Tag Archives: dragon

German Ferdinand, Kurst 1943 (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 6495 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Ferdinand, Kursk 1943’.

German Ferdinand, Kursk 1943

History

Elefant (German for “elephant”) was a Schwerer Panzerjäger (“heavy tank destroyer”) of the German Wehrmacht used in small numbers in World War II. It was built in 1943 under the name Ferdinand, after its designer Ferdinand Porsche.

In 1944, after modification of the existing vehicles, they were renamed Elefant. The official German designation was Panzerjäger Tiger (P) and the ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz.184.

Source: Wikipedia

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German RSO/03 w/5 cm PaK 38 (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 6684 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German RSO/03 w/5cm PaK 38’.

German RSO/03 w/5cm PaK 38

History

The Eastern Front presented many difficulties during WWII, one of which was the harsh weather. With few well-paved roads available, rain and snow could render the terrain almost impassable, as Germany found out during their first winter in 1941-42.

For such difficult conditions, Germany realized it needed special tracked vehicles to traverse Russia’s roads and countryside. One solution offered up was the Raupenschlepper Ost (literally “Caterpillar Tractor East”, or “RSO” for short). The RSO, based on the Steyr 1500A light truck, was initially conceived as a prime mover and tractor for towing artillery pieces, although it was eventually put to many uses.

The fully tracked vehicle performed very well in the muddy conditions, and various manufacturers eventually produced 23,000 vehicles before the war ended. The RSO/03 was a later-production variant that had a simple metal cab with a soft-top roof. It was powered to a top speed of 30km/h by a Deutz diesel engine. A pintle was fitted at the rear for towing artillery pieces.

Source: Dragon Models website

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German JagdPanzer IV L/48 (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 9145 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German JagdPanzer IV L/48’.

German JagdPanzer IV

History

The Jagdpanzer IV, Sd.Kfz.162, was a tank destroyer based on the Panzer IV chassis built in three main variants.

As one of the casemate-style turretless Jagdpanzer (tank destroyer, literally “hunting tank”) designs, it was developed against the wishes of Heinz Guderian, the inspector general of the Panzertruppen, as a replacement for the Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III). Guderian objected against the needless, in his eyes, diversion of resources from Panzer IV tank production, as the Stug III and Sturmgeschütz IV were still more than adequate for their role.

Officially, only the L/48-armed vehicle was named Jagdpanzer IV. The L/70-armed vehicle was named Panzer IV/70.

Source: Wikipedia

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German Elefant (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 6126 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Elefant’.

German Elefant

History

Elefant (German for “elephant”) was a Schwerer Panzerjäger (“heavy tank destroyer”) of the German Wehrmacht used in small numbers in World War II. It was built in 1943 under the name Ferdinand, after its designer Ferdinand Porsche.

In 1944, after modification of the existing vehicles, they were renamed Elefant. The official German designation was Panzerjäger Tiger (P) and the ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz.184.

Source: Wikipedia

Manufacturer

Where I got it

  • Hobbymesse 2013

German 15 cm s.IG.33 (Sf) auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf. B (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 6259 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German 15cm s.IG.33 (Sf) auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B’, sometimes referred to as the Sturmpanzer I Bison.

German 15cm s.IG.33 (Sf) auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B

History

The Panzer I formed the nucleus of Germany’s embryonic tank formations, but its light armor and light armament meant it was outdated by the start of WWII. Despite being made redundant as a gun tank, the chassis of the Panzer I was utilized in a number of alternative roles, including that of a self-propelled howitzer.

It was recognized early on that mobile artillery could provide invaluable fire support to tank units, so the mounting of a 150mm s.IG.33 infantry gun resulted in a vehicle known as an s.IG.33 (Sf) auf Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B. The gun was mounted in a tall, boxy superstructure, though the chassis of the Panzer I was overstressed by the extra weight. The armored shield was only 10mm thick and could only offer front and side protection, plus there was no space for spare ammunition to be carried.

Ultimately, this ungainly and top-heavy artillery piece wasn’t a great success and only 38 were converted in February 1940 by Alkett. These guns served in the Battle of France and beyond, though as the war progressed, the 150mm s.IG.33 gun would be mounted on alternative chassis too.

Source: Dragon Models website

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German Ferdinand (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 6133 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Ferdinand’.

German Ferdinand

History

Elefant (German for “elephant”) was a Schwerer Panzerjäger (“heavy tank destroyer”) of the German Wehrmacht used in small numbers in World War II. It was built in 1943 under the name Ferdinand, after its designer Ferdinand Porsche.

In 1944, after modification of the existing vehicles, they were renamed Elefant. The official German designation was Panzerjäger Tiger (P) and the ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz.184.

Source: Wikipedia

Manufacturer

Where I got it

  • Hobbymesse 2013

German Panzerkampfwagen IV, Ausf. E – Vorpanzer (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 6301 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Panzerkampfwagen IV, Ausf. E – Vorpanzer’.

