Panzercommander HOH
Battalion Commander
Cory Walker Redux
Private Cory Walker
27th Armored Infantry Battalion
9th Armored Division
Remagen Bridge - March 7th, 1945
74 years ago today, March 7th, 1945, elements of the 9th Armored Division captured the Ludendorff railroad bridge across the Rhine River at Remagen. 14 years ago, Dragon gave us one of the best Road To Victory figures ever made, Cory Walker, cementing the capture of the first bridge across the Rhine forever (or as long as the plastic holds out) into the history of 1:6th WWII action figures.
The concept for this figure began at the end of 2015; I found an extra BGT M-1938 dismounted rain coat in a box full of loose parts and decided to kitbash (and in the process upgrade) one of the best Road To Victory figures Dragon ever made.
Cory Walker Redux ver. 1.0 (2015):
The project gave me an idea: what if I took the best of what Dragon gave us in the Road to Victory line and redid the figure with the best possible parts on the market?
Thus my ongoing project, code named “Operation Redux,” was born. I’ll start with Cory Walker.
There is a general consensus amongst collectors that Cory Walker is one of the best US figures Dragon released in their Road To Victory line. He is a basic late war rifleman and could be either infantry or armored infantry based on what’s given in the box. He is patterned off of one of the figures in the Ron Volstad box art from the DML 1:35th scale kit "Advance To The Rhine" - U.S. 1st Army at Remagen 1945. His headsculpt, the M-1938 dismounted raincoat, and the unmodified M-43 trousers are the star items out of a solid DML RTV boxed set.
Cory Walker Redux ver. 1.0 was upgraded by 2018; here is Cory Walker Redux ver. 2.0:
In trying to keep with my (newer) tradition of bringing a relevant-to-that-month-in-history WWII subject to my club’s meeting. Cory Walker Redux ver. 3.0 came this month. Below, my display:
Cory Walker boxed (open flap), Cory Walker boxed (closed flap), back of the box, Cory Walker assembled straight out of the box (right), and Cory Walker Redux ver. 3.0 (left).
Cory Walker Redux ver. 3.0 (2019):
A slight variation from the DML release; the five button high neck sweater (in place of the standard GI wool shirt) and the leather palm wool gloves (instead of bare hands) were added when I took into consideration the nasty end of winter weather conditions GIs were facing in March of 1945 as well as looking at period photos. In keeping with the overall look of the DML release, I neglected to give him a GP bag or a M-6 lightweight gas mask bag – something that would have really rounded out the original boxed figure and when I rework the straps on an M-6 lightweight gas mask bag, I’ll give to him for the ver. 4.0.
Parts List:
Helmet: DiD, chin straps cut and repositioned to allow for them to buckle at the rear of the helmet shell, chin straps upgraded with an Armorpax adjustment slide and chin strap buckle as well as a Soldier Story cam lever buckle on the leather liner strap
M-1938 Dismounted Raincoat: Battlegear Toys
Five Button High Neck Sweater: BBi Sparky Parsons
Leather Palm Wool Gloves: DiD Corbin Black
M-43 Trousers: DML Cory Walker
M-43 Double Buckle Boots: NewLine Miniatures, purchased weathered from Brave Rifles
Rifle: DML RTV first pattern M-1 Garand (non-breakable downable), weathered by JOSH51st, Battlegear Toys M-1907 leather sling added
Gear:
DML RTV M-1936 suspenders: friction buckle sides bent, painted, and added two to the rear suspender straps, Armorpax webbing endtabs added, and most of the plastic and metal hardware painted.
DiD M-1923 cartridge belt: I attacked the lift-the-dots as I knew they’d break anyway, the stuffed with DML Garand en bloc clips and flaps Fabri-Tac’ed down, then the DiD lift-the-dots Fabri-Tac’ed back down, and finally painted flat black as well as the male and female buckles on the belt itself.
DML RTV M-1924 Carlisle bandage pouch: stuffing and fastener ball removed and replaced with stacked cardboard pieces to mimic the bandage tin, flap Fabri-Tac’ed down, and a CVI lift-the-dot Fabri-Tac’ed on as well.
DML RTV M-1910 canteen and canteen cover: canteen painted flat aluminum, cap painted flat black, cap drilled with a jeweler’s hand drill for a silk pin with small chain for the cap chain, pin and chain Krazy Glue’ed, canteen cover flap fastener balls removed, flaps Fabri-Tac’ed down, CVI lift-the-dots Fabri-Tac’ed on as well.
BBi M-1 bayonet with M-3 scabbard: no modifications
DML RTV M-1943 entrenching tool with carrier: removed the fastener ball, Fabri-Tac’ed down the flap, Fabri-Tac’ed on a CVI lift-the-dot.
DML OD Bandolier: Pick a DML British release
Note: Save for the BBi bayonet’s double-hook wire hanger, I blacksmith’ed new double-hook wire hangers for all the other equipment as DML double-hook wire hangers were too narrow for the spacing of the DiD grommets.
Print References:
Osprey Battle Orders No. 3: US Armored Divisions: The European Theater of Operations, 1944-45
Osprey Battle Orders No. 24: US Army Infantry Divisions 1944-45
Osprey Campaign No. 175: Remagen 1945: Endgame against the Third Reich
Osprey Elite No. 209: Victory 1945: Western Allied Troops in Northwest Europe
Osprey Elite No. 210: World War II US Army Combat Equipments
Osprey Men-at-Arms No. 350: The US Army in World War II (3): Northwest Europe
Histoire et Collections: [US] Helmets of the ETO: A Historical & Technical Guide
Online References:
DML 1/35th Scale "Advance To The Rhine" - U.S. 1st Army at Remagen 1945
"Cory Walker", U.S. Army Rifleman, 27th Armored Infantry Battalion, Remagen, March 1945 (Private)
Private Cory Walker
27th Armored Infantry Battalion
9th Armored Division
Remagen Bridge - March 7th, 1945
74 years ago today, March 7th, 1945, elements of the 9th Armored Division captured the Ludendorff railroad bridge across the Rhine River at Remagen. 14 years ago, Dragon gave us one of the best Road To Victory figures ever made, Cory Walker, cementing the capture of the first bridge across the Rhine forever (or as long as the plastic holds out) into the history of 1:6th WWII action figures.
