Hey Ken, It's because the AT gun was up close in contact. The crew not only has to contend with tanks and armor, but also infantry. 105's and other field arty is, typically, in an area not directly firing or being fired at by either of the latter. The AT gun's crew never knows when it will have to switch to small arms. in the end though, it's a moot point. None of us really know what they ALL did or did not do. Just makes more sense to me for a field gun crew to be stripped down as possible. -Mike

ahhh, gotcha' thanks guys Maybe this is a better example?

Holy excrement guys....I am away on buisness a few days and my name is all over this thread.. First I agree with Jim, DML does a poor job on allied vs what they do for axis with maybe the exception of the M2/M3 Halftrack variations. Quite frankly I am greatly looking forward to getting my hands on the AFV M2A1 and laying it out vs the DML vs the old Italeri. Next.....where in the wide world of sports is the Masterbox set that was announced months ago. I am not that good at figures but my best excuse is the fact that 99% of the figures out there are NO GOOD/WRONG for artillery. As my brother Gino showed, the norm is no web gear or anything which can get caught with the recoil or on anything else around the gun. On the other hand, crews will always wear a brain bucket....no one is on the weapon without a helmet. (Lets not talk anti tank weapons....infantry, direct fire in a hurry....hummmm there are no AT cannons left but artillery lives on) The original DML figures were incorrect and these are just as bad. Most of the "buying" world does not understand and will buy the marketing. Like Gino, I am an artilleryman....it's in my blood.....and when its wrong, the blood pressure rises!! So......what do I get from this...... 1. I really want to look at the AFV M2A1 which looks like they went way past DML in making a good model. 2. Mastebox.....please put out your set.......follow it with a similar VN set.....and follow it with a similar OIF set. We are in desparate need of US artillery figures. 3. I presume DML will follow this with a new Tiger release Thanks Bill for remembering....thanks Gino for the supporting fire. The horse of another color....or artillery lover.....here in my bunker! Rounds Complete!!

Seems to me that this, and others before, is DML's way of saying, "What are you allied modelers crying about? We gave you a new howitzer with figures!" Never mind the fact that the figures are all wrong for the kit. I guess they think we're so desparate that we'll jump at anything. Sad.

Great point Gino. I think if you look at the figure putting the round into the breach you'll notice that his body/legs look an awful lot like the shot gun toting marine in one of Dragon's earlier marine sets. Brian

No time to MENTION that announced kit is a SIGNIFICANT (because more common during WW2, as well as used in many later conflicts) new variant? Oh really? But you had plenty of time to mention features of the figures (what in my opinion should be a reviewer's job. Again, I agree that those figures suck, but that's not the point). Also, wading thru manuals? Because completely different shields (being part of a carriage) are hard to notice otherwise? Again: really? Pawel

No, no time whatsover... As i've got the manuals on PDF, and as you know how big they are (some run to 300+ pages) I guess i'd manage about one News report a week if I started this. I repeat what I said before, it's a job for the Reviewer, NOT a News Writer. That is why each News Item has space for comments so technical points like this CAN be raised - something which you've done more than adequtely.

That's why I showed the differences using the images provided by DML in their kit announcements. I would expect that you should have time to at least check the information included there. Also my main problem with your report is not that you didn't describe the differences. The problem is that you did not even mention that there are any differences at all, instead you wrote and, suggesting that the kit is identical as before! I would expect that your primary job as a "/news reporter" would be to find out what is NEW in announced product and objectively give this information to readers, and not focus on new product's flaws instead... This new product is not a "USMC gun crew set with a howitzer included". It's a howitzer kit with USMC gun crew, so I would expect to get some information primarily about the howitzer in the news report, not just the crew. I've read probably hundreds of your news reports and this is the first time I noticed you doing something like that.

was looking at this against AFV Club's release and yet again the #2 gunner is missing. is anyone going to get it right?