1/35 Wunsche & Ribbentrop – 12.SS Pz.Division – Rots Normandy 1944

Dynamo Models 35313 – 1/35 Wünsche & Ribbentrop – 12. SS Panzer Division – Rots, Normandy 1944 is a two-figure resin set inspired by a documented wartime photographic sequence taken during the Normandy campaign. Sculpted by Forghi, the set depicts Max Wünsche at the controls of a motorcycle and Rudolf von Ribbentrop seated low in the sidecar. Distinctive details include Wünsche’s bandaged head and camouflage clothing together with Ribbentrop’s spectacles, leather jacket and injured arm in a sling. Two head choices are included in the kit.

Historical Context & Theme

The scene represented took place at Rots in Normandy on 9 June 1944, only three days after D-Day. SS-Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche commanded SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 of the 12. SS-Panzer-Division, while Rudolf von Ribbentrop served with 3. Kompanie, I./SS-Panzer-Regiment 12. Period photographs identify von Ribbentrop in the sidecar and Wünsche driving the motorcycle after visiting survivors in the Rots area following fighting around Norrey-en-Bessin.

The photographs capture a very specific moment during the fighting west of Caen, making this set especially suitable for modelers who prefer to reconstruct identifiable historical scenes rather than create generic German personnel.

The 12th SS Panzer Division was a Waffen-SS formation. Its Normandy record also includes documented executions of Canadian prisoners of war after the D-Day landings, an important part of the historical context surrounding the unit.

Figure / Vehicle Details & Realism

DYM-35313 contains two separate 1/35 figures designed to function together as a single motorcycle-and-sidecar composition.

Wünsche is sculpted astride the motorcycle position behind the handlebars. His appearance follows the photographic reference, including the camouflage smock and conspicuous bandage around his head.

Ribbentrop occupies the sidecar position and is represented wearing spectacles and a leather jacket, with his injured arm supported in a sling. These features closely reproduce the recognizable appearance of both men in the surviving photographs.

The figures are cast in light-grey resin, and the set includes two head choices. Their poses are specifically designed around the motorcycle scene rather than as generic standing figures.

Diorama & Display Use

This set is particularly suited to a detailed Normandy 1944 vignette based on Rots and the fighting around Norrey-en-Bessin. An appropriate 1/35 German motorcycle with sidecar provides the natural centerpiece for the two figures.

A narrow road, stone wall, village building, roadside vegetation and light battlefield damage can help reproduce the visual character of the Rots area. Because the original photograph documents a specific date and location, the figures are also ideal for historically researched builds based directly on wartime imagery.

Material & Customization

Dynamo Models 35313 is supplied as a resin figure set for assembly and painting. The fine sculpting provides strong opportunities for detailed treatment of camouflage fabric, leather clothing, facial features, spectacles, bandages and the sling.

Careful use of period photographs is recommended when reproducing clothing tones and insignia. Subtle dust and road grime can help integrate the figures naturally with the motorcycle and Normandy groundwork.

Who It’s For

This set is aimed at experienced WWII figure painters, Normandy campaign modelers and builders interested in recreating specific scenes from historical photography.

It is especially suitable for a compact narrative vignette where the two figures and motorcycle form the central focus.