King & Country · Afrika Korps · AK055
AK055 combines a prone MG34 gunner, a prone rifleman and a kneeling NCO using binoculars. The three-man set depicts a firing position, with the commander observing while the other two engage the enemy.
Inside the set
The gunner and rifleman wear green tunics and lie on individual bases. The kneeling observer wears lighter tropical clothing. Shorts, long socks and pale headgear give the group its desert appearance. The weapons distinguish the roles: the MG34 supplies automatic fire, supported by the rifleman.
Why the MG34 mattered
The U.S. War Department’s 1943 guide described the MG34 in several roles, including use from a bipod as a light machine gun and a tripod as a heavier support weapon. It was a weapon around which small German infantry units could build their firepower. AK055 captures a compact slice of that activity; the three-man release should not be mistaken for a complete infantry squad.
From the OperationToyBox channel
Related Afrika Korps unboxing: our AK057 Attack Group video features another combat set from the range. It is a useful companion to this article, although the figures shown are AK057 rather than AK055.
Review
The combination of rifle, machine gun and binoculars makes this a more varied group than three men firing the same weapon. The prone figures look convincing beside the kneeling NCO, and the contrasting tropical uniforms avoid a uniform block of colour. Its main limitation is size: two long prone bases occupy quite a lot of ground for a three-figure set.
Sources: AK055 release reference; U.S. War Department, German Infantry Weapons (1943). Review observations are based on the product reference photographs.
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