SU-122

[zenrat]

SU-122.  PDRV Armoured Artillery.  Operation Cockroach - Joint manoeuvres with South Australia and Tasmania, Strzelecki Desert August 1948.

SU122 PDRV  - 10 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

By 1948 tensions between Greater Eastern Australia (formerly Queensland and part of New South Wales) and the Nations of the Southern Alliance (The People's Democratic Republic of Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania - an alliance formalised in 1923 in the One In, All In Treaty) were rising again after they grudgingly tolerated each other during WW2.  Technically of course The Southern Alliance and GEA were still at war as the Third Australian Border war, declared in 1926, had never been formally ended.

SU122 PDRV  - 3 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Operation Cockroach was a large scale tactical exercise carried out by joint Southern Alliance forces in the Strzelecki Desert in South Australia on the border with GEA.  PDRV armour was repainted in desert yellow for the occasion hence the fresh appearance.

SU122 PDRV  - 7 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The exercises were considered a success despite (or maybe because of) units of the PDRV's elite Republican Guard making a "map reading error", penetrating deep into GEA territory and "accidentally" destroying a number of rather heavily built and reinforced concrete "grain silos".

SU122 PDRV  - 4 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The Model
1/48 Tamiya SU-122 built OOB.
Painted with Vallejo Acrylics.
Weathered with Tamiya Weathering Master.
I was trying for subtle weathering.  Unfortunately the camera doesn't show it up as well as the naked eye.

[NARSES2]

I like that mate 

  PDRV armour was repainted in desert yellow for the occasion hence the fresh appearance.

That's the excuse I use on my aircraft, either that or say "it was especially cleaned for a high ranking officials visit".

I've built a couple of those Tamiya 1/48 armour kits and they are very nice.

[Old Wombat]

Great job, Fred!

I can see enough of the weathering to give these. 

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.

This one has a cast metal lower hull to give it some heft. 
The commander figure is from a Tamiya 1/48 Russian Tank Crew & Infantry set.

[Weaver]

Nice one - that looks good.

[zenrat]

Thanks H.

[chrisonord]

Marvellous, I  do like  that Fred.
Chris

[zenrat]

 

[The Chaos]

Great work

[buzzbomb]

Why does the backstory of a split Australia appear very relevant today. (He says isolating at home in Virus ridden Melbourne)

Ohh.. nice job on the SU as well

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.