ARVs

Tiger ARV from above.  The Roco has two holes in the upper hull for the tank turret and the tank destroyer turret.  I used them as exit holes for the cables.

Panther and Tiger II waiting to move forward.

Close infantry support is essential.

Troops are needed to provide protection against enemy infantry while these vehicles concentrate on their work.

Tiger II ARV

 

An overhead view of the Panther recovery vehicle.

Rear view of the Tiger II ARV with spade.

Port side view.  I used an old Roco machine gun to replace a broken off bow machine gun.

I added smoke dischargers, often smoke was used to hide tank movements.

Bow view with both weapons visible.

ARV

The ability to recover damaged armored vehicles was essential for Germany in WWII.

Panther tanks returned to the factory for repairs were often re-manufactured as armored recovery vehicles.

Tanks are very expensive and it's easier and cheaper to repair a damaged one than to build a new one.

ARV's often have a large winch inside so they can pull stuck tanks out of the mud, or drag tanks with damaged suspensions onto a low boy trailer.

A giant spade in the back of the ARV can provide purchase so the ARV can pull very heavy vehicles out of the mud.

Spray Paint

I use cheap spray paint from Wal-Mart.

Read the directions on the spray paint before use.

Shake the spray can really well.

Keep shaking as you paint to keep the paint mixed.