CV 33 - Il piccolo grande carro
di Andrea e Antonio Tallillo
english text
The CV33 symbolized the tanks in service in the “Regio Esercito” (Royal Army) during the period from the beginning of the thirties to the breakdown of the WWII. Its unmistakable shape small and compact became famous all over the world. During that period the tankettes had a great diffusion because the low cost allowed to have a great number of tanks and a good training of the crews. It was not too much useful during the Second World war and it had of course little fortune, on the different fronts were it was present. An historical excursus would require too much space and besides the “Gruppo Modellistico Trentino” has announced a new, important book on this matter. It’s better concentrate ourselves on some peculiar aspects of the tank and on the possible conversions. The ` scatola di sardine' (sardines box) remained in service until the first post-war period so the cues do not lack. Up to now the CV33 has not aroused an interest comparable to its reputation among the small scale fans.
Sincerely the existing kits were not too much attractive and not all the people love the resin.
Recently appeared a kit worthy of this name and and above all in plastic, giving to each one the possibility to add this tank to his collection.
The 1/72 KIT
The dynamics piedmontese company DOC MODELS has created wisely a wait and entered the plastic kits market with the Italian “carro veloce”. The first impact has been good with a nice and accurate box-art that is very useful to complete the kit. There are not too much small pieces but we must remember that true tank was very small. The manufacturer chose the second series version that with a little effort can be modified into the previous one, but modernized.
The plastic, of a beautiful green, can be worked without problems and has a little thickness considering the small scale. The assembling sequence has been carefully studied. The superstructure, the front plate and the mudguards are only one piece. This allow an easy assembling for beginners too and it take a few time. The level of detail is high especially in the grids of the engine cowling, in the numerous bolts but also from details like the asymmetric position of the embrasures of the superstructure and in the separate reproduction of the guns emplacement and of barrels protections. This last detail makes conversion easier. There is a good compromise solution between realism and difficulties to scale reproduction like in the wheels and tracks. The black rubber tracks are enough easy to bend around wheels and rolls when they will be assembled. Most skilled and demanding modellers, not many left in this branch, will be able to correct other light problems that are not many and hard to notice in the painted model. Quick corrections are to add jack and shovel to the back superstructure, they can be obtained from others kits, and the thickening and rounding of the “campana” (bell) on the back plate of the hull that can easily be made using white glue (Vinavil) as putty. The back plate frame can be reproduced with plasticard. The instructions are very beautiful both in the assembling diagrams, of the same level of a 1/35 scale kit, and in the colour and markings instructions. Only some information are missing but the level is higher than many more expensive resin kits. The suggested profiles are referred to real tanks for whom photos are available in literature. The decals sheet is complete and proposes two plates of the “Regio Esercito”, five various tactical rectangles and one series of numbers for regiments and battalions that have to be placed onto the back angles of the superstructure. Only the presence of a series of black numbers is hard to understand for a CV 33, while there are three various types of German crosses to complete some of the tanks used by Germany on secondary fronts until to 1945. Many doubts will be able to be cleared using the large amount of existing documentation. It is probable according to some confidential informations that other versions of the CV will be produced using common parts of this first mould.
Kit construction
After many years, to assemble again a small scale kit was an amusing brain training. Especially after having assembled a 1/35 resin kit that however depicts a CV 35.
Many details can be added to the DOC MODELS kit of course, if you want, but nowadays to add more and more seems not to be advantageous, at least in the competitions. The main modifications have been make brand new towing hooks and machine gun barrel using copper and add a new plasticard reinforcement
to the back upper hull and to the hatches hinges. Maybe it is possible to make a new drive wheel and to add details to the tools boxes. Let’s think folks! The camouflage schemes are three, we have chosen for simplicity the old one “grigioverde” (grey green) used before the WW II up to the armistice on 1943. Before the parades it used to be covered with diesel oil to assure a better aspect and cancel the age effect that gave it a natural opacity. A little diorama can be easily made a few work in order to make our CV emerge from the scrub. As alternative solution we can make more complex dioramas using our CV with the Italian trucks and support crafts already present catalogue of DOC MODELS. The documentation includes the usual beautiful and expensive books little useful to the modeller, the articles on magazines now become rare and out of print and the “Notiziario CMPR 1/03” or the magazines pf the Gruppo Modellistico Trentino (nn. 3/02 and 1 and 2/03).
Both magazines have dealt the CV35, but many of the details and the proposed colorations were common also to the CV 33 second series. The site “cavalleria italiana” proposes beautiful and unknown pictures of CVs used by Italian Cavalry and “dulcis in fundo” the decal manufacturer A.W.D. offers alternative 1/72 decals again for the cavalry CVs.
That’s all for the small scale 1/72, for the larger one 1/35 only promises and a CV is still been waited….
Notare come sui CV – qui un CV 35 conservato ad Aviano – i parafanghi anteriori
s’innestavano allo scafo
.
La copertura dei gruppi di riduzione finale e la sua unione allo scafo, assieme
all’installazione dei ganci di traino.
Le cerniere dei portelli e quelle per l’attacco di parte degli attrezzi di un CV
33 leggermente ammodernato in
tempo di guerra, conservato ad Ottawa in Canada. (Foto J. Tetard)
La ruota di rinvio posteriore, fusa in bronzo, dello stesso carro. (Foto J. Tetard)