When this set was released it joined a growing number of accessory sets, and some elements like the observation post had been available in sets from other manufacturers. However on any battlefield there are always numerous items big and small to make the whole place untidy, and this was equally true of World War II, which is the conflict at which this set is aimed.
Beginning at the top, the set offers a first aid station and an observation post. The first aid station is basic – a wooden roof held by four posts and some panels on two sides. Doubtless many first aid posts were more crude than this, and its very simplicity makes it a really useful item which could simply be part of some farm scene, or constructed specifically for military purposes. The floor area is about 35 mm by 30, so under the roof there is only room for two or three stretcher cases, but that seems like a perfectly believable size. The kit goes together very nicely, being made in a hard plastic that is easy to handle and glue, and the finer detailing has been very well done. So everything is well textured, and the base has numerous footprints in it, suggesting a muddy, soft base for the erection.
The observation post is more of the same – very well made, nicely detailed and easy to put together. It stands 63 mm to the platform, and a total of 94 mm to the top of the wooden roof, giving a very decent amount of height for any observer. Naturally such things would be very vulnerable in a battle, but we could see other uses for this such as at a POW camp, or at a semi-permanent army camp perhaps. Maybe not quite so much of a battlefield building then, but certainly a useful component for many dioramas or games.
Our second row shows another element that has been done before, but again this is a particularly well-done example. We have a sentry box plenty tall enough for a man wearing a helmet to stand, and in front is the barrier, which actually pivots so can be raised. A small bench by the hut adds a further detail, and the roadway is nicely done with vehicle tracks. It is a simple construction but again, a terrific model for all that.
Our third and fourth rows display the smaller items on offer here. There is a piece made up of sandbags arranged in the rather strange Italeri style seen in other sets by them, with bags hanging in mid-air. Such gaps can be filled by the 12 individual sandbags also provided, which are what have been used to make the much better arrangement photographed on the front of the box. A bag, roll of some kind, entrenching tool and rifle complete this row. The second shows the two stretchers which the box shows in the first aid post, and there is an assortment of bags and boxes as might be seen on any battlefield, but particularly at areas slightly behind the lines such as next to these buildings. The last item is an American canteen, which as you can imagine is very small indeed. Once again these offer some of the clutter that any camp might have in abundance, and also might be found littering a battlefield too.
The three main buildings in this set offer various possibilities for interesting dioramas, particularly a little distance behind the actual point of contact with the enemy. All are great models, and the range of small accessories will have innumerable uses in almost any military scene. We should also add that the set includes some wet transfer decals to provide the decoration seen on the box artwork such as the red cross symbol for the roof. So this is yet another really interesting and useful set from Italeri.