ARM: Review - DML 1/72 Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. C with towed 3.7 cm Pak 35/36

Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/72 Armor Pro Series Kit No.7371; Sd.Kfz. 251/2 Ausf. C Rivetted Version and 3.7 cm Pak 35/36; 169 parts(152 in grey styrene, 14 etched brass, 2 DS plastic track runs, 1 length of stiff wire); price about US$14-16

Advantages: very nice, clean model of this popular vehicle in =93small scale=94; unique but effective method of assembling running gear; towed =93doorknocker=94 nicely done

Disadvantages: RP parts (as in right puny!)

Rating: Highly Recommended

Recommendation: for all German WWII =93Small Scale=94 fans

After some hiatus DML has issued another variant of their popular

1/72 scale family of German medium halftracks, this time as the infantry carrier with a towed version of the 3.7mm Pak 35/36 antitank gun.

Recent information continues to give a better picture of why the Germans were so unhappy with this gun so soon in the war. Designed in tandem with the Soviets in 1930, at that time the gun was capable of defeating any armor being built in the world. But by the time it got into service, heavier armor was beginning to come off the production lines (such as the Char 2B) and when the Germans went into Russia it was nearly useless against the new T-34 and KV tank designs. One recent Russian article noted the frustration of a German antitank team leader whose gunner put 20 shots into a T-34 at point blank range (about 100 meters) but did no useful damage. He noted the only thing that saved them was the fact that the Soviet tankers could not see him as he was in a blind spot for the tank=92s crew.

While the Soviets changed the design of the gun to 45mm caliber so it could fire a useful HE or canister round, the Germans were stuck with this gun and could only use it as an auxiliary weapon after the Soviets began to replace their pre-war and early model light tanks with heavier ones.

For this kit DML has combined their previous Sd.Kfz. 251 Ausf. C hull with its applique etched brass lower hull riveting with molds based on their =93Stroke 10" commander=92s variants with the 3.7 cm gun on the roof of the fighting compartment with a brand new carriage for the gun. Therefore the kit is as previous models.

The new upper hull, like the previous Cs and Ds, is not a pantograph of the larger kits but is based on the same research and drawings. The lower hull is a single piece pan, less the rear area, and the axles are molded on the lower hull. The running gear for each side consists of a rear (inside) wheel section, a center wheel section, three outer road wheels, and drivers. Once installed the connectors between the individual wheels on the inside and the center are not visible, so it helps speed up assembly while making it easier to get things aligned. Tracks are the gluable DS plastic, so you can also get them to settle down on top of the road wheels with some care.

Unlike the last Ausf. C kit (7306) this kit no longer comes with the option of either the C (welded) or C (rivetted) upper hulls. Therefore the modeler must use six sections of etched brass for the lower hull applique to provide scale rivets. As before openings have been left to mount the fenders through the brass to the hull.

Interior bits include the various control levers, rifles, MP submachine guns, and other items. The hinge mechanisms for the doors are single pieces, but are non-operating types. They cement to the lower rear section, as the upper hull has the rear angular parts of the hull attached to it. The four front viewers are separate parts and can be cemented either open or closed as well, as is the hood assembly with two flaps. No engine or interior is provided for the engine bay.

The fenders are one-piece units with the stowage bins still closed parts. RP parts include the =93Notek=94 headlight and mount and the drum magazines for the two MG 34 machine guns. The weapons appear to be very close to scale, something I don=92t recall from other manufacturers in the past!

The Pak 35/36 gun is very neatly done with a =93slide molded=94 open bore so it is up to speed with the larger kits. The gun comes on a small sprue of two parts and a full carriage of 17 parts comes on another. The modeler has a choice of towed or deployed configurations, and the gun is very petite and nicely done. No brass gun shield option is provided of the gun.

Directions are standard DML fare, but due to the fewer parts in their

1/72 series kits they are not as busy and much easier to read.

Painting and marking options are provided for one unit, our old friend =93Unidentified unit=94, Eastern Front 1942, with hasty mud stripe camouflage over grey.) Two generic Cartograf sheets (crosses and license plates) are provided.

Overall another nice effort, and for early war modeling or dioramas this will be a nice choice.

Thanks to Freddie Leung of DML for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell

Reply to
AMPSOne
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Advantages: very nice, clean model of this popular vehicle in ?small scale?; unique but effective method of assembling running gear; towed ?doorknocker? nicely done

Disadvantages: RP parts (as in right puny!)

Rating: Highly Recommended

Recommendation: for all German WWII ?Small Scale? fans

After some hiatus DML has issued another variant of their popular

1/72 scale family of German medium halftracks, this time as the infantry carrier with a towed version of the 3.7mm Pak 35/36 antitank gun.

Recent information continues to give a better picture of why the Germans were so unhappy with this gun so soon in the war. Designed in tandem with the Soviets in 1930, at that time the gun was capable of defeating any armor being built in the world. But by the time it got into service, heavier armor was beginning to come off the production lines (such as the Char 2B) and when the Germans went into Russia it was nearly useless against the new T-34 and KV tank designs. One recent Russian article noted the frustration of a German antitank team leader whose gunner put 20 shots into a T-34 at point blank range (about 100 meters) but did no useful damage. He noted the only thing that saved them was the fact that the Soviet tankers could not see him as he was in a blind spot for the tank?s crew.

While the Soviets changed the design of the gun to 45mm caliber so it could fire a useful HE or canister round, the Germans were stuck with this gun and could only use it as an auxiliary weapon after the Soviets began to replace their pre-war and early model light tanks with heavier ones.

