Kit Review: AFV Club 1/35 scale Kit No. AF35139; 38 cm RW6-1 L/5.4 Assault Rocket for Sturmtiger; 104 parts in olive drab styrene; price not known but estimated at under US$20
Advantages: permits =93bulking up=94 a Sturmtiger at a reasonable price; choice of fuses and options
Disadvantages: no major ones noted
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for al Sturmtiger =93owners=94
One of the most bizarre and single-purpose vehicles of the entire Second World War was the German Sturmtiger assault gun/mortar system which fired a masssive 38 cm (15 inch) high-explosive (4581) or cumulative charge (4592) rocket projectile. Capable of a maximum range of over 5,500 meters, its real purpose was point-blank destruction of fortifications, buildings and other strong points during street fighting. The Sturmtiger mounted the massive 38 cm Raketenwehrfer 61 short-range mortar, and the combination was able to put a massive amount of high-explosive where it could do the most damage. 18 were converted but from most reports they were too heavy and bulky for effective use in the street combat they were designed for.
These vehicles have been popular for many years, and Tamiya, Italeri and AFV Club have all produced kits of this oddity. But a fully stored one takes 14 rounds, and none of the kits provided that much ammunition. A pair of turned aluminum rounds were offered, but these were too expensive to make =93bombing up=94 a Sturmtiger a realistic proposition.
AFV Club now offers a kit which provides sufficient parts for a full load. The kit comes with two identical sprues that build into ten complete 4581 HE rounds and four complete 4592 HEAT rounds, as well as a two converter sections with no driving bands so one rocket may be loaded into the gun on the model chosen. Each rocket consists of a nose, fuse, warhead section, rocket motor, rocket venturi element, and igniter well plug. A set of decals is provided for marking the finished ammunition.
Overall this is a nice idea and an inexpensive way to fill up the racks of a Sturmtiger.
Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell