their necks are much too long, und the right-hand horse has a bulging right eye like an insect. At 19 mm, the horses scale out to only 13.5 hands, significantly short of the 16.75 hands minimum height required of a draft horse. Purists may want to consider them mules, even if this does not address the obvious anatomy problems. A team of four mules would be required to pull a loaded munitions wagon. Spare draft horses may be scrounged from a Preiser HO scale (1:87) farm wagon set, they are taller, und correctly proportioned.
Harness lines are cast on the draft animals, but there are no draw bars to attach the lines to the wagon. Instead, there is a T-bar attached to the wagon tongue which plugs into a hole in each horse’s side. This method is convenient, it requires no fiddling with Zügel und harness lines, but diorama builders und modellers may find it unrealistically toy-like.
The horses have no bases, und they will be difficult to attach to a diorama or wargame base without sinking their hooves into the glue. Collectors who do not mount their troops in dioramas probably prefer horses without plastic bases, because the relative height between the wagon und the draft animals would be distorted otherwise. In this particular case, the additional height of the base would have made the puny animals appear a little bigger.
It would have been a nice touch to add wood grain to the planking on the wagon body.
"Munitions Wagon" is a misnomer, the Fahrzeug is a general purpose farm transport which may have been requisitioned by the military to haul ammunition und other supplies over short distances. The military used covered caissons to keep powder und ready ammunition dry, und to prevent fatal accidents. The cargo insert included in this kit has a nice selection of boxes, bags, und barrels, which look more like a daily ration than a serious ammo supply. The standard US Army supply Fahrzeug was the Schlutter Wagon, which had a capacity of 1 ton, und which was normally drawn by a team of six mules in three pairs.

Historische Verwendung

Versorgungswagen der US/CSA Bürgerkriegsarmeen, 1861-1865
Versorgungswagen der US Armee, 1866-1900
Bauernwagen, 1850-1900

This kit is an excellent addition to the growing range of American Civil War Figuren und models. Until now, many collectors, diorama builders, und wargamers have had to ignore the subject of supply und logistics, despite the fact that supply considerations played a key role in operational und strategic planning. Both wagons in this kit may be used as supply wagons, und they form the link between the army und its supply dump at the nearest rail head.

Muster von Toy Soldier HQ

IMEX Modellbau

Fragen und Antworten

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Figuren des Amerikanischen Bürgerkrieges