German Panzerkampfwagen IV, Ausf. E - Vorpanzer

History

Vorpanzer which means “spaced armour” in German was fitted to some of the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E.

It differed from Zusatzpanzerung because it was spaced from the underlying armour, whereas Zusatzpanzerung was fitted directly onto the armour underneath.Vorpanzer was designed to defeat 105mm HEAT projectiles, and to strip off the piercing caps of APC and APCBC projectiles which would then shatter on the FH armour behind.

It also caused any HE filler in such projectiles to detonate prematurely.

Source: Dragon Models website

Manufacturer

Where I got it

  • Hobbymesse 2013

German RSO/01 Type 470 (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 6691 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German RSO/01 Type 470’.

German RSO/01 Type 470

History

The acronym RSO stands for Raupenschlepper Ost, which translates as ‘Caterpillar Tractor East’. The terrible muddy and icy conditions experienced on the Eastern Front convinced Germany of the need for a highly mobile, tracked vehicle.

Steyr proposed the RSO and it immediately became a popular vehicle thanks to its mobility and reliability. In all, about 23,000 RSO vehicles were produced by a range of manufacturers.

The original version had a pressed-steel cab and a typical truck-style cargo bed at the rear. It was powered by a Steyr 85hp V8 engine that offered a top speed of 30km/h. This kit depicts the standard RSO/01, the type with rounded steel cab being the best known of all the versions used by Germany.

Source: Dragon Models website

Manufacturer

Israeli M-50, Super Sherman (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 3528 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Israeli M-50, Super Sherman’.

Israeli M-50, Super Sherman

History

The Sherman M-50 and the Sherman M-51, both known abroad as the Super Sherman, were modified versions of the American M4 Sherman tank that served with the Israel Defense Forces from the mid-1950s to early 1980s. The M-51 was also referred to as the Isherman (i.e. Israeli Sherman). However, the designations Super Sherman and Isherman were never used by the Israeli Defense Forces.
Source: Wikipedia

Manufacturer

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Russian Tank Destroyer, SU-85M (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 6096 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian Tank Destroyer, SU-85M’.

Russian Tank Destroyer, SU-85M

History

The SU-85 was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during World War II, based on the chassis of the T-34 medium tank. Earlier Soviet self-propelled guns were meant to serve as either assault guns, such as the SU-122, or as mobile anti-tank weapons; the SU-85 fell into the latter category. The designation SU-85 is derived as follows: ‘SU’ stands for the Russian: Samokhodnaya Ustanovka – self-propelled carriage, while “85” signifies the bore of the vehicle’s armament, the 85mm D-5T gun.

There were two versions: the basic SU-85 had a fixed commander’s cupola with a rotating periscope and three vision blocks; the improved SU-85M had the same casemate as the SU-100, with a commander’s cupola as used on the T-34-85.

Source: Wikipedia

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German Panzerkampfwagen III, Ausf. F (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 6632 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Panzerkampfwagen III, Ausf. F’.

Panzerkampfwagen III, Ausf. F

History

Panzer III was the common name of a medium tank that was developed in the 1930s by Germany and was used extensively in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen III Sd Kfz. 141 (abbreviated PzKpfw III) translating as “armoured fighting vehicle”.

It was intended to fight other armoured fighting vehicles and serve alongside the infantry-supporting Panzer IV. However, as the Germans faced the formidable T-34, stronger anti-tank guns were needed. Since the Panzer IV had a bigger turret ring, the role was reversed. The Panzer IV mounted the long barreled 7.5 cm KwK 40 gun and engaged in tank-to-tank battles.

The Panzer III became obsolete in this role and for most purposes was supplanted by the Panzer IV. From 1942, the last version of Panzer III mounted the 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24, better suited for infantry support. Production of the Panzer III ended in 1943. However, the Panzer III’s capable chassis provided hulls for the Sturmgeschütz III until the end of the war.

Source: Wikipedia

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German Panzerkampfwagen IV, Ausf. C (Dragon)

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This is the Dragon 6291 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Panzerkampfwagen IV, Ausf. C’.

German Panzerkampfwagen IV, Ausf. C

History

The Panzerkampfwagen IV (Pz.Kpfw.IV), more commonly referred to as the Panzer IV, was a tank developed by Germany and used extensively in World War II. It was designed initially as an infantry-support medium tank, to work in conjunction with the anti-tank Pzkpfw III. Later in the war, it was up-gunned and up-armored, and took over the tank-fighting role.

The Panzer IV was the most common German tank of World War II, and was used as the base for many other fighting vehicles, such as tank destroyers and self-propelled antiaircraft gun.

The Panzer IV has the distinction of being the only German tank to remain in continuous production throughout all of WWII, with over 9,000 produced since 1939. Only 138 “C” versions were made between 1938 and 1939.

Source: Dragon website

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