For this kit DML has combined their previous Sd.Kfz. 251 Ausf. C hull with its applique etched brass lower hull riveting with molds based on their ?Stroke 10" commander?s variants with the 3.7 cm gun on the roof of the fighting compartment with a brand new carriage for the gun. Therefore the kit is as previous models.

The new upper hull, like the previous Cs and Ds, is not a pantograph of the larger kits but is based on the same research and drawings. The lower hull is a single piece pan, less the rear area, and the axles are molded on the lower hull. The running gear for each side consists of a rear (inside) wheel section, a center wheel section, three outer road wheels, and drivers. Once installed the connectors between the individual wheels on the inside and the center are not visible, so it helps speed up assembly while making it easier to get things aligned. Tracks are the gluable DS plastic, so you can also get them to settle down on top of the road wheels with some care.

Unlike the last Ausf. C kit (7306) this kit no longer comes with the option of either the C (welded) or C (rivetted) upper hulls. Therefore the modeler must use six sections of etched brass for the lower hull applique to provide scale rivets. As before openings have been left to mount the fenders through the brass to the hull.

Interior bits include the various control levers, rifles, MP submachine guns, and other items. The hinge mechanisms for the doors are single pieces, but are non-operating types. They cement to the lower rear section, as the upper hull has the rear angular parts of the hull attached to it. The four front viewers are separate parts and can be cemented either open or closed as well, as is the hood assembly with two flaps. No engine or interior is provided for the engine bay.

The fenders are one-piece units with the stowage bins still closed parts. RP parts include the ?Notek? headlight and mount and the drum magazines for the two MG 34 machine guns. The weapons appear to be very close to scale, something I don?t recall from other manufacturers in the past!

The Pak 35/36 gun is very neatly done with a ?slide molded? open bore so it is up to speed with the larger kits. The gun comes on a small sprue of two parts and a full carriage of 17 parts comes on another. The modeler has a choice of towed or deployed configurations, and the gun is very petite and nicely done. No brass gun shield option is provided of the gun.

Directions are standard DML fare, but due to the fewer parts in their

1/72 series kits they are not as busy and much easier to read.

Painting and marking options are provided for one unit, our old friend ?Unidentified unit?, Eastern Front 1942, with hasty mud stripe camouflage over grey.) Two generic Cartograf sheets (crosses and license plates) are provided.

Overall another nice effort, and for early war modeling or dioramas this will be a nice choice.

Thanks to Freddie Leung of DML for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell

Interesting - Thanks for that.

Re the gun - The Germans developed a hollow charge round that fitted over the outside of the muzzle, this was fired using a blank. IIRC this was effective against a T34 but not much use against the KV (which is why the Germans started using the 88mm AA guns in the AT role in the first place, although these did have a telescopic sight wheras the British 3.7 inch did not (designed for electronic control)).

Regards

Mike

Reply to
Mike Smith

Mike,

That is true, but the Stielgranate 41 was in low supply, awkward to suse except once from ambush, and not very stable in flight. From Soviet sources it was no encountered very much at all and they make no special mention of it in their histories.

88m guns have nothing to do with the 37mm ones, so not sure why you mentioned this. Most German records also indicate that up until 1943 the use of the 8.8 cm Flak guns as antitank weapons was a last-ditch move; while the gun was certainly effective, it involved setting it up in fixed positions in order to provide it a wide arc of fire (that from the carriage was very narrow due to recoil), using Luftwaffe troops as Wehrmacht assets, and risking very expensive and limited AA assets for a situation which made them highly vulnerable to artillery fire.

Cookie Sewell

Reply to
AMPSOne

gee, talk to any europeon command foot soldier and he'll tell you they had thousands of them. they were on every road, in every field and shot down aircraft with one shot and tanks with the next. all the crews were evil ss bastards who drank blood and ate french children. the only way to kill them was by having 100 shermans sneak up on them one at a time and blast away for hours until you got one. one gun had gone from africa to russia to normandy and had so many white rings on the barrel thay had to paint them 1mm thick. all the crew had iron cross's with oak leaves, diamonds and ruby roses, special for them. when i was a kid in germany, we heard so much talk from vets of both sides, the first time we saw an 88, we were shocked and sure there was a mistake. the german soldiers believed the myths as much as the amis!

Reply to
someone

The T34 85 leveled the playing field a bit, they could engage 88s at similar ranges. Oddly though the 'doorknocker' seems to have stayed in service a lot longer than it should have, anyone know how it fared against the Sherman (seeing as that was the most numerous allied tank in the west)?

Mike

Reply to
Mike Smith

There would have been very few encounters between Shermans and the Pak

35/36, I would think. By the time the Shermans were appearing on the battlefields in any numbers the standard German AT guns were the PaK 38 (50mm) and the PaK 40 (75mm), either of which were more than capable of ruining a Sherman's day. I don't know for certain, but I suspect that the majority of in-service 37mm after 1942 were either mounted on half-tracks (or similar) or relegated to "quiet" areas like Norway, or given (or sold) to Germany's allies like Hungary and Romania.

I doubt that the 37mm round would have been very much more effective against a Sherman than it was vs. a T-34. Remember, the Germans had trouble with the French and British armour in 1940! Sherman armour was not amazing compared to many of its contemporaries, but it was plenty good enough to protect against obsolescent equipment like the PaK 35/36.

Bruce Melbourne, Australia

Reply to
Bruce Probst

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