A tale of three Ratte's

[Martin H]

Yes I said three Ratte's

Yesterday was one of those "oh hell! I'm a dead man when the family works this one out" moments. Read on to find out why.

Those of you who have been on here a few years or more will likely recall that back in May 2018 I acquired direct from Modelcollect their then new 1/72nd scale P1000 Ratte land cruiser. That build can be found buried deep in my own builds thread called a little work in progress.

Roll on 12 months to May 2019, and I find out that there is to be a 2nd "upgraded" boxing of the kit. The art work showed that it would have the big bow gun that a lot of other artwork shows and a different secondary armament set to the first issue.

So in a moment of madness I went ahead and pre paid for one again direct from Modelcollect. expecting it to be in my grubby hands in around six months or so. I based that on the experience I had with the order for the first Ratte.

The months roll on, I occasionally check to see if there is any update on progress. No news appeared to be forth coming.
Come May this year I have heard nothing back from Modelcollect since placing the order. So working on the basis that as the order is with a Chinese firm I have little to no hope of getting my money back. so I write it off and forget about it.

Then we get to October this year, and I notice on eBay that the new boxing is available from Tiger hobbies here in the UK, and the price isn't unreasonable. So I took the plunge and acquired one. That kit is now in my stash. I think "Job done, end of story" or so i thought until yesterday. I'm slightly displeased as the bow gun shown in the artwork on the website hasn't been included in the kit but its not the end of the world.

So here we are on the first of December 2020 and I get an email from Modelcollect informing me that my now forgotten order from May 2019 has finally been shipped.

My first thought was along the lines of "oh Hell! what am i going to do with three of these monsters" (or words to that effect in my native working class Anglo Saxon vernacular)      ...........................................

[Dizzyfugu]

Maybe invest even a little more into this 1:72 beauty and make it landborn, at least with two of the Ratte chassis'? 

[Rheged]

There's a superb backstory here!  Are you sitting comfortably?    Then I'll begin.

Once upon a time a nasty man called Mr Hitler gave three Rattes to Mr Rommel so that he could go to Cairo.   These three Rattes were known as Wilson Keppel and Betty to their audiences  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson,_Keppel_and_Betty  Mr Rommel thought that they could sand dance all the way to the pyramids.   Wilson set out first, along the coast road, but on his way met two of Mr Cunningham's battleships who pounded Wilson until he was totally broken down.  In 1948, Mr Steptoe did rather well from the scrap.   Keppel avoided the coast road, but was led into a ratte-trap by the naughty boys of the LRDG gang and totally bogged down in soft sand.  The guns still worked, and Keppel remained a nuisance until three of Mr Harris' Lancasters  dropped Tallboys and  that was the end of Keppel.   Betty set out for the  Mareth  Line  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mareth_Line and caused a great deal of annoyance until the First Armoured Division crept up behind her and chased all her friends away.   Mr Steptoe (and by this time, his son too) made lots of money from the scrap, but the guns were taken to Gibraltar and fitted there to scare away  anyone who wasn't allowed to play in the Mediterranean .    And that is the tale of the three Rattes.

Yes, I know it's totally unfeasible, but it might make people smile.

[kitbasher]

Remember Martin that it is the depth (and occasionally the pong) that varies.  Residency in that particular place is otherwise permanent!

[tigercat]

You need a Pied Piper Cub as their spotter aircraft.

[NARSES2]

You could always make one of them into a "Company" size APC or maybe a Divisional Support AAA vehicle 

[Martin H]

You could always make one of them into a "Company" size APC or maybe a Divisional Support AAA vehicle 

Mobile Flak tower. I like it LOL

[PR19_Kit]

Put some sidewalls above the hull, sling the turret away and add waterjets.

Then you've got a 1940s 10/1 scale Stalwart. 

[TomZ]

I feel a diorama coming. 6 x 8 meters.......

TomZ

[tigercat]

Aren't  there some secondary armament upgrade packs by modelcollect

[Gondor]

Either a mobile V2 launch complex or a mobile Airfield for Storch aircraft.

Gondor

[Mossie]

Well, there'll be no room for anyone else on the Sig stand until someone builds a Vickers Type C...

[kitnut617]

The Vickers Type C is only the same size as a B-36 Simon ----

[Mossie]

Yeah, but it's Grand Slam would blow the Rate of the table... 

[Martin H]

Aren't  there some secondary armament upgrade packs by modelcollect

Yes there are. I did manage to pick one up last year, so I have plenty of options for Ratte numbers two and three