The concept for this figure began at the end of 2015; I found an extra BGT M-1938 dismounted rain coat in a box full of loose parts and decided to kitbash (and in the process upgrade) one of the best Road To Victory figures Dragon ever made.
Cory Walker Redux ver. 1.0 (2015):
The project gave me an idea: what if I took the best of what Dragon gave us in the Road to Victory line and redid the figure with the best possible parts on the market?
Thus my ongoing project, code named “Operation Redux,” was born. I’ll start with Cory Walker.
There is a general consensus amongst collectors that Cory Walker is one of the best US figures Dragon released in their Road To Victory line. He is a basic late war rifleman and could be either infantry or armored infantry based on what’s given in the box. He is patterned off of one of the figures in the Ron Volstad box art from the DML 1:35th scale kit "Advance To The Rhine" - U.S. 1st Army at Remagen 1945. His headsculpt, the M-1938 dismounted raincoat, and the unmodified M-43 trousers are the star items out of a solid DML RTV boxed set.
Cory Walker Redux ver. 1.0 was upgraded by 2018; here is Cory Walker Redux ver. 2.0:
In trying to keep with my (newer) tradition of bringing a relevant-to-that-month-in-history WWII subject to my club’s meeting. Cory Walker Redux ver. 3.0 came this month. Below, my display:
Cory Walker boxed (open flap), Cory Walker boxed (closed flap), back of the box, Cory Walker assembled straight out of the box (right), and Cory Walker Redux ver. 3.0 (left).
Cory Walker Redux ver. 3.0 (2019):
A slight variation from the DML release; the five button high neck sweater (in place of the standard GI wool shirt) and the leather palm wool gloves (instead of bare hands) were added when I took into consideration the nasty end of winter weather conditions GIs were facing in March of 1945 as well as looking at period photos. In keeping with the overall look of the DML release, I neglected to give him a GP bag or a M-6 lightweight gas mask bag – something that would have really rounded out the original boxed figure and when I rework the straps on an M-6 lightweight gas mask bag, I’ll give to him for the ver. 4.0.
Parts List:
Helmet: DiD, chin straps cut and repositioned to allow for them to buckle at the rear of the helmet shell, chin straps upgraded with an Armorpax adjustment slide and chin strap buckle as well as a Soldier Story cam lever buckle on the leather liner strap
M-1938 Dismounted Raincoat: Battlegear Toys
Five Button High Neck Sweater: BBi Sparky Parsons
Leather Palm Wool Gloves: DiD Corbin Black
M-43 Trousers: DML Cory Walker
M-43 Double Buckle Boots: NewLine Miniatures, purchased weathered from Brave Rifles
Rifle: DML RTV first pattern M-1 Garand (non-breakable downable), weathered by JOSH51st, Battlegear Toys M-1907 leather sling added
Gear:
DML RTV M-1936 suspenders: friction buckle sides bent, painted, and added two to the rear suspender straps, Armorpax webbing endtabs added, and most of the plastic and metal hardware painted.
DiD M-1923 cartridge belt: I attacked the lift-the-dots as I knew they’d break anyway, the stuffed with DML Garand en bloc clips and flaps Fabri-Tac’ed down, then the DiD lift-the-dots Fabri-Tac’ed back down, and finally painted flat black as well as the male and female buckles on the belt itself.
DML RTV M-1924 Carlisle bandage pouch: stuffing and fastener ball removed and replaced with stacked cardboard pieces to mimic the bandage tin, flap Fabri-Tac’ed down, and a CVI lift-the-dot Fabri-Tac’ed on as well.
DML RTV M-1910 canteen and canteen cover: canteen painted flat aluminum, cap painted flat black, cap drilled with a jeweler’s hand drill for a silk pin with small chain for the cap chain, pin and chain Krazy Glue’ed, canteen cover flap fastener balls removed, flaps Fabri-Tac’ed down, CVI lift-the-dots Fabri-Tac’ed on as well.
BBi M-1 bayonet with M-3 scabbard: no modifications
DML RTV M-1943 entrenching tool with carrier: removed the fastener ball, Fabri-Tac’ed down the flap, Fabri-Tac’ed on a CVI lift-the-dot.
DML OD Bandolier: Pick a DML British release
Note: Save for the BBi bayonet’s double-hook wire hanger, I blacksmith’ed new double-hook wire hangers for all the other equipment as DML double-hook wire hangers were too narrow for the spacing of the DiD grommets.
Print References:
Osprey Battle Orders No. 3: US Armored Divisions: The European Theater of Operations, 1944-45
Osprey Battle Orders No. 24: US Army Infantry Divisions 1944-45
Osprey Campaign No. 175: Remagen 1945: Endgame against the Third Reich
Osprey Elite No. 209: Victory 1945: Western Allied Troops in Northwest Europe
Osprey Elite No. 210: World War II US Army Combat Equipments
Osprey Men-at-Arms No. 350: The US Army in World War II (3): Northwest Europe
Histoire et Collections: [US] Helmets of the ETO: A Historical & Technical Guide
Online References:
DML 1/35th Scale "Advance To The Rhine" - U.S. 1st Army at Remagen 1945
"Cory Walker", U.S. Army Rifleman, 27th Armored Infantry Battalion, Remagen, March 1945 (Private)
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