1/72 Project Wawel- T29-X "Smok"/"Dragon"

[wacek85]

Project "Wawel" - A classified Allied experiment

In late 1942, deep within a restricted design bureau in Detroit, engineers at Chrysler Corporation received an unusual dossier. It wasn't American or British.
It was a collection of hand-drawn schematics smuggled out of occupied Poland — attributed to a young student from Lwów, named Stanislaw Lem. The drawings showed something impractical, excessive... and strangely visionary: a multi-role armored fortress on tracks.
Americans gave it a name: T29-X "Wawel" Heavy Assault Vehicle
The design might have been American-built, but its spirit was Polish — and that mattered.
By 1943, the Allies needed a way to strengthen experienced exile units like the 1st Polish Armoured Division under Stanisław Maczek.
Maczek was known for disciplined maneuver warfare , excellent coordination and—most importantly—respect for unconventional tools if they worked
When briefed on the prototype, he reportedly said:
"If it moves and shoots, we will find a way to use it."

The Machine
The completed prototype, shipped in secrecy to Britain in early 1944, was unlike anything on the battlefield:
•   Main gun: 128 mm fortress-busting cannon
•   Secondary turrets: four independently rotating MG positions
•   AA mount: twin 40 mm autocannons on the dorsal platform
•   Crew: 9
•   Weight: classified (but "too much," according to mechanics)
Nicknamed by its Polish crew: "Smok" (Dragon)

Baptism of Fire – Normandy, 1944

"Smok" first saw action after D-Day, attached unofficially to the 1st Polish Armoured Division during the breakout from Normandy.
Its role was never formalized — instead, it became a mobile strongpoint, a breach vehicle and occasionally, a last-resort defensive anchor
At the Battle of Falaise Pocket (Battle of the Falaise Pocket)
When German forces attempted desperate breakouts, "Smok" was positioned on elevated ground near Mont Ormel.
Accounts (never officially confirmed) described continuous fire from all turrets at once, AA guns used against ground targets, main gun destroying vehicles at extreme range
One Canadian officer allegedly wrote:
"It did not fight like a tank. It fought like a bunker that had decided to advance."

October 1944 – Breda
"The Dragon Walks Quietly"

By the time the division approached Breda, "Smok" was no longer a curiosity - it was a problem.
Not for the enemy but for its own commanders.
Tank had proven itself in Normandy, but here the situation was different. Breda was not to be destroyed. General Stanisław Maczek had made it clear:
"We do not liberate cities by leveling them."
The Canadians had already suffered heavily in urban fighting. Maczek intended something else — a maneuver to encircle and force withdrawal, sparing civilians and the historic city center.
And yet, "Smok" remained attached.

Approach

The lowlands around Breda were wet, crisscrossed with canals and narrow roads — a nightmare for a machine of such weight.
Twice, engineers had to reinforce crossings overnight just to let the tank pass.
The crew had begun calling these halts as feeding the dragon.
Fuel, oil, constant tightening of bolts — the machine demanded attention. But when it moved again, it did so with quiet authority.
For Breda, its role was redefined:
•   No bombardment of the city
•   No main gun unless absolutely necessary
•   Act as a mobile shield and overwatch platform

Silent Entry

On the night of October 28–29, 1944, Polish units began infiltrating positions around Breda.
"Smok" advanced at the edge of the formation, not leading — but covering gaps.
Its multiple turrets, once considered excessive, became useful in a different way:
•   Machine gun turrets scanned alleys and tree lines
•   The twin AA guns tracked rooftops for snipers
•   The main gun remained still — like a threat, not a weapon
A Dutch civilian later recalled:
"We heard it before we saw it. Not loud... but heavy. Like something was dragging earth behind it."

Contact Without Destruction

German forces, realizing they were being encircled, attempted small delaying actions.
At one canal crossing south of the city German anti-tank team opened fire. The first shot struck "Smok's" frontal armor without any effect. Instead of returning fire with the main gun, the crew responded with coordinated machine gun fire from three turrets simultaneously
The position was neutralized without destroying nearby buildings
It was exactly what Maczek wanted:
precision, not devastation

Turning Point

As Polish units tightened the ring around Breda, "Smok" was placed at a critical junction — a narrow road where a German breakout was expected but it never came.
Prisoners later revealed why:
"We thought it was some kind of new heavy tank... or more than one. We did not want to fight it in the dark."
In reality, it was just one machine — but its silhouette, its multiple gun mounts, its presence... created uncertainty and this uncertainty saved lives.

