Dragon has issued a set of four 1:35 scale LAH Division infantrymen before, but it has now been re-released as a Premium Edition set. This means it includes Gen2 infantry gear and weapons to update these German panzergrenadiers. These four men engaged in the assault on Mariupol are offered in lifelike poses, and are suitable for a range of battles of this time period. This Premium Edition kit also offers a bonus to inspire modelers even further – a Russian Maxim heavy machine gun. Obviously this weapon has been hastily abandoned as Panzermeyer troops swiftly advanced. The impressive Maxim MG is cleverly designed and engineered with a sublime amount of detail. It’s the first Maxim ever produced by Dragon, and will prove to be an invaluable accessory in many Eastern Front dioramas to come.

The LAH Division bore the name of the Third Reich’s leader, and in Operation Barbarossa it was attached to Army Group South. Kurt Meyer was in command of an abteilung from this division at the time, and his rapid actions against Russian opposition earned him the nickname “Schnelle Meyer” (Speedy Meyer). Typical of his style of command was his order for his men to “charge the guns” at Mariupol on the Black Sea. On October 8, 1941 with Meyer in the vanguard, his unit captured not only the city but almost a complete Russian division too!