does anyone have exact 1/35 scale measurements or plans on how to make hedgehogs? i want to put them in a dio but i don't want to spend the $20 on the verlinder set. thanks ahead guys

If by Hedgehog, you mean a Cullen (?sp) device, I think you have artistic license. I saw a progam on the History Channel the other day that showed several different style devices being attached to the tanks. I know there is the "typical" one as seen on all kits, but I saw some really weird looking ones being welded on.

If you don't mean a Cullen device, sorry for the rambling. It was a good program though.

Patrick

i was talking about the beach obstacles. i thought they were called hedgehogs? maybe i am wrong.

I don't recall a beach obstacle called a hedgehog. Perhaps if you pointed us to a picture of one...

Hmm...hedgehogs...20$...I thought you were talking about the animal lol If you give a link or some pics I'm sure someone can help ya out

Matt

actually i was breezing through an Omaha Beach book at the book store and they showed germans putting them on the beach and securing them with concrete so the tide wouldn't wash them away... thay look like giant jacks they are in saving private ryan on the beach... loads of them. i'm quite sure that in the book i was reading they called the hedgehogs. maybe i was reading a different caption....

Perhaps the word you were thinking of is Aspargus? I've heard those things referred to as Rommel's Aspargus. Anyway, Tamiya make a kit of barricades and such that is dirt cheap, like under $5.00. It's quite old and probably not all THAT accurate but it could give you something to start with.

Hi Pnzr-Cmdr

You mean Czech hedgehogs. Below is a site for Normandy, incl Beach Obstacles. The Tamiya kit is fine. As can be seen in the photos, all the obstacles differ as they were not mass produced, but put together by 'welders' on the beaches or where need be.

http://www.normandiememoire.com/NM60Anglais/2_histo1/histo1_p3_02_gb.htm

If Czech hedgehogs are what you mean, then the Tamiya obstacles kit will do the job. You could also use stock I-beam cut to length.

your correct about the name, the cross shaped obssticles were built very hastily from girders so dont woory to much about accuracy.
the asparagus poles were something different, they were sort of like a wooden a-frame with a mine on the tip, designed to stop landing craft, whareas the hedgehogs were more of an anti-tank obsticle,
hope that helps
joe

ok...this is what your looking for.

And, it sounds like you could use a pre-made rail from train sets (if the scale is correct) and glue them in the shape needed instead of making resin versions. Then the concrete footings are placed on the bottoms.

++ “Czech hedgehogs” consisted of three metal girders or sections of rail welded together at the middle.

Originally designed as antitank obstacles, large numbers of them were placed on the beaches, often set into concrete bases to make them more stable in the sand.

They were intended either to block the advance of the landing barges or to hole the hulls of these light craft.

Recovered and dismantled by American engineers after the landings, some of the metal girders were used to make the “hedgecutters” fitted to the fronts of tanks to help them rip a path through the impenetrable hedgerows of Normandy’s bocage countryside
found this info at: http://www.normandiememoire.com/NM60Anglais/2_histo1/histo1_p3_02_gb.htm

good luck,

Kevin

The "hedgehogs" were made from rail, but were often strengthened with gussets. Gussets are a right angle piece of metal welded between two rails for added strength. I'm using one in my dio with some barbed wire around it, blocking a rail line, with a dead German soldier draped over it.

Sealhead

I thought Rommel's Asparagus was only placed out in fields behind the wall and in the country to stop the gliders from coming in and landing in the fields. Supposedly, if a glider hit one of these things they would cause it to flip end on end, injuring, or killing the persons inside.

Italeri kit 401


Tamiya kit 35027

Both of these should be easily available and cheap!

Agree. I've used the Tamiya ones and scratchbuilt a few with I-beam extrusions and triangular gussets. Add some barbed wire if you want.

Sealhead (Kansas Sunflower)

Try this missing link article,

http://www.missing-lynx.com/library/german/pztrap_dmourtizsen.html

You can click on the photos to enlarge them.

Hedgehogs where usualy made of angle iron, not I beams. It's very cheap and easy to buy a piece of angle profile and make them your self, don't forget the flat triagles welded in the middle of the hedgehog to give it stability.

Regards, Hut

Evergreen scale models makes styrene I-beams and other stuff for scale train modelers. They come in various sizes. Usually ranging from 2.50 - 5.00. I think they're the cheapest material for your project.