Breda Liberated

On October 29, 1944, Breda was liberated with minimal damage — a rare achievement in the war.
Civilians poured into the streets.
Among the Shermans and Cromwells of the division, one vehicle drew particular attention:
Children reportedly called it:
"De Draak" — The Dragon
A photograph (now lost, some say) showed Polish crewmen sitting atop the tank, surrounded by Dutch civilians offering flowers — a strange contrast to the machine's brutal design.

After Liberation

After the operation, a quiet note was added to the division's internal report:
"Heavy experimental vehicle proved effective in area denial and psychological suppression.
Recommended for restricted deployment only."
General Stanisław Maczek never mentioned it in official accounts.
But one officer later wrote:
"It was the wrong tank for the wrong war —
except, for one moment, in Breda, it was exactly right."

Problems

Despite its power, "Smok" had serious flaws:
•   Frequent breakdowns
•   Immense fuel consumption
•   Difficulty crossing bridges
•   Vulnerability to artillery
By late 1944, Allied command quietly decided that no further units would be built

Disappearance

In early 1945, somewhere in northern Germany, "Smok" vanished from official records.
Three conflicting stories exist:
1.   Destroyed by its crew to avoid capture
2.   Captured and studied by advancing Soviet forces
3.   Secretly shipped back to the United States under Project Wawel's closure
No photographs have ever been confirmed.

Epilogue
Decades later, when Stanisław Lem was asked about early engineering ideas, he reportedly smiled and said:
"The worst designs are the ones that almost work."

Build

First of all, famous polish sci-fi writer Stanislaw Lem realy designed a tank in his university years. He send schematics to Comissary of Armament of Soviet Union. Lem was terrified by nazis, so he send his design to only force capable of destroying them. From his point of view, of a student in Lviv, city which was liberated by Red Army, it was right move.He couldn't know what is widely known right now. When one of polish manufacturers released Lem's tank in 1/72 I just had to have it, not only because it a monstrous tank. I'm a big fan of Lem's books. He also lived in Cracow, where I'm living now. Sadly, he died in 2006.

1/72 Lem's tank is resin printed. It;s armament its clearly sovied which is understandable, but I could't leave it that way. Machine gun barrels were removed and changed to metal Brownings. AA turret barrels were changed to Oerlikons. Main gun is 1/35 cannon from Sherman Firefly. I've added british WW2 equipment from Black Box, crew and Browning on turred came from Military Scales. Decals came from set for Polish 1st Armored Division by Black Lion Decals.
Diorama is made with styrofoam base, tile glue, sand, gravel and what I could find in park
I've used paints from AK Real Color range, Vallejo, AMMO Mig. Weathering is done with AMMO Mig and Tamiya fluids and pigments.

 Hope you'll like it

[wacek85]

...and rest of photos.

[zenrat]

Very good.   

Good story, good model.

[NARSES2]

I like that 

[Old Wombat]

I like that! Very good job! Especially for tiny-scale!     

[DeeBob]

Gorgeously rendered, I can scarcely believe the figures are 1/72! The 35th firefly barrel suiting it so well is a testament to just how bloody huge the thing would have been.

[wacek85]

Thanks a lot, my friends and Happy Easter!

Gorgeously rendered, I can scarcely believe the figures are 1/72! The 35th firefly barrel suiting it so well is a testament to just how bloody huge the thing would have been.

220 tons as planned. A monster, Maus would be smaller.

[PR19_Kit]

Not being a 'tank guy', I rather waltzed past this originally, not noticing how big it actually was, But today I took proper notice of the pics and read the backstory.

WOWEEE, it's SUPERB! Well done indeed Wacek85, the model's amazing and the backstory is wondrous.   

[kerick]

What everyone is saying! 
Excellent job painting something so small. Including all the figures!

[Old Wombat]

OK, it just clicked that that's a 1/35 gun, on a 1/72 tank ... Smok is absolutely HUGE!     

[wacek85]

Thanks a lot, guys

This was original armament. Dshk machine gun, main gun, turrets with Dshk's and AA turret wit ZiS guns (I think).
Even at 1/72 scale these are unacceptable. First, I've used 1/72 Pershing cannon as main but it looked too small comparing to original. So I've took 1/35 Firefly barrel, cut it and glued. Looks much better.

[Captain Canada]

Excellent story and build ! What a cool looking machine. I can see why she'd have problems with bridges !

[The Chaos]

Great Work   

[buzzbomb]

That is a good build and story and as the others said, for 1/72 detail is terrific

[Rick Lowe]

That is a good build and story and as the others said, for 1/72 detail is terrific

Agree. 

Puts me in mind of a precursor to Keith Laumer's Bolo AI tanks...