HISTORICAL MINIATURES BY GEORGE GRASSE
WORLD WAR 1 ARMY VEHICLES

 

FRENCH CHATILLON PANHARD ARTILLERY TRUCK

by George Grasse

BLITZ 1:35 SCALE RESIN KIT OF THE FRENCH WW1 "TRACTEUR CHATILLON-PANHARD"

BLITZ CHATILLON PANHARD BOX ART

This image of the kit's "box art" shows the French Chatillon Panhard Artillery Truck (prime mover) towing a Canon de 120mm de Bange (limited edition kit).  The all-resin kit number is 35PS 1055 in 1:35 scale.  French guns larger than 75mm were drawn by "wheeled tractors", essentially trucks, except for the heaviest guns and mortars which were drawn by fully-tracked "tractors".   This is a limited edition kit.  See their website at www.blitz-kit.fr/.

 

FRENCH CHATILLON PANHARD DRAWINGS
These images were taken from the internet but the site was not recorded at the time.

 

FRENCH CHATILLON PANHARD PHOTO
A Chatillon Panhard K13 hauling an ammunition wagon and a Canon de 120mm.  Photo from Osprey Campaign Series First Marne, page 17.

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #1
8 February 2015
FRAME BEGINNINGS: The one-piece resin casting of the truck frame is initially started by gluing on the leaf springs of which the front and rear pairs are different. 

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #2
4 March 2015
 
AXLE FRAME: The axles are inserted into the long arms of the main undercarriage support.  Each axle is then glued to a leaf spring.  The support rods have been altered by substituting their long sections with brass rod.  

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #3
5 March 2015
TRUCK BODY: The only undercarriage work was the addition of the two drive wheels in the center of the chassis.  I started work on the body by first gluing the driver's compartment to the frame.  I followed this with the cargo body which rests directly on the frame.  There are guide marks on the bottom of the body along the its cross-member supports.  However, it took a few minutes for the super glue to set so I had to constantly watch the alignment to make sure that the cargo body did not slip.  

 
UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #4
6 March 2015
UTILITY STORAGE BOXES: Although not specified in the kit drawings, one of the boxes is for stowage of fuel cans and the other for tools. 

 
UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #5
7 March 2015
UTILITY STORAGE BOXES: Another view of the left side with storage box added.

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #6
9 March 2015
 

DETAILS - LEFT FRONT VIEW:  The cab top has not been installed but its supports are brass rod replacing the flimsy resin supports.  The two small lanterns and one large lantern are arranged along the top of the engine "firewall".  At the front, the winch is glued to the underside between the longitudinal frame members.

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #7
11 March 2015
DETAILS - RIGHT FRONT VIEW:  The brass rod at an angle is the steering wheel shaft also replacing the kit's resin shaft.  Just above the right front wheel are two brass supports for the fender and the same for the opposite side.  The curly-queue pieces at the front-end are bumpers and the same at the rear (next photo).  These were fashioned from brass rod.  On the driver's right side are the horn, brake, and step.

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #8
11 March 2015

DETAILS - LEFT REAR VIEW: Note the brass curly-queue bumpers at the rear.  A pair of square "step-ups" appear at each end of the rear and near them are the rear taillights.  At the front, you can see the left front bumper, the fender supports, and the step-up.  Not much more to go. 

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #9
12 March 2015

FULLY ASSEMBLED - READY FOR PAINTING

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #10
25 March 2015

FIRST PAINTING  - My version of a typical French three-color vehicle camouflage was created free-hand using three Vallejo colors: 846 Mahogany Sand, 890 Reflective Green, and 914 Green Ochre.   I haven't gone over with a second coat, yet.  I'm thinking that the brown has a bit too much of red and the ochre is a bit too dark.  The underside of the vehicle was painted in Vallejo 870 Medium Sea Gray.  I believe metal parts were factory-primed in gray so I left some parts in that color.  The next step is to decide on the shades of brown and ochre and apply a second coat.

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #11
4 April 2015

SECOND PAINTING - The first version shown above in photo #10, was modified by substituting 914 Green Ochre for 912 Tan Yellow which is lighter and, to me, looks better. 

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #12
5 April 2015

THIRD PAINTING - Satisfied with the lighter 912 Tan Yellow shade, I went ahead and applied Vallejo 950 Flat Black as the separator between the camouflage colors.  None of the camouflage colors will now have their second coat of paint. 

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #13
9 April 2015

SERIAL NUMBER AND POLY OVERSPRAY - Looking like a brand new "off-the-production-line" vehicle, my Panhard has a serial number which I took from Archer sheet AG084W British War Department Numbers, Non-stencil Type (White).  I am researching the few photos I have that may have additional markings for my model.

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION PHOTO #14
25 April 2015
 

DUSTED AND DONE - My on-going research into further markings with historical background has not yet turned up any reliable references other than a couple of photos showing unexplained markings.  To complete the model at this stage, I opened a bottle of MIG Pigments P028 European Dust and liberally applied dust all over the vehicle using a 1/2" makeup brush.  "Voila - c'est finis!"

 

FINISHED PHOTO No. 15
25 April 2015
 

 

--------------------------------------------   FINIS   --------------------------------------------
 

REFERENCES:

I could not find a comprehensive book on French transport and had to rely on several photographs I found on the internet.

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