Author Archives: Thomas

German Möbelwagen 3,7cm FlaK auf Fgst Pz.Kpfw.IV (Sf) (Tamiya)

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This is the Tamiya 35 237-3900 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Möbelwagen 3,7cm FlaK auf Fgst Pz.Kpfw.IV (Sf)’.

German Möbelwagen 3,7cm FlaK auf Fgst Pz.Kpfw.IV (Sf)

History

In the latter half of World War II, the Wehrmacht, having lost air superiority to the Allies, turned to the development of anti-aircraft vehicles. The first vehicle to use the chassis of the Panzer IV tank as a base was the Self Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun Mobelwagen.

The mass-production model started to be manufactured in February 1944. It was equipped with a powerful 3.7 FlaK 43 cannon capable of firing 250 shots/min, and thick armored plates surrounding the upper part of the vehicle, which could be raised or lowered for horizontal firing.

By 1945, a total of 240 vehicles were produced, most of which were deployed to the western front, providing a vicious defense against approaching fighters and bombers of the Allies.

Source: Tamiya website

Manufacturer

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German Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf. C (MiniArt)

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This is the MiniArt 35162 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf. C’.

German Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf. C

History

The third vehicle in the development series, the Aust. C, was yet another attempt to improve the design of the suspension.

The Ausf. C still had eight road wheels on each side, with the first and last pairs on a short leaf spring, mounted parallel to the ground. The second and third pairs were supported by a longer leaf-spring assembly. Also featured were a servo-operated epicyclic clutch, brake steering and a new design for the drive sprocket and idler.

By 20 January 1938 there were only twenty-three Pz.Kpfw.III in the total Army Inventory. But this number had increased to forty-two by the end of March 1938. The Ausf. C saw action only in Poland. It was withdrawn from Panzer regiments in February 1940, before the start of the campaign in the West.

Source: MiniArt Website

Manufacturer

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German Versuchsflakwagen fur 8.8cm FlaK 37 auf Sonderfahrgestell (Bronco)

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This is the Bronco 35174 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Versuchsflakwagen fur 8.8cm FlaK 37 auf Sonderfahrgestell’.

German Versuchsflakwagen fur 8.8cm FlaK 37 auf Sonderfahrgestell

History

The Versuchsflakwagen fur 8.8cm – FlaK 41 – was also known as the Grille 10 named after the Cricket insect. The Grille 10 was the first in a series of armoured self propelled guns dating from 1942.

The hull used components from several vehicles but mainly the Panzer IV and Sd.Kfz.9. The gun was mounted on the rear hull and protected by hinged side armour which folded down when in action.

Three prototypes were built in 1944, first mounting the 8.8cm FlaK 37 and later the FlaK 41. One vehicle was refitted with the FlaK 37 and sent to Italy for combat trials, serving with Flakartillerie Abt (Sf) 304 attached to the 26th Panzer Division. Trials were considered a success and a second series of Grille 10’s were ordered, but on Panther hull.

Other members of the Grille family were built on the Tiger II hull including the Grille 17 with 17cm gun, Grille 21 with 21cm mortar, Grille 30 with 30.5cm mortar and the Grille 42 with 42cm mortar.

Source: Bronco Website

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Leather set (Lifecolor)

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This is the Lifecolor CS-30 paint set, with colors for ‘Leather’.

Leather set

Content

  • Leather, Warm shadow (UA 763)
  • Leather, Brown shade (UA 764)
  • Leather, Reddish tone (UA 765)
  • Leather, Yellow-Ochre tone (UA 766)
  • Leather, Cold light shade 1 (UA 767)
  • Leather, Cold light shade 2 (UA 768)

German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B, mit Schneeräumer System Schmidt (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 6764 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B, mit Schneeräumer System Schmidt’.

German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B, mit Schneeräumer System Schmidt

History

The Panzer IV Ausf.B – fitted with a snow plow. The Panzer IV Ausf.B still featured a short-barreled 7.5cm KwK37 L/24 main gun and an MG34 machine gun.

A crew of five operated the Sd.Kfz.161 tank, and it saw service in the 1939-40 campaigns in Poland, Norway and France, and also in the Balkans and in Russia from 1941 onwards.

A snow plow was very useful for winter combat in places like the Eastern Front, which was subject to extreme temperatures and large amounts of snow that severely hampered mobility.

Source: Dragon website

Manufacturer

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German Sd.Kfz.165 Hummel/Wespe (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 6535 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Sd.Kfz.165 Hummel/Wespe’.

German Sd.Kfz.165 Hummel/Wespe

History

‘Bumble Bee’ might seem an unusual nickname for a self-propelled howitzer, but that is what the Germans initially called their 15cm sFH 18 L/30 howitzer mounted on a Panzer IV chassis.

The Sd.Kfz.165 Hummel, of which 714 were produced from late 1942 onwards, was created because of an urgent need for artillery that could keep pace with Germany’s panzers during WWII.

Interestingly, the prototype of the Hummel was originally fitted with a 10.5cm leFH18 gun, the weapon that eventually found its way onto the Wespe that was based on the Panzer II chassis.

Source: Dragon website

Manufacturer

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German Kampfgruppe von Luck – Normandy 1944 (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 6155 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Kampfgruppe von Luck – Normandy 1944’.

German Kampfgruppe von Luck - Normandy 1944

Hans–Ulrich Freiherr von Luck und Witten (15 July 1911 – 1 August 1997), usually shortened to Hans von Luck, was a Colonel in the German Armored Forces (Oberst der Panzerwaffe) during World War II.

He served with the 7th Panzer Division and 21st Panzer Division, seeing action in Poland, France, North Africa, Italy and Russia. He was a close associate of Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel.

Source: Wikipedia

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  • Unknown

German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D/E Fahrgestell (Trumpeter)

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This is the Trumpeter 00362 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D/E Fahrgestell’.

German Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D/E Fahrgestell

History

A total of 13 Munitionsschlepper were produced on Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D, E, and F chassis which had been acquired from the normal Pz.Kpfw.IV production run as reported in May 1941.

There were two Munitionsschlepper for each of the six Gerät 040 Nr. I to VI and one for the experimental Gerät Nr. VII.

Source: Trumpeter website

Manufacturer

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