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Sturmpanzer IV Brummbär Mid-version (A1376) 1:35 Airfix The Sturmpanzer 43, or Brummbär as it was generally known by the Allies (the Germans called it StuPa, a portmanteau of the official name), was an infantry support tank that was developed from the Panzer IV, removing the turret and upper hull, then replacing it with a fixed casemate that sported a 155mm Skoda designed cannon. It could carry 38 rounds with separate bagged charges, and for self-defence it mounted an MG34 machine gun on the top hatch with spare rounds dotted around inside the hull in boxes. Around 300 of the type were built overall, and they performed adequately once the bugs were ironed out. The initial production was overweight, which led to common failings that were addressed in the second batch, which were based upon Ausf.H hulls and were lighter than their predecessors, going on largely unchanged into the next batch, with the final batch standing out thanks to its redesigned casemate and gun mount, as well as the use of a later engine that also powered the Ausf.J Panzer IV, plus the commander’s cupola from the StuG. Like many German AFVs of the period, they were factory coated with Zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste that gave it a corrugated finish that was prominent, although over-rated as a deterrent to the planting of magnetic mines, which the Soviets used much less than it was imagined by the Nazis. Once this was realised, factory application stopped in September 1944, and in the field a month later. The Kit This is another of Airfix’s reboxings of an Academy AFV kit, which they have been using to broaden their range now that they are into 1:35 armour to give them the time to develop their own kits. It represents a mid-phase of production, and was initially released in 2020 by Academy, so it is a modern kit that is well-detailed. One detail that is absent however is moulded-in Zimmerit, so if you plan on depicting a Zimmerit-coated vehicle you’ll need to apply your own using whatever means you feel will work. The kit arrives in one of Airfix’s modern red-themed boxes, and inside are eight sand-coloured sprues and a solitary casemate part, two black flexible plastic tracks, a length of braided cord, a small decal sheet and the instruction booklet with colour profiles for the decal options at the rear of the booklet. Construction begins with the use of a drill, using it to open up holes in ten of the parts on the outer surface, which will be used later in the build. The lower hull is made up by plugging two inner bulkheads into sockets in the floor, then adding rear bulkhead and sides, the latter are also socketed into the two bulkheads. The front of the floor curves up and is augmented with a detail layer, with two more parts at the sides to support the front of the final drive housings. At the rear another skin is used to detail the lower half of the bulkhead, then the glacis plate is fixed over the top at the front of the vehicle. If you’ve ever built a Panzer.IV, you’ll recognise the twin swingarm structure that supports the road wheels, with four suspension units down the sides of the hull, a final drive housing at the front, and a combined tension/idler wheel at the rear next to a pair of oversize towing hooks. The wheels are made up in pairs with a separate hub, as are the return rollers, then drive sprocket and idler wheels are built up and slipped over the stub axles at each end of the swingarms. Once the glue on the wheels is dry, the two flexible tracks can be glued into place using a small amount of super glue (CA), after slipping the wings on the final link through the corresponding hole in the other end, toughening the joint over the usual pin method. The topside is begun by putting together the basic gun breech from two parts that fit on a slide, then are bracketed by the trunnions, and the ball mount is slotted onto the front of the assembly, with a gun tube slipped inside. The Brummbär had limited traverse of around 15o to each side, and this is achieved in the kit by mounting the pivot on a small base that is pinned to a cross-brace that fixes onto supports moulded-into the hull sides. The glacis is detailed with towing shackles, spare track links that have a separate run of guide-horns, and some armoured protections for the final drive covers. At the rear, the engine deck surface is made from two parts, and underneath are the cooling louvers and the rear sections of the fenders on which they rest. The completed assembly is dropped over the rear of the hull, and a bulkhead with two supports and a pair of cross-braces are added, together with conical parts that represent the inner ends of the idler axles. The centre towing shackle is made next, and the exhaust exit pipes and their armoured protectors are inserted into holes in the bulkhead, to be joined by the muffler that is made from two halves, then has the two end-caps and the exit pipe added, secured to the bulkhead by a number of pins. The angular casemate is assembled from two large parts, and has the sighting periscope and binoculars inserted from within, then outside the MG34 projecting through the front of the roof hatch is made up, with the rear portion of the hatch laid flat over the hatch. Another hatch with clamshell doors is detailed with grab-handles and installed on the back wall, then the binocular hatch and a mushroom vent are added to the roof. The sides have a few small parts added, and the gun port has a chunky riveted ring around it, after which the front half of the fenders and their angled mudguards are fixed to the underside. That assembly then joins the engine deck on the lower hull, with the driver’s hatch and enclosure fitted into the aperture in the front of the casemate, with a large vision port on the top, a single headlight, and the first of the pioneer tools on the right fender. The jack block and pry-bar are fixed on the left fender, and a number of small parts get added to the engine deck, and the tow rope is made from the included thread and a pair of styrene towing eyes, both cut to 115mm long. The jack goes on the right front fender, and on the right rear the twin cylinder air filtering system is assembled and slotted onto the fender, plugging into holes in the back of the casemate. The Notek convoy light on the left rear fender and two tubular racks are added to the rear bulkhead, with two pairs of roadwheels placed in each rack. More small parts including fender braces, fire extinguisher, aerial base and a large flat box are dotted around, and the final act is to add the two-part Schürzen rails, with the triangular brackets pointing skyward, which is only appropriate for the first decal option. Markings There are the standard two decal options on the sheet, both substantially different in terms of camouflage, but sharing a base of dunkelgelb (dark yellow). From the box you can build one of the following: Sturmpanzer-Abteilung 217, Falaise Pocket, Aug. 1944 Sturmpanzer-Abteilung 216, Rome Area, Italy, Jun. 1944 The decals are well-printed, although the white and black are a little off-centre in the vertical on my example, but that can be fixed easily with a sharp knife and steady hand. AFV markings were hand-painted or stencilled for the most part anyway, so weren’t always perfect. The instructions remind you about adding Zimmerit to the surface of your model before painting, as previously mentioned. Conclusion A nice reboxing of the Academy kit, and with some interesting markings options. The lack of Zimmerit may put some off, but with a little skill and patience or aftermarket you can make that happen, or you can just ignore it and build it without for the fun of it. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

It's funny how some vehicles appeal to us and we want to make a model. I rarely, if ever, build German WW2 armour, but the Stupa, better, if somewhat erroneously, known as the Brummbar, has always been on my long term bucket list. The final catalyst was finding the zimmerit set for the recent Tamiya kit at Scale Scotland on Saturday, rapidly followed by finding the kit itself for a reasonable sum. As usual, research came first, and we are fortunate that there are some preserved examples of the late version as modelled by Tamiya: P1090957 by Ian Tong, on Flickr Brummbar by marcin oldak, on Flickr P1100612 by Ian Tong, on Flickr P1140668 by Ian Tong, on Flickr Brummbar/Sturmpanzer IV by tuscaloosa2009, on Flickr

Hi All, Heres the Tamiya 1/35 Brummbar late. I've added the ATAK Zimmerit set and painted with Tamiya acrylics. Goes together really well and with a bit of time the Zimmerit can look pretty good I think. You can simulate battle damage easily and it takes paint well Usual comment s & critique appreciated. Cheers David

The Tamiya Brummbar Late in 1/35 scale is in stock and available to order now.. The Sd.Kfz.166 Sturmpanzer IV Late Edition is the latest new release in the superb 1/35 Tamiya military model range.