This will be the final build for 2024. Though I built far, far less this year than last year, each build presented their own challenges. But real life also took precedence over building. I do have to thank Eric for starting me on the armor. There is something different about than the automotive builds. I am starting to enjoy building the armor over the automotive builds.
For this build, I decided that I wanted to try to actually recreate a moment in history that was more than building a car or truck that rolled off the assembly line. The idea came up as I was researching the first tank.
During the research, I came across a few articles and some photo's of the Battle of Stoumont in 1944 while i was researching what the tank numbers meant. I had come across some forum posts of builds where others have built Peipers and Prahm's tanks. Further reading, I came across a ghost tank. Panther 223. Doing ancestry research, I'm always up for a challenge. So I began to dig into some research. What I found were a lot of conflicting stories and reports. Thus began my minor obsession to gather as much data as I could.
Initial reports/stories had Oscha.Walter Ropeter commanding Panther 222. From what I have been able to find, the books Duel in the Mist Vols 1-2 have him in command of tanks 222 and 223. The later is actually the cover of Vol 3 (and the image above), in which the authors have mentioned Panther 223. In Vol 1, they mention him in command of 222. The book, Ardennes 1944-1945 has him in tank 223. However, the book Kampfgruppe Peiper: The Race for the Meuse has him in tank 225 at Stoumont.
Further research I was able to locate that Ropeter was actually in Panther 222. However, it seems refueling in Ligneuville with contaminated gasoline, Ropeter and his crew switched to Panther 223. It was in Panther 223 that Ropeter attacked Stoumont on Dec. 19th 1944 where he was taken out next to the Stoumont train station by the US Battery C, 143rd AAA gun Bn.
US forces removed the tank the next day to a quarry near Remouchamps. Photos of the tank show that it was painted in the Diamler-Benz Classic Factory Pattern and carried the distinctive pattern tactical numbers used by the Leibstandarte. The D-B classic factory pattern was the 3-color brown, green, dunkel-gelb combo, with the dots of contrasting color applied in the case of 223.
For the build, I am using the Dragon Panther G Late version Smart Kit. I was also able to pick up some nice resin figures on Ebay. My goal is to not only recreate the tank before the battle, but to build my first diorama of the tank on the road with Ropeter standing next tot he tank and his crew in the hatches.
Like previous armor builds, I will be documenting this build as I go. There will be a lot more firsts with this build and refinement of a few processes from the other two armor builds.
