Item Description
Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a fantastic paper model set by the German publisher Dr. M. Matthiesen & Co. The first German military paper model dates back to 1910. The Germans were also leaders in creating all manner of reference materials. Models gained popularity when the Treaty of Versailles prohibited the Germans from building their own tanks. The Germans built tank models on top of cars or even bicycles to use during exercises. In the late 1930s, the German publisher, Dr. M. Matthiesen & Co. KG, became the center for "cardboard militarism". Cardboard models became one of the publisher's main products.
Germans built their models on strict scales. For instance, aircraft were 1:33 scale, which remains popular with cardboard aircraft to this day. Tanks had a very large scale: 1:20 like this one. This allowed for a large and well detailed model that could be used as an educational aid. These models had a very high level of detail for their time.
The best known paper tanks produced by the Germans were the Soviet KV-1, KV-2, and T-34 tanks. They were very precise recreations of the tanks captured in the summer of 1941 and delivered to Kummersdorf. This was the secret of the high degree of detail: its creators had access to the vehicles that they put on paper. The company didn't limit itself to trophies captured on the battlefield. They created models of German tanks, armored cars, and aircraft. The paper modeling career of Dr. M. Matthiesen & Co. KG ended in the spring of 1945, but cardboard models continued their development. In addition to the "German" 1:20 scale, the smaller 1:25 scale gained popularity. However, models in this scale are not particularly small.
The build sheets in this grouping are complete and feature (3) approximately 27 ½” x 19 ½” and are offered in good, uncut condition. There is the expected age toning that turned the paper to more of the tan color, but all details and writing is completely legible. The best part of this set is the fact that it still retains the original build instructions sheet.
Comes more than ready for further research and display!
The Tiger I was a German heavy tank of World War II that operated beginning in 1942 in Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It gave the German Army its first armored fighting vehicle that mounted the 8.8 cm KwK 36 gun (derived from the 8.8 cm Flak 36). 1,347 were built between August 1942 and August 1944. After August 1944, production of the Tiger I was phased out in favor of the Tiger II.
While the Tiger I has been called an outstanding design for its time, it has also been called over engineered, using expensive materials and labor-intensive production methods. In the early period Tiger was prone to certain types of track failures and breakdowns and was in general limited in range by its high fuel consumption. It was expensive to maintain, but generally mechanically reliable. It was difficult to transport and vulnerable to immobilization when mud, ice, and snow froze between its overlapping and interleaved Schachtellaufwerk-pattern road wheels, often jamming them solid. This was a problem on the Eastern Front in the muddy rasputitsa season and during periods of extreme cold.
The tank was given its nickname "Tiger" by Ferdinand Porsche, and the Roman numeral was added after the Tiger II entered production. The initial designation was Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausführung H (literally "armoured combat vehicle VI version H", abbreviated PzKpfw VI Ausf. H) where 'H' denoted Henschel as the designer/manufacturer. It was classified with ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 182. The tank was later re-designated as PzKpfw VI Ausf. E in March 1943, with ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 181.
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- Due to legal restrictions this item cannot be shipped to Australia, France or Germany. This is not a comprehensive list and other countries may be added in the future.
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